Chapter 57: It Truly Was Not Song Shilan Who Laid the Poisoned Trap

Song Shiwei's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "Thank you for your trouble, Prince Ding!"

"My father and the others have been poisoned!"

"Although I gave my father and the others the antidote pills, I am not sure if these pills are effective."

On the road of exile, one of the hardest things was the lack of a doctor.

A slight headache or fever was manageable, but falling seriously ill could truly be fatal.

Bai Bohan was glad he had brought a doctor along, and he waved his hand to send the physician to examine Song's father and the others.

He inquired, "How did Master Song get poisoned?"

Song Shiwei's brows furrowed, her expression turning slightly solemn. "For now, the investigation points to Song Shilan as the culprit, but something feels off to me."

Bai Bohan did not say she was overthinking, but rather prompted, "Tell me your thoughts."

Song Shiwei lowered her voice. "Song Shilan claims she poisoned the medicinal broth I brewed for my family that day with a chronic poison."

"Thinking about it afterward, nearly half a month has passed since that day. Would a chronic poison take this long to act?"

"Besides, given Song Shilan's temperament, she could not have waited that long."

Bai Bohan pondered for a moment and said, "In other words, it's possible that Song Shilan did try to poison them, but her poison was useless."

"Someone else took advantage of this and played along, turning her plot to their own benefit."

A chilly edge crept into the corners of Song Shiwei's eyes, and her tone turned icy. "That is the most likely scenario."

"Given my family's current situation, it is entirely normal for someone to break under the hardships of the exile road and allow themselves to be bought off and used."

Just because she could do so much for her family did not mean everyone in the family could do the same.

Human nature... is selfish.

Bai Bohan lowered his gaze to look at the woman before him.

After more than a month of exile, she had long since lost the noble, elegant, and beautiful appearance she once had.

Yet, she had gained a resilience and a distinctive vitality that daughters of high-ranking noble houses simply did not possess.

She was like a snow lotus blooming on a plateau, full of life and spirit.

"Once the doctor has checked the condition of Master Song and the others, we will be able to confirm whether it was truly Song Shilan's doing."

He consoled her, "Don't worry too much, and don't overthink it."

"Aside from Princess Anning, who dares to send assassins to kill you all, the rest only dare to scheme in the shadows. They wouldn't even dare instruct the post station officials to make things difficult for you."

If anyone were to actually do such a thing openly, it would leave them vulnerable to attack by their rivals.

Not to mention, the Emperor was currently in such a murderous rage because of Princess Anning's actions that court officials didn't dare make any reckless moves.

Song Shiwei's willow-leaf brows rose in anger, her voice blazing with fury. "So the assassins from last time really were sent by Princess Anning!"

"Her desire to conquer Cui Jing is her own business; why must she keep coming to trouble me?"

"Does she seriously think that if I die, she will get Cui Jing?"

Bai Bohan's brow twitched upon hearing this.

He pressed his lips together and asked, "Are you... still thinking of getting back together with Cui Jing?"

Song Shiwei looked at him as if he were a lunatic. "Prince Ding, my mind is completely sound. How could I possibly choose to get back together with my enemy?"

She added, "Even if my mind were unhinged, I would never get back together with Cui Jing."

Hatred surfaced on her face. If Cui Jing hadn't colluded with Princess Anning to frame her family, they wouldn't have been stripped of their wealth and sent into exile without even a chance to prepare or defend themselves.

She had engraved this blood feud in her heart.

A sense of relief washed over Bai Bohan, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I was just asking casually."

"By the way, let me brief you on the current situation and power struggles in Mingdu."

Song Shiwei reined in her emotions and listened attentively, as this was crucial for her family.

Bai Bohan detailed, "Anning previously intended to rebel..."

"Huh?" Song Shiwei felt as though she were hallucinating. "Prince Ding, did you just say Princess Anning intends to rebel? Is she rebelling this early?"

Understanding why she reacted this way, Bai Bohan explained, "A while back, Anning was given thirty lashes for talking back to the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Song Shiwei felt immensely gratified and relieved. "So Princess Anning gets beaten too? Serves her right."

Wasn't Princess Anning arrogant and tyrannical, doing whatever she pleased in Mingdu?

She thoroughly deserved those lashes.

A faint, subtle smile touched Bai Bohan's eyes. "Precisely because of this incident, Anning brought her rebellion forward."

"She foolishly believed that relying on her so-called arrangements over the years and the people she had bought off, she could easily succeed in a rebellion."

Song Shiwei couldn't help but laugh aloud—a laugh full of bitter mockery. "Princess Anning is truly arrogant to the extreme."

"In all dynasties, who ever rebelled without making preparation after preparation?"

"Look at her—planning a rebellion so casually just on a whim."

Bai Bohan continued, "In fact, every move Anning made was already being watched closely by the Emperor."

"Even if the censors hadn't impeached Anning for treason during the morning court session, the Emperor would still have severely punished her upon finding out..."

Song Shiwei listened to the account of the current situation in Mingdu, analyzing and pondering it as she went.

Princess Anning's rebellion not only disrupted the political landscape of Mingdu but also caused the Emperor to keep an even tighter watch on all the noble houses and court officials.

Consequently, her family's journey on the exile road might become relatively more peaceful.

More importantly, perhaps she could use this chaos to completely muddy the waters in Mingdu, paving the way to plot for her family's future.

There might even be a chance to clear her father's name.

As for whether Cui Jing's injuries had worsened, or whether he was faring well or poorly, it had nothing whatsoever to do with her.

When the time came and she had settled all other matters, she would definitely make him pay with his blood.

Just as the two finished discussing the situation in Mingdu, the physician approached.

"Prince Ding, Eldest Miss Song," the doctor bowed and reported in detail, "After my pulse-taking and examination, I can confirm that Master Song and the others were poisoned only within the last few days."

"This poison has a certain incubation period and is prone to acting up when a person experiences intense emotional fluctuations."

Hearing this, Song Shiwei immediately understood that Song Shilan was not the real poisoner; someone else was lurking in the shadows.

Who could it be, capable of administering poison so silently?

"May I ask the doctor, have my father and the others been poisoned with anything else?"

The doctor shook his head. "No, Master Song and the others have only been poisoned with this single substance."

Song Shiwei swept her gaze over her family members, trying to guess who the traitor among them might be.

There were plenty of opportunities to poison her family; as long as one was careful, it could be done without detection.

"This matter is not easy to handle," Bai Bohan stated his view. "Without conclusive evidence, if you rashly bring this up, it will easily arouse suspicion and panic among your family members."

"If that happens, it will instead play right into the malicious schemer's hands."

Song Shiwei was well aware of this.

Pressing her throbbing temples, she felt deeply worried and annoyed. "It's my fault for not keeping a closer eye on these things."

Bai Bohan said, "Forgive my bluntness, but even if you had kept watch, the enemy still would have found countless opportunities to administer the poison."

Song Shiwei knew he was right, but she couldn't help her burning anger.

Her family had already suffered such catastrophic misfortune, yet those people still refused to let them go and were bent on taking their lives.

Bai Bohan suggested, "You might as well pin the blame entirely on Song Shilan and deliberately escalate the conflict between you two."

"In secret, let Song Shilan find out that she has been used and manipulated by someone else."

"I suspect she will definitely make a move."