I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

As the brush rustled across the paper, Zhou Qing continued to record everything before him. As the Empress's attendant, his duty was to record her daily life in detail, but the current scene made him, a modern time traveler, quite embarrassed.

"Mr. Zhou Qijulang, what are you recording?" An elderly maid came over with a wary look in her eyes.

Zhou Qing didn't even raise his head as he continued writing on the bamboo slips: "Of course, I am recording the Empress's daily life. This is my duty."

"But..." The nanny hesitated to speak, obviously dissatisfied with his recording of these details.

At this moment, the clear voice of Empress Xu Feihong came from the inner hall: "Is Mr. Zhou Qiju outside?"

"I'm here." Zhou Qing put down his brush and straightened his official robe.

"Come in and talk."

The maid's eyes widened. It was really against etiquette to allow male officials to enter the inner hall at this time. But when the empress spoke, who dared to say anything?

Zhou Qing pushed the door open and walked in, only to see Xu Feihong sitting in front of her dressing table, dressed in gauze, her long hair loose. Even in this ancient era, this empress's beauty was beyond compare.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Zhou Qing bowed politely.

"No need to be polite." Xu Feihong looked at him through the bronze mirror. "I heard that you keep very detailed records?"

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat. Had he been discovered? He remained calm on the surface, "Your Majesty, I am only recording according to my duty."

"Then tell me, how much rouge and powder did I use this morning?"

This question made Zhou Qing stunned. He was so focused on looking at the palace maids that he didn't pay attention to these details.

[Poison Master System Tip: Detected that the host is facing a test, it is recommended to use a poisonous trick to escape]

The system prompt in his mind gave Zhou Qing an idea. He said calmly, "Your Majesty, I am recording the preparations made by the palace maids. As for the specific amount Your Majesty used, I dare not record it myself. After all, Your Majesty is naturally beautiful, and rouge and powder are just the icing on the cake. Recording any more would be superfluous."

Xu Feihong looked at him in the mirror, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "You are quite good at talking. But I want to ask you, did you take note of the performance of those ministers in the court yesterday?"

"Of course I've taken note." Zhou Qing immediately understood the empress's meaning. "Left Prime Minister Zhang Wenyuan submitted three memorials, Right Prime Minister Li Deming refuted them twice, and Minister of Revenue Qian Weixin hesitated when reporting on the treasury situation. It's clear that he's hiding something."

"Oh?" Xu Feihong turned around and looked directly at Zhou Qing. "What do you think Qian Weixin is hiding?"

This is the opportunity! Zhou Qing was secretly delighted. This was the perfect time to unleash his evil plan.

"I believe Qian Weixin may be concealing something regarding the national treasury. From what I've observed, he habitually touches his nose whenever he mentions specific figures, a sign of guilt. Furthermore, his report was half the time he usually takes, clearly an attempt to expedite the process."

Xu Feihong's eyes flashed with interest: "Go on."

"Your Majesty, I boldly speculate that the situation in the national treasury may be much more serious than what Qian Weixin reported. And..." Zhou Qing deliberately paused.

"And what?"

"And I suspect that the personal interests of some ministers may be involved. After all, the deficit in the national treasury must go somewhere."

As soon as these words came out, Xu Feihong's expression immediately became serious. She stood up and walked to Zhou Qing: "Do you have any evidence?"

"This is just my speculation based on observation. Specific evidence requires further investigation. However..." Zhou Qing's eyes rolled, "I do have a suggestion."

"explain."

"Your Majesty can secretly send someone to check the accounts. At the same time, you can inquire about the treasury situation again in the court and observe the reactions of Qian Weixin and other ministers. If my speculation is correct, there will definitely be some clues revealed."

[Poison Master System Tip: The poison plan was successfully executed, and 10 Poison Master points were obtained]

[System Store Open: Various Skills and Items Available]

Zhou Qing was overjoyed when he heard the system's prompt, but he still maintained a respectful expression on his face.

Xu Feihong paced around the room for a few steps, then said to Zhou Qing, "Your suggestion is good. But I'm more curious about how a chamberlain like you could notice these details."

"Your Majesty, I believe that a competent recorder should not just record mechanically, but should observe carefully. Only then will what he records be valuable."

"That makes sense." Xu Feihong nodded. "Then continue your observations. Report to me any findings you may have."

"The minister obeys the order."

Zhou Qing was in high spirits as he left the inner hall. His first evil plan had succeeded, and he had even opened the system store. He couldn't wait to see what goodies the store had.

But as soon as he walked into the outer hall, he heard several palace maids whispering.

"Have you heard? The attendant just entered the inner hall."

"Is this true? Your Majesty allows male officials to enter while he is bathing?"

"It's absolutely true. We all saw it."

"This...this is too unethical, isn't it?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, it's over if you hear us."

Zhou Qing frowned. It seemed his actions had already caused some rumors. In this feudal society, the boundaries between men and women were very strict, even in the relationship between the monarch and his subjects.

But he didn't care too much. After all, his goal was to become the most powerful poison master in history. What did these rumors matter?

Returning to his duty room, Zhou Qing opened the system store.

【System Store】

[Current Poison Master Points: 10]

Exchangeable items:

[Eye of Observation (5 points): Improves observation skills and enables you to discover details that ordinary people overlook.]

[Silver Tongue (8 points): Improves eloquence and greatly enhances persuasiveness]

[Shadow Footwork (15 Poison Warrior points): Improves your agility, making it easier to move in secret.]

[…More items require higher poison master points to unlock]

Zhou Qing looked at the options, lost in thought. The Eye of Observation would be very helpful for his current profession, but Silver Tongue looked good too. However, considering his recent success, he decided to redeem the Eye of Observation first.

[Exchange successful, remaining Poison Points: 5]

In an instant, Zhou Qing felt that his vision became sharper, and he could even see the subtle wrinkles on the clothes of the palace maid in the distance clearly.

At this moment, there were rapid footsteps outside the door.

"Zhou Qijulang, something bad has happened!" A young eunuch ran in. "His Majesty has called an emergency court meeting and requires you to attend immediately and take notes!"

Zhou Qing was stunned. How long had it been? Could it be that Xu Feihong had already started to act?

He quickly packed up his recording materials and followed the eunuch to the imperial court. On the way, the eunuch whispered to him, "I heard it's about the national treasury, and it seems very serious."

Zhou Qing smiled secretly in his heart. It seemed that his evil plan was more effective than expected.

Inside the Forbidden City, civil and military officials hurried in, all with puzzled expressions on their faces. It was unusual to convene a court meeting at short notice, especially at this time.