You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Jin Mingde could only suppress his anger and continue doing things according to the procedures.

The "leaves" belonging to Xie Wanru and others were in the treasure chest presented by the Simons.

"Your Majesty, this is the silver leaf, a national treasure revered as a 'miracle medicine' by the people of Simon. It has unique effects; it can alleviate the pain of the seriously ill, and even healthy people can strengthen their bodies by chewing a few leaves..."

Jin Mingde introduced the leaves in the wooden box, while Xie Wanru stared at the leaves.

This is the thing that misled the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty in the past. Many people were obsessed with its effects and gave away large sums of silver to the Ximeng people. In the end, they suffered from internal and external troubles and attacked the Great Zhou Dynasty together with the Northern Barbarians.

Xiao Long's gaze also locked onto the box of leaves. He had already heard Xie Wanru's explanation and knew that this thing was not as magical as the Simons claimed. So why did the Simons praise it now? It was all so strange.

"Wanwan, is this thing really that amazing?"

Lin Qing asked.

Xie Wanru was afraid that she would get too involved, so she didn't tell her these things.

"It's addictive, it's a bad thing."

Xie Wanru gave a brief explanation, her gaze still fixed on the box in Simon's hand.

Lin Qing immediately became alert. "What should we do? Should we tell the Emperor? We can't let this evil thing harm our people on the land of Da Zhou."

"Don't be afraid, His Highness the Crown Prince knows, he will handle it."

Xie Wanru gave Lin Qing a reassuring look, but in her heart, she had some expectations for Xiao Long's handling of the situation.

She knew that Xiao Long was no ordinary person; he was talented and intelligent. Since he already knew the truth about the silver leaf, he wouldn't sit idly by and let the Great Zhou fall into trouble.

At this moment, Emperor Qinyong's gaze also fell on the box of silver leaves, a hint of curiosity and scrutiny flashing in his eyes. He didn't know the background of the silver leaves, he was just curious.

He spoke slowly, his voice dignified and solemn, "Oh? There is such a wondrous thing in the world. However, I have heard that everything in the world has two sides. Since this silver leaf is a divine medicine, is there any bad side to it?"

Jin Mingde's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. The side effect of this stuff is addiction; once you take it a few times, it's very difficult to quit.

At first, I didn't feel anything.

Princess Simon secretly thought to herself that this was bad news. This Emperor of the Great Zhou was indeed quite clever. If he tried a few more times, he would surely be exposed.

This thing can only dominate the market after it is used on a large scale. If it is discovered and banned at the beginning, it will be difficult to reappear later.

Just as Jin Mingde was about to explain, Xiao Long stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, I am also very curious about the rumors about the silver leaves. In that case, I am willing to test them myself to determine their authenticity."

Upon hearing this, the Diligent and Brave Emperor's eyes flashed with approval.

He knew that Xiao Long was a cautious man, and that he must have made preparations for this proposal.

So he nodded in agreement: "Very well, Your Highness has such a good intention, I am very pleased. However, you must be careful with the experiment, and you must not harm yourself."

Xiao Long turned to look at Princess Simon, his eyes filled with an undeniable determination: "Princess, since this silver leaf is a national treasure of your Simon, may I personally verify its efficacy? If it is as you say, I will certainly ask my father for permission to bestow a generous reward; otherwise, I hope that you can give the Great Zhou a reasonable explanation."

Although Princess Simon was displeased, she could only nod in agreement in the face of Xiao Long's relentless pressure.

She knew that if she refused now, it would only make the Great Zhou royal family more suspicious of the authenticity of the silver leaf, which would be a loss.

Xie Wanru's palms were slightly sweaty. She hadn't expected that His Highness the Crown Prince would personally test the medicine. She stared at Xiao Long and shook her head slightly when he looked over, indicating that he should not be impulsive. It would be fine to have someone else try it instead, and there was no need for her to take the risk.

Xiao Long, however, indicated that she didn't need to worry. Shen Cong'an had investigated and found that she would stop taking this substance after one or two uses, so quitting wouldn't be difficult.

As long as he can control himself and not crave that wonderful, fleeting feeling, everything will be fine. He is confident in himself and believes he can definitely quit. But it might not be the same for others. He cannot let this matter involve innocent people.

At Xiao Long's signal, a guard stepped forward, took the silver leaf from Jin Mingde, and prepared to conduct the experiment.

The atmosphere in the room immediately became tense, and everyone's eyes were focused on this scene.

Xie Wanru held Lin Qing's hand tightly, feeling both nervous and expectant.

She knew that this moment not only concerned the safety of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but also her own health. She regretted entrusting this matter to His Highness the Crown Prince.

Moreover, the Crown Prince insisted on personally testing the medicine, probably because he wanted to expose the hypocrisy of the silver leaf on the spot. Only if he, as the Crown Prince, stood up and denied it would be the most representative statement.

She hoped Xiao Long could succeed and expose the hypocrisy of the silver leaf to the world, but she didn't want anything to happen to the Crown Prince.

“Wanwan, you have to believe him,” Wu Xuanyi comforted Xie Wanru instead. “His Highness the Crown Prince must know the function of this thing, otherwise he wouldn’t have stepped forward so rashly. He’s not the type to show off.”

"Sister Wu, perhaps I'm overthinking it."

Xie Wanru swallowed hard to calm herself down.

Calling a halt at this point is impossible and could disrupt His Highness the Crown Prince's plans, which is unacceptable.

Dongzhu came to her side and brought Shen Cong'an's message: "Lord Shen assures you, they have already asked Doctor Huo for the antidote for the poison pill, so everything is fine."

When Xie Wanru looked up again, she asked Shen Cong'an to nod to her, indicating that she could rest assured.

For some reason, with Shen Cong'an's nod, she really felt relieved.

"I know."

Xie Wanru replied to Dongzhu and sat down quietly.

The interaction between the group was subtle, but Prince Rui, who rarely showed his face, saw it all clearly from the corner.

"interesting."

His gaze gradually turned cold, unlike his previous nonchalant attitude.

Xiao Yan, with a similar expression, smiled and had already decided what kind of grand gift he would give his elder brother.

After the banquet, he only needs to invite his elder brother to dinner or drinks, and secretly let him take it one or two more times. Will his elder brother still be able to keep his position as crown prince?

"Brother! Brother! You delivered this to me all by yourself."

Xiao Yan spoke very softly, and the fourth prince beside him couldn't hear him clearly, so he took it as something unpleasant and focused on watching the crown prince test the medicine.

In the center of the banquet, Xiao Long had already picked up a leaf, slowly put it in his mouth, and begun to chew.

Everyone's eyes followed his every move, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The only sound in the entire banquet hall was the soft chewing of Xiao Long.