The Cold King Demands Love and Pleasure

"Why wouldn't you welcome me?" Min Youan turned around and looked at Xia Tongsheng, who looked exhausted.

"Of course not!" She handed the medicine to Yingling, gesturing for Yingling to step back. "Why doesn't Your Highness sit down?"

Noticing the medicine in Xia Tongsheng's hand, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong with me?" Xia Tongsheng smiled sadly. "I had no idea Your Highness was such a good actor. Don't you know what's wrong with me?"

Min Youan didn't understand what she meant. "Shouldn't I understand?"

Xia Tongsheng watched him still feigning ignorance and laughed self-deprecatingly, "I didn't expect my life to be so valuable, at least it can still make Your Highness put in some effort!"

"Explain it clearly!"

Xia Tongsheng smiled, her smile as crimson as a red spider lily, both sorrowful and alluring. "I've been poisoned!"

"What!" Upon hearing that she had been poisoned, Min Youan felt as if he had been punched hard in the heart, the blow landing heavily on his body with a dull thud!

"It's said that the poison 'Slow Robe' is very difficult to obtain. Apart from the Prince, I'm afraid no one in the entire palace can get their hands on it! However, I should be grateful to you, because at least I was poisoned with a slow-acting poison, which will allow me to live a few more days!"

Xia Tongsheng started experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath precisely after her cold war with Min You'an began, so naturally she suspected him. Furthermore, the Slow Robe was indeed an extremely difficult poison to obtain. Only Min You'an in the Prince's mansion possessed the ability to produce it!

Min Youan's eyes narrowed slightly, his anger and ferocity intense. "You think I poisoned you? I don't have the leisure to deal with a woman!"

Xia Tongsheng sneered, "Yes! Your Highness doesn't have the leisure to deal with a woman, except for women who stand in your way!"

"It wasn't me! If I ever really want to kill you, I won't deny it!" With that, Min Youan stormed off in a rage.

Xia Tongsheng stared at his angry departing figure, thinking, "Could it really not be him? But if it's not him, then who could it be?"

She thought through everyone in the manor. Although she was a troublemaker, she was very kind to the servants. It was unlikely that they were holding a grudge against her and looking for an opportunity to take revenge!

Thinking about it this way, isn't the most likely scenario that there are two concubines? A drama of vying for favor in the inner palace?

However, Xia Tongsheng had been in a cold war with Min Youan for many days, so they had no reason to poison her at this time! But since her life was at stake, Xia Tongsheng decided to test them.

A sharp pain shot through her lower back, bringing Xia Tongsheng back to her senses. Having stood for too long and experiencing such emotional turmoil, she sat down on a stool, feeling quite tired. Yingling only came out of the kitchen after Min Youan left.

When Xia Tongsheng saw her, he sighed and said to her, "Yingling, go and brew the medicine for me."

Yingling looked at the medicine in her hand, then at Xia Tongsheng, "Miss, why did you faint?"

"I have been poisoned!"

Startled, Yingling dropped the medicine in her hand. "What!"

"What's so surprising! It's just ordinary poison, don't worry, you'll be fine after taking medicine for a few days!" Xia Tongsheng told a little lie to avoid worrying her.

"When you're brewing the medicine, you must keep a close eye on it the whole time and don't leave my side for even a moment. My life is in your hands now!"

"Miss, don't scare me, I'm easily frightened!"

Xia Tongsheng smiled weakly, "Alright, go brew the medicine! Oh, by the way, call Bu Yao over!"

Yingling nodded and went to find Buyao.

Xia Tongsheng sat alone in the courtyard, pondering how to test the two concubines in the mansion, when Bu Yao arrived. "Bu Yao, please invite Concubine Fu and Concubine Xue here for me. Tell them I have something important to discuss!"

Bu Yao said with some worry, "Your Highness, they were already very unhappy about your meritorious service in the Plague Village last time. Given Consort Fu's personality, I'm afraid she might..."

Xia Tongsheng waved her hand, "It's alright, go ahead!"

Seeing Xia Tongsheng's persistent attitude, Bu Yao stopped trying to persuade her. "Yes!"

"and many more!"

Bu Yao turned around, and Xia Tongsheng beckoned to her, "Come here, let me tell you! If they don't come, tell them this..." Xia Tongsheng whispered in her ear.

Bu Yao smiled and said, "Your Highness, I understand!"

Bu Yao arrived over here and said to the little maid at the gate, "Please inform the princess that the Princess of Dongyuan requests your presence!"

"Alright!" The little maid knew that Bu Yao was the princess's head maid, so she naturally didn't dare to slack off and immediately went to inform Mo Zhu.

Mo Zhu looked at Li Fuqi, who was watering the flowers, and asked, "Princess, do you think we should let her in?"

Li Fuqi flatly refused without the slightest hesitation, "No need! What's so special about a little maid!"

"Yes, then this servant will go and report to her!"

Li Fuqi gave a faint "hmm".

Mo Zhu arrived at the courtyard gate and said to Bu Yao, "Miss Bu Yao, my master is unwell and cannot receive guests!"

Bu Yao looked somewhat regretful. "I see. Then this servant will not disturb you any longer! This servant will report to the Princess Consort that the Consort is unwell and unable to attend today's power-sharing meeting!"

"Decentralization committee?"

"Yes, the princess plans to hand over some powers to Consort Fu and Consort Xue."

"Miss Bu Yao, wait a moment! This is such a big matter, let Mo Zhu go and report it again!" After saying that, Mo Zhu ran off in a flash. When she came out again, her expression was not as distant as last time. "The princess said that since it is a big matter, even if you are not feeling well, you must go! Please go back, Miss Bu Yao, our princess will be there soon!"

"Yes!" Bu Yao curtsied and left, skillfully concealing the disdain in her eyes. She clearly wanted to seize power, yet she fabricated such a high-sounding excuse.

When they went to Xiyuan, Gu Xue didn't make things difficult for her. After receiving the news, she came with Bu Yao.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Gu Xue immediately bowed upon seeing Xia Tongsheng!

Xia Tongsheng looked up, looking somewhat weak. "Consort Xue has arrived! Please sit down!" She wasn't faking it; she was genuinely weak.

"Is the Princess not feeling well? My sister heard from Bu Yao on her way here that the Princess is not feeling well today!" Gu Xue probed, thinking that she had discovered the slow-acting poison she had given.

"It's nothing serious, I just feel inexplicably tired and have chest tightness. I can't seem to muster any enthusiasm for anything. The doctor prescribed some herbal formulas to regulate my Qi!"

Gu Xue felt relieved when she saw that Xia Tongsheng hadn't found the poison. "She must be exhausted. Your Highness should rest well!"

Xia Tongsheng smiled at her, thinking to herself, "Still resting? Wouldn't it be more to your liking if I were to pass away peacefully?"

The two had been chatting for a short while when Consort Fu arrived, dressed in her finest attire. "Consort Fu, please have a seat!"

As soon as Li Fuqi entered, she saw the two of them chatting happily, and couldn't help but tease them, "Oh, you two have started chatting, you really have a deep sisterly bond!"

Xia Tongsheng didn't mind. The main thing was to find out who poisoned her. "Alright, since you're here, let's get down to business!"

Just as she finished speaking, Yingling came in with the medicine. "Miss, the medicine is ready. Please drink it while it's hot. The doctor said it won't be effective if it gets cold!"