An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

This was what An Lingrong was most worried about.

Qin Fang's words were probably still a euphemism.

The methods used in brothels are probably far more terrifying than this.

The "slender horses" of Jiangnan were the most famous and favored by wealthy and powerful men who were into this art. These women, though exceptionally talented, were often kept and sold, and were deprived of their freedom.

Ordinary girls would never truly want to live such a life, so some people resort to despicable means to satisfy the base desires of the nobility.

This led to the development of poisons such as Peony Intoxication.

Back then, when I occasionally overheard the old women talking about it, it was often things like...

"That girl from the Lin family has been disciplined since childhood, but I didn't expect her to have such a temper. She even started threatening suicide when she was about to be taken away."

"Those human traffickers can't just sit idly by. What kind of tricks can a girl like her withstand?"

"What methods are needed? A few doses of medicine and they'll submit."

Then, they lowered their voices, as if discussing something extremely mysterious, "That medicine again?"

"Of course, that thing is truly wicked."

"Who can argue with that? Once you start taking this medicine, there's no escaping it. No matter how powerful she is, in the end you'll have to obey her."

"Alas, what a pity. Even the best girl can't survive more than a few years after taking this medicine."

"Don't say that. Everyone has their own fate. Do you think you'll have a good life just because you've been taken into the mansion? Even if you win the master's favor, can you escape the main wife's methods?"

Furthermore, year after year, as long as the slave traders are busy with their business, new people will come. If they encounter a womanizer, the slaves might not even last three to five years before being sold off again.

In that case, it would be better to end it all; that would be much more satisfying.

No matter which family the girl came from, or how exquisite her appearance, in the end she would only receive a sigh from a few old women, filled with countless emotions.

In An Lingrong's memory, the most unforgettable phrase was "can't survive for more than a few years," which truly gave her several nightmares.

Back in my hometown, I never imagined that this poison would have such a unique name.

As An Lingrong was lost in thought, Qin Fang continued, "Recently, I would like to ask Consort Jing to pay attention to her daily life and expenses to prevent others from taking advantage of her vulnerability."

Consort Jing nodded with difficulty, but her breathing was somewhat disordered, likely due to her inability to calm her mind at the moment.

"Of course we must be on guard."

However, the person who poisoned her was so meticulous in their plan that it would take some effort to prevent it. Seeing that everyone was silent, Zhen Huan did not want to add to their annoyance, but she still lost some of her spirits as soon as she spoke.

An Lingrong nodded slightly and comforted her, "As the saying goes, there are only those who are thieves for ten thousand years, not those who are guarding against thieves for ten thousand years."

Even with such precautions, and despite all the effort, it's likely impossible to outlast those who deliberately plot and scheme to harm others in secret.

For a moment, the hall was filled with gloom.

Suddenly, Ruyi reported that she had returned.

Seeing that Ruyi was holding a palm-sized carved rosewood box, An Lingrong had a sudden thought and asked with a light smile, "Sister Ruyi, have you retrieved all the sachets?"

Ruyi straightened her posture and said solemnly, "Your Highness, this servant has collected all the sachets distributed in Xianfu Palace."

An Lingrong nodded, gesturing for Ruyi to place the box on the table.

Qin Fang understood and immediately went up to check.

While Qin Fang was examining the sachets, An Lingrong asked again, "How did Sister Ruyi manage to retrieve these sachets?"

Ruyi dared not be negligent, but she still avoided showing any self-reproach in her expression, and said with a serious expression, "It's not a special method."

Recently, our Empress has been frequently visiting the Hall of Mental Cultivation, which makes us servants very happy.

I simply said that the epidemic in Xianfu Palace has not yet subsided, and the palace is deeply favored by the Emperor. Therefore, my mistress instructed me to replenish the herbal medicines I have been wearing recently to prevent the spread of the disease to you.

To avoid arousing suspicion, I took it upon myself to go to the Imperial Household Department and begged Steward Jiang to prepare some more herbal sachets, saying that Your Majesty was worried that you could not accompany Your Majesty due to the epidemic..."

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong smiled and nodded, "As expected, Sister Ruyi is someone that Consort Jing relies on, and she has handled things very well."

"What did Steward Jiang say?" An Lingrong asked again.

"At first, Steward Jiang said it was difficult to do, but after I spent a little money, he reluctantly agreed."

An Lingrong nodded and smiled slightly, "This was handled very well, but it has troubled Sister Ruyi to use her own private funds."

It seems that Ruyi truly follows Consort Jing, and she is also very thorough in her work. However, since they are currently in Xianfu Palace, in front of Consort Jing, An Lingrong cannot overstep her bounds and can only carefully point out Ruyi's good intentions.

However, I was a bit careless in the matter of the sachet. I only hope that Consort Jing can remember our past relationship and not punish me too severely.

However, that's a story for another time.

Now, Ruyi understood An Lingrong's hint and lowered her head to reply, "Everything I have was given to me by my master. No matter what it is, if my master needs it, I will never refuse."

An Lingrong nodded in satisfaction, thinking to herself, "Ruyi has been in the palace for a long time after all, and she is indeed sensible."

The collection of sachets was indeed handled very well.

Sometimes, the more you try to hide something, the more suspicious people become. It's better to do what Ruyi did and bring things to the table, based on what others speculate, which makes it easier for people to believe you.

Furthermore, as Qin Fang said, this poison is extremely rare and easily confused with other incense. It's unlikely that it's all kept in the Imperial Household Department.

It remains unclear where Jiang Zhongmin obtained the Peony Wine from, or who in the laundry department was using it.

Ruyi deliberately released this news, so the person behind it must not want to miss the opportunity to add more Peony Drunkenness. It seems that they must take action. This is a good opportunity to investigate the clues.

Thinking of this, An Lingrong smiled knowingly at Ruyi.

At this moment, Qin Fang had already examined each of the sachets with Han Zhu's help.

Qin Fang's face was somber, as if a deep frown was about to form between his brows. He was still weighing the sachet in his hand repeatedly.

After a long while, Qin Fang finally put the sachets back into the box and said respectfully, "Your Highness, Consort Jing, Noble Lady Wan, and Noble Lady An, these sachets are indeed not ordinary sachets. However, I have some thoughts that I am not yet sure of. I am afraid that I will have to wait for Imperial Physician Wen and the others to take a look before I can determine the reason."

An Lingrong and Zhen Huan both knew Qin Fang's character; he never spoke without certainty. At this moment, it seemed that he was truly facing a difficult problem.

But what is it that even Qin Fang can't figure out in the entire harem?