The Poisonous Consort, the Regent's Beloved

"Have you heard? That jinx from the Minister's mansion is back again."

"The Minister's Mansion? Who's the jinx?"

"You don't know, do you? More than ten years ago, Su Fuying, the eldest daughter of the Minister's family, was a jinx."

"What? Isn't that the current Princess Yongle? How dare we make such a comment?"

Four men were sitting at the next table, talking amongst themselves as if no one else was around. One of the men, a burly man, said dismissively, "What's there to be afraid of? It's all over the capital right now."

A man at the next table also came over and asked, "Brother, is this true? I've only been in the capital for the past two years, and I've heard this story circulating widely today. Could you tell me about it?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"This is the eldest daughter of the Su family. I heard that when she was about to be born more than ten years ago, her concubine in the Minister's mansion accidentally fell into the water and died."

Upon hearing this, the man immediately retorted, "It was just an accident, how can it be attributed to a woman?"

"Hey, brother, let me finish."

"Okay, you say."

"This is just one example. At Miss Su's first birthday banquet, another concubine from the Minister's mansion suddenly died in her room. It's terrifying!"

The other person was clearly skeptical. "Really? Is it that weird?"

"Of course, that's not all. Later, everyone in the Minister's mansion who had contact with Miss Su either fell ill or suffered misfortune, and some even lost their lives as a result."

"real or fake?"

The burly man was somewhat excited, and his voice unconsciously rose a few decibels:

"Of course it's true! Didn't you see that the people in the Minister's mansion are avoiding her like the plague? They're afraid of being cursed by her."

"The most serious thing is that she made the old lady of the Minister's mansion fall ill and never recover, which is why she was sent to the estate."

Someone else asked in confusion, "If that's the case, why bring them back now?"

"Alas." The man sighed, somewhat regretfully, "It's all because the Minister's wife missed her daughter that she went against everyone's wishes and brought her back."

"She is now Princess Yongle."

"I heard that the emperor felt sorry for her, so he made her a princess. But even if she becomes a princess, it doesn't change the fact that she is a cursed star."

"Alas, what a pity. I saw Princess Yongle once before, she was as beautiful as a fairy."

Su Fuying listened with great interest, while Biluo's face turned bright red. "Young...Master, they're exaggerating."

Gu Qibai frowned, and upon hearing Biluo's words, he also spoke with some displeasure: "For a group of grown men to gossip like this is truly not the behavior of gentlemen."

Su Fuying remained calm and said nonchalantly, "We don't care about others, but your young master is starving to death right now."

Biluo was indignant, but because Gu Qibai was present, she could only angrily urge the servant to serve the dishes.

"There are also rumors today that some scholars and literati want the Ministry of Rites to sever ties with Princess Yongle."

They stopped gossiping for less than half an incense stick's time and then started gossiping again.

"Is this happening?"

"Yes, ever since that jinx returned, there has been a famine in the north. Most importantly, even the Minister was not spared. He took a long sick leave at home recently."

"No way."

"This wicked woman is not someone that ordinary people can afford to offend. It would be understandable if the Minister's family really severed ties with her, otherwise the whole family would be killed by her!"

Everyone else was startled, their faces filled with disbelief: "Is it really that terrifying?"

“Yes, even…” At this point, the man glanced cautiously around, and seeing that everyone was chatting and not paying attention, he continued carefully, “Even that one, I heard he was seriously injured in this bandit suppression and his whereabouts are unknown.”

"What?" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear."

"A cursed star, a cursed star indeed," someone murmured.

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking and have a drink," someone suggested.

Everyone raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp, continuing to chat about other topics, but everyone felt heavy-hearted, as if a large stone was pressing on their hearts.

Upon hearing these words, Su Fuying paused in her actions, her hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"That one?" She frowned.

The only person who could frighten them so much is probably the Regent.

However, when she heard that the other person was injured and missing, a doubt arose in her heart. She couldn't believe that bastard was really dead.

Recalling the news she'd heard about the Shadowless Palace a couple of days ago, she couldn't help but feel suspicious. Was that scoundrel really finished?

No! She thought to herself, if he really died, who would she ask for money from? After all, he was currently her biggest source of income.

However, His Majesty's rewards in the past two days were quite generous, enough for her to sustain herself for a period of time.

Thinking of this, she sighed and shook her head helplessly. Oh well, if he's dead, he's dead. She'll just have to rely on herself.

Just as she was lost in thought, she heard Gu Qibai's concerned voice: "Fusu, Fusu?"

She snapped out of her daze, looked at the worried man in front of her, smiled slightly, and said softly, "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of some ways to make money."

Gu Qibai said helplessly, "I won't think about these things while I'm eating."

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter brought out the food one by one, its enticing aroma making one's mouth water.

The first thing that catches the eye is a bowl of golden yellow croaker soup with a thick broth; next is a large plate of braised crab meat lion's head meatballs, with tender and juicy meat; then comes a vinegar fish, with a crispy skin and tender flesh, sweet and sour, which is very appetizing; finally, there is a serving of fragrant almond nectar, crystal clear, like a fine work of art.

As soon as the dishes were served, Su Fuying felt his stomach protesting. He thought to himself: "It's a good thing I'm a man now, so I don't have to worry too much about my image and can enjoy the food to my heart's content."

So, without being polite, she called out to Gu Qibai and picked up her chopsticks to try it.

"Hmm, not bad, it's definitely much better than other places," Su Fuying exclaimed as she ate. She picked up a piece of the vinegar fish and put it in her mouth; the sweet and sour taste instantly spread across her tongue, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

Su Fuying was enjoying her meal when she looked up and found Gu Qibai staring at her with a smile in his eyes.

"What's wrong? Gu Qibai, you should try it!" Su Fuying asked, somewhat puzzled.

Gu Qibai then came to his senses. He smiled gently, picked up his chopsticks, and began to savor the delicious food.

Biluo, standing to the side, rolled her eyes several times, giving the two of them a meaningful look.

The three of them ordered four dishes and spent a total of seventy or eighty taels of silver, but Su Fuying felt it was well worth it.

After the meal, Su Fuying and Gu Qibai sat in the shop and chatted.

It was just past noon, and there were no customers in the shop. Gu Qibai finally couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "Fusu, I've always been curious, how did you know that yesterday was a good opportunity to sell the moisturizing cream?"

Su Fuying knew exactly what he was curious about—it was the letter she had Biluo deliver. She smiled and explained, "It's actually very simple. This stuff works in just one day. If someone actually uses it, they'll definitely spread the word. So I sent some to my friends in advance."

After Su Fuying finished speaking, she suddenly turned to look at Gu Qibai and asked, "However, why do you trust me so much? You do whatever I say."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qibai's expression became somewhat unnatural. Just as he was hesitating about how to speak, a man dressed as a guard walked in through the door.

The person who arrived was Ying Er. He quickly walked to Su Fuying's side and then glanced at Gu Qibai.

Upon seeing Shadow Two, Su Fuying inexplicably recalled the news she had just heard and unconsciously stood up.

Shadow Two whispered a few words in her ear.

Upon hearing this, Su Fuying immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and her expression relaxed slightly.

She turned to look at Gu Qibai and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Dr. Gu, I have some things to take care of at home today, so I'll have to take my leave now."