Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

After leaving the clinic, Gu Jinyan immediately returned to the Prince's Mansion, already having a preliminary plan in mind.

She must intensify her efforts to ensure that all power in the government is in her own hands and prevent the influence of the Quran from continuing to spread.

Just as she returned to her courtyard, Xiao Li rushed over with a serious expression: "Miss, the contents of those boxes in the storeroom have been checked. Some of the silks seem to have a strange fragrance, and the servants all felt dizzy after smelling them."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinyan felt a chill run down his spine. The silk carried a strange fragrance?

These were clearly not ordinary goods, but rather items that had undergone special treatment. She said coldly, "Seal those silk pieces away and forbid anyone from approaching them."

"Immediately send someone to investigate where this shipment came from and whether it is related to the Quran."

Xiao Li nodded and turned to arrange for someone to take care of it.

Gu Jinyan stood in the courtyard, his gaze as cold as a knife.

Every seemingly insignificant matter in the mansion actually harbors hidden dangers.

The Quran's treacherous scheme was precisely designed to disrupt her plans and destabilize the power balance within the royal court.

Gu Jinyan had already sensed the danger, and she would not give the other party any further opportunity.

Although Steward Zhao was only a steward in the manor, he controlled many of the core affairs of the manor, especially the allocation of finances and materials.

At this moment, his sudden collapse while taking inventory of the warehouse must have been related to the uncounted supplies.

She sat in the study, her gaze deep, pondering where to begin.

Manager Zhao has been diagnosed with poisoning by the doctor, and the source is obviously the silk with a strange fragrance in the warehouse.

Where did these silks come from?

And who is behind this?

Gu Jinyan already had some guesses in her mind. Qu Lanci was the most direct suspect, but she had to find more conclusive evidence to completely uncover the truth of this conspiracy.

She gently pressed a bell on the table, and a moment later, Xiao Li hurriedly entered the study.

"Miss, all the fragrant silks in the warehouse have been sealed up, and I have also sent people to investigate the origin of this batch of goods."

"We discovered they were delivered a few days ago, and the delivery slip indicated they were from a merchant in Beijing." Xiao Li's voice carried a hint of anxiety.

Gu Jinyan nodded slightly, but his brows remained furrowed: "Continue the investigation. Make sure to find out the origin of this batch of goods and see if the merchant has any connection with the Quran."

Xiao Li nodded and left. Gu Jinyan pondered for a moment, then decided to go to the warehouse himself to investigate.

She knew in her heart that if someone had deliberately poisoned these goods, then the origin of these items would definitely reveal some flaws.

To uncover the mastermind behind this, she must personally examine the details of these goods.

Soon after, she arrived at the storeroom with several trusted servants, where a faint, exotic fragrance still lingered in the air.

The poisoned silk was sealed in a corner, guarded by several servants who dared not touch it.

Gu Jinyan walked slowly to the sealed silk and carefully examined the goods.

Her fingers gently brushed the edge of the silk and she indeed smelled a strange fragrance. Although the fragrance was faint, it had a drowsy feeling, and prolonged exposure could very likely lead to poisoning.

She calmly instructed her servants: "Take these silks outside the mansion and ask an experienced pharmacist to examine them and see if he can identify the poisonous components."

The servant complied, and Gu Jinyan looked around the storeroom again, suddenly noticing an unopened ledger.

She opened the ledger and carefully examined the delivery records, discovering that the silk had indeed come from a merchant house in the capital, and that Manager Zhao was the one responsible for receiving the goods.

Gu Jinyan's heart skipped a beat. This shipment was very likely arranged by Gu Lanci in secret. She had to investigate the background of that company further.

Soon after, the attendant brought back news that the silks, after being examined by the pharmacist, had indeed been laced with a slow-acting poison mixed into the dye, which would only take effect upon prolonged contact or exposure to unusual fragrances.

Gu Jinyan secretly rejoiced that he had sealed these items in time; otherwise, more people in the mansion might have been poisoned.

Meanwhile, news about that business also began to arrive.

Xiao Li came to Gu Jinyan's study again and reported in a low voice: "Miss, that business is called 'Shengji'. It is an old brand in the capital that deals in silk, but its influence has been declining in recent years."

However, my subordinates discovered that the manager of this business had recently had several encounters with the Quran's personal maidservant.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Gu Jinyan's eyes.

Sure enough, it all pointed to the Quran. The Quran was clearly using trading companies to secretly collude with outsiders, using these goods to quietly smuggle poison into the royal palace.

Her purpose was probably not only to frame Steward Zhao, but also to disrupt the situation in the mansion and seize power.

Gu Jinyan pondered for a moment, then ordered: "Bring the manager of 'Shengji' here immediately. Do not make a fuss. Quietly bring him to my study. I want to interrogate him personally."

Before long, the manager of Shengji was led to the study.

This was a middle-aged man, around fifty years old, who looked somewhat apprehensive upon seeing Gu Jinyan.

He clearly hadn't expected to be suddenly brought to the Prince's mansion to face Gu Jinyan.

"Shopkeeper, there's no need to be nervous." Gu Jinyan's tone was gentle, but his gaze was sharp as he stared directly at the other person. "I only want to ask you a few questions, and I hope you can answer them truthfully."

The shopkeeper quickly clasped his hands in a respectful bow, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "Miss, please ask, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Gu Jinyan nodded and asked slowly, "Where did this batch of silk come from? Do you know it was poisoned?"

The shopkeeper's face changed drastically, filled with terror: "Poisoning? This... this is completely unknown to me! These silks were all transported from Biwu City. I was only responsible for receiving them and did not notice anything unusual."

Gu Jinyan looked at him quietly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes: "Have you ever had any dealings with Gu Lanci's maids?"

The shopkeeper's face turned even paler, clearly feeling guilty under the questioning. He stammered, "Well... I did have some contact with a maid in the manor a few times."

But she only came to buy some things; I have no idea what her connection is with this batch of silk!

Seeing that he was speaking incoherently, Gu Jinyan already understood what was going on.

Although this person was not directly involved in the case, he was clearly used by the Quran's followers.

She had no intention of wasting any more time on him, and immediately ordered her servants, "Take him back and do not reveal this matter."

After the shopkeeper was taken away, Gu Jinyan fell into deep thought.

She was now almost certain that Quran was using external forces and key figures within the palace to carry out her conspiracy.

Manager Zhao's poisoning is just the beginning; Quran is likely to take even bigger actions next.