Chapter 76: Raising Venom

Tan Qingjiu was already prepared; with a sudden twist of her wrist, she broke free from Shen Yingjue’s grasp and quickly stepped back two paces. “Your Highness, please conduct yourself with dignity.”

“Conduct myself with dignity? You weren’t like this before, Qingjiu. In the past, you never asked me to hold back. Now, after getting closer to the heir of Prince Ding, you start telling me to behave. Are you ashamed of me?”

Shen Yingjue lowered his head, appearing desolate. “You must be ashamed of me. You must think I’m mad, unable to give you everything you desire, and so you don’t want to be associated with me anymore.”

Tan Qingjiu lifted her eyelids, her voice indifferent. “Your Highness, if the performance continues, it will become excessive.”

Shen Yingjue laughed lightly at her words and indeed let the matter drop. He straightened up, his tone turning cold. “How am I to believe, Divine Physician Tan, that this is an antidote and not poison meant to kill me?”

Tan Qingjiu glanced at him, took a pill from the white jade bottle, and swallowed it herself.

“Can Your Highness trust me now?”

“If I wanted to poison you, Your Highness, the poison would never pass through my hands. I would leave no evidence behind.”

Shen Yingjue chuckled softly. “Is that so?”

He raised his hand and accepted the bottle of antidote.

“Ah Jiu, thank you for preparing the antidote for me.” Shen Yingjue toyed with the medicine bottle. “To show my gratitude, let me tell you something you might care about.”

“Hmm?”

Shen Yingjue lifted his gaze. “I know Ah Jiu wants revenge for herself six years ago and for her late mother. So I made arrangements and persuaded His Majesty to recall your maternal grandfather, the current magistrate of Qizhou, Lord Shen Chang’an, back to the capital.”

“By my reckoning, Lord Shen should arrive in the capital in three to five days.”

Tan Qingjiu was genuinely caught off guard by Shen Yingjue’s arrangements, her expression pausing. “My maternal grandfather?”

“Yes.” Shen Yingjue’s lips curved. “You must have looked into the grievances among Tan Yun, your mother, and your grandfather. It’s true your grandfather nearly severed ties with your mother over Tan Yun, but I’ve heard your mother was once his most cherished youngest daughter.”

“Your grandfather never knew your mother had passed away.”

“But now, he should have learned the truth.”

Shen Yingjue tilted his head, his gaze playful. “Since Ah Jiu seeks vengeance, having an ally is always beneficial. I went to great lengths to find one for you. How will you thank me?”

Tan Qingjiu looked at Shen Yingjue with barely any emotion. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Her heart, however, remained unmoved.

She had always preferred to handle her own affairs. Since she had resolved to take revenge, she had already made all her preparations. She needed no one’s help and could achieve it herself. Meeting Shen Yingjue was nothing more than an accident.

As for the grandfather whom she barely remembered, she had never held any hope for him.

“The antidote has been given to Your Highness. I shall take my leave.”

With those words, Tan Qingjiu turned and departed.

Shen Yingjue made no move to stop her, his eyes tinged with interest.

Chixiao emerged from behind the screen. “Your Highness, did you really have Lord Shen transferred to the capital?”

“Yes.” Shen Yingjue’s lips curled. “I find Tan Qingjiu quite fascinating, hiding so many secrets. Since she’s come to the capital to seek vengeance, why not gather everyone involved in the mess of the Tan household together and watch them tear each other apart?”

Chixiao frowned, looking at Shen Yingjue with a sense of unease. Something about his words felt strangely familiar.

“In the south, there are places where people raise venomous insects. After breeding them, they place them together to fight. The last one alive devours the bodies of the others and becomes the most poisonous king of the lot.”

Chixiao swallowed instinctively. “Does Your Highness mean to treat Divine Physician Tan as one of those insects?”

Shen Yingjue laughed softly. “Why not?”

“I see the Tan household as a place to raise venomous insects, letting them all fight to the death and watching to see who survives.”

“I find Tan Qingjiu interesting. If she survives, I’ll think of ways to break her wings and keep her by my side, turning her into my poisonous weapon—a tool for killing and seizing power.”

Chixiao drew a deep breath, his throat tightening. “From what I’ve seen, Divine Physician Tan is indeed impressive. But… I fear she won’t be as easy to control as those insects.”

“After all, insects have no mind. They can be controlled with simple methods. But Divine Physician Tan has her own thoughts and ideas. She won’t be controlled so easily.”

“That’s what makes it interesting. If she were a puppet that obeyed at a touch, what fun would there be?”

“A weapon must be sharp enough to be a weapon. In the end, who controls whom, who becomes the victor, depends on who plays the game best.”

With these words, Shen Yingjue picked up the jade sphere he’d set aside earlier and began to play with it. “Was it said that Tan Qingjiu was drowned six years ago because she was pregnant out of wedlock?”

“Yes.”

“Investigate where Tan Qingjiu’s incident happened six years ago.”

Chixiao looked up at Shen Yingjue. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Tan Qingjiu had already returned to the Tan residence. After seeing her patients, she went to the back garden.

Just as she reached the entrance, she saw Tan Yunge coming from another path.

Tan Yunge had clearly been having a rough time lately; her face was pale and marked with irritation.

Tch, what a coincidence to run into her.

Looks like today’s going to turn noisy again. What a nuisance.

As Tan Qingjiu was thinking this, Tan Yunge walked up to her, taking a deep breath. “I want to have a calm conversation with you.”

Tan Qingjiu raised her eyebrows, unable to help herself. A calm conversation?

Tan Yunge actually said that—how incredible.

After everything that had happened, Tan Yunge wanted to speak calmly to her?

More importantly, why would Tan Yunge think that after all she had done, Tan Qingjiu would be willing to talk peacefully?

Tan Yunge seemed to sense Tan Qingjiu’s silent refusal. She took another deep breath. “Even if you don’t want to talk to me, you should think about Zijiao. Because of the trouble you stirred up, rumors are flying everywhere. Zijiao has heard them all.”

Tan Yunge pressed her lips together. “Zijiao is the name of the child from back then.”