Shen Qingqing met her gaze calmly, then shook her head.
The light in the Queen's eyes instantly extinguished. She glanced at the King, sighed softly, and then looked at her sons beside her.
Their expressions varied.
Pei Lie was angry, Pei Ji was filled with hatred and sorrow.
Pei Xing was filled with guilt, "Mother, it's me… I've wronged you all."
Pei Ji, enduring his grief, comforted him, "Second brother, it's not your fault. Someone was devious. I should have told you earlier, not let you interact with him more!"
Pei Xing shook his head, his fists clenched, and he lowered his head deeply, tormented by guilt and self-blame.
"I'll count to three. If you don't choose by then, I'll choose for you," Pei Xi said impatiently and immediately began counting, "3—"
"Why are you suddenly so rushed?" Shen Qingqing suddenly asked.
Pei Xi paused, a smile pulling at his lips, "That supreme position is right before me. Why do you think I'm in a hurry?"
Shen Qingqing shook her head, "No, you shouldn't be this anxious."
As Pei Xi himself had said, he was a man who enjoyed excitement. The more critical the situation, the more he enjoyed toying with people's emotions and savoring the thrill.
But now, it was as if something had happened, forcing him to be impatient.
Pei Xi smiled wryly, "You know me so well? Usually, the beginning of love stems from curiosity and understanding of someone… Fu Jingshu, aren't you jealous?"
Fu Jingshu said coldly, "I don't get jealous of beasts."
The word "beast" wiped the smile off Pei Xi's face, "Master Fu, your sharp tongue is no less than your wife's."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Fu Jingshu's expression was calm, as if he hadn't understood the sarcasm in his words.
Pei Xi said with a blank expression, "Alright, I don't want to waste any more time with you. 2—"
This sudden counting made everyone a little flustered. The most composed was the Queen.
She had already made up her mind.
"1—"
"Wait!" a hoarse voice rang out.
Everyone turned to see the Poison Doctor, though the old man looked a bit disheveled. His clothes were dirty and torn, and his white hair was messy.
The old man's face was grim. He entered, glared fiercely at Pei Xi, and walked towards Shen Qingqing.
"Girl, I'm back."
Shen Qingqing's lips curved up, "Old man, are you alright?"
The old man shook his head, "Let's talk about the main issue first. I heard everything outside just now. The King is poisoned?"
"Yes."
The old man snorted, "It's just a common poison. Give me a few days, and I can cure it. That little brat wants to threaten people with this? He's still far from it."
Pei Xi said blandly, "Old man, look at the situation now."
Even if he could cure the poison, what good would it do?
His men had already surrounded the place. If he didn't get what he wanted today, no one would leave. This was his greatest leverage!
Shen Qingqing, however, said, "Now, we're at a stalemate."
Pei Xi raised an eyebrow, "I think you're the one at a disadvantage."
"It's not difficult for the old man and me to leave here. Pei Xi, do you really want to be our enemy?" For now, Pei Xi's actions were only directed at the royal family.
But if they were to openly fall out, then no one present today would be able to escape the old man's poisonous arts.
This was the terror of the Poison Doctor.
He could kill without a trace, making it impossible to defend against.
Pei Xi glared at the old man with a sinister gaze, gritted his teeth, "Fine, then I'll give you three days. Within three days, if you can't cure the poison, you can't interfere with the royal family's affairs anymore."
Shen Qingqing and the old man exchanged a look.
"Agreed."
The old man grumbled, "I didn't want to get involved in this mess anyway."
The Queen looked at Shen Qingqing anxiously. She patted the old man's shoulder and said softly, "Old man, I'm counting on you."
The old man rolled his eyes at her, "Are you being polite with me?"
He had people take the King upstairs to rest, and he followed. The Queen and Pei Ji followed them, but Pei Lie and Pei Xing remained behind.
They looked at Pei Xi with increasingly cold gazes.
Shen Qingqing soothed them, "Calm down. Now is not the time for arguments."
The people below, however, couldn't keep quiet, "You've set three days. What about us? Can we go home for these three days?"
Shen Qingqing looked at Pei Xi.
He most likely wouldn't agree.
As expected, Pei Xi seemed to have lost all patience, his brow furrowed with impatience, "Stay here and wait for the results in three days."
The crowd immediately fell silent.
Pei Xi had them sent back to their rooms and guarded. Before leaving, he said something nonsensical to Shen Qingqing.
"Guess, will three days be enough time to find him?"
"Yes," Shen Qingqing smiled, bright and beautiful.
Pei Xi sneered and turned to leave.
Pei Lie, confused, asked, "What is he talking about? Find whom?"
The faint smile on Shen Qingqing's face instantly vanished, her eyes deep and unreadable, "Find someone who can turn the tide."
Pei Lie had many more questions, but Shen Qingqing didn't answer.
By now, it was no longer a duel between Pei Lie and Pei Xi, but a game between her and Pei Xi.
It remained to be seen who would win in the end.
She hurried upstairs, but the Queen said the old man had gone back to his room after examining the King, claiming he was going to research the antidote. She quickly went with Fu Jingshu to find the old man.
Before entering, Fu Jingshu held her hand, "Don't worry."
Shen Qingqing nodded, but it was impossible not to worry at all. Pushing the door open, she found the old man indeed busy with bottles and jars.
He looked up at the sound of their voices and said without looking, "You're here."
Shen Qingqing immediately asked, "Where did King go?"
The old man finally looked up, "We got the item, but we were intercepted by the butler and his men. He appeared too suddenly, leaving me no time to even examine the medicine. I was not strong enough and feared I couldn't escape, so I gave all the medicine to King."
They had run in different directions.
The old man, being old, couldn't outrun them, but he could defend himself.
Those people saw him as a tougher opponent, and with the important "item" on the young man, most of them went after him.
The old man then shook off the pursuers and returned to the palace ahead of the butler.
Shen Qingqing thought of the blood on the butler's sleeve just now and murmured, "He must have been injured."
The old man was silent for a moment, then comforted her, "Don't worry, that guy is a scourge who lives a thousand years. He's formidable, he'll be fine."
Shen Qingqing's eyes reddened, "I've implicated him."
She had offered to go herself at the time, but Pei Xi had been watching her closely. And Fu Jingshu, by accompanying her, naturally couldn't escape. The only ones who could go to steal the special medicine were the old man and King.
One was skilled in combat, the other could distinguish the authenticity of the medicine.
Fu Jingshu gently pulled her into his embrace, "Don't worry, we will find him."
This was now a race against time. Whoever found King first, them or Pei Xi, would win this game. Besides King's own importance, the special medicine he carried was an even more crucial bargaining chip.