As soon as Ye Chutang finished speaking, the members of "Night Wraith" scrambled to prove their worth.
She hadn’t even handed out the antidote yet, but she had already learned nearly everything she wanted to know.
Though the assassins had said nothing, their mental defenses had already crumbled—it was only a matter of time before they talked.
Qi Yanzhou witnessed Ye Chutang’s cunning firsthand.
Not only was she ruthless, but she also wielded psychological warfare to perfection.
He couldn’t help but feel outmatched.
With her task complete, Ye Chutang packed away her silver needles and scalpel, then yawned wearily.
"Your Highness, I’ll leave the rest to you."
Qi Yanzhou nodded. "Let me escort you out first."
Ye Chutang knew he had something to say. "I appreciate it."
Seeing her about to leave, the "Night Wraith" members immediately demanded the antidote.
"We’ve shown our sincerity—where’s the antidote?"
No matter who the lucky one would be, the antidote meant a chance to break free from their control.
Based on the condition of the dissected man, Ye Chutang described the poison’s properties and symptoms.
"Was what I just said accurate or not?"
The "Night Wraith" members nodded. "Yes, that’s exactly right."
"I can make an antidote, but it’ll take time. Whoever gets it depends on your performance."
With that, Ye Chutang left the interrogation chamber.
Once outside the prison, she used a silver needle to restore her blocked sense of smell.
The night breeze carried the sweet fragrance of gardenias, refreshing her senses.
Noticing the heavy scent of blood on Ye Chutang, Qi Yanzhou plucked two flowers.
"Miss Ye, keep these in your sleeve—they’ll mask the odor."
Accepting his kindness, Ye Chutang took the pristine gardenias and tucked them into her sleeve.
She didn’t want to bring the stench of blood back to Ningchu Courtyard.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Did you have something to tell me?"
Qi Yanzhou hummed in agreement. "Can you really make the antidote?"
"I can, but there’s no need."
The antidote was merely a bargaining chip to make "Night Wraith" talk. Now that her goal was achieved, it was useless.
"Would you like to take control of 'Night Wraith' for yourself?"
Ye Chutang immediately grasped his meaning—kill their leader and replace them.
The idea intrigued her.
Having subordinates would make her life much easier.
Curious, she asked, "The 'Night Wraith' members are highly skilled. Why don’t you recruit them for yourself?"
"I believe you’d benefit more from them."
Ye Chutang couldn’t deny she needed them, so she accepted his favor.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Count me in when you move against 'Night Wraith.'"
If she wanted to seize control, she’d have to take action herself.
"Good. How long will the antidote take?"
"I can finish it tomorrow, but the day after is Ye Anling and Eunuch De’s wedding. I can’t miss it. Let’s strike after the ceremony. Your internal injuries haven’t fully healed either—two more days of rest would do you good."
Qi Yanzhou found the arrangement reasonable and nodded.
"Very well. I’ll follow your lead."
Once settled, Ye Chutang asked Qi Yanzhou for a sample of the poisoned man’s blood and returned to the Minister's Mansion.
The meat strips had already been sliced and placed in basins.
After marinating all three batches, Ye Chutang bathed and rested.
Exhausted from the day, she slept late, not waking until nearly the end of the morning.
When she rose, her fatigue had vanished.
Dan'er, hearing movement, entered to attend to her.
"Miss, what would you like to eat? I’ll prepare it."
Ye Chutang chose a loose-fitting robe.
"Just bring something light and nutritious from the main kitchen. I’m not going out today, so no need for elaborate grooming."
"Yes, I’ll fetch it right away."
By the time Ye Chutang finished washing up, Dan'er returned with the meal.
"Miss, should we take the marinated meat strips out to dry?"
"First, fry them in oil until they change color, then set them aside. I’ll handle the rest."
"Understood."
With over a hundred pounds of meat strips across three types, the task was hefty.
By the time Ye Chutang finished breakfast, Dan'er and Jinzhi hadn’t even finished frying the smallest batch of venison.
She peeked into the kitchen.
"I’ll rest in my room. Don’t let anyone disturb me. Call me when you’re done."
Then, stepping out, she told Le'er, "Have the main kitchen prepare lunch."
"Yes, Miss."
Back in her chambers, Ye Chutang entered her spatial realm to analyze the poisoned blood.
Once she identified the components, crafting the antidote would be simple.
She couldn’t stay long, moving in and out intermittently.
Between tasks, she sipped spiritual spring water and ate fruits nourished by it.
When Le'er returned with lunch, Ye Chutang had her blood analysis results.
Exiting the main hall, she was greeted by the rich aroma of frying meat filling the courtyard.
Dan'er and Jinzhi were still in the kitchen, sweating profusely.
Ye Chutang glanced around. "Why isn’t there any ice in this heat?"
Le'er stepped forward. "Miss, Steward Chen said our ice usage is excessive and must be rationed."
Ningchu Courtyard housed two masters, so their ice consumption wasn’t high.
But with the meat needing refrigeration overnight and today, they’d used more than usual.
Ye Chutang pulled Dan'er and Jinzhi, their clothes soaked with sweat, out of the kitchen.
"Eat first. I’ll get more ice before you resume frying."
Dan'er wiped her brow, smiling. "Miss, we’re not so delicate. A little sweat won’t hurt. We’ll finish frying in half an hour."
Ye Chutang flicked Dan'er’s forehead. "No need to suffer unnecessarily."
Then she invited everyone to join her for the meal.
After lunch, she sought out Steward Chen.
Soon, ice was delivered to Ningchu Courtyard.
Ye Chutang prepared the seasonings for stir-frying the meat strips.
"Dan'er, Jinzhi, rest after frying. We’ll stir-fry them after sunset."
Dan'er shook her head. "Miss, it’s best to stir-fry under the strong sun for easier drying. With two ice basins, the kitchen isn’t too hot."
Ye Chutang tried to persuade them but failed.
"Fine. Stop if you’re tired or overheated. Health comes first."
With that, she returned to her room for a nap.
After resting, she began crafting the antidote.
By mid-afternoon, it was ready.
But she needed to test its efficacy—whether it could fully neutralize the poison—on a "Night Wraith" member.
Stepping out, she found Dan'er still stir-frying in the kitchen while Jinzhi, Le'er, and Jun'er helped with drying.
"I’m going out briefly. I’ll be back soon."
Ye Chutang headed to the Ministry of Justice and explained her purpose to Qi Yanzhou.
"Have the prisoners confessed?"
"They’ve all talked. Once we find the bounty plaque written by the Kong family, Kong Qingyuan will be convicted. As for the assassins from Prince An’s estate, though we only have witnesses now, rest assured—physical evidence will appear soon."
Ye Chutang understood: Qi Yanzhou planned to fabricate evidence.
She teased, "I thought Your Highness was rigidly upright. I didn’t expect you to resort to tricks."
"Isn’t ensuring the guilty face justice the essence of righteousness?"
"Absolutely. Your Highness is right."
As they spoke, Qi Yanzhou led her to the prison entrance.
Ye Chutang sealed her sense of smell with a silver needle and stepped inside.
She selected the most severely poisoned member of the "Nightshade" faction and administered the antidote to him.
After roughly a quarter of an hour, the effects of the medicine became apparent.
The pulse of the man who had taken the antidote was no different from that of a healthy person, aside from some lingering weakness.
"Your Highness, the antidote is effective. We proceed as planned the day after tomorrow."
