"Madam Wen, this is the medicine you asked for."
The shopkeeper handed the small paper packet of carp powder to Lan Jinqin and admonished her:
"This thing can cause great damage to a woman's uterus. Madam must never use it in excess casually. If you misuse too much, it may damage your foundation, and you will never be able to conceive a child in your life..."
"Madam, please remember!"
Lan Jinqin took the small paper packet, thanked the shopkeeper, stuffed it into her sleeve, and then walked out with her head down.
Unexpectedly, just as she reached the door, she was blocked by a tall figure.
Lan Jinqin raised her eyes and saw a handsome man blocking her way. She frowned slightly and calmly saluted:
"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan."
Song Yinghuai stared intently at her and said, "The wife of the Minister of War... or perhaps I should address you as Miss Lan?"
Lan Jinqin smiled faintly and replied, "I'm a married woman. I haven't heard the title 'Miss Lan' for many years. Your Highness may just address me by my husband's surname."
"You and Lord Wen are deeply in love. Back then, Marquis Lan chose a son-in-law for you right after the imperial examination. It was truly a beautiful story in the capital."
"I was young and naive back then and made Father do such a laughable thing. I feel ashamed when I think about it now."
Lan Jinqin had no idea why Song Yinghuai was blocking her and talking about this.
Although the Lan family and the royal family had once been on good terms, that was all in the past.
Moreover, the Lan family had been based in the Jin region for many years and had little to do with the capital or Yanjing.
Thinking of this, Lan Jinqin looked straight at Song Yinghuai and asked, "Your Highness, did you block the door today just to talk to me about the incident of choosing a son-in-law after the imperial examination?"
Although she was already 23 years old and married, Lan Jinqin was still extremely beautiful.
The expression that naturally showed on her face as she spoke exuded the aura of a noble young lady.
With delicate eyebrows, red lips, and upturned eyes, she made Song Yinghuai stunned for a moment.
This arrogant look was so similar to Caiyu's.
Song Yinghuai almost stopped breathing. Some speculations were about to surface.
Lan Jinqin stared at Song Yinghuai, the legendary God of War of Daye. She had seen him on the day at the Shence Gate.
She was standing far outside the city and saw him directing dozens of soldiers to protect the common people to a safe place.
She also saw him leap onto the city tower, scaring back the fatuous crown prince and forcing open the city gate.
Lan Jinqin had a good impression of him, but she didn't know why he had stopped her.
Song Yinghuai took a deep breath and put on a warm smile again. "Of course not because of this. I just happened to meet Madam Wen and remembered the great names of the three sisters of the Lan family I heard about back then, so I wanted to chat with you. I'm sorry if I offended you... I wonder how your three sisters are doing now?"
Back then, before the Jin army of Marquis Yongchang set off for the Jin region, they had stayed in the capital for a while.
The three sisters of the Lan family were very famous.
Especially the eldest sister, Lan Jinqin, who had already grown into a beautiful young woman and was well-known far and wide.
After she came of age, there was an endless stream of suitors for her hand in marriage.
But no one knew why she had taken a fancy to Wen Zilong and was determined to marry him.
Such a well-known woman. It was a pity that Song Yinghuai had been sent to the military camp in the capital for training when he was young and rarely left the barracks. Even when he did, it was usually to study in the palace.
Song Yinghuai had attended a few palace banquets, but he didn't always run into Lan Jinqin.
In a word, the two of them were not familiar with each other at all.
So when Song Yinghuai asked this question, Lan Jinqin was still startled.
She looked at Song Yinghuai suspiciously, trying to see something from his face.
Could this man have some connection with her second sister?
It was no wonder she didn't think of her third sister. It was just that her second sister, Lan Jinxiang, was more of an age match for Song Yinghuai.
But unfortunately, how could she read Song Yinghuai's expression?
All she saw was that the man's face was open and aboveboard, without a trace of evil thoughts. But when he looked at her, there was an endless sense of oppression.
It seemed that if she didn't answer, she wouldn't be able to leave today.
Lan Jinqin frowned slightly and carefully replied, "Your Highness may have been far away in Yanjing, cultivating Buddhism and not asking about worldly affairs, so you haven't paid attention to the news from the capital or other fiefdoms... On the way when my second and third sisters were being escorted from the Jin region to Yangzhou, my second sister disappeared without a trace, and my third sister..."
Lan Jinqin's face showed a look of grief and indignation. "My third sister's body was found at the bottom of a cliff. At that time, her face was unrecognizable, and she, she..."
Lan Jinqin remembered the shocking news she had received when she had secretly sent someone to look for her two sisters four years ago. Even after four years, she still felt unsteady on her feet.
But Song Yinghuai keenly caught the key point. "Unrecognizable? Then how did Madam Wen determine that the body was that of Miss Lan the Third?"
"She had the token of our Lan family on her. Moreover, apart from my missing second sister, all the other female relatives either arrived in Yangzhou alive or their bodies were found... There was only one unrecognizable body left. Who else could it be but her?"
Song Yinghuai was silent for a while. Looking at Lan Jinqin's pale face, he was sure that she was telling the truth.
He nodded and said with an apologetic look on his face, "I'm sorry to have reminded Madam Wen of such a sad thing. I will definitely make amends to you another day."
His eyes fell on Lan Jinqin's sleeve and he said meaningfully, "I've heard that carp powder is harmful to the body. Madam Wen and Lord Wen have been childless for many years. Madam Wen should be more careful."
Lan Jinqin suddenly tightened her grip on the medicine powder hidden in her sleeve and watched Song Yinghuai's back as he walked away.
The words he had just said seemed to have exposed the truth that she and Wen Zilong had always maintained in front of the world...
Song Yinghuai walked out of the pharmacy, suppressing the surging thoughts in his mind.
Four years ago, his men had been a step too late and had failed to save Lan Jinshu.
At that time, there had indeed been another group of people who had carried a female body up from the bottom of the cliff. According to the report of his men later, that group of people looking for the body were the dead soldiers of the Lan family.
At that time, those dead soldiers had confirmed that the female body they had carried up was Lan Jinshu.
So Song Yinghuai's men had retreated.
But now that he thought about it, perhaps there was something wrong with that body that day...
Before he knew it, his palms were sweating.
He had never been like this before, so nervous that his palms were sweating because of a piece of news.
Only Caiyu could make him like this.
Han Fen stepped forward. Song Yinghuai said, "Go and tell Lord Xiao upstairs that the wife of the Minister of War, Madam Wen, bought a kind of carp powder in the pharmacy."
Han Fen nodded in confusion and ran into the restaurant.
Soon, Xiao Rencheng appeared with him downstairs in the restaurant, but Song Yinghuai had already left.
Han Fen bid farewell to him and chased after Song Yinghuai back to the mansion.
Xiao Rencheng stood there looking around and happened to see Lan Jinqin walking out of the pharmacy.
As soon as Lan Jinqin walked out of the pharmacy, she was blocked again.
She was immediately annoyed and glared at the tall man in front of her.
She really had bad luck today.
First, she had been blocked by the Prince of Yan, and now she was blocked by Xiao Rencheng.
She took a deep breath to dispel the anger on her face and put on a dignified look. She smiled faintly and asked:
"Lord Xiao, what do you want from me by blocking my way?"
Xiao Rencheng saw the unruly light in her eyes, like that of a wild cat, but she was suppressing her nature and pretending to be a dignified noble lady. He found her quite cute:
"I've received a tip-off that someone has bought poison with the intention of poisoning others and endangering the public security of the capital, so I've come to investigate."
"Oh." Lan Jinqin stepped aside and said to Xiao Rencheng, "Then please go ahead, Lord Xiao."
Behind her was the pharmacy, indicating that Xiao Rencheng should go in and investigate quickly.
Who would have thought that instead of going into the pharmacy, Xiao Rencheng approached her. "Okay, then please cooperate, Madam."
Lan Jinqin was startled and took a few steps back. In just two or three steps, she was forced back into the pharmacy. She looked up at Xiao Rencheng.
When she did, her heart almost stopped.
The man's dark eyes were shining like obsidian, half-smiling, with a dangerous glint in them, like a leopard in the dark night, quietly waiting for its prey to lose its composure and jump out.
Lan Jinqin heard her own voice trembling:
"Lord Xiao... I don't understand... What do you want to do?"