Chapter 83

In the evening, in the side hall of the Zhao residence, the setting sun shone through the windows.

"Before I knew it, it's already the end of the year..."

Zhao Junchen sat by the table, watching the sunset, muttering to himself.

He clearly remembered that when he first came to this world, the evening sky was bright, unlike the current dimness.

Just like the change in Zhao Junchen's state of mind over these days.

At this moment, on the table beside Zhao Junchen, there were four or five small dishes, two sets of chopsticks and bowls, two wine cups, and a pair of mandarin ducks vase.

Inside the lid of the mandarin ducks vase, there was a hidden packet of Qianji Powder, a slow-acting poison that could kill someone in just two or three hours. Next, Zhao Junchen would personally pour the poisoned wine for Fang Ru, making her drink it.

Since coming to this world, saying that Zhao Junchen had "committed every evil" might not be an exaggeration, but this was the first time he had personally killed someone.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Junchen found himself very calm, with no trace of anxiety or unease.

Status determines the environment, the environment determines thoughts, and thoughts determine the state of mind.

Given Zhao Junchen's current status, eliminating potential threats in their infancy seemed to be a matter of course.

"Master, Lady Ruyi has arrived."

Just as Zhao Junchen was lost in thought, Xu Qingyan's voice sounded from the door of the side hall.

Zhao Junchen's face broke into a slight smile, and he said, "Let her in."

As Zhao Junchen spoke, the door of the side hall opened, and Fang Ru gracefully entered. Xu Qingyan then closed the door, leaving only Zhao Junchen and Fang Ru in the side hall, with Xu Qingyan waiting outside.

Zhao Junchen looked at Fang Ru and found that, just like their first meeting, she was still as alluring and graceful, her smile charming, her eyes full of allure.

When she arrived, Fang Ru seemed to have carefully dressed herself, with light makeup that added to her beauty.

However, compared to their first meeting, she had become somewhat thinner, and her face, beneath the makeup, was paler.

"Master, you finally agreed to see me," said Fang Ru, moving gracefully to sit beside Zhao Junchen, and softly laughing, "I thought I would never see you again from now on."

Zhao Junchen said indifferently, "You are still my close companion and have never wronged me. How could I be so heartless to you?"

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Fang Ru smiled even more charmingly, seeming very happy and content, but her voice became softer, "Yes, Master still sees me at this time, which means I still have some weight in your heart. I am very content."

As she spoke, Fang Ru glanced at the dishes and wine on the table, her gaze finally settling on the mandarin ducks vase.

Then, Fang Ru picked up the mandarin ducks vase, first filling Zhao Junchen's wine cup, and then her own.

However, when she poured the wine for herself, Fang Ru activated a mechanism on the handle.

Seeing this, Zhao Junchen's pupils slightly contracted.

Noticing Zhao Junchen's surprise, Fang Ru continued to smile, looking very happy. In fact, since seeing Zhao Junchen, Fang Ru had been smiling, her charming smile never changing.

"Master, are you surprised?" After putting down the mandarin ducks vase, Fang Ru leaned her head on Zhao Junchen's shoulder, hugging his arm. Unlike her calm and composed expression, Zhao Junchen found that Fang Ru's body was trembling slightly, and she was hugging his arm tightly.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Junchen asked, "Do you know how to use this mandarin ducks vase?"

Fang Ru, with her head on Zhao Junchen's shoulder, stared straight at his face, her eyes filled with a kind of infatuation. She breathed softly and said, "Yes, I knew it a long time ago. Master, you underestimated the corruption of people in this world. You must be careful about this in the future. This wine vase was originally called the Yin-Yang Vase, a secret treasure of the palace. Although its manufacturing process was sold to the brothels by the eunuchs long ago, in the brothels, it contained not poison but aphrodisiacs, so it was renamed the Mandarin Ducks Vase."

"I was careless," Zhao Junchen sighed, "I was careless again."

Like a virtuous wife, Fang Ru said softly, "Master, don't blame yourself. Just be more careful in the future."

After a moment of silence, Zhao Junchen asked, "So, you already knew the purpose of my meeting you?"

Fang Ru nodded gently and said, "Master, you were the secret owner of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and Fang Ru found out. Master no longer trusts Fang Ru."

Zhao Junchen was silent for a moment and then said, "Yes, I am now surrounded by dangers, walking on thin ice. I cannot afford to keep potential threats around... When did you find out about this?"

Fang Ru was also silent for a long time before she laughed softly, "I found out a long time ago. When I first came to the Zhao residence, Xu Qingyan treated me with respect. But after I personally poisoned everyone in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Xu Qingyan became wary of me and had people monitor me constantly. Ironically, his actions made me suspicious. The financial records of our residence were always managed by me. Although Master erased the existence of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, if I looked carefully, I could still find out."

Zhao Junchen sighed again, smiling bitterly, "You see, I was careless again. I thought I had been discreet, but there were so many loopholes."

"It's not Master's fault," Fang Ru murmured. "It's Xu Qingyan's incompetence that has let you down."

Zhao Junchen asked, "Since you already knew, why did you insist on killing Wei Ping today?"

"Because I hate him!" Fang Ru's voice was filled with coldness and hatred. "If I had the chance to do it again, I would still kill him!"

"..."

"I lost both my parents when I was young and was sold by human traffickers. Eventually, I was sold to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. There, I suffered all kinds of torture and abuse. The hardships were indescribable. But I wasn't afraid of the torture and abuse; I gradually got used to it. What I feared was that I couldn't escape the fate of all the women in the brothels—being humiliated and played with by strangers for a little silver, forced to smile and entertain, until my body and soul were both dirty and numb, and I was eventually abandoned and left to suffer alone, having given everything but receiving nothing in return..."

"On that day, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion arranged for me to be sold. It was essentially an auction, with the highest bidder winning. That day, I was hesitant about what to do. Should I let myself be sold and live a life of confusion and despair, or should I end everything while I was still clean? Later, standing on the high platform of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, I saw the gazes of the bidders—greedy, lecherous, and unbearable. I finally decided that it was better to end my life than to live a life of numbness and suffering. Perhaps this was the only thing I could control in my life..."

"However, Master appeared. You didn't participate in the auction but redeemed me, freeing me from the tragic fate of a brothel girl and dispelling my thoughts of ending my life. Then, you brought me to the residence, pampered and cherished me, even though I was just a concubine, you never treated me as such. Master, you don't know how happy I was during those days. I finally had something that belonged to me, not the luxurious life in the residence, but you, Master..."

"But, being from a brothel, I felt I didn't deserve Master. So, I tried my best to please you, to do everything for you. I also begged you to personally poison everyone in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. One reason was to end my past, and the other was to silence others so they wouldn't see me as a brothel girl. But I didn't know that the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was your property, and my actions had already made you suspicious..."

"Later, because of Xu Qingyan's actions, I guessed and confirmed these things. But at that time, I wasn't angry with Master. Instead, I was very afraid, afraid that you knew everything. I understood that you were a man of great ambitions and couldn't afford to keep potential threats around. If you knew everything, I would lose your favor, and everything I had worked so hard for, including you, would be gone..."

"While you were trying to hide things from me, I was also trying to hide things from you, doing everything to keep the secret that you were the owner of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. I was afraid that if you found out, I would lose everything again..."

"After you returned from Lu'an, you changed, becoming more mature and rational, but also more distant from me. I knew that the events at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and my revenge were a thorn in your side. Your state of mind had changed, and you could no longer tolerate me..."

"During these days, I have been blaming you, Master. You are everything to me. How could you think I would harm you? But I couldn't say these things to you; it would only make things worse. So, I could only let you distance yourself and watch you from afar every day..."

"Then, Wei Ping appeared. He told me that you were the owner of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. He was rejected by you and wanted to use me to take revenge. When I found out, I was at a loss. I knew that your surveillance of me had become stricter, and Wei Ping was a known incompetent. This matter couldn't be hidden..."

"So, I had to kill him! He destroyed my last hope, making the situation irreparable, and ultimately causing me to lose you. At this point, I knew there was no turning back, so he had to die..."

Fang Ru spoke softly, and Zhao Junchen listened quietly.

At first, Fang Ru referred to herself as "I," but gradually, she began to call herself "Fang Ru," as if telling a story about someone else.

Zhao Junchen noticed that his shoulder was wet, as if it had been moistened by tears.

After her confession, Fang Ru leaned on Zhao Junchen's shoulder for a long time, then straightened up, raised her wine cup, which contained the poisoned wine.

"May Master have a smooth and prosperous future, turning misfortune into good fortune."

Fang Ru still smiled gently, raising her cup to toast Zhao Junchen.

As she toasted, she stared into Zhao Junchen's eyes, not missing any change in his expression, as if still hoping for his intervention.

However, after a light sigh, Zhao Junchen remained expressionless, raised his cup, and took a sip.

Seeing that Zhao Junchen had no intention of stopping her, Fang Ru, who had always been charming and alluring in front of Zhao Junchen, finally showed a bitter smile. With a hint of determination, she drank the poisoned wine in one gulp.

Then, she put down the cup and stared at Zhao Junchen, as if not wanting to miss a single moment.

Seeing Fang Ru drink the poisoned wine, Zhao Junchen's eyes finally showed a flicker of emotion.

Zhao Junchen asked, "Fang Ru, have you ever hated me?"

"I have," Fang Ru said in a daze, "But... I couldn't hate you more because you are everything I have..."

"Is that so?"

Zhao Junchen murmured.

"Master," seeing that Zhao Junchen remained expressionless, Fang Ru's expression showed a hint of pleading, "Before I go, can you love me one more time?"

Zhao Junchen silently looked at Fang Ru for a moment, then stood up and walked out of the room.

As Zhao Junchen left, a soft sobbing sound finally came from behind him, filled with endless sorrow.

...

After leaving the side hall, Xu Qingyan, who was waiting outside, asked anxiously, "Master, is everything done?"

Zhao Junchen glanced at Xu Qingyan and suddenly said, "Have someone crush the soap, mix it with three basins of water, and make it concentrated. Then, force Fang Ru to drink it, regardless of how much she vomits, make sure she drinks all three basins. Also, find the best doctors in the capital to treat her. Hurry, don't delay."

Xu Qingyan was slightly stunned and asked, "Master, what are you doing?"

"Performing a gastric lavage," Zhao Junchen explained briefly, "Also, call the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, Li Lide, and the Deputy Inspector General of the Censorate, Gu Quan. I have something to tell them."

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen turned and left.

Qianji Powder is a slow-acting poison. If a gastric lavage is performed in time, although she might still fall ill, she would not die.

For Fang Ru, Zhao Junchen ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill her.

However, if Fang Ru didn't die, the matter of her poisoning Wei Ping would have to be resolved by Zhao Junchen.