The Story Of Dusk

Probably it was because of her pregnancy as she became so sensitive than usual.

She had a friend, a husband and her unborn child, everything was perfect in Luna"s eyes now, it was like her forgotten dream that came true.

Before this all the thing that she could think was only accomplished her mission that Modama had given to her. However, things turned out in different way and Luna was very grateful for that.

Only if she could deliver her child safely and lived her life like a normal family with Xiao Tianyao, there was nothing she wanted more, she wouldn"t ask for more.

"Let"s take a walk, shall we?" Luna took Qianru"s arms and led the way to different direction. "While those guards are not here, I want to stroll out of this courtyard." She grumbled.

Qianru looked at Luna"s hand, which was holding hers, and her side figure. She looked like a different person from the first woman, who she had met months ago. Luna was more cheerful and less gloomy.

Both women spent their afternoon and evening talking and strolling inside Xiao Tianyao"s mansion, mostly it was Qianru who did the talk while Luna would listen and asked a few things about the relationship between Xiao Tianyao and Xiao Jun.

They only stopped when Xiao Tianyao came and asked Qianru to leave because Luna needed to take a rest.

"Tianyao, don"t you think that you are so rude?" Qianru frowned when Xiao Tianyao bluntly asked her to go home. "You chase me away." She said with dissatisfied.

"And then what?" Xiao Tianyao crossed his arms impatiently. "You want to spend the night here? I will ask someone to prepare a room for you, but I have to bring Luna back, enough with this chit chat." He was holding a warm cloak and draped it on Luna"s shoulder, his movement was so callous as though he didn"t mean it and that was bothersome.

However, Qianru could see the concern in Xiao Tianyao"s eyes.

"Fine, I will go home." Qianru finally stood up.

"Come and visit me again, will you?" Luna asked expectantly.

"Sure, I will." Qianru grinned and agreed to the invitation directly.

However, no one knew what would happen next as the promise would remain as a promise.

"Stay here for a while, I will walk her out." Xiao Tianyao rubbed Luna"s head lovingly, though his expression still emotionless.

Afterward, Qianru and Xiao Tianyao walked across the same hallway, when it was only the two of them Qianru spoke.

"What do you want to say?" Qianru asked Xiao Tianyao directly, she had known him long enough to know it.

"Don"t be so close to Luna." Xiao Tianyao said in low voice.

Upon hearing that, Qianru stopped and faced him with questioning eyes. "What do you mean with that? Didn"t you say that she is on our side?"

"Yes, she is." Xiao Tianyao realized the misunderstanding. "What I meant is, the situation is so complicate now, Xiao Zi and Modama a.s.sumed I have a discord with Jun."

"But, that"s true." Qianru stated.

"Yes," Xiao Tianyao nodded. "That"s true, but if you often come to my place, they will think that you are a messenger between me and Jun, moreover, the people in the palace not yet knew about Luna"s pregnancy." He explained.

"If that is the case, so why do you bring here to the capital city?" Qianru didn"t understand with that logic, didn"t Xiao Tianyao need to hide Luna?

"It"s not necessary, they will figure this out sooner or later and it will be my advantage if I come prepared." Xiao Tianyao continued to walk, so did Qianru.

There was a silence between them.

"I have checked about Bai Yuyan"s background, she is niece of the Empress, but she isn"t very favored." Xiao Tianyao spoke when they had arrived at where Qianru"s carriage had been waiting for her. "Your action to chase her away this afternoon, maybe will not give a badly impact, but if Xiao Zi sent her, he must have another purpose. You have to be careful." He helped Qianru to get on the carriage.

Once Qianru was inside, she opened the window and poked her head out. "It wasn"t me who had chased Bai Yuyan out, it was Luna who did that." She complained. "And, thank you I will be more careful."

Xiao Tianyao didn"t argue because he also knew it was Luna who did that.

From the window Qianru waved her hand and then Liu Wei drove her back to Xiao Jun"s mansion.

It was a long day…

And after today there would be less and less peaceful days for them.

*** 

After the humiliation that Bai Yuyan had received from Luna in Xiao Tianyao"s mansion, she was being cranky all the time and throwing tantrum any time she liked.

However, she didn"t dare to confront Qianru directly as she only made all the servants miserable with her behavior.

It had been a week and all the servants there had cried for Qianru to stop the wretch woman.

Liu Wei had talked to Qianru as well, but she still reluctant to appear in front of Bai Yuyan. It wasn"t because she was afraid of her, but because Qianru thought by ignoring her, she would stop by her own.

However, her prediction was wrong and Bai Yuyan became wilder.

Qianru became suspicious with the Emperor"s intention to send a woman like Bai Yuyan to Xiao Jun"s household, probably he wanted to kill Xiao Jun indirectly by giving him an endless headache.

This morning, Qianru was having her breakfast when suddenly Bai Yuyan joined her. It was a rare occasion as Bai Yuyan claimed Qianru"s face was disgusted her.

Qianru didn"t give much reaction when Bai Yuyan sat beside her and started to eat.

There was no conversation between them and the atmosphere turned sour. However, a few minutes later when Qianru was about to stand up and left the dining room, suddenly Bai Yuyan slammed her hand against the table as she clutched her chest.

Her face scrunched in pain and turned red.

This thing happened all of sudden and made all the servant flabbergasted, including Qianru.

It was Liu Wei, the first person who stepped forward and laid Bai Yuyan"s body down on the floor. He checked on her pulse and her pupil.

"She is poisoned." Liu Wei stated.

"What?" Qianru subconsciously looked at the remaining food on the table. Both of them ate the same food, but why it was only Bai Yuyan who got poisoned?

"Summoned a physician over! Hurry!" Liu Wei shouted at his men, who was still standing foolishly there.

Two other guards immediately dashed toward the other courtyard where the physician lived.

Meanwhile Liu Wei tried to give Bai Yuyan as much water as possible, so she could throw up whatever she had eaten before.

Qianru didn"t know what exactly Liu Wei did as his back covered Bai Yuyan.

But, not long after that Bai Yuyan vomited, the vomit has a bad smell with color of black that made all the servant stepped back and covered their mouth and nose. It was really disgusting.

Afterward a soft whimpered was heard from Bai Yuyan"s lips while she was saying something incoherent.

Liu Wei scrunched his nose because of the bad smell was so strong. He took a table clothes nearby, wiped Bai Yuyan"s mouth and the rest of her vomit from her neck and shoulder, then he carried her away.

Qianru also followed behind Liu Wei, still trying to figure out what was happening just now.

Was the food was poisoned? But, why she was fine? Or this is another trick from Bai Yuyan? But, why she was so reckless until poisoned herself like this?

There were many questions running through Qianru"s head without answer.

Liu Wei didn"t bring Bai Yuyan to Xiao Jun"s chamber, the place that she had been occupying since the first time she arrived at this mansion, but he brought her to one of servant rooms.

If it was some other day, Bai Yuyan would complain endlessly and threw tantrum relentlessly, Qianru also would laugh at Liu Wei smart choice of room if the situation wasn"t this tense.

"Write about what happen here to Xiao Tianyao"s mansion." Qianru ordered Jinse.

Since Xiao Jun was away and there was only Xiao Tianyao, Qianru should take any precautions about this weird situation, after all, there was impossible her mansion was hiding poison.

There would be some scheme behind all of this and the first person who came in Qianru"s mind was Xiao Zi. There would be no other person who would be in advantage if Xiao Jun was in difficult position.

"Yes, my lady." Jinse answered and dashed out of the room.

Not long after Jinse left the physician came with his medical box, at this time, Bai Yuyan had lost consciousness and no longer aware about her surroundings.

The physician immediately checked on Bai Yuyan"s wrist for long time, but the wrinkles on his brows were still unravel.

Even when he prescribed a medicine for Bai Yuyan, his expression didn"t get better.

"What happened with her? Was she poisoned?" Qianru asked anxiously.

No matter what, if Bai Yuyan was death in this mansion under her supervision, she wouldn"t be able to escape the punishment, not only that, this matter would drag Xiao Jun as well.

"Yes, Miss Bai was poisoned, but I am still confused with the poison that was used." The physician shook his head. "I have never seen symptom like this before."

"But, can you cure her?" Qianru voiced out the only thing that she concerned the most. It didn"t matter what poisoned that Bai Yuyan had suffered, as long as she could recuperate, that was all she needed to know.

"The medicine that I had prescribed will be able to lower her body temperature, but we still need further observation." The physician said in unsure tone.

"Can you check on Princess Xiao too? She was eating the same food like Miss Bai." Liu Wei informed the physician, he was worry if something happened to Qianru, then how he could face the wrath of his Master?

"Please…" The physician asked for Qianru"s hand and checked on her. After awhile longer, he put down Qianru"s hand and said. "Princess Qianru is fine." He claimed.

"But both of them ate the same food." Liu Wei still felt unsure.

The physician contemplated his words. "Let me check the food." He said finally.

After that, Liu Wei and the physician went back to the dinning table, he had told to not touch the food, so the food must be still there.

Meanwhile Qianru didn"t follow them, instead she stayed inside the room with two other maidservants.

"Princess Xiao, why don"t you take some rest? Let this servant who look after Miss Bai." One of the young maidservants persuaded Qianru.

"Alright." After she thought about it, Qianru agreed. "Let me know directly if she is awake."

"Yes Princess." The two maidservants answered her simultaneously.

After took another glance at Bai Yuyan"s face, which covered with sweat as her lips started to turn purple, Qianru left the room while the two maidservants changed Bai Yuyan"s dirty clothes.

***  

Jinse had sent a letter to Xiao Tianyao"s mansion that informed the Prince about what had happened inside the mansion.

Xiao Tianyao reacted fast and immediately went to his brother"s mansion. He only brought Yang Yu with him, who had become his personal guard.

When the sun reached the peak of the day, he knocked on Qianru"s door.

It was Qianru who opened it as Jinse was running some errand for her, Qianru shrieked in her shock state, seeing Xiao Tianyao was standing in front of her door.

This noise invited some guards nearby, who rushed to Qianru"s room. However, they stopped in their track when they saw Xiao Tianyao was there.

"What are you screaming for?" Xiao Tianyao looked at Qianru impatiently as his sister in law waved her hand toward the guards who had rushed to save her.

"I am alright, all of you can go back to your post." Qianru said casually. "How can you suddenly appear in front of my door without anyone know it?"

Xiao Tianyao shrugged. "Jun needs to train his guards more." He replied nonchalantly. "So, where is Miss Bai?"

"Follow me." Qianru said as she led the way toward the maid"s courtyard and entered one of its room.

The moment they stepped in, Qianru had to cover her nose because of the bad smell that filled the room.

"What is this smell?" Qianru grunted and asked to the two maidservants who was ordered to look after Bai Yuyan.

Xiao Tianyao and Yang Yu also scrunched their nose because of the stingy smell.

This room was akin to the worse bathroom that filled with cow dung, even it was ten times worse than that.

"From where this bed smell?" Xiao Tianyao walked forward, ignoring the disturbing smell.

"Princess Xiao, Prince Xiao Tianyao." One of the maidservants stepped forward and answered. "Since half an hour ago, Miss Bai has been sweating and the bed smell came from her."

As Xiao Tianyao walked closer at Bai Yuyan, the bad smell indeed became stronger.

"Have you called the physician?" Qianru asked, she didn"t want to take another step inside the room, she felt like vomiting.

"Yes, and the physician said he will comeback soon, he is concocted the medicine." The maidservant tried to wipe Bai Yuyan"s sweat disgustingly.

"What is it?" Qianru asked Xiao Tianyao. "Have you ever seen something like this before?"

Xiao Tianyao contemplated and shook his head. "No, I have never seen something like this. Not even close." He had spent most of his time in the battlefield or fortress, if there was poison, it would intent to kill, not to torture the victim like this.

Because there was nothing that he needed to see, Xiao Tianyao walked out of the room followed by Qianru and Yang Yu, whose face like was about to faint.

"Do you mind if I bring your physician for a while?" Xiao Tianyao asked Qianru. "I will leave Yang Yu here to guard you, if there is something happen, he will let me know immediately."

"I am fine, there is Liu Wei also here, but why do you want to bring the physician?" Qianru took a deep breath on the fresh air. "The physician also didn"t know what kind of poison it was."

"I think there is someone who will know about this." Xiao Tianyao a.s.sured Qianru. "Just stay here and wait news from me."

Qianru didn"t know what Xiao Tianyao would do, but whatever it was, he would help her without doubt. "Alright." She agreed and led the way to the physician courtyard.

***  

After the physician had concocted a new medicine for Bai Yuyan to reduce the smell and lower her body temperature, he left with Xiao Tianyao.

Xiao Tianyao indeed has someone in his mind that could help to recognize what kind of poison that was used.

Luna.

She was the only person that he knew familiar in medicine field and poisonous plants as she had been living to witness how her brother brew one for experiment.

Even if Luna couldn"t recognize it, she could ask Gong Xu. After all there was a possibility that the poison was coming from Xiao Zi"s side, in another words, it must be Gong Xu behind this.

Luna listened to the description of the physician carefully, she asked a few questions and contemplated for long time.

"Do you think you know what kind of poison was being used?" Xiao Tianyao asked her.

The three of them were inside Xiao Tianyao"s study room and Luna was sitting comfortably with blanket around her body, it almost the end of the month where she needed her medicine, that was why she looked a bit weaker than usual and easily caught a cold.

"I think I know what the poison is…" Luna contemplated.

"What is it?" Xiao Tianyao urged her.

"There is no name for this poison yet as Gong Xu found it three years ago. He experimented with many poisonous plants and invented this new poison, however because my father didn"t agree with this poison, as it couldn"t kill people in horrible way, Gong Xu never makes it again." Luna explained. "But the symptoms are the same, bad smell, black vomit, sweating nonstop, high temperature…." She recited the symptoms one by one.

"No wonder I had never seen this kind of poison." The physician shook his head. "Your brother is a genius Young Miss Luna."

Upon hearing that, Luna didn"t know whether to laugh or cry. "I will take that as a praise." Luna said while smiling. "There is one more symptom, if that happens I will be sure it is the same poison like Gong Xu had made three years ago."

"What symptom?" The physician leaned his body forward, indicating he was intrigued.

"Bai Yuyan will be in so much pain tonight as if her body is burning with fire, however a moment later she will feel cold as if she is drawn in the lake of ice and this will continue until the sun arises, then she will in unconscious state again." Luna recited the effect.

"The patient will die if that keep continue like that." The physician knitted his brows.

But Luna shook her head. "No, she will alive. Gong Xu made sure the poison wouldn"t kill the victim." She said bitterly.

"That is cruel…" The physician mumbled.

Yes, it is. Luna knew it was a cruel method.

"Then, does Young Miss Luna knows what the antidote for the poison?" it was the most important part of this long discussion after they figured out what the poison was.

However, Luna shook her head once again. "Only Gong Xu who knows the antidote."