Gu Lan’s heart skipped a beat, and she slowly asked, "If I don’t have poison, how do you plan to kill Rong Jing?"

Empress Su Zhixue, neither possessing power nor favor, wouldn’t have met today’s Lin He if she didn’t know him.

The woman’s lips were pale; she slowly raised an arm, carefully examining the round, translucent Bodhi Buddha Beads in her hand, as if she were seeing the delicate white of her palm.

To Gu Lan, her hands seemed flawless, but in Su Zhixue’s own eyes, they were stained crimson.

"Actually, ever since Qian Ruohua and the Empress Dowager died, many affairs in the harem have fallen to me. I’m no longer that Su Zhixue who was powerless before anything, who couldn’t even influence her daughter’s marriage. Hanging myself as a bet—one death is enough..."

As Su Zhixue continued, her gentle voice slowly faded.

She recalled when Su Xinyu suddenly betrothed Miaoyan, and she could only watch helplessly as her daughter was ruined.

Even when she threatened Rong Jing with her life to revoke the decree, who cared for her life? In the end, it was Miaoyan, leveraging her position in court, who resolved the crisis...

If she couldn’t even protect her own daughter, how could she be fit to be a mother? Su Zhixue would never let such a thing occur again!

"Arranging some palace attendants—it’s a simple task. I’m still his Empress. Getting close to him isn’t difficult. If I’m determined to die, there’s a chance to kill him," she said gently.

"Do you intend to perish together, sister-in-law? But you’ve experienced death once. You should cherish your life more. Why waste it on someone like Rong Jing? If you die, what will Miaoyan do?" Gu Lan advised.

The resolve for death shone in Su Zhixue’s eyes, and Gu Lan understood that even without her help, even if she plunged into the flames, Su Zhixue would still seek to kill Rong Jing.

Su Zhixue shook her head, still gazing at her palms, speaking each word deliberately:

"Young Master, I know you possess great martial arts, yet one doesn’t need martial arts to kill. My hands... are already soaked in blood."

Gu Lan’s eyes suddenly dimmed, and she opened her mouth in shock, "What!?"

What did these words mean?

Su Zhixue’s lip was subconsciously bitten, fresh blood glistening at the corner, as she calmly watched Gu Lan, her red lips parting in an unusually radiant smile.

Never had Gu Lan imagined that Su Zhixue could produce such a captivating expression—her refined appearance still noble and elegant, but her gaze carried an enchanting allure.

Gu Lan thought perhaps, in the future, Miaoyan would look just like this.

Recalling Su Zhixue’s previous mention of an incident uncovered by Rong Jing, Gu Lan’s brows furrowed.

Gu Lan realized her own short-sightedness; Su Zhixue was far more complex than she initially thought. The human heart is indeed the most difficult to fathom.

She once believed this woman to be simply a gentle but powerless Empress;

Later, she learned Su Zhixue was someone with obsessions, a mother who valued her daughter’s life above all;

Now, Gu Lan suddenly realized... For Su Zhixue to remain the tranquil Empress under Rong Jing’s reign for so many years, and to raise a princess like Miaoyan, how could she truly be as fragile and harmless as she appeared?

She pressed her lips together, ultimately deciding to help her, saying:

"In the room I once stayed in Xiefang Palace, there’s a wooden box in the cupboard by the window. The key you’ll have to get from Rong Yunhao’s guard, Hei, inside are over ten types of poison, each colorless and tasteless, killing invisibly, but with different effects at critical moments. There’s a list at the bottom describing these poisons."

Unexpectedly, the essential poisons presented to her by Du Changning for her medical studies and worldly exploits now had a use.

Everyone has their chosen path. Gu Lan couldn’t persuade Su Zhixue, and as an outsider, she wouldn’t stop her choice but couldn’t just watch her die.

At the very least, fulfilling Su Zhixue’s request might mean she could bribe the palace attendants to poison instead of acting herself.

"Thank you, Young Master Gu," Su Zhixue said gratefully.

Gu Lan showed no expression, watching her with sharp, bright black eyes, asking, "So, why did you say your hands are stained with blood? How did the Third Prince... actually die?"

Su Zhixue’s breathing halted, and she abruptly closed her eyes, sitting numbly before Gu Lan, as if lost in memory.