Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 689 - 525 Ruchun Pill

Gu Chengyu planned to clarify each aspect of the matter. The Eldest Princess was already impatient with it, and he felt that she might be brushing it off, not wanting to deal with it anymore. But he had to clear himself and Zhu Pang; the rest was not his concern.

"Firstly, Mr. Ji was knocked out by someone unknown and thrown into the Hanlan Pavilion, with an aphrodisiac also lit inside. Secondly, Miss Ji appeared there for unknown reasons. Both of them inhaled the aphrodisiac. Ahem! I won’t say what happened next."

As Gu Chengyu spoke about this, Ji Mingxuan finally showed some discomfort on his face. No matter how thick-skinned one might be, having such an intimate affair witnessed by so many people was extremely embarrassing for him.

"There are many issues now. First, who drugged the maid? Second, who knocked out Mr. Ji and threw him in the pavilion, lighting the aphrodisiac? Third, why did Miss Ji appear here? Was it voluntarily or was she coerced? Was she conscious or knocked out? If she was conscious and not coerced, then what was she doing coming to the front courtyard?"

Gu Chengyu steered the conversation back to Ji Yuying. After all, Ji Yuying had to explain these issues clearly.

"If Miss Ji had an appointment with someone, who was it? Could it be Mr. Ji? If they were mutually consenting and having a tryst here, then it would make sense." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

In fact, Gu Chengyu believed that Ji Yuying wasn’t here to meet Ji Mingxuan. Perhaps she didn’t even have a target, simply taking the opportunity with whoever was alone.

Qin Min nodded; he believed that the most important thing right now was to inquire about Ji Yuying and Ji Mingxuan, to first understand their situations clearly.

"Miss Ji, there’s no need for you to come out, but we have a few questions to ask. Please do not conceal anything."

Ji Yuying’s heart was almost in her throat. She had heard Gu Chengyu’s analysis and knew what questions he would ask next. How should she respond?

She couldn’t possibly say she was looking for an aristocratic young master, could she? That would make Ji Mingxuan even less willing to marry her.

After staring blankly for a while, she finally thought of a flimsy excuse.

"Earlier, I went to the washroom with my cousin, but when I came out, I couldn’t find her, not even my maid. I don’t know the way and might have taken a wrong turn, so I ended up forgetting the yard of the second entrance. I was lost."

The Tang Family, hearing this, was somewhat displeased. Was she trying to drag her daughter down with her? The Tang Family wouldn’t agree to that.

Upon hearing his fiancée being mentioned, Zhu Pang immediately perked up his ears.

"Ying, your cousin was frantically worried when she couldn’t find you. At the time, she was talking with the third young lady from the Duke Zhen’s Mansion in a pavilion not far from the washroom. After you disappeared, they were looking for you everywhere, not expecting that you ended up in the front courtyard. Didn’t you see the guard maid at the entrance?"

The Tang Family would not allow anyone to tarnish her daughter’s reputation, especially when her prospective son-in-law was present. How could she let Ji Yuying talk nonsense?

Ji Yuying’s expression stiffened; she definitely couldn’t offend the Tang Family now, as she was relying on them to speak for her!

"I might have gone the wrong way when I came over, but I really didn’t see the guard maid."

Gu Chengyu knew that if this dragged on, it might not be resolved before nightfall. Ji Yuying clearly wasn’t going to admit it; she wasn’t foolish.

Yet, his purpose wasn’t in forcing the truth out of her. After saying so much, it was time to reveal his true intent.

"I want to say, regardless of why Miss Ji ended up here, it was in a clear state of mind that she came to this Hanlan Pavilion. Therefore, I will first assume it to be a coincidence."

"This greatly reduces the likelihood that she was calculated against. The underlying issue still needs to be traced back to Mr. Ji. Does someone harbor a grudge against him? The primary concern now is the source of the aphrodisiac. This will require the mansion to investigate. That’s all I can analyze. Anyhow, once the bearer of the aphrodisiac is found, it will become clear who bears a grudge against Mr. Ji."

The Eldest Princess and Qin Min exchanged glances, making sure the main responsibility didn’t rest on their Princess’s Mansion.

Ji Mingxuan felt guilty hearing this, suddenly recalling the aphrodisiac pill he still had. He hadn’t used it all just yet.

Thank goodness he hadn’t used it all. Otherwise, whether he might have died on this couch today would have been unknown. The potency of this drug was too strong, different from what he used before.

Thinking about this, he suddenly realized that just now, during that intense moment, his clothes had been completely removed. A maid helped him get dressed. What about the porcelain bottle?

He hurriedly felt around the couch secretly, afraid to make much noise, lest he draw others’ attention.

However, Ji Mingxuan’s actions did not escape Gu Chengyu’s notice. He had already suspected that the aphrodisiac was used by Ji Mingxuan himself, but lacked direct evidence to prove it!

He scanned the couch with his eyes and suddenly noticed a crab-shell-blue porcelain bottle precariously sitting at the edge of the Imperial Concubine’s Couch.

Gu Chengyu thought that it should be the bottle containing the aphrodisiac.

Even though he knew about the bottle, he couldn’t just step forward to expose it! Suddenly, he spotted Zhu Pang to the side.

Gu Chengyu winked at Zhu Pang, who, puzzled, followed Gu Chengyu’s gaze.

Upon seeing the bottle, Zhu Pang understood Gu Chengyu’s meaning. Could it be that Ji Mingxuan had used the aphrodisiac himself?

Zhu Pang’s eyes rolled, "Ji Mingxuan, after thinking about it, could it be that you wanted to harm the girl yourself and used the aphrodisiac?"

Ji Mingxuan was caught out by Zhu Pang’s words, and he hurriedly denied it vehemently.

"Don’t spit blood with false accusations! How could I do such a thing?"

Zhu Pang didn’t waste words with Ji Mingxuan, striding forward and grabbing the porcelain bottle, saying to Ji Mingxuan, "What is this? Could it be the aphrodisiac inside?"

Zhu Pang glanced at the porcelain bottle, almost laughing at Ji Mingxuan’s stupidity.

The bottle was labeled "Ruchun Pill"; Zhu Pang wasn’t sure it was an aphrodisiac, but the name seemed appropriate.

Seeing the bottle in Zhu Pang’s hand, Ji Mingxuan panicked. He had yet to retrieve it before Zhu Pang got it first.

"Ruchun Pill? What kind of drug is that?" Zhu Pang intentionally read the name out loud, and Ji Mingxuan realized it was over.

Qin Min had heard of this substance. Though he hadn’t purchased it, he’d heard some young masters mention it.

This Ruchun Pill, unlike other aphrodisiacs, was in pill form, making it more convenient to carry.

However, its effects were a bit strong, lasting for over an hour from just one pill—a boon for those physically weak men. Nevertheless, it was still a drug, and it couldn’t be without consequences on the body.

To think Ji Mingxuan would employ such tactics in his own house, it was unclear whether he prepared this for himself or intended it for someone else.