At the Baili mansion on the other side,
Gu Qianying and her party were invited in as honored guests. Looking at the magnificent pavilions, grand gates, and opulent appearance of the Baili mansion, Lu Zhu couldn't help but marvel. The Baili family truly lived up to their reputation as the wealthiest merchants in the land!
"Esteemed guests, please come in and be seated!"
Old Master Baili had long since shed his mourning attire and changed into a black cloth robe. Despite being from a wealthy merchant family, Old Master Baili was quite simple. If not for the grand funeral procession witnessed earlier, one might have mistaken him for an ordinary farmer.
"You are too kind!"
Gu Qianying remained silent. It was Lu Zhu who spoke. During her time as a saintess in the Wu Tribe, she had learned much about interpersonal interactions. Gu Qianying's least favorite activity was precisely what she excelled at, so she took on the role of the spokesperson.
"Honored guests, please be seated. May I inquire who these individuals are?"
Old Master Baili gestured towards Duan Xifeng and the others following Gu Qianying.
"These two are my elder brothers, this is my younger sister, and as for this little boy, he is my son."
Gu Qianying answered before Lu Zhu could, deliberately omitting their true purpose for visiting and fabricating a story instead!
"We are from the Nanyi Kingdom, seeking refuge with my aunt. However, upon our arrival, we discovered that my aunt had already passed away. We intended to return home, but we encountered today's events, which caused us to be delayed!"
Gu Qianying did not reveal everything, keeping some details to herself.
"In that case, esteemed guests, please rest at my mansion for a few days. If you are willing, the Baili mansion can provide you with concealment. Are you amenable?"
Old Master Baili did not comment further after hearing her explanation. He seemed to have believed her.
Gu Qianying said no more. Instead, Baili Jingxuan walked in.
"Father, I have brought my elder brother back!"
He nodded slightly, showing immense respect towards Gu Qianying and the others, as they had, moments before, revived his elder brother in full view of everyone.
He had always had the best relationship with his elder brother since childhood.
"First, escort your brother back to his room and assign people to take good care of him. Ensure there are no mistakes."
Upon mentioning Baili Su, Old Master Baili became anxious. He also looked at Gu Qianying nervously, as she represented their last hope.
"My apologies to all of you. I am a little worried. I need to check on him to feel at ease. Please make yourselves at home!"
After much deliberation, he still couldn't rest assured. He worried that his subordinates might be careless, and any mishap would be unbearable for him.
Gu Qianying did not refuse. She simply sat down and remained silent. Although Xiao Yihao had initiated today's events, their arrival felt rather peculiar.
"To be honest, Old Master Baili truly dotes on his son."
Lu Zhu took a sip of tea, finding it to be excellent. She then pushed the tea towards Gu Qianying, indicating for her to have some as well.
However, Gu Qianying did not drink it, remaining lost in thought.
The important matters for their trip to the Western Regions must not be forgotten. But for now, it seemed Old Master Baili and Baili Jingxuan were good people, and perhaps they could offer assistance in the future.
"Everyone is here? It's almost noon, let's have lunch!"
Just as everyone was quietly contemplating, a young woman dressed in a pink short jacket and skirt, with her hair styled in twin buns, walked in. Her features bore a resemblance to Baili Su, suggesting she might be his sister.
"I've heard from others that you are the esteemed guests who saved my elder brother. I came specifically to see you. However, the servants are too inattentive; they haven't served lunch to our guests yet!"
The young woman seemed a little annoyed. She whispered a few words to her personal maid, and then a few young maids arrived with exquisite dishes.
"My name is Baili Mengran. And yours?"
She briefly introduced herself. Gu Qianying nodded in acknowledgment and then reintroduced them to her.
After the day's exertions, they were all quite hungry.
Shortly after they finished lunch, Madam Baili arrived.
Today was supposed to be Baili Su's funeral day, but Madam Baili was too overcome with grief and had fainted in the mansion. She was now forcing herself to get up to come here.
"Esteemed guests!"
As soon as Madam Baili arrived, she burst into tears and even collapsed to her knees, grabbing Gu Qianying's skirt. Gu Qianying was startled and quickly held her, urging, "Madam, there is no need for such formality. Please rise!"
Gu Qianying quickly helped her up and took her pulse. She discovered that Madam Baili's physical weakness was indeed due to excessive grief, so this was not a deception. It appeared the Baili family genuinely cherished Baili Su, and this was not a pretense.
However, in such an environment, why had Baili Su been poisoned? Gu Qianying found another point of suspicion.
After comforting Madam Baili, Gu Qianying sat down. Unexpectedly, Madam Baili said, "Esteemed guest, do you know what poison my son was afflicted with?"
"Why is my son so ill-fated? He has been sickly since birth, and now he has been poisoned by a villain. He was raised by my side since childhood, so how could he have been poisoned?"
As she spoke, Madam Baili began to cry again.
Gu Qianying pondered, "When he was young, did the young master have any wet nurses or similar attendants?"
This question stumped Madam Baili. They had not hired any wet nurses when he was young. It was her first time being a mother, and she was overjoyed. She couldn't bear to give her child to anyone else to raise. To keep her child by her side, she had even had a significant argument with Old Master Baili. Fortunately, the child had grown up by her side.
She had thought the child was merely premature and a bit weak, and she had always been very concerned, taking meticulous care of his every need, from food and clothing to daily routines. She never expected such a thing to happen. Could there be an insider within the mansion?
"Madam, please do not worry. Your son's poison is not incurable, it will just take some time. Additionally, we need to find out why he was poisoned back then. This poison is potent. Even if it wasn't administered directly to him, it's highly probable it was given to you and then transmitted to the child."
Gu Qianying rarely spoke so much at once, but seeing Madam Baili reminded her of her own future. She did not want to see Xiao Yihao end up like this, with her weeping every day.
Therefore, obtaining that herb in Xiyu City was a must. The Baili mansion could be a valuable asset.
Madam Baili listened carefully to everything Gu Qianying said and immediately dispatched people to investigate the matter. Gu Qianying also began to explain to them the specific poison Baili Su had ingested.
There were numerous types of poisons, and she had only managed to determine that Baili Su was poisoned. As for how many types of poisons he had, she needed to conduct further examinations. If she misidentified the type, the antagonistic properties of the poisons could prove fatal to Baili Su, and she dared not be careless.