QT: Grace To Grass Counterattack System

He Yuan took three days before he was able to get used to the workings of the palace and get news on the Wei family situation.

He had to pay extra attention because Wei Yun'er hadn't bothered to call for him since he arrived and he was sure it was because he was on a form of probation period.

Even though she was quick to pull off her veil and expose her face to him, talking about trust and lack of doubt, she was no fool and was keenly observing him.

The coronation slash wedding was in two days and ambassadors from neighbouring nations were already arriving one after the other. He Yuan was running put of time and had to speed up has plans.

He'd managed to befriend one of the dungeon guards by a stroke of luck and he'd been arranging a few 'coincidences' in order to brush off his existence with the man. He made sure to carry out his actions as naturally as he could in order not to implicate the innocent guard.

The day before, he offhandedly asked Tang Si about the traitors and amidst curses of promised vengeance, the prison guard let loose that they were to be persecuted a day after the coronation not even hiding their cell number.

The man also complained about being unable to attend the upcoming coronation because he was one of the few selected to remain here whilst the rest were enlisted to guard the son of heaven and his phoenix empress.

He Yuan was beyond elated by the news. His plan was already laid out. He was going to slip in the pills into the general drinking well. As the bodyguards, eunuchs and ranked maids all drank from the same well whilst the members of the royal family drank from a different, private, well.

This way, they would all have hallucinations although mild, it was enough to make their reaction speed to lag behind and he could sneak into the prison and sneak the Wei family out.

Another reason for his action was because he didn't want to cause the deaths of the prison guards. This was the ancient time period where people were beheaded for the littlest of offences so they definitely wouldn't be left to live if the prisoners escaped under their watch.

If, on the other hand, every single servant was drugged. Even the titled servants from major and minor noble families, the emperor would have no choice but to hold back.

They were actually beneath his shoes but he was just coronated and there were hundreds of servants. Killing so many off at once would cause dissatisfaction from the common people and nobles and a revolt would not be too far off.

Xian Taiwen couldn't afford the reputation of a blood thirsty emperor so early in his reign. Rumours might even start off about how a simple minded general, who only knew how to fight wars, wasn't really suited for the intricacies of politics and ruling a nation.

He Yuan was even pretty sure Xian Taiwen would rather suppress the news. If it was discovered that the emperor's servants and imperial guards were drugged right in the imperial palace and on the day of his coronation no less, he would surely lose face in front of the ambassadors from other nations. He couldn't afford the consequences.

The servants might be drugged but they wouldn't be aware that a bunch of traitors were missing from the prison. If Xian Taiwen hastily made a move to kill off the servants and prison guards, the news would surely slip out. Someone who managed to win the fight for the throne wouldn't be so careless.

He Yuan smiled. The only downside to this method was that a target would be placed on his head. As the only servant that would be missing after the coronation, of course he would be suspicious.

But he wasn't worried, in fact this situation was very favourable to him. Firstly, he was using a human skin mask and secondly, Wei Yun'er was the one who brought him into the palace and no matter how 'maltreated' and pained she was, the Wei family was still her family.

The women of this time were scheming, but generally softhearted towards their families because that was where their backing came from. She was suspicious however you looked at it.

He Yuan nodded in satisfaction when he thought his plan through. He was going to poison the well during the day tomorrow. He had no martial arts and if he was caught sneaking about at night, he would be doomed.

But if he openly and above board went over to the well during the day to grab a drink straight from the source, no one would suspect him. Also, the pills took about twenty four hours to take effect so this was good.

Once the hallucination started in the middle of the coronation, the servants could pass it off as tiredness from running around but as time went on, the effects become heavier and by nightfall, they'd be in a form of lucid state. Awake but unresponsive.

Xian Taiwen and Wei Yun'er would be busy 'consummating' their marriage and the ambassadors and nobles would be drunk from the celebration and alcohol. It was just perfect. He wasn't even bothered about the secret guards.

They might be secret guards but in the end they were human too and needed to eat and drink. He was quite sure they drank from the general well too.

He Yuan went to bed in a really good mood. He could already imagine his success.

The next morning, he rose even before the sun and went about his duties, he'd been assigned to sweep the courtyard but he did it gingerly with no trace of complaint. After that, he went to the general kitchen to grab his meal.

Once he was done, He Yuan spent the next few hours trying to comprehend the medicinal knowledge and when the sun was high in the sky, he smiled. It was time.

He placed five pills in the chest of his robes and swinged his arms as he strolled about the different courtyards allocated to servants.

He knew he was being watched so he made sure to act out a really good show. After he worked up a sweat, he yawned -almost dramatically- and casually walked over to the general well.

Sliding the cover open, he grabbed a pail, fetched up some water and poured in a cup. He drank two more cups and subtly stood in a blind spot and pulled out the pills from his chest.

As he closed the lid, he slowly slipped the pills into the well.

"What are you doing?"

He Yuan froze. He slowly turned around with a shy smile. When the f*ck did she appear?!