"Chief Inspector Shan, the Northern Qi Princess has perished within our Qiongyue Grand Hall—this is no trivial matter to be taken lightly. I hereby entrust this case to you. Investigate it thoroughly and uncover the true cause of her death, as well as the identity of the culprit."
Because the name uttered was Shan Yulan, Yan Hongtian's voice, though still carrying the dignity of a sovereign, darkened instantly.
Kneeling on one knee, Shan Yulan answered loudly, "This official receives the command."
Xuxun Si, who had been holding the corpse tightly in his arms, seemed to regain some clarity. The youthful prince's face now bore the composure and pride befitting a royal. He raised his head and met Yan Hongtian's gaze, his voice cold:
"If I am not mistaken, the Chihuan Silk Serpent is a venomous creature unique to Qiongyue. My seventh sister died tragically within the Grand Hall. On behalf of Northern Qi, I implore the Emperor of Qiongyue to provide us with a clear explanation. I have no objection to Chief Inspector Shan handling the investigation—so long as he conducts it in my presence."
"Granted!"At this point, such a request was not unreasonable. After all, the fact remained: the princess had died within the palace hall.
"A venomous serpent in the Grand Hall? Impossible! The princess was well just moments ago and only drank a cup of wine—could it be the wine that was poisoned?"A booming voice resounded through the vast hall, so loud it rang in the ears. All eyes turned toward the speaker—Hu Xi'ang, eldest son of General Hu Zhangyu, another envoy from Northern Qi. His stature matched the coarseness of his voice. In his hand was the jug from which the princess had drunk. Unlike the composed Xuxun Si, Hu Xi'ang wore his fury openly.
Shan Yulan approached him, took the jug, and whispered a few words to a nearby attendant, who immediately rushed off.
Zhuo Qing nudged Mo Bai lightly with her shoulder and whispered, "What exactly is the Chihuan Silk Serpent?"
Mo Bai initially ignored her, but after a glance—seeing her eyes gleam with sharpness, fixed on the corpse—something unlike her usual self, he finally answered in a low voice:
"The Chihuan Silk Serpent is a rare venomous snake native to the northwest of Qiongyue. It's extremely small—thinner than a finger and less than two feet long—which is why the locals call it a 'bug.' It dwells in damp, frigid crevices and emerges only at night, never seeing sunlight. Its entire body is crimson, and its venom is lethally potent. A single bite brings instant death. Even mere contact with or accidental ingestion of its venom ensures inevitable demise."
"Even touching it would be fatal?" Zhuo Qing gasped, turning to Mo Bai. "Even without wounds on the skin, contact with its venom would cause poisoning?"
Mo Bai merely nodded coldly.
What a terrifying toxin. Most snake venoms are neurotoxins or affect blood circulation. The most potent ones might possess both properties—but to poison merely by skin contact? Could it be a corrosive, permeable toxin?
Zhuo Qing couldn't help but lament inwardly: if only this era had the proper equipment to test the poison—she would love to study it thoroughly!
She turned her gaze toward Shan Yulan. Perhaps he had some unique method?
An attendant returned with a white porcelain dish and a silver needle over ten centimeters long. Shan Yulan poured the wine from the jug into the dish. What should have been a clear liquid shimmered faintly red—something invisible in the green paulownia cup. He placed the silver needle into the wine. Instantly, it turned pitch-black. Wiping it with a white cloth, the needle remained dark.
Zhuo Qing frowned slightly. The heavy sulfide content in the poison was clear—that was what blackened the silver. But what other components could be in it?
She watched intently, but Shan Yulan did nothing further.
Hu Xi'ang, growing increasingly impatient, shouted, "Is the wine poisoned or not?!"
Without evasion, Shan Yulan put away the needle and answered calmly, "The silver needle has turned black, the wine bears a reddish hue and a salty tang—this wine does indeed contain the venom of the Chihuan Silk Serpent."
Zhuo Qing glanced once more at the Chief Inspector she had met only briefly. What an intriguing man. Though the poison clearly originated from Qiongyue, he spoke with such candor, even as the two imperial physicians trembled in fear. Was he truly that principled and unflinching, or simply so confident in his ability to navigate this crisis?
As soon as Shan Yulan confirmed the presence of poison, Hu Xi'ang let out a furious growl:"Someone must have poisoned the wine! Hand over the culprit!"
His insolence could have warranted immediate imprisonment by Yan Hongtian. Yet at such a moment, taking such action might appear to bully a smaller state and dishonor national dignity. Were word to spread, how would he face the other six kingdoms?
Yan Hongtian's expression darkened like an impending storm, and once again, silence fell over the hall.
A soft, gentle female voice broke the heavy stillness, slightly easing the suffocating tension:"To allow the palace wine to be poisoned during a state banquet—this is my failure in duty. Steward Wu, bring forth all servants who had contact with the princess's wine."
Although the empress was not expected to speak at such a juncture, as the matriarch of the nation and given that the incident occurred within the inner palace, her words were not inappropriate. Her appearance served to subtly restore calm.
"Yes."Seeing that the emperor did not object, Wu Rong turned and departed at once.
Zhuo Qing inwardly cried out in dismay. Qingling was the one who poured the princess's wine!
As expected, a few guards brought forth three servants, Qingling among them, all forced to their knees before the hall. The other three were already terrified out of their wits, prostrating themselves and pleading:
"Your Majesty the Empress, have mercy! We only helped pour wine into the jugs—we didn't know which one was for the princess. Even if given a hundred lives, we wouldn't dare to poison her!"
Compared to their cowardly pleas, Qingling knelt upright in silence, her face expressionless and cold.
The Empress narrowed her eyes, gazing at Qingling with a chill in her voice:"Qingling, you were once sent to the palace by the Moonlight Kingdom. Now reduced to a maidservant, do you harbor resentment? Did you poison the Northern Qi Princess out of spite? Or were you acting under the orders of your former sovereign, seeking to disrupt relations between Qiongyue and Northern Qi?"
Still lowering her head, Qingling coldly uttered only three words:"I did not."
"You attempted to assassinate His Majesty last night—how dare you claim innocence?! I will give you one last chance. Confess truthfully and you shall be spared the rod."
She had long thought her sister was dead. Alone in this world, she had nothing left to live for—death would be a release. But today, she saw her again. She could not let the Empress frame her. That would endanger not only them, but also the innocent citizens of Moonlight Kingdom.
After a long silence, Qingling slowly raised her head and looked up at the Empress—so high above, feigning mercy but dripping with falsehood. A faint, scornful smile tugged at her lips as she proclaimed clearly:
"Last night, I merely shattered a vase by accident and cut the Emperor. I failed in my duties and was demoted to a maidservant. As for why I was tasked with pouring wine for the Northern Qi Princess today—it was entirely under the Empress's command. I was unaware beforehand. If I am accused of poisoning her, then it must have been arranged by none other than the Empress herself."