Chapter 15

Chapter 15

In the main hall, Lin Qing naturally could not hear Mu Wantang’s inner thoughts, and even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. Who hasn’t been beaten down by society? Being so enraged as to cough up blood just proved she had suffered less than most—endure a few more times and you’d be fine.

At this point, the birthday banquet was obviously impossible to hold. Among the forces involved, only the Tianlu Department, the Emperor, and Mu Wantang’s factions had openly appeared. There was also one concealed party, plus an uncertain fifth force.

Li Mingxiao dismissed the guards, his expression grave. “This case at the Rui Prince’s Mansion is of utmost importance. Right now, I only trust you. More than half of the court officials present have been poisoned. Though I am the Son of Heaven, I must quickly provide an explanation. The culprit must be found before nightfall.”

Lin Qing was equally tense. “Understood!”

Li Mingxiao added, “The Ministry of Justice will also participate in this case. Let them assist you. I will remain here, waiting for those rats.”

Li Mingxiao’s move was clearly a tactic to lure out the snake.

Lin Qing could only agree. After stepping outside, she arranged for more guards to hide in the shadows, then made her way to the small kitchen in the front courtyard.

To facilitate tea brewing and water pouring, the guests’ tea and snacks were served from this small kitchen.

The steward and servants in the kitchen had all been detained and were kneeling, trembling, guarded by the Tianlu Guards.

Lin Qing took a look around. Though called a small kitchen, it was quite spacious. Tea cups were neatly arranged on shelves; the stove fire was still strong, a kettle of boiling water sat nearby, and on the other side were two large water tanks. One tank was already more than half emptied, with a faint fragrance rising from its surface.

Meng Jie approached and said, “The imperial physician has examined it. The poison was placed in the water tank.”

Seeing Lin Qing nod, he beckoned the steward kneeling nearby. The steward immediately hurried over. “Reporting to the two lords, I am Chen San, steward of this kitchen. The Prince’s birthday banquet is a major event. To prevent accidents, guards were specially assigned here, and the maids selected from various courtyards are all trustworthy insiders. I have never left the kitchen and can confirm no outsiders entered.”

Lin Qing scanned the servants. “Are they all here?”

Chen San replied, “All present.”

Before Lin Qing could speak, two groups arrived: one clad in armor—guards of the prince’s mansion—and another consisting of a single man dressed in a crimson official robe, his posture erect, hair meticulously tied with not a strand out of place. His sharp eyebrows and bright eyes fixed on Lin Qing’s face like nails.

With neither arrogance nor humility, he bowed. “I am Liu Ye of the Ministry of Justice, greetings to Lord Lin.”

“Lord Liu, you’re too polite.” Lin Qing returned the gesture. “I’ll be relying on you this time.”

“Lord Lin, the honor is mine,” Liu replied.

The accompanying captain of the guards snorted coldly, “No need for formalities. This is the Rui Prince Mansion’s matter. We won’t trouble you.”

Lin Qing glanced at him sideways, noticing his bulky frame and half-bearded face. “Who are you?”

The bearded man raised his head proudly. “I am Cao Jinwei, captain of the Rui Prince Mansion’s guards.”

Though large, the small kitchen was nearly filled by the crowd. Lin Qing felt uncomfortable from the heavy atmosphere and sized up Cao Jinwei. “Oh... I don’t know you. Lord Liu and I have business. You’d better keep your distance.”

Cao Jinwei’s fierce eyes glared. “You—”

Lin Qing didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. “Enough. By imperial decree, the Tianlu Department and Ministry of Justice are jointly investigating. I don’t care who you are. If you resist orders, I won’t hesitate to take it up with His Majesty.”

The prince’s mansion was allowed to keep some private soldiers, but no more than three hundred. The captain selected from among them had no official rank or salary related to the court.

Cao Jinwei was furious but dared not resist the imperial decree. Remembering the prince’s orders, he gritted his teeth and dismissed his guards, remaining alone.

Lin Qing ignored him and turned to Liu Ye, asking, “Any findings?”

Liu Ye carefully examined the water tanks, frowning. “The kitchen is tightly controlled. To poison the water tank, only two possibilities exist: someone exceptionally skilled in lightness skill, or… an insider taking advantage of the darkness.”

Lin Qing thought the same. She had even suspected Mu Wantang but dismissed the idea—Mu Wantang valued those people alive more than dead.

Many officials attended the banquet at the Rui Prince Mansion, but not all. Even if they were all poisoned, Li Mingxiao could quickly find replacements. Though troublesome to handle, it was not a fatal blow.

Lin Qing instructed Meng Jie, “Summon Ge Yi.”

Meng Jie quickly ran to the flower hall and soon returned with a reluctant Ge Yi.

Ge Yi snorted coldly. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“You don’t have to.” Lin Qing sat on a chair brought by her subordinate. “The ‘Fragrant Flesh’ poison was developed by you. Wang Duan died from this poison, and now many at the Rui Prince Mansion have been poisoned with it. The culprit can only be you. The Rui Prince Mansion’s failure to recognize the traitor means they must bear the guilt of harboring criminals and the wrath of the officials.”

Though proud, when it came to Li Chenxuan, Ge Yi held back her arrogance. “The ‘Fragrant Flesh’ is a new poison I recently developed. I only made one bottle, but recently noticed some of the powder was missing.”

Liu Ye overheard and asked suddenly, “How was the medicine lost?”

Ge Yi hesitated and lowered her head, trying to conceal the emotion in her eyes. “I don’t know.”

Lin Qing and Liu Ye exchanged glances. Both were sharp; they knew Ge Yi was lying. But given her status, they couldn’t press too hard.

Lin Qing’s gaze suddenly landed on Ge Yi’s lips, which were adorned with a bright, moist lipstick with a sweet honey aroma.

She recalled the lipstick stain on the edge of the teacup in Wang Duan’s prison cell.

Lin Qing’s sensitive nose confirmed the scents were identical.

Given the production capabilities of the Dayuan dynasty, such exquisite lipstick was rare. Handmade items often had slight scent variations between batches; exact matches were impossible.

Ge Yi nervously stepped back, her brows furrowed with anger. She snapped, “Why are you standing so close?”

Lin Qing smiled. “Has anyone ever told you, Miss Ge, that you are beautiful, radiant, and graceful—like an unbound eagle in the sky?”

Ge Yi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if her secrets were seen through. Although her face showed faint anger, her cheeks blushed deeply.

“That lipstick…” Lin Qing clicked her tongue. “Is it from Lady Yan Luoyan of the Yongning Marquis Mansion?”

Her words stirred up a hornet’s nest. Ge Yi’s face twisted in fury, recalling the earlier incident of being caught red-handed. She felt as if she had fallen into boiling water.

She originally did not believe the note, but upon following the address, she found Li Chenxuan and Lin Junrou entangled inseparably.

If not for Li Chenxuan’s protection and his promise of the position of primary wife, and if he hadn’t brought her to the banquet, she would have long poisoned Lin Junrou beyond recognition.

Ge Yi disparaged, “I accidentally created this lipstick using more than thirty kinds of poisonous insects, eight of which are extremely rare. I cultivated them for over five years and only made three boxes. What merit does Lin Junrou have? She probably can’t even tell pharmacology from toxicology. Letting her make lipstick is a death sentence.”

Liu Ye had already ordered someone to bring Ge Yi’s lipstick and pressed further, “If it’s so precious, one box is with you, one with Lin Junrou. What about the last box?”

Ge Yi initially didn’t want to say, but upon hearing Lin Junrou’s name, she gritted her teeth, “The prince asked me for one box, saying it was a gift for the Empress Dowager. I gave it to him, but unexpectedly, he gave it to that wretched woman. The last box I gave to a friend.”

Liu Ye continued, “Which friend?”

Ge Yi explained, “We knew each other since childhood but lost contact. A year ago, we accidentally met on the street. She had been sold by her family to a trafficker, eventually ending up in a brothel in the capital. She is now the top courtesan of the Spring Breeze Pavilion, named Liu Xiangxue.”

Lin Qing felt as if struck by lightning, stunned for a moment. Liu Xiangxue? The second female lead from the original story?

According to the original plot, Lin Junrou’s success owed much to money, and Liu Xiangxue managed most of her enterprises. She later saved the heroine several times, earning the heroine’s trust. When the heroine became Empress, Liu Xiangxue was freed from her lowly status, transformed into a princess, and married a general, living a life of glory.

Lin Qing was a little dazed. Such a woman was actually Ge Yi’s malicious friend?

Liu Ye noticed no change in Lin Qing and asked again, “Then why were you evasive at first?”

Ge Yi lowered her eyes sadly. “The prince said, given my status, I shouldn’t associate with someone of low birth. If discovered, the Rui Prince Mansion would suffer slander.”

Liu Ye understood, “So before you noticed the missing medicine, this woman had already been to your building?”

Ge Yi hurriedly said, “She did come, but my medicine box is hidden well. She didn’t know about it.”

Ge Yi revealed everything she knew. The confused rambling afterward was merely an attempt to plead for the courtesan’s friend.

Liu Ye brought over a roster. “The top courtesan of Spring Breeze Pavilion is named Liu Xiangxue. Coincidentally, the Rui Prince Mansion invited her to play the zither for the women’s quarters at the banquet.”

Lin Qing couldn’t help but admire, “That’s quite the coincidence.” But too many coincidences cease to be coincidences—they become schemes.

She tightened her sleeve at the wrist. “Since we’re here, let’s go meet this courtesan.”

Liu Ye pointed at the kneeling maids and servants. “What shall we do with these?”

Lin Qing smiled, “There’s definitely a dirty rat among them. Drag them down for interrogation. Use every torture method available. There’s no mouth Tianlu Guards can’t pry open.”

At her words, those below panicked. Tianlu Department was notorious. Being taken there could mean skinning alive at best, or worse.

The courtyard filled with cries and pleas for mercy. Outsiders seeing this might think the Tianlu Guards had once again committed some atrocity.

“Please spare me!”

“Master, I am truly innocent!”

“I have an eighty-year-old mother, please have mercy!”

Lin Qing laughed aloud. “If I spare you, then who will spare me?”

Cao Jinwei, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward angrily. “These are my mansion’s servants! Deputy Envoy Lin has overstepped!”

Lin Qing turned to Meng Jie. “His name is Cao Jinwei, right? Don’t forget him. Who knows if he tampered with anything? If he’s a spy from another nation, it’ll be trouble. Take him along for questioning.”

Meng Jie had long disliked Cao Jinwei and immediately rushed forward.

Cao Jinwei was unwilling but no match for Meng Jie’s skill. Within moments, Meng Jie pinned him to the ground.

Chen San, seeing Cao Jinwei caught, knew the situation was dire. He wiped tears and snot from his face and pleaded, “Master, the water in the tanks is spring water drawn from the estate, very precious. The prince specially assigned guards to watch it, no one else could approach. I am truly innocent!”

Liu Ye frowned deeply and scolded, “Why didn’t you say this earlier?”

Chen San lowered his head, eyes darting nervously.

Lin Qing figured there was nothing more to learn. Her relationship with the Rui Prince Mansion was strained; no doubt they were united to set a trap for her.

They thought Lin Qing wouldn’t dare harm them because they belonged to the Rui Prince Mansion. But she didn’t play by their rules. Seeing Cao Jinwei captured, anyone refusing to confess would face torture. Only then did Chen San start to tell the truth.