Yan Weichi truly speaks with zero restraint!
Seeing the Empress ready to argue further, Yan Weichi suddenly continued, "There is no point in us bickering over matters that remain inconclusive. Now that we know how Beauty Xu died, as long as I find the real killer, won't I be able to clear Crown Prince's name?"
Emperor Kangwu asked excitedly, "You can find the real killer?"
Yan Weichi nodded and went on, "Your Majesty, to induce a severe allergic reaction in someone, it doesn't take just a little bit of peach blossom—it requires a large quantity. Or a highly concentrated peach blossom product. For example, peach blossom essential oil, peach blossom liqueur, or peach blossom pastries."
Emperor Kangwu looked toward a palace maid keeping vigil in the room and demanded sternly, "In your palace, are there any such things?"
The maid, Fener, hurriedly knelt to answer, "Your Majesty, Beauty Xu did not like peach blossoms; there is nothing made of them in this room. Even the peach trees originally planted in the courtyard were moved to the Hundred Flowers Garden."
"Did you hear that? There are no peach blossoms in this courtyard!" The Empress shot a vicious glare at Yan Weichi.
Yan Weichi remained unperturbed and continued, "Your Majesty, Beauty Xu is already dead. Naturally, after the killer succeeded, they would have erased all traces of peach blossoms."
"So, in other words, it cannot be investigated?" Emperor Kangwu frowned at Yan Weichi, his face revealing his disappointment.
Yan Weichi shook her head. "Not at all. As the saying goes, 'geese leave tracks in their flight'; anything that has been touched will leave a mark."
Having said this, Yan Weichi began pacing back and forth in the mourning hall, looking at the maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground as she walked.
"Peach blossoms themselves are not poisonous, so I suspect the person who handled them, or their derivatives, must not have been wearing gloves. Therefore, this person’s hands must inevitably bear traces of the peach blossoms."
Pang Heyu, standing to the side, frowned. "Seven days have already passed. Even if their hands were stained with the scent of peach blossoms, it would have been washed away long ago."
Yan Weichi nodded slightly. "Official Pang is correct, which is why the traces I refer to are not the floral scent. Inside peach blossoms, there is a substance called 'flower-nurturing element.' When this substance encounters white vinegar, followed by alkaline water, it turns blue. Moreover, this substance is insoluble in clear water. In other words, even if ten or fifteen days have passed, it is impossible to wash away!"
Emperor Kangwu thought for a moment and then said, "You mean to say that as long as I have the people from Beauty Xu's palace wash their hands first in white vinegar and then in alkaline water, whoever’s hands turn blue is the killer?"
Yan Weichi nodded. "Your Majesty, that is precisely it. Since Beauty Xu was allergic to peach blossoms, she would certainly have ordered everyone in the palace not to come into contact with them. If someone defied their master’s orders and deliberately touched anything related to peach blossoms, that person is undoubtedly the killer."
"Someone, bring white vinegar and alkaline water!" As soon as Emperor Kangwu issued the order, the maids and eunuchs of the Qinghe Palace were struck silent with terror.
Yan Weichi observed everyone unobtrusively, then curled her lips into a smile and stood to the side without a word.
Before long, guards brought over a basin of white vinegar and a basin of alkaline water, placing them on a table.
Yan Weichi pointed to the servants and said, "Come now, go over one by one. First, place your hands into the white vinegar, then into the alkaline water. Once you have finished, the answer will naturally be clear."
The group stood up, heads bowed, and lined up, walking timidly toward the basins.
Everyone craned their necks, watching the two basins without blinking. The Empress had her hands tightly clenched together, looking quite nervous.
However, after the group of maids and eunuchs had walked through the process one by one, not a single person’s palms changed color.
In the shadows, a man in pink frowned. "Sigh, her method isn't working!"
A man in gold let out a cold snort. "I thought she was quite clever. Not only has she ruined Senior Brother's plan, but now she’s going to lose her own life as well."
Sure enough, as soon as his words fell, the Empress attacked Yan Weichi.
"You have some nerve, daring to deceive His Majesty and me! Look for yourself—whose palms have changed color? You are talking absolute nonsense! Someone, drag her away for me..."
Before the Empress could finish, Yan Weichi picked at her ear, looking quite annoyed, and spoke up, "Your Empress, we are standing so close; you don't need to speak so loudly. I am not deaf."
Without giving the Empress a chance to continue scolding her, Yan Weichi pointed to Fener, who was standing at the very edge of the group, and said, "Your Majesty, she is the killer."
What?!
Fener’s eyes widened as she looked at Yan Weichi, then she hurriedly knelt, crying out, "No, that’s not it! Your Majesty, please see the truth! Your Majesty, please see the truth—my hands did not change color!"
Fener extended her hands forward, desperate to prove her innocence.
The Empress, standing nearby, also hurried to say, "That’s right, her hands didn’t change color at all! What on earth are you babbling about?"
Yan Weichi walked over to Fener, gripped her left wrist, and flipped her palm upward. She then sneered, "Her hands didn't change color, but her sleeve cuffs did."
Everyone looked over and indeed discovered that Fener’s pale blue cuff had turned a grayish-blue color, as if the fabric had faded.
Pang Heyu, feeling curious, walked up and turned over Fener's right wrist, only to find that the right cuff had not changed color.
He then looked at the other servants and ordered, "Everyone, hold out your hands!"
The group held out their hands, and everyone discovered that no one else's cuffs had changed color; they were merely wet. Among so many people, only Fener's left cuff had faded—what was going on?
Emperor Kangwu frowned. "Explain yourself clearly."
Yan Weichi nodded and explained, "Your Majesty, the uniforms of the maids and eunuchs are made of indigo-dyed silk, colored with woad. When woad encounters alkaline water, it fades rapidly. However, the alkalinity of the water is neutralized by white vinegar. Simply put, those who have nothing to hide would have obediently soaked their hands in the white vinegar first, then the alkaline water. In that case, the sleeves would have been soaked in vinegar first, followed by alkaline water; thus, the sleeves would only have become wet, not faded."
Pang Heyu frowned. "Fener’s sleeve faded, which means her left hand did not touch the vinegar and only touched the alkaline water?"
Yan Weichi nodded. "That is correct. Let me ask: if she had nothing to hide, why did she not dare to do as the others did—soaking in vinegar first, then alkaline water? Why did she use her right hand to touch the vinegar and her left to touch the alkaline water?"
Upon hearing this, Fener’s face turned deathly pale. She stammered in terror, "I... I just accidentally... I accidentally forgot!"
"Forgot?" Yan Weichi chuckled lightly. "Very well, if you forgot, that doesn't matter. Why don't we try one more time? Someone, bring a basin of clear water. Let her wash her hands clean, and we shall try again!"
Seeing Yan Weichi issue the order, Emperor Kangwu did not stop her; he simply nodded toward the guards.
A moment later, a guard brought over a copper basin. Yan Weichi quickly stepped forward to take it, bringing it personally to Fener. She said with a smile, "Miss Fener, wash away. I, the Crown Princess, shall serve you personally."
Fener was covered in cold sweat from nervousness. She looked timidly toward the Empress but received only a cold glare.
"What are you looking at? Wash if you are told to wash!" the Empress scolded.
Fener trembled, and very reluctantly, she dipped her hands into the clear water to wash them. After drying them, she walked toward the vinegar and the alkaline water. When she dipped them into the vinegar, everything was normal. But as soon as her hands entered the alkaline water, they rapidly turned a light blue!
Everyone was stunned. Emperor Kangwu exclaimed, "You scoundrel, it really was you!"
Fener’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground. She wailed, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, spare my life! I didn't mean to, I really didn't mean to. On the Flower Festival, all the guests were drinking peach blossom wine, except Beauty Xu who drank plum wine. I don't know which servant mislabeled the wine seals, and I... I just made a mistake and grabbed the wrong one!"
"Grabbed the wrong one?" Yan Weichi sneered. "Beauty Xu had only recently given birth to the little prince and was still nursing. Why would she be drinking alcohol?"
With that, Yan Weichi looked at Emperor Kangwu and continued, "Your Majesty, since she is unwilling to tell the truth, perhaps we should send her to the Ministry of Punishments. I have heard that they have one hundred and eight types of torture. Going through that path, we would certainly pry her mouth open."
At these words, Fener turned as pale as paper and was so terrified she nearly fainted several times. She turned to look at the Empress, shouting in a panic, "Empress, Empress, please save me! Empress..."
The Empress said sternly, "How can I save you from the monstrous crime you have committed? If you admit it obediently, you will be the only one to suffer. If you persist in your delusion, beware lest His Majesty execute your entire clan!"
Emperor Kangwu frowned and Yan Weichi raised an eyebrow; both had heard the threat in those words.
Sure enough, upon hearing the Empress, all life drained from Fener’s eyes. She had family; she could not implicate them.
Fener knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably. "Your Majesty, spare me! Please, Your Majesty, spare me. I... I was just upset by something Beauty Xu did, so I was confused for a moment..."
"Confused for a moment? I don't think so," Yan Weichi interrupted. She continued, "You first prepared peach blossom wine with a high concentration of the flower, then used a special method to remove the scent. Then you had to prepare the 'essence' of some wild man to place inside Beauty Xu, and finally, lure the Crown Prince to the inner palace. Ring after ring—this shows careful, meticulous planning. How could this be just a moment of confusion? Unless... you had a master behind the scenes directing you?"
Fener shook her head frantically. "No, no, no! There is no one else! It was all me! I killed Beauty Xu, I framed the Crown Prince—it was all my doing!"
Fener looked at the Empress but shouted to the Emperor, "I only hope Your Majesty will spare my family. I am willing to die to atone for my sins!"
As soon as her words fell, Fener suddenly scrambled up and slammed herself against Beauty Xu’s coffin.
Yan Weichi was startled and instinctively wanted to step forward to stop her, but her sleeve was yanked by someone, preventing her from doing so. When Yan Weichi looked back, she saw only expressionless guards and couldn't tell who had pulled her.
Yet, in that blink of an eye, Fener had already crashed into the coffin and died!
"Ah!" everyone gasped, unable to bear the sight of her brains splattered about.
The Empress looked somewhat nervous. She clenched her hands and said, "Yo... Your Majesty, since the killer has been brought to justice, then... then this case can be considered solved."
Shangguan Li also hurriedly added, "That’s right, finally we can clear Eldest Brother's name. This is truly wonderful!"
Emperor Kangwu looked coldly at the mother and son. "It seems the Empress also agrees that Chujing is innocent?"
"Naturally, naturally," the Empress replied with a fake smile, one that looked even worse than crying.
Emperor Kangwu let out a long, heavy breath and declared in a booming voice, "Pass on my decree: the case of Beauty Xu’s murder has been clarified. It has nothing to do with Crown Prince Shangguan Xi. From this day forward, his position as Crown Prince is restored..."
"Your Majesty!" A voice like a booming bell suddenly rang out in the courtyard.
Yan Weichi looked toward the sound and saw a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and wide, tiger-like eyes striding toward them. This man was none other than the Empress’s own brother, Duke of Anguo. He was also the current Chief Minister, holding the most sway in the imperial court.
When Emperor Kangwu saw the Duke of Anguo, his expression grew even darker. He asked in a deep voice, "Lord Anguo, do you find an issue with restoring the Crown Prince?"
The Duke of Anguo replied, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince was wronged, so of course there is no issue with restoring his position. This old minister has entered the palace to remind Your Majesty that, according to the laws of our dynasty, since the Crown Princess has no heirs, she should rightfully... be buried with the Crown Prince! I came into the palace specifically to see her off!"
The Duke of Anguo gripped the Crouching Tiger Saber at his waist, his gaze fierce as he looked toward Yan Weichi.
In the shadows, the man in pink nudged the man in gold with his elbow and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, aren't you going to save her? As the Prince Xiaoyao's Heir Prince, you could at least say a word or two, right?"
It turned out the man in gold was none other than Yu Feiyan, the Heir Prince of Xiaoyao. The effeminate man in pink beside him was his Second Senior Brother, Ye Tianshu. Both were fellow disciples of Shangguan Xi.
Yu Feiyan crossed his arms over his chest and snorted disdainfully. "Senior Brother let us come in to see the situation, not to save anyone. Why should I bother with her business?"
Ye Tianshu twisted his own hair, feigning pity. "Oh, but she really does seem quite interesting, and... she doesn't look like someone who is fated to die young."
"If she isn't a short-lived ghost, then there is even less need for you or me to intervene. Alright, time to leave the palace and report back!" Yu Feiyan tapped his toes on the ground and flew off.
Ye Tianshu looked back at Yan Weichi one last time, revealing a meaningful smile, and then followed after Yu Feiyan.
However, as soon as they left, they missed a good show.
Watching the Duke of Anguo approach step by step, gripping his Crouching Tiger Saber, Yan Weichi stood akimbo and scolded angrily, "You have some nerve!"
Hm?
Everyone looked at Yan Weichi in unison, all feeling that her nerve was perhaps even greater. In the entire court, who would dare speak to the Duke of Anguo like that?
Yan Weichi did not care at all about their expressions and continued her angry rebuke, "There are rules in the palace! No one is allowed to carry weapons inside. You are openly carrying a blade—what do you intend to do? Assassinate His Majesty?"
At these words, Emperor Kangwu sighed helplessly.
The Empress, standing to the side, sneered, "I don't know where this yellow-haired girl ran from; she doesn't even recognize the Crouching Tiger Saber."
The Second Prince, Shangguan Li, also interjected, "This Crouching Tiger Saber was bestowed upon the Anguo family by the founding monarch of our Nine Li Kingdom. It defends the empire and keeps the ministers in check. Everyone knows the Crouching Tiger Saber is permitted inside the palace. You ignorant girl, you truly have no idea."
Yan Weichi was slightly taken aback; it seemed there was such a thing. She only blamed her father for dumping her on a farm estate, leaving her with little memory of affairs in the Capital City.
No, she couldn't lose, not even if her status was lesser!
Yan Weichi scoffed, "Humph, and so what? The royal family bestowed you with the Crouching Tiger Saber to let you swagger around? To let you act without respect for status? To let you murder the Crown Princess of this dynasty? Even if I were to be buried with him, it would have to wait until the day the Crown Prince is interred. I would be lying beside him in fine clothes and jewels, happy and content—when would it ever be your turn to lay a hand on me?"
Having said this, Yan Weichi looked at the Court of Judicial Review Chief, Pang Heyu, and continued, "Official Pang, you tell him: what is the penalty for attempting to murder the Crown Princess?"
"Uh... this... this..." Pang Heyu was speechless, not daring to make a sound.
Yan Weichi frowned. "You are the Chief of the Court of Judicial Review, the head of the Nine Ministers! Can you not even recite the laws of our dynasty? What are you still doing as an official? Go home and farm!"
"You..." Shangguan Li was about to scold Yan Weichi.
Yan Weichi continued, "You what? I am your sister-in-law, after all. You have no manners when speaking to me, using 'you' and 'I'—has your sense of courtesy, righteousness, shame, and filial piety all been eaten by dogs?"
"How dare you!" The Duke of Anguo’s mustache bristled with rage; he hadn't seen anyone so unwilling to bow down in a long time.
Yan Weichi shouted even louder, "You are the one who dares! I am the Crown Princess. You don't bow when we meet, and you dare argue with me? Duke of Anguo, you are an old man—you've stopped growing, but your audacity is still sprouting! Someone, bring me the Nine Li laws! I want to look through them myself and see what crime to charge you with so that I might soothe my resentment! Humph!"
Everyone stared, dumbstruck, at Yan Weichi, truly thinking this woman had gone mad. Who didn't know that this Duke of Anguo was the 'nine-thousand-year-old' master of the court, and the entire Anguo family held such power that they controlled the government? Even the current Emperor had to give way three points before him. Had Yan Weichi eaten the courage of a leopard?
No one went to fetch the laws for Yan Weichi; everyone turned toward the silent Emperor Kangwu.
Yet, Emperor Kangwu looked at Yan Weichi with a hint of surprise mixed with admiration.
Seeing the Emperor's expression, the Duke of Anguo flew into a rage. If anyone dared to defy him, he would take their life immediately!
"You sharp-tongued, cheap girl! Today, I shall send you to accompany the Crown Prince immediately. Let's see who dares to stop me!"
Before his voice had even faded, he had already lunged, stabbing his blade toward Yan Weichi’s chest.
Yan Weichi knew the Duke of Anguo was arrogant, but she never imagined a minister could be this arrogant. The Emperor was still alive, for heaven's sake—did he really dare to kill someone in public?
Yan Weichi turned her palm, and two silver needles appeared between her fingertips.
However, just as she was preparing to counter-attack, a battered figure suddenly descended from the sky, shielding Yan Weichi behind him. He protected her, backing away two steps, but Yan Weichi still heard a *squelch*!
It was the sound of a blade slicing through flesh!
"Chujing?!"
"Crown Prince?!"
"Eldest Brother?!"
Then came the exclamations of the crowd.
Indeed, the one who had blocked the strike for Yan Weichi was none other than the battered, bruised Crown Prince—Shangguan Xi!
The Duke of Anguo looked at the person before him in shock, realizing that the tip of his Crouching Tiger Saber had already pierced into Shangguan Xi’s shoulder.
Shangguan Xi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Duke of Anguo, you have some nerve, assassinating the Crown Prince!"
The Duke of Anguo gasped, hurriedly pulling out his saber and bowing, "This old minister did not dare!"
Killing Yan Weichi was no big deal; after all, she hadn't been officially canonized, and the Emperor wouldn't truly break with him over a woman of unknown origin. But killing Shangguan Xi was an entirely different matter. He was the Crown Prince of Nine Li, known to all Four Kingdoms and Two Cities. If he truly died by his hand, the hundreds of thousands of troops under Shangguan Xi’s command would not let the Anguo family off!
Therefore, assassinating the Crown Prince could only be done in the shadows; it could never be brought out into the light.
As the Crouching Tiger Saber was pulled out, blood instantly gushed from the wound. Shangguan Xi, already seriously wounded, stood unsteadily, nearly falling.
Yan Weichi hurriedly reached out to support him, and Emperor Kangwu also ran over, asking with a mix of joy and concern, "Chujing, Chujing, you are still alive? You are actually still alive?!"
Shangguan Xi smiled bitterly. "I am sorry, Father, for causing you worry."