murderer

The task of finding the murderer after Shangguan Zeyu was poisoned by aphrodisiacs was entirely entrusted to Princess Xiao Yiqing.

Now, Shen Qianqian has been sent out of the Prince's Mansion, and the three ladies "Minglan, Haoyue, and Qingshuang" bestowed by the Empress Dowager have also left the Prince's Mansion.

Jiang Yan was unconscious at the time, so the only person who could have done this was Wang Qianqian.

Xiao Yiqing invited Wang Qianqian to Peach Blossom Village.

Wang Qianqian: "Your Highness, may I ask what brings you here so early in the morning?"

Xiao Yiqing was nestled in her usual rocking chair, leisurely sipping tea. Hearing her say this, she merely gave her a forced smile and a glance.

Wang Qianqian didn't understand what she meant. After hesitating for a moment, she asked anxiously, "Your Highness, have I done something wrong? I'm foolish, please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Xiao Yiqing sneered again and said, "Sister, you have a good memory. Don't you know what you've done?"

"Princess, please forgive my ignorance." Wang Qianqian lowered her head slightly.

Xiao Yiqing couldn't stand her hypocritical act and gave her a disdainful look.

"Was it you who framed Wu Lanyu for the prince's poisoning?"

"Sister, please understand, this has nothing to do with me!!" Wang Qianqian was very anxious and knelt down.

But Xiao Yiqing wouldn't soften her heart in the slightest because of her feigned pitifulness.

She merely glanced at her with disdain: "That's really strange! That bitch Jiang Yan was practically on the verge of death back then! In the Prince's manor, besides you, there was only this concubine. This concubine didn't do such a 'filthy' thing, so if it wasn't you, who else could it be? Also, what kind of poison was it, and where did it come from? You can't possibly not know, can you?"

Wang Qianqian slowly concealed the panic and fear on her face and looked at her calmly.

"Nothing can be hidden from you, Princess Consort. Yes, it was I who framed Wu Lanyu! But isn't it because I'm worried about you, Princess Consort?"

Upon hearing that she was being blamed, Xiao Yiqing was so angry that she sat up straight, her face contorted with rage, and shouted.

"You vile woman! How dare you throw mud at me? You're asking for trouble, aren't you?"

Wang Qianqian was not intimidated by her fierce demeanor and calmly said, "Sister, why not let your younger sister explain herself before getting angry? Perhaps what I'm saying is exactly what's troubling you, sister."

Xiao Yiqing glared at her fiercely, then slowly lay back down.

Wang Qianqian's eyes were sharp, like a newly sharpened blade, staring intently at her. She said, "Sister, I'll speak frankly. The one who poisoned Consort Liu... was it you?"

"How dare you!!! Who gave you the audacity to spout nonsense in front of me?" Xiao Yiqing stood up abruptly, pointing her right index finger menacingly at her.

Wang Qianqian was still kneeling on the ground, but her expression was calm and composed, as if she had everything under control.

She said, "Why is Your Highness so agitated? I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Speak!!! Let's see what else you have to say!!!" Xiao Yiqing's mouth twisted in disgust.

Wang Qianqian looked directly into her eyes, a smile that made her extremely unhappy, and said.

"Sister, you poisoned Shen Qianqian's child, didn't you?"

"You bitch!!!" Xiao Yiqing kicked Wang Qianqian's right shoulder in a fit of rage, knocking her to the ground. Still not satisfied, she kicked Wang Qianqian's calf three more times before stopping.

Wang Qianqian looked at her with a mocking smile: "Why are you so angry, sister? The prince doesn't even know about this yet!"

"You dare? If you dare utter a single word to the Prince, I will take your life!!!"

Wang Qianqian got up with a cold laugh.

She gently removed the left index finger that was pointing at her with her right hand, looked into her somewhat guilty eyes, and said.

“Sister, we’re in the same boat. How could I possibly cause you any trouble? I’m just telling you this to remind you that the Prince might already be suspicious of you.”

"What? When did this happen?" Xiao Yiqing was immediately flustered.

Wang Qianqian looked at her with even more sarcasm: "Sister, don't be afraid, I will help you. Just focus on doing what Prince Su has instructed you to do."

"You... are one of Prince Su's men?"

Wang Qianqian smiled slightly and shook her head: "No, how could I possibly climb up to Prince Su? I come from a brothel and only wanted to find a stable and reliable backer. Originally, I placed my hopes on the prince, but alas, there are just too many women who like him, and too many women he likes. I don't have the ability to get close to him. Therefore, I want you to give me a way to survive."

"Sister, you must be seeing things wrong," Xiao Yiqing said, her previous indignation vanishing as she slowly sat down again.

As she examined the long, peach-colored fingernails on her left hand with great interest, she said confidently, "His Highness has always been indifferent to fame and fortune. I have never seen His Highness show any interest in other women! As for women who like His Highness, there aren't many in this manor, are there?"

Wang Qianqian smiled but remained silent.

Xiao Yiqing continued, "This isn't some marketplace where just anyone can come. Didn't you just say, sister? Since you come from a brothel, why don't you just go back to a brothel?" She gave Wang Qianqian a disdainful look.

Wang Qianqian's face darkened instantly, but she quickly regained her humble expression.

"Sister is absolutely right; it is I who lack self-awareness."

"I will not hold your nonsense against you! But if you dare to let a word of it slip out, then don't blame me!"

"I will remember my elder sister's teachings and will never dare to utter a word of them."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go now."

"Yes, sister." Wang Qianqian smiled unkindly at Xiao Yiqing, who was busy admiring her long fingernails, and walked out of Peach Blossom Village.

Xiao Yiqing's brain is strangely structured. Sometimes she is very rational and resourceful, but other times she seems to have no brain at all, doing everything based solely on her feelings.

For example, right now, after she had dismissed Wang Qianqian, she dressed up in her finest clothes and went to Yunxiao Pavilion to find Shangguan Zeyu.

Shangguan Zeyu was handling official business when Zhang Qin was waiting outside the door. Seeing her approaching excitedly with Chunhua, he quickly pushed open the door and ran inside.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has arrived."

"not see."

No sooner had Shangguan Zeyu finished speaking than Xiao Yiqing's gentle, smiling voice rang out from outside the door.

"Your Highness, I have found the person who poisoned you."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Zeyu frowned deeply, impatiently set down the brush, and coldly said, "Come in."

Xiao Yiqing walked in happily, lifting the hem of her long skirt.

Zhang Qin had already nimbly positioned himself one meter to Shangguan Zeyu's right, his eyes slightly lowered, without glancing at her.

Shangguan Zeyu smiled and said, "The weather is so hot, the princess must be tired from doing this for my sake."

Xiao Yiqing blushed slightly and said shyly, "Your Highness, this is what I should do."

Shangguan Zeyu leaned back in the mahogany chair behind him, looking at her with a slight smile, his eyes and face showing no impatience or displeasure.

Xiao Yiqing lowered her eyes shyly when Shangguan Zeyu looked at her so gently.

When Shangguan Zeyu couldn't see her, his eyes turned cold instantly, but his tone remained gentle.

"The princess said she has found the person who poisoned the body?"

Xiao Yiqing seemed to suddenly remember why she had come to see Shangguan Zeyu, and quickly focused her attention and asked.

"Your Highness, the person who poisoned you was not Madam Wu, but Wang Qianqian."

"she?!"

"It is indeed Your Highness. She just told me herself, there is no lie."

Shangguan Zeyu looked at her with some confusion, seemingly not quite understanding why she would say or do such a thing.

"Your Highness, Wang Qianqian is cunning and scheming! Your Highness must interrogate her thoroughly to see if she is acting on someone else's orders to harm Your Highness and cause chaos in the Prince's mansion."

Shangguan Zeyu pretended to be deep in thought.

He rested his chin on his left hand, while his right fingertips rhythmically tapped lightly on the table.

His eyelids were slightly lowered, and he seemed to be lost in thought. After a while, he raised his eyelids slightly and looked at Xiao Yiqing with a gentle smile.

“Your Highness is absolutely right. I should interrogate her properly and see what she is really thinking.” With that, he stood up and walked toward her with a smile.

Xiao Yiqing's heart was already in turmoil.

She gently bit her lower lip, her eyes slightly lowered as she subtly glanced at Shangguan Zeyu, who was gradually approaching her.

Shangguan Zeyu kept watching her, taking in all her girlish behavior. The slight curve of his lips revealed endless contempt without the slightest hesitation.

"Your Highness, it is my blessing to have such a virtuous wife as you." He gently put his arm around Xiao Yiqing's shoulders and embraced her.

Xiao Yiqing suddenly felt as if she were floating on clouds, so light that she could hardly stand. Her mind went blank in the blink of an eye; she couldn't think of anything.

"Your Highness, my royal brother has bestowed upon me a treasure. I will take you to see it."

"Your Majesty, I thank you." It was just an ordinary sentence, but Xiao Yiqing's voice trembled with excitement.

"If Your Highness likes it, I will give it to you as a token of my gratitude for your hard work these past few days."

Xiao Yiqing was so excited that she couldn't believe it and didn't know what to say.

Shangguan Zeyu affectionately stroked her straight nose with his right index finger and said, "How do you look at me like this? Let's go." He pulled Xiao Yiqing, who was still immersed in shock, to his study.