Chapter 575 Murder

Therefore, this was a deliberate poisoning case that was selective, purposeful, and planned.

The person who poisoned the beef knew that the person they wanted to kill was someone who liked strong flavors and would eat the braised beef with coriander, minced ginger, and garlic as soon as it was served.

Knowing this, we only need to ask among the guests who have this eating habit and investigate their social networks to find out who is behind the poisoning.

But Li San Niang and Qiu Xiang, who was holding Lu Zhu'er, exchanged a glance. They both understood that whether or not they could find this person depended on whether the Song family wanted to make a big fuss about it.

However, it's highly likely that the Song family just wants to quietly weather this crisis, and being able to secretly investigate who this person is is already a good outcome.

More likely, the Song family will simply ignore everything and kill anyone in the kitchen who has access to these three seasonings, and that will be the end of it.

However, Li San Niang felt that a matriarch like Madam Song would not do such a thing. She might investigate secretly and then go to the Jingzhao Prefecture. She would only be satisfied once she caught the mastermind behind the poisoning who was causing trouble for the Song family.

Just as Li San Niang and Qiu Xiang were exchanging glances, someone else entered through the entrance to the kitchen courtyard.

Madam Song and another woman who looked to be the matriarch of the Song family, whom Li San Niang guessed was the wife of the eldest madam of the Song family, and Song Da Lang (Song Zhenzhu's elder brother) led a group of constables wearing round-necked robes with swords at their waists into the room.

"Madam Song actually reported it to the authorities so quickly?"

This was the question in Li San Niang's eyes. Qiu Xiang nodded to Li San Niang, and the two stepped aside to watch Madam Song, along with Song Zhenzhu, the constable, Madam Song, and Song Da Lang, explain the situation.

Li Sanniang was mentioned. She stepped forward to greet them and then acted as a witness, also pointing out the poisoned dish she had found.

"This is the dish. I've checked the other dishes, and there's nothing wrong with them. There are no food incompatibilities, and none of them are poisoned."

The side dishes for this dish, chopped coriander and minced ginger and garlic, each contain a colorless but bitter poison, though the bitterness is likely masked by the flavors of the coriander, ginger and garlic.

Eating these two things together is what caused Qingya's convulsions.

The head constable bowed to Li Sanniang and said, "Thank you very much, female doctor. We would like to trouble you to come back to the capital with us after the banquet. We need to ask you some questions."

Li San Niang naturally did not refuse. She had thought of this problem when Madam Song asked her to help find the right dishes.

"Now that we've found the problem, let's serve the food as is and see if the person who poisoned us will take action on the spot when they see that their poison hasn't worked."

Li San Niang didn't dwell on why the head constable of the Jingzhao Prefecture said such a thing.

Li San Niang didn't even think about what kind of agreement the Song family and the Jingzhao Prefecture had reached that would allow the banquet to proceed as scheduled.

Of course, Li San Niang had no say in the matter.

What happened next was beyond Li San Niang's comprehension; she was sent back to the banquet by Song Zhenzhu, arranged by Madam Song.

When Li San Niang returned to the pavilion in the garden with Lu Zhu'er and Qiu Xiang, only Gao Da Sao and Gao Ya Hui were waiting for her there.

"Oh my, Dr. Li, you're finally back."

"Come on, Madam Qian has already taken Young Master Qian to the banquet. I already know our seating arrangement. Let's hurry, we can still make it in time for the banquet to begin."

How could Song Zhenzhu just leave like that?

Song Zhenzhu, accompanied by her maid, led Li Sanniang and the others through a shortcut to a large main hall of the Song family. After seeing Li Sanniang and the others take their seats, she bowed and left.

Li San Niang held Lu Zhu'er in her arms, took the drink that Qiu Xiang poured, fed Lu Zhu'er the drink, and only poured herself a cup after watching Lu Zhu'er drink the whole cup.

"Third Miss, what did Madam Song want with you?"

My sister-in-law and I waited for quite a while but you didn't appear. If it weren't for the little maid coming over to tell us you'd be back soon, my sister-in-law and I probably wouldn't have been able to…”

"Ya Hui!"

Suppressed by Sister-in-law Gao, Gao Ya Hui grumbled somewhat sullenly, but she didn't continue to ask Li San Niang any further questions.

Although the table where Li San Niang and Gao Da Sao were sitting was not full with ten people, there were four other people at the table, including Li San Niang, Qiu Xiang, Gao Ya Hui, and Gao Da Sao. Lu Zhu Er was being held in Li San Niang's arms and did not count as a seat.

Sister-in-law Gao scolded Gao Ya Hui because there were other people at the table. How could she ask such questions in front of them?

Li San Niang could naturally see that Gao Ya Hui was genuinely worried about her, but she couldn't reveal the inside story directly, since she didn't know how this poisoning case would end today.

"Ya Hui, thank you for still remembering me."

It's alright now, I'm back safe and sound.

"Try this pastry, I see Dewdrop likes it. I wonder what the filling is made of; it's so pretty, all red."

Gao Ya Hui glanced at the pastry that Li San Niang was pointing to, her attention diverted. She first looked at Lu Zhu'er, who was eating the pastry, before smiling at Li San Niang and saying, "San Niangzi, it's a milk pastry with red grapes..."

After chatting for about fifteen minutes, servants began to serve the dishes one after another.

After serving six cold dishes, there was indeed no braised beef in this dish. Li San Niang nodded to herself, but she was also a little scared. She wondered what the mastermind would do if they saw the braised beef.

Suddenly, a servant struck a gong at the head of the main room, and there stood Madam Song, whom we had just seen in the kitchen courtyard. She announced the start of the banquet and thanked everyone for coming.

Then, one after another, many servants began to bring out the hot dishes. Li San Niang first ladled a bowl of soup for Lu Zhu'er to cool, and then specially took a small bowl to serve Lu Zhu'er some food.

Just when Li San Niang thought the banquet would pass by peacefully, a startled scream came from two round tables away.

Then came the sound of bowls and plates falling to the ground and shattering, interspersed with various other noises; all of this happened within a few breaths.

When Madam Song, Madam Song, and Song Zhenzhu went to check, there was a woman lying on the ground with a knife stuck in her chest, lying in a pool of blood, and she had died right in front of everyone.

Li San Niang did not step forward. She held Lu Zhu'er tightly in her arms and told her to close her eyes.

The pungent smell of blood terrified the women and children present, who had never seen anything like it before, and they all tried to run away.

When Li San Niang was carrying Lu Zhu'er and Qiu Xiang, and with Gao Da Sao and Gao Ya Hui behind her, she was blocked in front of them. It turned out that the doorway was blocked by a row of constables wearing black boots and round-necked robes.