Chapter 954 Disguise
The other people in the hall all looked over, and Xue Ru's face looked even uglier.
Concubine Zhao Gui lived deep in the inner palace and was unfamiliar with the name: "Zhu Xiyan? Who is he?"
Rong Yue had always been by Tang Ning's side, and with the Gu family by her side, she knew more about external news. She frowned and said, "He was one of the students taking the exam, but someone impersonated him just before the exam and he lost his chance. But didn't they say before that he injured his throat and couldn't speak? How could it be him?"
Xue Ru pinched her palm tightly: "But the only ones who had the chance to poison are him and Li Chi."
"Although I met Li Chi today, he returned home a few days ago to worship his ancestors with his family because he won the first place on the list, and he didn't stay in the academy. He didn't come back until I left the palace this morning, so it's impossible that he was the one who poisoned me within three days."
"It's Zhu Xiyan. Ever since he entered Rongsheng Academy, I've often run into him. Since he's a mute man, he doesn't interact much with the others in the academy. Many times, I've accompanied him to the library. Three days ago, when I left the palace and stayed at Rongsheng Academy, I played chess with him."
Today, she and Zhu Xiyan only exchanged a few words, yet he was able to put the horsefly and pangolin juice on her without her noticing. If he had used the same method on her before, taking advantage of her closeness to her elder sister and her elder sister never being on guard against him, it wouldn't be difficult for him to poison her.
Cao Dejiang's expression turned grim. "I've heard about Zhu Xiyan's story. If he's the one who poisoned us, then we're in big trouble."
Ever since cheating was discovered on the day of the final exam, Zhu Xiyan has always appeared in front of everyone as a victim. He was originally the most outstanding student in Jiangnan, but suffered an unexpected disaster and was impersonated. Although he was later rescued by the queen, he was seriously injured and could no longer speak.
The Queen felt quite sympathetic towards him, and the Huo family also felt guilty towards him. Even he and Liang Guangyi felt extremely sorry when they talked about this man. He was an innocent and wronged person from beginning to end, and no one had ever doubted him at all, so the Queen sent him to Rongsheng Academy to recuperate.
But if he was the one who poisoned the Queen, it meant that from the moment he appeared in the capital to cheat in the exam, all this was a setup, in order to send that "Zhu Xiyan" to them and the Queen with legitimate reasons, and to facilitate the Queen's poisoning today.
Rong Yue was stunned: "What about Zhu Xiyan's injury..."
"I'm afraid it's fake too!"
Cao Dejiang had just replied when Pan Xi walked in and bowed towards the inner room: "Your Highness the Concubine."
"What's wrong?" Concubine Zhao Gui asked suspiciously.
Pan Xi said, "Just now, someone came in front of the palace gate and said that someone from Rongsheng Academy wanted to see Madam Xue, and he looked very anxious."
Rongsheng Academy?
Xue Ru quickly looked up: "Where are they?"
"It's just outside Yongzhao Palace," Pan Xi said. "The Empress is very concerned about the affairs of the academy, and that man has been saying that he has urgent matters to discuss with Miss Xue. I was afraid of delays, so I ordered him to be brought into the palace first."
Xue Ru said urgently, "Quick, call them in."
Although Pan Xi didn't understand why she looked so anxious, seeing that Cao Dejiang and the others looked a little unhappy, he quickly responded and retreated, but after a moment he led a middle-aged man in.
The man was poorly dressed, with one arm severed at the shoulder, leaving a loose sleeve. He seemed nervous, as if it was his first time entering the palace. He didn't dare to look up after entering the hall. That was until Xue Ru seemed to recognize him and called out, "Zhang Cheng?"
"Madam Xue!"
The man looked up instantly when he heard Xue Ru's voice. When he saw her, he breathed a sigh of relief and his face was full of excitement.
Xue Ru hurried forward and asked: "Why did you come to the palace? What happened in the academy?"
“It’s not a college.”
Zhang Cheng shook his head and quickly took out something from his arms and handed it to Xue Ru. "It was Master Li. He gave it to me and told me to take it to the palace immediately and give it to Madam Xue personally. No one else can see it."
He was originally from the Northwest Camp. He was seriously injured when the Northwest Camp broke out years ago. After he recovered from his injury, his arm was disabled and he could no longer go to the battlefield. His Majesty and His Majesty were merciful and took him and other wounded soldiers who could no longer go to the battlefield but needed long-term recuperation back to the capital for treatment. After they were cured, they not only gave them resettlement money, but also helped them find jobs.
Because Zhang Cheng was from the suburbs of Beijing and had no relatives at home, the Empress kept him in the academy as a doorman and guard. Perhaps also because he was a soldier under the command of the Empress, Li Chi, one of the doormen, gave him the things.
Zhang Cheng said, "I can't read, so I don't know what Li Langjun wrote, but he looked very anxious at the time. He also said that human life is at stake and must be handed over to you, not to anyone else, so I had no choice but to go to the palace myself."
Xue Ru frowned. Li Chi gave it to her? She had seen Li Chi in the morning, but she hadn't heard him say anything. What could he have that he was so anxious to send to the palace?
She quickly took the thing in Zhang Cheng's hand and found that it was a square brocade handkerchief. After opening it, she saw words written in blood inside.
Xue Ru's face changed drastically after seeing this.
Cao Dejiang walked up to her and stood beside her, and saw what was written on the handkerchief at a glance.
"Zhu Xiyan, able to speak, or disguise."
Cao Dejiang's eyes turned fierce: "Where's Li Chi?"
Zhang Cheng quickly replied, "Lord Li gave me this and left in a hurry. I saw him from a distance and it seemed like he was chasing a carriage."
Cao Dejiang asked, "Can you see clearly who is in that carriage?"
Zhang Cheng shook his head: "I didn't see it clearly. The carriage was quite far from the entrance of the academy, and when I looked over, it had already left."
The carriage curtain was down and the driver was wearing a hood, so he couldn't see who was inside.
Zhang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Oh, right. When Li Langjun left the academy, he was fine. He even greeted us when he passed by the door. But after a while, he suddenly came back and gave me this handkerchief. In just a few breaths, his face turned extremely bad."
After leaving the academy, he suddenly turned back, his attitude changed drastically, and the blood-stained handkerchief was clearly a spur-of-the-moment act...
Cao Dejiang thought quickly and said thoughtfully, "The person in the carriage is probably Zhu Xiyan. Since Li Chi can say so confidently that Zhu Xiyan can speak, it is very likely that he saw Zhu Xiyan speak with his own eyes."
Xue Ru's eyes changed: "Zhu Xiyan is not the only one in the carriage, he has accomplices."
Cao Dejiang nodded and was arguing about what to say when his eyes suddenly froze. "Not good! Li Chi senses something's wrong and rushes after him. If he's discovered, Zhu Xiyan will know he's been exposed and will probably run away immediately!"
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