For a moment, suspicion, excuses, scolding, and worries resounded throughout the hall, but the emperor turned a deaf ear to them and just waved his hand lightly to signal the summons.
"Send Su Kaisheng to the palace."
About a cup of tea later, a withered old man in cloth was brought into the hall. He bowed slightly, and when he spoke, his voice sounded like it came from a piece of dead wood.
"Old minister Su Kaisheng pays homage to Your Majesty."
"No need to be polite. I wonder what Mr. Su thinks about this?"
"I was in charge of herbal medicine in the palace for decades. After my family moved to Jiaosong, I found a job in the Lingzhi Garden of the imperial palace. Over the years, I've become quite knowledgeable about medicine and incense making. The secret recipe for the incense powder that Lieutenant Lu presented to me appears simple, but in reality, it's intricately crafted. The user of the incense understands the principle of subtle nourishment, deliberately reducing the overly prominent scent of the incense and not pursuing a strong, intoxicating effect. This results in the powder having the effect of confusing the mind and seducing people without them even realizing it. Ultimately, this is all thanks to the plum blossom ingredient."
The emperor spoke calmly, neither hurried nor slow: "According to your opinion, where does the plum blossom come from?"
"Plum blossoms have two types of fragrance: subtle and intense. Extremely rare are the intensely fragrant ones that can be refined into incense powder. Although only the pistil remains of this one, traces of it can still be found. When I left Quecheng many years ago, I had the privilege of glimpsing this plum blossom, so I will never mistake it. This old minister believes this plum blossom is undoubtedly the Reflecting Water Tower."
Although he already knew the answer, Xiao Nanhui's heart still skipped a beat when he heard the name in the hall.
She heard the anxious discussions around her. Those impatient judgments and rushed conclusions were like ominous prophecies, waiting to be fulfilled.
Someone asked, "There's a water-reflecting tower in Yucheng, too, so why do you say it's in Qucheng?"
Su Kaisheng seemed to have anticipated this question. His voice remained broken, but his answer was as firm as a nail in the coffin: "The Yingshui Chonglou likes sand in the soil. The plum blossoms north of the Dishui River bloom crimson, while those south of it are rouge. The plum blossoms found in this villa are a blood-red color; they must have come from Quecheng, north of the Dishui River."
"Lu Songping, do you acknowledge your guilt?!" Xu Zhi's voice was as heavy as a rock. "The entire capital area is under the garrison of Heiyu, and you were completely unaware of this. Regardless of who brought Yingshui Chonglou into the villa, as Heiyu's lieutenant, you have been derelict in your duty and should be punished according to military law."
The only one who can defeat Heiyu is Guangyao, and if Heiyu is involved, Guangyao will not be able to escape unscathed.
Xuanyuan King Su Che asked in a deep voice, "May I ask Lieutenant Lu, did anyone outside the Black Feather Camp enter the annex a few days before the incident?"
"have."
"Who is it?"
Lu Songping looked at the figure standing upright among the ministers and said, "It's Lord Xiao, the Marquis of Qinghuai."
The uproar sounded again, this time without any disguise or suppression, swallowing up the sound of the bronze clepsydra.
Yu Youwei, who had been silent until then, now stood up, his tone carrying a sense of pressure that brooked no evasion. "I've heard that the former Sixth Miss of the Bai family was a genius in weapon making. She and Marquis Qinghuai knew each other well in their youth, and their friendship was extraordinary. General Xiao, I wonder if what I say is true?"
"What Yu Zongzheng said is indeed true."
The fact that the second young master of Prince Shuo's mansion had been good friends with Miss Bai was as traceable as the wind passing through the forest, but no one expected that Xiao Zhun would admit it in court.
However, what Xiao Zhun said the next second was truly surprising.
"It is precisely because I know the Bai family so well that I previously pleaded with Your Majesty to imprison the Bai family girl in the annex. I wanted her to hand over her skills in making bows and arrows and smelting copper and iron in exchange for my life."
The ministers were stunned and looked up to their superiors.
The emperor looked calm, as if what Xiao Zhun mentioned was just an insignificant trivial matter.
"Yes, it is true. What do you think, Xu Tingwei?"
The emperor turned around and threw the red-hot iron ball at Xu Zhi, who had no choice but to grit his teeth and take it.
"Since Qing Huaihou is innocent, and the Mei Rui incident remains unsolved, I would like to ask Your Majesty to deal with the Bai family first, and then send a skilled expert from our department to thoroughly investigate this matter. This way, I can give Cui Shuyuan an explanation today."
As Xiao Nanhui expected, Xu Zhi did not let Xiao Zhun go easily.
She didn't know if it was her illusion, but the emperor, who had not looked at her since then, seemed to glance at her quickly.
However, the next second, the brief gaze was retracted, and his face showed a familiar yet terrifying calmness. His voice remained flat, but every word in his words was full of murderous intent.
"The daughter of the Bai family is unrepentant and rebellious. Her assassination attempt failed, and her evil deeds are obvious. She deserves to be torn apart by a chariot, and her body left exposed for three days as a public display."
A barely perceptible hint of pride flashed across Xu Zhi's face. He saw Xiao Zhun take a step forward almost uncontrollably.
"His Majesty!"
From the beginning, Xiao Nanhui's gaze was fixed on Xiao Zhun's profile.
The kind of anxiety and confusion that came from the heart on his face was something she had never seen before.
She had never seen all kinds of expressions on his face in the past ten years, but now she had seen them all in just one month.
Xiao Zhun's reaction did not escape the eyes of everyone present, and Yu Youwei's face was already very ugly.
"What does Lord Qinghuai mean? Could it be that the orphans of King Kang's clan are not as valuable as the life of this traitor? The arrow shot at the ceremony was extremely dangerous. If my niece hadn't blocked it for Your Majesty, the consequences would have been disastrous. If Lord Qinghuai were to plead for the Bai family now, where would His Majesty's safety be placed?"
Outside the hall, Bai Yun's screams could hardly be heard anymore.
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