Chapter 286: Poison
Inside the Qide Hall, you can hear a pin drop.
The air was filled with an almost eerie aroma of wine, mixed with the dusty scent of gold bricks.
The peaceful atmosphere with the noisy music of stringed instruments and the drunkenness of the audience just now seemed to be frozen in an instant by the wine spilled on the ground.
And in this dead silence, at the Wen family's seat, Nangong Ziyun's nose twitched almost imperceptibly.
A hint of alertness suddenly flashed across the depths of those calm and clear eyes.
She almost subconsciously turned slightly to the side, avoiding the warm fruit wine on the table in front of her without leaving a trace, and her eyes were accurately fixed on the pool of wine on the ground.
After sniffing again, Nangong Ziyun suddenly stood up.
The dark blue imperial robe drew a neat arc because of her sudden movement.
She knelt and bowed deeply toward the throne, her voice clear and melodious: "Your Majesty! This wine smells strange. I, your Majesty, dare to investigate!"
“Wow—”
The suppressed shock of the civil and military officials finally found an outlet, and low gasps and discussions surged like a tide in every corner of the hall.
Countless eyes instantly turned from the wine stains on the ground to Princess Fu'an, who came from the Nangong family and was even inferior to the imperial physicians in the palace. They then glanced at the queen, whose face suddenly turned pale, in surprise and doubt.
Yan Shixu held Tiantian, who had calmed down, in his arms and slowly raised his eyes.
His eyes fell heavily on the spilled wine, and he uttered only one word: "Accurate."
Yongtai called out loudly: "Call the imperial physician!"
There is a person with excellent medical skills in front of him, but she is the Princess Fu'an who was personally appointed by the emperor.
It's better to let the imperial physician handle this little matter.
He Yuanpan was hurriedly led into the hall with a group of imperial doctors. Under the gaze of civil and military officials, he squatted tremblingly beside the wine stain.
Silver needles, poison-testing stones, smelling... various methods were used in turn.
Time passed slowly under the gaze of countless anxious eyes.
Finally, the leading judge He raised his head tremblingly, his forehead covered with cold sweat.
His voice was dry. "Your Majesty... Your humble servants... have checked repeatedly. This wine... is clear, with a pure aroma. There is absolutely no trace of poison!"
"I second this motion!"
The other imperial doctors quickly kowtowed in agreement.
Xie Zhenrong's tense back relaxed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and a hint of relief at surviving the disaster flashed across his eyes, then turned into grief and indignation at being slandered.
She stood up suddenly, and the phoenix crown and pearls trembled violently due to the violent movement.
"Your Majesty! I offer you the imperial wine with all my sincerity! How could...how could someone be so vicious as to accuse me of plotting to murder Your Majesty!"
Her voice was choked with sobs, and her eyes were full of accusation as she glared at Nangong Ziyun fiercely.
"I wonder what Princess Fu'an means?"
Nangong Ziyun's expression remained calm, and she ignored the gaze that almost pierced through her.
She bowed to Yan Shixu again, her voice still steady, but with a confidence that brooked no questioning.
"Your Majesty, since the imperial physician is unable to decipher this mystery, please allow me to personally examine it. If I am mistaken, I will accept the guilt of my false statement!"
Yan Shixu's gaze lingered for a moment on the queen's face, which was about to crack, and then he looked at Nangong Ziyun.
"Can."
Nangong Ziyun walked calmly towards the imperial steps.
She did not squat like the imperial physician, but took out a clean white silk handkerchief and very carefully dipped a little bit of wine on the edge of the wet mark where it had not completely dried up.
Then, she took out an extremely small and exquisite jade bottle from her purse, unplugged it, and poured out a little white powder onto the silk handkerchief.
She put the handkerchief close to her nose, closed her eyes, and looked carefully, her expression so focused that it seemed as if she was isolated from all the noise in the outside world.
After a moment, she looked up at Yan Shixu and her voice was clear.
"Your Majesty, may I ask what food and drink you had after lunch today, before coming to Qide Hall for the banquet? Especially... snacks and candied fruits?"
Before Yan Shixu could speak, Yongtai, who was standing beside him, bowed and answered on his behalf at a very fast speed.
"To Princess Fu'an, Your Majesty was in the Imperial Study at the end of the afternoon reviewing memorials and felt a little hungry. As usual, he ate three pieces of 'Seven Treasures Jade Dew Cake' sent by the Imperial Kitchen."
"Seven Treasures Jade Dew Cake..."
Nangong Ziyun repeated it in a low voice, and the last trace of mist in his eyes completely dissipated, leaving only the clarity of seeing through everything.
She raised her head, and her voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone present who was listening attentively.
"Your Majesty, Trichosanthes kirilowii, as a 'treasure' among pastries, is inherently non-toxic and beneficial, clearing away heat and promoting salivation. The fatal key lies in the imperial wine's hidden decoction of aconite, which is processed and decocted. The 'Eighteen Antidotes of Materia Medica' clearly states: 'Half of Trichosanthes kirilowii, Betel nut, and Trichosanthes kirilowii,' where 'Trichosanthes kirilowii' refers to Trichosanthes kirilowii, and Trichosanthes kirilowii is its root. If this imperial wine is consumed within an hour of consuming the Seven Treasures Jade Dew Cake—the combination of the two becomes the most toxic in the world. At first, the symptoms are like being drunk and drowsy, easily confused. After three hours, the heart and pulse are severed, and even gods cannot save the patient!"
"boom--!"
Nangong Ziyun's words were like pouring a bucket of ice water into boiling oil, and the entire Qide Hall was in an uproar!
"Poison...highly poisonous?!"
"There's actually... such a vicious and secret method of poisoning!"
"This is regicide! Regicide!"
The waves of fear and disbelief almost blew off the glazed tiles on the roof of the temple.
Countless gazes, filled with fear, scrutiny, and suspicion, instantly pierced the queen on the imperial steps.
The blood color on Xie Zhenrong's face faded away completely in an instant, as if it was covered with a thick layer of chalk.
A huge fear gripped her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Her legs went limp, and she fell heavily to her knees with a plop, her phoenix crown askew, her pearl hairpins scattered, and she screamed to protest her innocence.
"Your Majesty! I am innocent! I did not do this! How could I... How could I poison Your Majesty? Your Majesty and I have been married for seven years, and we have been in love. Heaven and earth can bear witness to this! Even if I had a thousand guts, I would never dare to commit such a heinous act! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"
Xie Zhenrong cried and her forehead hit the gold brick heavily, making a dull sound.
"Your Majesty!" Another anxious female voice sounded.
Princess Taiping Yan Mingshu had already walked out quickly from the banquet and knelt beside the Queen.
She eagerly defended Xie Zhenrong:
"Your Majesty! You and the Queen have been married since youth and have been together through thick and thin ever since. The Queen's love for you is evident to all! There must be a huge misunderstanding here! Someone is deliberately framing the Queen! Your Majesty, be vigilant and do not be deceived by these treacherous people. This will chill the hearts of the Queen and all the wives in the world!"
When she said this, her eyes looked at Wen Li'er intentionally or unintentionally.
Wen Li'er rolled her eyes at her without any concealment.
She won't take the blame for this.
However, Princess Taiping's heartfelt speech instantly resonated with many ministers.
Especially some old-school civil officials, they have a natural protective heart towards the empress, the legitimate wife of the central palace, and they believe even more in the affection between the emperor and the empress for more than seven years.
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