Chapter 324 "Poison him! Poison him!"
(Thanks to Mo Wen Qiancheng for casting 6 monthly tickets.)
The steward's voice was quite loud, and all the people sitting below the Prince of Zhenbei heard it.
As for those sitting a little further away, it would be difficult for them to hear the butler's voice clearly.
After all, the musicians are playing music right now, and people are dancing the Kui Xing dance to the music.
At this moment, the steward who came to the side of the Prince of Zhenbei knelt down beside him. He saw that the Prince of Zhenbei was in so much pain that he was covered in sweat and clutching his chest that he could not even utter a complete sentence!
The Prince of Zhenbei opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something to the steward, but all he could manage was a single "ah" sound.
"Your Highness!"
What's wrong with you?
Is it a chest pain?
Although Governor Andong got up to check, he did not dare to step forward.
He was thinking clearly at this moment. If he rushed forward rashly, he might be misunderstood by the guards of the Prince's mansion who were now standing in front of the Prince of Zhenbei and the steward, holding the hilt of their swords, and they might just draw their swords and cut him down!
"Call the doctor!"
"Quickly, go and call the doctor!"
The Governor of Andong pointed to his entourage behind him and shouted loudly!
But as soon as he said that, he realized something was wrong.
Governor Andong thought to himself, what if the doctor he had summoned didn't treat Prince Zhenbei well, and something really went wrong with Prince Zhenbei in the examination hall? He, as governor, couldn't bear the consequences.
"Besides the doctors already prepared in the examination hall, hurry up and call another ten or eight doctors from outside!"
Yes! Go to the Prince's Mansion, hurry to the Prince's Mansion and invite the Prince's physician over!
Go! Go now!
The steward finally came to his senses. He got up and had a guard help the Prince of Zhenbei, then left and went to the courtyard behind the square where the Deer Cry Banquet was being held.
He then instructed one of the guards who remained behind, "Go back to the palace immediately and fetch the royal physician. Don't forget to also inform the princess!"
Turning his head, he cupped his hands to Governor Andong and said, "Governor, His Highness is suddenly feeling unwell and will not be participating in the rest of the ceremony."
However, the Prince has prepared a congratulatory gift for each of the scholars who passed the autumn imperial examinations, and he requests that the Grand Commander convey this gift to the scholars.
Having received the reply from the Governor of Andong, the steward quickly followed the guards of the Prince's Palace and left from the side.
So, Li Shiyue, who was guarding the entrance of the square, saw soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Prince's Guards suddenly run out the door without even saying hello.
"That's not right!"
Why did this happen at this time?
Li Shiyue looked somewhat surprised, as this did not match the time mentioned in Yan Jiuniang's letter yesterday.
"What Jiu Niang said in her letter was that the Prince of Zhenbei would have an accident when the banquet was nearing its end, around the time when the students were thanking the examiners, which would be around the end of the day!"
But it's only the beginning of the third month, not yet the middle of the fourth month!
Yes, Li San Niang already knew that something unexpected would happen at the Deer Cry Banquet!
The people who orchestrated this accident were Yan Jiuniang and Liu Tan!
Previously, when Yan Jiuniang summoned Yan Xuefei and Li Mingfeng to the prefectural city, Li Mingfeng told him to sneak into the Prince's mansion and kill the Prince of Zhenbei.
In fact, the feasibility of this is extremely low.
Even if Li Mingfeng could actually sneak into the Prince's mansion and be killed by the Prince of Zhenbei;
Then, Li Mingfeng will also die!
Li Mingfeng will absolutely not be able to leave the Prince's Mansion alive!
However, if one wanted to assassinate the Prince of Zhenbei outside the Prince's residence, it would be even more difficult!
Those in positions of power are always the most afraid of death!
People with money and power are most afraid of dying young, of not having spent all their money, and of having their power taken away by others.
Therefore, when Prince Zhenbei traveled, he was always accompanied by three horse-drawn carriages.
Apart from his closest confidants, no one knew which carriage the Prince of Zhenbei would be riding in.
Even Princess Zhao Changying and Prince Liu Shu were unaware of it.
Moreover, when the Prince of Zhenbei travels, he is usually accompanied by a guard of at least a hundred people.
Moreover, his dozen or so personal guards always stood by his side, even when he went to the toilet, at least two of them would stand outside the door and two would go inside to protect him through a screen.
Therefore, whether inside or outside the Prince's residence, the attempt to assassinate the Prince of Zhenbei was essentially impossible.
Therefore, that night, Yan Xuefei came up with a plan: "Poison him! Poison him!"
After joining forces with Liu Tan, Yan Jiuniang and her group finally found a suitable opportunity.
After the autumn imperial examinations, at the Deer Cry Banquet, the Prince of Zhenbei was poisoned!
The news that the Prince of Zhenbei was going to the Deer Cry Banquet was given to him by Liu Tan's informant in the Prince's mansion.
At the Deer Cry Banquet, the Prince of Zhenbei, as is customary, will raise his cup to drink.
Liu Tan's men sneaked into the kitchen that was hosting the Lu Ming Banquet beforehand and smeared a medicinal liquid around the rim of the wine cup that the Prince of Zhenbei was going to use.
This medicine comes from Yan Xuefei and is an essential life-saving medicine for disciples of Qingyun Temple when they go out.
Yes, this medicine, taken alone, is not a poison, but rather a life-saving medicine with the effect of prolonging life.
As for why it was described as "poisoning"?
That's what makes this medicine so special; it can only be taken with plain water.
If alcohol is used, then it becomes "poison"!
However, Yan Jiuniang's letter clearly stated that she and her companions had calculated the timing, and that the poison in the Prince of Zhenbei would take effect around the time of Weiwei (1-3 PM).
At that time, it was the perfect opportunity for all the students and officials present to clearly see the Prince of Zhenbei who died from poisoning!
By directly confirming the death of the Prince of Zhenbei, Liu Tan and his group could then build momentum and make their next move!
Li Shiyue turned and glanced at the seat that should have been occupied by the Prince of Zhenbei at the far end of the arena before looking away.
"If something unexpected happens, we'll have to play it by ear."
As for why Liu Tan arranged for Li Shiyue to stand guard at the entrance of the Deer Cry Banquet?
Actually, it's just about getting rid of the masterminds behind it all, namely Liu Tan and Yan Jiuniang. These two are currently, one is training troops at the garrison in Sanshan County, and the other is auditing accounts at Sanshan Port.
However, they needed someone on-site to confirm that the Prince of Zhenbei was indeed dead, but they couldn't allow their own people to suddenly appear on-site. They needed someone who wouldn't stand out in the open, but wasn't their subordinate, and could help them observe the situation on-site.
That's how Li Shiyue ended up working as a security guard at the entrance.
Her role is simply to observe; she doesn't need to do anything, she just needs to watch.
Before Li Shiyue could think any further, the music ended, and the Kui Xing dance in the arena was over.
Governor Andong stood up, raised his cup to the crowd, and explained, "His Highness has important business to attend to and will be leaving first."
However, the prince has already instructed me to prepare a congratulatory gift for all the successful candidates.
May all students have a bright future, repaying the emperor's kindness and bringing honor to their families!
After saying this, Governor Andong raised his cup, and everyone else naturally stood up and respectfully raised their cups as well.
The first cup of wine is poured on the ground as a tribute to heaven and earth.
The second cup is raised high as a toast to the examiners.
This third cup was for personal consumption.
Thus, the Deer Cry Banquet was considered to have completed all its rituals.
Next was a time for free conversation, allowing the candidates to socialize and form political alliances with their peers for future career advancement.
At this point, the Governor of Andong and the examiners who wished to leave could do so, leaving only the candidates in the examination hall.
The Deer Cry Banquet concluded completely around 3 PM.
The students would then leave the examination hall and parade through the street outside, with onlookers watching.
People would spontaneously throw flowers, purses, or food to congratulate the students who had passed the imperial examinations.
Li Shiyue and the other soldiers followed the candidates out of the examination hall and onto the street. She mounted her horse and escorted the candidates through the streets.
Unseen by Li Shiyue, Physician Wang was dragged by the collar by the Prince's guards after being dismounted and taken directly into the examination hall.
Is the Prince of Zhenbei really going to die like this?
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