Chapter 20: Cross-examination
Time seemed to pause for a moment at Prince Jing's fingertips.
Everyone around held their breath.
That plump and round South Sea pearl.
He took it off easily like this.
Ling Zixia's body froze.
Her face was filled with extreme fear and confusion.
It seemed as if he was completely unable to understand what was happening before his eyes.
Prince Jing held the pearl.
He held it before his eyes.
Looking carefully in the sunlight.
The pearl is shiny and smooth.
It is indeed a rare top-quality product.
"This kind of flashy stuff."
Prince Jing's voice was as cold as ice.
"Not worthy of you."
He finished speaking.
Apply slight pressure with your fingers.
There was a soft "pop" sound.
That priceless South Sea pearl.
He actually crushed it into powder.
White powder fell from between his fingers.
Disappearing in the wind.
Everyone was stunned by his shocking move.
Eunuch Liu's eyelids twitched suddenly.
This is a reward from the Queen.
This gentleman actually did this in front of so many people.
Just ruined like this?
Prince Jing seemed to have done something insignificant.
He didn't even look at the powder again.
His gaze.
It fell back on Ling Zixia's face.
Specifically.
It fell on her empty, jade-white earlobe.
In his eyes.
A hint of satisfaction flashed across his face, one he hadn't even noticed.
It's like a piece of art that originally had flaws.
He finally corrected it himself.
"alright."
He said in a tone that left no room for doubt.
"You can go now."
He waved his hand.
Like chasing away an annoying fly.
Ling Zixia felt as if she had been pardoned.
She even forgot to salute.
He turned around and staggered towards Eunuch Liu.
He looked like he had escaped from some dangerous place.
Prince Jing looked at her hurried back.
The corners of his mouth curled up in an extremely subtle, unnoticeable arc.
He turned around.
He said to his steward who was still kneeling on the ground.
"Go back home."
His voice regained its previous coldness and authority.
It was as if the person who had just behaved strangely was not him.
A group of people from Prince Jing's Mansion surrounded their master.
They left Shenwu Gate in a mighty manner.
Leaving behind a group of people who were still in shock.
Eunuch Liu looked at Ling Zixia.
The expression on his face was extremely complicated.
He opened his mouth.
But I couldn't say a word.
final.
He could only sigh.
"Miss Ling, let's go."
There was a hint of fatigue in his voice.
"The Queen must be getting impatient."
Ling Zixia lowered her head.
Follow him silently.
She stroked her empty earlobe with her hand.
There was a flash of extremely cold light in his eyes.
What a great Prince Jing.
What a moody person.
He destroyed it.
But it's not just an ordinary pearl.
Pass through the tall and majestic Shenwu Gate.
What comes into view is a wide and straight white marble palace road.
On both sides of the palace road are towering red walls.
Inside the wall is a lush royal garden.
Every ten steps.
There was a soldier of the imperial guards wearing golden armor standing solemnly.
Their eyes are as sharp as eagles.
Watching everyone who passed by them.
The air here.
It's a bit more solemn than outside the palace.
With a kind of majesty that takes your breath away.
Eunuch Liu led the way in front.
He bent even lower.
His face also changed into an expression of humility and respect.
Just as they were about to reach a corner at the end of the palace road.
A team of imperial guards on patrol.
Suddenly he came out from behind the corner.
Leading the group was a burly, stern-faced captain of the imperial guards.
The captain glanced at Eunuch Liu and Ling Zixia.
Then.
He raised his hand.
Made a stop gesture.
"stop."
His voice was loud and powerful.
With a metallic texture.
"Routine inspection."
Eunuch Liu stopped immediately.
He took out a golden nanmu waist badge from his pocket.
"Captain Zhang, our family is from Fengluan Palace."
He said with a smile.
"According to the Empress's decree, we are bringing Miss Ling from the Prime Minister's residence into the palace."
Captain Zhang took the badge.
Checked it carefully.
After confirmation.
He returned the badge to Eunuch Liu.
His gaze.
But it fell on Ling Zixia.
That look was full of undisguised scrutiny and suspicion.
"We naturally dare not neglect those summoned by the Queen."
Captain Zhang's tone was emotionless.
"It's just that the palace has its own rules."
"Any female relatives of foreign officials who enter the palace must be searched."
"To prevent anyone with ulterior motives from bringing in contraband and disturbing the nobles in the palace."
Eunuch Liu's expression changed slightly.
"Captain Zhang, this..."
"That's the rule."
Captain Zhang interrupted him.
His tone was firm.
No room for negotiation.
He winked at the two female soldiers behind him.
The two female soldiers immediately understood.
They walked to Ling Zixia from the left and right.
There was no expression on their faces.
His eyes are as sharp as a knife.
In the hands of one of the female soldiers.
He was also holding an open sandalwood box.
It's in the box.
It is an off-white, extremely fine powder.
"Miss Ling, I'm sorry."
Captain Zhang said coldly.
Ling Zixia's alarm bells rang again.
She looked at the unknown powder in the box.
The nostrils flare slightly.
There was a very faint smell with a hint of minerality.
That's the smell of "developer powder".
A powder made from fluorite unique to southern Xinjiang.
The powder itself is non-toxic and harmless.
But it has an extremely special property.
It reacts with most drugs and poisons.
Let those colorless and odorless medicines.
The moment you touch it.
Showing light of various colors.
It is one of the most advanced methods used in the palace to screen out spies and assassins.
This is the "gift" given to her by Li Ruolan.
From clothes to jewelry.
All of them are infected with poison.
Although she had reversed the effects of the drug.
But the essential ingredients of the drug are still there.
Once this developing powder is sprinkled on your body.
Her whole body will be like a colorful lantern.
Exposed to everyone in an instant.
When the time comes.
No matter how she defended herself.
A charge of "possessing a deadly poison and plotting evil."
It will never be washed off again.
What a foolproof serial killing scheme.
First, use poisonous bees to create an "accident".
If nothing unexpected happens.
On this necessary path.
Set a "rule" that cannot be avoided.
Li Ruolan.
You want to kill me.
It really took a lot of effort.
The female soldier holding the box had already walked in front of her.
She said in a cold, businesslike tone.
"Please stretch out your arms, young lady."
Ling Zixia's face was filled with fear and humiliation.
Her body trembled slightly with fear.
She slowly.
Stretch out your arms.
The female soldier used her hands.
He picked up a pinch of grayish-white developing powder from the box.
She was about to take the pinch of powder.
It sprayed towards Ling Zixia's gorgeous palace dress.
At this critical moment.
Ling Zixia seemed to be so frightened that her legs went limp.
His body suddenly fell backward.
It crashed into the tall palace wall next to it.
"ah!"
She uttered a short cry of surprise.
The action looked like an accident.
It was her instinctive reaction after being frightened.
However.
In her gorgeous wide-sleeved gauze dress.
The moment it came into contact with the cold and rough palace wall.
On her wrist with a white jade bracelet.
The moment when you "accidentally" brush against the wall.
An invisible force.
With an unprecedented and domineering attitude.
It poured madly into all the clothes and jewelry on her body.
This time.
It is no longer a simple reversal of the drug's properties.
It is a deeper level of "decomposition of medicinal properties" that is almost like the erasure of the laws.
Those "dead souls" woven into the fibers of clothing.
Those highly toxic powders embedded in the cracks of jewelry.
Those are the medicinal ingredients that she has transformed into "nourishing incense".
At this moment.
By her power.
Completely and without leaving a trace.
Decomposed into the most primitive, harmless wood ash and mineral powder.
This process.
It only happens in a moment.
So fast that she could hardly feel it.
The female soldier's hand paused.
She looked at the woman who had nearly hit her head against the wall.
There was a flicker of impatience in his eyes.
"Stand still."
She ordered coldly.
Then.
She took the handful of developing powder in her hand.
Mercilessly.
All of it was sprinkled on Ling Zixia's body.
Off-white powder.
Like a light snow in winter.
It fell all over her smoky-colored skirt.
It fell all over her misty gauze dress.
The gold hairpins in her hair fell all over.
And the jade bracelet on the wrist.
Eunuch Liu's heart was in his throat.
He stared at Ling Zixia intently.
The surrounding imperial guards also widened their eyes.
They are all waiting.
Waiting for the colorful light.
Blooming from this woman.
However.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Ten breaths passed.
That grayish-white powder.
Just quietly attached to her clothes.
Nothing has changed.
No red light.
No blue light.
There wasn't even the faintest trace of fluorescence.
On that woman's body.
As clean as a blank sheet of paper.
This...how is this possible?
The female soldier in charge of the search was stunned.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
She took it out of the box again.
Grabbed a larger handful of developer powder.
She said it almost viciously.
He poured all the powder on Ling Zixia.
result.
Still the same.
Nothing happened.
This time.
Even Captain Zhang, who always had a blank expression on his face.
There was a look of shock on their faces.
He walked forward quickly.
He snatched the sandalwood box from the female soldier.
He used his fingers himself.
From Ling Zixia's sleeve.
He twisted up a bit of cloth fiber stained with developer powder.
He brought the fiber close to his eyes.
He put it to his nose and smelled it again.
No medicinal smell.
Just the scent of the fabric itself.
He looked at the girl in front of him who was covered in powder, looked a little disheveled, but her face was full of pure innocence and fear.
In his mind.
For the first time, great confusion arose.
Could it be... that the intelligence is wrong?
Or say.
This developing powder.
Invalid?
He seemed to be trying to verify something.
Suddenly turned around.
He took out the remaining half box of developer in his hand.
Suddenly.
Towards the eunuch Liu who was standing next to him with a look of surprise.
It poured all over his head.
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