Chapter 23 Incense Ashes
"poisonous?"
These two words are like a huge rock.
It was thrown into the seemingly calm lake of Nuanting.
Thousands of huge waves were stirred up in an instant.
The Queen's expression changed suddenly.
She stood up suddenly from her seat.
Those phoenix eyes were filled with shock and anger.
The concubines around her were also frightened.
They subconsciously covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs.
It was as if the curling green smoke was some kind of monster.
“Nonsense!”
Defei was the first to shout harshly.
A barely perceptible flash of panic crossed her eyes.
"This 'Tranquil Incense' is the Empress's favorite incense."
"It is secretly made from hundreds of rare spices from the Imperial Household Department."
"How could it be poisonous!"
"You, the daughter of a guilty minister, stop spreading rumors and spreading alarmist rhetoric here!"
Her words were quick and urgent.
As if he was eager to distance himself from the matter.
Ling Zixia coughed even more violently.
Her face turned red due to the violent coughing.
That look doesn't look fake.
It's more like I was really poisoned by some chronic poison.
"Someone come!"
The Queen's voice was cold and majestic.
With an unquestionable order.
"Take this incense burner away from me immediately!"
"Send the chief physician of the Imperial Hospital over immediately to take your pulse!"
The serious-looking female official next to her responded immediately.
She commanded two young eunuchs.
He carefully took down the gilded auspicious beast incense burner.
The atmosphere in the entire warm pavilion.
It instantly became tense and solemn.
Everyone's eyes.
Everyone focused on the girl who was still coughing violently.
They are all waiting.
Waiting for the final diagnosis from the imperial physician.
To judge the daughter of this guilty minister.
It's just a trick.
Or is it true... that some shocking secret was discovered?
Not long after.
An old man with white hair and beard carrying a medicine box.
Then he was led by the palace maid.
He hurried to the warm pavilion.
It was Zhang, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
"Your servant Zhang Yuan pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen and all the other ladies."
Doctor Zhang knelt down and saluted.
"Stand up."
There was a hint of impatience in the Queen's voice.
"Doctor Zhang, go take a look."
She pointed at Ling Zixia who was still coughing.
"See what's going on with her."
"Take another look at this 'Tranquil Incense' of mine and see if there's anything wrong with it."
Doctor Zhang's heart skipped a beat.
He knows.
This is another deadly task involving palace secrets.
But he didn't dare to be negligent in the slightest.
He walked up to Ling Zixia.
First, I carefully observed her complexion and tongue coating.
Then he stretched out three skinny fingers.
It rested on her slender wrist.
It was so quiet in the warm pavilion that you could hear a pin drop.
There was only Ling Zixia's uncontrollable, tiny cough.
Doctor Zhang frowned.
Sometimes locked.
Sometimes stretch.
A long time passed.
He slowly withdrew his hand.
"Reporting to the Queen."
His voice was steady and powerful.
"This girl's pulse is indeed a little disordered."
"The lung meridian is congested, and breathing is not smooth."
"It seems to be caused by inhaling some irritating and allergenic dust."
This diagnosis.
It made everyone present feel sad.
Defei's face turned pale in an instant.
"Then...what about the incense?"
The Queen asked.
"Is Xiangli poisonous?"
Doctor Zhang showed an embarrassment on his face.
"My Lady, the matter of spices is very complicated."
"We need to take the incense ash back to the Imperial Hospital and examine it carefully with specialized instruments before we can find out."
"but……"
He changed the subject.
"I just smelled that fragrance, and it is indeed different from usual."
"It seems there's an additional flavor... the flavor of 'Eupatorium adenophorum'."
"This substance itself is not poisonous, but it is pungent and dispersing in nature."
"If it comes into contact with the 'camphor' in the 'tranquil incense', it will transform into a hot and pungent substance capable of damaging the lungs."
"Ordinary people will cough uncontrollably if they smell it for a long time. For those with weak constitutions, it may even trigger a severe asthma attack."
His words.
Like a thunderclap.
It exploded in everyone's ears.
In the incense that the Queen usually uses.
It turned out that someone had actually tampered with it.
Moreover, he used an extremely sophisticated method of mutual restraint that even the imperial physicians needed to carefully distinguish in order to detect.
This is no longer a simple oversight.
This was a deliberate murder.
It was a silent war against Fengluan Palace and the Queen herself.
The Queen's body shook.
The female official beside her quickly supported her.
Her eyes were filled with raging rage.
“Okay… okay…”
She almost gritted her teeth and said these two words.
"Under my nose, a traitorous servant with treasonous intentions has appeared!"
"Someone come!"
she snapped.
"Arrest all the eunuchs and palace maids responsible for purchasing, producing, and using spices for Fengluan Palace!"
"Interrogate them one by one!"
"I want to see who has such courage!"
The entire Fengluan Palace was instantly plunged into a panic.
Countless palace maids and eunuchs were captured from all over the place.
Kneeling in the open space outside the pavilion.
Cries and pleas for mercy rang out one after another.
Concubine De and several other concubines.
They were all frightened and silent.
None of them expected it.
A flower-viewing party originally intended for the daughter of a minor criminal.
It unexpectedly led to such a shocking case.
In the midst of this chaos.
The one who started all of this.
Ling Zixia.
Her violent cough.
But I don’t know when.
It has slowly calmed down.
She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
His face also regained some color.
She stood up from her seat.
Walked up to the group of palace maids who were kneeling on the ground and trembling.
Her gaze.
Scanning across the terrified faces.
final.
The scene was fixed on a seemingly inconspicuous little eunuch kneeling in the corner.
The young eunuch was not very old.
Always keep your head down.
His body was shaking abnormally.
"My Lady."
Ling Zixia turned around slowly.
Her voice was still a little hoarse.
But with a convincing calmness.
"My father once taught me a simple method of testing for poison."
"Perhaps... I can help Her Majesty find the real culprit as soon as possible."
The Queen looked at her.
His eyes were full of complexity.
"oh?"
"Tell me about it."
Ling Zixia took it out of her bun.
He pulled out a most ordinary silver hairpin.
This was before she entered the palace.
Xiao Cui put it on her when she combed her hair.
It was also the only thing on her that was not a "gift" from Li Ruolan.
"My father said that the powder of 'Eupatorium adenophorum' is colorless and odorless."
“But it has a special quality.”
"It will react with the powder of sterling silver and pearls."
"Make silver... black."
She said.
While using the tip of the silver hairpin.
On the small pearl on the hairpin.
Scrape it gently a few times.
Some extremely fine, white pearl powder.
It fell into her palm.
She held the powder.
He walked up to the little eunuch kneeling in the corner.
The young eunuch's body trembled even more violently.
He lowered his head even lower.
Almost touching the ground.
"This eunuch."
Ling Zixia's voice was very soft.
"Could you please extend your hand?"
The young eunuch seemed not to hear.
Still kneeling there motionless.
The female official beside the Queen's eyes narrowed.
She winked at the two guards beside her.
The two guards stepped forward immediately.
They held the young eunuch on both sides.
He forced his clenched fist.
Break it apart.
Everyone saw it.
In the palm of the little eunuch's hand.
Because of extreme tension and fear.
A fine layer of cold sweat oozed out.
Ling Zixia didn't hesitate at all.
She put the pearl powder in her palm.
Gently.
It spilled onto the little eunuch's wet palm.
Then.
She used the head of the silver hairpin.
In that area where sweat and pearl powder are mixed.
Slowly moved.
Miracle.
Or rather.
It's evidence of guilt.
Right in front of everyone's eyes.
It emerged clearly.
The silver hairpin originally had a smooth and bright head.
The moment it passed through the little eunuch's palm.
It was at a speed visible to the naked eye.
quickly.
It turned into a shocking... pitch-black color.
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