Chapter 440 Being Too Clever
Back then, it was Xishan and Wang Wei who relayed messages between the Crown Prince and Huangfu Su.
Therefore, Xishan is one of the few people who know the truth.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Xi Shan said, "However, Your Highness has already caused trouble for Chu by using the name of Chu to eliminate dissidents at your own birthday banquet. How should this matter be resolved?"
The Crown Prince looked at Xi Shan, "Who told you that I was behind the events at the palace banquet?"
Xi Shan frowned. "Your Highness, if it wasn't you, who else could have wanted to eliminate all the princes of Jin at the palace banquet?"
The Crown Prince's face also turned cold. "Why would I do this at my own birthday banquet? Do you think the people of Jin are all fools? If this is discovered, I will lose my position as Crown Prince."
Xi Shan fell silent after hearing this. Could it really have been the work of the people of Chu?
Is it the Ninth Prince? Or someone from another faction?
Otherwise, this matter would be meaningless and would only provoke a war between the two countries.
The prince's eyes also darkened.
He also wanted to know who did it, if he hadn't decisively taken the poison.
At this moment, his father's suspicions will surely fall on him.
Could it be the third son, who has just returned and is already eyeing his position as crown prince?
But if he were so simple-minded, how could he have escaped unscathed when he wiped out the Shen family?
Who exactly did this?
When Qin Jinzhi came out of the Inspection Department, Cui Ying was waiting for her in the carriage at the door.
"Did Vice Envoy Cui come here specifically to pick me up?"
Cui Ying said to the coachman outside the carriage, "To the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion."
She turned to Qin Jinzhi and said, "Something big has happened at Qianniao Division. I'll tell you the details when we get back to the manor."
The two returned to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, and Cui Ying said to Fei Yan quite naturally, "Little Fei Yan, I'm so hungry, is there anything to eat?"
Feiyan's eyes lit up. "The kitchen made wontons today. I'll go get them now."
Yun Que and Yun Jin brought over the record book of visits to the residence over the past few days.
Qin Jinzhi quickly glanced through the document and handed it back to the two of them.
"You should go and rest, it's too late."
After hearing this, Yun Que and Yun Jin nodded and left.
Qin Jinzhi entered the room. It was only late autumn, but the underfloor heating was already on in Qin Jinzhi's room.
Cui Ying felt a bit hot as soon as she entered Qin Jinzhi's room.
Qin Jinzhi poured her some tea. "Speak, what do you want to tell me?"
Cui Ying paused, then sat down in front of her teacup.
"You were the one who poisoned the banquet at the palace."
Qin Jinzhi poured herself a glass as well, "She's quite clever."
Cui Ying nearly choked on her tea. "It really is you!"
Qin Jinzhi got up, walked to the bookshelf next to her, and pulled out a book. "How did you guess?"
Cui Ying wiped the tea that she had just choked on from her mouth.
"This poisoning is so bizarre, so strange and illogical. The motives of each suspect are ultimately hard to justify. Moreover, His Majesty and the Empress's attitude is too strange. As soon as this happened, His Majesty and the Empress sent an envoy to question the Chu Kingdom, as if they had been waiting for the poisoning to happen all along."
Qin Jinzhi nodded. "Then you can guess about the Emperor's grandfather and grandmother, how could you guess about me?"
Cui Ying looked at Qin Jinzhi, "I guessed it was about His Majesty and the Empress that led me to guess about you."
Qin Jinzhi asked with a smile, "What do you mean?"
Cui Ying got up and went behind Qin Jinzhi.
"You are now a powerful and influential figure in the Jin Kingdom, and the Thousand Birds Bureau has taken over the responsibilities within the palace. A few days ago, you instructed the Thousand Birds Bureau to conduct a thorough investigation of the harem and the food to be used at the Crown Prince's birthday banquet. Under such strict circumstances, how could anyone accurately poison these princes and princesses? I do not believe that the people of Chu have such extraordinary abilities, unless the person who poisoned them is someone who can cover up the truth. You could say that you poisoned them, or you could say that you conspired with His Majesty and the Empress."
Qin Jinzhi sat back down in her chair. "It seems that Vice Envoy Cui has been handling many cases lately. His level of meticulousness is truly remarkable."
Cui Ying asked, puzzled, "Why? Those princes and princesses are His Majesty's own flesh and blood! If they can't withstand that poison, they will all die."
Qin Jinzhi simply chuckled, "You can guess that I'm the one who poisoned you, so naturally I can control the dosage."
Cui Ying blinked. "That's true, but did you consult with Liu Yiyi beforehand? Otherwise, how could you have obtained the secret medicine from Chu?"
After hearing this, Qin Jinzhi put the book on the table, loosened her collar, and gently pulled it to one side.
"This wound was sustained in the State of Chu."
Cui Ying immediately realized that, though the world was unaware, Qin Jinzhi had indeed been to the State of Chu.
Otherwise, how could they have captured Huangfu Nanfeng alive?
With Qin Jinzhi's abilities, she could naturally obtain the secret medicine of the Chu Kingdom.
After a moment's hesitation, Cui Ying asked, "Is the purpose of this matter something I can hear about?"
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Since you've already guessed the anomaly, can't you guess what the purpose is?"
Cui Ying frowned. "Is it related to the State of Chu?"
Qin Jinzhi turned the pages of the book. “If the two countries were to go to war, they would naturally need a pretext. In the war between Chu and Jin, Jin must gain the upper hand. If Chu launches a surprise attack, Jin will be put on the defensive. But now the country is peaceful and the people are living in peace and contentment. If we rashly raise an army, the people will not be united.”
Cui Ying suddenly realized, and then leaned closer to Qin Jinzhi and whispered, "Does His Majesty and the Empress intend to take this opportunity to raise an army and attack the Chu Kingdom? But without any evidence, isn't this a bit far-fetched?"
Qin Jinzhi curled one corner of her mouth, "That's why I sent Wei Lin to the State of Chu."
Cui Ying raised an eyebrow. Wei Lin, tsk tsk tsk, there's no way to find a reason in Chu.
Just then, Feiyan came in carrying a bowl of wontons.
Three bowls of wontons on the tray.
Cui Ying looked at Qin Jinzhi and asked, "You're eating so much so late. Aren't you worried about indigestion?"
Feiyan placed the small bowls of wontons in front of the two of them, then secretly smiled and brought the third bowl to herself.
Upon seeing this, Cui Ying burst out laughing, "Have you forgotten about our Little Flying Swallow?"
After the three of them finished eating the wontons, Cui Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Having figured this out today, she barely ate a few bites of food.
After finishing her wontons, Cui Ying went back to rest.
Yun Que and Yun Jin, who should have gone to rest, returned to Qin Jinzhi's room.
Yun Que gestured and said, "Princess, has Miss Cui guessed your plan with His Majesty and the Empress?"
Qin Jinzhi nodded. "Cui Ying is smarter than many people in the capital, so it's not surprising that she guessed it."
Yun Que asked again, "Our people did not poison the Crown Prince."
Why was the crown prince also poisoned?
Did they accidentally ingest poison?
Qin Jinzhi leaned back, a smile spreading across her face.
"He poisoned himself because he was afraid that his grandfather and grandmother would suspect him. But he was too clever for his own good and took the secret medicine of Chu. I went deep into Chu to get this secret medicine, but how did the crown prince get it? Guess what his grandfather and grandmother are thinking now?"
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