"yes."
Having received confirmation, Physician Qin bowed and acknowledged the diagnosis, then carefully examined the cause of death of the butterflies.
He reached out and pinched the wing of a butterfly, examining it closely. His brows furrowed into a deep frown, and his expression grew increasingly serious.
After a moment, Physician Qin turned his gaze to the Jiao Wei Qin in front of him. He gently plucked the strings, but before he could pluck them twice, the strings snapped.
"Boom!"
The sharp sound echoed in the empty hall for a long time.
Looking at his blackened fingertips, Physician Qin had a clue in his mind.
Shen Jinshu knelt on the ground, watching Qin Taiyi's movements, her heart pounding in her chest.
She was completely baffled as to why such a flawless plan had such a huge flaw.
Ironically, it was only when she was about to win that these butterflies, which had lingered for so long, slowly died, leading to the current situation.
It was as if someone was deliberately messing with her.
At this banquet, only Song Zhiyu knew medicine.
It must be her.
Shen Jinshu suddenly looked up at Song Zhiyu, and in the instant their eyes met, Song Zhiyu's gaze said it all.
Seeing this, Shen Jinshu helplessly loosened her clenched hands.
She had clearly used incense to cover up her body odor, but Song Zhiyu still managed to discover the clues.
With a burning and resentful gaze fixed on her, Song Zhiyu found it hard to ignore, so she simply met Shen Jinshu's gaze openly.
Looking into Shen Jinshu's bloodshot eyes, Song Zhiyu's usually calm face broke into a genuine smile, a smile that seemed both provocative and mocking.
Yes, she did it on purpose.
How could Shen Jinshu, a person who values her reputation so much, tolerate someone she looks down on in every way mocking and provoking her?
As expected, Shen Jinshu's eyes, which were already bloodshot, turned even redder, as if she wanted to devour his blood.
Shen Jinshu was so eager to win that he resorted to desperate and underhanded tactics.
But she never expected that her foolproof plan would be completely ruined by Song Zhiyu. If the Empress Dowager found out about this, she would be finished.
She must save herself!
*
"Your Majesty, when I examined these butterflies, I discovered that they were all poisoned by a substance called 'Soul-Eating Intoxication.' This poison is not very potent, and those who inhale the fumes will not suffer any serious harm as long as it is not used in conjunction with the 'Mist-Seeking Powder.'"
Coincidentally, I discovered traces of the "Mist-Seeking Dispersion" on the strings of this scorched-tail zither.
After saying that, Physician Qin glanced at Shen Jinshu with a complicated look.
"So, according to you, these butterflies were attracted by this mist-seeking powder?" The Empress Dowager immediately grasped the crux of the matter.
"Yes." Imperial Physician Qin nodded slightly. The Fog-Seeking Powder and the Soul-Eating Intoxication were not common substances, and anyone who knew pharmacology would certainly not mix these two things.
But now, both of these poisons have appeared on the banquet table, which makes one think deeply.
Upon hearing this, the guests present seemed to have heard some incredible news, and they began to whisper among themselves. The gazes they cast upon Shen Jinshu were like piercing knives, not enough to kill her instantly, but enough to torment her.
"So, the reason why Shen Jinshu was able to attract butterflies was entirely due to the Xunwu Powder, and had nothing to do with her zither music."
"What a brilliant scheme! She used dirty tricks to lure the butterflies and win the championship. If these butterflies hadn't suddenly died, we would probably have been kept in the dark and made fools of like monkeys."
"Maybe it's a misunderstanding. To be fair, Shen Jinshu's zither skills are indeed impressive; at least we can't compare to her."
She has a very high chance of winning the championship, so why would she take such a risk? Some people also don't believe that Shen Jinshu would dig her own grave and cut off her own escape route for the sake of winning the championship.
"..."
Hearing these comments, Shen Jinshu's face turned extremely ugly.
She didn't want to come to this, but Song Zhiyu forced her; Song Zhiyu forced her to do it.
If Song Zhiyu hadn't appeared, hadn't attended the lake tour banquet, and hadn't stolen everyone's attention at the banquet, why would she have taken such a risky move?
"Shen Jinshu, what else do you have to say?" The Empress Dowager raised her hand to rub her temples, looking somewhat tired, and her flat voice was tinged with coldness.
Winning through underhanded means is the kind of behavior she despises the most.
"Your Majesty, I truly have no idea that anyone tampered with my zither. I would never dare to deceive Your Majesty, and I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly." Shen Jinshu banged her head on the ground, her forehead hitting the ground heavily with a dull thud that made everyone who heard it feel pain.
But Shen Jinshu seemed oblivious. Her eyes were clear and firm, and her face showed a hint of grievance. Her meticulously combed hair slowly came undone as she kowtowed repeatedly, making her look extremely pitiful.
Seeing this, the guests present were all somewhat moved. Could it be that someone was deliberately framing her?
Only Song Zhiyu remained unmoved. She knew Shen Jinshu too well; he was ruthless to others, but even more ruthless to himself.
To escape punishment and clear his name, Shen Jinshu is capable of anything.
But this infallible method is likely to become ineffective today.
"Your Majesty, I do have a way to verify whether Miss Shen's words are true or false."
In the silence, Song Zhiyu's clear and cool voice was particularly noticeable.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids, showing some interest. "What method do you have? Tell me."
"It's quite simple to find out who made the Fog-Seeking Powder. Unlike ordinary medicines, it emits a very faint fragrance that is undetectable to humans, but animals can smell it. Moreover, this exotic fragrance is a deadly temptation for them. Anyone who has touched Fog-Seeking Powder will have a mark on their body."
The Empress Dowager did not speak, but straightened her expression and gestured for her to continue.
“When the mist-seeking powder is combined with the sound of the zither, its effects can be maximized. That’s why Miss Shen’s zither music can attract butterflies,” Song Zhiyu said with a smile, reaching out to touch the strings of her zither.
Shen Jinshu's eyes sharpened, and her hand gripping her sleeve paused slightly. "Your Majesty, I feel this is inappropriate. I just touched the zither strings, and my hands may already be contaminated with the 'Seeking Mist Powder.' If we follow my second sister's method, I fear..."
Although Shen Jinshu didn't say what came next explicitly, the expression on her face said it all.
The discord between the two was already known to everyone present.
On second thought, they realized that Shen Jinshu's concerns were not without merit.
The Marquis of Chengen's family treated the two women, one a biological daughter and the other an adopted daughter, in vastly different ways, which explains why Song Zhiyu harbored resentment.
But apart from this method, they seemed to have no other way to solve the problem at hand.
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