Chapter 10 (2/2)
Finally, Xun Yan Yun stop moving with her eyes staring wide straight ahead. Everything happened too quickly making everyone one in the hall unable to react.
“Physician, diagnose the Seventh Princess.” Yan Hong Tian cold voice sounded lifeless and his face did not show any expression.
“Yes.” Two physicians immediately ran forward and took Xu Yan Yun pulse. The formerly clam expression turned serious as he read the pulse for a long time. After releasing her pulse, he then murmured a few words to the physician behind him. That physician immediately look her pulse and after a long time, both of them exchanged a look in disbelief.
Looking at their expressions, Xu Xun Si already felt that something was wrong and anxiously asked, “How is she?”
“The Seventh Princess, she…” Both of them, drenched in cold sweat, gulped.
“Speak!” Yan Hong Tian growled and the two physicans immediately threw themselves to the ground, with a trembling voice replied, “Have taken her last breathe and died.”
There was an uproar in the hall. “Absolutely disgraceful!” Yan Hong Tian angrily threw the wine cup in his hand onto the floor and the hall fell silent.
Holding the female tightly in his arms, Xu Xun Si was unable to keep himself calm. He stared at the physician and pressed on, “This is not possible. Seventh Sister has been dancing since young and she is in good health all this time. How did she suddenly stop breathing and die?”
The Imperial Physican did not dare to lift his head and only after a long time a trembling voice replied, “The Seventh Princess… Died due to poison.”
Died due to poison? Gasps were heard again but no one dared to utter a sound. A nation’s princess dead in the Palace Hall due to poisoning, this is truly…
Xu Xun Si looked up at Yan Hong Tian and in a deep voice, answered, “This should… Not be possible.”
With eyes flashed with anger, Yan Hong Tian coldly asked, “What kind of poison did the Seventh Princess suffer from?”
“This…”
Unable to tolerate the group of figures huddling on the ground, Yan Hong Tian voice dropped lower and colder as he scolded, “Humming and hawwing for what. Speak.” Really a bunch of useless people.
Both of them exchanged a look and lowered themselves even deeper to the floor. Drops of sweat keep falling from their head, they absolutely don’t dare to say what poison it is!! At the same time, a man suddenly stood forward, squatted and carefully examine the princess body.
The physician was so afraid that they couldn’t talk and all of the ministers were silent. Just as Yan Hong Tian was to blow up, a cool and bright voice was heard, “Before the Princess died, her four limbs, jaws and breathe was firmly obstructed and her face was dark purple in colour. After death, both eyes protruded, her limbs turned cold, thus she was infected by a snake poison. And for it to be effective in such a short time, the snake poison is ChiHuanSiChong.” After the male spoke “ChiHuanSiChong” words, all the literary and military officials burst into words.
ChiHuanSiChong? Qing Feng thought for a while, if she remembered correctly, ChiHuanSiChong should be a type of poisonous snake that can only be found in the Northwest of Qiong Yue. It lives in the dark drains and stone cracks, in a wet and cold condition. It’s body is entirely in crimson red and it is highly toxic.
Qing Feng cold eyes narrowed and her heart sneered. The Princess of Northern Qi is actually poisoned in Qiong Yue’s Palace Hall by a poison which can only be found exclusively in Qiong Yue. This crisis between Northern Qi and Qiong Yue is indeed difficult to resolve!
“Official Dan, the Princess of Northern Qi died in my Qiong Yue Palace Hall. This matter will not be taken lightly! This case will be handled by you. Investigate thoroughly and you must find the true cause and murderer of the Princess.” Yan Hong Tian voice was still displaying the dignity of a monarch but his expression was dark.
In a half kneeling pose, Dan Yu Lan loudly replied, “This official received the edict.”
Qing Feng has heard in Hao Yue that Dan Yu Lan, Qiong Yue’s Judicial Commissioner, is impartial and just. Is that this person? Qing Feng looked up again at him. His looks might not be extraordinary but that courage to confirm that the Princess of Northern Qi’s death was caused by the ChiHuanSiChong poison and to take up that responsibility, is truly admirable.
Xu Xun Si, who was holding on to the corpse tightly, finally regain some rationality. That young face, portrayed the indignation and loftiness of that as a nation’s Prince, raised and looked at the aloof Yan Hong Tian and coldly spoke, “If I remembered correctly, ChiHuanSiChong is a exclusively Qiong Yue poison and Seventh Sister died here in Qiong Yue’s Palace Hall. Northern to be so bold as to request an explanation from Qiong Emperor. With regards to Official Dan personally overseeing the investigation, Xu Xun Si do not have any objection but expect to see the hearing when Official Dan holds one.”
“Who!” As how things are at this point, this request is not undue, after all the Princess has in fact died in the Hall.
Qing Feng stood silently at the side when a brawny guy suddenly rushed to her side. Upon a closer look, the guy was the other envoy from Northern Qi, which he self introduced as the Northern Qi’s General’s son, Hu Xi Ang. Seeing him holding up the Princess’s wine jar and shout, “In this great hall, where will there be poisonous snakes?! The Princess was fine just now and only drank a cup of wine. Unless there is poison in the win!” An uninhibited voice sounded throughout the hall, rendering a pain to everyone’s ears due to the volume of it.
Dan Yu Lan walked towards him took the wine jar from his hands and whisper a few words to the attendants beside him before they hurried away. The attendants brought back a white porcelain plate as well as a ten over centimetre needle. He pour the wine into the porcelain plate, the supposedly clear wine showed a tinge of red. Dan Yu Lan took the needle on his hand and place it onto the plate. The needle immediately turn black upon being submerged into the wine. Dan Yu Lan took out the needle and wiped it with a white cloth but it still remained black.
Hu Xi Ang urgently exclaimed, “Is there poison in the wine?!”
Picking up a silver needle, Dan Yu Lan truthfully said, “The silver needle turned black, the wine is slightly red with a salty raw taste. There is ChiHuanSiChong poison in the wine.”
Once Dan Yu Lan was certain that there was poison in the wine, Hu Xi Ang furious voice was heard again, “There must be someone poisoning the wine here! Hand the person(s) over!”
Hu Xi Ang was acting so presumptuous that Yan Hong Tian could have him locked up. But to do it at such a time would be degrading the country’s manners by bullying and humiliating a small nation. If this were to get out, how could he be able to face his other six countries?! Yan Hong Tian’s expression grew dark, like a prelude to a thunderstorm, causing the entire hall to fall into silence.
A bright and clear female voice suddenly rang out, providing a sense of dignified aura, “For the beverages to be poison during an Imperial Banquet, it is Ben Gong (Empress way of saying I) neglect. Head Steward Wu, bring those servants who have touched the Princess’s wine.”
In such occasion, the Empress originally should not be the one talking but as the mother of the country and because of such an incident happened within the Palace, it is actually nothing much if she say a few words. In fact, her appearance eased the atmosphere up.
“Yes.” Wu Rong looked at the Emperor expressionless face, since he (the Emperor) did not prevent it, he immediately turned and leave.
Qing Feng’s heart sank, she was the one who poured the wine for the Princess!
Several guards followed the orders and marched her and the three other servants up to the front of the hall. The three of them were scared witless, laying on the ground and continuously shouting, “Empress, please have mercy! These servants are only responsible to pour the wine to the jug and did not know that the jug of wine belongs to the Princess. Even if these servants have a hundred times of courage, these servants will still not dared to poison!”
As compared to the three servants who were begging like dogs, Qing Feng kneeled, without saying a word, and her face filled with coldness.
The Empress’s eyes narrowed slightly towards Qing Feng and coldly said, “Qing Feng, you are sent to the Palace by Hao Yue and now is demoted to a palace maid. You must be filled with resentment and poison the Princess of Northern Qi or was it Hao Yue who instigated you in poisoning the Princess of Northern Qi and sow discord between Qiong Yue and Northen Qi?!”
She wanted to frame her! By dropping such charges on her is as good as putting her to death and also reconcile Qiong Yue’s dangerous position. Or does this mean that the arrangement today for her to serve the Princess of Northern Qi was simply a plot to get rid of two women? If this is true, the Empress is indeed vicious! Qing Feng is pondering on how to get herself an acquittal and she spit out three words coldly, “I did not.”
“Last night, you attempted to assassinate the Emperor and now you dare to say you bare no malice?! BenGong will give you another chance. If you truthfully confess for what you have done, BenGong will free you of suffering tortures!”
Qing Feng always thought that her sisters were dead and she was the only one left in the world thus there was no meaning to living. Death was in fact a type of relief for her. But today, she has seen Elder Sister, she will not let the Empress drop such charges onto her, else it will also harm her and also harm the innocent people of Hao Yue!
After a long while, Qing Feng finally lifted her head slowly looking back at lofty, yet putting on false pretense, and disgusting woman before loudly answering with a cold smile, “Last night, I only accidentally broke a vase which cut the Emperor and was unable to fulfil my responsibility to serve the Emperor. That cause the Emperor to be furious thus I was demoted to a palace maid. For today, I am able to stand here and serve the Princess of Northern Qi wine, was due to the Empress’s decree and I did not know it beforehand. If the poison was placed by me, then it would meant that the Empress had arranged it.”
“Impudent!”