Chapter 7

Xie Xinglan’s expression momentarily froze. “Poisoning?”

“After Cui Wan’s luncheon yesterday, she returned to her room to rest for a moment. During that time, the servants only brought her a cup of osmanthus tea. She did not drink the tea, but her cat most likely touched it. Fifteen minutes ago, a maid discovered the cat dead beneath the warm pavilion couch. I examined its vomit—clear signs of poisoning. Moreover, the place where the servant spilled the tea had a patch of dead insects and ants.”

Qin Ying finished speaking in one breath and gestured toward the flower bed beside her. Xie Xinglan had already seen the dead cat in the wooden basket. At this moment, he stepped forward quickly, took just one look, and his sword-like brows furrowed. “Where is the cat’s vomit?”

Zijuan hurriedly led the way, and Xie Xinglan followed into the warm pavilion. When he emerged a moment later, his gaze toward Qin Ying was even more inscrutable. His words had been quite direct just now, but County Princess Yunyang had no intention of giving up on the investigation. In fact, she seemed even more anxious than he was, despite his deadline to solve the case.

At this thought, Xie Xinglan suddenly realized—was all of this because of Cui Muzhi?

For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether he should pity or mock her.

Qin Ying only noticed the shifting expressions on Xie Xinglan’s face, completely unaware of the many thoughts in his mind. As she waited for Zijuan to return, she asked upon seeing her, “Does your mistress usually like drinking osmanthus tea? Where did yesterday’s osmanthus tea come from?”

Zijuan replied in a trembling voice, “My mistress enjoys seasonal flower teas. Since the osmanthus had just bloomed, she had the freshest flowers picked to make tea. All the tea comes from the tea room.”

Qin Ying hurriedly asked, “Where is the tea room?”

“It’s in the side room outside the kitchen.”

Qin Ying then asked, “Who served the tea?”

“It was the junior maid, Ping’er.”

Qin Ying nodded. She had already fulfilled her duty by promptly informing Xie Xinglan, and now she gave a direct order: “Lead the way to the tea room and find Ping’er.”

Xie Xinglan noticed that Qin Ying seemed to be taking charge as if she were the one leading the investigation. He couldn’t help but wonder—if she knew her own death was approaching, would she still be so relentless?

Suddenly, Xie Xinglan spoke up. “Someone—”

Xie Jian looked at him in confusion, and Qin Ying, who had just reached the courtyard gate, also stopped and turned back. Xie Xinglan instructed, “Find a doctor to examine the tea and determine what poison was used.”

The guards accepted the order and left, while Xie Xinglan stepped forward, exiting the courtyard before Qin Ying. Zijuan hesitated, unsure of what to do. Qin Ying gave a slight nod, signaling her, and she hurriedly followed Xie Xinglan.

Qin Ying cared little about who was leading the investigation. If Xie Xinglan could find clues faster than her, she would welcome it. But his sudden change in demeanor made her suspect that he might meet a tragic end before the succession was even decided.

As this thought crossed her mind, a shiver ran down Qin Ying’s spine—her own fate was far grimmer. She truly didn’t have much time left, and at this moment, nothing was more important than finding the real culprit.

Yesterday’s luncheon was held in the main courtyard’s flower hall. The kitchen was located in a courtyard at the northwest corner, separated by two cross courtyards. As they made their way through, the attendants of the manor were all silent as if in fear. When they arrived at the kitchen courtyard, the cooks and servants who had been busy inside came out anxiously and uncertainly.

Zijuan pointed to the side room and said, ‘The tea used at yesterday’s banquet and throughout the manor was all sent out from here.’

Inside the side room were three stoves, five firewood-burning furnaces, and more than ten neatly arranged teapots. It was a dedicated space for boiling water. The two servants responsible for tending the fire exchanged uneasy glances, completely unaware of what had happened.

Xie Xinglan stepped in and surveyed the surroundings. Everything appeared normal. After a brief moment, Biyun arrived with Ping’er.

“My Lord, this is Ping’er,” she introduced.

Ping’er was a third-class maid in the residence, responsible for serving tea and water in Cui Wan’s courtyard. Facing Xie Xinglan, Ping’er nervously twisted the sleeves of her robe. Xie Xinglan examined her briefly and asked, “Yesterday, when you brought tea to your lady, where did you pour it from? Did you encounter anyone along the way?”

“I poured the tea right here. The osmanthus tea and water—I fetched them myself. After preparing the tea, I delivered it directly to my lady. On the way… I didn’t meet anyone.”

She spoke timidly, her gaze avoiding Xie Xinglan, unwilling to meet his eyes. Xie Xinglan narrowed his eyes, his tone turning dangerous. “Are you certain you didn’t encounter anyone?”

Ping’er’s face turned pale, her lips pressed tightly together as she lowered her head further. Xie Xinglan’s voice deepened slightly. “Someone—”

The sudden command startled Ping’er, making her tremble. She immediately dropped to her knees. “Master, spare me! I truly didn’t meet anyone. It’s just… it’s just that on my way there, I heard a sound. At the time, I found it strange, so I put down the tea tray and went behind the flower wall to take a look…”

“What sound?”

With a tremble in her voice, Ping’er replied, “I heard the sound of bells ringing and thought that Yuanbao had run outside. Yuanbao used to love running into the garden, only to come back covered in mud. Miss would then scold me… So I immediately put down the tea tray and looked for him behind the flower wall. But when I got there, there was no sign of Yuanbao.”

“I assumed Yuanbao had run too fast for me to catch up, so I returned to serving tea, planning to look for him afterward. But when I arrived at Miss’s courtyard, I saw her playing with the cat—and the bell was still properly hanging around Yuanbao’s neck. I thought it was strange, but I didn’t dare ask Sister Zijuan or Sister Biyun. After placing the tea down, I quietly asked Yun’er, who was also serving outside. However, Yun’er told me that Yuanbao had been inside the whole time and hadn’t gone out at all.”

Ping’er began to cry. “At that time, I thought I must have misheard, or maybe a stray cat had wandered into the courtyard. As long as Yuanbao was fine, then I hadn’t done anything wrong. A short while later, Miss left again with Sister Zijuan and Sister Biyun. When I went in to tidy up the tea cups, I saw Yuanbao licking the tea water. Miss treats Yuanbao well—it often jumps onto the table to sniff and lick things. I didn’t think much of it and then went outside to pour the osmanthus tea into the flower bed…”

Ping’er looked pitiful as she cried. Analyzing the situation beside her, Qin Ying said, “The culprit knew that Ping’er would be delivering the tea, was aware of the route she would take back, and understood Yuanbao’s habits. Using the sound of the bell to divert Ping’er, they poisoned the tea in her absence. She was not at fault.”

These words seemed to absolve Ping’er of blame. She had already been terrified into lifelessness, but upon hearing this, a bit of vitality returned to her eyes.

Xie Xinglan glanced at Qin Ying and instructed Ping’er, “Lead the way. Let’s go check the place where you heard the bell yesterday.”

Ping’er, her legs weak, struggled to get up and tremblingly walked back along the path. To get from the kitchen to Hanlan Pavilion, where Cui Wan lived, one had to pass through two halls and a flowerbed. The spot where Ping’er was led away was precisely the corridor beside the flowerbed.

This corridor had the flowerbed on one side and a hollowed-out floral wall on the other. Beyond the floral wall was a mallow forest leading to the rear garden. Ping’er stopped at the middle of the corridor, pointed at the floral wall, and said, “Yesterday, I was walking here when I heard the sound of a bell. Since I was carrying hot tea at the time, I put the tea on the railing and stepped back a few paces, then entered the forest through the small rear door—”

There were small doors leading to the mallow forest both in front of and behind the floral wall, and the corridor itself connected to a covered walkway leading to the front courtyard—making the area highly accessible. Xie Xinglan led his team to investigate both ends of the corridor. Still, although they discovered some footprints in the forest, the banquet had hosted many guests and servants the previous day, leaving a chaotic mix of tracks that made it impossible to determine the culprit.

Upon returning from the forest, Qin Ying gently asked Ping’er, “When your mistress instructed you to pour the tea, who was around her at the time?”

Ping’er sobbed, “Only Sister Zijuan and Sister Biyun—no one else.”

Qin Ying frowned. “Then how did the culprit know your mistress would be drinking tea?”

At this, Zijuan stepped forward and explained, “Our lady loves floral tea. Because she suffers from asthma, she drinks seven to eight cups a day as a form of maintenance, and thanks to this regimen, she has barely had any episodes in recent years—”

Qin Ying frowned in deep thought. At that moment, Xie Xinglan returned to the front corridor and said, “The culprit was very familiar with your lady’s daily habits. Failing to poison her during the day, they instead murdered her by Yingyue Lake at night. Among yesterday’s guests, who knew about these habits, and who would be aware that the cat liked to sneak out of the courtyard?”

Zijuan and Biyun exchanged uneasy glances. After a brief hesitation, Biyun replied, “I don’t know about the others, but the ones who frequently visit our estate are Heir Cui and Young Master Lin. There was one time when Yuanbao ran into the marquis’s study, and it was Heir Cui who caught him.”

Xie Xinglan’s gaze darkened. “Cui Muzhi—”

“It wouldn’t be him,” Qin Ying interjected. “The culprit is not very tall; besides, yesterday, he was the last group to go to the rockery. By that time, the underground canal had finished draining, which rules him out as a suspect.”

Xie Xinglan gave a faintly mocking smile. “You’re pursuing this case so rigorously—do you simply refuse to let Cui Muzhi come under suspicion?”

Qin Ying was equally displeased. “I understand what Envoy Xie is implying—you think I’m investigating this case for Cui Muzhi. But if that were true, then why would I have gone out of my way to clear Lu Roujia’s name when she was falsely accused last night? If she had truly been framed as a murderer, do you think the Marquis of Changqing’s household would ever allow a convicted felon to become the heir’s wife?”

This was precisely what Xie Xinglan couldn’t reconcile. However, he still refused to believe that Qin Ying’s investigation had nothing to do with Cui Muzhi. Just then, Xie Jian arrived, leading a middle-aged man. “My lord, the physician has completed his examination—he has identified the poison used.”

The physician stepped forward and saluted before reporting, “My lord, upon inspection, the poison found in the flowerbed is the extremely toxic ‘Snow lotus herb.’ When used medicinally, this substance can treat bruises, swelling, and rheumatic inflammation. However, it is highly lethal—when used correctly, it heals; when misused, it kills. If ingested, it must first undergo precise processing, and its dosage must be strictly controlled. An ordinary person consuming even a pill the size of a soybean would succumb to poisoning and death. Furthermore, this poison is exceedingly rare and difficult to procure from regular pharmacies.”

After the physician finished speaking, Xie Xinglan seemed to have formed an idea in his mind. He waved a hand, dismissing the physician, then turned to Qin Ying and said, “It seems Lu Roujia’s suspicion hasn’t been completely cleared yet.”

Qin Ying frowned. “Are you saying that because this poison is rare, the Lu family, as an imperial medical household, must have it?”

Xie Xinglan did not deny it. However, Qin Ying shook her head. “That’s certainly possible, but Envoy Xie, don’t forget—the culprit was very familiar with Cui Wan’s daily habits and knew the rock cave extremely well. And last night, Lu Roujia never even went near the rockery.”

She continued, “Solving a case requires evidence. I trust that Envoy Xie would not neglect his duties or twist the law like Zhao Lian.”

Although her words were meant as praise, Xie Xinglan didn’t hear them as such. Still, he wasn’t offended. His statement had merely been a test—to see how she would respond. Now, it seemed she did not harbor the hostility toward Lu Roujia that rumors had suggested.

That only made things more puzzling. Watching her inspect the floral wall and railing once again, Xie Xinglan asked, “How do you know the culprit isn’t tall? Does it have something to do with last night’s measurement using the jade hairpin?”

Qin Ying stiffened slightly. When she turned back, her gaze was deep as she studied him. Then, as if making a significant decision, she said, “I can tell Envoy Xie the secret, but in return, you must allow me to investigate Cui Wan’s case alongside Longyi Guards. Is that acceptable?”

Xie Xinglan fixed his gaze on her for a long moment before nodding. “Deal.”