“It’s all right, we killed the person for you.”

Ji Yue’s first reaction was cold-hearted yet confused. 

How was this terrible news?

He had experienced the battlefield and killed countless people, protecting only his Empire’s own people. A foreign Princess as well as someone who had framed Wei Lian, he cared not for her fate.

However, someone must be tired of their lives if they had the courage to poison someone within the Qin Emperor’s palace and stir up trouble. 

Compared with Ji Yue’s calmness, the envoys of other empires showed various colourful expressions. 

Myrna was surprised. “How is that possible? We are still within the Qin Emperor’s palace…” 

Aslan whispered, “Don’t intrude on other’s business.”

Qiao Hongfei frowned and turned towards Wei Lian with a worried look, feeling like something was not right. 

Wei Yan gawked. It was hard to believe that the beautiful woman who participated in the state banquet a few days ago had died. He inattentively put down his wine cup, hands trembling. 

Yollıg Dan showed some surprise and a trace of regret. 

The Prince of Xia Empire raised his eyes in shock before gently turning his sight away, looking dejected. 

Everyone felt as if…this was the calm before the storm. 

After such an incident, everyone tossed the question of how Wei Lian subdued the chestnut horse out of their mind. 

A Princess died in the Qin Empire palace, poisoned no less. All of them present were suspected and showed a dignified face. 

Originally, after the state banquet, they could stay in Yongping for a few more days before setting off back home. Now that something like this happened, they feared that their stay would be extended.

Wei Lian quietly swept his gaze over everyone’s face one by one. All of them showed a normal reaction. For the time being, he could not label anyone as suspicious. 

Huyan Kemu’s reaction was the biggest. “What did you say? The Princess is dead?”

“How could the Princess die! You are making things up!” He could not accept the news of the death of his goddess. Everything was happening too fast, so much so it sounded unreal. 

The Yan Empire’s palace maid said between sobs, “It is true…the Princess caught a common cold and had been taking a concoction…But as soon as she finished drinking today’s medicine, the Princess vomited blood and fell on the table motionless. This servant went to check on the Princess’s pulse and found that…the Princess had already ceased to breathe!”

Then she screamed and ran out of the room in fear, in search of the Yan Empire’s representative, but the envoys were here watching Wei Lian taming his horse. So she hurried here, skipped the middle and went straight to informing the news in front of the Qin Emperor. 

Wei Lian did say that Princess Chonghua was down with a common cold and was resting behind closed doors. That was not a lie. At this time of year, the lake water was freezing. Li Chonghua having spent so long in the water and experiencing a heavy fright, it was impossible not to get sick. 

She did get seriously ill after she returned and began to drink medicine. 

It was just that there was no issue with yesterday’s medicine. Then a problem arose from today’s. 

Huyan Kemu suddenly stepped back and turned his head to Wei Lian. “Didn’t you say you are the Guijun and deal with various things in the back palace? Explain yourself! How did something bad happen to Princess Chonghua right in front of your eyes!”

He was not entirely defending the Princess. After all, Wei Lian had successfully tamed the chestnut horse and fiercely slapped the Chen Empire’s face. With this personal hatred in his heart, he wanted to drag Wei Lian into the water. 

Wei Lian’s expression remained unchanged. “Unlike Prince Huyan, I do not pay attention to her the way you do. How could this be in front of my eyes?”

He knew nothing about this. The Qin Emperor’s palace is so big and without the possession of something like a heaven-defying clairvoyant, how would he know when things would happen and where. 

Huyan Kemu was relentless. “Then you still have to bear the blame! If anything bad happened within the back palace, you should be responsible for it since the scope is under your authority.”

Wei Lian sighed softly. 

He knew that Luan Seal was a hot potato. At any critical moment, he was the pot bearer. 

He should not have accepted it.

When a Yan Empire palace maid saw someone targeting Wei Lian, she acted as if she remembered something and immediately stood up to accuse, “It’s you! It has to be you! Our Princess offended you a few days ago. Was it not enough for you to drown her in the water? You had to go and kill her with poison!”

Resentment filled her eyes. “How could you be so vicious!”

She grew up with the Princess. Although their relationship was not as close as sisters, at least she was loyal. On that day, when the Princess returned to Ningyue Tower drenched, the first thing she did was burst into tears and endlessly threw foul language. She knew Princess Chonghua had framed Wei Lian as well as what Wei Lian did to Princess Chonghua in return. 

People always selfishly defend the related party even if they were in the wrong, at the same time, bully the weak but hear the strong. She could not hate the high and mighty Qin Empire, so she could only direct her hatred to Wei Lian. During the last two days by the bedridden Princess’s side, she also joined in on the Princess’s curses on Wei Lian to die an early death and stay dead. 

What she did not expect was the Princess kicking the bucket first while Wei Lian was still alive. 

This was like a storm springing up out of the blue. 

With the Princess dead, the servants around her would inevitably die once they returned to their homeland. Since they were walking corpses, she might as well demand justice for the Princess!

Huyan Kemu’s eyes widened. “What did you say? Drown in what water? How dare he treat the Princess like that?!”

“What was there for him to be afraid of? He is under the Qin Emperor’s protection!” The palace maid rambled off more and more, “He was afraid that our Princess would gain his Majesty’s favour and had a growing desire to kill our Princess. You will be punished for your viciousness! I curse you to a horrendous—Chupse!”

Before she could utter ‘death’, the palace maid stared open-mouthed in disbelief. 

An arrow pierced her heart and penetrated from her back, showing the archer’s ruthless strength. 

The red blood gradually appeared from the fatal wound on her chest. 

Her fingers that went to cover the wound were trembling, she showed some trouble breathing, dropped to the ground and passed away without closing her eyes. 

Everyone present was shocked by this. 

Wei Lian moved his line of sight. 

Ji Yue expressionlessly put away his bow, as if he had not killed a person with an arrow just now. 

He would not tolerate others to slander Wei Lian. 

Even more so on hearing others cursing Wei Lian to die. 

He walked to Wei Lian’s side and asked softly, “We hope that did not frighten you.”

Wei Lian lowered his head and patted his chest. “This subject was frightened to death.”

Ji Yue comforted, “It’s all right, we killed that person for you.”

The crowd: “...”

Such a hardcore way to comfort someone. 

Huyan Kemy clenched his fists and said, “Your Majesty, are you silencing someone and shielding the offender?”

“Didn’t we just kill the offender?” Ji Yue did not glance at the body at all as disgust filled his eyes. 

“She clearly knew the whole story!” Huyan Kemu bellied aggressively, “What was that about her Princess drowning?”

“How could a palace maid win people’s trust with words spoken off the cuff? Since she harboured unfathomable motives and framed Guijun, she would usually be put to death by a thousand cuts, even death could not wipe out her crimes. We did her a favour by granting her a quick death with an arrow.” Ji Yue stated coldly, “If Prince Huyan does not believe us over the one-sided statement of a palace maid…It makes us question the loyalty of the Chen Empire to the Qin Empire.”

The other Chen Empire envoys quickly restrained Huyan Kemu, reminding him not to offend the Qin Emperor. 

They were not here as guests. 

They were here to pay tribute. 

To put it bluntly, they were just a vassal empire without the qualification to challenge the Qin Emperor. Everyone in the Chen Empire resented the Qin Empire, that was the reason behind their behaviour. But they would have to face the consequences if the Qin Emperor acted out for real.

How could they afford to show their bad behaviour when they were still within the enemy’s territory. 

Huyan Kemu had not lost all of his reasoning from anger. Even if his resentment was great, he could only bear it. 

The one that should be held accountable were the Yan Empire’s envoys. 

But how could the Yan Empire’s representative dare to question? He was already scared out of his wits and lost his ability to think. 

Originally, the Princess was supposed to be the Yan Empire’s biggest bargaining chip, but then the Qin Emperor was not interested in her at all. Now without the Princess, let alone keeping his job, he did not know whether his head could be guaranteed to stay on his body. 

The Yan Empire minister's vision went black and he almost fainted on the spot. 

“It is useless to say more. What is important now is to deduce who is the killer.” Wei Lian spoke up. 

Huyan Kemu wanted to rebuke ‘Aren’t you the killer? How dare you trying to hide your crimes’, but he restrained himself when his fellow ministers waved their hands. 

“Since Princess Chonghua was poisoned, we need to inspect the bowl that holds the medicine.” Wei Lian was calm from the beginning to the end. He glanced at Huyan Kemu and continued, “We need to head to the scene first. If you do not trust me, then you are welcome to accompany me.”

Huyan Kemu already suspected that the murderer was Wei Lian. Being afraid that the evidence would be tampered with by the Qin Emperor, of course he would follow to see things through. Myrna was all for being a busybody as she dragged Aslan with her. 

With his concern for Wei Lian, Qiao Hongfei naturally would not stay out of it. While Wei Yan was afraid of seeing a corpse and decided to hide back in his residence by himself. Seeing that most of the people were going, Yollıg Dan followed. 

Only the Crown Prince from Xia Empire did not seem to want to get anymore involved as he excused himself back to the Chenshui Fortress. 

* * *

Ningyue Tower… 

As soon as they entered the room, Wei Lian saw Li Chonghua laying on the table with her eyes closed and blood stains on her chin. 

The medicine bowl was left on the table and there was still some residue left in the bowl. 

Imperial Physicians Wang and Xu have long been summoned by the Emperor’s orders. Imperial Physician Wang picked up the bowl and sniffed the residue. Imperial Physician Xu came forward and went to check the Princess’s pulse, then examined her eyes under her eyelids and confirmed she was not breathing. He concluded with a grave expression, “Princess Chonghua indeed died of poisoning.”

Huyan Kemu almost wanted to roll his eyes in exaggeration. 

Isn’t that bullshit? Wasn’t that obvious since the incident happened right after drinking this bowl of medicine…

Yet Imperial Physician Wang put down the bowl and shared with Ji Yue while cupping his hands, “Reporting back to your Majesty, there are no traces of poison in this medicine.” 

Huyan Kemu immediately shouted, “What kind of incompetent physician are you? That palace maid just said the poison acted as soon as the Princess finished her medicine, while you’re still here spilling nonsense!”

Yollıg Dan remained silent, but his eyes talked for himself. This Qin Emperor is putting too much effort in covering this crime. 

The good physician showed displeasure. He worked as an Imperial Physician for decades and was also a respected elder. Now he was being called an incompetent physician by a vulgar and barbaric foreign youth, it was very hard to take for anyone in his place. 

“This old minister has been practising medicine for three decades and never makes mistakes, even more so on resorting to false practise.” Imperial Physician Wang stated with an unkind tone, “Prince Huyan, please speak with caution.” 

“Then what kind of poison do you think killed her?” Huyan Kemu pushed for an answer. 

After checking for a long time, Imperial Physician Xu said frowning, “Your Majesty, this subject could only confirm that Princess Chonghua died of poison no more than an hour ago, but…this subject could not determine which poison killed the Princess.”

Huyan Kemu wanted to scold a new round at the charlatan when Myrna frowned and commented, “All right, stop arguing.”

Aslan was caught off-guard, before he could stop Myrna, she had already stepped forward. 

She picked up the bowl, thoroughly inspected it and soon put it down. “There is indeed no tampering evident in this medicine.”

Medicine and poison go hand in hand. As an expert in the art of poison, her medical skills were not all for show. 

She came forward, grabbed Li Chonghua’s wrist and examined her pulse, then her face suddenly turned confused. 

“Weird…” She whispered, “How could it be…”

She suddenly stopped talking. 

The Yan Empire envoys pursuited the result, “How could what be?”

Myrna: “...”

The Yan Empire envoys hurriedly urged, “Tell us!”

Myrna hesitated and revealed, “...It’s chi yan.”

She did not expect that this matter would be related to the Liang Empire. She only wanted to let others know of her poison knowledge and be praised, making a deduction about the poison that even the Qin Empire’s Imperial Physicians couldn’t. 

But why would it be a poison unique to the Liang Empire…

Oh no, it was over. She was going to drag the Liang Empire into this mess. 

Imperial Physician Wang had never heard of a poison called ‘chi yan’ so he asked, “What is this chi yan?”

Before Myrna answered, Wei Lian already formed one in his head. 

Chi yan, one of the hundred poisons from South Border, as its nature was in its name. 

The victim would meet the King of Underworld sooner or later.