Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Wrongfully Accused

Yao Ying was laid on the ground. The man reached out and wiped the blood trickling from the dead body's nose, frowning slightly.

"It was you who struck her deliberately, causing the nosebleed, wasn't it?" he barked.

He had been hit on the nose by Lin Lin just moments ago and was bleeding himself, his face still streaked with blood he hadn't had time to wipe clean.

Though Yao Ying was a corpse, she hadn't been dead long, so bleeding was perfectly normal.

"This isn't ordinary blood," Lin Lin called out from where she lay on the ground. "This is poisoned blood."

The old woman, who had been sitting quietly with her eyes lowered, finally spoke: "So you're saying she wasn't drowned, but poisoned to death?"

Lin Lin looked at her and nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's right. And her symptoms don't match drowning either."

Her voice turned mournful as she finished speaking.

"I noticed it long ago. That's why I approached her earlier—I wanted to examine her more closely, and sure enough..."

So that was why she had suddenly tumbled down and clung to the corpse, babbling nonsense?

Low murmurs rippled through the hall.

"So this person wasn't killed by you, but by someone else in our household?" the old woman's voice rose.

The murmuring ceased at once.

"Secretary Chen, it seems investigating only your people isn't enough." The old woman looked at the man, her tone flat. "The people of our Prince of Qi's Mansion must also be investigated..."

Secretary Chen snapped back to his senses.

"Consort Dowager, don't listen to this maidservant's wild ravings!" He bowed with a self-reproachful expression. "The Imperial Clan Court, following His Majesty's decree, sent imperial physicians to treat the Princess Dowager. That I failed to keep my charges in check and frightened you is already an unforgivable crime."

"No, I'm not talking nonsense!" Lin Lin hurriedly called out, propping herself up and crawling toward the old woman with a pleading expression. "Princess Dowager, Princess Dowager, I studied medicine—I can recognize it. There's poison in her blood..."

Secretary Chen grew even more exasperated. "You've only been in the Imperial Medical Academy for a year—you haven't even learned the four diagnostic methods! What would you know about poison? Don't tell me that isn't nonsense!"

He waved his hand at the servants.

"Drag the corpse and the girl out and beat them."

"Princess Dowager, please go rest. I will give you a satisfactory explanation for this matter."

The old woman said nothing more, and the maids on either side stepped forward to support her.

She was about to leave.

Lin Lin lay prostrate on the ground, watching her movements. She knew that a mere claim of poisoning wouldn't convince anyone.

She hadn't actually thought Yao Ying had been poisoned.

Yes, she had indeed been talking nonsense.

She had tumbled down and embraced the corpse not because she'd noticed anything suspicious about the manner of death, but simply to buy time.

Because she'd discovered that despite the pain, this body was recovering...

Her consciousness was spreading through this body, and she could feel her shattered internal organs being mended, her limp frame gradually gaining strength.

Though it was still far from the strength she'd possessed originally, it should be enough for her to make a gamble.

To catch the ringleader, first catch the king.

Clearly, this old woman—the Princess Dowager—was the most honored person here. If she could take her hostage, she could escape.

So she had deliberately embraced the corpse and rolled, her goal being to get closer to the Princess Dowager...

Discovering that Yao Ying had died of poisoning was an unexpected bonus.

Because of the rolling, blood had flowed from the corpse, and she'd caught the wrong scent in it—after all, she was quite familiar with the business of poisoning.

Since that was the case, she called out, hoping it might defuse the crisis.

As expected, it did not work.

Not to mention that a single sentence would not convince anyone, the old woman would not allow any other outcome—dead was dead, it was their own people who did it, so just finish it quickly.

Then forgive me, Your Grace, the Princess Dowager.

Lin Lin's body tensed as she watched the Princess Dowager slowly rise, feeling the servants surge toward her. Just as she was about to lunge forward, a voice came from behind.

"It should be poisoning."

It was a male voice, cutting through the noise of the hall, making everyone freeze mid-motion.

Another male voice followed.

"Ah, are you sure?"

Lin Lin turned her head slightly. Through the gaps between the chaotic figures in the hall, she could see two people at the entrance. One was dressed in lavish finery, as dazzling and garish as the Princess Dowager herself. The other wore a plain blue robe with not a single ornament, tall and thin like a withered branch.

The withered branch had his hand covering his nose and mouth.

"I can. I smelled it."

Really? He can smell it? That impressive? Lin Lin thought, unable to resist wanting to see his face clearly. But the footsteps around her were chaotic, and the Princess Dowager, who had needed a maid's help to rise just moments before, now strode over on her own with swift steps, her maids surging behind her and blocking the view.

"Chengzhi, why have you returned?"

"Grandmother, I heard you were ill—how could I not come back?"

"My dear grandson, did I frighten you?"

"Yes, yes, Grandmother, I was so scared."

The tense atmosphere in the hall dissolved instantly, replaced by the joy of family reunion. Even the Secretary from the Imperial Clan Court, who had been furious moments before, broke into a beaming smile and went to offer his greetings.

Lin Lin lay prone on the ground, her eyes flickering slightly. She was pleased too—a more powerful "king" had arrived, the Princess Dowager's beloved grandson.

If she could capture him, this noble lady, the Princess Dowager, would do whatever she said.

...

...

"...It was His Majesty who sent me back..."

"...So Grandmother has indeed recovered quite a bit, even with the energy to hear cases."

"...Then I'll listen in as well."

Zhao Chengzhi paused here, realizing what had just happened.

"Grandmother, if this female apprentice was poisoned, why would she be drowned? The drowning is a ruse to cover up the true cause of death."

The Princess Dowager hesitated, unwilling to contradict her grandson who had just returned to visit her.

Secretary Chen quickly spoke up: "Your Highness, that is merely the female apprentice's wild claim, not necessarily—"

Before he could finish, Zhao Chengzhi shook his head and interrupted.

"A Bai said it was poison, so it must be." He said.

A Bai? The Princess Dowager and Secretary Chen both froze for a moment, as if only now remembering—right, someone had indeed said it was poisoning.

They looked at the young man standing quietly to the side.

"A Bai, go take a closer look." Zhao Chengzhi said with a smile, patting the young man on the shoulder.

The young man called A Bai nodded, stepped forward, and Secretary Chen and the servants instinctively made way as he walked over to the corpse, crouched down, and examined it.

Lin Lin, still lying prone on the ground, could now see his face clearly.

He was around eighteen or nineteen, his complexion slightly pale, seeming somewhat frail, yet his delicate features carried a hint of liveliness.

He extended a slender hand to press several spots on the corpse, then raised his head toward the doorway and said, "He didn't drown—he was thrown into the water after death."

Zhao Chengzhi looked at the Princess Dowager: "This culprit is formidable, using the illusion of drowning to frame someone else while staying perfectly hidden themselves."

Believing it that easily? Lin Lin thought to herself—she'd said the same thing just moments ago.

She looked at the young man before her with tearful eyes; clearly, he held no low status either.

"Daring to do something like this in our Prince of Qi's Mansion—I'd like to see just who is so deranged! Grandmother, leave this matter to me. I'll investigate it personally."

Hearing Zhao Chengzhi's words, the Princess Dowager furrowed her brow slightly.

"Your Highness." Secretary Chen noticed the Princess Dowager's expression and, not wanting to escalate things, quickly said, "We can't declare it poisoning based on a single statement..."

Zhao Chengzhi smiled: "If he says it's poisoning, then it's definitely poisoning. He's a disciple of Master Ma of Qingcheng Mountain—Master Ma's medical skills are unmatched, his arts boundless; one glance and he can judge life and death. Grandmother, this is why I rushed back. A Bai happened to return to the capital, so I brought him along to examine you—"

He rattled off a long string of words, leaving the Princess Dowager and Secretary Chen somewhat bewildered.

"Chengzhi, Chengzhi." The Princess Dowager interrupted him. "Who is this?"

Everyone knew of Master Ma of Qingcheng Mountain—a Taoist immortal master whom even His Majesty respected as a teacher. But Master Ma had many disciples.

"Grandmother." Zhao Chengzhi said with a smile, "He's Xiao E."

Xiao E—the Princess Dowager's expression flickered with surprise as Zhao Chengzhi's voice continued.

"His childhood name is A Bai, and His Majesty has just enfeoffed him as Commandery Prince of the Northern Garrison..."

At those words, the faces of the Princess Dowager and Secretary Chen shifted slightly, and the others ceased their hushed murmurs—the hall seemed to freeze in an instant.

Commandery Prince of the Northern Garrison, Lin Lin thought—sounded like another member of the imperial clan. Judging by everyone's reaction, he must be someone out of the ordinary. Lying on the ground, using her scattered hair as cover, she sized up the young man once more...

Between him and this heir apparent, which one was more "valuable"? Which one should she seize to make a clean escape?

The stillness in the hall lasted only a moment.

The Princess Dowager looked at Xiao E, her expression shifting briefly before she forced a smile: "So it's you—you've grown so big now."

Xiao E rose and bowed to the Princess Dowager: "Greetings to the Consort Dowager."

Zhao Chengzhi chuckled: "Why call her Consort Dowager? You should say grand-aunt."

Xiao E offered no form of address, and the Princess Dowager didn't follow up with a word—the hall fell into that strange stillness once more.

Secretary Chen didn't want to continue that topic either, nor did he wish to get entangled in this prince's affairs, so he hastily changed the subject: "Then, Your Highness, your meaning is that this Yao Ying wasn't killed by Lin Lin?"

His gaze swept over Yao Ying's corpse, then fell to Lin Lin, who lay on the ground appearing half-dead, having shown no reaction throughout.

Had she truly been wronged?

"That's not certain either." Xiao E said in a gentle, slow voice. "Poisoning first, then drowning—that's hardly unheard of. Some people kill twice."

Ha, Lin Lin made her decision—when she fled, she'd grab him first and use him as a shield against blades.