Chapter 41: Palace Banquet Storm (11)

Taking the bracelet and examining it carefully, the bracelet was very exquisite, with fine and dense gaps inside and outside. The bracelet had some thickness and felt quite heavy. It was not impossible to use it as a hidden weapon. Gently pressing the gems on it, he found no abnormalities. Trying to push the gems, they were also embedded very firmly. Gently stroking around the bracelet, he found no mechanisms that could protrude or sink.

Hu Xi'ang had a cold face and shouted: "Have you seen enough? Give it back to me."

Was it really not him? Dan Yulan fell into deep thought again. There were not many people on the second level of the hall, and even fewer who could get close to the wine cup. No other silver threads or suspicious things were found in the cup, so it was most likely that Hu Xi'ang poisoned it while picking up the wine cup.

But what exactly did he use as a hidden weapon? If the bracelet was the hidden weapon, how could it be proven?!

Was there really no way?!

Was this bracelet the murder weapon or not?! Now that the bracelet had no abnormalities, how could it be proven that it was a hidden weapon?

Dan Yulan held the bracelet, fell into deep thought, and remained silent. Hu Xi'ang watched from the sidelines, said nothing, and just wanted his bracelet back.

Zhuo Qing, while hammering her legs that were a bit sore from squatting just now, chatted with Mo Bai as if inadvertently, but her voice was a bit loud: "I remember you said just now that the venom of the Red Ring Silk Worm is unique to Qiongyue and is different from all other poisons, right?"

Mo Bai faintly felt that Zhuo Qing had already thought of a way, so he responded: "Yes."

Zhuo Qing shrugged, looked at Hu Xi'ang, whose face had already changed slightly, and said: "Since that's the case, even if the hidden weapon in the bracelet cannot be unlocked, as long as it can be proven that there is enough Red Ring Silk Worm venom on the bracelet to be fatal, General Hu will need to explain it properly."

That's right! The murderer chose such a special poison to frame Qiongyue, and such uniqueness also made it easier to expose himself. He only thought of looking for hidden weapons; in fact, he could also start from the poison! Taking another look at the bracelet in his hand, Dan Yulan's eyes lit up: "Someone, bring a basin of clear water."

"Yes."

Soon, the palace maid brought a basin of clear water. Dan Yulan put a silver needle into the water, and there was no change. Then he gently put the bracelet in his hand into the water. Before long, faint red threads slowly seeped out from the fine and dense patterns of the bracelet, quickly merging into the water. And the long silver needle, which was originally silver-white, slowly turned black, and the faint salty, fishy smell was the same as the smell emitted by that cup of poisonous wine.

Pushing the water basin gently in front of Hu Xi'ang, Dan Yulan said coldly: "General Hu can explain why the bracelet you carry with you carries the venom of the Red Ring Silk Worm. You wouldn't want to say that the wine splashed on it, right?" He didn't believe he would use such a clumsy excuse to defend himself.

Hu Xi'ang's face was a bit pale, but he didn't show panic, nor did he defend himself, replying calmly: "Things have reached this point, I have nothing to explain."

He admitted it?! But what was the motive? He wouldn't kill someone for no reason, let alone a princess of his own country!

Obviously, Xu Xunsi was the most anxious to know this question. Glaring at Hu Xi'ang, Xu Xunsi cursed angrily: "Why did you do this? What good does it do you for Beiqi and Qiongyue to become enemies?! General Hu spent his whole life for the country and the people, loyal and righteous. How can you be worthy of the old General by doing this?!"

"Shut up, you Xu family have no right to mention my father's name!" Hu Xi'ang, who had been calm and rational, suddenly seemed to be ignited. Xu Xunsi's words stung the most sensitive string in Hu Xi'ang's heart. Hu Xi'ang approached Xu Xunsi, his tall and burly figure and his angry face with red eyes made Xu Xunsi retreat a step in fright.

Staring at Xu Xunsi, carrying a bit of mockery, a bit of unwillingness, and more of full anger and hatred, Hu Xi'ang said sharply: "My father was too pedantic, refused to form an alliance with Dinu, insisted on serving the imperial court, insisted on so-called integrity. And what was the result? When he fought Dinu to the death, what did you royal family members who speak of benevolence and morality do? You didn't send reinforcements, deducted food and grass, let him be attacked from both sides, and finally died tragically under the enemy's random arrows. This is the loyalty and righteousness you speak of. You people only know how to fight, only know how to point fingers in the palace, and don't care about the suffering of the people or the hard work of the soldiers. You are simply not worthy of my father's loyalty."

Xu Xunsi's brows tightened tightly, and he asked in disbelief: "So you deliberately killed Seventh Sister, destroyed the alliance between Beiqi and Qiongyue, and made the two countries enemies, so that Beiqi would also be attacked from both sides, right?"

"You are right. I just want to see what you look like when you are about to die! It would be best to let you taste the feeling of being pierced by random arrows!" Hu Xi'ang laughed wildly as if he were insane. The hatred that filled his whole body and soul made everyone involuntarily gasp.

Hu Xi'ang's madness gave people a bad premonition. Yan Hongtian called out loudly: "Someone, take Hu Xi'ang into custody temporarily."

"No need for trouble." The laughter finally stopped. With a hoarse voice, Hu Xi'ang seemed to be exhausted, and sighed lightly: "Forget it, the matter has been exposed, I will go accompany that stubborn old man."

As he spoke, he picked up the silver needle in the water basin beside him and stabbed it fiercely into his temple...

Everything happened too fast. When everyone reacted, his tall figure had already fallen straight into the Great Hall.

Dan Yulan went up to check, only to see him convulse a few times, then not move. His face was blue, his hands and feet were stiff, and his eyes were bulging.

Dan Yulan stood up slowly and replied in a low voice: "He is dead."

Another one died?!

No one expected that a welcome banquet would eventually evolve into this.

A flash of sadness crossed Su Ling's eyes. He had met old General Hu and admired his character very much. Hu Xi'ang didn't understand. Perhaps the Beiqi royal family was really not worth serving, but what old General Hu guarded was not just the Beiqi royal family, but more of the people of Beiqi.

Of the three, now only he was left. Xu Xunsi only felt sad and ashamed, for himself, for Beiqi. Taking a deep breath, Xu Xunsi suddenly knelt down and requested in a low voice: "That such a thing happened today is truly a tragedy for Beiqi. For the misunderstanding caused, I ask the Qiong Emperor to be magnanimous and allow me to take the remains of the two back to Beiqi."

Raising his hand lightly, Yan Hongtian did not make things difficult for him and replied loudly: "Granted. Someone, send the Third Prince back to the post house. Official Dan, leave this place to you."

"Yes."

After Yan Hongtian finished speaking, he stood up hurriedly and walked out of the hall with big strides, never looking at Zhuo Qing again from beginning to end. Zhuo Qing breathed a sigh of relief. The various emotions Yan Hongtian revealed toward her—no! toward Feng—all showed that there must be a entanglement between them. And she didn't want to get herself into such a tangled situation.

Zhuo Qing raised her eyes again to look in the direction of Qing Ling not far away, but only saw the three eunuchs who were being guarded with her. There was no shadow of Qing Ling in the Great Hall.

Was she taken away by the Empress?! Zhuo Qing was a bit worried, but on second thought, even if she was really taken away by the Empress, what could she do? Involuntarily, Zhuo Qing's gaze turned to Lou Xiyan, but she didn't want to happen to collide with the tearful eyes of Princess Zhaoyun. In the tearful eyes, there was deep love and faint resentment. Zhuo Qing couldn't help but frown. She didn't want to be someone else's imaginary enemy. Withdrawing her gaze, Zhuo Qing bypassed Lou Xiyan and walked toward the outside of the hall.

Just as Zhuo Qing brushed past him, her hand was intercepted. With the cool touch, she knew it was him without thinking. Before Zhuo Qing could turn her head, a gentle low chant rang out in her ear: "Wait for me in the carriage, I'll be there in a while."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuo Qing didn't need to turn her head, she could already feel the scorching gaze behind her.

She couldn't leave the palace herself, so where else could she go if she didn't wait for him outside? He must have done it on purpose! Fortunately, the hand he was holding her with had already been released. Zhuo Qing was too lazy to talk nonsense with him, so as not to let her explanation become showing off in others' eyes, and her denial become flirting.

Zhuo Qing walked gracefully, but Yan Ruxuan's heart ached fiercely. Looking at Lou Xiyan still staring at the woman's profile, Yan Ruxuan heard her own voice trembling: "Do you... like her?"

Lou Xiyan turned his head and only replied faintly: "It's getting late, Princess, return to the palace early to rest."

"Do you like her?" She had to know today! For so many years, she had had enough of this lukewarm treatment!

There were no waves in his eyes. Lou Xiyan was still as faint as before and replied: "This subject already said in the Great Hall just now that she is this subject's wife."

Clenching her fists tightly, Yan Ruxuan didn't choose to escape like any other time. With a sob, Yan Ruxuan insisted on asking: "I only ask you if you like her?!" She didn't care about any wife or status; she just wanted to know who he liked in his heart?!

The girl in front of her was crying like rain. Lou Xiyan's hand moved, then slowly fell, only replying with one word concisely: "Yes."

Yes...

Yan Ruxuan's mind went blank for a moment.

He said yes?!

The one he liked was not her...

When he didn't have a sweetheart, she could deceive herself that he still liked her, but now, how could she deceive herself?!

What should she do? She liked him so much! She had liked him for a long, long time. In that season of falling flowers, she was captured by that faint, feather-light, warm smile. Her heart was no longer hers from that moment on. What should she do now?

Yan Ruxuan looked dazed. Lou Xiyan was somewhat worried. She was a good girl, but too fragile. This was also the reason why he had always adhered to the etiquette of monarch and subject for so many years, being distant and indifferent, but not daring to tell her directly.

Yan Ruxuan suddenly turned around and walked slowly toward the outside of the hall. The dazed appearance like a walking corpse made Lou Xiyan couldn't help but follow behind her.

In the hall, there were few people left. At the entrance of the hall, the Princess's personal maid greeted her. Lou Xiyan also stopped his footsteps and watched Yan Ruxuan go further and further away. On the other side, Zhuo Qing's impatient voice came: "Who are you?"

Lou Xiyan raised his eyes and saw that the one blocking her was Gao Jin, the personal attendant beside the Emperor.

Walking to Zhuo Qing's side, Lou Xiyan protected her behind him and asked in confusion: "What is the matter, Eunuch Gao?"

Gao Jin bowed and performed a ceremony before replying in a low voice: "The Emperor summons Prime Minister Lou and Miss Qing to the inner palace."

Is there no end to it! Zhuo Qing had a black face. She was exhausted. Was there anything that couldn't be said another day?!

Did he invite him and her together? Not necessarily. If he really intended to invite him, why did Gao Jin go straight to Feng? Based on his understanding of the Emperor, he would definitely not let this matter go easily, but he didn't expect it to be so fast.

Lou Xiyan didn't delve into it, raised his signature elegant shallow smile, and replied: "Then I will trouble Eunuch Gao to lead the way."

"I wouldn't dare." Gao Jin led the two of them around the hall and walked toward the back.

Zhuo Qing looked annoyed. Lou Xiyan comforted her softly and leisurely: "Don't worry, it's just an audience with the Emperor, I'm here for everything."

What should she worry about! Zhuo Qing had bitterness she couldn't speak of. The key to the problem was—she wasn't Feng!

She didn't know at all what kind of relationship Feng and that domineering and violent man had...?

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 42 =====