Chapter 522: Luo'er Proves Her Innocence! Poison Test!

Li Qingluo: "The food is poisoned, and it's from my restaurant?"

"Which restaurateur would be so foolish as to do this, to poison the princess—it's basically courting death!"

"First, the chef cooks everything in a single pot."

"The servers don't even know which dish is for the princess, because today everyone's food, except for a few girls who gave special instructions due to dietary restrictions, is identical."

"Only after reaching this room are the dishes delivered one by one in order and placed before you."

"After that, does only the errand boy have any contact with the princess's food? The princess's maids, all the girls—do they really have no chance at all?"

Li Qingluo's word‑for‑word questioning made everyone become increasingly anxious.

"How could it possibly be us?"

"Yeah, as if we don't want to live."

"Why would we do such a thing?"

"Madam Nangong, please don't jump to wild speculation."

Li Qingluo: "Is it wild speculation? If the princess can still awaken, the truth will naturally become clear quickly."

"However, at present the princess's condition is far from optimistic, so we must prove our innocence even faster."

"Who, after the dishes were served, still approached her?"

"Anyone who did becomes a suspect."

"But there is another possibility."

"That is, the princess may have been poisoned before even arriving at the restaurant—perhaps she ate something or drank wine earlier, or the poison simply reached its activation time."

Li Qingluo spoke, her gaze naturally turning to Princess Changning.

She walked over, yanked the cloth from Princess Changning's mouth, squinted and asked, "You did this, Princess Changning?"

"You are inexplicably hostile to me today; it must be because yesterday I went to your mansion to meet your father, letting you discover my identity."

"Your secret, you don't want outsiders to know."

"So you want to eliminate me and then be satisfied."

"Only then would you devise such a foolish yet devious scheme, trying to make me commit a genocidal crime."

"You even wouldn't mind using the girls from other families as your stepping stones—am I wrong in my guess?"

Princess Changning: "Stop spouting nonsense here, you blood‑spitting liar!"

Nangong Qingluo, your husband was captured and imprisoned; clearly you wanted to poison Xing Yao, then use the antidote to threaten to rescue your husband.

"So that's your plot, right?"

"Now you pour filthy water onto me; I will kill you—"

Princess Changning roared, her face twisted, and she tried to spring up to pounce.

Que'er with one hand pressed her down hard to the ground.

"Be honest!"

"Princess Changning, you think everyone else is as brainless as you?"

Princess Changning: "You bold, vile maid! What are you saying? How dare you insult this princess! I will cut off your head—"

Princess Changning's temperament, already spoiled by Princess Zhi Yuan to the point of being more overbearing than the royal princesses, had recently been tempered a bit because her mother had just died and she secretly doubts her own lineage.

However, at this moment, with Li Qingluo having completely exposed and dismantled her, Princess Changning could no longer contain her inner fury and, like a madwoman, shouted: "You heartless, treacherous, vicious master and servant!"

"Have you forgotten who first patronized your restaurant?"

"Now that business is booming and you've befriended the Seventh Princess, you want to deal with this princess first, looking down on her!"

"When my innocence is finally vindicated, I will certainly not spare you—"

Li Qingluo stared at Princess Changning and gave a faint smile: "You slipped, Your Highness."

Princess Changning's whole body trembled.

Li Qingluo coldly snorted: "Even before I entered this hall, you had already decided I'm the true culprit poisoning the princess."

"Yet just now you yourself said I want to curry favor with the Seventh Princess."

"There are people in this world who use poisoning to win favor—do you think everyone is a fool who can't tell right from wrong?"

Princess Changning's complexion turned snow‑white.

"No… I was just talking nonsense just now…"

"It's you, clearly it's you!"

Li Qingluo: "Keep her mouth sealed."

She waited patiently; soon, Jin Hua and the palace Imperial Physician arrived one after another.

"Luo'er, there are many soldiers outside. They've already surrounded your restaurant."

"The shopkeeper lady and I also came in by scaling the wall from the back."

"What's happening?"

Li Qingluo: "Senior sister, there's no time for lengthy explanations; I need your help right now."

"Quickly help me check which dish on this table is poisoned."

"Also, this is the Seventh Princess; she fainted from poisoning, and I've already fed her Grandfather Luo's pill. Whether she lives now depends on this Imperial Physician."

Li Qingluo turned her face toward the trembling physician.

"You, you are not allowed to let soldiers in; if the princess truly suffers any harm, today none of your heads will be enough to be chopped!"

Li Qingluo: "Focus on yours!"

"If the princess can't live, you won't either!"

She glared fiercely; the physician, intimidated by the killing aura in her eyes, trembled all over.

She hurriedly lunged to feel the Seventh Princess's pulse.

On the other side, the young ladies from each family heard that outside was already surrounded by troops, and they were all so nervous they were about to cry.

"What should we do?"

"Yeah, should we go out or not?"

"If the Princess doesn't wake up, we're all doomed!"

"From now on I'll never dare go out lightly again; sob, even this ladies' tavern is dangerous."

"Or we could send someone out to negotiate."

That last remark was Cai Jiuniang speaking as she walked over to Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo: "Don't worry, my people know how to handle things."

Li Qingluo understood deep down that if today's affair were mishandled, let alone the Flower Pavilion Tavern being unable to stay open, she would find it hard to maintain a foothold anywhere in South Peace.

Moreover…… if the Princess cannot be awakened, even if I risk my life to have the assassins take her out of South Peace, I doubt I could withstand the entire military force of South Peace.

Therefore, every step Li Qingluo takes must be cautious and careful.

She nodded to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper immediately went out again.

The troops surrounding the tavern waited a long time for the Princess to appear, and they had already planned to try to force their way in.

I heard this tavern still has a few highly skilled guards?

Although only two masked sword-bearers stand at the door now, the head of the guards can also sense a strong killing intent all around!

A merchant actually dares to keep guards!

Once they catch a handle on them, this tavern won't be allowed to stay open!

"Men——prepare bows and arrows——"

"Ram the door!"

The shopkeeper hurriedly ran out and shouted urgently: "Officials, please stop!"

"The Princess Your Highness is indeed slightly indisposed, but for now she cannot come out."

"She is resting; if we wait another half a double hour, she will certainly appear in person for everyone to see."

"Right now, you officials shouldn't disturb the Princess's rest, should you?"

Thanks to the shopkeeper's eloquent tongue, the situation outside has at least temporarily settled.

After all, the maid who went to announce things wasn't clear either, so the troops and guards who came to rescue the carriage also feared really disturbing the Princess, and thus the Flower Pavilion Tavern finally got another half a double hour.

After another half a double hour, if the Princess still doesn't appear, they will storm the tavern and confiscate everything inside!