"The guard by Prince Yi's side is dead!"
Early summer, late afternoon, at Prince Xiaoyao Mansion.
In the bridal chamber, the bride sat alone on the wedding bed behind a screen, while two elderly women stood guard outside, so bored they were nearly dozing off.
Suddenly, rapid footsteps approached, and someone gently knocked on the door twice.
The woman near the door awoke with a start and hurriedly went to open it.
Entering was Lady Wang from the mansion, around the same age, with a panicked look on her face. Despite lowering her voice, it was clear she was still catching her breath: "Something big happened in the front!
The guard by Prince Yi's side is dead!
I heard that Prince Yi had someone warm a pot of wine just for him. After it was brought, he poured a cup and handed it back to his guard. The guard drank it, and suddenly his face changed color, he fell straight to the ground, convulsed a few times, and then stopped breathing!
Now it is said that although Prince Yi has not spoken, Duke Yan, who came with him, has already concluded that our Prince intended to seize the opportunity to murder the prince. He's saying he wants to petition Your Majesty to have our entire household executed!"
"What?!" The woman at the door was shocked by the gravity of the situation and panicked, "What should we do?"
A figure behind the screen suddenly moved, and a clear female voice came through from behind: "Mrs. Zhao."
The woman at the door heard the bride call her name, abruptly came back to her senses, and hurriedly replied, quickly moving around the screen: "Madam, did you need something from this old servant?"
Zhu Yu, who had already taken off the intricate jewelry from her head, rubbed her slightly aching forehead and asked the woman before her with a respectful expression: "If the charge of attempting to murder a prince cannot be cleared, would we really face execution of the entire household?"
Mrs. Zhao's expression stiffened; she hadn't expected the bride's hearing to be so sharp that she had heard every word they muttered at the door.
"Madam... this..." At this moment, she could only reply with a distressed expression, "Your Majesty's thoughts are beyond this old servant's guessing...
It's just... You've just married from Shuo Country to our Jin Country, so you might not know yet.
Prince Yi is our Jin Country's Second Prince, and Duke Yan is the maternal grandfather of the Second Prince. Back then, he fought with the late Emperor to build the kingdom, braving life and death, and even saved the late Emperor's life. It is said that the current Emperor always shows him a measure of respect...
So, I can't say whether there will be an execution of the entire household, but it's true that our Prince Mansion is in big trouble this time..."
After speaking, Mrs. Zhao felt that she might have been slightly inappropriate and hurriedly revised her words: "But you shouldn't worry too much, our Prince has always been considered a lucky star by the Emperor since childhood, so rest assured that the Prince will surely turn misfortunes into good fortunes!"
Zhu Yu sighed softly.
Though she knew very little about Jin Country, or rather this world, her mind was at least clear.
She was not optimistic about the conclusion of a coroner brought in by someone desperate to pin a crime on them.
Initially, she only wanted to let everything go and live as someone who idly enjoyed her life, but now, it seemed someone wanted to destroy the entire grain jar before she even had a chance to eat!
"Mrs. Zhao, please find a set of men's clothes for me," Zhu Yu sighed as she spoke to the woman before her.
"Madam, what are you planning to do?"
"I want us all to live a little longer."
The front yard of Prince Xiaoyao Mansion was brilliantly lit, but the sounds of music and singing or jovial toasts were absent; instead, there was a peculiar silence despite the crowd gathered.
Beneath a large tree in the yard, a tall guard wearing leather soft armor lay face-up on the ground, his complexion bluish and slightly swollen, with his lips a strange dark purple, eyes closed, motionless, and devoid of any vitality.
Three feet away, several guards from Duke Yan Mansion stood sternly, blocking anyone from approaching.
Nearby, a few individuals with varied expressions sat on chairs.
Lu Qing, the groom in his wedding attire, looked calm. Although a death had occurred during his wedding feast and he now faced charges of "poisoning a royal offspring," his face showed no sign of panic, as if he were merely a bystander watching the commotion.
On the other hand, Prince Yi, Lu Zhang, looked livid, a layer of fine cold sweat visible on his forehead in the candlelight.
"The Emperor's kindness was ultimately misplaced! After raising you as his own for so many years, you, this cold-hearted wolf, dare to plot against your kin!" Duke Yan Zhao Bi, seeing his grandson still in shock and then glancing at the calm Lu Qing, was furious, "This time, even if I exhaust everything, I must have the Emperor uphold justice!"
Lu Qing withdrew his gaze from the crowd beside Zhao Bi and looked at Duke Yan with a hint of a smile in his eyes: "The coroner hasn't arrived; Duke Yan is too hasty."
Zhao Bi's already dark expression grew even darker at his nonchalant glance, and he snorted with a sinister look.
As they spoke, two guard-looking individuals hurriedly led a man who appeared to be in his seventies through the crowd.
"Lord Duke, the coroner has been brought," a guard saluted Duke Yan, pushing the trembling old man forward.
The old coroner, akin to a shriveled walnut, probably had never seen such a grand scene in his lifetime. Pushed by the guard, his legs went weak, and he fell, scrambling up and greeting the noble figures before him with terror.
Duke Yan waved a hand with disdain, and the old coroner hurriedly squeezed past the guards.
Duke Yan gestured to the guards, who moved aside, allowing everyone to clearly see how the coroner examined.
The old coroner hurriedly knelt beside the guard, felt for breath under his nose, grabbed a hand to feel the pulse, carefully pried open the mouth to sniff inside, then rose to bow to Duke Yan and others: "Reporting to the lords, this official is indeed dead!
The little one noticed his face is cyanotic; it appears he died from poisoning. But I smelled a strong odor of wine in his mouth, so it seems the poison was hidden in the wine he drank, which then acted and killed him!"
"Hm!" Duke Yan turned his gaze to Lu Qing and then around, "Did you all hear the coroner clearly?
The guard by the Second Prince drank the wine prepared by Prince Xiaoyao for him and then died of poisoning!"
The coroner's voice was not loud; some in the courtyard heard clearly, others did not, so there had been little reaction. Now, with Duke Yan's robust shout, everyone heard it clearly; pretending not to have heard was impossible.
The old coroner hadn't expected it to be an issue involving a Prince and a royal prince, falling to the ground in fright, trembling and not daring to stand up.
The others were even more anxious.
On one side was Prince Xiaoyao, adopted when the current Emperor had no offspring, surrounded by rumors of being ambitionless and lost in the pleasures of music houses but seldom scolded by the Emperor and enjoyed considerable favor.
On the other side was Prince Yi, the only son left behind by the deceased Imperial Concubine, with a family that even the Emperor must show respect to. Among all princes, his status was unparalleled.
Now Duke Yan accused Prince Xiaoyao of attempting to poison Prince Yi, a charge Prince Xiaoyao naturally denied, with Prince Yi saying nothing, merely looking upset.
This put the banquet guests in a difficult position.
These three, none of whom they could afford to offend.
Each head on their shoulders was singular, and taking a side was genuinely undesirable!
Had they known, they might have feigned illness to avoid this spicy wedding wine!
Lu Qing remained unflustered, glancing at the trembling old coroner: "Human life is of great importance; how can we rashly conclude based on one person's words?
Is Lord Wu of the Jingzhao Mansion present? Perhaps there are younger, more capable coroners or judicial officers in Jingzhao Mansion who could be called to examine?"
"How so?" Just then, a slightly slender man in simple clothing pushed through the crowd.
"What makes you say that only one opinion shouldn't lead to a hasty conclusion? Time is of the essence; if we wait for someone from Jingzhao Mansion to come and examine, I'm afraid it will be too late!"
The slight man in plain clothes squeezed through the crowd and spoke up.