They walked in silence through the inner corridors.
Only when they passed beyond the lotus screens did Li Yuetong speak.
"Someone in the inner court has been poisoned," she said evenly. "His condition is severe."
Xin Ying's steps slowed slightly. "Poison?"
"Yes. He collapsed shortly after the meal. He is unconscious now." Li Yuetong's gaze remained forward. "So far, we have three suspects."
Xin Ying listened carefully as they approached the clinic pavilion, where the scent of bitter herbs hung thick in the air.
"The first," Li Yuetong continued, "is the maid who prepared the ingredients. The second is the chief cook, who handled the fire and seasoning. The third is the servant who delivered the meal."
They entered.
A man lay on the bed, his face pale, lips tinged faintly blue. His breathing was shallow, uneven. A physician knelt beside him, murmuring instructions to an assistant.
Xin Ying studied him quietly.
Not sudden death, she noted. Slow onset. Internal.
At Li Yuetong's signal, guards escorted three people forward. They knelt in a row, trembling.
"I will ask a few questions," Xin Ying said calmly.
Li Yuetong nodded.
Xin Ying turned slightly. "May I know what food was served to him?"
"Scrambled egg and tomato soup," Li Yuetong replied. "Rice. Red beans with scrambled eggs. Fried potatoes."
Xin Ying frowned faintly.
None of these are poisonous, she thought. Unless…
She clasped her hands behind her back, pacing slowly.
"There is nothing inherently toxic in these dishes," she said aloud. "Unless the ingredients themselves had spoiled—or were replaced."
She stopped.
"May I inspect the storage room where the ingredients were kept?" she asked.
Li Yuetong did not hesitate. "Come."
The storage room lay behind the kitchens, cool and dim. Rows of baskets filled the space—grains, vegetables, herbs carefully sorted and labeled.
Xin Ying moved slowly between them, her eyes sharp.
She stopped at a low basket near the corner.
Potatoes.
She crouched and lifted the cloth covering them.
The smell reached her instantly.
Her expression changed.
"These are wrong," she said.
Li Yuetong stepped closer. "Wrong?"
Xin Ying picked one up carefully, turning it in her hand. Its skin was slightly green, its surface uneven.
"You said fried potatoes were served," Xin Ying said quietly.
"Yes," Li Yuetong replied.
"These are poisonous potatoes," Xin Ying said. "If consumed, they can cause dizziness, vomiting… and in severe cases, coma."
Li Yuetong's eyes darkened.
She looked toward the kitchen entrance.
"So it wasn't seasoning. Or fire."
Xin Ying shook her head. "No. The poison came from the ingredient itself."
They returned to the suspects.
Li Yuetong's voice was cold. "Who prepared the potatoes?"
The maid collapsed instantly, tears spilling as she bowed repeatedly.
"I—I didn't know," she cried. "They looked the same—I swear—"
Xin Ying watched her carefully.
"She did it," Li Yuetong said.
"Yes," Xin Ying answered calmly. "She handled the ingredients. The others never saw the potatoes before cooking or serving."
Silence fell.
The guards dragged the maid away.
Li Yuetong turned to Xin Ying, studying her with renewed intensity.
"You solved this quickly."
Xin Ying lowered her gaze. "The food was ordinary. That made the poison stand out."
Li Yuetong exhaled slowly.
"You were right to be brought here," she said. "The Palace needs eyes like yours."
Xin Ying said nothing.
But as they left the clinic, she felt it clearly.
This was no longer about survival.
She had stepped into something far more dangerous.
And someone, somewhere, would not be pleased.
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Thank you for reading my novel