The pudding was delivered shortly, and Shuangxi received it with both hands.

“Shuangxi, has there been any news of Young Master?” Murong asked.

Shuangxi said, “Not yet, but the Marshal has already sent many people out. There should be news before long.”

Murong made a sound of acknowledgement. “If there is any news, please let us know — our Young Mistress is very worried as well.”

“Many thanks to the Seventh Young Mistress for her concern.” Shuangxi smiled briefly.

Only after Murong had left did Shuangxi take the bowl of pudding and hurry inside the room.

“Eldest Miss, the item has been delivered.”

Shi Yuan quickly rose to her feet and used a syringe to inject the medication she had prepared in advance into the pudding.

“Will it be detectable?” Shi Yuan was somewhat tense.

“Eldest Miss need not worry. This particular poison is colorless and odorless — it cannot be tasted.”

“Good. Have someone deliver it to the Military Police Division at once. Say it is a sweet that the Seventh Young Mistress has sent for the Seventh Young Master.” Shi Yuan said, then could not help but press her palms together and murmur, “Seventh Brother, do not blame Eldest Sister for being heartless. This is all for the sake of your unfortunate nephew. If you had agreed to release the prisoners, Eldest Sister would not have been driven to take this path. So if you must blame anyone, you can only blame yourself.”

Shuangxi sent a junior maid off to the Military Police Division, and the moment that maid left, someone fell into step behind her.

About twenty minutes later, Yan Qing heard Murong’s footsteps.

“Miss.” Murong came running in, breathless. “Eldest Miss sent a junior maid to deliver the pudding. I followed her the whole way and found that she was heading in the direction of the Military Police Division.”

“She went to the Military Police Division?” Yan Qing had not expected Shi Yuan to send the item to the Military Police Division. She had asked Murong to keep watch precisely out of fear that Shi Yuan might use the item for some other purpose. Her relationship with Shi Yuan was only so-so, and one could never be too careful — especially where food was concerned.

“What reason does Eldest Miss have to send a bowl of pudding to the Military Police Division of all places — and one that you made yourself at that.”

Yan Qing smiled slightly, as if something had just become clear to her. “Because if it is not made by me, Shi Ting will not eat it.”

“Could it be…” Murong’s eyes went wide. “Could Eldest Miss have tampered with the pudding? She wants to harm the Young Master?”

“That would appear to be the case.”

“Miss, then you must quickly call the Young Master.” Murong broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. “The item should not have arrived yet.”

Yan Qing waved her hand and slowly picked up the book she had been reading. “Do not worry. Shi Ting will not eat it.”

Seeing how utterly composed her own mistress was while she herself was frantic with anxiety, Murong could only fret in place — but since her mistress had not given any orders, there was nothing she could do.

Shi Ting heard a knock at his door and said in a low, measured voice, “Come in.”

Bai Jin came in holding a food box, poking half his head through the door. “Seventh Brother, Sister-in-law has sent warmth your way.”

At the words “Sister-in-law,” Shi Ting finally looked up.

“Sister-in-law has sent you some confections.” Bai Jin set the food box on the table and sneakily opened it. Upon seeing the mango pudding inside, his eyes lit up instantly. “Just looking at it makes my mouth water.”

“Seventh Brother, shall I have a taste on your behalf first?”

Hearing it was mango pudding, Shi Ting’s brow gave the faintest twitch. “Who delivered it?”

“I did not recognize her — one of the maids from your Shi household. She looked unfamiliar.”

“Not Jing Zhi or Murong?”

Bai Jin shook his head. “Seventh Brother, are you suspicious that this confection was not made by Sister-in-law?”

“She made it.” Shi Ting’s gaze softened momentarily, then immediately returned to its deep, measured expression. “But she did not make it for me.”

Bai Jin had been eyeing the pudding with longing just a moment ago. Hearing these words, his expression also turned grave.

Shi Ting said, “First of all, she would never have anyone outside the Tao Lan Courtyard deliver things to me — especially not food. Second, she knows I am allergic to mangoes. It would be impossible for her to make me a mango pudding.”

The fact that he was allergic to mangoes was something he had told her the time they returned to her family home. She was a doctor, and naturally she knew that someone with a mango allergy could not eat mangoes — their lips would swell and itch. Knowing full well he could not eat them, would she make him a mango pudding? Clearly not.

“Have Gu Zhen take it and analyze the composition. See what is in this pudding.”

“Understood.”

It was not long before Bai Jin came back, hand pressed to his chest, looking very much like someone who had just narrowly escaped death. “Seventh Brother, you were right on the mark. A large amount of arsenic was injected into this pudding. Baipang says just two bites would be enough to send someone to meet King Yama. Seventh Brother, someone in the Shi household wants to harm you?”

Shi Ting set down his steel pen and said in a low, steady voice, “Who do you think would want me dead?”

“It cannot be your eldest or second brother. They are both deeply calculating — even if they wanted you dead, they would not use such a blatant method. Murdering the Marshal’s son — what an enormous charge that would be.” Bai Jin thought for a moment. “And it cannot be from the Third Concubine’s side either. She is with child, and she has no grievance or enmity with you — why would she invite such trouble?”

“Indeed — once all other possibilities have been eliminated, the one that remains, however improbable, must be the answer.”

“First Madam?”

Shi Ting shook his head. “Although First Madam has always been displeased with me, she has not reached the point of wanting me dead and gone. She would not dare.”

“Then who else is there?”

“Shi Yuan.” Shi Ting’s brow furrowed tightly, creasing into a sharp peak. “My Eldest Sister wants my life.”

“Just because Seventh Brother did not release Qin Peipei and Huantong? But that was the Marshal’s order — what does it have to do with Seventh Brother?”

Shi Ting shook his head. “No. That is not the reason.”

Shi Ting tapped his index finger lightly against the surface of the table. “Someone has put a condition to her — trading my life in exchange for her son’s.”

That was the only reasonable explanation he could come up with.

“It must be the people from the Xi Nan side.” Bai Jin speculated. “A covert intelligence organization that has been embedded in Shun Cheng for so long without revealing itself — it must be under the direct management of the Xi Nan warlords. Liao Wenfa himself is only one member of it.”

He scratched his head. “Seventh Brother, what do we do? Your Eldest Sister is truly ruthless.”

“Do what needs to be done.” Shi Ting’s eyes deepened. “File the case.”

—

Yan Qing was inside writing her teaching materials when Jing Zhi lifted the curtain and hurried in. “Young Mistress, the people from the Military Police Division have arrived.”

“Where are they?” Yan Qing set down her pen.

“They have gone to Zhuo Xin Courtyard.”

“How many came?”

“Team Leader Bai is heading them, and there are over ten people.”

Yan Qing furrowed her brow slightly. Why would the Military Police Division come to the Shi household — and to First Madam’s courtyard at that? Normally, that kind of formation meant they were there to apprehend a suspect.

Her mind moved rapidly. Could it be…

“Let us go and see.” Yan Qing quickly rose to her feet.

In Zhuo Xin Courtyard, Madam Shi had just finished a cup of tea when she heard a servant running from outside and shouting, “Madam, something is wrong — the Military Police Division has arrived.”

“Are you sure you are not seeing things? Why would the Military Police Division come to our household? It must just be the Seventh Young Master returning.” Yingtao, who had been massaging Madam Shi’s shoulders, let out a dismissive hum.

“There is a whole group of them.” The servant came running in, panting for breath. “Madam, please go and have a look. The other side says they are here to apprehend a suspect.”

“A suspect? Coming to my Zhuo Xin Courtyard to apprehend a suspect?” Madam Shi had not been paying much attention, but upon hearing those words, she set her teacup down with a heavy thud on the table. “I would like to see for myself who has such a great deal of nerve.”

As she walked out, she gave instructions along the way. “Go and fetch the Marshal. I refuse to believe that the Military Police Division, which regulates everything under the heavens, can extend its authority to our Marshal’s mansion.”

While someone went to summon the Marshal, Madam Shi had already arrived at the front courtyard with a group of servants.

When she saw over ten men dressed in uniform standing in the courtyard, a wave of irritation rose within her.

“Do you people know where you are?”

The young man leading them was remarkably handsome, with a hint of a bright smile always playing at the corner of his lips. Seeing Madam Shi emerge, he quickly gave a respectful bow. “First Madam, I am Bai Jianchuan, Captain of the Second Squad at the Military Police Division. I have come under orders from our Division Director to apprehend a suspect.”

“Ridiculous. This is the Marshal’s mansion. There are no suspects here.” Madam Shi turned to the servants beside her in fury. “Where are the guards? Where is Captain Liu? Are they just going to stand there and watch these people barge in and cause a scene?”

Bai Jin laughed lightly. “First Madam, to tell you plainly, when the Military Police Division is conducting an investigation, even the guards would not dare to obstruct us. It is written plainly and clearly in the Shun Cheng Law. Going to find Captain Liu now would only put him in a difficult position.”

“Where is the Marshal? Why hasn’t the Marshal come yet? Let him come and see for himself how this pack of dogs he has raised are biting people left and right.” Madam Shi was so furious that even her pair of earrings trembled.

“Even if the Marshal were to come, he would still need to cooperate with our investigation.”

“You have some nerve.” Madam Shi glared at him in fury.

Bai Jin maintained his warm and genial smile. “Because the party who was targeted for murder is the Marshal’s own son. First Madam, do you think the Marshal will cooperate?”

“You — what do you mean by that?”

“I mean exactly what I said.” Bai Jin did not bother to explain further, and instead swept his hand in a signal. “Search.”

In an instant, the ten-odd officers fanned out swiftly to every corner of the courtyard. Madam Shi’s eyes nearly popped with fury. She rounded on the servants and maids around her and shouted, “You — all of you — are you really just going to stand there watching? Go and stop them!”

The servants all felt a degree of apprehension the moment they saw those Military Police Division uniforms, and none of them dared step forward to interfere — all the more so since those men were armed.

“Madam, it would be best to first get to the bottom of this before saying anything further.” One servant ventured to advise. “The Military Police Division would not conduct a search without evidence.”

“Are you saying that I am harboring criminals in my courtyard?” Madam Shi was so angry her face was almost green.

Before the servant could reply, they saw an officer emerge from inside a room, hauling a junior maid behind him. The little maid was held in his grip like a chicken, so frightened that tears streamed down her face.

“Captain Bai, found her.” The officer brought the junior maid before Bai Jin.

Bai Jin studied her carefully, then smiled. “That’s the one.”

“Madam, is that not Little Cui?” Yingtao said in a low voice. “Could she have broken the law?”

Madam Shi was also taken aback. Little Cui was just a sweeping maid in the courtyard — what could she possibly have done to bring the Military Police Division down on them?

But she quickly recalled what the officer had said moments ago — that the Marshal’s own son had been targeted for murder.

Shi Guang was still in Qianguan City, and Shi Qian was in the military as well… could it be…

Just then, the Marshal arrived at Zhuo Xin Courtyard with his adjutant. Seeing the courtyard in a state of chaos, he could not help but feel deeply troubled. “What is going on here?”

—