Shen Xihe had never imagined that Bian Xianyi would die like this before her very eyes.

Bian Xianyi – that tenacious, unyielding woman who had carved out her path even after the Bian family’s crimes landed her in the imperial palace. How could someone who valued her life so deeply die so easily?

Shen Xihe couldn’t make sense of it, yet Bian Xianyi had indeed perished like a jade flower withering away.

When the palace maid attending to Bian Xianyi discovered her, she let out a piercing scream that drew countless other maids from all around. Soon, palace guards, eunuchs, and imperial physicians arrived, followed by Concubine Rong, who managed the inner palace, accompanied by Princess Pingling.

“What happened here?” Concubine Rong demanded.

Bian Xianyi’s death was gruesome. Upon seeing her blood-covered face, everyone was deeply shaken, suspecting that Shen Xihe had poisoned someone in the deep palace. They all trembled in fear, not daring to speak.

“Physician Fang, what caused Lady Bian’s horrific death?” Concubine Rong asked the physician who had rushed over.

“Your Grace, Lady Bian took poison – a poison derived from a toxic mushroom. It causes bleeding from all seven orifices and damages all five organs within moments. Even immortals couldn’t have saved her,” the physician replied.

“Why would Lady Bian be poisoned? How could such a poison exist in the palace?” Concubine Rong’s sharp gaze swept across everyone present, leaving them all silent as cicadas in winter. Finally, her expression softened as she looked at Shen Xihe. “Princess Zhaoning, why are you here?”

“Concubine Rong, I came to the palace today seeking answers from Lady Bian. She took poison and died by suicide in front of me.” Her gaze fell on Bian Xianyi’s teacup. “If I’m not mistaken, the poison was in the tea.”

At Concubine Rong’s signal, Physician Fang immediately examined the teacup and indeed found poison.

Shen Xihe had initially thought only Bian Xianyi’s cup contained poison, while her own didn’t – which would have made it easier to frame her. However, her cup was poisoned too, and further investigation revealed the poison was in the teapot.

Bian Xianyi had personally gone to brew the tea, as witnessed by many palace servants in the tea room. Others had accompanied her back, helping carry today’s tea snacks, and she had waited here until someone brought Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe had been there less than half a cup of tea’s worth of time – it would have been impossible for her to send Bian Xianyi away and secretly poison the tea.

“Lady Bian seemed to know the Princess would come today. This servant was waiting outside to receive her,” said the palace maid who had guided Shen Xihe.

“Lady Bian also said something strange today,” another maid added. “She said she feared she wouldn’t be able to drink tea with us again.”

“When this servant went to the tea room, Lady Bian had just finished brewing. She was known for her excellent tea-brewing skills and usually treated us kindly, so I shamelessly asked for a cup. But today she refused, saying, ‘This tea cannot be drunk,'” yet another maid said.

Many others echoed similar accounts.

Thus, it became clear that Bian Xianyi had died by suicide, but why? Had she been forced into a corner? Since the matter involved Shen Xihe, Concubine Rong dared not make any hasty conclusions and had to report to Emperor Youning.

Emperor Youning summoned them all to Mingzheng Hall to inquire about the situation.

At this point, Shen Xihe couldn’t hide anything and briefly explained: “Due to my weak constitution, I’ve always been under the care of famous physicians. During treatment, I cannot be disturbed. On the eleventh, someone impersonating a guard who had left with my brother suddenly entered the mansion. While I was receiving treatment, they shouted that my brother had been ambushed…”

She went on to explain how she had nearly lost her life. The perpetrator was caught by the princess’s guard captain. They discovered he had drunk a bottle of Jiannanchun wine, and based on his habits, they guessed his identity. They asked Young Master Cui to investigate secretly, which led them to Bian Xianyi.

Shen Xihe told everything, except she completely omitted Xie Yunhuai’s involvement.

After hearing this, Emperor Youning summoned Cui Jinbai. Two days earlier, Cui Jinbai had already submitted a memorial stating that someone had used a death row prisoner to commit the crime. The Emperor already had some understanding of the situation.

When Cui Jinbai arrived, the person who had helped Bian Xianyi deceive Fu Jin into meeting Zhang Zhuo in prison also confessed. Bian Xianyi did indeed have Jiannanchun wine. Zhang Zhuo had drunk a bottle of it at this admirer’s residence and rested there for a night.

This person had found the Jiannanchun wine bottle beautiful, and since it was a gift from Bian Xianyi, they had cleaned and kept it. Now it became evidence.

Everything seemed to have a clear sequence: Bian Xianyi had attempted to harm Shen Xihe, then, upon learning she had been discovered, took her own life out of guilt.

“Your Majesty, there are still suspicious points in this matter,” Shen Xihe wasn’t willing to let the case close so easily. “I had no conflict with Lady Bian – what was her motive for harming me?

The palace maids say Lady Bian was waiting for me early this morning, but I only discovered her involvement this morning. How did she know so quickly that I would come to the palace to find her when I hadn’t even entered the palace during her wait?

Being in the palace, how did she learn so swiftly that her accomplice outside had been found?

If she was so meticulous and discrete in her actions, why would she leave such an obvious trail?”

Finally, Shen Xihe’s gaze swept over that admirer. She hadn’t mentioned the people watching her mansion. Since she had silenced everyone else, why would she spare this admirer just because they admired her?

If she had been equally ruthless and silenced this person too, without human testimony or physical evidence, even if Shen Xihe suspected her, how could she be directly blamed?

Emperor Youning also found it suspicious after hearing this. Since Shen Xihe was the victim, he ordered Cui Jinbai: “This matter is now in your hands to investigate thoroughly.”

“Your subject accepts the command,” Cui Jinbai bowed.

“Zhaoning, you have suffered,” Emperor Youning consoled Shen Xihe. “In the future, if you encounter such matters again, feel free to come to the palace to seek me. I will ensure justice for you.”

“Zhaoning thanks, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Youning personally held Shen Xihe’s arm: “You’ve had a brush with death, no need for formalities. Return home and recuperate well. If you need any medicine, come to the palace to get it.”

Shen Xihe thanked him again.

Emperor Youning suddenly said: “You’ve only recently arrived in the capital, yet people have repeatedly provoked and tried to harm you. This is my oversight. I will assign two female historians to serve you. In the future, if anyone dares to disrespect you, they will punish them on my behalf.”

Shen Xihe’s eyes flickered slightly, but her expression remained unchanged as she smiled and accepted: “Your Majesty’s favor overwhelms me. I will rely on these two historians in the future.”

When Shen Xihe left the palace, she was accompanied by two female historians around fifty years old, both longtime palace servants. These weren’t ordinary palace maids – they usually only handled affairs within the Empress’s palace.

Many people speculated about these female historians’ backgrounds. Some said Emperor Youning was preparing to have Shen Xihe marry the comatose Xiao Huayong for good fortune. The most outrageous rumor was that Emperor Youning planned to make Shen Xihe his Empress.

Shen Xihe paid no attention to these outside rumors. She knew well that these two were sent by Emperor Youning to monitor her.

Her investigation into the Jiannanchun wine and her request for Cui Jinbai to investigate the prison had aroused the Emperor’s suspicion and vigilance.