When Liu Yunzhu heard someone say her sister had died, she cried and tried to rush down, but Zhu Yao held her back.

“That’s my sister, let me go, let me go…”

“Yunzhu, you can’t go down right now.”

“No!”

“We’re not sure if that person is your sister yet. Just sit here obediently for now, and we’ll talk after we’ve confirmed everything, alright?”

Liu Yunzhu wept uncontrollably, but in the end she obediently stayed put and didn’t go down.

Lord Huang from the Court of Judicial Review and Lord Mao, the Left Vice Minister of Justice, had people surround Saixian Tower in three layers inside and out.

No one was allowed to enter or exit.

The distinguished guests on the second floor were cooperative enough, but those spoiled young masters on the third floor were not so amenable.

Especially Jiang Bin’s group!

Those labeled A, B, C, and D started shouting down to the first floor: “What’s the meaning of this? We didn’t kill anyone, so why won’t you let us leave!”

“Exactly! Someone dies and we’re all detained here—how unlucky!”

“Are we stuck here until you solve the case?”

…

The clamoring and noise grew louder.

Yet not a single person dared to directly question Minister Zhu.

Compared to those people, Li Shiyan and Luo Yang were much calmer. They had drunk quite a bit of wine and were currently dizzy and dazed!

Li Shiyan listened to the people around him making such a racket that his head began to throb!

He grabbed a wine pot and smashed it onto the ground.

“Bang!”

The surrounding noise suddenly stopped. Swaying, he pointed at Jiang Bin’s group across from him and roared: “What are you yelling about? Will waiting here for a bit kill you? Believe it or not, this Heir Apparent will sew your mouths shut right now! Keep making noise and I’ll have the Court of Judicial Review and Ministry of Justice throw you all in prison to enjoy a few mouthfuls of prison food.”

Luo Yang tugged at his clothes and grinned foolishly: “Heir Apparent, my good brother, if you want to sew their mouths shut, you’ll need a needle and thread.”

“Right, need a needle and thread.” Li Shiyan looked around, then his gaze locked onto a tasseled ornament at his waist. He reached out and started pulling the silk threads from it one by one, saying with a chuckle, “Look, here’s the thread!”

Luo Yang didn’t sit idle either, helping him pull!

The two drunkards were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Young Lu hurried over, planning to quickly take his young master away to avoid being seen by the Marquis of Kangding on the second floor.

But what must come will come—there was no escaping it!

Li Shiyan and Luo Yang had made such a commotion that the Marquis of Kangding, who had already emerged from his warm pavilion, looked up from the second floor and immediately spotted his disappointing son!

His face flushed red with anger, feeling he had completely lost face! Clenching his fists secretly, he immediately summoned his people and ordered: “Quickly take the Heir Apparent to the warm pavilion—stop making a spectacle of himself here!”

“Yes!”

The Marquis of Kangding’s men hurried up and dragged the intoxicated Li Shiyan and Luo Yang into the warm pavilion in the back.

After the farce ended, Lord Huang from the Court of Judicial Review arranged for a coroner to come examine the corpse.

The old coroner carefully removed the red veil covering the woman’s face, revealing a woman with blood flowing from her seven orifices and her face covered in red rashes—a terrifying sight.

Minister Zhu looked over and exclaimed in surprise: “This woman is not Huazheng!”

Since the Ministry of Rites presided over every courtesan competition, Minister Zhu naturally recognized Huazheng.

The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

Lord Huang of the Court of Judicial Review frowned and asked: “Then who is this woman?”

Minister Zhu shook his head, not knowing, then instructed the old coroner: “First determine the cause of death.”

The old coroner began carefully examining the corpse.

Minister Zhu summoned a minor official and ordered: “Hurry and investigate what exactly happened here.”

“Yes.”

The minor official received his orders and went to investigate.

Soon, the old coroner had results.

“Reporting to the lords, the cause of death has been determined—the deceased died of poisoning.”

“What poison?”

“Arsenic.”

Eh!

Everyone was shocked speechless.

Arsenic was a deadly poison—a single touch could kill.

Lord Huang asked: “Why would the deceased have arsenic in her body?”

“According to my examination, the arsenic was added to wine and entered the deceased’s body through her mouth about half an hour ago.”

“Wine?” Lord Huang seemed thoughtful and immediately ordered, “Someone, go search for the wine the deceased drank before death, and bring both the wine pot and wine cup.”

The elite guards of the Court of Judicial Review immediately followed the order to search.

At the same time, a minor official from the Ministry of Rites hurried over to tell Minister Zhu: “My lord, according to Miss Huazheng’s registration records, she was brought here by Matchmaker Hong.”

“Where is Matchmaker Hong?”

Just as he asked, Matchmaker Hong came running over in tears, falling to her knees with a “thud” before the lords, kowtowing repeatedly while wailing: “This common woman is guilty, I beg the lords to forgive me.”

Lord Huang furrowed his brow: “You killed her?”

“No, no, no, I didn’t kill her.” Matchmaker Hong waved her hands repeatedly. After glancing at the deceased, she quickly averted her gaze and said fearfully, “The reason this common woman is guilty is because I deceived all the lords. My Miss Huazheng was bedridden with illness and couldn’t come, so I had a crooked idea and found a woman who resembled Huazheng to impersonate her. But her death by arsenic poisoning was absolutely not my doing—I knew nothing about it. I beg my lord to investigate clearly!”

After speaking, she kowtowed again.

Lord Huang questioned her sternly: “Then who exactly is the deceased?”

“This common woman only knows she was called Liu Yunyan. As for the rest… I truly don’t know.”

“Still not telling the truth!”

“Heaven be my witness, this common woman truly doesn’t know! Besides, her death brings me no benefit.” Matchmaker Hong looked completely innocent, also terrified that the Ministry of Rites would hold her responsible.

Just as Lord Huang was about to press her further, elite guards from the Court of Judicial Review hurried over, carrying a tray with a pot of wine and a cup on it.

That wine pot was different from all the other wine pots in Saixian Tower. The body of the pot was exquisite, with a lustrous silver sheen, and several intricately carved cranes adorned it—clearly no ordinary object.

The elite guard said: “My lord, this is the wine the deceased drank before death.”

“Take it to the coroner to examine.”

“Yes!”

The old coroner examined the wine pot and cup inside and out, then said with a grave expression: “My lord, this pot of wine was indeed laced with arsenic.”

Everyone was in an uproar!

They never imagined someone would dare to poison someone in Saixian Tower.

However, when Old General Wen on the second floor heard that the wine pot contained arsenic, his expression changed drastically!

He immediately turned his gaze toward the warm pavilion where Su Ziluo was.

His eyes darkened.

Lord Huang immediately shouted: “Who served this wine?”

A young servant emerged from the crowd. He hunched his back and said tremblingly: “It… it was me.”

Everyone’s eyes fell upon him!

“Did you put the arsenic in the wine?”

“I’m innocent, my lord! Even if I had the courage of heaven itself, I wouldn’t dare to poison someone!”

“The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?”

The young servant was thoroughly frightened, sweat beading on his forehead. After trembling for a long while, he seemed to remember something and quickly said: “My lord, this wine… this wine was actually… General Su asked me to deliver it to Old General Wen.”

Eh?