Princess Fuqing covered her mouth, her face as pale as snow.
The Empress’s reaction was even worse than Princess Fuqing’s. Upon hearing Yu Jin’s words, she nearly collapsed, only remaining upright with the support of a nearby palace maid.
The expressions of those present were a kaleidoscope of emotions.
If the poisoned cup was meant for Princess Fuqing, didn’t that mean the culprit originally intended to poison her, and the Fifteenth Princess had become an unwitting victim?
The woman in palace attire who had been quietly weeping over the Fifteenth Princess’s body now burst into loud sobs.
“Silence! Let’s hear what Seventh Prince has to say!” Emperor Jingming barked, and the entire hall fell silent.
Yu Jin turned his gaze to Princess Fuqing. “To determine the truth, we should ask Princess Fuqing. Fuqing, do you recall the Fifteenth Princess drinking?”
Princess Fuqing struggled to maintain her composure. After a moment’s reflection, she said, “When Fifteenth Sister was talking to me, she was indeed drinking plum wine served by a palace maid.”
“Do you remember her taking your wine cup?”
Princess Fuqing shook her head. “I had turned away, and Fifteenth Sister followed, so I didn’t notice how she got the cup in her hand.”
“I have one more question,” Yu Jin’s tone grew even more detached, raising the tension in the room.
“Please ask, Seventh Brother.”
“Why did Thirteenth Sister forgo the wine in front of her and request Hundred Flowers Nectar from a palace maid instead?”
“Prince Yan, what are you implying?” the Empress asked, her face frosty.
Emperor Jingming waved his hand. “Empress, let Seventh Prince continue.”
The Empress pressed her lips together, staring intently at Yu Jin.
Yu Jin remained impassive, unaffected by the Empress’s attitude. “Mother, there’s no need to worry. In an investigation, these questions must be asked regardless of the person’s status. I’m sure Princess Fuqing also wants to uncover the truth behind Fifteenth Princess’s death.”
Before the Empress could respond, Princess Fuqing spoke up. “Seventh Brother, you’re right. We can’t let Fifteenth Sister’s death remain a mystery.”
She then turned to Jiang Si, her eyes filled with sorrow and gentleness. “The reason I didn’t use the cup in front of me and took the Hundred Flowers Nectar instead was that I felt fruit wine wasn’t sincere enough to toast Seventh Sister-in-law. That’s why I set aside the plum wine and took the Hundred Flowers Nectar…”
As Princess Fuqing spoke, the Emperor and Empress’s gazes toward Jiang Si changed instantly.
The Empress’s eyes brimmed with indescribable gratitude. If not for the inappropriate setting, she might have pulled Jiang Si aside to express her thanks profusely.
Thank heavens! If it weren’t for Prince Yan’s wife, Fuqing would surely have met with disaster today!
Emperor Jingming’s view of Jiang Si improved as well.
Although all his children were dear to him, some were dearer than others, and Princess Fuqing held a special place in his heart.
His daughter-in-law had saved Fuqing’s life!
His only legitimate princess had been blind for so many years, and if she had met with misfortune just as she regained her sight, all because of his insistence on holding this palace banquet, he would have lived the rest of his life in guilt.
“Fifteenth Sister… died in my place?” Princess Fuqing murmured.
Yu Jin’s tone softened. “It’s not your fault, Princess. Both you and the Fifteenth Princess are victims. The real culprit is the truly heartless one.”
Tears streamed down Princess Fuqing’s face, her expression resolute. “Seventh Brother, please, you must find the culprit!”
Observing Yu Jin’s composed demeanor, Emperor Jingming nodded inwardly and asked, “Seventh Son, what else do you have in mind?”
“Father, I believe the most urgent task is to identify the palace maid who served that poisoned cup.”
Emperor Jingming glanced at the Empress.
The Empress immediately questioned the female official in charge of today’s palace banquet.
For such a banquet, every detail had to be considered, including which palace maids were responsible for which table.
The female official was experienced and composed. After a brief moment of thought, she immediately pointed out the six palace maids responsible for the princesses’ table.
As the six palace maids knelt in a row, Yu Jin asked, “Who served Princess Fuqing’s wine?”
The six palace maids trembled like leaves in the wind, none daring to speak.
The Empress said angrily, “If no one speaks up, you’ll all be dragged out and given a cup of poison!”
Her beloved Fuqing had nearly been killed!
Why was this happening? Fuqing had always been so obedient and sensible, yet she had suffered misfortune since childhood. Now that she had finally recovered, she nearly lost her life again…
Thinking of this, the Empress’s heart churned with hatred and anger.
The six palace maids remained silent.
Yu Jin noticed this and curved his lips slightly.
It was no surprise that no one dared to step forward.
Whether or not the maid in question was the one who poisoned Princess Fuqing, the fact that she had served the poisoned cup meant she could hardly escape the death penalty.
Faced with death, even if there was no possibility of escape, delaying the inevitable was preferable.
“If you won’t speak, that’s fine. Starting from the leftmost person, state the names of those in front of and behind you when you served the fruit wine,” Yu Jin looked down at the six palace maids, his tone indifferent. “Anyone who hesitates will be dragged out immediately!”
The leftmost palace maid tremblingly named those before and after her. This continued until the fourth person, who stuttered after naming the maid behind her.
“The one in front of me… in front…”
“Speak! Who was in front of you?” Yu Jin demanded coldly.
The palace maid finally broke down, crying as she confessed, “There was no one in front of me. I was the one who served Princess Fuqing the plum wine…”
Knowing her fate was sealed, she collapsed to the ground after speaking.
The Empress stared at the palace maid, her hand trembling. “You wretched servant, why did you try to harm the Princess?”
“I didn’t! Your Majesty, I would never dare harm the Princess…” the palace maid explained desperately.
The Empress fell silent, her face grim, and looked toward Yu Jin.
Even if this palace maid had administered the poison, she wasn’t the true culprit behind the attempted murder of the Princess. The Empress understood this perfectly.
Yu Jin’s recent performance had given her some confidence in Prince Yan’s ability to uncover the real perpetrator.
At this moment, a royal physician suddenly spoke up. “Your Majesty, we have identified the poison that killed the Fifteenth Princess.”
Emperor Jingming immediately asked, “What poison was it?”
“The Fifteenth Princess was poisoned with heartbreak grass. The powdered roots and leaves of this plant are highly toxic. Even a small amount can cause death within an extremely short time…”
As the physician explained, the faces of those present changed repeatedly.
“All of you, stand up,” Yu Jin circled the six palace maids once, then asked the female official, “The palace maids serving at today’s banquet were all thoroughly checked, weren’t they?”
The female official replied, “Yes, that’s correct. These maids all wore uniform hairstyles and dresses. Before entering the hall, they had to bathe and change clothes. Everything they wore or carried was inspected, and they were not allowed to wear sachets or any other accessories.”
“So there’s no possibility they could have smuggled anything in?”
The female official nodded firmly. “Absolutely none.”
“Then either someone slipped the poison to the maid when she wasn’t paying attention, or it was given to her after she entered the hall. This means the culprit must be in the great hall!” Yu Jin declared confidently.
Princess Rongyang sneered, “Prince Yan keeps insisting that the intended victim was Princess Fuqing. If the culprit was someone else, how could they ensure the poisoned wine would be sent to Princess Fuqing?”
Yu Jin smiled. “That’s simple. Since the wine-serving maids work in teams responsible for different tables, the culprit could target this specific team. At the princesses’ table, Princess Fuqing holds the highest rank, so naturally, the first cup would be served to her. Thus, the culprit could be certain the poisoned wine would reach Princess Fuqing.”
Princess Rongyang was left speechless.