"No cure at all?" Shen Xihe countered with a question instead of answering.
After a moment's thought, Xie Yunhuai said, "Three years ago, in Linfeng County of Fengzhou, I saw an old man revive a child who had mistakenly eaten poisonous mushrooms and was bleeding from all seven orifices."
"Poisonous mushrooms!" Shen Xihe narrowed her eyes. "Mo Yuan, go now and track down Bian Xianyi's whereabouts! Also investigate Physician Fang from the Imperial Hospital!"
"As you command."
"Your Highness, what exactly has happened?" Xie Yunhuai sensed something was wrong with Shen Xihe's mood.
"I originally didn't want to involve you in this matter." Shen Xihe sighed softly. She hadn't mentioned Xie Yunhuai to the Youning Emperor in the palace, and after leaving the palace, she hadn't informed Xie Yunhuai about the palace affairs, all to avoid implicating him.
Had she known it would come to this, she should have told Xie Yunhuai earlier about yesterday's incident with Bian Xianyi in the palace: "Bian Dajia died bleeding from all seven orifices right before my eyes. It was later confirmed she deliberately took poison. I couldn't understand why she suddenly targeted me—it didn't match her usual shrewdness and restraint. Only today did I boldly speculate that she might have faked her death."
"Faked death?" Xie Yunhuai was puzzled.
What purpose would a songstress have in faking her death?
"She and the Sixth Prince were deeply in love. The Sixth Prince has gone to the Tianshan Mountains now—vast, treacherous terrain. What if the Sixth Prince were to meet with an 'accident' there too?" Shen Xihe imbued the word "accident" with profound meaning.
Xie Yunhuai was slightly surprised, then sighed softly: "If it truly is as you say, Your Highness, then theirs is indeed a rare and deep affection."
"Indeed." Shen Xihe nodded in agreement.
The reason she hadn't considered this possibility earlier was, first, because Bian Xianyi's death had been too horrifying, creating the illusion of a desperate suicide for everyone involved.
Thinking back now, Bian Xianyi was an exceptionally beautiful woman. Even if she didn't value her appearance herself, she would have cherished her natural beauty. Among the countless deadly poisons in the world, why choose one that caused such a gruesome death?
Secondly, Shen Xihe wasn't someone who believed in romantic love between men and women. She never would have thought that Xiao Changyu—a prince who enjoyed every luxury—could not only scheme diligently to make her his official wife, but even abandon everything for her.
This depth of affection was something Shen Xihe had never witnessed in her life.
Mo Yuan soon brought Physician Fang, who had examined Bian Xianyi's pulse yesterday. He was just an ordinary imperial physician without any official rank.
"This humble one pays respects to Your Highness. May I ask what instructions you have?" Physician Fang inquired respectfully.
The princess had summoned him claiming physical discomfort, but he understood perfectly well that he wasn't qualified to earn the princess's trust—the medical consultation was merely a pretext.
Seeing Physician Fang standing alive before her, not having been silenced, Shen Xihe knew he must be innocent. Still, she asked: "Regarding the poison Bian Dajia took yesterday—was it truly beyond saving?"
Physician Fang, aware of Shen Xihe's involvement in yesterday's events, replied cautiously: "Your Highness, with this humble one's abilities, it was indeed beyond redemption."
Shen Xihe sighed softly: "Truly worthy of Bian Xianyi."
Bian Xianyi was merely a dancing girl. Under normal circumstances, she might have been able to invite one or two highly skilled and respected physicians. But with all the Imperial Hospital physicians gathered at the Eastern Palace, the only ones available would be these ordinary physicians still learning.
Therefore, failing to detect abnormalities in her pulse was to be expected.
She had calculated every step. This way, there was no need to collude with additional people, no extra risks, no need for further ruthless measures that might instead arouse suspicion about her death.Xie Yunhuai understood that Shen Xihe was displeased with Bian Xianyi using herself as a shield to escape. After some thought, he said to Physician Fang, "Physician Fang, I have some knowledge of medicine. May I inquire about Bian Dajia's pulse condition and symptoms from yesterday?"
Physician Fang, only in his twenties, had joined the Imperial Hospital after Xie Yunhuai left the capital, so he didn't recognize him. He could only look to Shen Xihe for instructions.
"Tell Doctor Qi everything you observed yesterday," Shen Xihe instructed.
"Acknowledged."
"Physician Fang, this way please..."
Knowing that Shen Xihe still needed to question Mo Yuan about Bian Xianyi's whereabouts, Xie Yunhuai took the opportunity to lead Physician Fang outside.
"Your Highness, Bian Dajia has been encoffined but not yet sealed. However, she died from poisoning, and the body has now decomposed beyond recognition," Mo Yuan reported.
"Flawless," Shen Xihe nodded. This was the final reason Bian Xianyi had chosen such a horrifying poison.
The poison was rare, and no one knew its symptoms after ingestion. Her appearance before "death" was shocking, and the rapid decay of the body a day after "death" raised no suspicions.
With the person dead and no evidence, Shen Xihe's knowledge was mere speculation. She couldn't conduct an autopsy—it would be disrespectful to the deceased.
She didn't care about being perceived as arrogant, but she knew an autopsy now would yield no useful clues. Ultimately, she had realized too late.
"Your Highness," Xie Yunhuai entered at that moment, "After hearing the physician's account, I suspect Bian Dajia's poisoning may only be superficial."
"Superficial?" Shen Xihe, draping her shawl and trailing her long skirt, approached with light steps.
"Indeed. I happened to be present when the old man's child was poisoned and inquired about it. This poison requires immediate treatment. For Bian Dajia to be poisoned in the palace under everyone's watch, help would likely not arrive until late at night, making timely treatment impossible."
Xie Yunhuai analyzed for Shen Xihe, "Therefore, she probably wasn't poisoned by the poisonous mushroom but by another toxin that could withstand delay. As for the bleeding from seven orifices, it wasn't caused by the poison but by someone who had previously administered acupuncture—a master of the craft. Even I couldn't achieve such skill."
"It must be someone from the acupuncture department of the Imperial Hospital." Bian Xianyi had never left the palace.
Such manipulation had to be performed on the same day. The acupuncture department had just over fifty members. Excluding those absent yesterday and those gathered at the Eastern Palace, the remaining suspects were few.
"This can be investigated," Xie Yunhuai said, though his focus wasn't on that. "If my speculation is correct, she cannot leave the capital yet. She needs the person who performed the acupuncture to administer three consecutive treatments. Any misstep could render her immobile."
"Investigate. I will capture her," Shen Xihe ordered Mo Yuan.
She had endured countless hardships to nurse her health back to some vitality. Bian Xianyi, for her own selfish reasons, had obliterated over a month of effort and left her in this state.
Though Xie Yunhuai repeatedly assured her recovery was possible, Shen Xihe wasn't disheartened but understood his attempts to comfort her.
Since Bian Xianyi dared to act, she must bear the consequences!
As Shen Xihe continued pursuing Bian Xianyi along this lead, Xiao Huayong's reply reached Cui Jinbai that night.Though it was only three words, it was enough for Cui Jinbai to understand Xiao Huayong's clothing. He immediately sent a message to Tianyuan, who operated with great convenience within the palace, especially since they had people in the Imperial Hospital.
Soon, they also discovered how Bian Xianyi had managed to deceive everyone.
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