Governor Yu’s smile remained unchanged. “Your Ladyship, I do not understand what you mean by that. As an official, I am sincere in serving the common people, and as a humble subject, I am loyal to Your Majesty.”
With that, he made no attempt to linger with Shen Xihe. “I still have official duties to attend to and cannot accompany you further. I beg your Ladyship’s forgiveness.”
Shen Xihe stepped aside to let him pass without further entanglement. Only after watching Governor Yu and his two subordinates disappear from view did she ask Tang Juan, “Governor Tang, are there people in your prefectural office who are not of one mind with you?”
Tang Juan felt an inexplicable twitch between his brows. The noble lady before him was ethereal and refined, her voice clear and melodious when she spoke. Though she appeared gentle and unassuming, she gave the impression of a treasured sword, ready to leap from its scabbard at any moment—and once drawn, it would inevitably draw blood.
Suppressing his thoughts, Tang Juan lowered his gaze. “Your Ladyship need not worry. Though I may be dull-witted, I possess some ability to manage my subordinates.”
“That is excellent.” Shen Xihe offered a faint smile.
What was so excellent about it? Tang Juan, who prided himself on having navigated the officialdom for over a decade and encountered all sorts of people, considered himself somewhat astute. Yet, this noble lady before him, seemingly delicate and youthful, was utterly inscrutable.
Surely the rugged customs of the northwest couldn’t have influenced her to adopt the Northwest King’s bandit-like methods—would she dare to murder Governor Yu outright in his own prefectural office to silence him?
Recalling some of the Northwest King’s past actions, Tang Juan glanced at Shen Xihe, who had gracefully taken a seat and was now sipping tea with elegant composure. His initial panic subsided. The noble lady appeared cultured and well-mannered, her every movement devoid of recklessness or rudeness. She was unlikely to act so audaciously.
Unable to decipher Shen Xihe’s intentions and wary of probing too deeply—lest he inadvertently become an accomplice—Tang Juan grew increasingly anxious. Soon, Governor Yu returned, his men escorting Bu Shulin.
The moment Bu Shulin saw Shen Xihe, she winked at her. Shen Xihe responded with an almost imperceptible nod.
In the next instant, Bu Shulin suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, startling Tang Juan so much that his face paled. Governor Yu turned to glare at Bu Shulin, who had collapsed weakly, trembling as she raised a finger to point at him.
“Governor… why… why did you poison me?” Bu Shulin gasped with difficulty.
With these words, her eyes rolled back, and she fell into the arms of Governor Yu’s subordinate.
“Governor Yu, what have you done to Worldly Son Bu?” Shen Xihe demanded immediately.
Governor Yu’s face tightened. “I did not poison Bu Shulin!”
“Governor Tang, summon a doctor!” Shen Xihe commanded coldly.
“I will naturally—”
“Governor Yu,” Shen Xihe interrupted him, “Worldly Son Bu was caught red-handed as a suspect. Now, you are also under suspicion of poisoning her. Until you clear your name, I will not allow you to take Worldly Son Bu away.”
“Your Ladyship, are you interfering in court affairs?” Governor Yu’s expression darkened.
“Governor Yu, I have not obstructed you from taking Bu Shulin, nor have I inquired even once about the tomb-raiding case. How is this interfering in court affairs?” Shen Xihe stood her ground. “I witnessed Bu Shulin being poisoned while in your custody, and before losing consciousness, she accused you of poisoning her. This is a separate matter.”
“Your Ladyship!”
“Let the doctor examine her first.” Governor Tang, who had called for the prefectural doctor, attempted to mediate. He, too, had no idea what Shen Xihe was plotting.
Governor Yu shot a meaningful glance at another subordinate, who immediately rushed out.
The prefectural doctor examined Bu Shulin’s pulse and hesitated. “Worldly Son Bu shows signs of poisoning, but as for what poison it is… I regret that my knowledge is too shallow to identify it.”
“What explanation do you have, Governor Yu?” Shen Xihe asked.
Governor Yu snorted coldly. “Your Ladyship need not be in such a hurry.”Before long, the Inspector's subordinate also brought a physician carrying a medicine case: "This is the prefectural physician. I feared Worldly Son Bu, being delicate and frail, might suffer mishaps along the journey, so I brought the physician to accompany us."
Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow but did not prevent the physician from examining Bu Shulin's pulse. This physician was clearly the Inspector's man, but with other physicians present, he couldn't fabricate lies. After a careful diagnosis, he lowered his head and reported, "The Worldly Son is indeed poisoned. This is a poison I have never encountered before."
Shen Xihe cast a meaningful, half-smiling glance at the Inspector.
The Inspector knew this must be a scheme devised by Shen Xihe and Bu Shulin. If he couldn't take Bu Shulin away now, he would never get another chance. If Bu Shulin weren't framed as the mastermind behind the tomb robbery case, his own hasty interference—even without evidence—would inevitably see the blame shifted to Prince Zhao.
"Since this poison is so unusual, men! Take Worldly Son Bu to the prefectural office immediately to seek a renowned physician for detoxification!" the Inspector shouted.
He hadn't come with just two men; his subordinates rushed in from outside.
The Commandery Governor retreated to the side. Since the Princess had set this trap, she must have anticipated this step and prepared a countermeasure. His position and status made it inappropriate to favor either side.
"Mo Yuan!" Shen Xihe called out softly, and Mo Yuan likewise led a dozen men charging in.
"The Princess is obstructing official duties and hindering my investigation. I will surely report this to Your Majesty!" the Inspector said coldly, clasping his fists toward the capital's direction. "Take him away!"
"The Inspector poisoned the suspect, showing clear intent to silence him. I will also inform His Majesty," Shen Xihe replied with a faint smile, stepping behind Moyu and Zhenzhu. "Seize them!"
Tang Juan had never expected things to escalate to this point. He hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
Mo Yuan's men and the Inspector's subordinates clashed violently, but Shen Xihe walked calmly past the corridor to the entrance of the government office. The Inspector's subordinate hadn't run out just to fetch a physician—she hadn't forgotten Bu Shulin's mention that the Commandant here had once vied with Tang Juan for her favor.
As soon as Shen Xihe reached the doorway, sure enough, the Commandant arrived on horseback with a troop of soldiers, while Teng Jing stood guard outside, blocking the way.
"Princess, I received word from the Inspector requesting aid, stating that someone here intends to harm him," the Commandant said, gripping the sword at his waist and peering inside.
"The Inspector is suspected of attempting to poison Worldly Son Bu, witnessed by me and the Commandery Governor. I only wish for the Inspector to remain here to clarify the matter, but he insisted on resorting to force. Commandant, you would do well to follow Commandery Governor Tang's example and stay clear of trouble," Shen Xihe said calmly.
"Princess, forgive me. I bear the Emperor's mandate to maintain peace in this region. It is my duty, and I cannot stand idly by at this moment," the Commandant replied, clasping his fists to Shen Xihe before signaling to his men.
Just as Zhenzhu and Moyu moved to block them, Shen Xihe raised her hand to stop them. As the Commandant and his men charged in, Mo Yuan leaped into the air, clashing with the Inspector's trusted subordinate. With a single palm strike, he sent his opponent crashing down at the Inspector's feet, a porcelain vial rolling out from the man's robes.
"Halt!" The shattering of the vial coincided with the Commandant's loud shout. His men rushed in and surrounded the scene.
Shen Xihe, draped in a lilac gossamer shawl embroidered with silver Eucommia leaves, walked slowly forward. Both sides ceased fighting as she stepped up to the Inspector. "Zhenzhu."Zhenzhu, who was standing beside Shen Xihe, picked up a piece of the broken medicine bottle, collected the pills on a porcelain shard, and handed them to Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe did not take them but instead said to Tang Juan and the Commandant, "I trouble you both to find a doctor each and verify whether this poison matches the one that afflicted Worldly Son Bu. This will determine whether Governor Yu administered the poison."
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