Governor Yu was so enraged he felt a constriction in his chest, his bloodshot eyes nearly bulging out: "Slander!"
"Governor Yu, the medicine has yet to be examined. Why such an extreme reaction?" Shen Xihe looked at him in confusion. "It seems Governor Yu knows what this substance is."
Knows what it is? Aren't you the one who knows best!
Governor Yu’s vicious glare seemed ready to devour Shen Xihe whole.
Now he understood—Bu Shulin had swallowed the poison herself, Shen Xihe had provided it, and Shen Xihe’s exceptionally skilled guard had, during some unnoticed confrontation, slipped the vial into his subordinate’s possession, then deliberately knocked it out in front of the prefect and commandant.
Thus, in full view of everyone, it appeared as though his own man had concealed the poison—a scheme mirroring the one they had set for Bu Shulin!
"Lady Jun, do you know the penalty for framing a court-appointed official?" Governor Yu’s venomous gaze pierced Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe turned and retorted, word by word, unhurriedly: "Governor Yu, do you know the penalty for slandering nobility and high officials?"
The young lady, graceful and slender, stood as straight as a pillar capable of supporting a vast roof beam. Governor Yu’s bluster instantly deflated.
Before he could open his mouth to speak, Shen Xihe chuckled lightly: "Governor Yu, are you claiming I framed you? Do you have evidence? Surely you aren’t suggesting I forced this medicine upon your trusted aide?"
Wasn’t it?!
"Don’t you find that absurd, Governor Yu?" A trace of mockery flashed in Shen Xihe’s eyes. "I have been here for barely half an hour, never met with you alone—Prefect Tang has been present the entire time. This item fell from your trusted aide’s person, witnessed clearly by the prefect and commandant.
Governor Yu, if you wish to plead innocence or shift blame, at least find a plausible scapegoat."
Governor Yu clenched his fists until they creaked. Ignoring him, Shen Xihe turned to Tang Juan: "Prefect Tang, this incident occurred in your prefectural office. Though Governor Yu is your superior, even the Son of Heaven is subject to the same laws as commoners. Perhaps you should detain Governor Yu first, then memorialize His Majesty. Since Governor Yu insists on implicating me, I naturally will not leave. I shall remain here for His Majesty’s appointed investigator to clarify everything."
Well, this Lady Jun even had such a lofty reason to stay.
Tang Juan reflected on her audacity to have her subordinate frame Governor Yu in plain sight, with two eyewitnesses no less, and concluded that this lady was both courageous and shrewd, thorough and flawless in execution—best not to cross her in the future.
"Lady Jun speaks wisely. The commandant and I witnessed this item fall from the person brought by Governor Yu. As for whether it is the poison that afflicted Worldly Son Bu, that requires examination." Tang Juan was cautious, leaving no room for oversight, and his words remained objective without the slightest bias.
The commandant dearly wanted to say he hadn’t seen it, but given how blatant the situation was—unless he were blind—he could only dryly state: "There are still doubts in this matter. Governor Yu has no motive to poison Worldly Son Bu."
"How does the commandant know Governor Yu lacks motive? Do you have evidence?" Shen Xihe asked leisurely. "If so, please present it to avoid misunderstandings and prevent Governor Yu from suffering unjust accusations."
"This official..." The commandant was speechless, forced to ask instead: "Why does Lady Jun suspect Governor Yu of poisoning Worldly Son Bu?"
"Commandant, your words are truly perplexing." Shen Xihe looked him up and down. "You are a military officer. Suppressing rebellions and capturing bandits are your duties. Matters of investigation and apprehending criminals are not your purview."After mocking the Commandant, Shen Xihe continued, "Worldly Son Bu has been poisoned. Before losing consciousness, he accused Governor Yu of the poisoning, and a suspected poison was found on the person brought by Governor Yu. Shouldn't this warrant detention and investigation? How did it become me claiming Governor Yu is the poisoner? From start to finish, I've only stated there is suspicion."
The Commandant's face turned pale and flushed.
In this remote place far from the emperor's reach, he truly wished to suppress them by force. However, Tang Juan appeared neutral but actually leaned toward Shen Xihe. Shen Xihe had also brought many skilled fighters, along with guards dispatched by His Majesty, making forceful suppression impossible.
The Commandant sent for a doctor, but Tang Juan still used the prefectural doctor. The two examined carefully together, even testing on a mouse. The prefectural office's doctor confirmed, "The poison Worldly Son Bu was afflicted with is likely this one."
The doctor invited by the Commandant dared not refute, fearing that if Shen Xihe brought in more physicians for verification, he would ruin his own reputation. Yet, understanding the Commandant's intent, he could only give an ambiguous reply: "It seems to be this poison."
At this point, Tang Juan had no choice but to bow to Governor Yu. "Governor Yu, please endure this until His Majesty's decree."
Governor Yu's gaze swept coldly over Shen Xihe, who remained composed, calmly smoothing the wide sleeve of her other hand with one hand.
This wasn't his territory; coming here was like walking into a trap.
The scheme against Bu Shulin had only been set two days prior, carried out last night, and led to imprisonment this morning. This seemingly delicate young woman must have learned of it only after entering the city, yet in mere moments, she had ensnared him in a deadly situation.
The man knocked out by Mo Yuan, from whom the medicine bottle had fallen, now awoke. He pointed at Mo Yuan, claiming the item had been planted during their struggle. But his testimony was insufficient as evidence. Just as Shen Xihe had said, she never outright accused Governor Yu of being the culprit, and she stated she would remain here awaiting the emperor's investigation.
"With no more armed clashes in the prefectural office, does the Commandant remain here with nothing to attend to?" After Tang Juan escorted Governor Yu to the prison cell, Shen Xihe turned and smiled faintly at the Commandant.
Shen Xihe was undoubtedly a stunning beauty, and the Commandant, like any man, held an admiration for such beauty. Her smile was radiant, yet it sent an inexplicable chill down his spine. Silently, he clasped his hands in salute to her and left reluctantly with his men.
Tang Juan admired Shen Xihe's effortless reversal of the situation. "Lady Shen, Governor Yu is related by marriage to Prince Zhao."
Shen Xihe was well aware of this. Tang Juan's reminder wasn't out of concern that she didn't know, but to emphasize that avoiding mishaps in this matter hinged on who the court would send.
"Prefect Tang, rest assured. In the capital, there are those who will ensure Prince Zhao understands the situation clearly." Shen Xihe lowered her gaze. "I wish to speak with Governor Yu in his cell."
"Lady Shen, please." Tang Juan stepped aside.
Entering the prison, Shen Xihe faced Governor Yu, whose livid expression made it seem as though he regarded her as a sworn enemy.
Zhenzhu brought over an armchair, and Shen Xihe sat gracefully outside the cell door. "Governor Yu, why such a grim face? I am merely repaying you in your own coin. When you set the trap for Worldly Son Bu, did it never occur to you that one day you might become the one ensnared?"Shen Xihe truly could not understand why those who schemed against others lacked the magnanimity of accepting victory or defeat. They only permitted themselves to harm others, yet when they fell victim to schemes, they would blame heaven and earth, resent fate, and curse their enemies.
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