The man vehemently denied: "No... it’s not poison! This dagger is my cherished possession, but I have no idea where the powder came from!"
Feng Fuce’s eyes were like an abyss, coldly staring at him.
As if looking at a dying man desperately making excuses.
Bai Xilie nodded: "Investigate! Immediately summon the Imperial Physician!"
"Second Uncle, no need to bother, I can tell what poison it is at a glance." A figure in red stepped forward.
It was the Eldest Heir, Bai Xuanmo.
His beautiful narrow eyes turned to the man kneeling in the center.
Bai Xuanmo’s cold face and crimson lips, with ebony eyes brimming with obsessive madness.
The Little Ball refused to let him hold her, so he should uncover this poison, and she should recognize the worth of her brother.
People around whispered—
"The Eldest Heir is renowned in the Capital for his unmatched dual mastery of poison and medicine."
"Indeed, but I’m curious, the Eldest Heir learned medicine from Princess Rui herself, so why learn poison?"
"Perhaps to save lives, one must know how to take them too."
It’s well known that the Bai Family’s several Heirs are all exceptional, skilled like dragons and phoenixes among men!
Moreover, their personalities are varied, so mastering both poison and medicine is not unusual!
Bai Xilie nodded, granting Bai Xuanmo’s request.
Bai Xuanmo walked up to Feng Fuce, took the dagger, examined it for a moment, then sniffed it.
His long and narrow eyes narrowed: "The powder on this should be from Duohun Wood."
"This wood branch grows deep in the mountains and bears red fruit, with a fishy-sweet scent, a favorite of snakes."
Speaking thus, the Eldest Heir Bai Xuanmo’s eyes glinted with a more dangerous dark hue.
Because he remembered encountering a snake in the bamboo forest just now.
Bai Zhi’er was right, snakes hibernate in winter, something must have lured it out.
Looking again at the man’s eyes, Bai Xuanmo’s gaze became especially cold, filled with killing intent.
"The branch sap of Duohun Wood is extremely poisonous; once a person has a wound, upon contact with this poison, it can travel through the bloodstream and seal the throat upon seeing blood."
"It only takes thirty minutes to claim a person’s life!"
"Even in the marketplace, Duohun Wood is rare because once the juice is extracted, it must be used immediately, or it quickly dries up, reducing its toxicity by half."
Bai Zhi’er’s eyes, like pearls, blinked as she looked at everyone stunned around her.
She immediately raised her soft voice, expressing her wonder: "So scary! But this wood grows in the deep mountains, how did it end up in the palace?"
The man seemed enlightened.
He urgently lifted his head, explaining in a rush: "Yes, yes! Since it only exists in the depths of mountains, it couldn’t appear in the palace, this must be a misunderstanding, please, Your Majesty, discern clearly!"
Bai Zhi’er used her little hands to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
She raised her small hand as if called upon in class by the teacher.
Her watery eyes were exceedingly obedient.
"I have it! Just now, I found it in the bamboo forest! Sister Qingmei, bring it up!"
The man shuddered all over, raising his head in disbelief.
After grinding the wood, he had clearly thrown it into the grass among the bamboo.
How could the little princess find it in such a vast forest?!
Qingmei brought up the branches and snake that Bai Zhi’er instructed to be kept, each in two separate hemp bags.
Now bringing them to the grand hall, she opened the bags.
Everyone saw a Diamond Flower Snake bound up, weakly hissing!
In the other hemp bag, there was a segment of the withered branch, with two or three red fruits still clinging to it.
It was exactly the Duohun Wood that the Eldest Heir Bai Xuanmo mentioned!
In the crowd, a man with hawk-like eyes wore a gloomy expression. Seeing this scene, he frowned tightly with a headache.
It was a bad start, not even making a move before being discovered.