Throughout the process, Yan Wanqing only said thirteen words.
The issue was resolved beautifully and satisfactorily.
It made her feel for the first time in her life that relying on someone else might also be a good choice.
Next, the nursemaid would report everything to the Crown Prince, so she didn’t need to handle it herself and had time to visit Yan Xiaoliu.
Meanwhile, Li Chengxiang and Cong Ge rushed over, followed by a few guards they had called over from the road.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they felt an eerie silence.
Then, Li Chengxiang smelled the scent of blood.
Upon entering, she froze in place instantly.
The ground was almost entirely covered in blood.
A palace maid lay motionless on the ground, and not far from her was a man covered in festering wounds oozing black blood, hardly recognizable as human. Under the scorching sun, bubbles formed in the blood, truly a disturbing sight, and Li Chengxiang, caught off guard, covered her mouth and ran out.
Cong Ge’s face turned pale, but she was accustomed to such scenes. After surveying the area, she finally spotted Yan Lingzhen sitting on the steps with her head lowered.
She rushed over, taking three steps in two, "Miss Lingzhen! Are you alright?"
Yan Lingzhen slowly lifted her head, her lips curved into a resigned smile towards Cong Ge, "Sister Cong Ge, it seems I’ve made a mess."
During a time of good relations between the two countries, having killed a general of the Chu Kingdom, this was truly a major problem.
She took out a token she had just removed from the man’s waist. Engraved with the character "Chu," it was clearly a token that only a general would possess.
Seeing the young lady’s discouraged expression and dim countenance, Cong Ge consoled her, "Don’t worry, there is a reason for everything, you can surely solve this."
Yan Lingzhen nodded, "Hmm." At this moment, she could only hope for her sister’s help.
But her sister was currently overwhelmed with numerous matters, and she still hadn’t been able to control her temper, causing such great trouble.
While the two were discussing, Li Chengxiang returned after vomiting outside. She signaled the guards to come in, "First, move the bodies inside the house, and then clean up the courtyard quickly."
At this moment, she still looked somewhat pale as she walked towards Yan Lingzhen’s side.
"Miss Xiaoliu, are you alright?"
She sat on the other side of Yan Lingzhen, the three women side by side on the steps. Meanwhile, the guards were moving the palace maid and the general into the adjacent room and then fetching well water to wash the blood off the ground.
Basin after basin, they scrubbed the red slate ground clean, with the blood flowing into the grass through the cracks.
Yan Lingzhen watched this scene blankly, then shook her head, "I’m fine."
The poison in her teeth was a lifeline she used for protection. Upon contact with the skin, it produced a burning sensation, then quickly the internal organs would decay, leading to a painful death in just the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
She called this poison Yama.
She had just used Yama in a fit of rage, and now she profoundly regretted it.
"Shall we now go to find the Crown Princess Consort?" Li Chengxiang suggested.
Such a major incident could not be hidden; it had to be reported exactly as it happened.
After all, the general from Chu Kingdom had first molested the palace maid, and then tried to forcibly violate Miss Xiaoliu. Yan Lingzhen was merely acting out of self-defense, but she had accidentally exerted too much force, causing his death.
As they were discussing what to do next, a group of people with a forceful presence burst in. Without saying a word, they pinned down the soldiers who were still cleaning the ground.
Yan Lingzhen frowned and stood up.
A woman dressed in luxurious clothes, with a cold expression, walked in: "What are you doing?!"
This woman was indeed Princess Wuyang, Chu Yu.
Upon entering the courtyard, Chu Yu smelled an unusual scent and her eyes flashed with a strange light. She first glanced at Yan Lingzhen on the steps, recognizing her as the sister of the Crown Princess Consort.
Then, without a word, she walked to the area where they were cleaning, and upon seeing the drops of blood, her eyebrows deeply furrowed, "Blood!"
Li Chengxiang nervously swallowed and leaned slightly forward, shielding Yan Lingzhen.
"Greetings to Princess Wuyang,"
Chu Yu didn’t even glance at her, instead, she looked directly at Yan Lingzhen, "Where is the Crown Princess Consort now?"
"The Crown Princess Consort should be with the Crown Prince right now..." Cong Ge slowly answered from the side.
After hearing her response, Chu Yu’s expression became somewhat eerie.
Yan Wanqing was actually not here, then this blood...
"What are you doing? Whose blood is this?" Chu Yu asked with emphasis on her tone.
Then she didn’t wait for an answer and directly ordered her men to forcefully enter the house.
"Reporting to the Princess, there are two corpses inside the house!"
Chu Yu’s complexion turned to shock; she took the lead and went to the door of the adjacent chamber, and indeed, she saw neatly arranged in the middle of the room two people, a woman and a man.
She waved to someone in the team.
The person quickly stepped forward and checked for breath: "Both are dead, dead for about an hour now."
"This man’s attire is that of our Chu Kingdom people..."
Chu Yu raised her hand to interrupt him, "The Princess recognizes him; he is a Deputy General under my royal brother." Her tone was filled with sorrow and anger, yet her eyes concealed something cryptic.
Treading through iron shoes with no place to find, it takes no effort when what you seek comes itself.
Heaven really sends charcoal in snowy weather.
"Right now, the Deputy General has died of severe poisoning. He had made illustrious military achievements for our Chu Kingdom during his lifetime; we cannot let him die in vain!" Chu Yu exclaimed loudly, clenching her fists and waving her hand: "Come, arrest these three people!"
The imposing soldiers of Chu Kingdom immediately approached Yan Lingzhen and the two others.
Yan Lingzhen’s face was stern; she pushed Li Chengxiang, who was standing in front of her to the side: "No need, I, Yan Xiaoliu, did this act alone; arrest me and that’s it!"
Li Chengxiang and Cong Ge exclaimed in shock.
Yan Lingzhen stood straight, her neck stiff, she looked at Princess Wuyang, Chu Yu: "It’s just, Princess, your timing is really impeccable, like a wild dog following the scent!"
If this incident was claimed not to be premeditated, it’d be ridiculous to believe.
It just so happened to occur in the courtyard where the Yan Family were resting; just so happened that Princess Wuyang didn’t show up alive, and the moment someone died, she immediately appeared, and she also had a physician by her side!
Chu Yu spoke coldly: "There’s no need for useless talk, directly take you to face the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess Consort for questioning!"
The men from Chu Kingdom pushed Yan Lingzhen, causing her nearly to fall.
"Don’t touch me, I can walk by myself!" She swatted away the hand of the person who came, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
The man felt a chill throughout his body from her gaze and indeed did not continue to push her.
Yan Lingzhen was pressed forward by Chu Yu’s men.
Chu Yu, walking last, looked at Cong Ge and Li Chengxiang, revealed a meaningful smile, then leisurely followed and left.
Cong Ge and Li Chengxiang looked at each other, their hearts thundering, feeling that something was terribly wrong.
They initially thought they could delay and strategize, but unexpectedly, they were discovered by Princess Wuyang.
The two of them hurriedly followed.
Regardless, they hoped that Miss Six would be unharmed.
On the viewing deck, Yan Wanqing’s eyelids kept twitching.
"What’s wrong, you seem distracted." The Crown Prince poured her a cup of hot tea and placed it beside her.
Yan Wanqing pinched her brow: "It’s nothing."
"If you’re tired, lean on me."
"You still have to mingle."
The Crown Prince’s large hand encircled her waist and drew her to his side: "To lean for a while, is still a while." Yan Wanqing was amused by his actions.