Fenghe was not clever, and she could answer almost none of the questions Yan Tongshu asked. All she could do was describe in painstaking detail where Tantai Mingzhu had gone and what she had done that day.
Fenghe said, “Today, my mistress and the heir came to offer incense and pray for the unborn heir. They stayed together the entire time and never separated. In the morning, they walked around the temple’s main halls, then went to hang prayer ribbons…”
Yan Tongshu had witnessed the matter of the prayer ribbons herself, so she naturally knew the details.
As she listened to Fenghe, she walked over to the bed to examine it.
Tantai Mingzhu had suddenly gone into labor after returning to rest. She had been poisoned most severely, while everyone else had suffered milder symptoms.
After Tantai Mingzhu began bleeding, everyone had gathered around to care for her. They would inevitably have touched certain things in common—water, the bed, cloths, and so on.
Judging from the circumstances, Tantai Mingzhu must have been poisoned first. The others had come into contact with the poisonous substance while caring for her, which was why they had all been poisoned, albeit to different degrees.
Yan Tongshu took out a silver needle, but it showed no reaction.
There were only so many poisons commonly used in ancient times. Arsenic, for instance, was often called arsenic trioxide. Because it was not refined enough, it contained sulfides and reacted easily with silver.
However, other heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, and barium, would not react with a silver needle if they had been refined to a sufficient degree.
Yan Tongshu carefully compared the symptoms of the poisoning in this incident. She took a copper coin from her purse and rubbed it hard against the damp quilt and mattress, but nothing happened. She then had someone bring over Tantai Mingzhu’s clothes and rubbed the coin vigorously against the collar. Still, there was no reaction.
If it was not the bedding or the clothes, then what was it?
Yan Tongshu rubbed the coin against the blood, but there was no reaction there either. If the poison had been ingested as a heavy metal compound, there should have been a reaction in the blood.
So it had not been taken orally.
Yan Tongshu continued her examination.
Fenghe also finished explaining what had happened with the prayer ribbons. “After hanging the prayer ribbons, the heir was afraid the young heir might be too tired, so he took my mistress to the vegetarian dining hall to eat…”
Yan Tongshu picked up a teacup and examined it. “Did they eat the same food?”
Fenghe nodded. “After becoming pregnant, Concubine Dantai had always had a poor appetite. At the vegetarian meal, she only ate a few bites of steamed tofu and drank two sips of porridge. Later, the heir asked a monk from the Xiangguo Temple to recite scriptures for Concubine Dantai in private. The two of them listened until the chanting ended, and then the heir helped Concubine Dantai to the guest rest room reserved for distinguished visitors.
“Just after he helped my mistress lie down, Qiaoxin, the personal maid of the second Miss Wang, suddenly came over and said that the second Miss Wang had an important matter to discuss with him and asked him to go over. Seeing that Concubine Dantai had already fallen asleep, the heir got up and left.”
Yan Tongshu set down the teacup. The time when Fenghe said the heir had been summoned should have been when the women had been conducting their illicit tryst in the ladies’ rest room.
Wang Chuning and Gao Shengmei had plotted to have Niu Er violate Wang Yuyan. Unexpectedly, Wang Yuyan had turned the tables on them.
Wang Chuning’s original plan must have been for Ning Yuan to see Wang Yuyan fooling around with Niu Er, thereby proving that Wang Yuyan had lost her chastity. That would force Ning Yuan and Wang Yuyan to break off their engagement, allowing Wang Chuning to marry Ning Yuan instead.
Therefore, Wang Chuning had already been unconscious by then, making it unlikely that she had been the one to administer the poison.
Fenghe paused before continuing. “Concubine Dantai was a light sleeper. As soon as the heir left, she woke up. She said the room felt stuffy and asked me to open more of the windows to let in some fresh air. Pregnant women should not be exposed to drafts, but Concubine Dantai’s father died in the winter because he burned charcoal for warmth without opening the windows. She has always been very sensitive about such things. I did not wish to go against her, so I opened the windows.
“Once Concubine Dantai confirmed that the windows were open, she fell asleep peacefully, while I went to wait by the door for further instructions. About half an hour later, we heard my mistress crying out for help from inside the room. We hurriedly pushed open the door and were horrified to see that she was bleeding beneath the waist. I panicked and immediately shouted for help. The maids and nannies all came in, and everyone began scrambling about in confusion. I went to look for the heir, but guards were stationed outside the door. I was frightened and returned instead. Later, when I saw that Concubine Dantai was losing more and more blood and growing weaker by the moment, I had no choice but to shout and make a scene outside the courtyard.”
Yan Tongshu’s brows drew together sharply. “Did the servants and Concubine Dantai eat separate food?”
Fenghe nodded. “The Xiangguo Temple has always believed in equality. The servants and their masters eat the same vegetarian dishes, but they dine in different halls. The food is served separately, and they eat separately.”
Yan Tongshu lowered her eyes and fell into thought.
So the matter had come full circle. The poison really had been administered in this room.
To cause Tantai Mingzhu to miscarry in such a short time, the dose must have been considerable. With such a large dose, the symptoms would appear quickly. Tantai Mingzhu must have been poisoned shortly before the fetal movement began. From that perspective, the poison had still been administered in this room.
Yan Tongshu continued searching.
The teacups, teapot, tables, chairs, clothes, sheets, quilts, and bed curtains were all fine.
What was left?
The room was so small.
What was there that everyone else must also have come into contact with?
Yan Tongshu turned her gaze toward the window. “You said Concubine Dantai asked you to open the windows?”
Fenghe replied, “Yes.”
Yan Tongshu asked, “Then why are the windows closed now?”
Fenghe was bewildered for a moment before hurriedly answering, “The nanny said pregnant women must not be exposed to drafts, so she had someone close them.”
“Then there is only one thing left.”
Yan Tongshu looked toward the charcoal brazier, which was still radiating heat. The guest rooms were all arranged in the same manner, so she carefully compared this room with Wang Yuyan’s.
She immediately asked Fenghe coldly, “Was there something else on top of this brazier?”
Something else?
Fenghe made a few sounds of realization. “I remember now! There was originally a brown ceramic basin on top of the brazier.”
She stared at the charcoal brazier and cried out in alarm, “Why is it gone? Where’s the basin?”
“Pearl, Jinbao.” Yan Tongshu called the two of them over, her expression grave. “Jinbao, go to the room next to Wang Yuyan’s and bring two men from the Divine Might Army here. Pearl, gather everyone who entered this room today and bring them in.”
Pearl and Jinbao answered in unison, “Yes!”
Once the two nannies and the other maid, Runzi, had entered, Yan Tongshu pointed at the brazier and asked, “Where is the ceramic basin that was on top of it?”
Runzi dropped to her knees in terror. “Th-this servant… When Concubine Dantai suddenly began bleeding heavily, the nanny told us to fetch basins and heat water. Later, there weren’t enough basins, so I took that one to fill with hot water.”
“You used it to hold hot water?” Yan Tongshu almost lost her composure.
Runzi nodded shakily.
Yan Tongshu asked, “Where is the basin?”
Runzi said, “This servant waited a long time before the water finally boiled. I filled the basin with hot water, but then you ordered everything to be replaced, so I set it down in the small kitchen nearby.”
Yan Tongshu seized on the key point. “You didn’t pour out the water inside, did you?”
Runzi nodded.
Only then did Yan Tongshu relax. “Pearl, go. As quickly as possible. Bring back the basin and the water inside it. Do not spill a single drop.”
Pearl nodded. Afraid that something might happen, she dashed off at full speed and soon returned carrying the basin.
Yan Tongshu first tested the water with a silver needle. There was no reaction. Then she dropped in a few copper coins. It did not take long before the coins began to change—their surfaces took on a silvery-white sheen. The effect was faint and slight because whatever was in the basin had been diluted, but there was definitely a reaction.
That proved it. The murderer had put the poison in here.
There were only a few heavy-metal poisons commonly used in this era.
Lead and barium could not react with copper.
Only mercury could.
Mercury was generally used in alchemy or for whitening the skin, and was extremely difficult to obtain.
What a vicious poison.
Yan Tongshu’s brows drew tightly together.
This porcelain basin, filled with water and placed over burning charcoal, was a type of humidifier commonly used by the ancient nobility.
The murderer knew that Tantai Mingzhu was pregnant and unable to endure fatigue. She would surely return here to rest at noon, so the murderer put mercury into the basin.
To keep the room warm and humid so that Tantai Mingzhu could rest more comfortably, the maids, after learning that she would soon return to rest, would naturally light the charcoal in advance and close the windows.
That way, by the time Tantai Mingzhu entered the room for her nap, it would already be filled with mercury-laden vapor.
Then Ning Yuan was called away, so he would not be poisoned.
As Tantai Mingzhu slept longer and longer, the amount of mercury vapor in the room would continue to increase, and the poison would grow more potent. She would then miscarry from the poisoning—or even lose both her own life and that of her unborn child.
Once someone died in the room, everyone would panic and be at a loss. No one would pay attention to this “humidifier.” By the time they thought to investigate, the water in the basin would already have evaporated. Or, as had happened today, someone might have taken it away by accident for some unknown purpose, or even washed it clean.
But the murderer had not anticipated that Tantai Mingzhu’s own father had once burned charcoal in winter without opening the windows and died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Because of that, Tantai Mingzhu was extremely sensitive to closed windows. She opened one, allowing the air to circulate. The poisoning was therefore mild enough that, although the child died, she herself survived.
Yan Tongshu asked, “When did you confirm that Concubine Dantai would be staying in this side room?”
The old maid answered in a low voice, “A few days ago, we informed Xiangguo Temple that the heir and Concubine Dantai would be coming up the mountain today to pray for blessings. We also instructed the monks to prepare a side room for Concubine Dantai to rest in at noon, as she is pregnant. Today was the temple’s first day open after closing for the New Year, so most of the side rooms were empty. As soon as we entered the temple, we went to collect our room token. That should have been around the middle of the Hour of the Snake.”
Yan Tongshu asked, “Did anyone else know which room Concubine Dantai would be staying in?”
The old maid replied, “After collecting the token and key, we had to inspect and clean the room again, so I brought people over immediately to prepare it. Anyone paying a little attention would have known.”
Yan Tongshu thought for a moment before saying, “I heard you say that after learning Concubine Dantai would soon return to rest, you came back into the room to prepare everything. What exactly did you do?”
The old maid answered, “I went to find some fresh fruit and put it in the room to serve as incense. I fetched hot water from the kitchen and brewed the floral tea we brought from the manor. Concubine Dantai is pregnant and cannot drink tea. The floral tea is made in the manor from clean flowers, and it helps mask the taste of the well water.”
Runzi said, “I carried the porcelain basin outside to the well, washed it clean, replaced the water, and brought over charcoal to light again. Then I went with Nanny to wait at the front for the heir and Concubine Dantai.”
The porcelain basin had been washed. That meant the murderer had poisoned it after Runzi cleaned it.
Yan Tongshu asked, “Did you leave anyone behind to keep watch?”
Everyone shook their heads together.
The old maid said, “This courtyard is very small. We were standing at the front, where we could see the door, so we did not leave anyone behind.”
Then it had to be the window.
Yan Tongshu asked sternly, “Were the windows open the entire time?”
The old maid replied, “Concubine Dantai dislikes having the windows tightly closed, so no matter the time, we always leave one open for ventilation.”
The windows had indeed remained open. But after Tantai Mingzhu returned and lay down to rest, they had all been closed. Feeling stifled, she had asked Fenghe to open one.
Later, when Tantai Mingzhu’s fetus began to move, the old maid had feared that the draft would worsen her condition and closed all the windows again.
That meant the murderer had entered through the window to administer the poison. Fearing that, with the window open, there would not be enough poison in the air to kill Tantai Mingzhu, the murderer had closed it again from outside.
Yan Tongshu walked over to inspect the window.
The room was very small, with only two windows.
Neither window showed any footprints or other signs of climbing. The room had old wooden flooring, and even if there had been footprints, the many people who had passed through earlier had already erased them.
Yan Tongshu leaned out of the window. There were no marks indicating that anyone had climbed through, but the branches of the Chinese arborvitae outside had clearly been pushed aside and stepped on.
There was no path outside the window. Snow mixed with mud covered the ground, while the arborvitae blocked the way, making it extremely difficult to pass.
Without revealing anything, Yan Tongshu committed every detail to memory and withdrew from the window.
She already had someone in mind, but she needed to eliminate one other possibility before she could find a way to catch the murderer.
Yan Tongshu sent the others away and asked Tantai Mingzhu’s personal maid, Fenghe, to remain.
Once only Yan Tongshu, Fenghe, and Pearl were left in the room, Yan Tongshu got straight to the point.
“Fenghe, you came to the Yuguo Earl’s manor with your mistress, and you share a deep bond with her.”
Fenghe nodded, her eyes clear. “This servant and Concubine Dantai grew up together.”
Yan Tongshu stared unblinkingly into her eyes, her gaze sharp as a torch. “Then you should know everything about her.”
Fenghe nodded again.
Yan Tongshu asked, “Do Prince Ning and your mistress have a good relationship?”
Fenghe bit her lower lip. After hesitating for a long while, she asked softly, “Can the answer to that question help Lord Yan catch the murderer?”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Fenghe lowered her eyes, her voice dropping even further. “No.”
Yan Tongshu narrowed her eyes. Ning Yuan had knelt before her to beg for Tantai Mingzhu’s life, and had repeatedly defended Tantai Mingzhu in front of others. Judging only from those actions, it truly would have been impossible to tell that their relationship was poor.
Fenghe pressed her lips together. Then, as though she had finally made up her mind, she drew a deep breath and said, “My mistress… No, my young lady, actually does not like the heir. My young lady was originally the only daughter of the Dantai family in Jiangnan. Her father, Dantai Sandao, was a renowned chef throughout Jiangnan. His culinary skills were unparalleled, but he was poor at managing a business. He had once tried opening a restaurant, but lost a great deal of money and could only travel from place to place working as a cook to repay his debts.
“When my young lady turned twelve, she took over the family’s old shop in an out-of-the-way location, relying on the three signature dishes her father had personally taught her. Who would have thought that after she took charge, the shop, which had once been shunned by everyone, would gradually flourish? Business grew better with each passing day. Not only did she repay the old debts, she also built up a considerable fortune.
“Her father was overjoyed. He decided to pass all his culinary skills on to her. By the time my young lady turned sixteen, he had already opened three restaurants in their hometown and named them Guest Immortal Residence. Business at Guest Immortal Residence was thriving, with long lines every day and a steady stream of gold pouring in. Watching his daughter grow older and become more capable by the day, her father’s ambitions began to expand as well. He decided to make his way to the capital.
At the time, the master had two considerations. First, the capital was home to many wealthy families who were willing to spend generously on food. If Kexian House could establish itself there, not only would it make a fortune, it would also become famous throughout the realm. Second, the capital was filled with talented scholars who had come to sit for the examinations, making it the perfect place to find the young miss a husband of both talent and appearance.
The master knew that the family restaurant could not do without the young miss, so he planned to find a husband for her in the capital after the examinations and bring him into the family. Any children they had would bear the Dantai surname and inherit the family business, allowing him to entrust the entire enterprise to his daughter in the future. Unexpectedly, only three months after the restaurant opened, the master took the young miss back to their hometown in Yunzhou to attend the one-month celebration for Second Master’s granddaughter. After drinking, he retired to rest. With the doors and windows shut tight and the charcoal fire burning too fiercely, he… passed away just like that.”
At this point, Fenghe seemed to recall the peaceful days the Dantai family had once enjoyed. Her eyes reddened, and her voice grew choked with emotion. “After the master died, Second Master seized the young miss’s property by force. Later, the Earl of Yu’s Estate planned to take a concubine and was selecting candidates. Greedy for the betrothal gifts offered by the Earl’s household, Second Master forced the young miss to marry. She refused and tried to run away, but a servant shoved her, and she fell and broke her right hand—the hand she used for cooking. After that, Second Master forcibly married her off to the heir as a concubine.”
Her voice was bitter as she continued, “The young miss actually doesn’t like the heir. She never has. All these years, she has merely been humoring him. But the heir truly likes her. He valued her even more after she revealed her abilities. Many of the Earl’s Estate’s businesses had been operating at a loss before, but they only began turning a profit after the young miss arrived.
“The heir dotes on the young miss and often spends the night in her room. But he has his own taboos. I used to call her ‘Miss,’ but later the heir beat me and warned me that there was no Dantai young miss in the Earl’s Estate—only Concubine Dantai. That was when I completely changed the way I addressed her. The young miss said that the heir was afraid she… still had someone else in her heart and was always thinking of leaving.”
So the Earl of Yu’s Estate now depended entirely on Tantai Mingzhu for its businesses. Ning Yuan could not do without her, while Tantai Mingzhu remained unwilling to accept her situation. Therefore, Ning Yuan would also want Tantai Mingzhu to bear a child—a child who could be used to restrain her and keep her under control.
That explained why Ning Yuan had withdrawn in time and avoided being poisoned. The poison definitely had nothing to do with him.
If Ning Yuan had not administered the poison, then the Wang family was the most suspicious.
From the testimony just given, the poison must have been administered after Tantai Mingzhu had decided to return to rest and the servants had cleaned the room, but before Tantai Mingzhu entered it.
During that period, Wang Chuning was still unconscious and had no opportunity to commit the crime. The maid Qiaoxin had been busy observing the situation in the room and preparing to summon Ning Yuan at any moment. Gao Shengmei had been listening to the chanting of scriptures and had an alibi.
That left only one person.
Yan Tongshu’s stern gaze turned toward Fenghe. “I have one final question.”
Yan Tongshu asked, “Since your young miss does not like Ning Yuan, why did she keep fighting with Wang Yuyan for his favor?”
“This…” Fenghe looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to reveal everything. “My young miss said that the heir… the heir… was not a good man. She saw that Eldest Miss Wang, like herself, had lost her family and been bullied by others. She did not want Eldest Miss Wang to jump into another fire pit, so she deliberately provoked her again and again, hoping she would see from the heir’s attitude that he was not a good man.”
So that was the reason.
Yan Tongshu shook his head, unable to stop himself from sighing inwardly. If Wang Yuyan really was the one who had poisoned her, then Tantai Mingzhu’s compassion for Wang Yuyan truly would have been misplaced.
Yan Tongshu sighed and said to Fenghe, “When Tantai Mingzhu wakes up, would you be willing to pass on a message from me?”
Fenghe said, “What would you like me to say, Lord Yan?”
Yan Tongshu replied, “Tell her that in this dynasty, forcing a virtuous woman to become either a concubine or a prostitute is against the law.”
Forcing a virtuous woman to become a concubine was a private prosecution. Unless the victim brought the case forward, the authorities would not pursue it, and such cases were extremely difficult to prove. In other words, it was very hard to win a lawsuit.
Moreover, Ning Yuan had taken Tantai Mingzhu as his concubine with the consent of her second uncle, had paid the betrothal gifts, and had followed the proper procedures. Under those circumstances, bringing a successful case was even more difficult.
The victim would have to make up her mind to fight. Otherwise, there was no way she could win.
Fenghe stood frozen for a moment.
After speaking, Yan Tongshu walked out of the room with Pearl. Jinbao saw the two of them emerge and quickly followed.
The side room where Tantai Mingzhu was resting was not far from the room where the case was being heard. It took only a dozen or so steps to reach it.
Yan Tongshu returned to the courtroom and ordered someone to summon Ning Yuan.
The moment Ning Yuan entered, he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply to Yan Tongshu. “Ning Yuan thanks Lord Yan for saving Mingzhu’s life. This kindness is as weighty as Mount Tai. I will never forget it.”
“Rise,” Yan Tongshu said, all the while watching Wang Yuyan closely.
When Wang Yuyan heard Ning Yuan’s words, her brows drew together almost imperceptibly. Her red lips pressed into a thin line, and the corners of her mouth drooped slightly. She seemed extremely disappointed.
Yan Tongshu said, “The case concerning Wang Chuning’s drugging and assault has just been concluded. Does anyone have anything to add?”
The Wang family and Niu Er shook their heads.
Yan Tongshu said, “Since that is the case, before I announce the verdict, we will hear one more case.”
One more?
The members of the Wang family all looked at Yan Tongshu.
Ning Yuan frowned slightly, seemingly aware of what was coming. His suspicious gaze shifted toward Wang Chuning and Wang Yuyan.
Yan Tongshu began, “Prince Ning’s concubine, Tantai Mingzhu, suddenly suffered a massive hemorrhage during a difficult labor. After examining her, this magistrate determined that she had been poisoned—by mercury. The poison was placed in the porcelain basin in the side room where Tantai Mingzhu was resting. The basin was filled with water and set over a charcoal brazier. The intense heat turned the water into vapor, filling the room. When Tantai Mingzhu entered, she inhaled the poison and became ill.”
With every word Yan Tongshu spoke, Wang Yuyan’s hand, hidden inside her sleeve, clenched tighter.
Yan Tongshu continued, “After careful questioning, this magistrate learned that the maid had washed the porcelain basin before Tantai Mingzhu entered, then filled it with water and placed it over the charcoal brazier. The room was empty afterward. Therefore, the poison must have been administered sometime after the maid cleaned the basin, filled it with water, and placed it over the brazier, but before Tantai Mingzhu entered. There were signs that the branches of the Chinese cypress outside the second small window had been disturbed. Clearly, the culprit entered by climbing through that window. Therefore—”
Yan Tongshu swept his gaze around the room. Wang Quan’an and Gao Shengmei showed little interest in the case. Wang Chuning was entirely focused on Ning Yuan, her eyes brimming with affection as she gazed at him. She still seemed to be thinking about marrying him.
Only Wang Yuyan looked tense.
During the earlier case, Yan Tongshu’s sharp eyes had seen straight through the truth, and his speed had been terrifying. That alone had shattered much of Wang Yuyan’s defenses. Now, she could barely keep her expression under control.
Suddenly, Yan Tongshu shouted sternly, “Wang Yuyan, do you admit your guilt?”
Wang Yuyan’s legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the floor. Bracing herself against the wooden boards, she turned deathly pale. “I… I don’t know anything.”
Yan Tongshu narrowed his eyes. “Is that so?”
Wang Yuyan’s teeth chattered. Terror filled her heart, but she still forced herself to hold out, her voice trembling. “I… I don’t know anything. Lord Yan, if you have evidence—if you have…”
Seeing the certainty on Yan Tongshu’s face, she was afraid.
Truly afraid.
This Yan Tongshu is terrifying. Could it be that he really has evidence?
Yan Tongshu said in a low voice, “What Tantai Mingzhu was poisoned with was mercury poisoning. The main component of mercury is quicksilver. If you went out and bought pure quicksilver directly, it would inevitably leave a record and attract the attention of the authorities. So you had no choice but to find a way to refine it yourself. Wang Yuyan, your skin is very fair—extremely fair, isn’t it?”
“I…” Wang Yuyan instinctively raised her hand and touched her face.
