Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong went inside. The Prince of Jinnan looked at them and immediately stood up, "Zong'er, Wushang!"
"Greetings, Father!" The two immediately bowed.
The Prince of Jinnan immediately helped them up. "Quick, don't bother with the formalities. Wushang, go and see what's wrong with Ruirui. I don't know what those doctors are doing. She seems to have fallen into a coma again!"
Ji Wushang said, "Father, don't worry, the concubine will definitely get better."
Nan Xianxian entered from outside and looked at Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong. She thought about saying something to prevent them from touching Consort Jin, but since Prince Jinnan had already spoken, she had no choice but to suppress her thoughts.
Nan Xuzong looked at Nan Xianxian, his eyes turning cold. Like mother, like daughter! They're both cut from the same cloth! Ji Wushang had stated that she absolutely couldn't be allowed to marry General Ma Ershao, huh! So, should he just find her anyone? Or…
Nan Xianxian felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze. His eyes were always so sharp, making her involuntarily back away. "Big...Big Brother...No, Fourth Prince..."
Ji Wushang was startled upon hearing the voice, then looked at Nan Xuzong, whose expression had changed. Nan Xuzong stepped forward and walked to Ji Wushang's side, asking, "How is it, Wushang?"
Ji Wushang looked at him, "I'm administering acupuncture to the concubine...would you like to take a look too?"
"I won't look," Nan Xuzong said directly, his gaze falling on Consort Jin's face. "She won't die, you can heal her." He said this after only a brief glance.
Those around him listened with surprise, yet it all seemed to make sense! No one knew how it happened; they only heard that he was the posthumous child of Consort Zhen, and yet Nan Xuzong had become the fourth prince. How could they possibly know how much more he was capable of behind the scenes?
Ji Wushang nodded and immediately began administering acupuncture to Consort Jin upon hearing his words.
The Prince of Jinnan looked at Ji Wushang, then at Nan Xucong, "Cong'er..."
"Don't worry, Father!" Nan Xuzong said, "She'll be fine. But it's best to find out who poisoned her as soon as possible! Otherwise, who knows what might happen to this household!"
"Yes, yes, yes." The Prince of Jinnan was startled by his imposing manner and immediately replied. He then realized that he had never understood this so-called son of his! Or perhaps, from the very beginning, he had been hiding his true self!
Ji Wushang had finished his diagnosis and treatment. He instructed someone to take care of her and then walked up to the Prince of Jinnan, saying, "It's probably because the concubine's food was poisoned. She can't eat too much, which is why she didn't die."
"Poisoned again?" The Prince of Jinnan frowned deeply, finding it hard to believe that everyone in the Prince of Jinnan's mansion was truly heartless and treacherous. "Guards, immediately seize the servants who prepared the meals and make them all kneel in the courtyard!"
Immediately, people outside hurried off to carry out the order.
Ji Wushang carefully examined Consort Jin, pondering the struggle between them and what they were currently doing.
If Leng Ruolan administered the medicine, her intention was to poison Jin Ruirui. If Jin Ruirui administered the medicine herself and pinned the blame on Leng Ruolan, her aim was to exploit the Prince of Jinnan's disappointment in Leng Ruolan and then use the opportunity to kill her.
Now, if the Prince of Jinnan believes that Leng Ruolan was trying to poison Jin Ruirui, and Jin Ruirui wakes up and insists that it was Leng Ruolan, and this further fuels the fire...
But now, Jin Ruirui shouldn't expect to live much longer!
At this moment, the Prince of Jinnan walked out. Ji Wushang smiled slightly, stepped forward, and used a silk handkerchief to wipe Jin Ruirui's face. "Take good care of the concubine. Once she wakes up, you must inform her as soon as possible."
"yes."
Ji Wushang nodded before turning and leaving.
Nan Xianxian immediately stepped forward to take care of Consort Jin.
Nan Xuzong's eyes darkened as he turned and followed Ji Wushang.
☆、251 Confusing the truth and turning black into white?! (Zai Wen!)
Ji Wushang walked into the courtyard and saw that quite a few servants were already kneeling there. The Prince of Jinnan kept looking at this one and that one, and kept asking, "Who did this? Step forward and face me!"
Ji Wushang sneered inwardly, watching him dart from one side to the other like a clown. He thought to himself that it was better for him, the Prince of Jinnan, to be a businessman. He was already struggling to get into politics. As for managing the inner court and interrogating those criminal servants, he was simply slapping himself in the face!
Nan Xuzong glanced disdainfully at the group, his lips twitching slightly. He whispered in Ji Wushang's ear, "Wushang, how about we have some fun?"
“Hmm, let’s play.” Ji Wushang smiled at Nan Xuzong, then stepped forward. “Father, why don’t you leave this matter to Wushang? Wushang has some experience managing this palace before. If you trust me, please let Wushang handle this matter.”
"Alright! I'll leave this matter to you!" The Prince of Jinnan had been exhausted by these people and hadn't managed to get anything out of them. Now that Ji Wushang was there, he felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders!
Ji Wushang slowly walked in front of the servants. In truth, whatever these servants said would benefit Ji Wushang; she only needed to follow their lead, for she had her own clever plans!
“I know that some of you were instructed to poison Consort Jin’s medicine, but the dosage was miscalculated, so you didn’t kill her,” Ji Wushang said as he walked away, looking at them.
“You’ve all been staying in my residence for quite some time now, and you’re familiar with my methods. If he can tell the truth voluntarily, I can forgive him. If I find out the truth, then there are other ways to punish the murderer.”
Nan Xuzong stood to the side, watching the stunningly beautiful woman stroll by, her lips moving as she opened and closed her mouth. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, and his gaze remained fixed on her.
Nan Xianxian came out from outside. Looking at the scene in the courtyard, she desperately hoped to find the murderer who framed Consort Jin. However, when she saw Nan Xuzong standing not far in front of her with his back to her, a feeling of admiration welled up inside her. This wasn't her elder brother, but the Fourth Prince of the current dynasty!
If she could marry him and become his concubine, then she could compete with Ji Wushang! Moreover, Ji Wushang has been childless for so long, and Empress Yao would probably force him to take a concubine! Why wouldn't such a thing benefit her?
If I were to discuss this matter with my father, the Prince of Jinnan, he would definitely agree! After all, currying favor with the newly favored Fourth Prince is a coveted opportunity! Moreover, Nan Xuzong, whether good or bad, grew up in the Prince of Jinnan's residence and would surely understand my father's intentions! It's just a matter of marrying a concubine, a familiar "sister," which is better than any other woman forced upon him!
These thoughts immediately flashed through Nan Xianxian's mind.
She knew she had to seize the opportunity; Zhao Yirou was also thinking the same thing! However, Zhao Yirou was a widow, and even if she divorced and remarried, she would still need the consent of her ancestors! Her path was much longer and more difficult than hers!
Nan Xianxian smiled slightly, took a graceful step forward, and "Ah!" she accidentally leaned against Nan Xuzong!
Nan Xuzong had already heard the voice. He moved with lightning speed and stood next to Ji Wushang. "Wushang, why don't you stand aside? I've never interrogated a servant before. How about I do it?"
"Alright!" Ji Wushang looked at him, but then heard a wail from not far away, "Ouch, that hurts!"
Ji Wushang turned his head as he listened, while Nan Xuzong also turned his head to look at Nan Xianxian, but his eyes were filled with hatred.
Wasn't that the spot where Nan Xuzong had just been standing? Ji Wushang turned to look at Nan Xuzong, who met her gaze and put one arm around her slender waist. "Go and rest over there for a bit, and wait for your husband to come."
"Hmm." Ji Wushang trusted him; she knew his attitude.
At this moment, Ji Wushang went to Nan Xianxian's side instead. Nan Xianxian had already been helped up by several maids and nannies. Ji Wushang said, "Why wasn't the Third Miss careful? She actually fell."
"It's nothing, I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I'll be better next time!" Nan Xianxian said coldly.
"That's good." Ji Wushang turned and walked to the side to stand next to the Prince of Jinnan. The Prince of Jinnan looked at Nan Xianxian. He hadn't seen clearly what had just happened, but he felt that Nan Xianxian was acting strangely. Why did she suddenly fall?
"Xian'er, go stand to the side!" said the Prince of Jinnan. "Don't get in the way."
"Yes." Nan Xianxian nodded.
Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong, who was standing in the center of the courtyard, giving Ji Wushang a silly smile. Ji Wushang was pleased, but also annoyed that other women had seen his smile, and those women were all infatuated with him!
Nan Xuzong's smile vanished. He said, "This prince is not good at interrogating people. I always prefer to get straight to the point. Therefore, this prince will only give you one chance. If no one can tell me, then this prince will guess. If I guess correctly, I will kill one. If I can't guess, I will kill them all! Anyway, you are not the murderers, but you are definitely accomplices! Your dereliction of duty led to Consort Jin's poisoning, and that is a crime! A crime deserving of death!"
"Your Highness, spare us! Spare us!" Upon hearing this, the people around immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy.
Nan Xuzong's eyes swept over the people around him, and he sneered, "Count to three!"
"I did it, I did it!" At this moment, a man knelt on the ground in fear and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
Upon hearing this, Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward and said, "Get out here!" pointing at the person who admitted it.
Nan Xuzong stood beside Ji Wushang and said softly, "This person is fake."
"Let's keep acting together," Ji Wushang replied softly.
From this angle, it's almost as if the two of them were still indulging in romance even in these interrogation courtyards! Those around them might feel jealous, envious, or even ashamed that they had disgraced the royal family, since romance needs to be appropriate for the occasion!
But no one dared to say no.
"Since you say you did it, then tell me everything!" Ji Wushang walked up to the maid and asked, "What's your name?"
"It's me, it's Xiaoxing," Xiaoxing said, her legs trembling.
"Continue." Ji Wushang stared coldly at Xiao Xing. Xiao Xing felt as if Ji Wushang was staring a hole through her, but thinking that as long as she spoke the words her master had taught her, she could exchange them for a better life for her family, she became bolder.
"Yes, it was Princess Leng who ordered me to administer the drug. I didn't want to do it, but she threatened me with my family, so I had no choice but to do it..." Xiao Xing said, bowing her head, tears streaming down her face as she suppressed her sobs.
Ji Wushang listened and asked, "Then what kind of poison did you use?"
"This servant doesn't know! This servant only followed the Princess's instructions to put poison into the concubine's medicine. This servant really doesn't know anything else. Please spare my life! Please spare my life!" Xiao Xing thought that she was very likely to die this time, but people die for money, birds die for food. As long as the business is good enough, it's fine!
Ji Wushang nodded. There was no doubt about what she said, and he understood what she meant.
Consort Jin is willing to gamble with her own life; she's certainly thinking too highly of herself!
"You're right that you poisoned them, but there's another culprit!" Ji Wushang turned to the kneeling servants. "Come out. I won't name names. This culprit knows how to poison people better than you, Xiaoxing!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xing's face turned pale. Did her master not trust her and then find someone to poison her?
“Xiao Xing used oleander as poison, and the other murderer used aconite. This is what I found out. It’s impossible for one murderer to use two kinds of poison, so there’s still one more person.” Ji Wushang smiled. Actually, it was quite obvious—the Cold Princess wanted to send someone to poison Consort Jin, while Consort Jin wanted someone to pretend to be poisoned, and also send someone to poison her as well.
These two really have great chemistry!
Those kneeling people couldn't help but wipe away a bead of sweat as they listened.
The guy who had been secretly pleased turned pale when he heard Ji Wushang say that. He thought he had escaped, but he was discovered!
“The Fourth Prince and I both enjoy counting to three. How about we play one?” Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong, whose thin lips parted slightly. “One.”
Ji Wushang smiled and walked up to Nan Xuzong, but no one around dared to make a sound or do anything else. Nan Xuzong's eyes were terrifying!
Ji Wushang stepped forward. "Are you going to eat someone? Why are you being so fierce?" She tugged at his large hand, and his expression changed slightly as he pulled her to his side. "Two."
Those around them turned pale. What were they going to do? Why wasn't that damned murderer leaving on his own? Was he going to implicate everyone?
Ji Wushang smiled and said in a somewhat cold voice, "Three." As soon as she finished speaking, everyone saw a golden thread fly past their eyes, striking one of them directly in the face. A scream followed! "Ah!"
The man fell to the ground, crying out, "Spare me! Spare me!" Only now, knowing his death was imminent, did he kneel down and beg for mercy!
Ji Wushang looked at him and said, "I gave you a chance, did you think you were hiding it so well? You won't admit it until you're faced with the truth!"
"Fourth Imperial Consort, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!" The servant immediately kowtowed repeatedly.
"Bring the item here!" Ji Wushang said, waving his hand immediately. Two guards standing to the side immediately pulled the man up and raised his hands.
“Left-handed, just as I suspected.” Ji Wushang looked at him, and at that moment brought over a medicine bowl.
Everyone craned their necks to watch.
"You, servant, mostly use your left hand, and there's a lot of dregs at the bottom of this medicine bowl, more on the left than the right. This indicates that the person added the medicine with their left hand. After adding the medicine, they stirred it with their left hand, but didn't stir it vigorously. So, it's not hard to conclude that the poisoner was left-handed," Ji Wushang said coldly. "And among all these people, those who could have come into contact with Consort Jin are mostly right-handed, with only two or three being left-handed. And you," Ji Wushang pointed at the man, "when I said there was another murderer, your expression changed drastically. Everyone else looked surprised, but you looked terrified."
Everyone who heard this was amazed by such a small discovery!
Ji Wushang walked up to Xiaoxing. "Xiaoxing, you also poisoned someone, but the dosage was less than half an ounce. It's clear you didn't want Consort Jin to die. But you," Ji Wushang turned and stared at the servant, slowly walking forward, "you used two ounces. Too much aconite can kill instantly. You are the one who truly wanted Consort Jin dead!"
Xiao Xing and the servant immediately knelt down upon hearing this! Ji Wushang could even calculate the dosage; what else didn't she know!
"Do you two plead guilty?" Ji Wushang narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I admit my guilt!" The servant knelt on the ground. "I admire the Fourth Princess Consort the most and am willing to tell the truth!" Anyway, since Xiao Xing had already said that it was Princess Leng who did it, it didn't count as him confessing to her!
"Speak." Ji Wushang looked at the Prince of Jinnan, who was staring wide-eyed. If he were to interrogate him himself, how long would it take? Moreover, there were actually two murderers!
"Yes, it was Princess Leng who ordered me to poison Consort Jin's medicine!" the servant knelt down and bowed his head.
The Prince of Jinnan's expression changed completely! It really was Leng Ruolan! He had misjudged her!
At that moment, in Lanruo Garden, a nanny rushed in from outside, shouting, "Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"