Chapter 41: No Sign of Poisoning

Bai Zhi stared at Xia Mingxuan in shock. With just a gentle probing, she had immediately uncovered Xia Mingxuan’s true intentions. Bai Zhi’s hands and feet turned cold as she glared at him, realizing in that moment that she had indeed been manipulated.

Xia Mingxuan summoned the guards, but before they could enter, a cool and clear voice sounded from outside the door: “Major Xia, who do you say has poisoned this princess?”

Upon hearing the voice at the door, Xia Mingxuan froze, looking over in astonishment. There stood Xia Jiujiang, graceful and striking, at the threshold—there was no hint of someone who had been poisoned. He turned in horror to glance at Bai Zhi, still kneeling on the floor, and at the indistinct figure on the bed. His mouth fell open, momentarily at a loss for words.

Xia Jiujiang’s eyes curved in a slight smile as she strolled leisurely into the room. Under Xia Mingxuan’s astonished gaze, she asked, “When and by whom were you told that the person lying in that bed was me? You had only just arrived at the guest room, the bed curtains were drawn, and you couldn’t possibly know who was lying there. Why were you so sure it was me?”

Xia Mingxuan gritted his teeth and bowed to her, saying, “I knew my elder sister would return today, but hadn’t yet paid my respects. Outside the guest wing, I encountered your maid, Green Luo. She was shouting loudly and had bloodstains on her clothes. I thought something had happened to you, so I acted rashly.”

Xia Jiujiang glanced at Green Luo. “Is that how it was?”

Green Luo, aggrieved, replied, “I remember it clearly—I never told Young Master Xia that anything had happened to the princess. I only said, ‘my mistress…’ but before I could finish, Young Master Xia burst into the room. No one could stop him.”

Xia Mingxuan glared at Green Luo in frustration. The wretched maid! He now realized that Xia Jiujiang had deliberately set a trap for him. Green Luo’s words had been ambiguous on purpose, luring him into exposing himself.

Seating herself on a pear blossom stool, Xia Jiujiang asked, “And what was it you meant to say?”

Green Luo replied, “I had meant to say someone had fainted outside my mistress’s chamber, and I wanted Young Master Xia’s help. Who would have thought he’d rush into the guest room and immediately order Miss Bai Zhi’s arrest? Truly strange.”

Xia Mingxuan hastened to explain, “This room was prepared for my elder sister’s rest. Green Luo ran out in a panic, someone was lying on the bed—naturally, I thought it was my sister. There was nothing odd about that.”

Xia Jiujiang gave him a sidelong glance; it was a reasonable excuse—Xia Mingxuan’s mind was quick indeed.

Leisurely pouring herself a cup of tea, Xia Jiujiang continued, “Then why did you order Bai Zhi’s arrest, and why accuse her of poisoning? The moment you entered, you made these claims without investigation, as though you already knew what had happened. It’s truly puzzling.”

She had deliberately led Xia Mingxuan into a misunderstanding, wanting Bai Zhi to see that every move she made was within Xia Mingxuan’s calculations—he even knew she would use poison against her, and had planted ‘evidence’ in Yi Ju for Bai Zhi to find. Such tricks might have worked on the old Xia Jiujiang, but for her now, who was underestimating whom?

Xia Mingxuan replied, “When I entered, I saw two empty teacups on the table. Green Luo, You Hua, and Bai Zhi all had bloodstains, and there was blood on the floor near the table. I assumed someone had poisoned the princess, and since Green Luo and You Hua are your maids, I naturally suspected Bai Zhi.”

Xia Jiujiang nearly applauded—Xia Mingxuan’s words were watertight.

She remarked, “You have a sharp eye, brother. With just a glance, you identified Bai Zhi as the culprit. If you’d been around when Chun’er was harmed the other day, perhaps I wouldn’t have been falsely accused by Haitang.”

Her words were laced with irony, but Xia Mingxuan pretended not to notice, instead boasting, “On the battlefield, I’ve learned to keep my wits about me, always alert.”

Truly, his self-assurance knew no bounds.

Then Xia Mingxuan tried to seize the initiative. “But I am puzzled—since the princess is well and Bai Zhi did not poison you, why was You Hua holding her at swordpoint? And why are Green Luo, You Hua, and Bai Zhi all stained with blood?”

Green Luo explained, “Young Master Xia has misunderstood. You Hua drew her sword on Bai Zhi because Bai Zhi was disrespectful toward the princess. After eating a red fruit, she coughed violently, splattering both the princess and myself. I suppose Bai Zhi had never tasted red fruit before—the sourness was too much for her, leading to her lapse in decorum.”

In response to Xia Mingxuan’s questions, Xia Jiujiang answered calmly, “I had only just left the room to change my clothes, as mine were stained by the red fruit. As for Bai Zhi, it was an unintentional mistake. You Hua, let her go.”

You Hua released Bai Zhi, who slowly rose to her feet, looking dejected.

Xia Mingxuan pressed on, “Since Sister is unharmed, it seems I overreacted. But then, who is lying on that bed?”

If anything, his questions only multiplied.

Xia Jiujiang smiled with a chill as sharp as a serpent’s fangs. “Why not draw back the curtains and see for yourself, brother?”

Xia Mingxuan went to the bed and lifted the gauze. To his shock, he saw Qing Zhu lying there, his face bluish. “Why is it Qing Zhu! What is he doing here?”

He had ordered Qing Zhu to watch the area—how was he now lying here, causing Xia Mingxuan to mistake him for the dead Xia Jiujiang?

Feigning compassion, Xia Jiujiang said, “Perhaps the autumn sun is too fierce. Someone fainted near the guest wing, and I, being of kind heart, let him rest on the bed. Such a pity.”

Xia Mingxuan nearly choked on his anger. What autumn sun? In this crisp, cool weather, where was this so-called ‘fierce autumn sun’?

He clenched his fists. Even knowing his own man had been ensnared by Xia Jiujiang’s schemes, he had no choice but to swallow his grievances in silence.

Xia Jiujiang said coolly, “Since this is one of your attendants, Young Master Xia, Green Luo was about to fetch a doctor. Now that you’re here, you may as well take him away.”

Xia Mingxuan addressed her, “Elder Sister, Bai Zhi is a musician I hired from the Qin Yin House. I didn’t expect her to behave so disrespectfully—allow me to take her away and teach her the consequences of offending you, so she won’t repeat her mistake.”

So eager to seize Bai Zhi—he was truly desperate.

But Xia Jiujiang produced a contract of sale. “There’s no need for you to trouble yourself over Bai Zhi. After I changed my clothes, I sought out the mistress of Qin Yin House. I found Bai Zhi particularly agreeable and redeemed her contract; she will now serve by my side.”

This move left Xia Mingxuan with nothing but broken teeth to swallow. He had tried to use Bai Zhi against Xia Jiujiang, but she had turned the tables and taken Bai Zhi as her own maid. Xia Mingxuan could only smother his fury, unable to say a word.