Lu Wuxie walked on the bluestone path in the backyard of the Xie manor, his mind preoccupied with Madam Liang's words.
He was an upright man, and he admitted to having special feelings for Zhong Li. That was why he had a bone to pick with Lan Heng. But as for liking her…
His brow furrowed. What did that feel like? He wasn't quite sure yet.
"The Young Master has arrived!"
Lin Jin's voice sounded from behind him.
Lu Wuxie looked up abruptly and saw a woman standing in the center of the main hall of the Xie manor. She was dressed in a simple, plain suit, exuding a pure and elegant aura. Her face was cold and beautiful. Compared to the concubines and servants of the Xie manor around her, she appeared exceptionally refined.
"You say the master died of poisoning?" Madam Zhen asked, looking at Zhong Li opposite her.
"Yes!" Zhong Li nodded, casually handing the autopsy report to Madam Zhen. "Although Xie Xu's body was burned, based on his poisoning symptoms, protruding eyeballs, and sunken abdomen, he should have been poisoned by Mylabris."
"How could this be?" Madam Zhen's expression revealed disbelief.
Zhong Li explained, "It's winter now, and normally such poisonous insects wouldn't be active. But I'm certain Xie Xu was poisoned by Mylabris."
As she spoke, she took out a silver hairpin from her embrace.
Madam Zhen looked. The silver hairpin had already turned yellow. Coupled with the symptoms Zhong Li had just described, what else could it be but Mylabris poisoning?
"So, Judge Zhong's meaning is that someone is now deliberately raising Mylabris?" Madam Zhen seized on the key point of Zhong Li's words.
Zhong Li looked at the many servants of the Xie manor surrounding her. They seemed to be seeking an answer from her. After all, with the head of the household dead, the manor was leaderless, and the people within were already in a state of panic. However, she had no evidence, and there were many things she couldn't say with absolute certainty.
She shook her head. "It has already been confirmed that Xie Xu was murdered. As for other matters, Second Madam should wait for the yamen to thoroughly investigate. Speculation will only lead to unnecessary suspicion."
After speaking, she turned to look at Lu Wuxie behind her. She had given Madam Zhen the cause of Xie Xu's death. As for the rest, everyone in the Xie manor had the possibility of being the murderer. How to proceed was up to him.
Lu Wuxie walked gracefully into the hall. His gaze swept over everyone present. He then said to Lin Jin, "Search!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Jin led the dozen or so yamen runners behind him and rushed towards the backyard.
Madam Zhen of the second branch and Madam Fang of the third branch, who already had many grievances against Lu Wuxie, stepped forward and said, "Young Master, what do you mean by this? Are you suspecting that someone in the inner court administered the poison to the master?"
Lu Wuxie glanced at the two of them. He was too lazy to even speak. He turned and walked outside.
Zhong Li had been waiting for him in the courtyard. During this time, she caught a glimpse of the main hall, which was filled with curses, from not far away. She then walked around the elm tree in front of her, moving a little further away. Seeing Lu Wuxie approaching, she casually took out another autopsy report and handed it to him.
Lu Wuxie was not surprised by her 'two-pronged approach.' He casually opened the report and began to examine it.
The cause of Xie Xu's death was indeed Mylabris poisoning, just as Zhong Li had told the people in the manor. However, this autopsy report contained more information, especially the appearance of something familiar to him – Khat.
"Mylabris was found on my maternal grandfather?" Lu Wuxie asked with surprise.
Zhong Li nodded, casually tucking the autopsy report into her sleeve. "To be precise, it was found in the stomach contents, and it should have been swallowed not long ago. The stems and leaves of the Mylabris were still very clear."
"Impossible!" Lu Wuxie's expression darkened. "How could my maternal grandfather have consumed this thing? Although he resigned from his post, it doesn't mean he would violate the laws of the Southern Yue Kingdom."
Zhong Li knew the importance of Xie Xu in Lu Wuxie's heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to Baiyan Tower every day a while ago to persuade him to come home.
"In fact, there are many suspicious aspects to your maternal grandfather's death," she said, walking to a pavilion and casually picking up a handkerchief to wipe clean two stone stools.
"How so?" Lu Wuxie pressed.
"It is widely known that Mylabris is poisonous, but in medicine, it actually has other uses," Zhong Li said, her expression turning somewhat grim.
"Please, speak freely." In Lu Wuxie's opinion, Xie Xu was already dead, and he could accept any findings on his body.
"Mylabris can treat gonorrhea."
"What?" Lu Wuxie was stunned. What did this mean? His grandfather had suffered from such a shameful illness.
"However," Zhong Li continued, changing her tone, "I did not find this disease on Master Xie's body, so what I've said is merely speculation."
Lu Wuxie remained silent. He knew how badly scorched Xie Xu's body was. It would be strange if anything could be found. Zhong Li saying this was just her way of comforting him.
"Also," Zhong Li looked at his deeply furrowed brow and sighed. Although she didn't want to say too much, the facts were the facts. The more information she had, the faster the case would be solved. "There is another obscure record of Mylabris's efficacy in ancient books."
"What is it?" Lu Wuxie inquired.
"Mylabris can secrete a liquid called cantharidin. If taken in small doses, it can act like an aphrodisiac."
"Aphrodisiac?" Lu Wuxie narrowed his eyes, his mind naturally recalling Xie Xu's state at Baiyan Tower the previous day.
"I would like to ask the Young Master a question," Zhong Li said.
Lu Wuxie nodded, indicating his consent.
"During this period, when you entered the Xie family, did you find Master Xie to be in good spirits?"
Lu Wuxie knew what she was asking. He thought for a moment and said, "I saw my maternal grandfather very little when I was young. The impression I have is when I was still a child, he came from Jinzhou to see my mother and incidentally to see me. As for his mental state..."
He recalled what Madam Liang had told him and said, "It should be somewhat worse than before."
"That's it then," Zhong Li finished his sentence. In response to Lu Wuxie's puzzled expression, she said, "I suspect my maternal grandfather had been suffering from mental torment for a long time."
"How do you say that?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li continued to explain, "Although my maternal grandfather's body was burned beyond recognition, judging by the facial muscles, my maternal grandfather's facial expression at the time of death should have been relaxed. I even felt that he might have been smiling."
"Smiling?"
"Yes, as if he had been looking forward to such an outcome and finally achieved it. If I hadn't found the Mylabris poison in his body, I would have almost thought that my maternal grandfather committed suicide and then set fire to the study himself." Zhong Li said, her mind recalling the various suspicious signs she had discovered while examining Xie Xu's body.
"He had already thought of dying?" Lu Wuxie listened to Zhong Li's words, pondered for a moment, and then took something out of his embrace and handed it to her.
Zhong Li took it and looked at the simple poem written on the Xuan paper: 'Do not ask the clear absence to return to the ancients, a vast expanse of thoughts forgotten, haste and dust are the most difficult emotions, arrival like rain, riding like a soul.'
This poem was not written well at all. It did not rhyme, and the so-called lovesickness and sorrow it spoke of was extremely superficial. However, the focus of the poem was not on the meaning but on...
"Is this an acrostic poem?" Zhong Li looked at the first character of each sentence, which formed the meaning 'Mo Cang Kuai Lai' (Do not inquire, vast, fast, come).
Lu Wuxie nodded and tucked the Xuan paper that Zhong Li had returned into his sleeve. "My grandfather sent this to Prince Xian's manor through someone a while ago."
"So, the Young Master means that your maternal grandfather was asking you for help?" Zhong Li could only think of this.
Lu Wuxie nodded, then quickly shook his head. "Perhaps he was asking for help, or perhaps he wanted to tell me something, but never had the opportunity."