“Do you know who she likes?” Shen Qingqing asked.
“No,” he answered resolutely. “And it doesn’t matter.”
This person was beyond help.
Shen Qingqing shook her head, intending to leave. She had asked all she could. Just as she was about to depart, the Duke suddenly remembered something.
“Right, before I went in, Pei Xing was leaving the study.”
Shen Qingqing paused. “What’s wrong with that?”
It was normal for a son to visit his father.
The Duke said, “The problem is, when I entered, the King’s expression was not good. I have reason to suspect the two of them had a disagreement.”
Shen Qingqing sized him up. Seeing his sincere expression, she didn’t think he was lying and turned to leave.
After leaving, she went to find Pei Xing.
Pei Xing and Pei Ji were accompanying the Queen. Upon seeing her enter, their first action was to shush her.
Shen Qingqing then noticed that the Queen was asleep, and Pei Ji was also resting by the bedside, seemingly asleep as well. She gestured, signaling Pei Xing to come out.
The two of them quietly left the room.
Pei Xing closed the door and turned to her. “What is it?”
Shen Qingqing leaned against the wall, glanced around. The corridor was empty, and it was just the two of them. “I have something to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Where were you before three o’clock yesterday?”
Pei Xing started, his eyes flashing. He understood. “Did the Duke tell you he saw me?”
Shen Qingqing nodded, her gaze fixed on him.
“I did go to see my father,” Pei Xing admitted frankly. “But I must confirm, is our conversation now private, or an interrogation?”
“Is there a difference?”
“Of course,” Pei Xing’s eyes were clear and candid. “If it’s private, I wouldn’t tell you. This is between my father and me. You know, some things in the royal family cannot be spoken of.”
“Alright, then you can consider it an interrogation.”
“In that case, we can’t talk here.” Pei Xing’s meaning was clear: he could tell the truth, but not to her alone.
He wanted everyone involved in investigating this case to be present.
Shen Qingqing agreed.
She summoned Pei Lie and Fu Jing Shu, as well as Pei Ji and the old man. However, the old man refused, saying he wasn’t interested in this matter.
He preferred studying poisons.
Shen Qingqing didn’t insist. She gathered the others in the conference room in the hall downstairs.
Several guards stood at the door, and the main entrance was tightly shut, muffling sounds and preventing any eavesdropping or intrusion.
Shen Qingqing spoke first. “I’ll start by telling you what I learned from the Duke. Before he went in yesterday, he saw the Second Prince leaving the study. When he went in, the King’s expression was not good. I’d like to know if the Second Prince has an explanation?”
“Is that all he said?” Pei Xing asked, not answering directly.
“Of course not. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll tell you the rest after you answer,” Shen Qingqing decided not to tell the whole truth.
Her attempt to probe had failed.
Pei Xing cut to the chase. “Alright, I’ll tell you.”
Yesterday, he had been summoned to the palace by the King, who intended to discuss matters of succession. However, after much thought the previous night, Pei Xing still felt he was not suited to be king.
So, he refused.
The King was furious upon hearing this. Perhaps due to the previous incident with Pei Lie’s refusal, he could not accept Pei Xing’s second refusal.
Pei Xing tried to reason with him, but was cursed at and driven out by the King.
As he left, he encountered the Duke.
“I wasn’t in a good mood then, so I didn’t say much to the Duke, just a simple greeting. He must have misunderstood.”
Pei Lie asked anxiously, “Was there anything unusual about Father at the time?”
Pei Xing thought seriously and shook his head. “No, when I left, Father was very energetic. There was no sign of poisoning at all.”
Pei Lie looked disappointed, having hoped to find a clue. He quickly turned to Shen Qingqing. “Did the Duke say anything else afterwards?”
“He said that when he left, the King was still normal.”
At this point, the clues seemed to have run dry.
Pei Xing was consumed by guilt and self-recrimination. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have argued with Father no matter what! How could I…”
He grabbed his hair with both hands, wishing he could tear his scalp off.
Pei Ji, suppressing his grief, comforted him. “Second Brother, don’t be like this. It’s not your fault.”
He understood his second brother’s feelings.
Neither of them wanted to be king, but Father insisted on forcing them. It was normal to have disagreements.
Pei Xing looked up, his eyes bloodshot. “Third Brother, you don’t understand. I said many rebellious things to Father then, which angered him immensely. I thought there would be another chance, that I could apologize to Father again and show filial piety, but I never expected that this would be the last time we saw each other!”
He clenched one fist and slammed it hard on the table, making a bang.
His hand was also faintly red.
“It’s all my fault!”
“Second Brother!” Pei Ji quickly grabbed his arm and said hoarsely, “It’s not your fault. It’s not just you; even the last words we said to Father weren’t expressions of affection. If we’re talking about guilt, we all share it. Don’t talk about yourself like this.”
Pei Xing shook his head, unable to speak due to his pain.
Pei Lie and Pei Ji comforted him. After a while, he calmed down and looked at Shen Qingqing. “Do you have any more questions?”
“No.”
Shen Qingqing shook her head and watched him leave.
Seeing her gaze fixed on Pei Xing’s retreating back, Fu Jing Shu couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
A flicker of thought crossed Shen Qingqing’s eyes. She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Miss Shen, I’ll leave this to you. I’ll go check on Mother.” Pei Ji couldn’t feel at ease even for a moment when he was away from his mother.
“Alright, go ahead.”
After he left, Pei Lie also stood up. “Did the Duke say anything else?”
Shen Qingqing nodded slightly and repeated everything the Duke had said. Pei Lie fell into thought. “So, the murderer isn’t him, then.”
“I don’t think so either.”
Shen Qingqing rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
If it were truly the Duke, it would be too obvious. He had just argued, and then poisoned someone. Moreover, the source of the poison remained a mystery.
“I think perhaps we can send someone to search the Duke’s residence.”
“I’ll handle this.”
Shen Qingqing then remembered something else. “Also, summon the people who took care of the King. I have some questions to ask properly.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
Pei Lie acted quickly. Within ten minutes, the person was brought in.
The King’s attendant was a woman in her thirties. Despite her age, she had been working there for years, was meticulous, cautious, and diligent.
Upon seeing Shen Qingqing, she seemed a little nervous. “Hello, Miss Shen.”
“Don’t be nervous. Sit down and talk.” Shen Qingqing raised a hand, inviting her to sit on the sofa, and thoughtfully asked a servant to bring a glass of water.
Hong Sao picked up the cup and took a sip, her nervousness slightly easing. “Miss Shen, what would you like to ask?”