Seriously observing the terrified look on the coroner's face, any intelligent person could see that something was amiss. He walked forward unhurriedly and said, "Don't talk about an un-rotted corpse, even if it's just bones, I can still determine the cause of death by poison!"
If he lacked such confidence, how could he have become the disciple of Court Judge Qi? Yan Su blinked at the coroner, provocatively raising an eyebrow at him, a sneer tugging at the corner of his lips.
The coroner was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. Unreconciled, he returned to Qian Lai, saying, "Sir, this person is not a doctor from our city, and no one recognizes him. What if it's an insider hired by the tavern owner? I don't accept the results of his autopsy!"
Qian Lai looked at Murong Sheng, who was kneeling, and then at the coroner. He felt that the coroner had a point and was about to speak when Fan Zehao intercepted him.
He chuckled, "What a coincidence, I invited Doctor Qin Sheng from the city to see the Princess today. We were just about to send him back when we heard the drum. We came immediately. How about this? Let Qin Sheng also examine the body and write down the results on paper, and let Doctor Yan Su examine it and write down his results on paper. If their answers are consistent, it means the coroner's autopsy was wrong. What do you think, Magistrate?"
Since His Highness the Prince spoke so highly of it, what else could he say?
Naturally, he nodded in agreement, "Yes, the idea is excellent. Let's proceed with it!"
They did as planned, but the coroner was flustered. He kept winking at Qian Lai, which Fan Zehao pretended not to see. It was truly a difficult position for him.
Zhao Jiaqi, in the back hall, had witnessed everything that happened in the main hall and secretly gave her husband a thumbs-up. He was indeed quick-witted.
Just as Qin Sheng and Yan Su were about to conduct the autopsy on Zhuo Ping, a woman rushed out to stop them, her eyes red, cursing them both, "He's already dead, and you still won't let him rest in peace. What are your sinister intentions?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman turned and knelt on the ground, begging Qian Lai to preside over the announcement, "My Lord, I am Zhuo Ping's wife. The coroner has already examined the body. Why are you not punishing the culprit to comfort my late husband? Instead, you are humiliating my husband again. They say the deceased should be respected, yet you repeatedly obstruct my husband's burial!"
Qian Lai was overjoyed that the Zhuo family's daughter-in-law was causing such a scene, but he dared not show it on his face. He looked at Fan Zehao awkwardly, "Your Highness, what do you think?"
Fan Zehao raised an eyebrow and said in a low, displeased tone, "What, do you still need me to teach you how to handle a case?"
Trying to pass the buck to him?
Dream on. Did he really think he was a scapegoat?
With his indifferent words, he sent Qian Lai back. Helpless, Qian Lai could only try to pacify her. Seeing this, two inconspicuous people in the crowd left without attracting anyone's attention.
Under the pressure of Magistrate Qian Lai, Qin Sheng and Yan Su re-examined Zhuo Ping's body and wrote down their findings on separate pieces of paper, submitting them one after the other. During this process, the two did not speak and did not even touch each other.
Witnessed by everyone, and under the tense gaze of Fan Zehao and Murong Sheng, Qian Lai's hands trembled as he unfolded the papers. The results on both sheets of paper bore the same name.
"Ban Sheng Xia!" Qian Lai uttered the three words, feeling a bit dazed.
Zhao Jiaqi, in the back hall, suddenly heard the familiar words and exclaimed, "So he was poisoned by this. Then Murong Sheng's tavern doesn't have to bear this blame!"
Qiu Fen was confused. She asked, "The Princess knows Ban Sheng Xia?" Otherwise, why would she suddenly say that the poisoning wasn't due to the food from the tavern?
She gave Qiu Fen a wry smile that was hard to describe. It wasn't that she knew it; it was a nightmare from her school days that caused her to fail an exam.
She was an agricultural student, and her research was on cultivating Ban Sheng Xia. Everything was going smoothly, and she was waiting for the professor's evaluation.
However, a chicken ruined her seedlings and even dug up the almost-harvested Ban Sheng Xia from the soil, pecking it to pieces with its beak. In a fit of anger, she grabbed the chicken, dug up a few potatoes, and returned to the dormitory from the experimental field to cook a feast.
As a result, the agricultural student who studied pheasants and the one who studied potatoes also failed their exams. The one who planted potatoes was the most unfortunate.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi led her people and returned to the manor. She only needed to wait for news at home.
In the Prince's manor, when Zhao Jiaqi was away, Yu Meng was a little tyrant in the back courtyard. When the steward announced the Princess's return, she instantly turned into a little lamb, obediently learning from the governess.
Zhao Jiaqi was quite pleased to see this scene upon her return. However, she had no idea that everyone in the manor doted on Yu Meng and was covering for her.
As the sun set, Fan Zehao, Murong Sheng, and Doctor Yan Su returned, their faces beaming.
"How was it?" Zhao Jiaqi asked, stepping forward.
Fan Zehao waved his hand, a hint of regret in his smile, "Zhuo Yongxian took responsibility for everything. Ji Shiyi even played the part of eliminating a relative for the sake of justice, haha, ridiculous!"
"This is as obvious as a louse on a bald man's head. The Ji family is powerful and has its ways. However, they failed to bring me down this time, and now they know about our relationship. They will probably be more careful with their actions in the future. We must guard against that!" Murong Sheng saw through today's events clearly and expressed his underlying concerns.
Zhao Jiaqi also felt that they needed to be more careful in the future. "It's better to be safe than sorry. We need to be more vigilant in the future!"
Everyone agreed that this was necessary and didn't dwell on it further.
"It's a great thing that Sheng Ge is safe. Good things take time. We should celebrate today. Let's not go home until we're drunk!"
As soon as Zhao Jiaqi finished speaking, Fan Zehao glared at her, "You can only eat, not drink. Your body is not up to it!"
The latter rolled her eyes and secretly licked her lips. If she couldn't drink, couldn't she sneak some?
It was strange. She didn't crave anything specific when she wasn't pregnant, but now that she knew, she craved all sorts of food and drink.
While they were happily drinking and eating in the front hall, Zhao Jiaqi in the back residence was enjoying a small sip of wine by herself. Although she was bold, she dared not drink too much, only a few sips to satisfy her craving.
When Fan Zehao returned, the smell of alcohol on her breath had mostly dissipated. However, as soon as she spoke, he caught a whiff of it. But instead of scolding her, he could only sigh inwardly.
"How was the case solved? Tell me about it."
"Zhuo Ping was poisoned by Ban Sheng Xia. This substance cannot be used in cooking. The investigation at the Tianxiang Tower also confirmed that this substance was not present in the tavern's kitchen, so it wasn't from eating the tavern's food. Murong Sheng has been cleared of suspicion!"
Fan Zehao finished speaking, and Zhao Jiaqi nodded. The roots of Ban Sheng Xia are poisonous and must be processed before they can be used as medicine. Therefore, to obtain the poison Ban Sheng Xia, one would indeed need to expend some effort. Medical clinics would not sell unprocessed Ban Sheng Xia.
"And then?" Zhao Jiaqi continued to ask.