RWNEFE -Chapter 443 Shen Lanxi Stabilizes the Moon Kingdom Envoys

Zhou Ruyuan tried to smooth things over. “Don’t you want to know who killed your Third Prince and your envoys?”

“Believe us—we will certainly give you a satisfactory answer.”

“That way, you will also be able to report back to your emperor.”

Indeed, if they returned just like this, being harshly reprimanded by their emperor would be the best outcome; worse still, they might be ordered to accompany the Third Prince in death.

“You said the same thing last time, and we still haven’t received any answer!” one Moon Kingdom envoy snapped, leaving Zhou Ruyuan embarrassed.

The last time, when Yue Chuhe’s attendant died, there had been no evidence. Zhou Ruyuan had planned to arrange a few scapegoats, but before he could do so, this incident had happened.

He really should have listened to Mr. Jiang.

Shen Lanxi spoke calmly, “This incident is no small matter. If we do not handle it properly, it will certainly affect relations between our two nations. You need not worry that we will not do our utmost.”

The Moon Kingdom envoys listened, their faces still stern, but they said nothing.

After finishing his examination, Ban Sicao came forward to explain the cause of death.

“They were all poisoned with a substance called Huanxi Powder. This poison can seep into the body through the skin, causing a person to die in their sleep, killing without leaving visible traces.”

Zhou Ruyuan quickly asked, “You mean the poison was applied to their clothing?”

Ban Sicao nodded. “Huanxi Powder is potent, but it must soak in continuously for more than ten days to kill in this manner. If the clothing is changed during that time and the exposure is interrupted, it will not be fatal.”

Zhou Ruyuan immediately turned his gaze toward the Moon Kingdom envoys.

They also became flustered. Ten days earlier—no, even five days earlier—they had not yet entered the capital!

“What Huanxi Powder? We’ve never even heard of it.”

“You know so much about this poison—are you the one who used it?”

“Yes, you must be the one! Otherwise why would no one else know about it, only you?”

All the Moon Kingdom envoys suddenly directed their accusations at Ban Sicao.

Even Zhou Ruyuan regarded him with a guarded, ambiguous look.

Shen Lanxi stepped in front of Ban Sicao. “Your ignorance only proves your limited knowledge; it does not prove that my attendant administered the poison.”

“If he truly were the culprit, he could simply have claimed nothing could be detected, rather than openly naming the poison and allowing you to accuse him like this.”

That reasoning made sense.

After all, if Ban Sicao had said nothing, they would never have known he recognized the poison.

“Then why does he know about such a poison?” one envoy pressed.

Shen Lanxi replied evenly, “You are officials, not people of the martial world. It is not strange that you do not know. My attendant comes from the martial world and is also a physician, so it is natural that he understands poisons. If you do not believe it, you may consult experts in toxicology and verify it yourselves.”

Wei Dongzhu whispered instructions to a guard beside him, who immediately left.

Not long afterward, the guard returned and murmured something in his ear. The suspicion in Wei Dongzhu’s eyes lessened by half.

Shen Lanxi continued, “Now that we know what poison was used, we at least have a clue.”

“If, as my attendant says, the poison had been absorbed for over ten days, then this matter has nothing to do with Great Zhou. It would mean your own delegation failed to guard against it.”

The Moon Kingdom envoys flushed red with anger and embarrassment.

“He says it’s Huanxi Powder, and that makes it so? What if it isn’t?”

They had handled all their belongings themselves along the journey; even their clothes had been washed by their own attendants.

Were they supposed to believe they had poisoned themselves?

They absolutely refused to accept that.

“Yes! Don’t think you can fabricate some baseless charge just to shift responsibility away from Great Zhou!”

“Exactly. We’ve never even heard of this poison.”

“Even if it is real, it must have happened after we entered Great Zhou’s territory. You are still responsible.”

Wei Dongzhu frowned. “Now is not the time to argue about who bears more responsibility. The priority is to prove whether they were poisoned and whether the poison was indeed Huanxi Powder.”

Ban Sicao said, “The imperial physicians in the palace are highly experienced; they will surely recognize this poison.”

After all, the poison itself had originated from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.

Ban Sicao felt rather frustrated at the moment.

As the young master of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, he had done nothing—and yet another poison from his sect had appeared, proving that their toxins were circulating actively in the capital.

Did they take him for decoration?

This time, revealing the name of the poison without Shen Lanxi’s permission had been partly an impulsive act, and partly a deliberate attempt to bring the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect back into the open.

The person behind the poisoning liked to hide in the shadows?

Then he would simply flip the table.

If he couldn’t live in peace, no one else would either.

Shen Lanxi looked at the Moon Kingdom envoys. “If it truly is Huanxi Powder, then your delegation bears responsibility as well. Whether you wish to admit it or not.”

One envoy retorted stubbornly, “And if it isn’t?”

Shen Lanxi replied calmly, “I am reasoning through possibilities, not passing judgment. Just listen.”

When they tried to argue further, she cut them off again.

“You are distraught because you care. I understand your feelings. I also understand your desire to find the killer as quickly as possible.”

The envoys fell silent.

“In order for you to have an explanation when you return home—and to clear Great Zhou of suspicion—we should work together to determine the cause of death.”

“How do we investigate?” they asked.

Shen Lanxi said, “The palace gates are sealed at night. At dawn, I will send for at least three imperial physicians to examine the bodies, and I will also summon all the renowned doctors in the capital to conduct a joint examination. If you do not trust them, you may invite physicians of your own.”

The Moon Kingdom envoys answered stiffly, “Very well.”

Watching Shen Lanxi make orderly arrangements and suppress the envoys’ protests while persuading them to cooperate, Zhou Ruyuan felt a mixture of emotions—complex and hard to describe.

Shen Lanxi continued, “I will investigate who has been washing your clothes over the past fifteen days. Why were only these few affected, while the rest of you were not? Were your clothes washed together?”

The envoys immediately summoned their attendants.

“The Third Prince’s clothes, and those of the other lords, were all washed by me,” one attendant said.

Shen Lanxi ordered, “Bring all the soap, incense, and any other items that came into contact with the clothing.”

The attendant glanced at the envoys; when they nodded, he hurried off to fetch them.

“Our Third Prince especially liked to scent his clothes with this Hundred-Flowers fragrance. It is unique to the Moon Kingdom and used only by our royal family.”

“The other lords often accompanied the prince… Oh, I remember now. About ten or twenty days ago, the Third Prince said their incense smelled unpleasant, so he ordered that their clothes be scented with the same fragrance during washing.”

The Moon Kingdom envoys’ expressions turned extremely grim.

The attendant quickly added, “If the lords do not believe me, you may check the daily records.”

Every action of their delegation was recorded by designated scribes. The envoys had never expected such a small detail to be documented. After checking the records, their faces grew even darker.