Imperial Husband Chapter 120

Chapter 120

As this was a search of the entire mansion, the scope was extremely wide. Those responsible for the search took several times longer than they had for the earlier individual search of Li Jin's courtyard, and even then, they only barely managed to complete the task.

During this time, except for those conducting the search, everyone, including Wei Rong, was detained to prevent any interested party from concealing the true facts.

It felt as if a century had passed.

The searchers returned, but their expressions were peculiar, their eyes filled with barely concealed shock.

Unable to wait any longer, Wei Rong anxiously asked first, "Did you find anything?"

"Er..." Caught off guard by Wei Rong's presence, the guard stammered, wearing an expression of wanting to speak but not daring to.

Seeing the guard's hesitant manner, Wei Rong was infuriated.

"What exactly is it? Speak quickly."

"Have you discovered something you dare not reveal directly?" Li Jin's words clearly struck upon what the guard was desperately wanting to say.

Wei Rong also voiced her stance, "Speak. Even if the words are treasonous, this old woman will not hold you accountable."

"Yes."

Reassured by Wei Rong, the lead guard immediately had his subordinates present the evidence found during the search.

Two items of evidence were presented. They were identical to the cloth bundle initially found in Li Jin's room, both in color and size.

Moreover, as the guard opened the two cloth bundles, the contents were revealed: belladonna.

Li Jin feigned surprise, "Huh? How strange. Why are the items you found so similar to the one from my room?"

The guard shook his head, "This subordinate does not know."

The guard truly did not know and had even sensed the peculiarity within. After all, Li Jin had said his item was given by a palace physician and had been kept all along. Therefore, even if objects could appear similar, it shouldn't be that two consecutive items to be completely identical.

Seeing that the guard genuinely knew nothing, Li Jin subtly shifted the topic, "Where were these items found?"

Knowing that matters had reached this point and the arrow was already on the bowstring—leaving him with no choice but to speak—the guard simply chose to smash a broken pot completely, he said: "Reporting to Your Highness, they were found... in the chambers of the Dowager Lady and Consort Wei."

[破罐子摔破 (pò guàn zi shuāi pò): lit. to smash a broken pot; fig. to act recklessly or abandon all restraint when the situation is hopeless]

The guard's words exploded like a bomb, instantly stunning everyone present. No one dared to breathe heavily, and for a moment, their minds lost the ability to think.

Wei Rong and Wei Shiwan—one was Li Yanshen's grandmother, the other was his birth mother. Were they secretly harming Li Yanshen??

Zhou Xiaoru, who had been trembling with fear nearby and even contemplated suicide, was also utterly shocked by this news.

However, Zhou Xiaoru's shock was not due to the guard's words, but because of the two cloth bundles of belladonna in the guard's hands.

Zhou Xiaoru clearly remembered that she had only instructed someone to secretly place one identical cloth bundle in Li Jin's room. Yet, for some reason, the bundle in Li Jin's room did not contain belladonna, while identical bundles appeared in Wei Rong's and Wei Shiwan's rooms. All of this unmistakably told Zhou Xiaoru that her plan was not only known to someone, but that person had also switched the items.

Could it be Li Jin?

Zhou Xiaoru's suspicious gaze instantly fell upon Li Jin.

But soon, Zhou Xiaoru felt it unlikely to be Li Jin's doing.

Because if Li Jin were truly behind this, he would never be so foolish as to place the belladonna bundles with the people least likely to harm Li Yanshen.

If not Li Jin, then who? And why would that person help Li Jin?

Li Jin suddenly asked, "Have the contents been examined?"

"Yes," the guard nodded. "Coincidentally, a physician from the palace had just arrived to diagnose the Dowager Lady. This subordinate gave the contents of these two bundles to that physician for examination."

"What did the physician say?"

"It is belladonna."

As the guard's affirmative words fell, everyone's gaze unanimously shifted to Wei Rong and Wei Shiwan.

Wei Rong and Wei Shiwan were, after all, masters of the house. No matter how suspicious they were, none dared to voice it directly.

Ignoring the strange looks around her, Wei Rong turned directly to Li Jin and said, "Shen'er is this old woman's most beloved grandson. How could I possibly harm him? Someone must be trying to frame me, playing this kind of trick. Li Jin, as the esteemed Heir of the Prince of Dingbei, surely you can see through this? Or perhaps... you wish to take this opportunity to eliminate me and Shiwan?"

Having learned from this morning's lesson, Wei Rong took the initiative to attack first, exonerating herself and Wei Shiwan. If Li Jin insisted on acting against them, it would mean he was deliberately targeting them.

However, that was essentially the extent of it.

As for having wrongfully accused Li Jin of harming Li Yanchen and publicly denouncing him as a vile creature, Wei Rong showed not the slightest intention of offering an apology.

Sensing Wei Rong’s stance, Wei Shiwan seized the momentum and added: "What the Dowager Lady says is correct. This consort is Shen’er’s birth mother. I would have to be utterly mad to wish for Shen’er’s death."

Li Yanchen spoke up at the right moment: "Your Highness, I believe the matter of Second Brother being poisoned for years without finding the cause is related to the person who wanted to secretly harm Grandmother and the Consort."

Li Yanchen had also learned to behave, not daring to openly challenge Li Jin anymore.

"What does Eldest Brother mean by that?"

Li Jin immediately turned his gaze to Li Yanchen.

"It was that maidservant who told me earlier," Li Yanchen pointed to the maid who had identified the belladonna. "She said if the dosage of deadly nightshade is controlled, the poisoned person will suffer greatly but won't die immediately. And Second Brother's previous symptoms exactly match those of someone poisoned with deadly nightshade." 

"Young Master..." Didn't you promise not to tell anyone? Why are you saying this now?

The maid never expected Li Yanchen to reveal her words in front of everyone and instantly panicked.

Li Yanchen cast a cold glance at the maidservant: Don't blame me. You can only blame yourselves for acting without my permission.

From the moment Li Jin called out Zhou Xiaoru’s name, Li Yanchen had already deduced that this entire affair was secretly orchestrated by Zhou Xiaoru. Or rather, ever since Li Yanchen was poisoned, he had known the truth.

However, knowing was one thing, but as long as it didn’t affect himself, Li Yanchen chose to stand by and do nothing.

After all, if Li Yanshen were to die, then Li Yanchen’s only remaining opponent would be Li Jin alone. In that case, Li Yanchen wouldn’t need to bother with eliminating Li Yanshen and could instead focus entirely on dealing with Li Jin—why wouldn’t he welcome such an outcome?

Moreover, Li Yanchen still relied on Wei Shiwan and the Wei family behind her. Therefore, when it came to causing the death of Wei Shiwan’s own son, it was best if he didn’t have to lift a finger himself.

"Chen’er, why would you suddenly say such a thing? Are you trying to get me killed?"

Zhou Xiaoru, already nervous to the point of death, nearly fainted from anger upon hearing these words.

"Exactly, Elder Brother's words hold reason," Li Jin nodded in agreement. "Yet, the one who poisoned Second Brother so many years ago is undoubtedly hidden extremely deep."

Wei Rong gritted her teeth and said, "Then we must investigate with greater intensity until they are uncovered."

Having been undermined twice in a row, Wei Rong’s temper was far from calm.

"Very well, let it be done as Grandmother says."

After considering it briefly, Li Jin agreed to Wei Rong’s plan for a thorough investigation.

At the same time, perhaps because this matter implicated Wei Rong, it wasn’t long before she dismissed everyone else, each returning to their duties as if nothing had happened. No one mentioned the earlier events, as though it had all been nothing more than a dream.

……

Upon returning to the courtyard, Ping'an couldn’t help but stomp his foot in anger. "Your Highness, the Dowager Lady is too much! She spoke so harshly earlier and even threatened to escort you before His Majesty. Yet now, just because the matter involves her, everything changes. And in the end, she didn’t even offer a single word of apology."

Li Jin shook his head. "She is my grandmother. Indeed, she need not apologize to me."

"Your Highness."

Thump, thump.

Suddenly, a series of knocks sounded from outside the door, catching the attention of those inside.

"Ping'an, at this hour, it should be Yunting. Go open the door and let him in."

"Yes."

Although Ping'an was still seething with anger, he would not disobey Li Jin's words. Thus, he trudged over dejectedly and opened the door.

Just as expected, the visitor was indeed Zhou Yunting.

"What happened?"

The moment Zhou Yunting entered, he noticed the unusual expression on Ping'an's face and silently inquired with a questioning look.

Ping'an shook his head and said nothing before stepping out.

In an instant, the entire room was left with only Li Jin and Zhou Yunting.

Zhou Yunting couldn’t help but ask, "Your Highness, what’s wrong with Ping'an? Could it be… he’s fallen ill from exhaustion lately?"

"No," Li Jin replied helplessly. "He is merely indignant on my behalf, feeling that my grandmother should not have treated me this way."

"Is Your Highness not planning to pursue this further?"

Zhou Yunting had also been present earlier and naturally witnessed how Wei Rong had treated Li Jin, though he had remained hidden in the shadows at the time and did not step forward openly like Ping'an.

"Hmm." Jin nodded. "Da Xia values filial piety. I didn't need to invite trouble. Besides, when I had you set things up like that, I knew Grandmother would react this way." Having memories from two lifetimes, Li Jin wasn't bothered by Wei Rong's obvious favoritism.

"Yes, Your Highness." Zhou Yunting had only asked to make sure everything was fine, so when Jin explained, he didn't press further.

"Yunting, did you come to find me suddenly because you’ve discovered something?"

Li Jin turned around and fixed his gaze on Zhou Yunting.

"Yes." Zhou Yunting nodded, cupping his hands in respect. "At that time, as per Your Highness’s instructions, I placed the bundles containing belladonna near the Dowager Lady and Secondary Consort Wei. By chance, I discovered a hidden compartment in the wall beside Secondary Consort Wei’s bed."

Li Jin raised an eyebrow. "Is there something inside the hidden compartment?"

"A letter, along with dried belladonna."

After speaking, Zhou Yunting took out a small slip of paper from his sleeve. The content on the slip was clearly copied from that very letter. As for the belladonna in the hidden compartment, Zhou Yunting dared not disturb it for fear of alerting anyone.

Li Jin took the slip of paper and immediately unfolded it.

"This…"

At first glance, Li Jin couldn’t help but be startled by the content of the letter.

It was a love letter—a love letter written by Wei Shiwan to Yan Zhongjin. Of course, this was only part of it. What truly shocked Li Jin was the final line written in the letter.