"Yes."
Eunuch Zhang took the order and left.
Just as he responded, Yi Yuan said,
"Your Majesty, what about the prize for Miss Ye Xi..."
The Emperor Zhao Huan gave Yi Yuan an annoyed look and waved his hand impatiently,
"Give it to her."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yi Yuan pretended not to notice the Emperor's expression and bowed respectfully. Then he turned to Ye Xi and raised his eyebrows with a smile.
His eyebrows were relaxed and his eyes bright, as if the spring breeze in March had dispelled the cold winter. All his usual coldness and aloofness faded away, and that smile was so dazzling that it made people lose their senses.
Looking at each other from afar, Ye Xi somehow detected a hint of pride and a desire for credit on Yi Yuan's face.
She couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
The handsome man and the beautiful woman were so well - matched that they looked like a celestial couple in a painting, envying many ladies and young misses around.
The wooden box containing the precious string of beads was finally placed in Ye Xi's hands.
She opened it and examined it carefully. The white jade bodhi beads were crystal - clear and smooth, each carved with delicate patterns. But she didn't know which ones contained the anti - gu pills.
Ye Xi quietly put away the precious string of beads and stepped down from the stage to walk beside Yi Yuan.
Not long after, Eunuch Zhang led in a group of people. Behind them was Mian Xiao, who had been investigating earlier, holding the arrow that had been tampered with.
The group knelt on the ground in a flurry, shivering and not knowing what was going on.
Mian Xiao handed the arrow to Eunuch Zhang, who then presented it to the Emperor Zhao Huan. Bowing, Mian Xiao said,
"Your Majesty, this is the arrow that was deliberately wedged with an iron piece. The dent on the arrow shaft is still there."
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
Eunuch Zhang respectfully held it up with both hands and said,
"Thanks to Guard Mian Xiao. When I got there just now, he had already found the most suspect people. This row..." He pointed at the first row of servants in indigo clothes and continued, "These are the ones responsible for tidying up and storing the arrows."
Then he pointed at the row of people in dark - colored clothes behind and said,
"This row is in charge of feeding and distributing the horses. The few ladies in palace dresses beside them had contact with the items on the way. There aren't many people involved, and they are all here."
Concerned about his own reputation, the Imperial Censor - in - Chief Su Zhongjie also rushed over. First, he pleaded guilty and said,
"I am guilty, Your Majesty. I couldn't handle such a small matter well. Please punish me."
"However," Su Zhongjie's tone changed, "Lord Cao was exhausted after watching the men's competition this morning. He knew he couldn't come this afternoon. So he asked me to carefully inspect all the horses and arrows. I found no problems before he left with peace of mind."
"Then, about half an hour before the afternoon competition, since it was the first time that archery and horsemanship were involved in the women's event of the Qingyun Tournament, I was still worried and went to check again. There was nothing unusual at that time. And I have no grudges against Miss Ye Xi or Prince Yu'an. Naturally, I wouldn't design to harm them. Since there is a problem with the arrow, it must be the people who had contact with the arrows within half an hour before the competition."
The Emperor Zhao Huan glanced at Su Zhongjie but didn't comment. He turned to Zhang Shiping beside him and asked,
"What about the horses?"
"Your Majesty,"
Eunuch Zhang replied,
"I've also checked the horses. They are just ordinary fine horses. There are no problems with the forage, bridles, or saddles."
"The most likely reason for Miss Ye Xi's sudden weakness is that she was drugged."
"However..."
Eunuch Zhang hesitated,
"Miss Ye Xi had lunch in the prince's mansion before coming here, and all her clothes and accessories were her own. She didn't eat or drink anything else at the competition venue. I really don't know how the drug was administered."
"Hmm?"
The Emperor Zhao Huan's eyes darkened, and he was about to get angry when Yi Yuan said,
"Your Majesty, it's reasonable for Eunuch Zhang not to know. Because the person who poisoned her is extremely cunning and vicious. Ordinary people can't think of it."
"Mian Xiao..."
Yi Yuan stretched out his hand. Mian Xiao took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and handed it to Yi Yuan.
Seeing this, everyone was extremely curious. Even the Queen and the Noble Consort leaned forward to take a look.
Yi Yuan opened the porcelain bottle, took out a silk handkerchief from his bosom, poured the thick ointment from the bottle onto it, and carefully handed it to Eunuch Zhang, saying,
"Your Majesty, please take a look. The powder in this bottle is the medicine prepared for the young misses in case of accidents during the Qingyun Tournament. Since this medicine is specially for the young misses, some medicinal materials to prevent scars and some scented substances have been added to it."
The Emperor Zhao Huan took the silk handkerchief from Eunuch Zhang, examined it carefully, and then passed it to the imperial physician accompanying him, saying,
"Take a look. Is there anything unusual?"
The imperial physician carefully smelled it, then gently pinched a bit of the ointment and rubbed it. Then he said,
"Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual. It is indeed a miraculous medicine for treating injuries."
"Prince Yu'an,"
The Queen Cao Shu couldn't help but speak up. "What do you mean by showing this injury medicine?"
"Your Majesty, please don't be impatient,"
Yi Yuan said unhurriedly,
"Our Miss Ye Xi was injured while shooting the arrow. She applied this medicine during the break. At that time, we all thought that the person behind this designed to cut Miss Ye Xi's hand to make her injured so that she would be at a disadvantage or make a fool of herself while riding the horse."
"And before Miss Ye Xi applied this medicine, Ling Yan also carefully checked it. Just as the imperial physician said, there was nothing wrong with it. But there is a kind of herb called 'unaware grass' in this medicine. I believe the imperial physician has also noticed it. Using 'unaware grass' alone is no problem. In fact, it can even leave a long - lasting fragrance."
"But once it enters the human body and combines with the fragrance of the 'night - sleeping flower', and both scents are inhaled into the body..."
"The person will feel weak all over. In severe cases, it may even cause fainting!"
The imperial physician got excited and interrupted Yi Yuan.
"Exactly,"
Yi Yuan sneered coldly,
"And this is the real purpose of the person behind this who deliberately designed to cut Miss Ye Xi's finger."
"These two herbs are just ordinary medicinal materials when separated. No one would be overly vigilant, and they can't harm people who have only inhaled one of them. But Miss Ye Xi's injury medicine contains 'unaware grass', and the saddle was smoked with 'night - sleeping flower'. Using such a means on a galloping horse, it's obvious that the person behind this wanted to kill her!"
Qiao Yan was stunned and blurted out subconsciously,
"This... This person's mind is really too meticulous and vicious."
Everyone else couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
The Emperor Zhao Huan was so angry that he laughed instead,
"Good! Really good tactics..."
"I didn't expect there to be such a powerful person in our Great Yin Dynasty!"
Such a vicious and underhanded method might be used against him one day.
With a "bang", the Emperor Zhao Huan smashed his cup, his face full of anger,
"Who did this? Admit now, and you can keep your whole body!"
The group was silent, lying prostrate on the ground. No one dared to admit it. They wished they could bury their heads in the ground.
Seeing that no one came forward to admit it, the Emperor Zhao Huan became even more angry. Just as he was about to order that all of them be taken to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation, Ye Xi's silver - bell - like voice sounded,
"Your Majesty, don't be angry. Actually, we don't need them to admit it to find out who did this. We can tell just by looking."
"Look?"
The Noble Consort Shen, who had been silent, asked curiously,
"How do you look?"
Ye Xi bowed gracefully and said,
"Your Majesty, although both the 'unaware grass' and the 'night - sleeping flower' have strong scents, by this time of the competition, the scents have almost dissipated. It's not easy to find them by smell."
"But what ordinary people don't know is..."
Ye Xi's eyes flitted across the crowd and she smiled sweetly,
"When the 'unaware grass' and the 'night - sleeping flower' combine, people who have come into contact with them will quietly develop red marks on their wrists. The marks will start from the surface and gradually spread all over the body."
Saying that, she raised her jade - like arm, on which there were clearly criss - crossing red marks, slightly swollen.
"If not treated in time, the flesh will rot and the bones will dissolve, and the person will die in great pain..."
"Ah!"