The Choice Queen's

TCQ 57: Poison of the late Queen

Li Fengran was in the Palace Medicine Hall as per Nangong Zirui's orders. Right now, he was sitting in front of the table where Physician Hong was inspecting the incense.

His disbelief in the abilities of this physician had already slowly faded away since Physician Hong cleared away the remaining poison in his body.

“How? Did you find anything?” asked Li Fengran.

Physician Hong placed a sample of incense in a small bowl after researching its substance content. In another bowl were samples of incense of the same type, the rest of Ling Sui's supply of incense in the palace as a comparison. Physician Hong's forehead shriveled, it was obvious he found an awkwardness.

“Master, where did this incense come from?” physician Hong asked as he pointed at the incense sample from Jinchuan.

“Jinchuan. Is there a problem?”

Physician Hong shook his head.

“This Dupa from Jinchuan is harmless. This is just an ordinary incense stick made with a special technique.”

“Then what about that one?” Li Fengran pointed at the bowl containing a sample of incense belonging to Ling Sui.

“I didn't realize it at first. These two incense sticks looked the same and similar. But, I found out that the incense from the palace had mixed something.”

“Is it a toxic substance?”

“Maybe. I have to check what ingredients are added on palace incense.”

“Do now!”

Physician Hong nodded. He burned a little of his dupe, then inhaled its aroma while thinking. The aroma tucked inside Ling Sui incense in the palace, seemed to be a distinctive aroma of dried tobacco plants. Physician Hong could also smell another faint fragrance.

Li Fengran continued to wait while paying attention. He did not understand medicine or things like this, but he knew that something terrible was behind Ling Sui's death.

The disease, definitely not a congenital disease that appears suddenly. Li Fengran was sure that someone had deliberately cultivated the disease.

“Master Sword, there is the scent of tobacco and some other scents. Because the aroma is faint, it cannot be identified and the aroma mingles with the aroma of the main ingredient of incense. People will not realize it without paying attention to it well.”

“Write the results of his research. I'll report it to His Majesty.”

“Good, Sir. Wait a minute.”

Physician Hong then wrote down the results of his research on a piece of paper. While waiting for the healer to finish, Li Fengran continued to pay attention to the incense in the two bowls.

One bowl came from Jinchuan, another one came from the palace. The incense from Jinchuan was harmless, but the leftover incense belonging to Ling Sui from the palace was mixed with another substance.

If it wasn't Ling Sui who had asked for it herself, who would have been so bold as to mix other substances into it?

There was no way Ling Sui would intentionally want to kill herself, right?

“Master, the report is done.”

“Good. I'll give it to Your Majesty. Physician Hong, please keep the rest of the dupes well. I'll probably need it later.”

“Understand, Master Stakeholder.”

Without wasting any more time, he immediately left the Palace Medicine Hall and went to the Palace Incense Hall, which was assigned to take care of incense and fragrances that were often used by the palace residents.

Upon seeing the Sword Stakeholder token, the servants in the bureau lowered their heads in respect and gave him access to the entrance.

Li Fengran went straight to the eunuch in charge of arranging the supply of incense to the palace of the late Queen Ling. But, he was surprised that the eunuch had resigned three months ago, just as Ling Sui's late illness was getting worse and eventually died.

No one knows where the eunuch lives. There are no records showing where he lived.

Li Fengran became even more convinced. Someone must have known the late Queen liked the incense from Jinchuan and provided the stock in the palace, then took advantage of the opportunity to poison him.

In this large and strict palace, who exactly would be so daring to poison a Queen? Or maybe, the incense that Ling Sui had stored in this palace had actually been impure since it was sent here?

Li Fengran could not think of it himself. He rushed towards Qihua Palace and immediately gave Physician Hong's research report to Nangong Zirui while expressing his opinion.

Nangong Zirui nodded his head, his forehead also frowning at the possible possibilities. There were stifled emotions visible in his eyes and expression. Li Fengran guessed the man must have suspected something, rather someone.

“Does Your Majesty have an acquaintance who understands poisons and harmful substances?” asked Li Fengran. Nangong Zirui raised his head staring at Li Fengran.

“You want to find out what poison is inside Ling Sui incense?”

“Yes. Physician Hong could not identify him because he was only a healer. Need someone who is an expert to know what kind of poison is in the dupanya.”

“I'll call him here.”

Lung cancer that Ling Sui may suffer from will not be severe without a trigger. His condition was already not good, it was only necessary to add something and poison him slowly if he wanted to die.

Li Fengran so wondered, why would that person want the Queen's life? Was it because Ling Sui came from a powerful and honorable noble family? Or because that person wanted Queen Donghao replaced? Wh why? Wasn't Ling Sui the perfect figure of Queen Donghao in everyone's eyes?

I don't know, it was too complicated and Li Fengran's head became aching thinking about it.

“Your Highness, have Mr Su and the owner of the Xiaoqin Embroidery House been arrested?” asked Li Fengran. Suddenly he had a thought that this had something to do with Su Ren from Jinchuan.

“Yes. The Supreme Court has sent people to bring them. Maybe tomorrow they will arrive in the capital.”

“Good.”

“Xiao Feng, do you also have the same thoughts as me regarding the real culprit of that poisonous incense?”

“Most likely, yes, Your Highness.”

Nangong Zirui smiled. Their thinking is connected. The way Li Fengran worked and thought according to his wishes.

Nangong Zirui rarely got people who had the same thoughts and desires as him. This Li Fengran, was like a precious treasure to him.

Not long after, Wang Bi came with a young man. The young man was probably around twenty-seven years old, his hair was panajang.

On the right and left side of her head, just behind her ears, her hair was partially bleached by about three centimeters. It made the young man look charming, like a hardworking yet mysterious beautiful genius.

“Your Highness, Young Master Xue has arrived,” said Wang Bi.

The man was – Xue Jun, was a poison master acquaintance of Nangong Zirui who was extremely powerful. He devoted his entire life in the manufacture of poisons and antidotes.

His identity was mysterious, other than Nangong Zirui, there was rarely anyone who knew of his whereabouts. He likes to wear white clothes that make him very elegant and handsome.

“Honor to His Majesty,” Xue Jun bowed in respect. Nangong Zirui then approached him.

“No need to hesitate. Xue Jun, I need your help.”

“It is an honor to help Your Majesty. What does Your Majesty want to know?”

Wang Bi then gave Ling Sui's incense stick to Xue Jun after getting a signal from Nangong Zirui. “Check what toxins are in this incense.”

Xue Jun used his keen sense of smell of poison to identify the poison content within the incense. He frowned for a moment, then asked for a piece of paper and a writing brush. Xue Jun wrote down the possible substances inside the incense stick, then handed them over to Nangong Zirui.

Li Fengran came to read it and instantly his eyes widened.

“Xiao Feng, you know these substances?”

Li Fengran nodded in disbelief. On a solid incense and as small as that, it turns out to contain a lot of harmful substances! Li Fengran did not believe there was someone in this world who was so adept at mixing substances to the point of not being indetified at a glance!

“In addition to nicotine and tar, ammonia and arsenic are carcinogenic substances. I can't believe someone could be so adept at mixing it up and shaping it into an incense stick.”

Xue Jun was interested. He looked at Li Fengran.

“What is carcinogenic substance?”

“In my hometown, carcinogenic substances are cancer triggering substances. Well, you know, cancer is kind of a dangerous disease of cell division that occurs in excess. Someone who has cancer is very at risk of death.”

“Kanker? Cell division?” Xue Jun scrunched his forehead. This time he heard these words.

“Difficult to explain. I also can't tell you in detail about this because I'm not a doctor.”

Xue Jun had a high sense of curiosity, but he knew that the Sword Saint was indeed unable to explain it. When his task was completed, he was escorted back to his residence with Wang Bi. Li Fengran and Nangong Zirui were still in Qihua Palace, discussing the results of the investigation.

Clearly, the late Ling Sui was poisoned. This was no longer a death from illness, but rather a premeditated murder!

“They even dared to poison a Queen!”

Nangong Zirui clenched his hands. He really did not expect someone to actually poison Ling Sui.

The figure of Ling Sui, who was so healthy and so beautiful in the first years of entering the palace was reflected back. How could such a healthy and extremely fit figure suddenly turn into a malady and thin with pale lips and almost collapse every time in the wind?

Nangong Zirui was angry, resentful, and sympathetic. He really did not want to believe that the woman was being slowly killed.

“Man is truly terrible,” Li Fengran uttered unknowingly. Even a Queen who has power and a high position can not be separated from murder.