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Chapter 1 Wedding Banquet
"The guards around King Yi are dead!"

In early summer, at the hour of You, in the Xiaoyao Palace.

In the bridal chamber, the bride sat alone on the bridal bed behind the screen, while two maids were guarding outside. They were already a little drowsy due to boredom.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps were heard, and someone knocked lightly on the door twice.

The old woman at the door woke up in shock and hurried over to open the door.

The one who came in was the wife of the Wang family, who was about the same age as her. She looked panicked, and although she lowered her voice, one could still hear that she was still panting: "Something big happened up ahead!
The guards around King Yi are dead!
It was said that King Yi asked someone to warm up a pot of wine for him. After bringing it, he poured a cup and handed it to his guard. After the guard finished drinking it, his face suddenly changed, and he fell straight to the ground. After twitching a few times, he died!
Now I heard that Prince Yi hasn't spoken yet, but Duke Yan, who came with him, has already determined that our prince is trying to take advantage of this opportunity to murder the prince. He has sent for the coroner and is saying that he will petition His Majesty to execute our entire family!"

"Ah?!" The old woman who opened the door didn't expect it to be such a big deal. She panicked for a moment, "What should I do?"

The figure behind the screen suddenly moved, and a clear female voice came from behind: "Mother Zhao."

The maid who opened the door suddenly came to her senses when she heard the bride calling her name. She quickly responded and turned around and walked quickly behind the screen: "Madam, what do you want to ask me?"

Zhu Yu, who had already removed the cumbersome ornaments from his head, rubbed his slightly aching forehead and asked the respectful maid in front of him, "If the charge of murdering the prince cannot be cleared, will the entire family be executed?"

Mother Zhao's expression froze. She had not expected the bride's hearing to be so good that she could hear every word of their whispering at the door.

"Madam... this..." At this moment, she could only answer with a sad face, "I can't guess what the emperor is thinking...

It’s just... you just married into our Jin Kingdom from Shuo Kingdom, so you may not know yet.

Prince Yi is the second prince of our Jin Kingdom, and Duke Yan is the second prince's maternal grandfather. He fought alongside the late emperor to establish the country, going through life and death together, and even saved the late emperor's life. I heard that the emperor usually respects him a little bit...

So whether the whole family will be executed or not, I can’t say for sure, but our palace is really in trouble this time..."

After she finished speaking, Mother Zhao felt that her actions were somewhat inappropriate, and quickly changed her tone: "But don't worry too much. Our prince has been praised by the emperor as a lucky star since he was a child. You can just wait and see. The prince will definitely turn danger into safety!"

Zhu Yu sighed.

Although she knew very little about Jin Country, or even this world, at least she was clear-headed.

She wasn't optimistic about what conclusion a coroner, called in by someone eager to convict you, would come to.

Originally I just wanted to let go of everything and be a lazy eater, but now before I even get to eat the rice, people want to smash the rice jar!
"Mother Zhao, please find me a set of men's clothes." Zhu Yu sighed and said to the old woman in front of him.

"Ma'am, what do you want to do?"

"I want us all to live longer."

The front yard of Xiaoyao Palace was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, but at this moment there was no sound of stringed instruments, singing, or people toasting each other. The yard was full of people, yet there was an eerie silence.

Under a big tree in the yard, a tall guard wearing leather soft armor had a blue face and seemed to be slightly swollen. His lips were a strange dark purple. His eyes were closed and he lay on his back on the ground, motionless and looked lifeless.

Three feet away from him, several guards from the Duke of Yan's mansion stood there with fierce looks on their faces, not letting anyone get close.

Next to them, there were several people with different expressions sitting on a few chairs.

King Xiaoyao Lu Qing, dressed in his wedding attire, had a calm expression. Although someone died at the banquet on his wedding day and he was now facing the charge of "poisoning the royal heir", there was no sign of panic on his face, as if he was just a bystander watching the fun.

On the other hand, the Second Prince, Prince Yi Lu Zhang, was now livid, his face livid. Even in the candlelight, a fine layer of cold sweat could be vaguely seen on his forehead. "Your Majesty's kindness has been misplaced! I've nurtured you like my own son for so many years, and now, you, a wolf, dare to harm your own brothers!" Duke Zhao Bi of Yan, watching his grandson's terrified state and then looking at the calm Lu Qing beside him, suddenly became even more furious. "This time, even if it means risking everything, I will ensure justice is served by Your Majesty!"

Lu Qing withdrew his gaze from the crowd beside Zhao Bi and looked at Duke Yan, with a hint of smile in his eyes: "The coroner hasn't arrived yet, Duke Yan is too anxious."

Zhao Bi's already gloomy face darkened even more when he was glanced at by him in such a nonchalant manner, and he snorted with a sinister look in his eyes.

As they were talking, two men who looked like guards came hurriedly through the crowd with an old man who looked to be over seventy years old.

"Duke, the coroner is here." The guard clasped his fists towards Duke Yan and pushed the timid old man forward.

The old coroner looked like a shriveled walnut. He had probably never seen such a big scene in his life. After being pushed by the guards, his legs went weak and he fell flat on his face. He got up trembling and saluted to the nobles in front of him with a look of panic.

Duke Yan waved his hand with disgust, and the old coroner hurriedly squeezed past several guards.

Duke Yan waved to the guards, and they stepped aside so that everyone around could clearly see how the coroner performed the examination.

The old coroner knelt down beside the guard in a panic, reached out his hand to feel his breath under his nose, grabbed another hand to feel his pulse, carefully opened the man's mouth, put his nose close to the guard and sniffed. Then he stood up and bowed to the Duke of Yan and others, saying, "My lords, this official is indeed dead!
"I saw the deceased's face was cyanotic, so he must have died of poisoning. But I smelled a strong smell of alcohol in his mouth, so I think the poison must have been hidden in the wine, and he drank it, and then died of the poison!"

"Humph!" Duke Yan turned his gaze towards Lu Qing, then looked around, "Did you hear everything the coroner said?
The guards around the Second Prince died of poisoning after drinking the wine that King Xiaoyao prepared for the Second Prince! "

The coroner's voice just now was not loud, so some people in the yard heard it clearly, while others did not, so they did not react much. But now, when Duke Yan shouted with full energy, everyone could hear it clearly, and it was difficult to pretend not to hear.

The old coroner didn't expect that the prince and the emperor were involved in this. He was so scared that he fell to the ground, trembling and not daring to get up.

The others were suffering even more.

On one side is King Xiaoyao, the adopted son of the current emperor when he had no children. Although there have been rumors that he has no ambition and is addicted to the pleasures of the harp hall, the emperor rarely reprimands him and shows him a lot of favor.

On the other side is Prince Yi, the only offspring of the deceased imperial concubine. His maternal family is the Duke of Yan, a man to whom even the emperor has to give some face. He is the most noble among all the princes.

Now Duke Yan insisted that Prince Xiaoyao intended to poison Prince Yi. Prince Xiaoyao naturally would not admit it. Prince Yi remained silent, his face livid.

This put the guests at the banquet in a very difficult position.

They can't afford to offend any of these three people.

Everyone has only one head, and they really don’t want to stand in this team!
If I had known this would happen, I would have avoided this spicy wedding banquet while sick!

Lu Qing was not panicked. He glanced at the old coroner lying on the ground shaking and said, "Human life is at stake. How can we jump to conclusions based on just one person's opinion?
Is Lord Wu, the Jingzhao Yin, here? I wonder if there are any younger, more capable coroners or prosecutors in the Jingzhao Prefecture who could come and examine the body?"

The Jingzhao Yin, who was called by name, looked pale and was about to respond from the crowd when suddenly someone in the crowd beside him spoke first.

"Your Highness, this is inappropriate! If we delay any longer by sending someone from Jingzhao Prefecture to inspect it, it might be too late!"

I saw a slightly thin man in plain clothes squeezed out from the crowd.

"What do you mean?" Lu Qing raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw this person and asked.

"If it's any later, I'm afraid the person will be really dead." The man in plain clothes answered loudly.

(End of this chapter)