The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

Come to the inner hall.

The queen's body lay quietly on the bed, still clad in her regal, bright yellow phoenix robe, its gold embroidery striking in the dim light. Her once sparkling, oriental pearl earrings had lost their luster and dangled dully beside them.

The face was still dignified, but it no longer had the majesty of the past. Only a heart-pounding calmness remained. A carved and diamond-studded dagger was stuck in the left chest. Blood flowed down the wound and condensed into a small ball on the ground.

There was a faint smell of blood in the air, which made people feel indescribably depressed.

An Lingrong stood in front of the bed, feeling mixed emotions.

"You should have seen your son by now, right?" She bent down and whispered softly. Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, but it carried a hint of indescribable complex emotions.

She paused and continued, "In my next life, I want to be an ordinary person, loved by my husband and surrounded by my children and grandchildren. I don't have to get involved in the intrigues of the palace, nor do I have to be burdened by power."

After saying this, she stood up straight and raised her hands.

Liu Zhu understood and took out a mask from the box and put it on An Lingrong's head. She then took out two straps, tied up her wide sleeves, tied an apron on her, and finally helped her put on gloves.

"Scissors!"

Taking the scissors handed to her by Liu Zhu, An Lingrong found the right position, cut open the clothes to expose the wound, then grasped the handle, exerted a little force, and pulled out the dagger.

This is a knife used for peeling fruit. It is small and exquisite, with a sharp blade. It is very common in the palace and has no special direction.

Liu Zhu quickly picked up a plate and caught the dagger she put down.

An Lingrong picked up another bottle of alcohol, rinsed the wound clean, and then looked over carefully.

The wound was neat and clean, without eversion or blood scabs.

This isn't right.

The "Washing Away Wrongs" records that wounds sustained during life leave wide, interlaced flesh. If the flesh is cut cleanly, it's simply a posthumous fabrication of the wound. If a wound was sustained during life, blood will flow, and the wounded flesh will be brightly colored with blood. If the wound penetrates the membrane, death is indicated. If a cut is sustained after death, the flesh will be dry and white, without any blood stains. This is because blood circulation ceases after death, resulting in the white flesh.

If the person was killed by a sharp bladed weapon while alive, the wound will be wide, with uneven contraction of the skin and flesh, and a crisscross pattern. If the skin and flesh are evenly spaced, it is a posthumous blade wound. If the blade wound was inflicted while alive, there will be blood and many bright red blood clots on the skin and flesh. If the artery is damaged, death will occur. If the blade wound was inflicted after death, the flesh will be dry and white, and there will be no blood clots. Because blood circulation stops after death, the flesh turns white.

An Lingrong gently pressed the edge of the wound and carefully examined the skin around it, finding no obvious signs of redness, swelling, or bleeding, not even a bruise.

Obviously, this wound was inflicted after the queen's death and was not fatal.

Why did the queen die?

An Lingrong's thoughts raced, and then she said, "Bring me a silver needle."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhu immediately took out a slender silver needle from the toolbox and handed it to An Lingrong.

An Lingrong took the silver needle and gently inserted it into the Queen's throat. After a moment, she pulled it out and carefully observed the color of the silver needle. The silver needle was still as bright as new, with no sign of blackening. It was obvious that the Queen did not die of poisoning.

Her gaze slowly moved down and landed on the clothes on the queen's chest.

There was a wet mark there, like a smudge of saliva. It had dried up, but was still clearly visible.

An Lingrong's heart moved. Although the Queen was imprisoned, she had never been short of food and clothing. She always paid attention to her appearance and demeanor, and it was impossible for her to wear dirty clothes.

This wet mark obviously has a hidden story.

She leaned down and looked carefully at the queen's face.

The queen's face turned blue, her lips slightly open, and there seemed to be a trace of pain left in her expression.

An Lingrong thought for a moment, reached out and pinched the queen's jaw, gently opening her mouth.

Then he turned to Liu Zhu and said, "Cotton swab!"

Liu Zhu immediately took out a cotton swab and handed it to An Lingrong.

An Lingrong took it, carefully put it into the Queen's mouth, gently turned it around and took it out.

She held the cotton swab up to her eyes and examined it carefully, only to see some white foam on it.

An Lingrong's heart trembled, and she immediately took a few cotton swabs and slowly cleaned the queen's mouth.

After cleaning, she found that the inner walls of the queen's mouth and throat were covered with dense blisters, some of which had burst, revealing bright red mucous membranes.

Foaming at the mouth, mouth and throat burned.

These symptoms made a word flash quickly in her mind - Gelsemium elegans.

Gelsemium elegans is a highly poisonous substance. Poisoned people often experience symptoms such as foaming at the mouth, burning in the mouth, and difficulty breathing, and eventually die of respiratory failure.

As soon as this word appeared, a chill quickly crawled up the soles of my feet to my temples.

An Lingrong trembled all over and took a few steps back involuntarily, almost losing her balance.

Liu Zhu behind her quickly supported her.

This was the poison that Nian Shilan was poisoned with when she died.

In other words, this was the method she taught Nian Shilan.

This certainly can't be a coincidence.

She instantly thought of someone - Qi Yuebin.

If Qi Yuebin was behind this, then everything would make sense.

Qi Yuebin understands Yongzheng well and knows that he will not investigate this matter in a big way, so she is confident in doing this. She also understands herself well and will not sit idly by while Zhen Huan is wronged. She will definitely find a way to find out the truth.

The truth she wanted to find out was the herb.

If she chose to conceal the truth that the Queen died of poisoning and attributed the cause of death to the stab wound, she would become the person who destroyed the evidence and protected Zhen Huan. Not only would Zhen Huan be punished, but she would also be implicated.

If she reported the Empress' poisoning with the herb, Yongzheng's suspicions would undoubtedly be aroused. Knowing the Empress's death was caused by the herb would undoubtedly lead to the connection with Nian Shilan's death. Nian Shilan's case would likely be reopened, and she, Zhen Huan, Shen Meizhuang, and even those implicated in this matter would be plunged into an irreparable state.

An Lingrong sat on the stool, beads of sweat already appearing on her forehead, and she quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

Outside the palace, Yongzheng and everyone else were getting impatient, but An Lingrong still didn't come out.

Qi Yuebin, who was sitting below, sneered.

For so many years, she has been studying An Lingrong's style of doing things, tailoring a plan for her, and then watching her jump into it little by little. At this moment, she must be in a state of great confusion, right?