Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 42

The corridor outside the private room in Fenghua Tower was packed with people. However, upon hearing this voice, they instinctively made way.

“Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Qin.”

Manager Zhang saluted the prince.

Prince Qin gave the physician a meaningful glance, and the physician bypassed Shen Ting to first check the pulse of the young man.

Shen Ting’s cheeks burned, yet she felt an icy chill all over her body.

What had she just said in front of Prince Qin?

Had she questioned where the physician came from? Accused him of being a fraud? Demanded Fenghua Tower give that woman an explanation?

She bit her lip tightly, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

Zhou Quan wanted to use Prince Qin’s influence to gain the emperor’s favor. She had to pay her respects to His Highness.

“Your Highness, I am—”

“Manager Zhang,” Prince Qin interrupted, sitting casually on a chair and lightly tapping the table. “Regardless of the reason, someone collapsed in your Fenghua Tower. You must provide an explanation.”

“Bring me the person who made the pastries, the one who delivered them, and everyone who came into contact with them.”

“Today, I shall play the role of an official from the yamen and solve this case in front of the people!”

“If it’s a misunderstanding, so be it. But if someone acted with malicious intent, then today it’s one victim—tomorrow, there could be more. That, I absolutely will not tolerate!”

Manager Zhang bowed deeply in acknowledgment.

Shen Ting turned pale.

Prince Qin’s guards immediately set out to summon the necessary people.

“This lady here should also stay,” Manager Zhang said sharply. “Just now, you made a claim—I’d like to ask you, on what basis do you assume that someone was poisoned by Fenghua Tower’s food?”

His words carried a sharp edge. Shen Ting’s face grew even more strained.

“I only pitied this sister and feared she was being bullied,” she said softly, dabbing at her eyes with a silk handkerchief. “Why must Manager Zhang be so aggressive?”

Zhang Xiaolan arrived just in time to see Shen Ting putting on an act of pitiful innocence.

She almost laughed—more than that, she hated herself for not seeing Shen Ting’s true nature earlier.

Zhang Xiaolan, along with a waiter, a head chef, and a kitchen assistant, was led in by the guards.

“Master Xu, how is the young man?”

Prince Qin first sought confirmation from the physician about the young man’s condition. The onlookers whispered among themselves, praising the prince’s kindness—after all, human life mattered more than the immediate truth.

“The young man is not in serious danger. He likely consumed something his body could not tolerate—he has a rash, a swollen throat, and difficulty breathing,” the physician stroked his beard. “I have already administered acupuncture. In less than a quarter of an hour, he will recover.”

The woman beside the young man let out a breath of relief.

Prince Qin’s guards helped move the young man to a soft couch behind a screen.

“If that is the case, then Fenghua Tower is not at fault,” Prince Qin declared, losing interest. Without a case to judge, he might as well stay and sample any new delicacies the restaurant had to offer.

With no more drama to watch, the crowd began to disperse, returning to their meals and tea.

Shen Ting grew anxious as people left.

Opportunities were fleeting—if she let this go now, would there be a better chance in the future?

No. She was certain. There would not be.

With the right timing and setting, she had to take a gamble!

“Your Highness, although this young man may have eaten something unsuitable, the question remains—was it from Fenghua Tower or elsewhere? If it was from Fenghua Tower, was it an accident, or was it deliberate poisoning?”

Shen Ting dropped to her knees, bowing deeply. “I am the wife of a censor. I beg Your Highness to clarify this matter for us. Otherwise, we may unknowingly fall into someone’s trap!”

Prince Qin frowned, visibly displeased.

However, if he did not get to the bottom of this, it would reflect poorly on Fenghua Tower as well.

If the restaurant’s reputation was ruined, he would lose one of his favorite places to enjoy fine cuisine.

After weighing his options, Prince Qin suppressed his irritation and resumed his seat, instructing the guards to continue questioning the staff.

After thorough inquiries, it became evident that none of the individuals who had handled the crystal cake had any motive or opportunity to commit a crime. None of them had even met the young man before.

“What if someone bribed them? Used them as a tool?” Shen Ting blurted out, sensing that the matter was slipping from her grasp.

Prince Qin shot her an impatient glance. As a royal, he had little tolerance for being questioned repeatedly.

Just as he was about to reprimand her, Zhang Xiaolan stepped forward and bowed.

“Speaking of bribing others to do harm, I did encounter something odd today,” she said.

Prince Qin recognized her. His wife and son held her in high regard, and she had even helped resolve a conflict between him and his son last time. So, he gestured for her to continue.

Zhang Xiaolan moved beside Shen Ting and noticed how her hands, hidden in her sleeves, were trembling.

“This lady just mentioned intentional poisoning,” Zhang Xiaolan said. “Well, this morning, one of our waiters reported something suspicious. I would like to ask this lady about it as well.”

Before she could continue, Manager Zhang took over.

The manager shook his head slightly, and Zhang Xiaolan had no choice but to step back.

“The waiter confessed that a relative of an imperial censor’s household gave him a package, instructing him to sprinkle its contents on today’s crystal cakes. He was promised a silver reward by the end of the month, enough to help him win a beauty’s favor.”

“Madam, do you know who this person might be?”

Manager Zhang’s sharp gaze fixed on Shen Ting. Did she really think he didn’t recognize the noble families of the capital?

“Such a thing!” Prince Qin slammed the table. “Manager Zhang, tell me at once—if an imperial censor’s family is involved in such corruption, how can he remain in office?”

A trembling waiter was pushed forward.

He knelt and confessed everything—how he was approached, where he received the package, and when he was instructed to act.

“I thought it was just an easy errand… My greed blinded me, and I made a terrible mistake. But guilt weighed on me. So this morning, I confessed everything to Manager Zhang. I never actually harmed anyone. I beg Your Highness for mercy!”

The waiter sobbed uncontrollably, his face a mess of tears and snot.

“He was greedy, yes,” someone in the crowd murmured, “but he didn’t go through with it. He deserves a chance to change.”

“Indeed. They say admitting one’s mistakes is a virtue.”

“What an unlucky situation for Fenghua Tower! They got caught up in such trouble for no reason.”

“Exactly. If that waiter hadn’t come clean, things could have ended much worse. But… who exactly was behind this?”

All eyes turned to Shen Ting, still kneeling on the ground.

Just moments ago, she had spoken with such righteous indignation.

Yet now, everyone recalled that she had neither called for a physician nor allowed treatment. Even after Prince Qin had declared the matter settled, she had kept pushing. She had claimed to be part of an imperial censor’s household…

The pieces fell into place.

Zhang Xiaolan watched with satisfaction.

Those who harm others will eventually suffer the consequences.

Shen Ting, did you ever imagine the schemes you used against me would one day bring you to ruin?

Prince Qin had made his judgment.

“You want mercy?” he said, addressing the waiter. “That depends.”

The waiter’s head snapped up; eyes filled with hope.

Prince Qin, avoiding the sight of his tear-streaked face, stared at his tea.

“If you reveal the mastermind behind this, I will spare you from prison.”

The waiter trembled—then, without hesitation, pointed at Shen Ting.

“It was her! She had her maid give me the order!”