The second court session began.
Consort Mei and Lord Yan arrived as scheduled.
The Empress and Princess Xin Yao remained seated behind a screen, attended by numerous maids and eunuchs.
Zhou Yanran and Dong Xuerou were summoned, with two maids by their side. One of them was pale and trembling slightly.
Additionally, two imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital were invited to verify the poison.
Along the sides of the entrance sat many relevant personnel, along with several women wearing veils, appearing mysterious.
As the court session commenced, Yang Ming and two bailiffs immediately presented the retrieved evidence – the box of rouge discarded by the Fifth Princess.
Behind the screen, Xin Yao abruptly stood and shouted, "Impossible, that cannot be the evidence!" The true evidence had already been hidden by her.
Bai Sheng smiled, "We'll know if it's evidence once it's verified."
As her voice faded, a palace maid rushed over, bowed slightly to the presiding official, and ran behind the screen. With a panicked expression, she whispered into Xin Yao's ear, "Princess, the wooden box where you hid the rouge seems to have been gnawed by a rat, and the rouge box is gone. It's estimated... it's estimated it was carried away by a rat."
"What? Carried away by a rat? This... how is that possible?" Xin Yao looked incredulous.
Yesterday afternoon, she had opened the wooden box to check; the rouge was lying neatly inside. This morning, she went to Xiangyun Palace, and her mother ordered her to produce the evidence. She had then sent a maid back to the sleeping quarters to retrieve it. In just one night, how could a rat have gnawed through the wooden box? And carried away the rouge?
The Empress was also very surprised and said in a low voice, "Yao'er, could the item they searched for be the one you lost? Go and take a look."
Princess Xin Yao frowned, walked out from behind the screen, and personally approached the evidence table to examine it.
She was shocked again. That box of rouge was indeed the evidence she had hidden, because she had put a label on it, and the label was still there!
Could such a coincidence happen in this world? A rat carried away her evidence, and then it was found by the bailiffs and the dog from the defendant's family?
Xin Yao returned to her seat with a head full of questions and nodded blankly at her mother.
The Empress's expression relaxed.
Lord Han looked at Zhou Yanran and Dong Xuerou and announced loudly, "Summon Zhou Yanran and Dong Xuerou to the court!"
Zhou and Dong approached calmly and respectfully saluted the judge, "This humble one, Dong Xuerou (Zhou Yanran), greets your Lordship."
Lord Han sternly asked, "Zhou Yanran, Dong Xuerou, did you purchase the rouge you gave to the Fifth Princess from Hong Fen Jia Ren? When was it purchased? Who purchased it? What specific items were bought?"
Dong Xuerou replied earnestly, "Reporting to your Lordship, it was indeed purchased from Hong Fen Jia Ren. Zhou Yanran's maid, Chun Xing, went to purchase it on April 11th. A total of three items were bought: lip rouge, face cream, and rouge."
Lord Han ordered, "Guards, compare the evidence."
Two bailiffs stepped forward and compared the box of rouge presented by Yang Ming with the sales record book submitted by Bai Sheng in terms of time, serial number, and other aspects.
They also compared the date, purchaser, and purchased items one by one.
After the time it took to steep a cup of tea, a bailiff approached Lord Han, "Your Lordship, this box of rouge is indeed the item discarded by the Fifth Princess."
Consort Mei could not help but exclaim, "This dog is truly amazing to have actually found the evidence!"
Lord Yan was also quite surprised and secretly pondered that he should get a dog as well.
Lord Han said, "Since it has been confirmed as evidence, please have the two imperial physicians come forward to verify if the evidence can disfigure the face."
The two imperial physicians came forward and began testing for poison in front of everyone.
Everyone stared nervously at the physicians, all wanting to know if there was poison in that box of rouge.
The two physicians first tested with a silver needle. The silver needle instantly turned black. Then, they smeared the rouge onto a piece of fresh pigskin. In a short period, the pigskin rapidly festered.
The physicians held up the pigskin to display to everyone, then said to Lord Han, "Reporting to your Lordship, upon examination, this box of rouge indeed contains a potent poison that can cause skin to fester."
Everyone present widened their eyes in shock.
This poison was too potent; the pigskin festered like that in such a short time. What would happen if it were applied to a person's face?
Although they had not seen the Fifth Princess's disfigured face, they could imagine it now.
Princess Xin Yao angrily walked out from behind the screen, pointed at Bai Sheng, and scolded, "You vile merchant! How dare you poison this princess with your rouge! Lord Han, the evidence is conclusive now, send them all back to prison!"
Lu Ye immediately cupped his hands towards the assembled officials and said loudly, "Your Lordship, the physicians have only proven that there is poison in the rouge, but they cannot prove who administered it. The rouge was sold on April 11th, and the Fifth Princess only received it on April 13th. Many things could have happened during these two days. As for what exactly happened, we must ask Miss Zhou and Miss Dong."
Zhou Yanran and Dong Xuerou showed no signs of panic.
Zhou Yanran cleared her throat, "Your Lordship, it is true that I asked my maidservant Chun Xing to purchase it from Hong Fen Jia Ren. After it was bought, Chun Xing kept it. On the 13th, Chun Xing delivered it to the palace gates and handed it directly to the eunuch of the Fifth Princess's sleeping quarters. As for why there was poison in the rouge, I truly do not know. I beg your Lordship to investigate."
Dong Xuerou immediately seconded, "What Zhou Yanran said is entirely true. I and my maidservant can testify!"
After Lord Han and Lord Wei whispered to each other, their expressions became solemn. Lord Han suddenly slammed the gavel and sternly declared, "So, it is possible that Hong Fen Jia Ren, the maidservant Chun Xing, and the palace maids and eunuchs around the Fifth Princess are all potential poisoners!"
Bai Sheng stepped forward, bowed, "Lord Han, we did not know the Fifth Princess at all. Why would we poison her? Moreover, harming the Fifth Princess would be digging our own grave. Our business at Hong Fen Jia Ren has just begun. Why would we ruin our own reputation with poisoned rouge? Therefore, we have no motive to poison the Fifth Princess!"
The palace maids and eunuchs around the Fifth Princess also quickly knelt in the hall.
They vehemently denied poisoning, claiming they were loyal to the Fifth Princess and would never harm her.
Furthermore, on April 13th, they had received the rouge from Chun Xing and delivered it directly to the princess. From the palace gates to the princess's sleeping quarters, it had not stopped for a moment, a fact that many could attest to.
Finally, Lord Han's sharp gaze fell upon Chun Xing, "Summon Chun Xing to the court for questioning!"
Chun Xing, with a pale face, nervously walked forward and knelt before the presiding official, "This humble servant, Chun Xing, greets your Lordship."
Lord Han slammed the gavel, "Chun Xing, speak truthfully! Did you tamper with the rouge box given to the Fifth Princess?!"