Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 124

Chapter 124
As I scrambled for a way to defuse the awkwardness, a strange, tingling feeling traveled up my back.
I looked around.
Every single person was looking directly at me.
Of course… I had just laughed out loud in the middle of this grave crisis. It was no surprise I was now the focal point.
Sensing my unease, Hwa-eun spoke, likely to rescue me.
“So-ryong? What is it? What’s the matter?”
“Give me a second.”
The intensity of their collective stare was overwhelming, but I swiftly bent close to Hwa-eun’s ear to whisper my suspicion, needing to verify it.
I had to be completely certain—because if I was mistaken, the embarrassment would be unbearable.
“Please, just let me be wrong…”
Otherwise, I would have to face Eunbong and say, “The cinnabar in your lipstick, through all the… passionate kissing with Ji-ryong, has been slowly poisoning him.”

[Hwa-eun, um… what’s the name for that cosmetic women apply to their lips? Is it yeonji?]
[Lip color? Why are you asking that so suddenly?]
[It’s critical…]
Hwa-eun blinked, utterly perplexed by my query.
Yet, as I gave a serious nod, she finally replied.
[Yes, it’s called yeonji.]
A match. Good.
Now I needed to know about the components.
[Then… can yeonji contain zhusha?]
[Yeonji? No, it’s typically produced from safflower. The yellow pigments are removed from the flowers, leaving only the red color.]
“Huh? That can’t be right? Then how is Ji-ryong poisoned?”
I was on the verge of discarding my entire hypothesis when Hwa-eun went on.
[The version made with zhusha isn’t named yeonji; it’s called danji. It’s costlier, so it’s generally only used by noblewomen or ladies of the court.]
“Ah, no. So I was correct after all.”
There was no avoiding it now.
I had sufficient confirmation. And given my poorly timed outburst of laughter, I needed to move fast before everyone decided I was insane.
I turned to Zhuge Hu, aiming to resolve this discreetly.
“Lord Zhuge Hu, Ji-ryong’s state is stable for now. Could you please ask everyone to wait outside briefly? I, well… I believe I may have identified the cause. But it would be best to discuss this privately…”
“What?! You’ve identified it?!”
“You know who is responsible?!”
Their responses were far more explosive than I expected.
I had hoped for a quiet solution, but every eye widened in astonishment, their looks becoming sharp and demanding.
“Who is it?! Tell us now! If you fear they will flee, don’t! I have already made certain that no one can exit the grounds!”
“No, that isn’t the concern…”
My intention had been to shield someone’s dignity—namely, the Zhuge family’s future daughter-in-law.
But it appeared everyone had interpreted my words in a wholly different manner.
Zhuge Hu’s face grew stern.
“Ah! Are you reluctant because of their standing? Are you concerned about angering their faction? Set your mind at ease.
You may not be fully aware yet, but you are a member of the Tang Clan. And now, you also have ties to the Beast Palace.
Furthermore, this involves the poisoning of my nephew. The Zhuge family will support you. And remember—the Alliance Lord himself has his eye on you!”
“Indeed. Young hero, speak without any fear. The Moonlit Palace will also join the Zhuge family in backing you.”
“No, that is genuinely not the problem here…”
Zhuge Hu began reciting influential groups as if he were constructing a bulwark of power behind me.
Hwa-eun also added her voice, encouraging me.
“So-ryong, caution is wise, but now, you risk appearing disrespectful. Lord Zhuge Hu has already guaranteed that only reliable individuals are here.”
“Precisely, Dok-hwa.”
“Indeed, my lady.”
“That’s correct, young hero. Everyone present is either part of the Zhuge family or a physician who owes a debt to Lord Zhuge Hu.”
“No, you fools, Eunbong is on the verge of being socially ruined!”
I had picked my words with care to prevent a scene, but these people were entirely missing my point and demanding answers.
I scanned the room before asking tentatively,
“Are you absolutely certain about this?”
“Of course! Just say it!”
“Please, young hero, inform us!”
“Ugh, forget it. If they’re okay with it…”
Before the final disclosure, I addressed Eunbong.
“Alright, but first, I need to ask… Eunbong, do you have the danji you use on your lips with you?”
“Danji? Yes, I do, but… why do you need it?”
“Could you let me see it for a moment?”
“Shouldn’t you identify the culprit first—”
“This is extremely important!”
Gungbong, assuming I was evading the topic, began to object, but I interrupted him with a raised voice.
Startled, Eunbong hurriedly produced a small lacquered case from her sleeve.
— Click.
Inside was a rich, vibrant red pigment.
The exact color that had been on Eunbong’s lips.
I passed the case to Hwa-eun and whispered urgently.
[Can you test this for its zhusha content?]
[?]
A large question mark seemed to materialize above Hwa-eun’s head.
She was clueless as to why I was suddenly asking this.
To clarify, I subtly pointed to the danji and then to her own lips, before leaning in and whispering two words.
[Kissing.]
[!]
The instant the word was out, the question mark above her head vanished, replaced by a massive exclamation point.
Her eyes shot open in shock, and a deep blush spread from the tips of her ears down to her neck.
Even someone as guileless as Hwa-eun understood immediately.
Her hands shook as she searched for the silver needle in her sleeve. She sampled the danji and inspected it meticulously.
After a moment, still refusing to meet my eyes, she gave a slight nod.
The zhusha level was significant.
I exhaled heavily before facing the expectant crowd.
“Alright… I will now name the two individuals responsible for this situation.”
“Two?!”
“There are two responsible?!”
“Naturally! These schemes are seldom the work of one person!”
“I suppose, but can someone kiss themselves?”
These people were still imagining a completely different scenario, but so be it.
Clutching the danji firmly, I finally declared.
“Eunbong.”
“Yes, young hero? Please, tell us immediately!”
She answered brightly, completely unaware I had just identified her.
“And Ji-ryong.”
“…?”
“…???”
“…???”
A profound silence enveloped the room.
Moments after I spoke, the same bewildered question mark that had been above Hwa-eun’s head now seemed to appear over everyone present.
Then, after a short delay—
Eunbong, just grasping the implication of my words, cried out in disbelief.
“Are you claiming I assisted Ji-ryong in poisoning himself?!”
“No, that is not my meaning.”
But that was merely her reaction.
Everyone else remained completely baffled, their mental question marks still hovering.
Except for one person.
Zhuge Hu, the experienced strategist of the martial alliance, did not react instantly like the others. He was inclined to look for hidden meanings rather than rush to judgment.
However…
Being about as perceptive in matters of romance as a stone, he had still not connected the dots.
“So-ryong, there must be logic behind this. Explain it plainly—I comprehend none of it.”
“Understood. Eunbong, please calm yourself and listen.”
After comforting the shaking Eunbong, I started my explanation.
“The substance Ji-ryong was poisoned by, hong, is created by burning zhusha. This process emits intensely toxic vapors that are fatal if breathed in, which is why utmost care is necessary when working with it.
But the issue is… one can still be poisoned without directly swallowing hong or breathing its fumes.”
“You mean poisoning can occur without ingestion or inhalation?”
“Yes, sir. Specifically, if a person ingests zhusha, the base component of hong. While it is less poisonous in its raw state, chronic, long-term ingestion can still result in poisoning.”
“So you are stating that Ji-ryong has been regularly consuming zhusha and was poisoned by the hong within it?”
“Exactly, sir.”
Zhuge Hu, with his sharp tactical mind, quickly tracked my reasoning.
But instead of stopping, he took it further and began analyzing the gaps.
“In that event… from where has Ji-ryong been consuming zhusha? Given your accusation names both Eunbong and Ji-ryong… was this some error between them?”
As he pondered, I retrieved the lacquered danji box—the special lip color made with zhusha—that Hwa-eun had examined.
I showed it to Zhuge Hu.
“Common lip color is made from safflower. But this danji is made using zhusha.”
The moment I said this, comprehension dawned for several people in the room.
The floating question marks above their heads burst, one after another, turning into exclamation points.
“Aha!”
“Oh…”
“Ah… I understand.”
“Huh? Wait, what?”
A few individuals still had not figured it out.
Predictably, those still confused were largely the older men present—those whose romantic sensibilities had faded long ago.
And, regrettably, Zhuge Hu was one of them.
“So you are saying Ji-ryong was poisoned by consuming danji… but why would he be eating danji to begin with? Why would a man continually consume something intended for a woman’s lips—”
At this juncture, I decided to be blunt.
Turning to Eunbong, who was still struggling to process everything, I delivered the final word.
“Kissing.”
And with that, the last of the question marks in the room popped.
A wave of understanding moved through the assembly, followed by a unified chorus of realizations.
“Ah…”
“Ooooh…”
“Ahem!”
The older gentlemen, now informed, emitted uncomfortable coughs.
Meanwhile, some of the younger warriors in the room were clearly fighting back smiles.
Hwa-eun and the other women, however, had turned a brilliant red, their ears glowing.
And Eunbong?
The unfortunate woman fell onto Ji-ryong’s chest, completely mortified, unable to raise her head. She feebly beat his chest with her fists in humiliation.
Thud. Thud.
Given how regular the exposure must have been, I suspected Ji-ryong held greater accountability in this than Eunbong did.
Just as I was ready to deem the matter closed, Zhuge Hu’s voice rose above the whispers.
“I grasp what occurred… but did you not say zhusha poisoning is hard to acquire? How frequently must Ji-ryong have been exposed to become so seriously affected?”
His question, while logical, introduced a fresh tension into the room.
Gradually, all eyes turned toward the back of Eunbong’s head.
Hwa-eun, now flushing deeply, asked tentatively,
“To, um… accurately assess the severity of the poisoning, we require an understanding of how frequently the exposure happened…”
Zhuge Hu’s ears twitched with interest.
“Oh? So a treatment exists?”
“Yes, but… we need a specific calculation of how often…”
It was as if Hwa-eun was reading a verdict.
Eunbong, still pressed against Ji-ryong’s chest, shuddered. Then, she slowly lifted her head, her face blank, her lips scarcely moving as she murmured.
“…M-morning and night…”
A pause.
Then, the voice of reason—the ever-analytical Hwa-eun.
“That frequency alone would not account for poisoning of this intensity.”
Eunbong froze.
Hwa-eun softly took her shoulder and, without any hesitation, pressed on.
“Tell the truth. How often?”
At that moment, Eunbong’s entire body convulsed.
Then, she finally shattered.
“All the time!” she sobbed. “Whenever we had a moment alone! Huwaaaahhh!”
The room was plunged into shocked silence.
And then—
Thud! Thud!
Eunbong, swamped by embarrassment, began pounding Ji-ryong’s chest with fresh intensity.
I released a long, deep sigh.
“Well… I suppose I saved one person. But another has just perished from shame. No… perhaps I saved them both only to have them succumb anyway.”
And that was the resolution of the martial alliance’s poisoned nephew case.