Chapter 249: Assassination

It was already three minutes before the hour (13:45) when we left Lingbao Guan.

Xu Qi’an entered the palace, entrusted the guards to pass on the message, and waited for a quarter of an hour at the entrance of the palace, and it was only at four minutes before the hour that he waited for the little eunuch.

“Lord Xu, what do we investigate next?” The young eunuch asked.

“Going to the Feng Palace to find the Empress …… to see the Empress doesn’t need to inform His Majesty beforehand, right?” Xu Qi’an said.

The little eunuch hurriedly waved his hand, “His Majesty said that in the Harem, you can go wherever you want. Of course, the prerequisite is that you have a lackey to accompany you, especially to see the Noble Consort and the Empress.”

Xu Qi’an nodded.

To meet the Emperor’s woman, of course not in private.

The full name of the Feng Palace is Fengqi Palace, which is the largest and most luxurious palace in the harem – the emperor’s chambers don’t count.

Arriving at Fengqi Palace and learning that the Empress was taking a nap, Xu Qi’an and the little eunuch waited in the outer corridor for a little more than half an hour, before a clean-cut courtesan came over to pass on the message:

“The Empress has woken up, please ask Lord Xu to go over.”

Xu Qi’an entered the hall with her, and met the motherly Empress in the lavishly furnished antechamber, wearing a dark-colored phoenix robe embroidered with gold filigree and a gorgeous wind crown on her head.

Dai eyebrows like a painting, mouth line plump, she was no longer young, but her face was full of collagen and did not look old at all. This added the flavor of a mature woman to her flawless and magnificent face.

She can be ranked in the top two of the beauties I have seen, and Luo Yu Heng is ranked first, but the state master is self charmed with buff additions, while the empress is relying on her own hardware ……. With a woman like that as the Empress, there’s not a single one in the harem that can fight.

Xu Qi’an hurriedly bowed his head, maintaining the etiquette and rules that a foreign minister should have.

“Surely a young talent.”

The Empress, who was obviously also a face controller, scrutinized Xu Qi’an and nodded her head in satisfaction, “Huaiqing has often mentioned you in front of this palace and praised you. This palace has also heard of your repeated solving of strange cases in the capital.”

Good first impressions on both sides.

I don’t know if it was because Xu Qi’an felt good about himself, but he felt that the Empress appreciated him and didn’t see any outsiders at all.

“It’s Wei Yuan’s fortune to have an outstanding subordinate like you.” The Empress Mother softly said, “Show Lord Xu the tea.”

The palace maid served steaming tea, Xu Qi’an took it with both hands, didn’t drink it, and asked bluntly, “My humble servant has come here for the case of Concubine Fu, and there are a few questions that I would like to ask Empress Dowager.”

“Lord Xu, please.”

“Do you recognize the courtesan Huang Xiaorou?”

“The Palace does not recognize it.” The Empress shook her head.

“Then, in the Queen’s palace, is there a courtesan named Ho’er?”

“Yes.” The Queen was silent for a few seconds, nodding slowly.

“Sister Yung of the Crab Pavilion said that four years ago, Huang Xiaorou once killed herself for no apparent reason, and the palace maid who lived in the same room with her at the time saved her, and that that maid was He’er of the Queen’s palace.”

“Holly has never been to the Crab Pavilion.” The Empress denied it outright.

Xu Qi’an continued, “After my humble servant’s autopsy, I found that the palace maid Huang Xiaorou suffered fatal injuries, which could never be saved by a palace maid, nor by the eunuchs of the Imperial Medical Department. It must have been the result of taking an elixir that brought the dead back to life.”

The Empress stared at Xu Qi’an and faintly said, “Does Lord Xu have any proof for these words?”

“The body is the proof.”

“What about the potion?”

“…… No.” Xu Qi’an shook his head.

It was the Empress who tore up the records of the Royal Apothecary’s income and expenses?

The Empress nodded and softly said, “This Palace is tired, send Lord Xu out of the hall.”

Didn t you just finish your nap …… Xu Qi an s lips mumbled a few times, got up helplessly, and left the Fengqi Palace with the palace maid.

……..

Xu Qi’an glanced at the sun, “Little Eunuch, the list I asked you to collect, is it done?”

The little eunuch fished out a folded piece of rice paper from his arms, “Just about to hand it over to Lord Xu.”

Not bad, very efficient, worthy of being trained in the palace.

Xu Qi’an unfolded the list and scanned it, listing a dozen or so palace maids, pawns, and guards.

“Let’s just go by the list above and line up one by one.” Xu Qi’an said.

“Then the Queen’s side …..”

“Naturally, I can’t find out.”

Xu Qi’an sighed, although Emperor Yuan Jing had given him great privileges to investigate whomever he wanted to, but the Empress Mother killed herself and did not cooperate, so there was no way for him, Xu Qi’an, to overpower her.

One thing is confirmed though, and that is that the Queen has a ghost in her heart.

It can’t really be the Queen’s doing, can it? Then wouldn’t Huaiqing be miserable. Shouldn’t I not investigate. But if I don’t investigate, won’t framing be pitiful? Here it comes Here it comes, the two choices of the cultivation field …… Xu Qi An sighed silently in his heart.

But then again, the Empress was damn beautiful. She still had this kind of charm at her age, how beautiful must she have been when she was young, no wonder she could become the Empress.

Huaiqing and the Empress have a slight resemblance between their eyebrows.

“In comparison, I still think Luo Yu Heng is better because she can satisfy my many tastes …… Oh, Su Su can too.”

Xu Qi’an could not help but think of the words of Daoist Master Jinlian just now, Luo Yuheng has the appearance of all living beings, and can let men see the one they like, while he looks at the double ten wonderful women, thirty young women, forty mature women ……

“I really hate to admit that I’m horny.”

Over the next hour, Xu Qi arranged to check the people on the list, and because of the limited time he had to leave the palace before the palace city closed, he only had time to line up a third of them.

In the loud closing bell, he left the palace smoothly, took the filly belonging to him from the feather guards, and retrieved the black gold long sword gifted by the Supervisor Zheng, he left the imperial city slowly.

At this point, the setting sun is only remaining sunshine.

The curfew had begun, the pedestrians on the streets had long been extinct, Xu Qi’an was wearing the uniform of a night watchman, and then there was the gold medal, except for the interior of the palace, the rest of the place was unobstructed.

“Ta-da-da-da-da …..”

As the filly slowly traveled through the deserted streets, Xu Qi’an pondered the vein of the case of Concubine Fu.

Concubine Fu is the biggest victim in the whole case, the victim used to frame the Crown Prince, and the person who did it was Huang Xiaorou, who had already been silenced.

Huang Xiaorou had once suffered a serious injury, but was cured by the Empress, so the Empress had shown her great kindness.

The Empress’s fourth son is the first son, the current Crown Prince is the concubine, the Empress is not willing to the Crown Prince’s seat fell to others, so she set up a trick, framed the Crown Prince, to reclaim the position of the Eastern Palace.

The motive is clear and the whole case makes sense, except for the lack of evidence.

Yes, there is a lack of evidence at the moment to try to convict the Queen.

“Rongma is right, this deep palace inner court, there are too many secrets that can’t be told, once you get your foot in, you can’t pull it out. I thought this case would take some time, I didn’t expect it to progress so fast, now there is not even a chance to procrastinate, damn Emperor Yuan Jing, has not yet issued an imperial edict to seal the title, I will take a leave of absence tomorrow.”

At that moment, Xu Qi’an had an image floating in his mind: behind the ridge on the left, there was a black-clothed man lying in ambush, and behind the ridge on the right, there was a black-clothed man similarly ambushed.

In that alley ahead stood a knife-wielding man in black.

With the specialness of a God Refining Realm martial artist, he immediately detected the danger.

I was ambushed …… This thought rose in my heart, and the next moment, the sharp breaking sound came.

………

Dusk.

Emperor Yuan Jing had his evening meal and was planning to go to Ling Bao Guan to seek out Luo Yu Heng, meditate and exhale with her, and listen to the classics of Taoism.

The eunuchs guarding the outside suddenly came to report, “Your Majesty, Noble Consort Chen is outside seeking an audience.”

What is she doing here at this point in time ……. Emperor Yuan Jing frowned, pondered a little, and said, “Summon her in.”

For Noble Consort Chen to come to her chambers at this time, if it was a few years earlier, Emperor Yuan Jing would have thought that she was recommending herself to come over to serve her.

He cultivated the beginning of the whole ten years, the concubines of the harem persevered in begging for bedtime, Yuan Jingdi through ignore, stubborn, outside a kneeling is a night.

Later, he saw his heart like iron, knowing that he could not restore the heart of the king, the concubines will rest their minds, and live in peace.

By now, it’s very Buddhist.

Everyone goes their own way, and occasionally they get together to talk about things.

Emperor Yuan Jing’s harem was probably the most harmonious harem in the five hundred years of Dafeng.

After the eunuchs retreated, Emperor Yuan Jing sat cross-legged on his bed and closed his eyes to exhale. It wasn’t long before Noble Consort Chen rushed in in tears, crying as she did so:

“Your Majesty, you must decide for my concubine and for the Crown Prince.”

It was actually for the Crown Prince, and this result was not a surprise to Emperor Yuan Jing, or rather, it was expected by him.

Emperor Yuan Jing, who had regenerated his black hair, opened his eyes and looked at Noble Consort Chen blandly, “The matter of the Crown Prince is still being investigated, Aifei please go back, there will naturally be a public judgment on what is right and wrong.”

“Still investigating? Hasn’t the case already been solved, Your Majesty, I’ve heard it all from Lin An.” Noble Consort Chen pinched a silk handkerchief and wiped her tears while saying mournfully:

“The Crown Prince was wrongly accused, the Crown Prince was wrongly accused.”

Hm? Emperor Yuan Jing frowned, “What did Lin An say to you.”

“That Lord Xu found out the truth a long time ago ……”

Emperor Yuan Jing froze, he knew that a drowned body was fished out of the Crab Pavilion today, and it was none other than the palace maid beside Concubine Fu who had been missing for days. But he never expected that Xu Qi’an would find out the truth so quickly?

Noble Consort Chen cried as she spilled out the information she knew.

After hearing this, Emperor Yuan Jing’s face was grim as water, and he turned his head towards his first companion and ordered, “Call over the person who supervises Xu Qi’an.”

The old python-robed eunuch answered and left, and in less than a quarter of an hour, came in with the little eunuch.

The little eunuch swept his remaining light, Emperor Yuan Jing was sitting cross-legged on the collapse, his expression was not seen to be happy or angry, and Noble Consort Chen was kneeling beside the bed, wailing and sobbing.

Emperor Yuan Jing faintly said, “What progress has been made in the case today?”

Little eunuch heart has long been playing a good draft, heard, without pause to reply: “Xu Gongzi into the palace, then immediately rushed to check the body, came to the conclusion that: the courtesan Huang Xiaorou was first pressed in the water drowning, and then threw the body in the well.”

The autopsy was then added to prove this assertion.

“And, Lord Xu also tested out that the courtesan Huang Xiaorou had suffered a fatal wound to her heart, and should have died several years ago, but was saved by a panacea …… then went to the Crab Pavilion and questioned Sister Rong ……. “

This time, the little eunuch was very experienced and only recounted the process without adding any personal feelings or saying anything about Xu Qi’an’s interactions with the two princesses.

He figured out that saying these things would certainly add to Lord Xu’s troubles, but he was afraid that his own practice of snitching on the two princesses would be even more displeasing to His Majesty.

Why bother when you’re hurting people and yourself.

Moreover, Lord Xu is extremely good and caring to him. Although the temper is a bit grumpy, but for difficult really not bad.

“Confirmation that a portion of the Royal Pharmacy’s income and expenditure ledger has been torn up?” Emperor Yuan Jing begged for confirmation.

“That’s what Lord Xu said.” The young eunuch continued to refrain from expressing his personal opinion.

Emperor Yuan Jing slowly nodded his head, “Notify the coroner to enter the palace overnight and re-examine the body of palace maid Huang Xiaorou, I want to know the answer immediately.”

Half an hour later, the first companion brought back the results of the coroner’s autopsy, in Xu Qi’an mutual corroboration, conclusive.

Emperor Yuan Jing was suddenly lost in thought and did not speak for a long time. The large bedchamber was silent.

Until Noble Consort Chen slumped to the ground and cried, “Lord Xu does not dare to investigate the Empress, and the only way for this matter to be resolved is for Your Majesty to personally intervene. I beg Your Majesty to do the right thing for the crown prince, for my concubine.”

……….

PS: 15,000 words completed. The typos in the last chapter have been corrected, and this chapter will be corrected after the first change.