amaotonovel Chapter 268 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 7
Chapter 268 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 7
"Was Consort Xie's cloak also a gift for Consort Wu?"
Zijuan asked doubtfully, "You mean that snow-white fur cloak? That's Consort Xie's beloved possession; it's impossible for her to give it to her master."
Xiao Ji moved closer to her and asked, "You didn't know that cloak was in Consort Wu's palace?"
“This… perhaps I forgot,” Zijuan replied, her eyes gleaming.
Shen Lan sighed, "It seems we can't find the culprit; there's not a single useful clue."
Zijuan looked at them nervously, "My lords, this servant really doesn't know anything."
"Didn't you know that Consort Lin left that night?"
"We heard the noise, but it wasn't our turn to be on night duty, so we didn't see them off."
This alone shows whether these servants are truly attentive or not.
It wasn't wrong for the emperor to blame them.
"Think carefully, how long did it take from when you heard the noise to when you discovered that Wu Meiren had drowned?"
"I was half asleep at the time, probably... about half an hour."
Did you hear any arguing at the time?
"I think I did, but I forgot about it after I woke up."
Shen Lan noticed that Xiao Ji's questions were similar to what Liu Rong had told her, only the order was different.
Did he suspect that after Lin Miaoniang left, someone else had entered Wu Meiren's palace and caused an argument?
Shen Lan sent Zijuan to another room and locked her up alone, then had someone else come to interrogate her.
The youngest eunuch to arrive was only fourteen years old.
"Bang!" Xiao Ji sat down in his chair and slammed his hand on the table.
The little eunuch was so frightened that he knelt on the ground, trembling, with tears and snot streaming down his face.
What time did you go to sleep last night?
"Hiccup...Reporting to Your Excellency...Hiccup, this servant doesn't remember..."
Xiao Ji laughed angrily, "So muddle-headed, there's no use keeping him alive, just beat him to death."
The little eunuch cried even louder, "My lord, spare me... Waaah... I remember now, it was around 1:45 AM."
"How do you know exactly when you fall asleep?"
"When Consort Lin left, I got up and checked the time. It was 1:15 AM."
What were you doing for those next 15 minutes?
"This servant...this servant thought everything was alright and lay down on the bed to go to sleep."
"Then you must have heard Consort Wu arguing with someone, right? How could you still sleep when your mistress was arguing with someone?"
The young eunuch was extremely guilty. He didn't know what the people in front of him had confessed, and when Xiao Ji asked him this question, he thought that Xiao Ji knew everything.
He answered in a low voice, "The master instructed that when she is with Consort Xie, we are not allowed to approach the house."
Xiao Ji's hand froze in mid-air, and Shen Lan's eyes widened suddenly.
Neither of them expected to ask such a question.
Xiao Ji asked calmly, "Aren't you afraid that Consort Wu will be bullied by Consort Xie? I heard that she has a bad temper."
"But this is a matter for the masters, and servants cannot interfere."
"So you just turned a blind eye and ignored her life or death? It seems that beating you to death wasn't the wrong thing to do."
The young eunuch trembled and sniffled as he said, "This servant didn't know Consort Wu was going to die. This servant didn't hear any cries for help."
Xiao Ji wrote down what he said and made him put his fingerprint on the spot.
With his testimony, they could reasonably suspect Consort Xie.
When it was the next person's turn, Xiao Ji immediately flew into a rage and ordered the Imperial Guards to give him twenty lashes.
The young eunuch was beaten until his skin was torn and his cries were deafening.
Xiao Ji waved his hand, "I have asked all the questions I needed to ask. You are all guilty and cannot escape punishment. Just kill you."
The little eunuch cried out, "My lord, spare me! This servant has something to say!"
"Oh, tell me about it. If they said it, then there's no need."
"This servant knows that Liu Rong has been bribed by Consort Xie; she is someone Consort Xie planted here."
"Oh? Is this related to this case?"
"Yes! Liu Rong said that Consort Lin killed Consort Wu, but she's lying! She's the real murderer!"
Xiao Ji's body stiffened, and he frowned, asking, "Do you have evidence?"
"It must be her. She killed Consort Wu to frame Consort Lin and clear herself of suspicion."
What was her motive for murder?
The little eunuch's eyes darted around; he was clearly up to no good.
He stammered, "Perhaps she wants to replace Consort Wu as Consort Xie's new favorite."
Xiao Ji: "..."
Shen Lan: "..."
The two of them froze.
This sentence contains a lot of information.
Shen Lan was more accepting and tentatively asked, "She killed Consort Wu, won't Consort Xie blame her?"
"Consort Xie didn't particularly like Consort Wu either; she treated her like a pet, summoning her at will and dismissing her at will. But she didn't like Consort Lin, which is why Consort Wu volunteered to get close to Consort Lin in the first place."
Xiao Ji felt he needed to slow down and properly sort out the relationships involved.
He had the eunuch put his fingerprint on the confession, and then had him taken away.
He read the three confessions over and over again and found them to be clear and logical, with all the causes and consequences in place.
"Why aren't you surprised?" he asked Shen Lan.
Shen Lan was organizing the confession, connecting the timeline, the order in which the characters appeared, and the death of Wu Meiren.
"This is the palace; both men and women are possible here."
Many women in the harem never received the emperor's favor in their entire lives, and it's perfectly normal for them to feel lonely and isolated, and to want someone to keep them company.
However, he was more often with eunuchs.
Although eunuchs are not considered normal men, they have all the physical characteristics of men, so even if something happens between them, it doesn't count as infidelity.
"Let's go, take these confessions to see the Emperor."
Shen Lan and Xiao Ji went outside and realized it was already dark.
Hearing the cries of pleas around her, she asked, "Aren't the others being interrogated?"
"That's enough. As for whether to continue the interrogation, we need His Majesty's approval."
Shen Lan gently tugged at his sleeve and asked with difficulty, "Would the Emperor punish Consort Xie for the sake of a beautiful woman?"
Xiao Ji turned to look at her, and said with a half-smile, "The harem is full of the emperor's women. These are all family matters. Who can interfere in the emperor's family affairs?"
He whispered reassuringly, "Don't forget, your initial goal was simply to help Consort Lin clear her name."
"Will the Emperor believe me based on just a few testimonies?"
"Come with me and you'll see."
Xiao Ji went to the Imperial Study to request an audience with the Emperor.
There were twice as many imperial guards at the gate as usual, and they stopped Xiao Ji from a great distance.
"Lord Xiao, His Majesty has decreed that no one will be seen tonight. Please return."
Looking at the tightly closed vermilion gate, Xiao Ji asked curiously, "I heard that Consort Xie came by earlier. Is she still inside?"
"No, Consort Xie has already left. Lord Xiao, please leave as well."
"Very well, then I will come to report again tomorrow morning."
Xiao Ji led Shen Lan away, and the two began to talk only after they had gone some distance.
"Can you smell it? There's a faint medicinal scent."
"Hmm, tonight is the fifteenth. It seems that this day of the month is the day the Emperor takes his medicine."
Shen Lan looked back at the layered palace complex. Under the night sky, the carved railings and painted pillars resembled ferocious beasts with gaping mouths, as if they were about to devour people.