amaotonovel Chapter 229 The Mummified Corpse Case 22
Chapter 229 The Mummified Corpse Case 22
"Why has Manager Li come in person? Please come in!"
When the palace servants of Shuyu Palace saw that Li Ge had come in person, followed by a large group of palace maids and eunuchs, they hurriedly opened the palace gates.
The palace where Consort Li resided was always very lively, simply because this consort was hospitable and often played with the other concubines in the palace.
But today, it's quiet inside.
Li Ge waved his hand behind him, signaling the palace maids and eunuchs to deliver the flowing rewards.
"These things were bestowed upon Consort Lin by Her Majesty the Empress. Why don't you quickly make her come out and express her gratitude?"
"This...please wait a moment, Baolin should be with the Empress right now." The palace servant took off running.
Li Ge led his men inside and saw Zhang Cheng jogging out with a flattering smile on his face.
He stopped and waited for the other person to bow before asking, "Is Consort Li here?"
"Reporting to the steward, Her Majesty is currently having a dance competition with the newly arrived Baolin in the backyard."
"A martial arts contest?" Li Ge thought the two had started fighting.
Of course, given Lin Miaoniang's rank, she was destined to be beaten.
"It's a dance, would you like to go and take a look?"
Li Ge walked towards the backyard, with Eunuch Zhang following closely behind, chattering away.
Li Ge asked without looking at him, "Have you remembered what I told you before?"
"Yes, yes, don't worry, this servant will definitely take good care of Baolin."
Eunuch Zhang knew that this newly promoted Baolin must be the person in charge, but he didn't know why he had brought him to Shuyu Palace.
Upon reaching the backyard, a burst of laughter erupted.
Li Ge saw Lin Miaoniang spinning around, with a palace maid counting beside her, while Consort Li sat on a chaise longue, eating oranges and chatting with Consort Ying next to her.
Eunuch Zhang glanced at him cautiously, coughed, and called out, "Master, Li Zhang has come to deliver the rewards to Baolin on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress."
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Everyone looked over and immediately spotted the handsome eunuch in purple robes; several pairs of eyes were glued to him.
Consort Li asked with a half-smile, "Your Majesty the Empress is truly thoughtful. Even a mere Baolin needs Steward Li to come and take care of her personally."
"I dare not. Your Majesty the Empress is kind. The addition of a new concubine to the harem is a joyous occasion, and rewards will naturally follow."
"Alright, Lin Baolin, why don't you go and thank her for the reward? And while you're at it, get to know our Steward Li properly; he's a favorite of the Empress."
Consort Li's words sounded like a compliment to Li Ge, but the other concubines beside her all lowered their heads, not daring to look at Steward Li's expression.
Consort Li may not be afraid of Li Ge, but those of lower rank dare not confront him directly.
Lin Miaoniang was drenched in sweat, but still wore a polite smile as she walked lightly to Li Ge.
She knelt down to express her gratitude and spoke highly of the Empress.
She was favored by the Emperor last night and received a new rank today. She should go to the Empress's palace to express her gratitude.
But the Empress was not happy to see her, so she sent someone to deliver the reward.
When Lin Miaoniang got up, she and Li Ge exchanged a glance, but they pretended not to know each other and acted as if they were strangers.
"Alright, let's call it a day. Let Lin Meimei settle down first. There will be plenty of opportunities to play together another day."
Consort Li glanced at Lin Miaoniang with amusement, then took the hand of a palace maid and prepared to leave.
Before she left, Li Ge said, "Her Majesty the Empress knows that you enjoy lively gatherings, so she specially arranged for Consort Lin to stay in a side hall of Shuyu Palace to enhance the relationship between the two of you."
Consort Li said indifferently, "My palace is not lacking in liveliness, and there is no need for outsiders to make up the numbers. However, since they have moved in, they are naturally a part of my Shuyu Palace."
Li Ge smiled but remained silent.
He watched them leave, then led his men to deliver the gifts into the side hall.
Once inside the side hall, where there were only the two of them, Lin Miaoniang plopped down, rubbing her legs, and said, "You really know how to arrange things. This Consort Li doesn't seem like someone easy to deal with."
Li Ge looked around the side hall, which was smaller than his living quarters, and the furnishings were neither new nor old.
"Stop looking, it's fine."
Li Ge took a purse out of his sleeve and tossed it to her.
"You've survived this long, so you must know when to advance and when to retreat. Consort Li is the most favored concubine in the harem besides the Empress, and her family is quite powerful. It would be beneficial for you to be on good terms with her."
"That would have to be something they're willing to let me rely on. You saw it just now; she treats me like an enemy."
"That depends on your own ability."
Li Ge left after he finished speaking.
He couldn't pay too much attention to Lin Miaoniang, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Empress, and it would also arouse suspicion.
Lin Miaoniang sat alone in a daze. There had been people everywhere before, and she had to act out every word and action.
Even when facing Li Ge, she dared not relax in the slightest.
Only when she is alone does she dare to express all her emotions.
She covered her face and wept silently.
Once she embarked on this path, there was no turning back in her life.
She could give up her physical body, her soul, and everything else, hoping that God would have mercy on her and grant her her wish.
Only after Xiaoxi brought in the palace maids to serve her did Lin Miaoniang compose herself and accept being just an insignificant grain of sand in the harem.
That day, Shen Lan overheard people discussing matters in the inner palace while she was in her study, and she listened intently for a few more minutes.
Upon learning that it was that Lin Wuguan who had been granted the title of Baolin by the Emperor, Shen Lan could no longer concentrate on reading a single word of the account book in her hand.
Was she doing it voluntarily? Shen Lan wondered.
She was so young and beautiful, there was no way she could like that old man, the emperor, but being in the harem, she might not have a choice.
"Manager Shen, do you publish novels about mummified corpses in your study?" Qiu Yi ran over and asked.
"The mummified corpse case is not yet closed, so we will not be going out for the time being."
Qiu Yi was very puzzled. "Didn't everyone outside say the case was closed? The murderer was a student from the academy, and he was caught red-handed."
Shen Lan hummed in agreement, closed the ledger, and, seeing several students gathered around, revealed a little something to them.
"This case of the mummified corpse is closed, but the case from more than ten years ago has only just begun to be investigated."
"The mummified corpse case from over a decade ago? Could it have been done by Sun Wei as well?"
"Probably not."
Sun Wei was young and impetuous at the time, and he thought he would definitely pass the imperial examination. How could he kill someone and ruin his future?
At the back of the crowd, a middle-aged scholar came over to pay for his books.
Hearing them discuss the mummified corpse case from over a decade ago, he recalled: "I remember that case from that year. The authorities said it was the work of a fox demon, and Yishan Academy even invited an old Taoist priest to capture the demon."
It's unclear whether they caught him or not, but no one has died since then.
Everyone says that the fox demon is either dead or has escaped to a faraway place.
"Brother Liang, are you aware of this case?"
"The older folks in the city all know that it caused quite a stir back then. Some martial arts practitioners even went to the mountains to kill demons because they didn't believe in the superstition, but none of them ever came back."
Shen Lan looked up in surprise, "Who are you talking about, the martial arts figure? Can you confirm that he's dead too?"
"Who knows? Anyway, no one saw him come down the mountain, so he must be dead."
After paying, the man kindly reminded Shen Lan, "I've heard that fox spirits specialize in absorbing men's vital energy. Manager Shen is a woman, so you're not afraid, but Lord Xiao is handsome and young, so don't fall for his tricks."