The two walked forward side by side, neither of them felt that this way of moving forward was a bit slow, the moonlight lengthened their shadows.
After a moment's silence, Ji Lingxue turned her head to look at Xiao Yichen beside her. The moonlight only illuminated half of his outline, making him appear half gentle and half mysterious.
Ji Lingxue said: "There is a question I have always wanted to ask you."
Xiao Yichen nodded and signaled Ji Lingxue to ask, and he would tell her everything he knew.
Ji Lingxue said: "Xiao Yimo has dealt with you before, so why didn't you kill him immediately after you attempted to usurp the throne, but instead imprisoned him in a dark cell?"
Xiao Yichen pinched his chin, thought for a moment and said: As an emperor, anyone who threatens his position must be eliminated. This is probably what all emperors have experienced. He didn't care about the brotherhood first, but I usurped the throne later, so we are even. Imprisoning him in a dark cell is just my temporary strategy. He was so high and mighty, ruling the world, and everything was in his hands. He must have thought that he would be imprisoned in a dark place one day. Facing endless panic, don't you think such a gap would make people desperate and suffocated. "
Ji Lingxue twitched the corners of her mouth and looked at Xiao Yichen speechlessly. She felt that she couldn't see through him before, and now his thoughts were even more unfathomable. It was no wonder, as people always said that the emperor's mind was unpredictable.
Ji Lingxue naturally didn't want to find out where Xiao Yimo was, so she changed the subject and asked, "Can the Resurrection Grass really bring the dead back to life?"
She remembered that Mo Xiang mentioned to her that Xiao Yichen had planted this grass in front of the grave and then took it back.
Xiao Yichen shook his head: "I have only heard about it, and I have never actually tried it. Why do you want that grass?"
Ji Lingxue shook her head and said, "When I heard Mo Xiang talk about this herb, I thought it was magical and thought it was only something in books. If something bad happened to me, I would be very touched if you brought this herb back to life for me."
There was a faint smile on Xiao Yichen's lips, like clouds in the sky blown away by the wind.
Everything is in the past. He once foolishly loved such a person. He risked his life for her and would save her at any cost. At that time, he fell off a cliff for the legendary resurrection grass that could bring the dead back to life. He was unconscious for an unknown period of time. In order to get back as soon as possible, he ignored his injuries and rode hard again day and night. Only to find that she had already been buried. He couldn't wait to see her for the last time and couldn't even see her off on her last journey. How lost he was at that time, but no matter how lost he was, he didn't feel as heartbroken as hearing that she had faked her death and left him.
Although time can make people forget everything and heal any scars, a broken heart is still broken. Even if Ji Lingxue comes back to him, he will never be so foolish as to give everything for someone again.
Xiao Yichen looked up behind Ji Lingxue and said, "We're here!"
Ji Lingxue turned her head and saw the three big characters of Prince Chen's Mansion shining under the palace lanterns. There were many memories here, some happy and some sad. Ji Lingxue pushed open the door of the mansion. There was no light in the mansion, it was pitch black. Ever since Xiao Yichen moved into the palace, this place had been vacant. The night wind blew by, and it was desolate.
Ji Lingxue asked: "Are there no guards guarding the palace?"
Xiao Yichen said: "Yes, he was transferred tonight."
Ji Lingxue turned her head and looked at Xiao Yichen. Xiao Yichen was holding a fire starter in his hand and lighting the street lamp closest to him.
Xiao Yichen said, "Let's go directly to Yuqing's yard." Then he took the lead and Ji Lingxue followed behind him. Maybe it was because they hadn't walked at night for a long time. The night wind blew and their necks felt cold. They always felt that there was a pair of eyes in the darkness behind them staring at them.
Ji Lingxue turned her head, and the feeling of being spied on disappeared again, with the sound of insects chirping behind her.
Xiao Yichen pushed open the gate, which creaked open, startling the insects in the yard. The yard instantly fell into silence, and the wind blew the leaves off the trees and dropped them to the ground.
The fire starter in Xiao Yichen's hand tilted, and he said, "It's been a long time, and many traces have disappeared. After the incident, I asked Chi Feng to write down the crime scene." Xiao Yichen took out a folded paper from his pocket and handed it to Ji Lingxue, "I thought you might want to take a look, so I brought it here."
Ji Lingxue took the paper but didn't open it in a hurry. She pointed to a top of the wall and said, "That's how I climbed over that wall that night." There happened to be a tree there that was easy to climb.
Ji Lingxue said, "Ji Yuqing hasn't rested yet. The light in the room is still on, but her personal maid Zi Ye is not around to serve her. I walked into her room smoothly."
Ji Lingxue pushed open the door and walked in, just like she did on the night of the crime.
Xiao Yichen followed her and lit the oil lamp in the room. Ji Lingxue walked to the dressing table, "That night, Ji Yuqing was sitting here drawing her eyebrows, talking to herself, wondering if the prince would come to my place tonight? I stood behind her, and because of the angle, she didn't notice me approaching..."
Ji Lingxue vividly recounted what happened that night, "I was the one who cut the knife wound on her neck. She finally confessed that the person who was behind the destruction of my reputation was a disciple of the emperor's uncle, Yiyun's cousin. I gave her medicine for her wounds when I left."
Xiao Yichen said, "At the crime scene investigated by Chi Feng, Ji Yuqing did have two wounds on her body. One was on her neck, but it wasn't fatal. The fatal wound was on her abdomen. The medicine you mentioned was in a white porcelain bottle?"
Ji Lingxue nodded, "Yes."
Xiao Yichen took out a handkerchief from his bosom and opened it. Inside lay a thin piece of white ceramic fragment. "This was given to me by Chi Feng. I found it in a pool of blood, but there was only one piece. I thought it was a piece of dish at the time."
Ji Lingxue frowned, "The medicine bottle was broken? After I went out, I heard the sound of a porcelain bottle falling to the ground, and I thought Ji Yuqing was angry and smashed it. Now it seems that the murderer has arrived and Ji Yuqing was killed directly." This can explain why the fragments of the porcelain bottle were in a pool of blood.
Xiao Yichen nodded. "From the perspective of the wound, the coroner speculated that the person who killed Ji Yuqing was a man." But because you didn't confirm it at the time, you are the most suspicious.
Ji Lingxue curled her lips, "Have you found the murderer?"
Xiao Yichen said, "Didn't you just say you didn't see Zi Ye? Later, Chi Feng sent someone to ask Zi Ye, and she said she fell asleep while boiling water in the kitchen. The time she was talking about was exactly the time you entered Ji Yuqing's room. The next day, Zi Ye came to Chi Feng and said that the clothes she had hung out to dry in the yard were missing, and she was worried that it was related to the case, so she came to tell him."
"So that's how it is. The person who could deceive the secret guards and easily enter Ji Yuqing's room to kill someone and then escape unscathed must be someone Ji Yuqing is most familiar with. The secret guards only watched from afar. It's no wonder that no one except me has entered Ji Yuqing's room. They all overlooked the possibility that the killer might be disguised as Zi Ye."
Xiao Yichen nodded, "That's right. The murderer suddenly disappeared after committing the crime. Our people searched the entire palace but couldn't find any clues. You became the biggest suspect, and then you committed suicide by taking poison. Everyone thought you died to pay for your crime, so..."
Ji Lingxue turned her head to look at Xiao Yichen, waiting for him to finish what he had not finished saying.
Xiao Yichen suddenly stopped talking. Ji Lingxue raised her eyebrows in confusion and waited for a long time but the words after "so that" did not come out.
Xiao Yichen walked to the window and opened the door. A gust of cold wind blew on his face. He looked towards the courtyard wall and said, "That person wanted to kill Ji Yuqing in order to frame you, so he has been waiting for an opportunity. This person is very familiar with everything in the palace, and is also very familiar with you. He must be someone in the palace. Do you have any suspects?"
Ji Lingxue stared at Xiao Yichen calmly, "If I tell you that person's name, will you investigate her?"
Xiao Yichen raised his eyebrows, Ji Lingxue seemed to have something else in her words.
Ji Lingxue crossed her arms and said, "This case has become an unsolved case, but if we think about it from another angle, whoever profited from this incident will be the most suspicious."
Xiao Yichen frowned and said after a moment: "Do you suspect Yiyun?"
Ji Lingxue shrugged. Looking at Xiao Yichen's expression, it was obvious that he believed Yiyun had nothing to do with the whole case. Yiyun was on good terms with Ji Yuqing on weekdays, so no one would suspect that she was related to Ji Yuqing's death.
Ji Lingxue said: "I just have doubts, that's all I said, don't take it to heart."
Xiao Yichen hummed softly, closed the window and said, "It's already the fourth watch, time flies!"
Ji Lingxue rolled her eyes and told me not to take it to heart but you really... listened!
Ji Lingxue, who was squatting, stood up and clapped her hands, saying, "It's getting late, let's go back to the palace."
Xiao Yichen nodded, and the two walked out together. When they passed Yilan Courtyard, Ji Lingxue stopped.
Xiao Yichen, who was walking in front, turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ji Lingxue said: "I suddenly remembered that there is something I didn't take."
Xiao Yichen nodded, "I'll go with you."
"No need, I can go by myself." After saying that, Ji Lingxue turned and ran into Yilan Courtyard, leaving Xiao Yichen alone to enjoy the cool breeze.
"What's so mysterious that you won't let me see it?" Xiao Yichen said to himself, but he stood there without moving.
"Ah..." A scream reached Xiao Yichen's ears. He narrowed his eyes and rushed into the yard. The lights were on in the house. Xiao Yichen broke into the house, thinking that an assassin had come in or something, and tightened the sword in his hand.
Ji Lingxue came out from behind the screen holding a jar and looked at Xiao Yichen with a puzzled look.
"Did nothing happen?" Xiao Yichen asked.
Ji Lingxue shook her head, "Nothing happened."
Xiao Yichen looked around the room and didn't see anything unusual. Ji Lingxue explained, "I was just venting my emotions just now. I'm sorry I scared you."
Xiao Yichen twitched his lips and pointed at the jar in Ji Lingxue's hand, "Is this what you are looking for?"
Ji Lingxue smiled and nodded.
At this time, a dark shadow fell from the roof, knelt at the door and saluted to Xiao Yichen, saying: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened in the palace... Xiao Yimo is missing."
Xiao Yichen's face remained calm and his dark eyes were like a pool of stagnant water.
Ji Lingxue: As soon as Xiao Yichen left the palace, something happened in the palace. It really can't be explained by coincidence.
Xiao Yichen held Ji Lingxue's hand and said, "Let's go back to the palace."
(End of this chapter)