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"No. I will never let anyone else touch my master, except... except those villains before I came back. I rushed back as soon as I was injured. When I returned to my room, I vaguely heard several footsteps outside the window going away."
When he said this, his voice fell silent.
Shangguan Jinghong's eyes dimmed and he took a step forward.
"Old Eight, where are you going?"
Prince Ning spoke sternly and went over to help Shangguan Jinghong. Shangguan Jinghong shook his head and said, "I'll go to the ice cellar."
"Are you crazy? Don't go to the ice cellar again."
Everyone was also shocked when they heard this, but Shangguan Jinghong smiled softly for a long time before saying, "I'm not crazy. Qiaochu's death is strange."
…
When they arrived at the ice cellar, everyone felt an inexplicable chill. Shangguan Jinghong opened the coffin lid, stroked Qiaochu's hair, and then gently took her left hand.
Dong Ning was sharp-eyed and immediately whispered, "Sister Qiao has something in her fingernails."
The nails on Qiaochu's left hand were not as shocking as the nails on his right hand which had been scratched on the ground. The nails on his left hand were intact, without any damage at all. However, there was a circle of dark red hidden in the gaps between the nails, which looked like dandruff.
Jing Ping said in a hoarse voice: "But was it left by the murderer during the struggle?"
Zong Pu had been handling cases for many years, so he immediately said, "Yes, but there is nothing to consider."
Everyone understood what he meant. Unlike the usual cases, since the emperor ordered someone to do it, it must be his personal servant. But even if the person was found among the emperor's eunuchs based on the scars, would the emperor let them kill this person to pay for his life? No. Besides, the emperor who gave the order was the one who actually killed Qiaochu.
Even though the emperor did not admit it in front of everyone, because according to common sense, the emperor would never kill Qiaochu in the palace, so Qiaochu's death should not be caused by the emperor, but by someone else. However, in fact, the emperor took advantage of people's mentality and killed Qiaochu.
If Shangguan Jinghong had not been so grief-stricken and almost insane at the time and had not exposed the truth himself, the emperor would never have admitted it in such a rage.
The moment the emperor spoke, the cruelty in his eyes made everyone present understand that Qiaochu would definitely die at his hands.
Shangguan Jinghong glanced at Zong Pu indifferently, and Zong Pu suddenly felt frightened. He smiled bitterly. Strictly speaking, he was also the one who killed Qiaochu - if he had not promised Qingling to bring Qiaochu to the garden that day, there would be no everything in the future.
Shangguan Jinghong must have hated him deeply, but it was not the time to settle accounts with him yet.
He regarded Shangguan Jinghong as his master and best friend, but she killed his beloved woman and child...
His heart tightened, but he saw Shangguan Jinghong still holding Qiaochu's hand, with a gentle and distant look, which was very inconsistent with everything in front of him.
"Do any of you still remember the day when Qiaochu's body was found in the palace?"
Everyone was startled, and he chuckled, "Her body has been moved now, but I remember every little detail of that day."
"elder brother… "
Dong Ning felt sad.
Everyone thought that he seemed to have regained consciousness, but when they heard him talking with a smile, and they were in the gloomy and cold ice cellar with Qiaochu's coffin there, they felt even more chilling.
But at the same time, he was full of doubts. What did Shangguan Jinghong discover
Lang Linling, Peilan and Jingqing all asked at the same time. Shangguan Jinghong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he held Qiaochu's face. "Uncle Tie said that he returned right after Qiaochu died. That day, before I arrived, no one had moved her body, and her body was still in the same position as before she died. Therefore, the first problem is not the dandruff in her fingernails, but the huge gap between her left and right hands. She was pushed to the ground and suffocated to death by covering her mouth and nose with a cloth... According to common sense, she must have struggled desperately before she died, and her right hand reflected this, but her left hand went against nature. Apart from some dandruff in the nail crevices, the nails were not damaged at all, and she was placed on her abdomen very quietly when she died."
"On the day I was thrown into the clan prison, I kept thinking about her and how she looked the last time I saw her. Suddenly I thought of this. When I saw the dandruff on her hands last night, I was more certain of something. Do you know what this means?"
Everyone was secretly shocked. What secrets were hidden behind Qiaochu's death? Lang Linling said in a faint voice: "Qiaochu wanted to use this to remind you of something."
———————————
407
In other words, Qiaochu was in great pain when she died, but she endured it, and her left hand did not resist or struggle, but maintained a calm posture. She died, but she still missed Shangguan Jinghong and wanted to remind him something.
"When Master Ba said that, I remembered something. Qiaochu's hands were not only on her abdomen, but were even slightly wrapped around the tassels on her waist. But we didn't realize it at the time."
"Wrapping her hand around? Now it seems that she must have been afraid that the body would be turned over, and wanted to keep her left hand in a better position. Maybe others would not notice it, let alone think of it, but she hoped that the Eighth Prince would notice it, and she also knew that the Eighth Prince would think of it..." Peilan choked up and couldn't continue. King Ning added, he glanced at the best in the hall, and whispered: "You are so naughty, if you hadn't come to Chaoge to participate in the Eighth Prince's concubine selection competition..."
Everyone couldn't help but shudder when they heard this. The grief that had not yet dissipated was now aroused, even though this woman had not actually spent a long time with them.
Fang Ming raised his sleeves to touch the corner of his eyes, and asked with a forced smile, "Do you know what Master Qiao wants to say?"
Shangguan Jinghong did not answer. His eyes moved, and he suddenly reached out and picked up a strand of something from Qiaochu's hair, and then picked out a small strand of silk mixed with dandruff from the gap between Qiaochu's left fingernails.
"Killing people with this thing won't make any sound, but why isn't it dirty? There's no cotton-padded jacket left in the room..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if talking to himself, and held Qiaochu's hand tightly with his big hand.
Everyone looked at his hand and saw a small piece of cotton wool. The cotton wool was slightly yellowish, but it was not dirty or black.
Lang Linling frowned and recalled slowly, "On the day Qiaochu died, there seemed to be some cotton wool on the ground."
Peilan shook her head. "It's not surprising to see some old cotton wool in Mother's room. It's probably left over from the old days of making clothes."
"If that's the case, isn't the cotton thread dirty and weird? Buttercup"
Jing Ping was quick-witted and suddenly understood the meaning of Shangguan Jinghong's words.
Prince Ning nodded, "I noticed it at the time, but I didn't think of this. Chen Mian is not dirty, which is another strange thing."
"You mean the bad guys used a cotton jacket or something to attack the master?"
Jing Qing asked in a confused tone.
Seeing Dong Ni grieving and staring at the coffin, Zong Pu couldn't help but quietly reach out and hold her hand. Dong Ning was startled and wanted to break free, but he wouldn't let her. Dong Ning didn't want to disturb Shangguan Jinghong for her own affairs, so she had to let him hold it. Zong Pu was delighted. Shangguan Jinghong saw all the problems when he found the cotton thread. He and King Jingping Ning taught him about it, and he also realized it. He explained: "The cotton wool is slightly yellow, which means that this thing has been there for some time. It is not dirty, but it means that it is definitely not left behind when Concubine Chang Niang received clothes. The Concubine Chang Palace has not been cleaned for many years, and the old cotton in the room cannot be dirty. This leads to two questions. If it is the murderer's weapon, why is it an old cotton fabric? On the contrary, if the murderer took the cotton item from Concubine Chang Niang's room, why must he take it away after committing the crime?"
After hearing this, everyone finally understood what Shangguan Jinghong meant.
Lao Tie listened carefully, slowly recalled the scene of that day, and said in surprise: "Master, that day, Master Qiao took out some clothes that you wore when you were a child from my mother's cabinet and looked through them. Later, she pointed to a cotton jacket and asked me to look at it. I was out at that time..."
Qiaochu's death seemed to be related to Shangguan Jinghong's cotton jacket? Lao Tie's words made everyone more confused. According to Lao Tie, when Qiaochu died, the cotton jacket should have been beside her, but there was no trace of it in the room. Where would the cotton jacket be now? If it is found, can all the questions be solved? But since the cotton jacket is no longer in the room, it is most likely taken away by the murderer and it is impossible to find it again.
Some mysteries seem to have been solved, but bigger mysteries lie ahead.
Qiaochu, what exactly do you want to tell Shangguan Jinghong
Shangguan Jinghong was quieter than everyone else. He held Qiaochu's hand and didn't say anything. He was not annoyed by Prince Ning's regret just now. At this moment, he suddenly said, "I want to perform an autopsy. You all should go out."
His voice was soft, but there was an irresistible force in his tone.
Shen Qingling gritted her teeth and walked out first.
Dong Ning's eyes were red, and she said, "Let me stay. I'll wipe my sister's body."
"You don't have to wipe it, but you stay. Everyone else get out."
Everyone dared not disobey and could not bear it, so they all left. Then they thought that if they had not been drugged, Qiaochu and the other two girls would definitely not agree.
Jing Ping hurriedly sent two cloaks and then returned to the hall to wait with everyone.
At this time, everyone was anxious. On one hand, they were thinking about Qiaochu's matter, and on the other hand, they were worrying about what to do when he left the next day.
Dong Ning was soon driven out by Shangguan Jinghong. He looked very solemn and said that there was nothing in Qiaochu's clothes except a few deep scratches on his belly.
Everyone was surprised when they heard this. Why were there scratches on her abdomen? She was killed by covering her mouth and nose, so why did the murderer go to the trouble of scratching her body
*
The sound of knocking on the door suddenly interrupted the thoughts of the person on the couch, and he put down the cotton jacket in his hand - the strange jacket he brought back from Changfei Palace.
Originally, this old thing did not attract attention, but it was a cotton jacket that was neatly torn by a sharp object, which made people curious. Why did Qiaochu tear this cotton jacket? It seemed to be the clothes that Shangguan Jinghong wore when he was a child.
Unless, there is something hidden inside.
However, after Qiaochu died, the entire room was carefully checked but nothing strange was found.
Lao Tie came back very quickly, but before that, he had checked the whole room and touched Qiao Chu's clothes...
But there is nothing.
The same goes for cotton-padded jackets.
What secret does this little jacket hide? Is it because Qiaochu was brought to Changfei Palace
Best!
"What's up."
The person on the couch asked coldly outside the door.
"Report, Fangfei's mother has entered the palace."
*
Prince Rui's Palace.
Before Shangguan Jinghong came out, news came from the palace that the prince's biological mother, Fangfei, had entered the palace, and the emperor ordered all the concubines in the palace, the princes outside the palace, and the officials of the court to enter the palace in the evening to give Fangfei a welcome and congratulate her on the happy occasion.
408
Palace, Imperial Garden.
Walking into the garden, Shangguan Jinghao was chatting and laughing. He waved his hand slightly, and the court officials who had greeted him tactfully stepped aside and dared not disturb him again.
Several more people came up from the front, they were Prime Minister Lang, King Xian, the Seventh Prince and others.
Seeing the virtuous king reminded him of the man who had been frequently coming in and out of the virtuous king's mansion recently.
Yan Zixi, he knew this person.
This was the last barrier before he ascended the throne. The State of Yan had been gathering people for many years and its military strength was already strong.
But it doesn't matter.
He already has a solution.
Also, the Seventh Prince...cannot be kept.
That's all. I received a piece of news this afternoon. The news was very interesting and would definitely keep Shangguan Jinghong here and prevent him from leaving Chaoge.
Because the dead cannot leave Chaoge.
The mother and son were of one mind, so he didn't have to do anything. Fangfei had already proposed to the emperor to allow Shangguan Jinghong to enter the palace.
He had just received a message from Fang Fei that she had asked Wang Mang to convey.
Fangfei said, I want to see that **'s son.
Perhaps, the information about Shangguan Jinghong is no longer useful.
Seeing that he was too late to retreat, they could only greet him with a humble and respectful look.
With murderous intent in his eyes, he just smiled and said there was no need to be polite, and glanced at a few flowers and trees.
All the concubines have come. The women including Empress Lang, Concubine Zhuang, Concubine Li, etc. are all extraordinary and all of them are present.
But so what.
These women still looked at the figure in the front among the lush flowers and leaves with jealous eyes.
His mother Fangfei.
The emperor held Fangfei's waist tightly and let her lean on his arms.
After years of treatment, Fangfei was still a little unfit to walk, and the emperor felt very distressed.
At this time, the banquet had not yet begun, and the emperor was happy and did not prohibit it. Everyone lingered in the imperial garden, admiring the sunset, the flowers, and the people - the beauty that they had only heard of but never seen.
*
Prince Rui's Palace.
Originally, this news should not have reached Prince Rui's Mansion.
However, Fangfei said that she wanted to meet King Rui.
Everyone was very uneasy. No one could guess whether this time would be a good or bad thing. They had no choice but to ask Fangfei for help. If what Shen's mother said was true, Fangfei felt guilty about Bushe's death - the emperor imprisoned Bushe because of Fangfei, causing her to die in childbirth. It was good that she went this time; if Fangfei was the same as Shangguan Jinghao, then even if Dong Ning changed her appearance again, she would no longer be able to save Bushe's only son, and the emperor would definitely take Shangguan Jinghong's life because of Fangfei.
Originally, everyone saw that Shangguan Jinghong had saved his arms and regained his sanity. Although the great cause was elusive and Prince Ning and Zong Pu would face many dangers if they stayed in the court, there was always new hope.
I hope Shangguan Jinghong can find a way to leave safely the day after tomorrow, hide temporarily, and look for another opportunity later.
But now—
Prince Ning and Zong Pu discussed in low voices for a long time, and finally slammed the table and said, "Let's go, we have to go, and we'll go now."
Shen Qingling immediately objected, "Fang Fei might be Jing Hong's chance to turn things around."
Dong Ning shook her head slowly, her expression firm, "Do you think Fang Fei would choose to help Brother Jing Hong instead of her own son? Isn't this ridiculous? I absolutely don't believe that woman would feel guilty towards Concubine Chang!"
Shen Qingling was also angry when she heard her rebellious tone, and said coldly: "Who said she would give up the prince to help Jinghong? She would not do that. But since she has her heart set on Concubine Chang, as long as Jinghong puts some effort into her, she may be able to return to the court. Once she leaves this time, there will be no turning back. Competing for the throne of the world is Jinghong's ideal."
“I was going along the way.