The weather outside was clearly clear and the sky was clear, but inside the secret passage there were pitch black shadows with no boundaries.
Leng Yiyao walked along this path for about ten minutes and found that the surroundings were still dark. If she hadn't used her mobile phone to illuminate it, people around her would probably have bumped into each other.
"Where does this secret passage lead to?" She asked without stopping.
Lu Chen was a little embarrassed: "I don't know." He really didn't know. The reason why he knew this secret passage was by chance and accident. There was no way he could take off his mattress and play with it under his own father's nose.
Leng Yiyao suddenly felt that she might have overestimated someone's IQ.
He sighed and walked forward as usual.
Lu Chen saw that her back was straight. In such a dark and narrow place, the widest part could only allow two people to walk side by side. In most places, even her limbs could not be fully stretched, but she seemed not to notice it. Extremely fast.
Subconsciously, he wanted to move forward a little to prevent her from standing in the front alone. If something unexpected happens, it would be nice to have someone to help her out.
But she lazily stood in front: "Don't make trouble."
Just two words made the people behind look at each other.
If the current situation wasn't wrong, they would almost laugh out loud.
His Highness should be coaxed like a child, which is really inconsistent with his temperament.
"Why are you laughing!" Lu Chen's face suddenly darkened, and he almost forgot that Leng Yiyao became domineering and lawless. Not to mention giving him face, it is clear that as long as she is willing, she can live with him day and night.
The captain of the guard lowered his head, his expression almost indescribable.
Your Highness, in fact, under such a situation, it was already very troublesome, but your attitude of caring about the beauty just now was a bit too much. Especially, the other party is just a seventeen-year-old girl. You can't stand up in front of her. This is not good, very bad.
Leng Yiyao felt that these people were indeed Lu Chen's confidants, and they all followed his whim - they were big-hearted!
This secret passage is, after all, the emperor's exclusive passage. How come every one of his imaginations has gone so far
"We're here." She looked up and was about to complain when she vaguely saw a light source not far away. Looking at the distance, it should be not far away.
As her voice fell, sure enough, everyone behind her suddenly straightened up subconsciously, and their expressions no longer looked as relaxed as they had just been joking.
The guards took out their weapons one after another. This time, Lu Chen didn't care about Leng Yiyao's reaction and hurried forward, rushing to the front.
The exit of the passage was unexpectedly wide. Lu Chen held a gun in one hand and stopped Leng Yiyao's movement with the other. Immediately, the guards behind him swarmed up.
For a moment, the eyes could not adapt to the light source in front of them. After walking down the secret passage that had been dark for a long time, when faced with a slightly brighter light, I subconsciously blocked it in front of my eyes. After a few seconds, I slowly regained my vision.
When everyone opened their eyes and took stock of everything in front of them, they couldn't help but take a breath.
It turned out to be a huge dark palace.
The splendid and exquisite workmanship inside is no worse than the palace outside.
There are various food and water storage jars placed in the corner. They are all full. It seems that they are replaced frequently.
In the middle is the largest palace. The decoration specifications inside are no less than those of the main hall outside.
"This, is this the underground palace?" The captain of the guard was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and subconsciously looked at Lu Chen. Legend has it that in order to avoid the possibility of being captured or assassinated, the royal family would build identical sleeping quarters under the palace. In times of crisis, the emperor could take refuge in the underground palace. The food, clothing, housing and transportation inside are not inferior to the palace itself. I originally thought it was just a legend about adults deceiving children, but I never thought that such a place really existed!
"It should be." Lu Chen looked around and found that the building structure was extremely complex. There was no gap in either the wall tiles or the ground. I touched the wall, but it didn't look like it was made in recent years. It should be an ancient relic built many years ago. If the guess is correct, it should be a secret passed down orally from generation to generation of emperors to the next generation of princes before they are in danger. Otherwise, this would not be the first time he has seen such a place in the palace for so many years.
At this time, Leng Yiyao slowly walked out of the secret passage.
Different from the gloomy and dark underground palace as imagined, lighting systems are installed everywhere, and the light is bright, allowing people to see everything clearly: "Go search and see if the imperial doctor is here."
She frowned, and the strange smell in the air gave her a not-so-good premonition.
Sure enough, as soon as her voice fell, everyone's expressions were shocked. Lu Chen's captain of the bodyguard and others did not need to look at their master, and immediately followed Leng Yiyao's instructions, divided into four teams, and dispersed in the directions of southeast, northwest and northwest. .
For a moment, only Leng Yiyao and Lu Chen were left in the main hall, and the atmosphere became a little subtle.
"I heard that you spent the night at the Marshal's Mansion?" Lu Chen lowered his head and quietly found a clean place for Leng Yiyao to sit down, but there was a desolate look on his face. A royal banquet was originally thought to be an opportunity for him to make a comeback, and the news that he was devoted to Leng Yiyao spread to every corner of the imperial capital and was announced to the world. Who would have thought, but it would be self-defeating. That day, when the marshal appeared, although he did not take off his mask, Frey's bowing and accompanying him had already made everyone acquiesce in his identity. Therefore, even the news that Leng Yiyao had been in and out of the Marshal's Mansion some time ago, and the news that the Marshal actually arranged for his own guards to accompany her back to D City, caused a stir. It can be said that the distance between the two of them is getting farther and farther.
Leng Yiyao looked at Lu Chen's face. Unlike Hemo, who was as stable as a mountain at any time and at any time, although everything about him had improved a lot in front of others, in front of him, Lu Chen seemed to always subconsciously take off his mask and show his original self. The state appeared in front of her.
"Sleeping the night?" She thought about it for a while. From these two words, in a deeper sense, it could mean living in the same room together. In a shallower sense, it means staying in the same marshal's house. "What do you think I would do at my age spending the night with Homer?"
A flash of light suddenly flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. It was an expression that looked like he was about to reach a dead end, but found that he was not completely in despair. In an instant, various expressions of realization and surprise flashed across his face.
Leng Yiyao looked helpless. Before he could continue to speak, she said something else: "However, I did stay in the Marshal's Mansion for a few nights. And..." She paused and said clearly: " The place where I live now was also arranged by Hemo."
Lu Chen's eyes were like fireworks disappearing, but what was left after the ecstasy was desolation. He lowered his head, and his expression was blank for a moment. After a long time, he smiled sadly, and the voice in his mouth became deeper and deeper: "I know."
From that day, when Frey knocked on his father's door, he heard the news. Just tell yourself again and again that those are not important. After all, it was not surprising that Hemo helped her arrange these things when she first arrived in the imperial capital...
However, now, I have always been just deceiving myself.
Judging from the character of Helmer, who has never been involved with the opposite sex for so many years, he is aloof and aloof from people thousands of miles away, but he will put aside his status and arrange everything in advance for her...
"Am I incomparable to him at all?" The corners of his lips trembled slightly, and his expression was silent. For a moment, Leng Yiyao saw desolation in him.
I still remember the first time they met. That time, she walked through the corridor of D City Hotel and walked into the suite where Hemer stayed in front of him without looking away. He looked at the closed door with an angry look on his face, and ordered someone to break the door!
At that time, how straightforward!
He is straightforward and makes no secret of his temperament.
Even though he knew that it was unwise to confront Hemo, he still had no scruples.
At that time, it was clear that the eldest prince was still a young prince who had not grown up at all. But now, he is already the heir to the royal family who walks on a tightrope and has an abyss at his feet.
"You and him are completely different." Leng Yiyao sighed with an expression. Lu Chen was too accustomed to things going well and he always grew up in good times. The emperor had arranged everything for him in advance. That's why he was able to develop such a pampered character in a royal family with so much internal strife. Unlike Hemer...
Leng Yiyao couldn't help but smile when she recalled how the other party actually dropped her off at the intersection last night.
That man is confident and strong enough. Even if it is a road paved with blood, he can step on it without hesitation and rise to the top!
He didn't ask why he insisted on getting involved in the royal dispute, it was because he trusted her. It was as if he knew that he would probably have too much contact with Lu Chen because of this, but he didn't stop him blindly.
He gave her complete respect and freedom. All this is simply unimaginable in this desert country where men are superior to women!
Lu Chen looked at Leng Yiyao's slightly soft side face, her facial features exuding a soft luster in the shadow of the lamp. It was an emotion that was rarely shown in front of him. He felt a pang in his heart, knowing that she might be thinking about another person...
"I don't want to give up." He lowered his head and said this. The voice was very low, almost like a whisper.
Leng Yiyao didn't hear clearly and was about to ask what he was talking about. Suddenly, a shout came from the north -
"Your Highness! Miss Leng! We have found the imperial doctor!"
The voice came from the room to the north, with a slight tremor, as if the speaker was trembling slightly.
The two people's expressions were stunned, and in an instant, they stood up and rushed towards the north room at the same time.
This is a completely different layout from the main hall. The layout is not particularly large, but the winding corridors are cleverly designed. There is a living spring in the distance, which looks like a bathing pool. The water outlet is not big, and the sound of water flow is not very clear if it is farther away, but looking at the size of the pool, it can accommodate three people.
At this moment, the head guard Lu Chen was kneeling on one knee in front of the first step, with a wet corpse lying on the ground in front of him.
Obviously, he had just been fished out of the bath. The water stains on his body were obvious, and his face...
Lu Chen subconsciously wanted to cover Leng Yiyao's eyes, but when he met her slightly smiling gaze, he subconsciously realized that the other party's courage was probably greater than his own, so how could he be afraid of seeing the dead
For a moment, his face felt slightly hot, as if to divert his attention, he said to the captain of the guard squatting over there: "What's going on?"
The captain of the guard carefully examined the body and confirmed that the other party had lost his breath. He shook his head and sighed: "Your Highness, Miss Leng, the imperial doctor is dead."
The two of them looked at each other slightly and took a step forward. Sure enough, the silent corpse lying on the ground was the doctor who treated His Majesty the Emperor last night. The long robe was already stuck to his body, and his face was deathly white. There was panic and despair on his face, as if he had discovered that he was about to die soon. The struggle and panic were almost clear at a glance.
It looked like he was dead a long time ago. The skin began to swell after being soaked in this place. If it lasted longer, he might even lose his human appearance.
"Can you find out the cause of death?" Leng Yiyao looked carefully. The places where he was wearing clothes were covered. The exposed skin had no obvious injuries because it had been soaked in water for too long. It was difficult to determine who he was. cause of death.
The head guard's face looked ugly, and he shook his head with difficulty: "I'm afraid an autopsy is needed to determine the real cause of death."
Because the living spring has temperature, it is difficult to determine the time of death of the imperial doctor from the body temperature. To determine the cause of death, it is more difficult to judge based on the appearance alone.
Lu Chen's eyes turned cold and he raised his head and glanced around.
Except for this bathtub, there are some simple tables and chairs next to it. There are no weapons or anything conspicuous.
Was the imperial doctor himself caught here and drowned alive, or did he have another hidden secret
"Your Highness, what should we do now?" The captain of the guard raised his head with a slight hesitation. The emperor was seriously ill. The only ones who stayed in the palace last night were His Highness and the imperial doctor. Nowadays, the imperial doctor died mysteriously, and there is no evidence of his death. If anyone investigates His Majesty's condition, they will only think of His Highness Lu Chen...
The captain of the guard shook slightly, his expression a little frozen.
At this moment, the other guards were attracted by the sound and surrounded them. When they saw the dead bodies on the ground, their expressions became uglier than the last.
The death of Captain Lu has not yet been found out, but another one has died
Who is pulling the strings behind the scenes, and who is planning the murders one after another
"Call the police." In the coldness, a clear and gentle female voice sounded faintly, waking everyone up from their thoughts.
Everyone looked at Leng Yiyao in shock. What did she say
Leng Yiyao was tired of the cold corpse on the ground, and smiled lazily in this unspeakable silence. "I said call the police."
"But, Your Highness will be regarded as the first suspect." The captain of the guard suddenly stood up in excitement. Regardless of anything else, in the emperor's palace last night, there were only Lu Chen, the imperial doctor, and the sleeping majesty. The surveillance equipment could not detect that the imperial doctor had left. Even though His Highness insisted that he was drugged and unconscious, there was no evidence!
His Majesty the Emperor's palace is equivalent to a secret room, with three people in total. The Emperor himself has no ability to move. Did the imperial doctor die mysteriously, or was the body found in this underground palace? The whole palace was not even known to the princess. Who among the others would know such a hidden location
If they were not His Highness Lu Chen's cronies and stayed out of the matter, they would immediately cast suspicious eyes on His Highness.
"Do you think that by hiding the body here, you can pretend that nothing happened?" Leng Yiyao smiled, her eyes calm, but with great pressure. For a moment, everyone shut up, but subconsciously looked in the direction of Lu Chen. It must be said that the final decision lies with His Highness. Now, the two Grand Dukes have almost exposed the scandal, and there are already rumors that His Majesty's throne has a shady origin. If he is suspected again, His Highness may be further and further away from the throne.
While breathing heavily, Lu Chen's eyes passed over the faces of his subordinates. After a long time, he slowly closed his eyes and said quietly: "Listen to her."
"Your Highness!" The captain of the guard raised his head in disbelief and raised his voice almost subconsciously.
"I said, listen to her!" Lu Chen opened his eyes, and everyone was stunned by a cold and stern air. For a moment, the captain of the guard was speechless. He couldn't believe that this was the person he had always been loyal to. His Highness is so certain and willful about Miss Leng's words without any doubt
Leng Yiyao calmly looked at Lu Chen's eyes that were getting deeper and deeper. She slightly curled her lips and pointed at the two guards behind him casually: "You guys, take the body out and call the police directly."
"Yes." Seeing that His Highness's face had completely darkened, the two guards did not dare to say anything and honestly moved the imperial doctor's body out along the secret passage they came from.
The two princesses were sitting in the palace. They saw that Lu Chen and the others had been down for a long time, and there was no movement at all. They did not dare to call anyone in to check at will. For a moment, they were anxious. Suddenly, they heard a noise from under the bed, and the two of them suddenly stood up with pale faces.
The next moment, a group of people were seen carrying a corpse up. It was the imperial doctor who disappeared out of thin air. For a moment, the two princesses leaned back in shock and almost fell to the ground.
"Come here!" The eldest princess subconsciously raised her voice and went to call someone, but she saw Lu Chen suddenly walking out of the secret passage with a cold face, followed by Leng Yiyao with a calm look on his face. Suddenly, There was a turmoil in my heart.
"No need." Lu Chen waved his hand and did not look at the princess' expression. Instead, he asked someone to call the police directly.
The call was made directly to the police officer who came to the masquerade last night. When the other party heard that another murder had occurred, he almost fell off his chair in shock.
Serial murder case
How could this happen again and again in a place like the palace
Surprise, disbelief, and various expressions passed over his face. He quickly regained his composure and told the scene to be preserved, and he immediately brought people to check it out.
Less than twenty-four hours after the death of Captain Lu, another murder occurred in the palace. If this kind of news were released, it would probably cause chaos in the imperial capital.
Understanding the importance of the matter, the police officer led the people straight to the palace without stopping.
When he saw the scene of the crime, it turned out to be in the emperor's palace. For a moment, he couldn't even speak.
This, what should we do
Secret passages and underground palaces. According to legend, the secrets passed down to the prince by word of mouth from the emperor before his funeral. Where was the deceased discovered
The police officer looked a little embarrassed. He seemed to hesitate for a long time, but finally walked up to Lu Chen. "Your Highness, please allow me to take you to the police station. In any case, this time I need your cooperation in recording a statement." What happened last night was easy to say. After all, everyone had alibi and everyone was in the banquet hall. Judging from the estimated time of Captain Lu's death, no one in the banquet hall was the direct murderer. But today is different. It is clear that His Highness Lu Chen was the last person the deceased saw before his death.
"What did you say!" The second princess woke up from her dizziness and heard the police officer say this. She stood up suddenly with a cold expression.
This, this is simply funny! A police officer dared to ask the first heir to the royal family to go to the police station to record a statement. Who gave him the courage!
"Mother!" Lu Chen suddenly shouted. There was a moment of silence in the entire palace. The second princess looked at his son in shock, her lips trembling, and a terrible premonition came over her.
"I am upright and not afraid of slanting shadows. After all, the most important thing is to find out the truth as soon as possible." He glanced at Leng Yiyao steadily, and then walked out of the palace without saying another word.
The second princess was so stimulated that she suddenly leaned to the ground. Even the eldest princess standing aside did not expect that Lu Chen, who had always been eating, drinking and having fun, would have such a magnanimous attitude. For a moment, for some reason, she subconsciously looked at Leng Yiyao. But he saw that the other party raised his eyebrows slightly, without any expression of surprise.
This, what exactly happened in the underground palace down there
Leng Yiyao glanced at His Majesty the Emperor lying on the bed. His slightly open lips were dry and flaky, and he had no strength at all. He seemed to hear the noise around him, but he didn't even have the strength to open his eyes. His breathing was slightly heavier, but he seemed to be stunned by a nightmare. He had no strength to get up at all. He was like a living dead, slumped on the bed, motionless.
Leng Yiyao shook her head. She had not seen him for just a day, but His Majesty the Emperor, who was so high and mighty last night, turned out to be like this.
"Um, Miss Leng..." The police officer's expression was a bit solemn. Although he knew that the Marshal was behind Leng Yiyao, he still opened his mouth: "Can you please come to the police station with me?"
She raised her head and glanced at the police officer.
The political world was dragged into the water by the two princes, and they had no choice but to intervene in the royal family's disputes. People who can be valued by the political circles are obviously not stupid. This police officer is probably quite capable.
"Okay." She nodded, with a very talkative look on her face, which made everyone slightly stunned.
While they were in shock, Leng Yiyao had already followed Lu Chen and left together.
The expressions of the subordinates led by the police officer suddenly became more and more weird. Is it a happy thought to go to the police station? Why are everyone's footsteps so fast
However, I still dare not speak out the doubts in my heart casually. After the group returned to the police station, in accordance with the management, they separated Leng Yiyao, Lu Chen, and the royal guards into different rooms, and recorded confessions at the same time.
According to the results of the autopsy, the time of death of the imperial physician was approximately one or two in the morning.
Because the incident was quite sensitive and involved a wide range of things, the police officer "invited" the two princes to the police station to record statements together.
After all, the two grand dukes who reported the crime last night were replaced by His Highness Lu Chen today. The matter was too strange. We must first find out what these royal family members were doing when the crime occurred.
When the two Grand Dukes heard that another person had died, and he was the emperor's physician, they looked strange and laughed, but they did not refuse.
Grand Duke Lu Yun had a bad temper and spoke directly: "Of course I was sleeping at home at one or two o'clock in the morning. Can't I go out and hang out at that time?"
Grand Duke Lu Chong's temperament was relatively more serious. He only smiled lightly and showed no emotion: "I was eating supper in the restaurant at that time, and all the servants were there. You can ask questions at will."
There seems to be nothing questionable about everyone's confessions. The police officer frowned and tapped the pen tip lightly on the table. There is no evidence or clues. This serial murder case is so complicated that people can't figure it out.
It was already four o'clock in the afternoon, and it took a long time just to record the confession. I saw that the expressions of the two Grand Dukes were becoming more and more impatient.
He quickly winked at his subordinates and decided to send them back.
Who would have known that by such a coincidence, Leng Yiyao and Lu Chen would bump into the two grand dukes when they were walking at the door.
"If you walk at night, you will encounter ghosts. Don't you think so, my good nephew?" Grand Duke Lu Yun smiled with a proud expression on his face, as if he was joking, but also as if he was referring to Lu Lu. Chen hinted that everything happening now was the result of the emperor murdering his own brother and bringing the blame upon himself.
Grand Duke Lu Chong stood aside, watching with cold eyes and saying nothing.
Before Lu Chen could speak, the guards behind him had already turned ugly and were about to jump out to defend their master.
Suddenly, at the door of the police station, a dark black car slowly stopped.
Slender and straight military green legs stepped out from inside, and the next moment, a face so handsome that people and gods were outraged emerged from the car.
The people standing on the steps quarreling were stunned for a moment, with strange expressions on their faces.
However, Hemo stepped up the steps step by step, ignoring everyone's gaze, walked quietly in front of Leng Yiyao, stretched out his right hand, and smiled softly: "Let's go home with me."