There were a few points to confirm… Biao Biao asked crisply, “What are they?”
Huai Qing pursed her lips, observing Xu Qi An while pondering what discoveries he might have made. Despite having carefully searched the room herself, her mind was now a jumble, unable to find any useful clues or major revelations.
“First, if Lady Fu was truly assaulted by the Crown Prince, she would certainly have cried for help. Why didn’t the servants and maids in Qingfeng Hall hear anything? Let’s go downstairs first… You, go gather all the maids and servants in the courtyard.”
The last sentence was directed at the guard captain.
Everyone immediately went downstairs and assembled all the servants and maids of Qingfeng Hall in the courtyard, totaling twelve people: four maids and eight servants.
“Listen up, this is Sir Xu, who has been ordered to investigate the case. The investigation of Lady Fu’s murder is entirely in his hands. You must answer all his questions truthfully, without concealing anything,” the guard captain said sternly.
“Yes!” Everyone responded, heads bowed.
The guard captain nodded in satisfaction and looked at Xu Qi An.
Xu Qi An singled out a pretty maid and beckoned, “You, come here.”
The young maid approached with small steps, head lowered.
“Come a little closer.”
The maid came before Xu Qi An. He whispered a few words in her ear, then said, “Go on.”
The young maid ran into the pavilion.
What is he up to?
Biao Biao and the supervising young eunuch were puzzled, while Huai Qing seemed thoughtful.
Xu Qi An surveyed the remaining maids and servants, saying, “This official asks you, on the day of Lady Fu’s incident, why were there no maids serving her in the pavilion?”
The maids and servants looked at each other, some hesitating to speak out of fear.
Xu Qi An’s eyes flashed sternly as he reprimanded, “Anyone who conceals information or fails to report what they know will be considered a suspect in Lady Fu’s murder and sent to the Night Watchmen’s prison.”
A young eunuch immediately said, “In response to Sir, we didn’t dare approach the pavilion.”
Didn’t dare approach the pavilion?
Xu Qi An felt he had discovered a key point. A man entered Lady Fu’s chambers, yet the servants in the courtyard didn’t dare approach. What did this imply?
It implied that Emperor Yuan Jing was being cuckolded.
Xu Qi An secretly felt expectant.
The young eunuch explained, “Lady Fu loved to drink. When she drank too much, she would beat and scold the servants of Qingfeng Hall at will. We were afraid of suffering undeserved misfortune, so whenever Her Ladyship drank, we kept our distance.”
“Was it always like this?” Xu Qi An asked.
“Yes, without exception,” the young eunuch answered.
“When did this start?”
Regarding this question, the young eunuch hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, “It has been this way since this slave entered Qingfeng Hall.”
You inexperienced chicken… Xu Qi An thought as he scanned the crowd and asked, “Who is Lady Fu’s personal maid?”
“It’s this slave…” An older maid stepped forward.
“You answer this official’s previous question,” Xu Qi An stared at her.
“This… this…” The older maid hesitated, then said, “It was fine in previous years, but in recent years, Her Ladyship’s temperament became increasingly strange. She often stood alone on the pavilion, looking at who knows what.
“When drinking, she liked to recite melancholy poems…”
She spoke very obliquely, probably not daring to comment on Lady Fu or the Emperor’s family matters. But both Xu Qi An and Huai Qing were clever enough to understand the implication.
This is the sorrow of a lonely woman… Sigh, Emperor Yuan Jing is so inhumane. With so many beauties in the harem, and they’re so pretty too, yet he goes off to practice Taoism and practices abstinence… If it were me, I’d never give my little brother a day off. Xu Qi An sighed, then asked:
“On the day of the incident, did anyone hear Lady Fu cry for help?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Xu Qi An didn’t comment, but looked towards the pavilion and nodded slightly.
Everyone followed his gaze. The young maid who had entered the pavilion earlier was standing on the viewing platform. Upon Xu Qi An’s signal, she immediately closed the latticed door of the platform. Shortly after, faint cries for help could be heard from inside.
At this point, even Biao Biao, whose mind wasn’t the sharpest, understood Xu Qi An’s intention.
“You scoundrels, how dare you lie! The cries for help were clearly this audible,” Biao Biao said angrily.
The servants in the courtyard were startled and hurriedly tried to explain.
Xu Qi An gestured for them to calm down, then turned to instruct the guard captain: “Bring out that broken section of the railing…”
Then he looked at the older maid and said, “You stay. The rest may leave.”
The older maid seemed a bit flustered, her hands fidgeting nervously.
“Little eunuch, you go to the outer courtyard first. I’ll call for you when needed,” Xu Qi An said. He had expected this somewhat obtuse young eunuch to object and was prepared to use Huai Qing and Lin An’s authority to pressure him.
But to his surprise, the young eunuch said nothing and willingly left.
“What have you discovered?”
Once everyone had left, Huai Qing was the first to speak.
The cold and proud princess had her own deductions. When the maid called for help from inside the pavilion earlier, it was audible outside, albeit faintly.
So there were two possibilities: One, Lady Fu never called for help. Two, Lady Fu was restrained by someone.
“What level of cultivation does the Crown Prince have?” Xu Qi An asked.
“He has practiced martial arts for a few years and is skilled in archery and horsemanship,” Huai Qing replied.
Oh, so he’s a weakling… Xu Qi An nodded.
The Crown Prince’s cultivation was at the Refining Essence realm, or perhaps not even that high. This was understandable. For a prince, continuing the family line and producing heirs was the top priority. What did personal martial prowess matter? The emperor didn’t need to charge into battle himself.
Furthermore, whether one could remain unmoved in the face of beauty was also a major test.
Especially for the Crown Prince, surrounded by beautiful maids, it would be difficult to remain chaste during his impulsive youthful years.
Xu Qi An felt that only someone with great willpower like himself could maintain virginity for nineteen years since birth.
“Although the Crown Prince’s cultivation is shallow, it should still be easy for him to overpower a weak woman. So perhaps Lady Fu never had the chance to call for help,” Xu Qi An said.
“My Crown Prince brother would never do such a thing,” Biao Biao immediately refuted, showing her final stubbornness as his sister.
Xu Qi An didn’t respond to Biao Biao, whose round cheeks were puffed out like buns. Instead, he looked coldly at the older maid and said, “You weren’t telling the whole truth earlier, were you?”
A flash of panic crossed the maid’s eyes as she waved her hands, saying, “This slave’s words were entirely true. I absolutely did not lie. Please, Sir, be clear on this.”
“You didn’t lie, but you didn’t tell everything, did you?” Xu Qi An tapped her thigh with his scabbard:
“This official has little patience. If you don’t speak up, you’ll have to explain yourself in the Night Watchmen’s prison. I can’t guarantee how the jailers there will treat you.”
For these young maids and eunuchs with their scheming minds and small courage, intimidation was the best method.
The maid bit her lip, then steeled herself and said, “Your Highnesses, Sir Xu, please follow me.”
She turned and entered the pavilion, with Xu Qi An, Huai Qing, and Lin An following behind.
Back on the upper floor of the pavilion, the maid went straight to the bed and laboriously pulled out a large wooden chest. From beneath layers of old clothes, she retrieved a small wooden box.
The maid lowered her head and timidly presented the box.
Xu Qi An took it and opened it. Upon seeing its contents, only two words flashed through his mind: Jackpot!
If Lin An and Huai Qing weren’t present, he would have let out an exaggerated whistle.
Inside the box lay an object carved from jade. It was 15 centimeters long with a diameter of 4 centimeters. It had a mischievous head and a slender body.
Xu Qi An immediately understood why the maid had been so hesitant to speak.
This item was forbidden in the palace, even more scandalous than the “Little Liu Bei” that circulated in women’s boudoirs. Morality was one reason, but more importantly, this was the imperial palace.
Didn’t the Emperor need to save face?
If discovered, at worst one could be banished to the Cold Palace, at best demoted in rank.
So, Lady Fu’s drunken temper tantrums were not only due to her resentful mood but also because she wanted to be intimate with her “fake husband”… Of course, the servants couldn’t witness such things. Except for her personal maid, all others would be driven away… Fortunately, I sent the young eunuch away, otherwise Emperor Yuan Jing would have to silence me… Pfft, he was actually cuckolded by a fake thing, hahaha.
Xu Qi An almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“What is this thing?” Princess Lin An frowned.
Xu Qi An glanced at her, then at Huai Qing. The cold princess’s face was expressionless as she closely examined the “jade ruyi,” confusion in her eyes.
No way, it’s understandable that Lin An is illiterate, but Princess Huai Qing, well-read as she is, doesn’t recognize this either? Haven’t you even read erotic novels?
Xu Qi An coughed and explained, “It’s a man’s vital part.”
Lin An let out a “Ya!” and stepped back in shock, her round face flushing bright red, her neck and ears turning crimson.
Xu Qi An thought to himself, You’re scared by this? Your humble servant has an even bigger one.
Princess Huai Qing withdrew her gaze as if electrocuted and turned her head away, two faint blushes appearing on her fair cheeks.
“La-Lady Fu… she… she actually kept such a thing privately. Sh-shameless! Qu-quickly put it away…” Lin An stammered angrily.
Don’t get so excited, maybe your mother has one under her bed too… Xu Qi An closed the box and handed it back to the maid, saying, “Put it away. Don’t sully the eyes of the two princesses.”
The maid obediently complied.
Xu Qi An asked, “On the day Lady Fu fell, was this thing on the bed or in the box?”
“It should have been in the box,” the maid said.
If it had been on the bed, the case file would have mentioned it… Xu Qi An nodded, then asked, “Was that missing maid also a personal attendant to Lady Fu, like you?”
The maid nodded.
“Alright, you may go now.”
After she left, Xu Qi An sat at the table, lamenting that he couldn’t use the “jade ruyi” for testing, while analyzing for the two princesses who couldn’t recognize it:
“On the day Lady Fu fell, the servants in the courtyard didn’t hear any cries for help. There are two possibilities: either the Crown Prince restrained her, or Lady Fu willingly had an affair with the Crown Prince.”
Huai Qing shook her head: “If it was a willing affair, why are there signs of resistance and struggle in the room?”
You clearly have no experience… Xu Qi An smiled and said: “There are still two scenarios: One, Lady Fu was initially unwilling, so she resisted, but the Crown Prince coerced her somehow. Two, sometimes, lovemaking doesn’t necessarily happen on the bed.”
Both princesses blushed simultaneously and spat.
“Then why did Lady Fu fall? You said she was pushed down,” Huai Qing questioned.
“I can’t answer that question for now,” Xu Qi An analyzed: “On the day of the incident, Lady Fu had been drinking. The next thing she would do is take out the ‘jade ruyi’ for comfort.
“If I were the Crown Prince, I could use this to blackmail her, establishing a long-term illicit relationship. Lady Fu, having been neglected for so long, might have been half-willing. There would be no need to push her off the pavilion. Even if the Crown Prince sobered up and wanted to silence her, it shouldn’t have been after the act, because during the refractory period, men are at their calmest and wouldn’t act impulsively.
“There’s another suspicious point. If Lady Fu was planning to do that, and had driven away the maids and servants from the pavilion, it makes no sense for her to send her personal maid to invite the Crown Prince, unless they already had an affair.
“But according to the investigation by the Three Judicial Offices, and the testimonies of the courtyard servants and maids, Lady Fu and the Crown Prince had no prior interactions.”
“So, my Crown Prince brother is truly wrongly accused,” Biao Biao’s eyes sparkled.
“That possibility is high, but it’s not time to draw conclusions yet,” Xu Qi An nodded.
Huai Qing asked, “How did you notice the maid was concealing something?”
Her clear, beautiful eyes stared intently at Xu Qi An. It seemed she was seeking guidance, but couldn’t bring herself to ask directly.
Let me introduce you to micro-expression psychology… Xu Qi An said: “A person’s expressions and body language can reveal their inner thoughts to some extent. They are more honest than words.”
Huai Qing frowned: “This princess has never seen books recording such knowledge.”
“It’s something I’ve researched on my own.”
Huai Qing nodded slowly, somewhat impressed: “You truly are a genius at solving cases.”
…Actually, the most important thing in solving cases isn’t talent, but experience and knowledge. Without these, even if you’re a deductive genius, you can’t even cross the threshold. Xu Qi An smiled and said: “Your Highness flatters me.”
At this moment, the guard captain called from downstairs: “Sir Xu, the item has been brought over.”
Xu Qi An immediately stood up and said: “Now we’ll verify one of my guesses. We might soon know how Lady Fu died.”
The three came downstairs. Xu Qi An took the broken railing from the guard’s hands and carefully examined the broken ends, checking them repeatedly.
He fell into deep thought.
The red and white dresses tacitly didn’t disturb him.
Although Biao Biao’s little feet under her skirt kept tapping, showing her anxious mood.
Because Xu Qi An had just said that Lady Fu’s death would soon be clear. Concerning her Crown Prince brother’s innocence, she was very anxious.
But she still didn’t dare to disturb his thinking.
“Let’s go to the ice cellar. Trouble the Crown Princess to invite a matron,” Xu Qi An led everyone away from Qingfeng Hall, and Huai Qing instructed the guards outside to invite an old matron.
Arriving at the ice cellar, leaving the guards behind, Xu Qi An, Huai Qing, Lin An, along with the supervising young eunuch and the old matron, five people entered the ice cellar and once again saw Lady Fu’s remains.
“Please, matron, remove Lady Fu’s clothes and turn her over,” Xu Qi An said.
The old matron hesitated, but seeing Xu Qi An instinctively turn his back, she then looked questioningly at Princess Huai Qing, not at Lin An.
Huai Qing nodded and said: “Do as Sir Xu says.”
A few minutes later, the matron said: “This old servant has finished.”
Xu Qi An turned back. Lady Fu was naked, lying face down on the wooden board. Her pale back was covered in lividity, but there wasn’t what Xu Qi An had expected to see.
“That’s fine,” he nodded.
Leaving the ice cellar, they came to a side hall. Lin An eagerly asked: “How is it? How did Lady Fu die? My Crown Prince brother is innocent, right?”
Xu Qi An glanced at the supervising young eunuch, then swept his gaze over the two princesses, and said solemnly: “Lady Fu likely fell from the pavilion on her own.”
“How do you figure?” Huai Qing raised an eyebrow.
This conclusion surprised everyone.
“The railing of Qingfeng Hall’s pavilion wasn’t rotten; it was very sturdy. If Lady Fu had been pushed down, when her body broke the railing, her back would definitely have bruises.
“But we just checked, and Lady Fu’s back doesn’t have any long, strip-like bruises. There are only livor mortis and block-shaped bruises from the fall,” Xu Qi An said.
Huai Qing pondered: “But she did die from breaking the railing… Are you saying someone tampered with the railing?”
Xu Qi An nodded: “Besides that, Lady Fu had been drinking before she fell. The maids of Qingfeng Hall said she often looked at the scenery from the viewing platform… I guess she was watching to see if His Majesty would come, but that’s not important.
“What’s important is that when people drink, they instinctively lean on or rest against railings. Lady Fu fell face-up, so she must have been leaning against the railing at the time, but the railing had been tampered with, causing her to fall to her death.
“I asked earlier, the jade ruyi hadn’t been taken out at the time of the incident, which means Lady Fu didn’t immediately use the jade ruyi that day… Well, you understand. So, the possibility of her standing on the viewing platform is very, very high.
“The coroner’s statement that she wasn’t violated during the autopsy can also serve as corroborating evidence. The maids of Qingfeng Hall didn’t hear any cries for help because Lady Fu wasn’t assaulted at all, so naturally, she didn’t need to call for help.”
Huai Qing and Lin An had a sudden realization. The latter was genuinely delighted because the suspicion on the Crown Prince immediately lessened significantly.
The former fell into deep thought, chewing over and savoring Xu Qi An’s analysis, like a top student digesting a teacher’s lecture content.
The supervising young eunuch lowered his head, exerting all his effort to silently memorize every word Xu Qi An said, to report to his godfather later.
Hearing this, the old matron interjected: “Sir, it was this old servant who examined Lady Fu’s body, not the coroner.”
“Oh, so it was you, matron. That’s perfect, I have some details to ask,” he said.
He pulled the old matron aside and said in a low voice: “Matron, when you determine whether someone has been violated, is it based on the man’s… output or…”
He quietly voiced his doubts.
The old matron whispered: “Tightness.”
“Oh, I see. Now I understand,” Xu Qi An thought to himself, this matron is even more experienced than me.
This further confirmed that Lady Fu hadn’t been violated, but truly died in an accident—a carefully arranged accident.
Since it wasn’t a case of lust-driven crime, the Crown Prince’s suspicion became very, very light.
After getting the confirmed answer, Xu Qi An said: “Only that personal maid could have done all this.”
Of course, the maid wouldn’t kill Lady Fu and frame the Crown Prince without reason. Even Biao Biao could understand this.
“Then who could have instructed the maid to do this?” Biao Biao glanced at Huai Qing, her eyes full of distrust.
Huai Qing gave a cold laugh, and Biao Biao immediately shrank behind Xu Qi An.
She couldn’t be bothered to argue with Lin An and frowned, saying: “Then how do you explain the messy traces in the room?
“Before Lady Fu fell, the maid certainly couldn’t have messed up the room in front of her. And after Lady Fu fell, it immediately drew the attention of Qingfeng Hall’s servants.”
“It’s possible that Lady Fu had a very bad temper and messed up the room herself. Or maybe there was something wrong with the wine, like a hallucinogen,” Xu Qi An explained.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t dissect Lady Fu, so this guess couldn’t be verified.
“Let’s stop here for today. I want to go back and reconsider, organize the case details,” Xu Qi An said.
He couldn’t say he was slacking off.
After escorting Princess Lin An back to Shaoyin Palace, Xu Qi An saw Princess Huai Qing waiting outside and walked over with tacit understanding.
The two walked forward silently, with the guards not following closely, but trailing far behind.
“I didn’t expect that as soon as you took action, Lady Fu’s case would immediately have a breakthrough,” Princess Huai Qing praised.
“This case isn’t actually difficult. At least proving the Crown Prince’s innocence isn’t that hard,” Xu Qi An said. After a few seconds, he added:
“The Three Judicial Offices don’t seem to be in a hurry to prove the Crown Prince’s innocence.”
Xu Qi An had always felt that the deductive knowledge and criminal investigation methods of this era were backward, but he couldn’t deny that there were still many talented people in the Three Judicial Offices.
Lady Fu’s case wasn’t as detailed as the tax silver case, nor as bizarre as the Sangbo case, nor as brain-burning as the Yunzhou case. It didn’t involve too many cultivation methods.
Proving the Crown Prince’s innocence was somewhat challenging, but not impossible.
Princess Huai Qing looked straight ahead, remained silent for more than ten seconds, then said indifferently: “There are only two possibilities in this matter: One, the real culprit is the Crown Prince. Two, the Crown Prince is being framed.”
Xu Qi An gave an “Mm” in response.
“If the Crown Prince is the real culprit, then he will be deposed. The imperial examination has just ended, and we’re about to face a struggle for the throne. Neither Father Emperor nor the entire court would want such a thing to happen. Moreover, it would incur the hatred of the Crown Prince’s faction, making unnecessary enemies.
“If the Crown Prince is being framed, then who in the harem has this ability? Who dares to frame even the Crown Prince? The Three Judicial Offices are even more unwilling to offend. In the end, this is still Father Emperor’s family matter.”
Xu Qi An answered directly: “Any prince who can inherit the Eastern Palace position is a possibility.”
Huai Qing said: “But the most suspicious are my full brother and my mother.”
Because the Fourth Prince was the eldest legitimate son, the first in line for succession.
“Suspicion is suspicion, but without evidence, even His Majesty can’t do anything,” Xu Qi An said.
Suspicion was inevitable. When princes died young in the palace, all those favored consorts were suspicious. But as long as the evidence was destroyed, no matter how great the suspicion, what could be done?
Palace struggles were actually quite simple and brutal. It wasn’t possible for every consort in the harem to be a Zhuge Liang with far-reaching plans and deep schemes.
Huai Qing nodded slowly.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand. The Fourth Prince is the eldest legitimate son, so why did His Majesty establish Lin An’s full brother as the Crown Prince?”
When Xu Qi An asked this question, his gaze fixed on Huai Qing. If she showed any sign of annoyance or resistance, it would mean that his two-timing behavior had caused her to harbor misgivings and no longer consider him a confidant.
Huai Qing pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said: “No one can guess Father Emperor’s thoughts, but I once had a chance to overhear some rumors…”
Xu Qi An hurriedly interrupted, “Your Highness, this humble servant wishes to live to see his grandchildren and die of old age.”
Rarely, Huai Qing smiled gently, “It’s not any secret. There’s no harm in hearing it.”
After a pause, she continued: “It’s said in the palace that the reason the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince is because Noble Consort Chen was the most favored in the harem when she was young. Father Emperor broke the rules to establish her eldest son as Crown Prince despite him being born of a concubine.
“But my royal brother once privately complained to me that when he was young, Father Emperor treated him extremely well and often instilled in him how a ruler should behave… I ask you, if Father Emperor had no intention of establishing my royal brother as Crown Prince, why would he say such things?”
Xu Qi An turned around, waved to the distant guards, then walked a distance with Huai Qing before asking, unable to hide his gossip-loving heart, rubbing his hands:
“Then why did he end up establishing the eldest son born of a concubine?”