“Listen to me, Kuang Zhanxin has a significant connection with the Liang family. If you take her body away, it will greatly hinder the progress of the case. Don’t rush; let’s discuss this further.”
“Madam Shen may not be in a hurry, but not everyone is as indifferent as you. I am Kuang Zhanxin’s sister, and I have the responsibility to let my sister rest in peace. As for when the case will be solved, I don’t care. Madam Shen, you can continue your investigation, but I just want to take Zhanxin away.”
Rong Zhui was resolute, and her tone was unyielding.
This put Zhu Yan in a difficult position, but she was still unwilling to give up and wanted to try to persuade her.
Just then, a group of people hurriedly approached.
Zhu Yan didn’t want to get involved.
Rong Zhui’s insistence on taking Kuang Zhanxin’s body was already giving her a headache, but among these people, one person’s attire was suspicious.
She wore a veiled hat made of black silk, obscuring her face, but her figure suggested she was a woman.
Leading the group was none other than His Highness, Prince Ying, Princess Yong’an!
Princess Yong’an seemed not to notice Zhu Yan and brushed past them, moving quickly as if something urgent was happening.
Zhu Yan stopped, puzzled as she watched them leave. What could be so urgent?
When she came back to her senses, Rong Zhui had already walked far away.
“Rong Zhui.”
Zhu Yan called out, but Rong Zhui showed no sign of stopping and gradually disappeared from her sight.
Zhu Yan was helpless. Rong Zhui’s stubbornness would surely hinder the progress of the case. What should she do?
As Zhu Yan pondered how to persuade Rong Zhui, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind.
“What are you doing here?”
Zhu Yan was startled. She knew this voice too well, and hearing it sent a chill down her spine.
“I…”
Shen Du lowered his gaze, looking at the waist token hanging from Zhu Yan’s waist, and stepped forward to take it. “Did you steal my waist token?”
Shen Du asked knowingly, his eyes carrying an ambiguous meaning as he looked at Zhu Yan.
“I… I didn’t steal it,” Zhu Yan defended herself. “You accidentally left it at home, and I came to return it to you.”
“Today is the day of the Emperor’s Buddhist ceremony, and I must accompany her. What use do I have for this waist token?”
Shen Du’s words left Zhu Yan speechless. With the Empress, no one dared to stop him wherever he went.
To him, the waist token was merely an ornament.
Zhu Yan’s face turned pale, and her evasive eyes made Shen Du want to laugh.
Despite her intelligence, she didn’t prepare a cover story when lying, leaving herself no way out.
“Anyway, thank you for bringing me the waist token. If it fell into someone else’s hands, it could have been troublesome.”
Shen Du gave Zhu Yan a way out, and her expression softened as she quickly nodded.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I thought,” Zhu Yan quickly agreed, prompting a light laugh from Shen Du.
“What are you doing here? The Buddhist ceremony is over, and the Empress is resting. You shouldn’t wander around making noise.”
Zhu Yan nodded quickly. “I know, but I…”
Before she could finish, she remembered Princess Yong’an and changed the subject. “I just saw Princess Yong’an with a strange person entering Ximing Temple. Do you know why?”
Shen Du was accustomed to such matters and showed no surprise. “The abbot here, Jingkong, is very accurate with divination and skilled in exorcism and mystical medicine. Many people come to him for treatment and divination. Princess Yong’an has an aide suffering from a severe illness, and she brings them here to see the abbot from time to time.”
“I see…” Zhu Yan nodded, somewhat understanding, and pondered for a moment. “Do you know what illness this person has?”
Shen Du looked elsewhere, his expression complex. “I don’t know the specifics, but I’ve heard that this person’s face is covered in purple spots, yet they move like a normal person. It’s also said that when treated by other doctors, no symptoms are visible, so they sought out the abbot.”
“Then…”
“No one has ever seen this person’s face, and I don’t know who it is.”
Before Zhu Yan could ask, Shen Du anticipated her question.
After answering, Shen Du looked at Zhu Yan and said calmly, “You don’t need to suspect Princess Yong’an. If she wanted to bury a body, she could do so in her back garden. It’s spacious and off-limits to most people, making it impossible to investigate. There’s no need to draw attention like this.”
Hearing Shen Du’s explanation, Zhu Yan nodded, but she still felt uneasy.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that Princess Yong’an had many secrets she didn’t understand and that there might be a connection between her and the murderer that she hadn’t discovered yet.
Seeing Zhu Yan deep in thought, Shen Du sighed softly. “Have you found any other clues?”
Zhu Yan shook her head, and Shen Du frowned. “The Empress has ordered us to solve the case as soon as possible, so…”
“By the way,” Zhu Yan exclaimed, as if remembering something. “I just ran into Rong Zhui. She wants to take Kuang Zhanxin’s body.”
“What?” Shen Du was surprised, swallowing his previous words. “Why would she do that?”
“She wants Kuang Zhanxin to be buried peacefully, and she won’t listen to any persuasion.”
“That’s absurd.” Shen Du clenched his fists, his expression returning to its usual cold arrogance. “The case isn’t solved yet. How can the body be buried? If there’s any oversight in the clues, won’t the truth be buried forever?”
As Shen Du finished speaking, a brother from the Internal Guard hurried over.
“Chief, Madam, the monks in the temple reported that the bodies of Liang Chenzhong and Kuang Zhanxin are missing.”
“What!” Zhu Yan exclaimed, looking at Shen Du in shock.
She hadn’t expected Rong Zhui to act so quickly. What about Liang Chenzhong’s body?
Could it be that the Liang family, like Rong Zhui, wanted to bury the body for peace?
Zhu Yan followed Shen Du to the crime scene, but on the way, they encountered the Notorious Commander Xu Xiangren.
Zhu Yan explained the situation to Xu Xiangren, who, after a brief consideration, ordered the Notorious to search the entire temple silently. Most importantly, he sent someone to check the Liang residence.
Soon, Jiang Langxing arrived with a report. “Commander, Chief.”
Jiang Langxing saluted the group. “The brothers who went to check the Liang family found that they are holding a wedding ceremony, and it’s quite bizarre.”
“A wedding ceremony?”
Xu Xiangren looked puzzled at Zhu Yan and Shen Du, who seemed unsurprised by the news.