Zhaiyue Pavilion rarely had visitors.

Snow lay everywhere in the courtyard. At this moment, that pristine white snow was stained crimson red—a shocking sight.

Yun Chu saw Nie Zhou lying on his side on the ground, the back of his head covered in blood, his official robes also soaked through with blood.

A wine jug lay not far from his body, wine spilled and merged with the melted snow.

“Minister Nie…”

Yun Chu couldn’t help but murmur.

Someone she had seen just yesterday was now separated by life and death today.

She respected Nie Zhou’s character, admired his courage to charge forward, and had even thought that once this matter ended, she would bestow a grand mansion upon the Nie family.

She had heard Nie Zhou mention his eldest son, sixteen years old this year, who had just achieved good results in the provincial examination and was preparing to participate in next spring’s palace examination. She had been thinking that regardless of how Nie Zhou’s eldest son performed, she would make him a third-rank scholar… and arrange a marriage for Nie Zhou’s eldest son.

But now, Nie Zhou was dead.

Dead just days before New Year’s Eve reunion night.

Behind her were voices of people discussing animatedly.

“Jumping from such a height—this was with the determination to die.”

“Why couldn’t Minister Nie think it through?”

“Why choose such a painful way to die? Alas.”

“Minister Nie now enjoyed the Empress Dowager’s favor and was rising steadily. How could he… alas…”

At this moment, a man rushed out from the crowd, wailing: “Elder Brother, why did you think so poorly and leave like this… Leaving behind so many of us, what are we to do…”

Yun Chu looked over. This man was Nie Zhou’s younger brother, named Nie Shen, a seventh-rank minor official in court who originally wasn’t qualified to attend the Emperor’s birthday banquet, but because Nie Zhou hadn’t come, the invitation was given to Nie Shen.

“Empress Dowager, my elder brother was too distraught and drowned his sorrows in wine. Who could have imagined that he would accidentally fall…” Nie Shen rushed crying toward Nie Zhou. “This official will take Elder Brother home right away…”

“Wait.” Yun Chu stopped his movement and asked coldly: “Why was your elder brother so distraught?”

“Early this morning, Mother passed away…” Nie Shen said, forcibly holding back tears. “But because today is His Majesty’s birthday, Elder Brother said he feared offending the dragon body, so he didn’t announce the mourning… With no need to care for Mother, Elder Brother came to the palace, wanting to present a birthday gift to His Majesty—a piece of calligraphy Elder Brother personally wrote. Perhaps Elder Brother was too heartbroken, so he took a jug of wine to Zhaiyue Pavilion to drown his sorrows, and accidentally… Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, this official’s elder brother absolutely did not intentionally die in the palace. Please, Empress Dowager, do not charge Elder Brother with a crime…”

In the Great Jin Dynasty, deliberately dying in the palace was extremely inauspicious, especially choosing the Emperor’s birthday—being charged with a crime would not be unusual.

“Someone.” Chu Rui spoke flatly. “Take Minister Nie’s body out of the palace and help arrange for a coffin and set up a mourning hall…”

Four Imperial Guards walked in, heading toward Nie Zhou’s body, about to lift the corpse onto a stretcher.

Yun Chu’s voice was very cold: “The matter hasn’t been investigated clearly yet. Dealing with the body so hastily—isn’t that too rushed?”

“What does the Empress Dowager mean?” Imperial Guard Captain Lin Qiang spoke. “Minister Nie devoted himself wholeheartedly to Great Jin until death. Now that he accidentally fell to his death, his body should be placed in a coffin and laid to rest early.”

“Yes, yes, Minister Nie died tragically. Having him lie here with so many people watching is truly somewhat disrespectful.”

“Take him back to the Nie family quickly so we can go pay our respects and offer incense.”

“But the Empress Dowager said the matter hasn’t been investigated clearly.”

“It’s obvious that Minister Nie accidentally fell himself. What else is there to investigate…”

Yun Chu raised her eyes to look at Chu Rui.

Chu Rui still had that same pale complexion from before. However, he wore the Prince Regent’s official robes and official hat—long gone was his former sickly appearance. He exuded official authority.

She met Chu Rui’s eyes but couldn’t discern any emotion from them.

If she didn’t know this person’s methods, perhaps she would truly treat this as an accidental fall death and let it pass. Then Nie Zhou would never be able to rest in peace.

“Someone, go summon the coroners.” Yun Chu paused, adding a sentence: “All the coroners—summon them all.”

Chu Rui narrowed his eyes: “What is the Empress Dowager suspecting?”

Yun Chu looked toward the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review: “Can’t Minister Chang see anything?”

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was surnamed Chang. Originally just a fourth-rank official in the Court of Judicial Review, he was promoted by Chu Rui’s own hand and became Chu Rui’s most loyal dog.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was a second-rank high official, mainly responsible for investigating cases. He could participate in all major cases, including various lawsuits within the imperial palace, and could also participate in major court policies—a court official with real power.

Minister Chang spoke: “The Empress Dowager didn’t allow this official to approach the body. Naturally, this official can’t see anything.”

Yun Chu moved aside: “Then please, Minister Chang, investigate thoroughly.”

Earlier, she feared Minister Chang would destroy the scene, so she didn’t allow Chu Rui’s people to approach.

But now, she had roughly guessed in her heart what had happened. She only needed the coroners to come examine the body for the truth to come to light.

Minister Chang stepped forward, squatted down to carefully examine the body, and also asked several palace maids from Zhaiyue Pavilion some details.

“When Minister Nie came to Zhaiyue Pavilion, he was already quite drunk.”

“Minister Nie said he was just going up to clear his mind and told us servants not to follow. So we continued sweeping fallen leaves.”

“We were all busy in the back courtyard. When we heard a loud bang, we came to the front to see what happened and discovered Minister Nie had fallen. Right after that, Sister Qiutong arrived…”

Minister Chang kept nodding, then turned to report to Yun Chu: “Empress Dowager, according to this official’s investigation, Minister Nie suffered the loss of a close relative, was overcome with grief, drowned his sorrows in wine, accidentally fell from the building, happened to hit the back of his head, and died from excessive blood loss.”

Yun Chu looked at him: “Minister Chang is certain Minister Nie died from excessive blood loss from the back of his head?”

Minister Chang was about to nod.

Suddenly, he felt a cold glare from Chu Rui.

He didn’t dare say anything more, because the more said, the more mistakes made.

Before long, the coroners arrived.

Five coroners in total, led by the renowned Coroner Zhen of the capital, whom most people recognized.

Coroner Zhen squatted down, carefully examined the body, then bowed and said: “Reporting to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, the deceased suffered severe head trauma and died from excessive blood loss.”

“Is that so?” Yun Chu walked over, pointing to Nie Zhou’s face. “Then please explain—what are these red spots around Minister Nie’s eyes and face?”

Coroner Zhen’s eyes flickered.

The deceased’s face was covered in blood. Those tiny red spots were completely inconspicuous—generally only coroners would notice them. He hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to be so observant.

He spoke: “The deceased’s head suffered heavy impact. Internal bleeding—this is the external manifestation.”

He was the lead coroner. When he spoke, the others didn’t dare say anything.

Yun Chu said flatly: “Coroner Zhen is indeed formidable. However, this Empress Dowager wants to hear other people’s opinions.”

Meaning, she was telling Coroner Zhen to shut up.

She pointed to the most inconspicuous coroner among them: “You examine the body. Everyone else, don’t speak out of turn.”

That person approached fearfully and carefully examined Nie Zhou’s body, looking it over thoroughly.

Then he dropped to his knees with a thud: “Re—reporting to the Empress Dowager, this humble one’s—examination results are different—from Coroner Zhen’s…”