books44 Chapter 265 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 4
Chapter 265 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 4
Shen Lan had not forgotten that Consort Li had given her mother a certain medicine.
Even now, Lady Pingyang's health has not fully recovered, and she still needs medication to recuperate.
"Your Highness, may I speak with you in private?" Shen Lan wanted to ask more about the prescription.
Consort Li pointed at Xiao Ji and said, "He has to accompany them too. Is there anything he can't hear?"
“Okay,” Shen Lan readily agreed.
Lin Miaoniang vacated the room for them and led a group of palace maids and eunuchs to admire the flowers in the courtyard.
Seeing her watering the flowers and picking them, Bai Zhi asked curiously, "Isn't Consort Lin curious about what they're talking about?"
"It must be something serious."
"Are you very familiar with that coroner girl?"
Lin Miaoniang looked up at the most beautiful and vibrant flower on the branch and nodded with a smile: "Yes, we are good friends who have been separated for many years. It is a great fortune to meet again."
Bai Zhi looked at the closed door with some worry.
"You're the Crown Prince's man, aren't you?" Lin Miaoniang's words were shocking, making Bai Zhi turn pale with fright.
"You...what are you talking nonsense about?"
Lin Miaoniang moved closer to her, smiling gently and kindly, "Don't be afraid, I was just asking casually, I won't tell anyone."
"Does Consort Lin intend to sow discord between me and my master? Consort Li will not believe that."
"Then why are you so nervous? Look, you're sweating."
Bai Zhi took a few steps back and stopped talking to her, her heart filled with turmoil.
Inside the room, Shen Lan asked Consort Li where the medicine that Lady Pingyang was taking came from.
Consort Li's eyes flickered, and she did not answer directly.
"Why are you, a mere coroner, asking this?"
"The fact that Your Highness can still stand here safely suggests that the mastermind behind it hasn't exposed your theft of the medicine. But would he be so kind as to let you off the hook?"
Consort Li stared intently at Shen Lan, then looked at Xiao Ji. Seeing that his expression was normal, she frowned and asked, "You know about these things too?"
Xiao Ji asked seriously, "If you trust us, cousin, you'd better tell us everything so we can discuss it together. That matter isn't over yet."
"Who would set a trap for me?" she asked thoughtfully.
"You've been favored in the harem for many years. You must have offended, threatened, or disliked quite a few people. Who has the ability to bribe your personal maid?"
Consort Li pondered this question for a long time.
Bai Lu's death was like a switch, triggering a crisis around her.
"That medicine is what the Emperor has been taking. It has the effect of a magic pill. At that time, my mother fell ill because of Qingyan running away from home. I stole a pill and asked Bailu to take it to my mother. As a result, she was cured immediately."
I was so excited, thinking that if my mother had such a miracle drug, she would definitely be healthy.
Consort Li's filial piety is commendable.
But Shen Lan genuinely thought she was incredibly audacious, daring to even steal the emperor's medicine.
"Aren't you afraid that the medicine is too strong and will harm your mother?"
"You don't know, my mother's illness was really dangerous at the time. The imperial physician even told the family to prepare for her funeral."
Consort Li smiled bitterly, her eyes slightly reddening.
Xiao Ji was also filled with lingering fear.
He asked with concern, "How did you manage to steal it? This kind of secret medicine must be kept very secret and in limited quantities."
“The palace has its own channels.”
The Emperor has been using this medicine for many years, and quite a few people know about it. I suspect I'm not the only one who stole it.
Shen Lan and Xiao Ji exchanged a glance, both feeling that something was amiss.
If the emperor intended to conceal it, ordinary people would not have known, let alone been able to steal the medicine.
Why did someone deliberately let Consort Li steal the medicine?
Everyone thought that after Bai Lu's death, Consort Li's theft of medicine would be exposed, but the palace remained quiet.
"The fact that the person was able to switch the medicine you gave to your aunt means they know everything about you. You need to be more careful."
Consort Li nodded. "I know. After Bai Lu died, I screened everyone around me and won't easily send anything home anymore."
The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. We still don't know what the other side intends, so we have nowhere to make a move.
"Your Majesty, have you heard of Imperial Physician Shen in the palace?"
Consort Li thought for a moment and replied, "There is no imperial physician in the palace with the surname Shen."
"Could Your Highness please inquire whether, in the thirty-four years of your life, there was ever a highly skilled imperial physician named Shen in the palace?"
Consort Li asked in surprise, "Is he your relative?"
"Maybe so," Shen Lan said without elaborating.
Consort Li thought it wasn't a big deal, so she agreed.
She turned to Xiao Ji and said, "You are ordered to investigate this case, so be careful. The waters in the palace run deep."
Xiao Ji then asked, "What does my cousin think of Lady Wu?"
Consort Wu's rise to favor was only last year.
She was flamboyant and always wanted to compete with Consort Li; whenever they met, they would exchange insults.
"Her? Ha, she's a petty person who's gotten her way. I can't be bothered with her, otherwise she would have died hundreds of times over."
Consort Li said dismissively.
Why did she become friends with Consort Lin?
Consort Li rolled her eyes and said, "Two idiots are just huddling together for warmth."
Her words were harsh, but close to the truth.
"Both of them were dancers. At first, Consort Wu was very unhappy that Lin Miaoniang had taken away her favor."
Later, she learned that many old acquaintances in the palace had been forgotten, so she began to deliberately get close to Lin Miaoniang.
Lin Miaoniang was of lowly status, and none of the concubines in the palace would even give her a second glance. Of course, she was pleased that Consort Wu had taken the initiative to surrender.
It's a pity that the worst thing you can do in the palace is to give your heart away.
After speaking, Consort Li walked out of the room, waved her hand, and took away the servants from her palace.
Shen Lan looked at Miao Niang again, her eyes brimming with heartache.
"This case might be targeting Consort Lin," Xiao Ji speculated.
"Now that I can prove that Wu Meiren drowned, not that she was murdered, can we close the case as an accident?"
Xiao Ji asked in surprise, "Don't you want to continue investigating?"
"Yes, we want to, but can we find out the real culprit?"
Perhaps someone is plotting to guide us step by step to find Miao Niang.
This is not impossible.
It was as if an invisible hand was manipulating the winds and clouds in this harem.
Xiao Ji watched the woman picking flowers in the courtyard. She seemed carefree, but she was actually caught in a whirlpool.
Shen Lan sighed, "When we were little, Miao Niang was a very lively and cheerful girl. She was beautiful and had a sweet tongue. She would have become my cousin's wife."
Now that it's confirmed that Miao Niang has become a palace concubine, Shen Lan doesn't know how to tell her cousin the next time they meet.
She forced a smile. "Let's go, Lord Xiao. It's time to continue the investigation."
Someone once said, "There's only one truth. If we're misled by illusions, it just means we're not good enough."
Xiao Ji raised an eyebrow. "You're confident?"
"I have confidence in Lord Xiao."
"As we've come this far, you should know that I'm not a good official who is committed to the truth, nor can I refuse to bow to the powerful and wealthy. Sometimes the truth is not important."
"But you are investigating this case by imperial decree, sir. Whether the murderer can be punished depends on the Emperor's attitude. Can you bypass the Emperor?"