Shen Wen was sitting on a huanghuali wood chair carved with Ganoderma lucidum, closing her eyes and concentrating. A brown pillow embroidered with lotus pattern was placed around her waist. After a while, she dozed off again.
Chun'er nuzzled at Shen Han and looked at Xiang Ming. Xiang Ming also looked at Shen Han worriedly.
Chun'er whispered in a low voice: "Your Majesty is so stubborn that she doesn't even look at the doctor. How do you know if you are pregnant?"
Although Xiangming didn't say anything, she was worried in her heart. If she was really pregnant, she must be careful about everything. But she must not be like last time, where she didn't even know she was pregnant and had a miscarriage!
Su'e happened to come in with a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup. Seeing that Shen Huan was about to fall asleep, she asked in a low voice: "Why did the empress fall asleep again?"
Chun'er shrugged, Xiang Ming was helpless
Su'e put down the bowl gently and was about to wake up Shen Huan when she heard Gui Xi say from outside: "Mother, General Xia wants to see you."
Shen Huan suddenly opened her eyes, which startled Su'e. Shen Huan ignored her and rushed outside: "Xuan!"
Xia Wenze walked in and before he could salute, Shen Huan asked: "Have you found it?"
Xia Wenze said in a deep voice: "I have found someone, but... I don't know if it is Fang Jieyu."
Shen Huan raised her eyebrows and said, "What does this mean? Now that we have found the person, how come we don't know if it is him or not?"
Xia Wenze said: "Wei Chen found a corpse in a ditch next to Taiping Lake...but it was soaked beyond recognition. It's really hard to tell."
Shen Huan was first shocked and then angry, and said sternly: "What? Corpse?"
Xia Wenze nodded and added: "The body has been soaked and swollen all over. It seems that it was caused by the heavy rain last night. There are lotus leaves and rhizomes on the body. It must have been washed out from Taiping Lake."
Shen Huan stood up angrily and said: "Show me!"
Xia Wenze hurriedly said: "My Majesty, no! The corpse is no longer human-like. I'm afraid I'll frighten your Majesty!"
Shen Huan sneered and said: "You don't see the dead man very often! Show off!"
Everyone had no choice but to drive away
When they arrived at the place where Fang Jieyu's body was found, many people had gathered around her from three floors inside and three outside, but they all stood far away, not daring anyone to come near. When everyone saw the queen coming, they hurriedly knelt down to say goodbye.
Shen Huan ignored it and walked straight towards the corpse. The corpse was covered with white cloth, so he couldn't see what was going on.
However, before she could reach the body, Shen Huan felt an unpleasant smell coming towards her face. She couldn't help but feel acidic water coming out of her stomach. She quickly took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth.
Xia Wenze couldn't bear it and persuaded in a low voice: "I'd better stop looking at it, it's really too horrible to watch."
Shen Huan breathed a long sigh of relief, but did not dare to take another step forward, so she could only say: "That's all, I really can't stand that filthy thing. Liu Lai, let's see if it's Fang Jieyu."
Suddenly someone brought Chunliu. Chunliu was frightened and frightened. After taking a look, Chunliu burst into tears.
Shen Huan was impatient and asked: "Chunliu, can you see clearly, is he your master?"
Chunliu nodded while crying: "The clothes that Empress Jieyu is wearing are exactly the ones from yesterday, and they are not fake at all! Although the color of the clothes is a little different due to being soaked in water, this purse was sewn by the slaves herself and will never be damaged. Wrong! This is my master!" She cried to Shen Huan: "Empress, you must seek justice for my master and find the person who killed my master!"
Shen Huan's face changed and he said angrily: "You stupid thing! How did you know that your master was killed by someone? You are here to confuse people with your lies! Come here, take down Chunliu and lock him up. No one is allowed to see him!"
Xia Wenze knew that Shen Wen was protecting Chunliu, so he winked and asked his two men to tie up Chunliu and gag her before taking her away.
Shen Huan frowned and asked him: "Can the cause of death be investigated?"
Xia Wenze said: "On the surface, it seems that he died from drowning, but I haven't checked it carefully yet."
Shen Huan said coldly: "Check!"
Xia Wenze bowed his head: "I obey the order!"
There was a cold air in Shen Huan's eyes, and she slowly looked at the people gathered around to watch the excitement. They didn't dare to express their anger, and they all lowered their heads.
With a majestic look, Shen Huan said sternly: "Fang Jieyu just slipped and fell into the water. I will naturally bury her properly. If any of you continue to talk nonsense like that Chunliu, I will not forgive you lightly!"
Everyone hurriedly kowtowed and said yes. Shen Huan flicked his sleeves and turned around to leave.
Returning to "Crane and Deer Come Together in Spring", Shen Huan said: "Call Chunliu here"
Chun Liu was tied up, and Shen Huan ordered someone to untie her, remove the things in her mouth, and asked: "Chun Liu, why do you insist that Fang Jieyu was killed by someone rather than falling into the water by mistake?"
Chunliu calmed down and looked at Shen Han at a loss.
Shen Huan slowed down his tone and said: "You don't have to be afraid, everyone here is from my palace, you just need to tell the truth."
Chunliu trembled and said: "My slave... I am not sure..."
Shen Huan frowned and said, "I'm not sure why you said that in front of so many people!"
Chunliu said: "I forgive you, I am not sure, but... I just think this matter is too strange..."
"How strange it is, you can tell me"
Chunliu took a deep breath and recalled: "Yesterday, Master Fang came back from the Queen's place. She was very happy. She said that she had great luck and would be promoted soon. I saw that Master was happy, and I was also happy. In the afternoon, Master I took the slave to see Concubine Pei. The slave was waiting outside, so I didn’t know what the master said to Concubine Pei. When he came out, the master looked very unhappy... Later at night, the master went to bed early, and the slave only said that she was not feeling well. Shutan, I don’t care, but when I looked in the morning, the master was gone!” After saying that, she started crying again.
After hearing this, Shen Huan thought for a while and asked, "You said your master went to see Concubine Pei yesterday afternoon?"
Chunliu nodded, and Shen Huan asked again: "Did she go there on her own initiative, or was it invited by Concubine Pei?"
"The master took the initiative to go..." Chunliu glanced at Shen Huan and whispered, "She said that her status will be the same as Concubine Pei in the future, so..."
Shen Huan sneered: "That's why she couldn't wait to show off." Shen Huan stared at Chunliu and sneered again and again, "And because of this, you suspect that Concubine Pei is jealous of Fang Jieyu, or that she is afraid that Fang Jieyu's status will exceed hers." So she killed someone and silenced her?"
Chunliu bit her lower lip, lowered her head and stopped talking.
"Humph!" Shen Huan looked at her coldly, turned to Xia Wenze and said: "Find out the cause of Fang Jieyu's death. Even if she really died of drowning, it may not be that she slipped and fell into the water."
Xia Wenze cupped his hands and said, "I understand."
Shen Wen sighed softly and said, "What a pity! As soon as she returns to the palace, she will be a noble concubine!" Xia Wenze waved his hand tiredly, and Xia Wenze took Chunliu down and then stepped back.
Only Cui Shanggong, Xiangming, Su'e and Chun'er were left in the quiet palace. Chun'er couldn't stand the silence and couldn't help but ask: "Empress, is it really Concubine Pei..."
Shen Huan looked at her and smiled: "Does a second-grade concubine need to be jealous of a noble concubine?"
"Then..." Chun'er became anxious again
Shen Huan interrupted her, squinted her eyes and looked at the endless sky outside, and said quietly: "This matter is never that simple."
(ps: We are working hard to save the manuscript, and we will try to make two updates next month!)