Waiting for the outcome

[Deceased: Heng Hui]

[Cause of death: Blade piercing the heart (old wound).]

[Autopsy results: The flesh and internal organs were dark purple, and a corpse-eating insect was present among the flesh, preventing the body from decaying. The individual was a walking corpse, and had been dead for over a year.]

[Dead: Unidentified remains]

[5 feet 4 inches tall, female, well-proportioned bone structure, no fractures, no signs of poisoning, well-proportioned finger bones, not good at manual labor]

Inside the yamen, Xu Qi'an finished reading the autopsy reports, exchanged them with the coroner, and then turned and went into the front hall next to the morgue.

Ten Golden Gongs gathered together, with Wei Yuan sitting at the head of the table, drinking tea with a solemn expression.

Xu Qi'an silently walked behind Wei Yuan, listening to the members of the Golden Gong arguing about the true identity of the female corpse, the connection between Princess Pingyang and the Sangbo case.

The case of Princess Pingyang is now considered to be in its initial stages. I probably won't be able to get involved in the subsequent investigations, as this involves the murder of a princess, something someone like me, a mere clerk, can't get involved in.

But the Sangbo case is still unresolved. I wonder if the merits I made in the Princess Pingyang case can offset my punishment of being cut in half at the waist. If not, I'll fuck Emperor Yuanjing's father.

Just as he was inwardly grumbling, an official stood at the door and said, "Duke Wei, gentlemen, Prince Yu has arrived."

When Prince Yu arrived, the members of the Golden Gong exchanged glances, then all looked at Wei Yuan.

The gray-haired eunuch in blue robes finished his last sip of tea, looked at the clerk, and said gently, "Please ask Prince Yu to go to the morgue."

After saying that, he put down his cup, sighed, and went to the morgue first, followed by the others in the side hall.

Upon arriving at the morgue, the guards did not go in, but instead lined up on either side of the entrance, allowing only Wei Yuan to enter.

Prince Yu arrived. This sickly man walked in expressionlessly, his face seemingly devoid of emotion, yet it was as if it contained every emotion imaginable.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow, yet it was as if a demon was chasing him from behind.

When he reached the door of the morgue, he paused for a few seconds before stepping over the threshold.

The morgue was well-lit, with bright sunlight streaming through the lattice windows and casting even patches of light on the floor.

Prince Yu immediately noticed the skeletons laid out on the wooden bed, and at that moment, he felt an urge to flee the place.

But his unwavering belief as a father allowed him to slowly move on.

Wei Yuan was alone in the morgue. He took out a gold hairpin from his sleeve and said softly, "This was found on her body. She used it to commit suicide. Take a look, do you recognize it?"

Prince Yu's gaze froze, and his expression froze, like a sculpture gradually weathering away.

"It's hers," Prince Yu said in a hoarse voice.

The empty room fell into a deathly silence; the two middle-aged men remained silent.

After a long, long time, Prince Yu, looking down at the hairpin, asked in a hoarse voice, "Who made this?"

"We only found three people: the Earl of Pingyuan, Zhang Feng, the Minister of War, and the Supervising Ministry of Revenue." Wei Yuan stared at him, his deep eyes revealing the vicissitudes of time.

"The three men's initial plan was probably to lure her out of the capital, but their young master was lustful and never intended to let the princess, who was out of the Prince Yu's sight, return alive."

"She was insulted?" Prince Yu's voice was eerily calm.

"She committed suicide by swallowing a hairpin." Wei Yuan shook his head, then looked deeply at Prince Yu: "But we still can't be sure she was a princess. A hairpin doesn't mean anything."

"I think you know what to do."

Prince Yu left, and apart from that one glance when he entered the morgue, he never looked at the remains again, not even once. It was as if they were something terrifying.

Whether it was his imagination or not, watching his departing figure, Xu Qi'an felt that Prince Yu had aged considerably in an instant, and his back view even had a desolate air of someone in their twilight years.

On this day, Prince Yu entered the palace holding a letter written in blood.

After Prince Yu left, Xu Qi'an, who had originally planned to wait quietly for the Pingyang Princess case to be resolved in order to obtain important clues about the Sangbo case, received an invitation from Princess Huaiqing.

The messenger was a handsome young eunuch.

"What does the Princess want with me?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I don't know." The young eunuch was taciturn, well-versed in the ways of survival in the palace, and his mouth was sealed tighter than a chrysanthemum.

Xu Qi'an guessed that it was probably about Princess Pingyang.

They rode at breakneck speed to the capital, entered the palace, and were led by a young eunuch straight to Princess Huaiqing's elegant garden.

In the pavilion in the garden, Xu Qi'an met Princess Huaiqing, as well as the Second Princess Biao Biao, His Highness the Crown Prince, and the Fourth Prince, Princess Huaiqing's elder brother.

"This humble servant greets Your Highnesses," Xu Qi'an said, clasping his hands in greeting as he stood outside the pavilion.

Princess Lin'an waved her hand and cheerfully called out, "You dog servant, come in and sit down."

"When did 'dog servant' become my nickname?" Xu Qi'an was somewhat bewildered. He glanced at the Crown Prince and Princess Huaiqing, whose voice was cold and clear. "No need to stand on ceremony, please offer Lord Xu a seat."

A palace maid brought over a chair and placed it opposite the princes.

Princess Huaiqing looked at him and said, "Today, Prince Yu entered the palace with a letter written in blood, and after being summoned by the Emperor, he has not come out. I remember you were investigating the case of Princess Pingyang; have you made any progress?"

His Highness the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, and Princess Lin'an were all staring at him, waiting for his answer.

Princess Pingyang was their cousin; they grew up together and had a very close relationship.

"Princess Pingyang." Xu Qi'an took a deep breath and began to speak in detail.

This is a simple and unpretentious love story, but it is destined to be extraordinary because the heroine is a princess of noble birth, and she should never have fallen in love with a monk.

But the taste of love was so wonderful that she was willing to give up everything, to abandon wealth and status, to abandon her royal identity, to leave the capital with him and spend the rest of her life together.

However, not all love stories have a happy ending. In traditional novels, talented men and beautiful women always manage to become husband and wife, but that's just fiction. Reality has too many unpredictable changes.

They ultimately became victims of political struggles; perhaps before their misfortune struck, the young lovers were still dreaming of a future together.

Xu Qi'an calmly recounted the story, recalling a song he had heard many years ago:

"Mandarin ducks swim in pairs, butterflies fly in pairs, and the spring scenery in the garden is intoxicating."

"Quietly ask the holy monk, 'Is the daughter beautiful? Is the daughter beautiful?'"

"What's the point of royal power and wealth? What's the point of fearing rules and regulations?"

"I only wish for eternity, to be forever with the one I love."

He had never met Princess Pingyang, but he seemed to see a bright and cheerful girl with smiling eyes standing gracefully beside the handsome monk.

I tucked a wildflower into my hair and asked him, "Is the flower prettier, or am I prettier?"

Xu Qi'an exhaled a breath of stale air, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "That's how it happened. I have other important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Princess Huaiqing nodded silently.

Xu Qi'an quickly left, and vaguely heard Princess Lin'an crying behind him.

He didn't break free from that depressed mood until he left the capital.

A carriage sped up and stopped at the foot of the Star-Gazing Tower. Liu Gonggong, who was fair-skinned and beardless but had some wrinkles around his eyes, jumped down from the carriage in a hurry before his servants could bring him a small ladder.

Eunuch Liu rushed into the Star-Gazing Tower, holding up the imperial edict. "His Majesty commands that the Director of the Imperial Guard be summoned to the palace immediately."

He shouted it three times in a row.

To prevent collusion Warlock Bureau of Astronomy and officials, the current dynasty decreed that the Qi-Watching Technique was ineffective against officials of the fourth rank and above.

But there was one exception: the Supervisor!

"Stop shouting, the teacher has already gone to the palace."

A voice suddenly came from his side. Eunuch Liu turned his head sharply and saw Yang Qianhuan, dressed in white, standing with his hands behind his back.

"Yang Qianhuan, when did you return to the capital?" Eunuch Liu was startled.

"When the capital needed me, I returned." Yang Qianhuan said calmly.

"Always talking nonsense, can't you speak properly?" Eunuch Liu retorted unhappily, then turned and left.

"." Yang Qianhuan.

The Nightwatchers's office.

In the quiet room, Xu Qi'an, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, suddenly felt a palpitation, much like the palpitation he felt after staying up all night and hearing the beeping of QQ.

This was a unique "message notification" from the fragment of the Earth Book. He interrupted his meditation and took out a small jade mirror.

[Number 9: Number 6 has been found and is currently at the Nightwatchers's office. You can all rest assured.]

Upon seeing this, Xu Qi'an frowned. He thought to himself, "Master, aren't you blatantly saying that there are traitors from the Heaven and Earth Society in the Nightwatchers watchman's office?"

[Five: Did you find Number Six? But Number Six is probably in more danger at the Nightwatchers's Office. I've heard that Nightwatchers in the Great Feng Dynasty are wicked and ruthless.]

[Number One: Rumors shouldn't be taken at face value, Daoist Master. Did you find Number Six?]

[Number Nine: As expected, Number Six was indeed sealed away. The person who sealed him was a powerful figure in black robes. He exuded a dangerous aura, which made me hesitant to act rashly, so I informed the Nightwatchers's Office about it.]

"That's a good explanation, Daoist priest. It explains my source of information. If Number One holds a high position in the court, he must already know about Princess Pingyang's case."

By reverse reasoning, I, the one who discovered Heng Hui's whereabouts, would become very suspicious, but the Daoist priest's words are like patching up my suspicions.

If anyone asks, I can say it was a report filed by a concerned citizen of Chaoyang District.

This would distance me from Number Three.

[Number One: I've received information that the Sangbo case has led to the disappearance of Princess Pingyang a year ago. Soon, the capital will be engulfed in a major storm.]

[Four: What's going on?]

Number four jumped in to watch the drama unfold.

Number One briefly told the members of the Heaven and Earth Society about the case of Princess Pingyang. With just a few words, he sketched out a political and political affair in everyone's minds without the sight of bloodshed.

This gave everyone ample room for imagination.

[Five: Are the hearts of you Great Feng people truly black? How could you be so despicable and insidious?]

[Part 4: Who uncovered this case?]

Upon seeing this question, Xu Qi'an raised an eyebrow and typed in the information: [I heard it's about a gong player in the Nightwatchers's office named Xu Qi'an.]

[Four: Xu Qi'an? Why does that name sound familiar?]

[Three: When No. 1 investigated the soaring spirit of the Cloud Deer Academy, he mentioned this person. I also paid attention to him and observed him, and came to a frightening conclusion.]

[A terrifying conclusion?] Several members of the Heaven and Earth Society successively raised similar rhetorical questions.

[Three: This child is exceptionally intelligent and possesses unparalleled talent; he is destined for greatness.]

To receive such praise from Number Three, this gong-wielding man named Xu Qi'an must be an extremely formidable character; everyone silently memorized his name.

Master Jinlian was somewhat embarrassed and remained silent.

At this moment, Number Two popped up and said: [Number Three, I've spotted Zhou Chixiong.]

Number One, who hadn't responded while Xu Qi'an was praising himself, immediately jumped in: [Where is he?]

[Second: One of my brothers saw him in a mountain stronghold, the very one I'm planning to wipe out soon. You wait here; once I've destroyed the stronghold, I'll send him back to the capital.]

Did Number Two really find Zhou Chixiong? Yunzhou is so big, and bandits are rampant. Even if she has considerable influence in Yunzhou, she shouldn't have found Zhou Chixiong so quickly. Either it's a coincidence, or I underestimated Number Two's abilities. Xu Qi'an clapped his hands excitedly.

By capturing Zhou Chixiong, we can find out who the mastermind behind the collusion with the Demon Race race really is.

[Three: Thank you.]

[Secondly: It's a small matter; friends from all over the world are willing to give me face. Asking for help is nothing to me.]

"Your face is quite something," everyone thought.

After concluding the internal discussions within the Heaven and Earth Society, Xu Qi'an felt much more at ease. Zhou Chixiong was another layer of insurance for him. Even if capturing this man couldn't exonerate him from the Pingyang Princess case, he remained calm.

Now, we're just waiting for the case to be resolved.

P. S.: There will be another chapter tonight.