A major breakthrough in the case

There were a few things to confirm, and the crisp, clear voice pressed on, "What is it?"

Huaiqing pursed his lips, watching Xu Qi'an while wondering what he might discover. He himself was also carefully searching the house, but his mind was a complete mess, and he hadn't found any useful clues or major discoveries.

"First of all, if Consort Fu had truly been humiliated by the Crown Prince, she would surely have cried for help. Why didn't the servants and maids in Qingfeng Palace hear her? Let's go downstairs first. Go and gather all the maids and servants in the courtyard."

The last sentence was addressed to the junior leader.

The group immediately went downstairs and gathered all the servants and maids of Qingfeng Palace in the courtyard, a total of twelve people: four maids and eight servants.

"Listen up, all of you. This is Lord Xu, who has been ordered to investigate the case. He is in charge of handling the murder of Consort Fu. Lord Xu has some questions for you. You must answer all questions without reservation," the squad leader said in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

Everyone bowed their heads in response.

The junior leader nodded in satisfaction and looked at Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an spotted a pretty palace maid and beckoned her over, saying, "Come here."

The young palace maid lowered her head and stepped forward with small, quick steps.

"A little closer."

The young palace maid approached Xu Qi'an, whispered a few words in his ear, and then said, "Go."

The young palace maid trotted into the pavilion.

What is he going to do?

The young eunuch who was in charge of the framed frame and the supervisor were puzzled, while Huaiqing seemed to be deep in thought.

Xu Qi'an looked around at the other palace maids and servants and said, "I ask you, why were there no palace maids serving Consort Fu in the pavilion when she had her accident?"

The palace maids and servants looked at each other, some hesitant and afraid to speak.

Xu Qi'an's eyes narrowed sharply, and he shouted, "Anyone who conceals or fails to report such matters will be considered a suspect in the murder of Consort Fu and will be imprisoned in the Nightwatchers's jail."

A junior eunuch immediately replied, "Your Excellency, we dare not approach the attic."

Afraid to approach the attic?

Xu Qi'an felt he had discovered something significant: a man had entered Consort Fu's palace, yet the servants in the courtyard dared not approach. What did this signify?

This means that Emperor Yuanjing had a grassland on his head.

Xu Qi'an secretly looked forward to it.

The young eunuch explained, "Consort Fu loves to drink. When she's drunk, she often beats and scolds the servants in Qingfeng Palace. We're afraid of suffering undeserved trouble, so we stay far away whenever she's drinking."

"Is it always like this?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"Yes, without exception," the young eunuch replied.

"When did it start?"

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "When this servant entered Qingfeng Palace, Consort Fu was already like this."

"White-cut chicken, your qualifications aren't up to par." Xu Qi'an scanned the crowd and asked, "Which one is Consort Fu's personal maid?"

"I am your servant," a slightly older palace maid stepped forward.

"You answer the question I just asked." Xu Qi'an stared at her.

"This, this," the older palace maid said hesitantly, "It was fine in previous years, but in recent years Her Majesty's personality has become increasingly strange. She often stands alone on the pavilion, and I don't know what she's looking at."

"When drinking, I like to recite poems that express melancholy about spring and autumn."

She spoke cryptically, probably implying that she dared not comment on Consort Fu or the Emperor's family affairs. But Xu Qi'an and Huaiqing were both intelligent and understood the unspoken meaning.

This is the sorrow of a lonely woman. Alas, Emperor Yuanjing was not a human being. With so many beautiful women in his harem, he actually went to cultivate Daoism and even became abstinent. Xu Qi'an sighed and asked again:

Did anyone hear Consort Fu's cries for help on the day of the incident?

Everyone shook their heads.

Xu Qi'an did not express his opinion, but looked towards the pavilion and nodded slightly.

Everyone followed his gaze and saw the young palace maid who had just entered the pavilion standing on the observation platform. With Xu Qi'an's instruction, the young palace maid immediately closed the lattice door at the observation platform, and a moment later, a faint cry for help came from inside.

At this point, even the not-so-bright-minded Biao Biao understood Xu Qi'an's meaning.

"You bastards, how dare you lie! Your cries for help were so clear!" Biao Biao roared.

The servants in the courtyard were startled and quickly tried to explain.

Xu Qi'an gestured for them to calm down, then turned to the foreman and ordered, "Lift out the broken section of the railing."

Then, he looked at the older palace maid and said, "You stay; everyone else, leave."

The older palace maid seemed flustered, her hands fidgeting nervously.

"Young eunuch, go to the outer courtyard first. We'll call you back later." Xu Qi'an had expected this rather tactless young eunuch to argue, and he was even planning to use Huaiqing and Lin'an to intimidate him.

As a result, the young eunuch said nothing and willingly turned and left.

What did you discover?

After everyone left, Huaiqing spoke first.

The aloof and proud princess had her own reasoning. She knew that the maid's cries for help from inside the pavilion could be heard outside, albeit faintly.

There are two possibilities: First, Consort Fu didn't call for help at all. Second, Consort Fu was being held captive.

"How is the Crown Prince's cultivation level?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"I've practiced martial arts for several years, and I'm very skilled in archery, horsemanship, and horseback riding," Huaiqing replied.

"Oh, it's a weakling." Xu Qi'an nodded.

The crown prince's cultivation level is at the Essence Refining Realm, or even lower, which is understandable. For a prince, continuing the family line and ensuring the continuation of the imperial line is the most important thing. What does personal martial arts skill matter? The emperor doesn't need to charge into battle.

Secondly, one's ability to remain unmoved by beauty is also a major test.

Especially for a prince like the Crown Prince, surrounded by beautiful maids, it would be difficult for him to remain chaste during his impulsive youth.

Xu Qi'an felt that only someone with his great willpower could remain single for nineteen years.

"Although the Crown Prince's cultivation is shallow, it would be quite easy for him to force himself on a weak woman, so Consort Fu probably wouldn't even have had a chance to cry for help," Xu Qi'an said.

"My brother, the Crown Prince, would never do such a thing," Biao Biao immediately retorted, her last act of defiance as the younger sister.

Xu Qi'an ignored the woman whose round face had puffed up like a bun, and instead looked at the older palace maid with a cold smile, saying, "You weren't telling the truth just now, were you?"

A flicker of panic crossed the palace maid's eyes. She waved her hand and said, "Everything I've said is true. I have absolutely not lied. Please, Your Excellency, judge for yourself."

"You didn't lie, but you didn't tell the whole story either, right?" Xu Qi'an slapped her thigh with the scabbard.

"I have little patience. If you don't want to talk, Nightwatchers watchman's office and confess. I can't guarantee what the jailers will do to you."

These palace maids and eunuchs are cunning but timid; intimidation is the best method.

The palace maid bit her lip, steeled her resolve, and said, "Your Highnesses, Lord Xu, please follow me."

She turned and went into the attic, with Xu Qi'an, Huaiqing, and Lin'an following behind.

Returning to the attic, the palace maid went straight to under the bed, laboriously pulled open a large wooden chest, and took out a small wooden box from under a pile of old clothes.

The palace maid bowed her head and timidly presented the wooden box.

Xu Qi'an took it, opened the wooden box, and after seeing what was inside, only two words came to mind: Wuhu!

If Lin'an and Huaiqing weren't by his side, he would have let out an exaggerated whistle.

Inside the wooden box lay an object carved from jade.

Xu Qi'an immediately understood why the palace maid was hesitant and dared not speak.

This item was forbidden in the palace. Morally, that's one reason, but also because this was the palace, and the concubines were the emperor's women; it was definitely unacceptable.

Doesn't the emperor have any dignity?

If discovered, the punishment ranges from being banished to obscurity to being demoted.

This explains why Consort Fu dismissed the servants from the pavilion. Her drunken state was one reason, and the sight of this thing before her was another. "Luckily, I chased the young eunuch away, otherwise Emperor Yuanjing would have killed me to silence me," Xu Qi'an said, his expression complex.

"What is this?" Princess Lin'an asked, frowning.

Xu Qi'an glanced at her, then at Huaiqing. The aloof princess remained expressionless, intently examining the jade carving, her eyes filled with confusion.

Seriously? It's one thing for Lin'an to be illiterate, but you don't even recognize Princess Huaiqing, who is well-versed in literature?

Xu Qi'an coughed and explained to the princesses in a very soft voice.

Lin'an exclaimed "Ah!" and took a few steps back in fright, her round face turning bright red, her neck and the base of her ears turning completely red.

Princess Huaiqing recoiled as if electrocuted, turning her head away, a faint blush rising on her fair face.

"Fu, Fu Fei, she actually kept this kind of thing! No, she's shameless! Quick, put it away!" Lin'an stammered as she cursed.

Don't get agitated. Maybe there's another one under your mother's bed. Xu Qi'an closed the box and handed it back to the palace maid, saying, "Take it back. Don't offend the eyes of the two princes."

The palace maid obediently did as she was told.

Xu Qi'an asked, "When Consort Fu fell from the building, was this thing on the bed or in the box?"

"It should be in the box," the palace maid said.

If such a thing existed on the bed, wouldn't it be mentioned in the case file? Xu Qi'an nodded and asked, "Was that missing palace maid, like you, one of the personal servants of Consort Fu?"

The palace maid nodded.

"Alright, you can go now."

After she left, Xu Qi'an sat at the table, lamenting that he couldn't use the "Jade Ruyi" for testing, while explaining the situation to the two illiterate princesses:

"On the day Consort Fu fell from the building, the servants in the courtyard did not hear any cries for help. There are two possibilities: either the Crown Prince controlled her, or Consort Fu willingly had an affair with the Crown Prince."

Huaiqing shook his head. "If it was a willing affair, why would there be signs of resistance and struggle in the room?"

"You clearly have no experience," Xu Qi'an laughed. "There are two possibilities: First, Consort Fu was initially unwilling and resisted, but the Crown Prince coerced her in some way."

Second, sometimes, it doesn't necessarily have to be on the bed.

Both princesses blushed simultaneously and spat.

"Then why did Consort Fu fall from the building? You said she was pushed," Huaiqing questioned.

"I can't answer this question for now," Xu Qi'an analyzed. "On the day of the incident, Consort Fu drank wine."

"If I were the Crown Prince, I could use this to coerce her into a long-term illicit relationship. Consort Fu has been celibate for a long time, and she might just give in halfway. There was absolutely no need to push her down the stairs. Even if the Crown Prince sobers up and wants to kill her to silence her, it shouldn't be after the deed is done, because during the post-coital period, a man is at his calmest and would never act impulsively."

"There is another point of doubt. If Consort Fu was going to do that, she drove away the palace maids and servants in the pavilion. There is no reason for her to send her personal maid to invite the Crown Prince, unless the two of them had already been having an affair."

"However, according to the investigation by the three judicial departments, as well as the testimonies of the servants and maids in the palace, Consort Fu and the Crown Prince had no prior dealings."

"So, you're saying my brother, the Crown Prince, was really wronged." The pretty girl's eyes sparkled.

"That's quite possible, but it's not time to draw any conclusions yet," Xu Qi'an nodded.

Huaiqing asked, "How did you figure out that the palace maid was hiding something?"

Her clear, beautiful eyes were fixed on Xu Qi'an, as if she were asking for his advice, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Learn about micro-expression psychology. Xu Qi'an said, "A person's facial expressions and body language can reveal their inner thoughts to a certain extent; they are more honest than their words."

Huaiqing frowned deeply. "I have never seen a book that records this kind of knowledge."

"I figured this out myself."

Huaiqing nodded slowly, somewhat admiringly. "You really are a genius at solving cases."

Actually, the most important thing in solving cases isn't talent, but experience and knowledge. Without these, even if you're a genius at deduction, you won't even get started. Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "Your Highness flatters me."

Just then, the head guard called from downstairs, "Lord Xu, the things have been brought over."

Xu Qi'an immediately stood up and said, "Next, we'll verify one of my conjectures: how Consort Fu died will perhaps be revealed soon."

The three of them went downstairs. Xu Qi'an took the broken railing from the guard, carefully examined the break, and checked it repeatedly.

He fell into deep thought.

The red dress and the white dress remained undisturbed.

Despite the constant stomping of her little feet beneath her skirt, revealing her anxious state of mind.

As Xu Qi'an had just said, the truth about Consort Fu's death would soon be revealed. Since it concerned her brother, the Crown Prince's, innocence, she was extremely anxious.

But she still didn't dare disturb him while he was thinking.

"Let's go to the ice cellar. I'll trouble the Princess to invite an old nanny." Xu Qi'an led everyone away from Qingfeng Palace, and Huaiqing instructed the guards outside the palace to invite the old nanny.

Upon arriving at the ice cellar, leaving behind the guards, Xu Qi'an, Huai Qing, Lin'an, along with the supervising eunuch and the old nanny, the five of them entered the ice cellar and saw Consort Fu's remains once again.

"Please trouble you, Granny, to remove Consort Fu's clothes and then turn her over," Xu Qi'an said.

The old nanny hesitated for a moment, but seeing Xu Qi'an instinctively turn his back, she looked at Princess Huaiqing with a questioning gaze, without looking at Lin'an.

Huaiqing nodded and said, "Do as Lord Xu says."

A few minutes later, the old woman said, "This old servant is finished."

Xu Qi'an turned around. Consort Fu was naked, lying face down on the wooden board. Her pale back was covered with lividity, but there was nothing Xu Qi'an wanted to see.

"That's fine." He nodded.

Leaving the ice cellar and arriving at a side hall, Lin'an eagerly asked, "How did it go? How did Consort Fu die? My Crown Prince is innocent, isn't he?"

Xu Qi'an glanced at the supervising eunuch, then at the two princesses, and said in a deep voice, "Consort Fu must have fallen from the attic on her own."

"How do you know?" Huaiqing raised an eyebrow.

This result surprised everyone.

"The railings of the Qingfeng Palace pavilion are not rotten; they are very sturdy. If Consort Fu was pushed down, her back would surely be bruised when she broke through the railings."

"But we just examined her, and there are no long, strip-shaped bruises on Consort Fu's back. There are only lividity and patchy bruises from the fall," Xu Qi'an said.

Huaiqing pondered for a moment and said, "But she did indeed crash into the guardrail and die. You mean, someone tampered with the guardrail?"

Xu Qi'an nodded. "Besides that, Consort Fu drank wine before she fell from the building. The palace maids in Qingfeng Palace said that she often looked at the scenery from the observation deck. I guess she was watching to see if His Majesty would come. Of course, these things are not important."

"The important thing is that when people drink alcohol, they will instinctively lean or slump against the railing. Consort Fu fell backward, so she must have been leaning against the railing at the time, but the railing had been tampered with, which is why she fell to her death."

"I just asked, which means that on that day, Consort Fu... well, you know... so the possibility that she was standing on the watchtower is very, very high."

"During the coroner's examination of the body, the claim that no assault occurred can also serve as corroborating evidence. The palace maids of Qingfeng Palace did not hear any cries for help because Consort Fu was not raped, so naturally she did not need to cry for help."

Huaiqing and Lin'an suddenly realized what was going on, and the latter was genuinely delighted because the suspicion against the Crown Prince had suddenly lessened considerably.

The former fell into deep thought, pondering and savoring Xu Qi'an's analysis, much like a top student digesting the content of a teacher's lecture.

The young eunuch in charge of supervision bowed his head, trying his best to silently memorize every word Xu Qi'an said, which he would report to his godfather later.

Hearing this, the old nanny interjected, "Sir, it was this old servant who examined Consort Fu, not the coroner."

"Oh, it's you, Granny. That's perfect, I have some details to ask about."

He pulled the old nanny aside and whispered, "Nanny, what are your standards for judging whether a woman is virgin?"

He asked his question in a low voice.

The old woman said, "Seamlessly fitted."

"Oh, I understand now," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "This old woman's driving skills are even better than mine."

This further confirms that Consort Fu was not defiled, but truly died in an accident, an accident carefully orchestrated by someone.

Since it wasn't lust at first sight, the Crown Prince's suspicion is very, very low.

After receiving confirmation, Xu Qi'an said, "The only person capable of doing this should be that personal maid."

Of course, the palace maid wouldn't kill Consort Fu or frame the Crown Prince without a reason; even a famous courtesan could figure that out.

"Who could be the one who instructed the palace maids?" Biao Biao glanced at Huai Qing, her eyes filled with distrust.

Huaiqing sneered, and Biao Biao immediately shrank behind Xu Qi'an.

She couldn't be bothered to argue with Lin'an, and frowned, saying, "Then how do you explain the messy marks in the room?"

"Before Consort Fu fell from the building, the palace maids certainly couldn't have deliberately messed up the room in front of her. But after Consort Fu fell, it immediately attracted the attention of Prince Qingfeng."

"It's possible that Consort Fu has a terrible temper, which is why she messed up the room. Or maybe there was something wrong with the drinks, such as hallucinations," Xu Qi'an explained.

Unfortunately, since Consort Fu could not be dissected, this speculation cannot be confirmed.

"Let's stop here for today. I want to go back and think it over some more, and sort out the case details," Xu Qi'an said.

He couldn't admit that he was slacking off.

After escorting Princess Lin'an back to Shaoyin Garden, Xu Qi'an saw Princess Huaiqing waiting outside and walked over without saying a word.

The two walked forward in silence, the guards lagging far behind.

"I never expected that your intervention would lead to such a breakthrough in Consort Fu's case," Princess Huaiqing praised.

"This case isn't actually difficult. At least proving the Crown Prince's innocence isn't hard," Xu Qi'an said, pausing for a few seconds before adding:

The three judicial departments don't seem to be in a hurry to prove the Crown Prince's innocence.

Xu Qi'an always felt that the reasoning knowledge and criminal investigation methods of this era were backward, but he could not deny that there were still many talented people in the three judicial departments.

The Fufei case is not as detailed as the tax silver case, nor as bizarre as the Sangbo case, nor as mind-bending as the Yunzhou case. It does not involve too many cultivation methods.

Proving the Crown Prince's innocence will be difficult, but not impossible.

Princess Huaiqing gazed ahead, remained silent for over ten seconds, and then said calmly, "There are only two possibilities in this matter: one, the real culprit is the Crown Prince; two, the Crown Prince was framed."

Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement.

"If the Crown Prince is the real culprit, then he will be deposed. The Capital Evaluation has just ended, and the struggle for the succession will soon follow. Neither the Emperor nor the court officials want such a thing to happen. Moreover, he will be resented by the Crown Prince's faction and make enemies for no reason."

"If the Crown Prince was framed, then who in the harem has the power to frame even the Crown Prince? The Three Judicial Offices are even less willing to offend him. Ultimately, this is still a family matter for Father Emperor."

Xu Qi'an answered directly, "Any prince who could inherit the position of Crown Prince is a possibility."

Huaiqing said, "But the most suspicious are my elder brother and my mother."

Because the fourth prince is the eldest son of the legitimate wife and the first in line to inherit the throne.

"Suspicion is one thing, but without evidence, even His Majesty can't do anything about it," Xu Qi'an said.

Suspicion is inevitable; when a prince dies young in the palace, all the favored concubines become suspects. But as long as the evidence is destroyed, what can be done even if the suspicion is strong?

Palace intrigue is actually quite simple and brutal; it's impossible for every concubine in the harem to be a shrewd and calculating strategist like Zhuge Liang.

Huaiqing nodded slowly.

"There's something I don't understand. The Fourth Prince is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, so why did His Majesty appoint his elder brother from Lin'an as the Crown Prince?"

When Xu Qi'an asked this question, his eyes were fixed on Huai Qing. If she showed any annoyance or resistance, it meant that his two-timing behavior had made her resentful and no longer considered him a confidant.

Huaiqing pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No one can guess what Father is thinking, but I once overheard some rumors."

Xu Qi'an quickly interrupted, "Your Highness, this humble servant wishes to live to a ripe old age, surrounded by children and grandchildren."

For once, Huaiqing smiled gently. "It's nothing secret; there's no harm in hearing it."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Everyone in the palace says that the reason the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince is because Consort Chen was the most favored concubine when she was young, so the Emperor made an exception and made his eldest son, who was born out of wedlock, the Crown Prince."

"But my elder brother once complained to me in private that when he was young, Father treated him very well and often instilled in him the principles of a ruler. If Father had no intention of making my elder brother the crown prince, why would he have said such things?"

Xu Qi'an turned around, waved to the guards in the distance, and then walked a short distance with Huaiqing before finally rubbing his hands together, unable to contain his gossip, and asked:

"Then why was the eldest son, born out of wedlock, ultimately chosen as the heir?"

P. S.: I'll try to finish the next chapter before midnight.

Update first, then revise.