Conan's physique? The Crown Princess is involved in a murder case again

Xu Xingyin raised his hand to avoid formalities and asked directly.

"Where were the mulberry leaves used in the first silkworm ceremony picked? Who kept them? Who touched them from the time they were picked to the time they were presented to the emperor?"

The series of questions made the Minister of Rites somewhat unable to react for a while.

While he was stunned, Xu Xingyin's gaze had already fallen on him. His cold and scrutinizing gaze made him feel a chill on his neck, and he quickly bowed to answer.

"Your Highness, the mulberry leaves used in the first silkworm ceremony were picked by our Ministry of Rites from the mulberry gardens in the suburbs. They were sent directly to the palace without anyone touching them on the way. The long box for storing the mulberry leaves was also specially made by the craftsmen of the Ministry of Rites. It is very well sealed and cannot be easily opened by outsiders. There is only one key that I personally keep."

Xu Xingyin's eyes darkened, and she ordered calmly, "Sir, please tell me about all the people who have come into contact with mulberry leaves and long boxes."

The Shangshu did not dare to disobey and immediately called all the relevant personnel.

Xu Xingyin specially called Cui Detao along, met them one by one, asked some questions, and carefully observed everyone's facial expressions and reactions.

These people were carefully selected by the Ministry of Rites to do the work. They were all reliable people who had undergone rigorous inspections and were already familiar with the procedures of the First Silkworm Ceremony. So they answered whatever Xu Xingyin asked in a clear and orderly manner without any mistakes.

Xu Xingyin asked around but couldn't figure out anything, so he frowned.

After a moment of silence, Xu Xingyin sorted out his thoughts again, and finally set his gaze on the Minister of Rites who had been unusually silent.

Although the Minister of Rites behaved very respectfully and cooperatively throughout the whole process, his eyes would always flicker subconsciously.

"Sir Shangshu, there is one thing I am not sure about. Have you always kept the key to the mulberry leaf box yourself?"

"Reporting to Her Majesty, the Crown Princess, I have always kept the key close to me and have never left it."

Xu Xingyin nodded and asked again.

"So, have you lost your keys or experienced anything unusual in the past few days?"

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Rites felt a tightness in his heart, a trace of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he stammered in his reply.

“Never…never.”

Seeing this, Xu Xingyin narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, and suddenly slammed her palm on the coffee table with a harsh sound, and her words revealed a barely perceptible chill.

"I'll ask you again, are you sure?"

The sudden high-pitched voice frightened the Minister of Rites so much that his heart trembled, his face turned pale, his legs went weak, and he knelt down, kowtowing in fear.

"Please forgive me, Princess! I lost my key a few days ago, but I found it back very quickly, so I didn't take it seriously."

Xu Xingyin's eyes were stern. "How did you lose the key? And where did you find it?"

The Minister of Rites said tremblingly, "That day, I was preparing for the Silkworm Ceremony at the Temple of Heaven. On my way back to my residence, I accidentally fell on the road, and when I stood up, I lost my key."

Xu Xingyin asked, "When did you find out?"

"When he was about to leave the palace," the Minister of Rites answered and elaborated, "When I found it, I was panicked and hurriedly went back along the original route to look for it. Finally, I found the key in the grass by the roadside."

"Where did you fall?"

"It was near the Imperial Garden. It rained that day and the road was very slippery."

Xu Xingyin glanced at Cui Detao, and Cui Detao immediately understood and analyzed.

"According to the walking speed of an adult man, it would take at least half an hour to walk from the Imperial Garden to the palace gate, even if it was raining fast."

Xu Xingyin pondered for a moment. "Half an hour. Considering the distance between the Imperial Garden where the key was lost and the Temple of Heaven where the long box is stored, if this task can be completed within half an hour without being discovered by the guards, it means that the enemy's hiding place is not far away. Then we will start from the surrounding palaces. Cui Detao, you will be responsible for screening the general area. After the scope is determined, we will do a detailed investigation."

Cui Detao nodded in agreement and withdrew.

And Xu Xingyin really didn't have the energy to deal with the Minister of Rites, so he just said.

"Sir Shangshu, I will record the crime of deception and dereliction of duty for now, but I will report it to my father truthfully. When you go back today, think about it carefully. If you have any clues, report to me immediately."

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Rites felt as if he had been pardoned. He kowtowed in thanks immediately. When he stood up, his legs were a little weak and he staggered out of the hall.

Xu Xingyin sighed softly, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

This matter seemed to be much more complicated than imagined. The other party was obviously well prepared and even considered small details such as the lost key.

Moreover, the other party seemed to be very familiar with the terrain of the palace, otherwise it would not be possible to find the mulberry leaf box and steal the contents so easily.

But no matter how complicated the matter is, she will get to the bottom of it for Jing Zhichen!

While Cui Detao was investigating the matter, she also had other things to do.

Thinking of this, Xu Xingyin slowly stood up and gave orders.

"Go back to the East Palace."

……

After Xu Xingyin returned to the Eastern Palace, Emperor Yanning was still guarding Jing Zhichen's bedroom. He looked listless and had none of his former imperial majesty.

Seeing Xu Xingyin enter, Emperor Yan Ning raised his hand to stop her from saluting and said in a hoarse voice.

"Without outsiders here, there is no need to observe these empty formalities. I already know everything about your investigation today. Thank you for your hard work."

Xu Xingyin did not take credit for it and just shook his head.

"These are what a son and a minister should do."

Emperor Yanning hummed and said nothing more.

During the silence between the two, Xu Xingyin took the initiative to speak.

"Father, Cui Detao is currently investigating the poisoning incident during the Silkworm Ceremony. However, I think that this poison is rare and the timing of the incident is so coincidental. I'm afraid it is related to the case many years ago."

Emperor Yan Ning was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and considered his response.

"What do you want to know?"

"What happened all those years ago? Your Highness was poisoned at that time. Who was the beneficiary?"

Emperor Yan Ning pondered for a long time before slowly telling the story that had been forgotten for many years.

The year Jing Zhichen decided to go to the border, he was only twelve years old. If he were in an ordinary family, he would be the age to be pampered.

But for Yu Jing Zhichen, that year was the third year after he lost his mother and the first year he suffered from poison torture.

"Since Mingzhen passed away, Chen'er's temper has become increasingly strange. He was young at the time and couldn't control his temper. Sometimes, we would quarrel several times a day. I tried to accommodate him in every way because he lost his mother at a young age, but this child refused to give in, making the relationship between us even more tense."

Xu Xingyin was puzzled. "After so many years, Father, have you ever thought about how His Highness, with such a personality, could have gotten into such a fight with you?"