Neverland

The defense between men and women in this era is still quite serious, Xu Muzhou followed Yan Cen into the main hall, and found only two young eunuchs kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed and their chests folded, gathering the cushions.

The tea on the low table next to it was still warm, and the knee prints on the cushion hadn't completely disappeared. The people in this room should have just left.

Xu Muzhou and Yan Cen came in through the main entrance all the way, but they didn't bump into anyone, guessing that the others left through the side entrance.

Changqiu Palace is the queen's residence, and no other concubines live here.After her death, Song Xueyao's son was temporarily taken to be brought up by the Empress Dowager.Now that the gate of Changqiu Palace is closed, the inside is almost an empty palace, which is really cheap for them to do the task.

The little eunuch who led the way should have been ordered by Wei Wenxuan in advance, and he only brought the two of them to the main hall and left first.

The main hall that was originally used to receive guests has been cleaned up and arranged to look like a mourning hall.Song Xueyao's coffin was placed behind the altar, and the coffin lid was put aside, it was not sealed, but a layer of soft and delicate material was placed on the coffin to cover it.

The two young eunuchs who stayed in Changqiu Palace didn't know whether they were clever or sensible, they put away their things quickly, and knelt in front of the altar, one on the left and one on the right. same as people.

Yan Cen stood at the door for a while, and when the little eunuch who led the way led him to the main hall gate and the footsteps disappeared, he turned around and looked at the scene in the hall.

The main hall of Changqiu Palace is not small, and the mourning hall is placed in the center.Although there are a lot of incense candles in the room, they can't hold the room too big, and there are still more than half of the room that cannot be illuminated by light. Only the left and right sides centered on the mourning hall are as bright as day.

The main hall is based on the main entrance, and there are two rows of white flags on the left and right sides, and the white gauze as thin as a cicada's wings floats in the air from time to time.Judging from the atmosphere, this place has real haunting potential.

Yan Cen didn't pay much attention to the matter of gods and ghosts, he stepped over a brazier, walked to the mourning hall, looked around, and then said: "You go out first."

The two young eunuchs who were called out by him took two steps on their knees, moved out from the side of the altar, kowtowed to him, and replied softly: "Master Yan, this servant is ordered to guard the mourning hall for the empress..."

"Go out first." Yan Cen frowned slightly, and said impatiently: "If something happens, I will take responsibility for it."

The little eunuch was able to stay in the palace at this hour because he had been instructed in advance, and of course he knew why Yan Cen came.Rumors of ghosts in the palace had been circulating for many days, and they couldn't help feeling terrified in their hearts, for fear that the gentle and gentle empress would turn into a ghost after death and make the palace city unsafe.

In addition, the two young eunuchs were taken aback by Yan Cen's aura, they looked at each other, they stopped insisting, packed their things and left.

Xu Muzhou looked around, took a cushion from the pile and threw it on the chair, sat up carelessly, took a new cup from the tea tray, poured himself a cup of herbal tea and rinsed his mouth , washed down the rice cake that was left in his mouth just now.

"Is it okay for you to spend people so blatantly?" Xu Muzhou put down his teacup and said, "This is ancient times, and these two little eunuchs don't know whose subordinates they are. As soon as you say it, you are careful to be arrogant and have ulterior motives."

"It's okay." Yan Cen said indifferently: "In terms of trust, ten pillows are not as good as one Yan Huaishan."

Xu Muzhou: "..."

"This sounds a bit strange." Xu Muzhou said matter-of-factly, "It seems that Yan Huaishan has something to do with Wei Wenxuan."

Yan Cen: "..."

Yan Cen sighed, walked around the altar, walked towards the coffin, and explained: "People like Yan Huaishan are bastards who have a bad relationship with the family, and they climbed up by making knives for the emperor. A person can't depend on anyone except the emperor himself, and he is the emperor's confidant, so of course he is heavily relied on."

Sure enough, it was Yan Cen's style, the identity he chose was not very prominent, but very practical.

Xu Muzhou just said it casually, but didn't take it to heart.He drank another cup of tea to quench his thirst, and then walked slowly towards Yan Cen with his hands behind his back.

Yan Cen didn't look back, and heard his footsteps getting closer, thinking that he was concerned about the haunting, so he comforted him without turning his head: "The target of this mission is the dead again, are you afraid?"

Xu Muzhou was originally looking at the sacrificial oration in front of Song Xueyao's coffin, and he replied casually: "I'm getting used to it, Neverland has always been like this, when did you suddenly tell me that the task target is a talented person, it makes people afraid."

Yan Cen gave a low laugh, knowing that he was frightened by Qin Wei.Seeing that Xu Muzhou still had a calm demeanor, he no longer worried, and turned his attention to the coffin in front of him.

It was late at night, and the joss sticks in the house were not watched by the eunuch in real time, and several of them were quickly extinguished.

Xu Muzhou was about to continue the fire with a candle, but was stopped by Yan Cen.

"Don't worry about it." Yan Cen said: "There is a gap by the door, the candle is easy to extinguish, and it will be a white spot when it is lit."

As he spoke, he took a step closer, looked at the coffin in front of him for a while, and even reached out and grabbed the bright yellow cloth covering the coffin, as if he wanted to lift it off.

"Brother Yan." Xu Muzhou was taken aback, and walked over a few steps: "What's wrong with you?"

In Xu Muzhou's eyes, the dead are the most important. Now that Song Xueyao has become the target of the mission, it would be too much to torment her mourning hall.

But Yan Cen obviously misunderstood something, he paused and said, "It's okay, just don't come over and take a look."

"...I'm not afraid." Xu Muzhou said as he walked to Yan Cen, Yan Cen is not someone who would do futile work for no reason, he looked at Yan Cen's expression, and guessed: "Do you think she has clues? "

"En." Yan Cen nodded, seeing that his face was indeed as usual, and he didn't seem to be trying to be brave, so he lifted the cloth in his hand off the coffin, revealing Song Xueyao's body underneath.

Xu Muzhou is telling the truth, habit is a terrible thing, he has been in Neverland for so long, he is almost immune to life and death.

Song Xueyao's appearance was in line with Xu Muzhou's imagination of a lady. Her eyebrows and eyes were not gorgeous, but very gentle and beautiful. She was a woman whose temperament was greater than her appearance.Generally speaking, it is a very "mother's world" appearance.

Her body is not ferocious, not even a basic look of defeat.Her complexion is ruddy, her eyes are slightly closed, she is dressed in a gorgeous palace dress, with exquisite makeup painted on her face, and the red hairpin on her head is leaning docilely on the soft pillow. She does not look like a dead person, but like a It's like falling asleep.

Xu Muzhou looked at it for a while, and found something wrong.

"How long has Song Xueyao been dead?" Xu Muzhou asked.

"No more than two or three days at most." Yan Cen said.

"That's not right." Xu Muzhou looked at Song Xueyao's face, frowned and said, "Corpse spots will appear within a few hours after death, and the longer the time, the greater the difference between the corpse and ordinary people. Song Xueyao After staying here for so long, why does she still look like a Sleeping Beauty?"

Yan Cen didn't answer, he sized up Song Xueyao, then stretched out his hand into the coffin, and pressed down on Song Xueyao's neck with two fingers.Song Xueyao's clothes were too thick, Yan Cen frowned and groped carefully inch by inch, until he pressed his heart to his heart before withdrawing his hand.

Xu Muzhou leaned on the coffin, and wondered when he saw this: "You still do autopsies?"

"If you have lived for a long time, you will know a little about everything." Yan Cen said.

As he spoke, he unceremoniously stretched out his hand to open Song Xueyao's chin, and took out the nipple in her mouth.

Yan Cen didn't shy away from it, he bent over and leaned in to examine it carefully.

Song Xueyao didn't have the smell of rotting corpses on her body, but Yan Cen did this, instead, a sweet and cloying peculiar fragrance came out of her mouth, even Xu Muzhou who was beside her could smell it.

This fragrance is too fragrant, it is different from the fragrance of ordinary cosmetics and the incense of plants and trees used to cover up the smell in the coffin, and it does not smell like a good thing.

Xu Muzhou covered his mouth and nose, and took a step back in disgust.

Yan Cen didn't care much, he seemed to have got the answer, he stuffed the meat back into Song Xueyao's mouth, and closed her mouth for her.

"People don't die for no reason." Yan Cen said: "Song Xueyao is in good health. She hasn't suffered from chronic illnesses or heart diseases. The possibility of sudden death is very small."

When Yan Cen said this, Xu Muzhou understood.Sudden death is nothing more than two kinds, either heart disease or cerebral hemorrhage, but these two diseases are not very good-looking after death, and they will not be as peaceful as Song Xueyao.

He covered his mouth and nose and leaned over to look, and seeing that Song Xueyao's lips showed no signs of turning purple, he also had a guess in his heart.

"You suspect she was poisoned?" Xu Muzhou said.

"Yes, this strange fragrance is the proof." Yan Cen found the answer, but he did not leave the coffin. His eyes fell on Song Xueyao, carefully examining the details of her body.

He looks very carefully and is very restrained. Generally, he will not do it lightly. He will only look through it when he finds something suspicious.

"It shouldn't be a strong poison." Xu Muzhou said.After all, he wasn't as careless as Yan Cen, and he didn't know anything about autopsy, so he just stood aside and watched, not making trouble.

"If it's the kind that will happen immediately, then it should be investigated at that time." Xu Muzhou said: "Song Xueyao is the queen of a country, and there should be traces of food and clothing. If it is really in full view Being poisoned and killed by others, you wouldn't handle it lightly... But the question is, the chronic poisoning period is very long, and the imperial physician didn't discover it in the middle?"

Yan Cen shook his head, indicating that he was not too clear about it for the time being.

"Chronic poison requires long-term medication to damage the body of the poisoned person." Yan Cen said: "...Song Xueyao's surroundings are not clean."

"It's too miserable." Xu Muzhou shook his head: "Isn't it just for a man, as for such a vicious hand?"

"Not only for men." Yan Cen kept moving, "It's also for rights, money, status and future."

"That's true." Xu Muzhou poked his arm and asked, "Then according to your thinking, how did Song Xueyao get poisoned? It's impossible for everyone around her to be bribed. secret."

Yan Cen didn't answer, he flattened Song Xueyao's sleeves and looked at her hands.

Song Xueyao's hands were folded on her abdomen, her nails seemed to be newly dyed when grooming, and the bright red color had not faded.

Yan Cen frowned slightly, lifted Song Xueyao's wrist through her sleeve, and looked at her fingertips.