The horse's hooves stepped on the bluestone slabs, making a crisp treading sound.

Gu Huaiqing rode the horse unhurriedly, thinking about Liang Wan's words just now, and sighed for a while.

Duan Mingchen and Gu Huaiqing drove side by side, and when he heard him sigh, he couldn't help but smile and said, "Why did you suddenly sigh? Could it be that you are reluctant to part with that Miss Liang?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Gu Huaiqing's face was slightly embarrassed, "Miss Liang Wan's goal is the queen's throne, so why would she like a small person like me?"

"If Mr. Gu is a small person, the others are just ants." Duan Mingchen raised his eyebrows slightly, "Then why did Huaiqing sigh?"

"I was just thinking, what will happen to the Liang family after the queen mother passes away? The rise and fall of a family really changes rapidly, 30 years in Hexi, 30 years in Hedong..."

"The so-called emperor and courtiers in one dynasty have little promise these days. Naturally, they will not sit back and watch their relatives grow up. It will be a matter of time before the Liang family is weakened."

A flash of inspiration flashed in Gu Huaiqing's mind, and a thought that was too bold, even outrageous...

Seeing that Gu Huaiqing's expression suddenly became strange, Duan Mingchen asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Gu Huaiqing blinked, suppressed that absurd thought, and said with a smile: "It's nothing, it's late, let's go back quickly."

Gu Huaiqing grabbed the horse's belly and galloped away quickly, Duan Mingchen followed closely, and returned to Shizi Alley one after the other.

I haven't been home for several days, and when I got home, I felt very kind. As soon as Gu Huaiqing walked into the yard, he heard two meows. Two hair balls, one big and one small, crawled out of the nest and rushed over to greet him. Rubbing against Gu Huaiqing's feet.

Gu Huaiqing hugged Huniu with his left hand, held up the snowball with his right hand, kissed each other, and said with a happy smile, "Do you two little darlings miss me?"

Duan Mingchen couldn't help stretching out his hand to pet the cat, and Hu Niu obediently rubbed his hand, but the little white cat Xueqiu didn't recognize him a little bit, and stared at him vigilantly with a pair of blue and green cat eyes.

It's no wonder, after all, Duan Mingchen hadn't raised Xueqiu for a few days, and he was still out of love, so he was sent out on a business trip and didn't come back for many days.Xueqiu has been following Huniu, eating, drinking and sleeping at Gu's house, and has no affection for Duan Mingchen, the nominal master.

Gu Huaiqing laughed gleefully: "Let me just say, Xueqiu has become my family, and I don't recognize you as the master!"

"What do you mean, do we still need to divide between you and me? What's yours is mine, and what's mine is naturally yours."

Duan Mingchen took it for granted, took out a small piece of beef jerky from his sleeve as if conjuring, and waved it in front of Xueqiu's nose. Xueqiu immediately licked his nose with his tongue, followed Duan Mingchen and meowed, greedy. revealing.

"You greedy cat!" Gu Huaiqing poked Xueqiu's little butt angrily.

Xueqiu ignored it, grabbed the beef jerky and ate it, gobbling it voraciously. Huniu, not to be outdone, ran over to snatch it for food.

Gu Huaiqing watched the two little guys eating with great interest, and felt inexplicably happy.

Duan Mingchen took Gu Huaiqing's hand, squeezed his palm, and said softly: "It's cold outside, let's go inside."

The lights in the room are like beans, the gilded incense burner in the corner is emitting green smoke, and the celadon teapot on the small red clay stove makes the sound of boiling water.

Gu Huaiqing brewed tea gracefully, and the fresh fragrance of tea permeated the room. He brought a green teacup in front of Duan Mingchen, and made a gesture of inviting you to taste it.

Duan Mingchen held it in front of him, first put it under his nose and took a deep breath, feeling a tangy fragrance hit his nostrils, his mind instantly cleared up a lot, under Gu Huaiqing's expectant gaze, he picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, praising Said: "Very fragrant tea!"

Gu Huaiqing asked, "Isn't it particularly fragrant?"

Duan Mingchen nodded and asked, "What kind of tea is this? The aroma is so strong, I've never tasted it before."

Gu Huaiqing smiled proudly and said, "This tea is a new variety, and it has a rather scary name, it's called 'Scaring Fragrance'."

"This name...is quite weird." Duan Mingchen took another sip, "However, it's also appropriate, and it's really frighteningly fragrant."

"Yes, it is excellent for refreshing."

Duan Mingchen couldn't help laughing and said: "Drinking such refreshing tea at night, are you planning to stay up all night?"

Gu Huaiqing said seriously: "No, I just want to discuss the case with you. There are many people in the palace during the day, and it's noisy. At night, it's just the two of us. It's time to calm down and analyze it."

Duan Mingchen said: "This case is indeed a bit complicated. It's time to rationalize our thoughts, remove the false and preserve the true, and find out the real clues."

Gu Huaiqing suggested: "I see that you have made some records before, and I also have some doubts in my mind. Let's list out our respective findings first, and then discuss it."

Duan Mingchen agreed, and took out a few pieces of paper that he had recorded from his bosom, and Gu Huaiqing ordered the servants to fetch pens, ink and a stack of paper, and the two of them each held a pen and began to write.

After about a quarter of an hour, the two stopped writing almost at the same time.

Duan Mingchen took the lead and said: "I sorted out the testimonies of everyone, and listed the time and people who happened in the case that night in order."

Gu Huaiqing leaned over and carefully read the time list written by Duan Mingchen.

At the first moment of You Shi, the Queen Mother woke up, and Zi Kui ordered someone to invite the Imperial Physician Lu, and at the same time notified the Emperor and Lord Wandu.

At the second quarter of the unitary hour, Physician Lu went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning, diagnosed the empress dowager's pulse and prescribed medicine, and stayed to observe the empress dowager's condition.

At the fifth quarter of the unitary hour, the emperor and empress arrived at the Palace of Compassion and Peace, and left after a quarter of an hour.

At the beginning of Xu time, the imperial physician made a second pulse diagnosis.Bai Zhi suddenly fell ill, and Zi Kui asked Qian Xi to take her place and serve the Queen Mother.

At the end of Xu Dynasty, Governor Wan went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning to pay his respects, and left after a quarter of an hour. The palace people outside the palace heard the Empress Dowager's voice for the last time.

Physician Lu checked the pulse for the third time and said that the queen mother's condition was stable, so she left.

At the beginning of Haishi, the Queen Mother went to bed, Zi Ke stayed in the inner room, and when Qian Xi waited on Da Zi outside (not sure), Zi Po claimed to hear the window beside the Queen Mother's bed, and Qian Xi said that he saw a black shadow coming from A cat sprang out of the window, but they all thought it was a cat.

At Yinshi, Zi Kui discovered that the Queen Mother had died, but the body was neatly dressed and there were no visible injuries on the outside.

Gu Huaiqing nodded, and continued to read more interesting character analysis.

Violet

Origin: Six months ago, Liang Wan recommended her to the Compassionate Ning Palace, where she first served Concubine Shu, the first emperor, and then worked in the Shang Palace Bureau.

Features: Calm and steady personality, good at blending fragrance, combing hair, making makeup powder

Doubtful point: As the queen mother's personal maid, she was in the palace from Youshi to Yinshi, but she didn't notice that the queen mother was tortured and killed.He heard the window knock, but didn't get up to check.The embroidered purse as a gift to Qian Xi seems to have an affair with Qian Xi.

Motivation: None

Alibi: From Haishi to Yinshi, in the palace, only Qian Xi can prove it.

Angelica dahurica

History: Served in the Compassion Palace for more than five years

Features: Weak stomach.Safeguard yourself, hope you can leave the palace safely

Doubts: Why do you suddenly have a bad stomach?

Motivation: To get rid of the cruelty of the Queen Mother?

Alibi: Sufficient, bedridden due to illness, unable to serve the Empress Dowager

Qian Xi

Origin: Originally a eunuch in Concubine Ning's Palace. Five months ago, she was transferred to Compassionate Ning Palace because she was good at raising cats. Characteristics: Dumb and honest, good at raising pets

Doubt: Why did his Persian cat suddenly go crazy and scratch the Queen Mother?Seeing a black shadow flying out of the Queen Mother's window, there was no sound of warning.In his house, I found a note that was suspected to be burnt, as well as a purse from Zi Ke, which seemed to have an ambiguous relationship with Zi Ke.

Motivation: None

Alibi: From Haishi to Yinshi, there is only purple grass.

Lu Zhengxi

Origin: People from the capital city, entered Taiyuan Hospital five years ago

Features: A young and promising imperial doctor, a famous gynecologist, the imperial doctor appointed by the queen mother Doubtful points: he can bring the murder weapon (needle) into the palace, and his acupuncture needles can be matched with the queen mother's wound.

Motivation: None

Alibi: Before Haishi, he had left the Compassion Palace

Ten East Factory Guards

Origin: Dongchang father-in-law with a clean net worth

Features: High martial arts, first-class master

Doubts: Sufficient martial arts to stab acupuncture points to kill

Motivation: None

Alibi: Sufficient, each other can testify.

Wan Zhen

Origin: Governor of the East Factory, has been in the palace for more than [-] years

Features: Strong martial arts, deep roots in the palace, huge influence

Doubts: Sufficient martial arts to stab acupuncture points to kill

Alibi: The court man testified that he left the Compassionate Ning Palace at the end of Xu Dynasty

When Gu Huaiqing saw Wan Zhen's name at the end, he frowned and said, "Why is my adoptive father also on it?"

Duan Mingchen said earnestly: "Huaiqing, I know you have deep feelings for Wan Duzhu, but we are trying a complicated case, so we must maintain an objective position and not be influenced by personal feelings."

Gu Huaiqing disagreed, and retorted: "In that case, shouldn't the emperor and empress also be added, they also went to the Palace of Compassion and Ning that night, and met the empress dowager!"

"It's all right, anyway, it's just the two of us at this moment." Duan Mingchen smiled, "However, if His Majesty ordered it or did it himself, he probably wouldn't ask you and me to investigate the case so solemnly. As Emperor, if you want to make a major event into a small one, it is very easy to make a small matter into a small one."

Gu Huaiqing thought about it for a while, and found it very reasonable, and the initial doubt in his heart was dispelled.To be honest, he couldn't believe that Xiao Jing would kill the Queen Mother, and in such a cruel way.Although the Empress Dowager is not Xiao Jing's biological mother, she has supported him. Based on his years of understanding of Xiao Jing, Xiao Jing is not such a cruel and vicious king.

After reading Duan Mingchen's writing, Gu Huaiqing said with disgust: "What you wrote is meaningless. It's just a list of things that everyone knows. It's trivial and meaningless. Can these help solve the case?"

Duan Mingchen laughed and said: "Oh, what I wrote is trivial, then you wrote something good, show me."

"Of course, what I wrote is much more interesting!" Gu Huaiqing snorted, raised the paper he had written with both hands, and held it in front of Duan Mingchen.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like