nucmednet Chapter 269 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 8
Chapter 269 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 8
On the way out of the palace, Shen Lan noticed that someone was following her and asked Suiying to stop the carriage at the corner.
When Xiao Ji entered the palace to investigate the case, he wasn't allowed to bring any guards besides her, the coroner.
Suiying jumped off the carriage first and drew her sword to stab her follower.
"Wait, it's me!" the newcomer said.
"Li Ye?" Shen Lan walked over and saw Li Ye wearing a black smock.
With his long hair, he looked much more dashing than when he was bald, and he truly had the ruggedness of a military general.
"Lan'er, may I speak to you in private?"
Shen Lan led him into the alley, where Xiao Ji was standing in the shadows with his hands tucked in.
Li Ye glanced at him, nodded, and did not ask him to leave.
"Aren't you on duty?"
"It's my shift, so I'm leaving the palace. Someone asked me to pass on a message to you: don't implicate Consort Xie in Consort Wu's case."
Shen Lan asked, puzzled, "Why is that? Could it be that that person is in cahoots with Consort Xie?"
Li Ye shook his head, his expression grave. "No, he did it for your and Lord Xiao's own good."
Xiao Ji walked over, a hint of confusion on his handsome face.
"Is he trying to tell us that Consort Xie is not to be trifled with? Or is he implying that the Emperor will punish me to protect her?"
Li Ye had only recently started working in the palace and did not understand the reasons behind it, but he understood what Li Ge meant.
"Both are true. Consort Xie is very important to the Emperor, and he indulges her greatly. There are some things that the Emperor may not be unaware of."
"Oh?" Xiao Ji pondered the message conveyed by those words.
"In that case, the Emperor's attitude toward the Xie family is quite intriguing."
Li Ye glanced at Shen Lan and softened his voice, saying, "I should go now. It's best if we pretend we don't know each other. It'll be better for you. If you need anything, you can write a letter and send it to the last house on the street near the City God Temple. Someone will pass it on to me."
After Li Ye finished speaking, he pulled down his hood to cover half of his face, turned around and left.
Shen Lan felt a pang of panic as she watched him disappear into the darkness.
It seems he's been secretly doing something big all along, keeping it from me.
But he never tells me, he always avoids me.
Xiao Ji turned and climbed onto the carriage. The flickering lights made his expression look somewhat frightening.
"I will go to the palace myself tomorrow. What that person said may not be true. Besides, this is an imperial order. I must report the results of my investigation to the Emperor."
Shen Lan said with a deep look in her eyes, "I also want to see the Emperor."
The next morning, the two of them entered the palace together.
There was a grand court assembly today, and it was almost noon when the assembly ended.
Upon seeing the Emperor's return, Xiao Ji quickly led Shen Lan to kneel and greet him.
"Your humble servant Xiao Ji greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
On the imperial carriage, the emperor appeared somewhat tired, but his voice was loud and clear, "Minister Xiao has arrived. Rise."
He led his men into the imperial study and sent away the ministers who had come to discuss state affairs.
"Hey, who's that girl behind you...?"
"Your Majesty, this is Counselor Shen from the Ministry of Justice."
"I seem to have heard someone mention her as the first female coroner in our dynasty. I never expected her to be so young and beautiful. Even I would have to misunderstand the relationship between the two of you."
Xiao Ji hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty is wise. I only regret that Shen the coroner's talent is too important for solving cases."
The emperor, intrigued, beckoned to Shen Lan, "Take three steps forward and let me see you."
Shen Lan did as instructed and took three steps forward, now standing just a table away from the emperor.
She kept in mind the etiquette and rules that Xiao Ji had taught her before, and although she looked up, she dared not look the emperor in the eye.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the emperor's aged face, his lips drooping from years of tension, and his beard neatly groomed.
He gave me the feeling of an old lion, ambitious but lacking the physique of a young man.
"This commoner, Shen Lan, greets Your Majesty."
"You are a good girl. It's a pity that you have such a tragic past. It's good that you can help solve cases in the Criminal Investigation Department. I will grant you the status of an eighth-rank coroner, and allow you to receive the same salary and enjoy the same treatment as an eighth-rank official."
Although an eighth-rank official is just a minor official, he is still an official and is different from a commoner.
Shen Lan never expected that the emperor would appoint a woman to an official position, and she could not refuse except to express her gratitude.
Xiao Ji was also surprised; this was an unexpected delight.
He seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, yesterday, my subject and the coroner Shen conducted an investigation and questioned the palace maids and eunuchs in Consort Wu's palace. We obtained some statements, which Your Majesty is kindly requesting to review."
He presented his confession, which the emperor initially read attentively, but later skimmed through it, even skipping to the very end.
He spoke with an imposing air, his voice deep and authoritative: "The testimonies of the palace maids and eunuchs are unreliable, and there is suspicion that they were obtained through torture."
Based on the coroner's examination results, it is inferred that Wu Meiren likely drowned accidentally.
This case is now closed; there's no need to investigate further. You two have rendered meritorious service in investigating the case, and I will reward you accordingly!
“But Your Majesty…” Xiao Ji wanted to struggle a little more.
The emperor immediately shut him up, saying, "Alright, I have important business to attend to. You may all leave the palace."
Xiao Ji lowered his head and smiled bitterly; this result was not unexpected at all.
"Yes, I will retire."
Xiao Ji led Shen Lan out and saw Xiao's father and a group of ministers filing in.
The father and son exchanged a glance and passed each other.
The Privy Councilor walking ahead of him joked, "Old Xiao is so lucky! He has a harmonious marriage and a successful son. We are all so envious."
Other officials echoed.
"Indeed, Lord Xiao's talent for solving cases is unparalleled in the court. He will surely succeed his father-in-law in the future."
"Minister Zhao really knows how to choose a son-in-law. Isn't this much easier than raising a son?"
"Haha...that's right, but does that mean we'll be able to drink at both weddings soon?"
Mr. Xiao said happily, "The wedding date is set for this autumn. We hope everyone will come and join us for a celebratory drink!"
"That's for sure."
Shen Lan and Xiao Ji were halfway there when the eunuch delivering the reward caught up with them.
"Lord Xiao, Coroner Shen, please wait!"
At this time, there were still many officials on the road, who stopped and looked in this direction.
"Who are those two young men?"
"I don't recognize the woman, but the man is the son of Scholar Xiao, the renowned Judge Xiao."
"So it was him. He's really young. Scholar Xiao must have no worries with such an outstanding son."
"That's not necessarily the case."
"How to say?"
"Of course, it's because our Judge Xiao is already twenty and still unmarried, with no children. Which parent wouldn't be anxious?"
"Didn't they say they were engaged to Minister Zhao's family?"
“It’s fine for the man to be a bit older, but Miss Zhao is still unmarried at her age. I wonder if Lord Xiao has any thoughts on this.”
Xiao Ji bowed to the eunuch and said, "Steward Huang, does His Majesty have any further instructions?"
Eunuch Huang said with a smile, "It's a gift from the Emperor. There are quite a few things. I'll send someone to deliver them back to your residence."
He was followed by a group of eunuchs, each carrying something in their hands.
It's clear that the Emperor's reward this time was indeed very generous.
These things were probably not meant to reward Xiao Ji for his quick investigation, but rather to shut them up.
Xiao Ji's expression was awkward, as if he had swallowed a fly, but he quickly adjusted his mindset and happily accepted the gift.
When the officials who were watching saw such a spectacle, they quickly found out what merit Xiao Ji had made.
"So it was an accidental drowning, then he didn't deserve any credit, did he? He wasn't needed to investigate the case anyway."
"No, no, no, the most important thing is that the favored Consort Lin has been cleared of suspicion, and the Emperor is happy."
"That's true, after all, it's a new favorite, so people will naturally pay more attention to it."