There is a god in the sky

Chapter 267 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 6

Lin Miaoniang held Shen Lan's hand and asked with a smile, "Lan'er, are you afraid I'll become a murderer?"

Shen Lan shook her head, "You've only recently gained favor and have no real power base in the palace, making you vulnerable to being framed."

"You understand me best, but maybe this is just fate."

Lin Miaoniang curtsied to Xiao Ji, "I entrust the case to Lord Xiao, and I also ask you to take good care of Lan'er."

"You're too kind, Lady Lin. It's just my duty."

Seeing that they were on important business, Lin Miaoniang didn't disturb them. On her way back, she encountered Consort Xie traveling in a sedan chair.

She and her palace servants knelt to the side, waiting for Consort Zhao's sedan chair to pass by.

Consort Xie glanced down at her, then slightly raised her hand, and the sedan chair came to a stop.

"Did Consort Lin just come out of Linhua Palace?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"What? Aren't you afraid of places where people have died? Or do you want to see how Consort Wu died?" Consort Xie asked sarcastically.

Lin Miaoniang replied with a smile, "Your Majesty misunderstands. It was Lord Xiao who summoned me to ask him questions."

"I see. That explains how someone who is confined to their quarters could still move around normally in the harem."

Consort Xie gave a cold laugh, raised her hand, and the sedan chair continued forward.

After everyone had gone, Xiaoxi spoke up for Lin Miaoniang, saying, "Lady, Consort Xie is bullying us too much."

"She's a Zhaoyi, the head of the Nine Concubines, what am I?"

Lin Miaoniang stood up with Xiaoxi's help and saw that Consort Xie's procession was heading towards the emperor, and that the eunuchs behind them were carrying a wooden box.

She heard from Li Ge that the emperor had to take the Shen family's secret medicine every month, and the Xie family was the one who supplied the medicine.

This is why Xie, despite being out of favor, was able to secure the position of Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine) despite being the daughter of a merchant.

It is said that even the Empress had to give her some face.

Such a person is certainly not someone a dancer like her can afford to offend.

"Let's go, go back."

Shen Lan looked around Wu Meiren's residence, inside and out, and then looked at the main hall next door and asked, "My lord, I would like to go and take a look over there."

Consort Xie moved in a hurry and left many things behind, so two eunuchs were left in her palace to guard her.

Upon seeing Xiao Ji and Shen Lan approach, the two asked imperiously, "Halt! What are you two doing here?"

"I'm here to investigate a case, of course." Xiao Ji walked forward, but was stopped by the two men.

"My lord, this is Consort Zhaoyi's palace. You have no right to enter!"

Xiao Ji asked with a smile, "His Majesty has granted me the right to move freely within the inner palace. I feel that this place is related to the case, so why can't I enter? Or are you trying to defy the imperial decree?"

"My lord, there's no need to use the Emperor to pressure us. We are merely fulfilling our duties and looking after the Consort's household."

"Didn't Consort Xie move away?"

"But there are still some valuables that haven't been moved."

"In that case, you can accompany me inside; it will be the same."

Seeing that they were still trying to stop her, Shen Lan flicked two small pebbles between her fingers, which hit their knees.

"Ah..." The two of them knelt down before Xiao Ji at the same time.

Xiao Ji asked in surprise, "Why are you two eunuchs performing such a grand ceremony?"

"you……"

"Very well, it seems you are unable to move around easily, so I will go in and take a look myself."

Xiao Ji walked past them and pushed open the door. Shen Lan followed behind. Seeing that the two were about to get up, she patted the nerves on their shoulders.

This palace is very large, more than three times the size of Consort Wu's small room.

The floor was covered with a soft Persian carpet, and the room was filled with a faint floral fragrance. Every piece of furniture was visibly precious.

"Consort Xie is indeed very wealthy."

"The Xie family are imperial merchants who control more than half of the medicinal herb business in the military, and they have shops all over the country."

"Yes, everyone gets sick, and even royalty is no exception."

Shen Lan walked straight to the dressing table where the jewelry was kept. "She took all the jewelry. It seems that Consort Xie only left behind things that were difficult to move."

"Well, it's impossible to settle a case based on a single feather."

"Can you smell the fragrance in this room, sir? Is it the same as the scent on the cloak?"

"Since that cloak belongs to Consort Xie, it's not surprising that it would have picked up the scent of this place."

Shen Lan was curious: "Why would Consort Xie lend her cloak, which she treasures so much, to Consort Wu?"

According to the information they gathered, Consort Xie and Lady Wu did not have a good relationship.

Consort Xie placed Lady Wu in her side palace to secure her favor with the emperor.

Unfortunately, even when the Emperor came to see Consort Wu, he rarely went to her place.

Shen Lan saw a bottle of essential oil on the dressing table, picked it up and smelled it, and then found that it also smelled of apricot blossoms.

The fragrance of apricot blossoms is not very strong, and few women like to use this flower to extract essential oils and for incense.

But Consort Xie was not short of money, so the things she used had to be different from others.

"I don't know if it's because there's an apricot grove behind Consort Wu's palace, but I always feel that this fragrance lingers in Consort Wu's room."

Shen Lan has a keen sense of smell. She hadn't paid attention to it before, but after visiting several places, she discovered that the fragrance in each palace was different.

"It cannot be ruled out that the two of them used the same fragrance."

"It seems we still have to ask the people serving Consort Wu. Besides that palace maid, is there anyone else?"

"Yes, I'll take you there."

The servants who served Consort Wu were all imprisoned in a side room. There were three palace maids and two eunuchs in total, and they all looked to be quite young.

When the door opened, the group looked over in silence.

Shen Lan pointed to a palace maid wearing a purple beaded flower in her hair, "What's your name?"

Only after Shen Lan repeated herself did the palace maid's eyes light up, and she rushed over, crying, "This servant is Zijuan, please save me, young lady!"

"Zijuan, is that right? Come out for a moment, Lord Xiao has some questions to ask."

The two men took her to the next room and, for a long while, did not ask her any questions, but instead looked her over.

Zijuan was filled with trepidation, bowing her head and clutching the hem of her clothes, awaiting judgment.

After a long while, Shen Lan gently comforted her, "Don't be nervous. Our superiors are officials from the Criminal Investigation Department. We're here to investigate Consort Wu's case. If we find the murderer, you can leave."

"Really?"

"of course it's true."

Xiao Ji coughed and asked seriously, "Which of you usually has the most trust from Consort Wu?"

"It's...it's Liu Rong."

Shen Lan knew that Liu Rong was the palace maid who had been guarding the side hall before.

"What kind of fragrance does Lady Wu usually like?"

This topic was too far off, and Zijuan paused for a moment before answering: "Consort Wu doesn't have a particular favorite fragrance. She usually just uses whatever fragrance the inner court sends her."

"Does she get along well with Consort Xie? Did they meet yesterday?"

“That’s good. Consort Xie often invites the master over for a short visit and always gives her gifts.”

"Everything Consort Zhao has is of high quality, and Consort Wu is always very happy to receive it."

Shen Lan and Xiao Ji exchanged a glance and realized that her words were different from what others had asked.

"Does Consort Wu often receive gifts from Consort Xie?"

"It's not very frequent, but Consort Xie is very generous. Even if she just leaves something out, it's a good thing for us."

This is true.