nucmednet Chapter 264 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 3
Chapter 264 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 3
Lin Miaoniang sat there blankly for a long time until a shadow fell in front of her.
She looked up and saw Xiao Ji dressed in a scarlet official robe.
She subconsciously tilted her head to look behind him, met Shen Lan's gaze, and a tear instantly rolled down her cheek.
She got up and rushed towards Shen Lan, hugging her and crying loudly.
This was the loudest she had cried in years, and also the most relaxed she had ever been.
Shen Lan subconsciously reached out and patted her back, about to speak when she heard a voice calling in her ear: "Lan'er... Lan'er..."
Shen Lan's eyes widened, and her whole body stiffened.
Xiao Ji stepped outside, closed the door, and gave them enough time and space.
Shen Lan's lips twitched, and she asked with reddened eyes, "Miao Niang, is it really you?"
"It's me! I never thought we'd meet again, I'm so lucky!"
Shen Lan smiled bitterly. She should have asked earlier. If they had recognized each other when they first met, perhaps they could have prevented Lin Miaoniang from entering the palace.
"Are you... alright?" She looked Lin Miaoniang up and down.
She wore a long brocade dress, her hair adorned with jewels, and she looked radiant; she seemed to be living a very good life.
But behind this apparent good fortune lies a huge crisis.
"Okay, I'm fine. I just miss you. I thought I'd never see you again."
"How did you know it was me?" Shen Lan asked suspiciously.
When they finally parted ways, Shen Lan did not tell her her name.
"Yes... I heard from someone that Lord Xiao has a very capable and beautiful coroner by his side. The name matches, the age matches, and I hit it off with you at first sight, so I knew it must be you!"
Shen Lan sighed, "If only I had told you my name sooner."
"It's not too late now, let me take a good look."
Lin Miaoniang pulled her to sit down and stuffed the fruits and pastries on the table into her hands, "This plum blossom cake is delicious, and these are freshly delivered peaches, they're very sweet..."
She even took out her jewelry box for Shen Lan to choose from.
Shen Lan refused, saying, "You know I'm here today to investigate a case."
"Oh dear, I forgot about Lord Xiao."
Lin Miaoniang ran to open the door and smiled apologetically at Xiao Ji outside, "I'm sorry, our sisters' gathering has taken up Lord Xiao's time."
Xiao Ji shook his head: "It's alright, a little while won't make a difference."
He hadn't expected that this person was actually from Shen Lan's hometown. It seemed that this case was bound to be solved no matter what.
He walked into the room and saw Shen Lan's red eyes, so he handed her a handkerchief.
"Business is important. You can continue your conversation after we finish asking the questions."
Shen Lan nodded, wiped her face with a handkerchief, and then casually put it into her purse.
Lin Miaoniang watched their interaction with interest.
She knew that Xiao Ji had a fiancée, but if he had feelings for Shen Lan, perhaps the two of them were not impossible.
At worst, she could find a way to kill that Miss Zhao before she died.
Did you notice anything unusual when you left Wu Meiren's residence last night?
Lin Miaoniang had been thinking about Xiao Ji's question for a whole day. She said, "If there's anything unusual, I just felt that it was too quiet at the time, and my personal maid didn't see anything either."
But Wu Meiren had said she didn't like having anyone around her, so I didn't think much of it at the time.
"Did you smell anything strange while you were in Consort Wu's bedchamber? Or did you feel unwell?"
Shen Lan asked her to extend her hand so she could take her pulse.
No abnormalities were found in the pulse, but it cannot be ruled out that some drugs evaporate quickly.
"She was burning orchid incense in her room, it smelled wonderful, and I even asked her for some more." Lin Miaoniang went to get a box of incense.
Incense is fine too.
If there had been a problem, Lin Miaoniang would likely have been affected as well, but she left Wu Meiren's place unharmed.
Therefore, it was not unreasonable for the palace maid to suspect her.
Xiao Ji walked around the room.
It's clear that Lin Miaoniang is indeed very favored; the furnishings in her bedchamber are more expensive than those in Consort Wu's.
Did you bathe with Consort Wu last night?
Lin Miaoniang said in surprise, "No, she invited me to bathe with her, but I refused. I said a few words to her through the screen and then left."
Did you two have an argument at the time?
"No, she teased me for being thin-skinned, and I replied that she was shameless. She then splashed water on me through the screen, so I pretended to be angry and walked away."
Lin Miaoniang recalled something and said, "My clothes were wet at the time, and a palace maid went to get me a cloak from Consort Wu."
She took off the cloak draped over the screen and handed it to them, saying, "This is it."
Shen Lan unfolded her cloak, and a light fragrance wafted out, not the scent of orchids.
She leaned closer and sniffed it. "Did you re-scent this cloak?"
"No, that happened right after I got back, I didn't have time to fumigate my clothes."
Xiao Ji walked over and took a look, then lifted the cloak and said, "This cloak is made of the finest snow fox fur, and the outer layer is made of gold brocade. It doesn't seem like something that Consort Wu could afford."
"Not hers?"
“That belongs to Consort Xie. I’ve seen her wear it, and it was sent by her family.” A voice came from outside the door.
The three of them looked outside at the same time and saw a concubine standing gracefully outside the door, waving a round fan in her hand.
Her beauty was dignified and elegant, her makeup was appropriate, and her clear eyes curved like crescent moons when she smiled, making her look innocent and harmless.
When Shen Lan saw the face that resembled Fu Qingyan's, she immediately understood her identity.
"Xiao Ji, now that you've come to my Shuyu Palace, why don't you go and sit with your cousin?"
Xiao Ji stepped forward helplessly and said in a low voice, "I'm here to investigate a case."
"Hmph, of course I know you're here to investigate a case, otherwise how could I have seen you in the harem?" Consort Li said with a sigh.
She sighed, "It's been years since I last saw you. You've grown taller and more mature. I've heard the Emperor mention you quite often."
Her words were also a way of telling Xiao Ji how highly the Emperor valued him.
Compared to Xiao's father, Consort Li had more opportunities to chat with the Emperor and was more likely to whisper in his ear.
The fact that the Emperor remembered Xiao Ji must be partly due to her efforts.
Shen Lan and Lin Miaoniang stepped forward to pay their respects to Consort Li.
"Get up. Consort Lin is just unlucky to have been implicated in a murder case. If I were the Emperor, I wouldn't believe you would kill Consort Wu."
Lin Cairen said gratefully, "Thank you for your trust, Consort Li."
"This is not out of trust in you, but because you have the Emperor's favor. Even if you have a deep-seated hatred for her, you don't need to kill her. There are plenty of ways to kill her if you want to."
But clearly, someone wants to kill two birds with one stone, eliminating both you and Lady Wu.
Xiao Ji pointed at the cloak and asked, "Cousin just said this cloak belongs to Consort Xie?"
"It's hers, I'm sure of it."
"How did her cloak end up in Consort Wu's room? It looks quite new and doesn't appear to have been abandoned."
Consort Li waved her fan and said, "Consort Xie treasures this cloak. When she first got it, she wore it every day to show it off, as if she was afraid we wouldn't know she had a wealthy family."
She also remembered something and told Xiao Ji, "By the way, Consort Xie's family is in the medicinal herb business, and they are even imperial merchants. I heard that the Emperor gets medicine from the Xie family every month."