83. Panic

Three dead?

Chapter 83

A few days later, this year's spring hunting in Songshan finally ended, and hundreds of people began to set off to return to Shengjing.

During this hunting competition, Ji Kang hunted the most and most difficult prey. It is said that when the emperor asked him to whom he would give the prey, he presented the strongest stag to the emperor in front of all the officials, and the rest to Princess Liang.

This action made everyone envious of Princess Liang, but they could notice that the Queen couldn't help but have an ugly look on her face.

Apart from this incident, I heard that those Taoists who were looking for immortality traveled all over Mount Song but were unable to find the secret of immortality.

The emperor was dissatisfied, and he was also dissatisfied with Ji Ci who had returned to the capital earlier. Anyone with a discerning eye could see it.

The day before leaving, the emperor sent eunuch Li to invite Jiang Qiuye to the main camp.

The light was dim, and she knelt on the ground with her head down, not knowing why the emperor had called her here today.

"Princess Qi, why did Prince Qi suddenly leave the team and return to Shengjing first?"

It turned out that it was because he left first. Jiang Qiuye knew very well that although Ji Ci's attitude towards her was unclear at the moment, as a princess, she and he were still in the same boat for the time being.

She raised her head, respectfully and apprehensively speaking, "Your Majesty, I'm ashamed to say this. It all started with an argument between me and the prince a while ago, and I managed to anger him enough to make him leave. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Quarrel? What's the matter?" The emperor seemed unconvinced, staring at her with his sharp eyes.

Jiang Qiuye pursed her lips, seeming to find it difficult to speak. She said, "I was disrespectful to my cousin Wan'er. The prince has explained this to me many times, but I still misunderstand him. That day, I lost my temper and beat and scolded him, which made him leave in anger. I know I have committed a serious offense, and now I dare not face the prince directly."

She hesitated for a moment, "Right now, our relationship is strained, and I have an unwelcome request."

"explain."

"The prince seems unwilling to forgive me. He has always been obedient to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty tells him to go east, he would never dare to go west. If Your Majesty could say a few good words for me in front of Your Majesty, I would be grateful."

The emperor paused, looking at her aggrieved face. After a moment, he laughed and said, "So that's how it is. My brother is too petty. Don't worry, Princess. I will definitely say a few words to him. However, I can't interfere too much in such a private family matter."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty." She prostrated herself and kowtowed again to express her gratitude.

The emperor played with the jade pen in his hand and said with concern, "I wonder how Prince Qi's condition has improved these days. I heard that he has improved a lot, all thanks to the efforts of Princess Qi. Is this true?"

Jiang Qiuye's eyes rolled, and he immediately realized that the emperor's concern at this time was not genuine.

For a long time, in addition to Prince Qi's own intentions, his anorexia had also made him lose his right to inherit the throne. As a ruler, he could not afford to be plagued by such a stubborn disease.

And if the emperor knew that his illness had improved and there were signs of recovery, he would certainly take action against him as he did against his other brothers.

How could he allow someone who was more powerful than him and posed a threat to him to survive in this world?

She frowned calmly and quickly replied, "Speaking of this, I am ashamed. The prince has been suffering from a chronic illness for many years, and it's difficult to cure. Although I have some knowledge of medicinal food and can help him eat more, it's only a temporary solution. In recent days, the prince's health has not improved."

"Prince Qi's illness really requires a lot of worry. The princess must do her best to take care of him in the future." The emperor sighed helplessly.

"Prince Qi returned to Shengjing without a word. Honestly, he truly doesn't take me seriously. I didn't expect it was because of a romantic relationship. Princess, please don't act like that again when you return. As a wife, you must be considerate of your husband and avoid letting Prince Qi do such disrespectful things again."

"Your Majesty's warning will be kept in mind. I will certainly let the prince know when I return." Jiang Qiuye knelt down and kowtowed again in fear.

The emperor was warning her openly and covertly, telling her to keep an eye on Prince Qi and not to make any suspicious moves.

Now she could only agree with them one by one with a fake smile.

It seems that the emperor's fear of Prince Qi is deeper than he imagined.

"Okay, go down."

"Yes, I will take my leave."

She still didn't know how Ji Ci treated her, and the emperor was so suspicious, so she couldn't help but feel more uncertain about the future.

The emperor's look made her suddenly realize that he seemed to be intending to attack Ji Ci.

On the way back to Beijing, Jiang Qiuye was extremely anxious, but he could not rush, nor could he ride back first.

"Mingyue, where are we?" Jiang Qiuye called Mingyue in the carriage, feeling anxious.

"Princess, we have already completed half of the journey, and there is still half to go." Mingyue couldn't help but blush and cover her mouth with her hands while smiling.

The princess asked this question no less than ten times along the way. I felt that the princess missed the prince and was eager to see him.

Jiang Qiuye had no idea what Mingyue was thinking. She lifted the curtain and looked at the beautiful scenery outside the car, but she had no intention of admiring it.

The longer they were apart, the more worried she became. Now he was extremely disappointed in her, and if she didn't do something, it would be too late.

But on the bright side, he wouldn't necessarily doubt her identity. She had simply hidden her archery skills, and he had always known her true nature.

It's just that I didn't fulfill my promise to him. He may not be there the whole day.

After comforting herself, she felt relieved a little, but her fingers were still clenched tightly.

On the second day, the entire convoy came to a standstill.

Mingyue entered the carriage and said, "Princess, due to the continuous heavy rain here a few days ago, the mountain ahead has collapsed. The emperor has sent people to repair it, so we may have to stay here for a while."

After hearing this, Jiang Qiuye exerted force suddenly and broke the silver chopsticks in his hand, ignoring Mingyue's stunned expression.

She opened the carriage door and got out. She saw that everyone had started cooking on the spot and seemed to be ready for a short stay.

She let out a breath, ordered someone to bring her horse, mounted it and headed forward to investigate.

Arriving at the landslide site, Zhou Chenghu was leading his men with shovels to clear a path. He looked to be in his forties, his face etched with age, and he was wearing the soft armor of a Zhonglang Jiang.

Zhou Chenghu was startled when he saw her and immediately came over, "Princess, this is dangerous. Please go back to your tent first."

Jiang Qiuye looked at the huge rock in front of him, feeling even more depressed. He frowned and asked, "How long will it take to open the way?"

"This huge rock is heavy, and it's also supporting the mountain behind it, so we first have to build pillars for the landslide, then break the rock and clear the road before we can pass. This will probably take a week."

Jiang Qiuye nodded. The emperor's attitude forced her to stay with the team and not move. And this was the only way to Shengjing. Even if she wanted to gallop, she had to wait until this road was open.

She sighed and retreated towards the carriage. On the way, she saw people with mournful expressions on their faces, which made her feel puzzled.

The convoy was surrounded by imperial guards and no outsiders were allowed to approach, so these people could only sit together in a remote corner far away.

The cries of little kids could be heard one after another, and everyone was covered in dust.

She dismounted and headed towards an old woman. When she was still some distance away, she saw her sitting by the roadside in tears, complaining, "Oh my God! I'm trapped here, with no village in front and no shop behind. How can I survive these days? I don't know how my son is doing over there, and whether he's in danger. God bless me! God bless me!"

"Don't cry! I heard that's the royal convoy over there. The convoy is also stopped here. If His Majesty hears about it, he will definitely be dissatisfied. Be careful not to get lost."

After hearing this, the old woman didn't dare to cry anymore. She could only turn her back and quietly wipe away the tears from her face.

Jiang Qiuye felt calm and stopped. The life and death of others had nothing to do with her.

But when he thought about the scene that Ji Ci saw that day, he was speechless.

She led the little white horse and went back to Zhou Chenghu, suggesting, "General Zhou, I see many people trapped along the road. I wonder what the damage is like on the other side of the mountain. If you could send two men across to investigate, it would help calm the people."

Zhou Chenghu's eyes lit up, and he bowed to her, saying, "That's a good idea, Princess. I'll pass the order along right away."

She felt something strange in her heart, raised her hand to scratch her temples and left. She then arranged for Mingyue and other subordinates to distribute the extra food to the people.

Mingyue agreed immediately, saying that the princess was kind and prepared to send someone to carry out the mission.

"Wait." Jiang Qiuye suddenly thought of something and immediately stopped her, "Remember, don't do this in the name of the prince, do it in the name of the emperor."

Mingyue didn't understand, but she agreed anyway.

Now she couldn't walk over the mountain alone, so she could only keep herself busy to suppress the anxiety and panic in her heart.

Sure enough, two days later, the emperor personally sent Eunuch Li to her residence and privately praised her for several pieces of silk.

…

It has been some time since Ji Ci returned to Shengjing. He has been busy handling official business every day, trying to get rid of all the messy guesses in his mind.

"Your Highness, the Shao Yin of Jingzhao requests to see you." Tian went into the study and reported.

"Shao Yin of Jingzhao?" Ji Ci stopped writing and ordered Tian to invite the person in.

He usually never asked about the civil cases in Jingzhao Prefecture, unless there was an unsolved case that they could not solve, then they would occasionally come to him for advice.

After entering the palace, Jingzhao Shaoyin first bowed respectfully to Ji Ci.

Seeing that this person was so young, like the scholar who won the imperial examination a few years ago, he was slightly surprised and asked, "Where is Lord Wu from before?"

The Jingzhao Shaoyin replied, "Lord Wu is old and retired to his hometown some time ago. My name is Gu, and I have just taken on the position of Shaoyin. I know Your Highness is very busy, but I still came to bother you. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

"Lord Gu, you are overly concerned. Lord Wu used to come to me whenever he had doubts. I wonder why Lord Gu came here today?"

"Your Highness, last year, Jingzhao Prefecture arrested a serial killer who had repeatedly broken into homes and robbed innocent people. He was sentenced to execution this autumn. However, a few days ago, he suddenly recanted his confession in prison, denying a case he had committed."

Ji Ci suddenly understood why the Shao Yin had come to him; he must have noticed something unusual about the case. However, because the case had been closed so long ago, the Jingzhao Yin and the elders in the Jingzhao Prefecture were certainly unwilling to re-investigate the past.

"So, what's unusual about this case?"

Gu Shaoyin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ji Ci had listened to him, and continued, "There are two suspicious points in this case."

"I've come into contact with this prisoner. Although he's guilty of the most heinous crimes, he's honest and has confessed to all his crimes. But he's denied one of them. Regardless of whether he committed one, he's sentenced to death. Denying that case doesn't benefit him. That's one reason."

"The criminal's previous killing method was always to kill with a single blow, but in that case, the three victims were all dismembered, and it looked like they had been torn apart violently. This is the second reason."

Ji Ci raised his eyes, a gloomy look flashing across his eyes, "Three dead? What case is this?"

"They were three male corpses, dismembered and buried outside Beijing. Autumn rains washed away the dirt, and they were discovered by an old man passing by."

Three men... Qiuyu...

"When did it happen?"

"At the end of September last year."

"A specific date."

"September 25th."

Ji Ci lowered his head, tightly grasped the purse at his waist, and recalled carefully.

He remembered that around that date, the Duke of Anguo had sent three men to monitor Qiu Ziye. Later, in the Jinpin Pavilion, Tian Qu and the secret guards reported her missing. He was anxious at the time and led his men to surround the Jinpin Pavilion, but he was indeed missing.

But later, she suddenly appeared, and it seemed that at the same time, the three men who followed her disappeared. Although he was suspicious at the time, he did not pay much attention to people outside the Zhang family case because of the incident.

Could it be that his young wife is the real murderer in this case?

He calmly comforted Gu Shaoyin, sent him away, and returned to his study, pressing his solar plexus. He recalled and analyzed the doubts he had been avoiding these days.

The three people who had followed her and disappeared, Susu's death, Jinhong's sudden departure, her archery skills and martial arts.

After connecting all of this, he felt a severe headache.

"God damn it!" he shouted loudly outside the study.

"What are your orders, my Lord?"

"Send someone to Wuzhou to investigate all of the princess's past experiences and bring them back to me."

Tian Qu was stunned, not understanding what this meant, but he immediately said yes.

A few petals blew down from the window, landing on his desk. He gently picked them up and sniffed them. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. With a blank expression, he added, "Oh, and also bring Qiu Ziye's portrait from the Wuzhou period."