Chapter 140: Can I really give birth to a child in my old age?
Realizing this, both of them widened their eyes.
Stone varnish ranks first among combustion aids.
Just what they found was enough to burn the entire palace to ashes.
"No wonder even though so many people tried to put out the fire, it was too late and Concubine Han was burned to death."
Li Tianzhuo suddenly realized that even if he had not seen it with his own eyes, after seeing these ruins, he could simulate the raging fire in his mind.
"But we can't find this clue!"
"The people who entered the palace on the Lantern Festival can be checked. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has records in the books."
"Besides, even the imperial court doesn't have this kind of lacquer. It's all in the army of your grandmother, Miss Hua Yan!"
Deng Youning also felt a chill. So, there is a traitor in Hua Yan’s army?
But the stone paint clue alone is far from enough!
Deng Youning knew that this was indeed the case and didn't say anything more.
She continued walking into the palace and found something that had not yet been burned to ashes under a pool of ashes.
"Azhuo, look over there."
She pointed it out to Li Tianzhuo.
Seeing this, Li Tianzhuo took a step forward and kicked the pile of ashes with his foot, and found a complete rattle inside.
He picked up the rattle, blew off the dust on it, and gave it to Deng Youning.
"This is my first time walking into this place. I didn't expect that after 23 years, there are still so many clues left!"
The emperor has issued an order that no one is allowed to approach this place.
Now that Deng Youning had obtained permission to re-investigate what happened, Li Tianzhuo dared to follow her here.
Deng Youning did not reply, but studied the rattle carefully in the dim light of the lantern.
"The Ninth Prince had just been born when the accident happened. This thing should have been prepared for him by Concubine Han!"
Li Tianzhuo suddenly felt sorry for Jun Chenyi for a second. He should have been a child loved by his mother.
But he was murdered by a villain and lost his mother at birth.
I don’t know why, but my dad isn’t close to him.
Although they never asked, everyone could guess what a miserable life Jun Chenyi had lived in the palace when he was young!
"It seems like I'll have to ask Jiang Yuan to lead people to search for clues here tomorrow!"
He was just about to start looking for clues elsewhere when Deng Youning suddenly stopped him.
"Azhuo, come and take a look at this rattle."
"The workmanship is crude and the color is dull. It doesn't look like something from the palace at all!"
"And the seams on this drumhead are a little prickly if you touch them carefully. This kind of thing cannot possibly be used by the prince, right?"
Li Tianzhuo followed what she said and thought about it carefully, and it was indeed true!
As his fingers rubbed the drumsticks, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
There is a word "Liang" carved on the drumstick.
After seeing the word clearly, Li Tianzhuo was somewhat surprised.
"Ningning, this is the clue!"
He pointed at the word and said to Deng Youning excitedly.
After searching for a whole night, I finally found some valuable clues.
Deng Youning was confused this time. She asked tentatively, "You mean there might have been a child from outside the palace who followed his parents into the palace and happened to leave his rattle here. The child's surname is Liang. As long as we find this Liang family, we can find out what happened back then?"
Her words confused Li Tianzhuo.
"wrong!"
"This rattle is named Liang!"
Li Tianzhuo raised his eyebrows mysteriously.
There is a shop in the north of the city that specializes in selling children's toys, such as rattles, bamboo helicopters, mohelos, nine-ring toys, etc.
His family has a habit of engraving their family name - Liang - in an inconspicuous place on each product.
Li Tianzhuo had seen his brothers in the Silver Dragon Guard buy it for their children before, so naturally he had some understanding of this.
"Those who can bring their children into the palace with them are probably not too young and don't need to be with their parents all the time."
"But the child is playing with a rattle again, and he can't be too old either."
Deng Youning felt that the child should have been around five years old, which was the right age for both points.
About five years older than Jun Chenyi...
For some reason, Han Shaoxi's face suddenly flashed through Deng Youning's mind.
To be exact, when Han Shaoxi was just born, Aunt Han entered the palace as a concubine!
My aunt was already in her forties at that time. Could she really give birth to another child in her old age?
But the General's Mansion probably wouldn't buy such a crudely made rattle.
"Okay, Ningning, it's getting late today. I'll have the Silver Dragon Guard come back tomorrow to check."
Li Tianzhuo noticed that Deng Youning's brows were still furrowed and seemed to have not been smoothed out all night, and he was very worried about her mood.
"That's fine. I'm afraid grandma will worry if I don't go home so late."
Deng Youning responded and followed Li Tianzhuo out of the palace.
After returning to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, Deng Youning told Han Qiongyue about the search for Concubine Han's self-immolation in the palace today.
When talking about the discovery of the rattle, Han Qiongyue's expression was obviously a little strange.
But she only explained that she felt a little sad when she thought of Concubine Han.
No matter what Deng Youning asked, she stopped talking.
For several days, Deng Youning felt that her grandmother was acting strangely, and she asked Madam Dou to take a bag of silver to a place outside the capital.
Deng Youning originally wanted Ying Shi to go along and take a look, but Nanny Dou was very secretive and cautious, and she left Ying Shi behind as soon as they left the city.
"Miss, it's all because of my incompetence."
Ying Shi felt a little bit guilty, thinking that Aunt Dou’s methods were too cunning, and that the old ones were still the most experienced!
"Forget it, I don't blame you. If grandma really wanted to hide something, no one would know it, let alone us."
Han Qiongyue had been feeling uneasy lately, and Deng Youning had never seen her grandmother like this before.
Even when she learned that Deng Zheng had pushed her uncle off the cliff, she was not so restless.
It felt like I had done something wrong to someone and wanted to hide it as much as possible.
Deng Youning had great suspicions about her grandmother.
She felt that perhaps her grandmother or the old man of the Han family knew the truth about Concubine Han's death, but they were unwilling to say it.
"Has Lord Li found out anything?" Deng Youning asked.
"I found out. I heard from Xiu Ming this morning that the person who bought the rattle is a family named Qin."
Ying Shi's words made Deng Youning slam the table in surprise.
"What do you think that person's last name is? Qin?!"
Deng Youning's pupils suddenly shrank.
"Yes, miss. Any questions?"
Sakura didn't quite understand.
The surname Qin is very common!
She didn't know, but Deng Youning knew. Her grandmother had told her before that the family her aunt Han was betrothed to was surnamed Qin.
The Qin family originally held high official positions and were members of the Hanlin Academy who were forbidden to drink alcohol. However, because they were involved in a cheating case in the imperial examination that spring, the entire family was executed and exiled.
Several legitimate sons were beheaded along with Qin Jijiu, including Qin Sanlang, who was discussing marriage with Aunt Han.
As for the remaining distant relatives, female relatives, servants, etc., the emperor spared their lives and allowed them to be exiled to the northern border.
"How is the disaster relief work in the suburbs?"
"My uncle and brothers, do you need anything? We have nothing to do, so why don't we buy something from the city and send it to them?"
Deng Youning suddenly suggested that they should go and see Deng Ren, Jun Chenyi and others who were doing disaster relief outside the city.
It must not be easy for them outside in the wind and snow.
It is also only right that you send them some food and useful things.
"Okay, young lady. I'll send someone out to buy and prepare it right away."
After Yingshi left, Deng Youning called Yinhuan over again.
Let these secret guards of Wanshe Valley keep an eye on Han Shaoxi recently!
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