Chapter 89 Lord Meng, please accept my condolences.
Chapter 89 Lord Meng, please accept my condolences.
Zheng--------
Meng Huaiyan was so shocked by the news that his ears rang slightly, as if he had suddenly gone deaf and could not hear any sound from the outside world.
His breathing stopped abruptly. Meng Huaiyan tried to speak, but despite opening his mouth wide, he couldn't utter a sound for a long time.
He staggered toward Qingyang, looking at him with a panicked expression.
"You...you...what did you just say?!"
Meng Huaiyan's tone was filled with shock, disbelief, and a plea that he hoped he had misheard.
Since following the Crown Prince, Qingyang has experienced so many things, big and small, and even in the most critical and life-or-death moments, he has never seen the Crown Prince with such an expression.
Qingyang's eyes were filled with sorrow, and his heart ached as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. He prostrated himself on the ground and said in grief.
"Your Highness, a fire broke out at the Cui Ming Pavilion where the Princess Consort was staying. The fire was too big, and the Princess Consort could not be rescued."
"The Crown Princess and Ah Yun burned together... burned to death inside."
Upon hearing this, Meng Huaiyan's face turned pale, and his body swayed slightly uncontrollably. Qingyang tried to help him up, but Meng Huaiyan pushed him away.
Meng Huaiyan clenched his fists, muttering unconsciously to himself.
"I...I don't believe it, I don't believe it!!!"
"That's not her, you must have made a mistake! How could she... how could she... be dead..."
He went to see her before going on duty today. She was lying peacefully in bed, sleeping so soundly. It had only been half a day...
"Impossible! Impossible!"
Suppressing his fear and apprehension, Meng Huaiyan strode towards the door.
"Your Highness!"
Seeing the young master walking away quickly and unsteadily, Qingyang shouted worriedly and immediately followed him.
The fire at Cuiminglou was too fierce; it was only recently that the fire was barely extinguished.
The Cuiminglou building is now unrecognizable; all that remains are billowing black smoke and charred skeletons.
The desolate ruins and barren landscape before my eyes speak volumes about the ferocity of the fire...
The surrounding crowd was packed in layers, discussing the source of the fire.
Suddenly, a gap appeared in the crowd, and as soon as the people saw the newcomer, they all fell silent in unison, and the once chaotic and noisy street instantly became quiet.
Their eyes unconsciously held sympathy and pity as they looked at Meng Huaiyan.
Meng Huaiyan was oblivious to all of this. From the moment he stepped into the place, his attention was completely drawn to the two figures covered with white cloth in the open space in the center.
The closer he got, the more his steps faltered. Meng Huaiyan felt as if he had been burned by that white hue, experiencing intense, visceral pain from body to soul.
Meng Huaiyan was breathing rapidly, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stopped a few steps away from her, trembling all over but not daring to take another step forward.
When Zheng Junmao, the commander of the military garrison, saw him arrive, he stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said with deep sorrow, "Lord Meng, please accept my condolences."
My condolences? What condolences?
That's not Shen Tang at all. Shen Tang must still be waiting for him obediently in the manor. She must be there!
Meng Huaiyan tried to turn around, but his body was so stiff that he couldn't move at all.
Zheng Junmao stepped forward and lifted the white cloth covering the area.
The bodies of "Chen Tang" and "A Yun" suddenly appeared before his eyes.
The two people's faces were burned beyond recognition by the fire, their bodies were charred black, and there was no trace of their former familiarity.
This scene was so stimulating to Meng Huaiyan that he felt as if his heart was being torn apart by a thousand knives. The pain made his vision go black in waves, and a metallic taste suddenly welled up in his throat.
Meng Huaiyan swallowed the blood in his mouth expressionlessly, his body involuntarily taking a step back, his heart screaming incessantly.
That's not Shen Tang! That's not it!
Meng Huaiyan took a step to leave, but his eyes were suddenly drawn to something on the wrist of one of the female corpses. His eyes widened instantly, and he rushed forward, kneeling on the ground to examine the wrist closely.
The fire had deformed and blackened the bracelet, but Meng Huaiyan still recognized it at a glance as the tortoiseshell bracelet with gold and jewels that he had personally put on Shen Tang's wrist yesterday.
Meng Huaiyan held that hand tightly, his head bowed, his loose hair obscuring part of his face, making it impossible to see his expression.
But those around him could still feel the grief and sorrow emanating from him.
The marriage between Meng Huaiyan and Shen Tang has been a hot topic in the capital. People have many different opinions about the reasons behind the prince's request for a marriage decree.
However, he didn't mention that he took the initiative to propose to Shen Tang because he liked her, since everyone could see that the prince had been disdainful of Shen Tang for the past two years.
But now that "Chen Tang" has suddenly passed away unexpectedly, the onlookers, seeing how sad Prince Meng is, finally realized that they might have been wrong.
Prince Meng must have feelings for Shen Tang.
Seeing Meng Huaiyan like this, Zheng Junmao felt a pang of pity and reluctance in his eyes, but still spoke to him.
“Lord Meng, I just investigated and found traces of tung oil still remaining at the scene. The coroner also examined your wife’s body and, judging from her manner of death, she was likely tied to a chair before she died.”
"Furthermore, I questioned the waiter at the teahouse, and he said that the third floor is very well lit during the day, and there are no candles lit inside."
"Many of the guards who accompanied and protected your lady witnessed three men in black fighting with her and being unable to break free."
"All indications suggest that this fire was not accidental, but rather a deliberate act of revenge. Lord Meng, please recall if you have offended anyone recently?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Huaiyan's eyes flickered slightly, and a different expression finally appeared on his grief-stricken and wooden face.
Meng Huaiyan's eyes darkened, and the thought of Prince An flashed through his mind.
He couldn't think of anyone else in the capital who hated him so deeply, and who also had so many skilled fighters around him.
Meng Huaiyan suddenly clenched his fist over "Chen Tang". At this moment, his killing intent towards Prince An was like a raging fire, burning away his already limited rationality.
He must kill him!!!
A loud "smack!"
Someone rushed up to Meng Huaiyan and slapped him hard across the face.
A commotion and gasps erupted from the crowd, for not many people in the capital dared to openly hit Meng Huaiyan.
When the people looked up and saw that it was Empress Wang Xi, they immediately understood.
Wang Xi and Shen Tang's relationship was famously good in the capital. Now that Shen Tang had suddenly died, it was not surprising that she came to stand up for him.
Wang Xi arranged all of this herself, so she naturally knew that the real Shen Tang was not dead.
But whenever she thought about what Meng Huaiyan had done to Shen Tang, and now saw his feigned pain, she couldn't suppress the anger in her heart.
If it weren't for him, how could Shen Tang have suffered so much?
If it weren't for him, how could Shen Tang have been forced to leave her hometown while pregnant?
With her leaving, she and her friend might never see each other again in this lifetime.
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