This is one of Princess Nanlin's personal maids, named A-Lu, while the slightly more composed one next to her is named A-Yin.
This Ah Yin may not be very talkative, but she seems much more composed than Ah Lü.
"Then tell me, what did your deceased do after she returned to the inn? Who did she meet?" Gu Xin asked again.
"Princess Xin Xin, our princess returned from the martial arts arena accompanied by the imperial physicians. After returning, the physicians examined her injuries, had a young apprentice prepare medicine, and gave us some ointment before leaving with the apprentice. The princess was angry, but because of the pain, she soon calmed down. We applied the medicine to her. An hour later, the princess woke up in pain. Just then, the medicine was ready, and we brought it to her. The princess said it was bitter and spilled a bowl, so A Yin brought her another. The princess drank the medicine and ate something. She was about to rest when Prince Tian Tian and his entourage came to visit her." The servants were dismissed. After Prince Tian left, the servants went in to help the princess change her clothes and apply medicine, after which the princess rested. The servant slept in the adjacent room. During the night, there was thunder and wind. The princess was afraid of thunder, and the servants always stayed with her on thunderous days, so they came over when they heard the noise. At first, the servant was curious, thinking the princess was tired and hadn't heard the thunder. Worried that the princess had only temporarily missed it, the servant waited by the bedside. The servant noticed the princess's hand outside the covers and put it back under the covers. Upon touching her hand…” A-Lu trembled even more violently, as if remembering something terrible.
"Don't be afraid, there are many people here, speak slowly." Gu Xin knew that this maid might have never seen a dead person before and was afraid in this situation, so she gently comforted her.
"The princess's hands were extremely cold, not the normal kind of cold. I've never seen a dead person before, but I've heard people say that when a person dies, their body is cold. I called out to the princess, but there was no response. Then I checked the princess's breath, and she wasn't breathing. After that, I went to call Ah Yin, and we went to find Lord Jiang together. And then, as I just mentioned," Ah Lu said, suppressing her fear as she recounted what had happened.
"You mean, after the deceased returned to the post station, besides the imperial physician and the apprentice who came with him, and the few of you who served him, he only saw Prince Tiantian? Prince Tiantian brought people and sent you away, but the people he brought stayed behind? Is that right?" Gu Xin asked, frowning.
“Princess Xinxin, it’s like this. The people Prince Tiantian brought were wearing black cloaks and looked short, about the same height as me. They were also carrying a box. They took that box with them when they left,” A-Lu replied.
"Was the person he brought male or female?" Gu Xin asked again.
“Princess Xin Xin, because that person was wearing a cloak and had their head covered, I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. But the box was being held by that person,” A-Lu said after thinking for a moment.
"When did they arrive, how long did they stay, and when did they leave? Also, around what time did you discover that the deceased was no longer breathing?" Gu Xin asked several questions in succession.
She had a guess in her mind about the people that Prince Tian Tian brought with him.
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