"At this critical juncture, the appearance of a memorial requesting my second brother to be granted the title of heir apparent has made me suspicious."
Bai Baozhu voiced all her suspicions.
While she was on the phone, all the food on the table had been eaten, and Gu Xin was calmly wiping her mouth.
"So, Princess Baozhu, you think there's something wrong with Second Master Bai, right?" Gu Xin put down her handkerchief and summarized Bai Baozhu's words.
"I don't know." Bai Baozhu shook her head, somewhat confused. "Maybe someone framed my second brother. It could be Shijie or my third brother, because after the investigation, they are the two most likely to benefit in the end."
"Hmm?" Gu Xin was taken aback and asked, "Why would the princess think that way?"
"Your Highness, I don't know what happened. Anyway, after Father fell ill before the New Year and mentioned that he would petition for the title of Heir Apparent on behalf of Shijie, the atmosphere at home changed. Before, my siblings and I had a very good relationship. I am ten years older than Shijie. When I got married, my third brother's daughter was born, and my nephews and nieces also got along very well. After my eldest brother passed away, apart from sadness, everyone's relationship remained the same until Father fell ill and mentioned the matter of petitioning for the title of Heir Apparent. It felt like everyone had changed." Bai Baozhu's tears flowed again.
“Princess Baozhu believes that your brothers, as well as your eldest brother’s son, are all vying for the position of heir apparent and have done something in secret, right?” Gu Xin asked.
“Yes. Father’s death must be related to one of them.” Bai Baozhu insisted on her idea.
“Alright, then please have Princess Baozhu lead us to the mourning hall first. This lady beside me is Zheng Qiu, the coroner from the Dali Temple. Under her supervision, there are no wrongful convictions.” Gu Xin nodded and then introduced Zheng Qiu to Bai Baozhu.
She had only heard Second Master Bai introduce the Bai family members, but he hadn't introduced the people around her.
"May I ask Your Highness, is an autopsy required when Zheng, the coroner, conducts a post-mortem examination?" Bai Baozhu asked, frowning.
“Yes. Because to determine the cause of the prince’s death, if it cannot be determined from the surface of the body, then an autopsy is the only option,” Gu Xin said.
“If we can find the real culprit, I’m willing to do so. But what about my mother and brothers…” Bai Baozhu hesitated.
“I’m here on orders. If anyone doesn’t cooperate, I’ll have no choice but to ask them to take refuge in the government jail for the time being,” Gu Xin said seriously.
Bai Baozhu pursed her lips and said nothing more.
She led Gu Xin and the others towards the mourning hall.
The layout inside the Prince's Mansion was different from the outside. Although no one came to pay their respects, a mourning hall had been set up, and upon approaching, one could smell a strong scent of incense, candles, and paper money.
At this moment, Bai Siye Bai Jiasheng and his son Bai Shiqi are keeping vigil in the mourning hall. When they saw Bai Baozhu bringing Gu Xin and the others over, Bai Siye stepped forward to pay his respects, ignoring Bai Baozhu.
"Did Your Highness bring a coroner to perform the autopsy?" Master Bai asked directly.
"Yes, so please keep away, everyone else." Gu Xin said coldly.
“Your Highness may be a first-rank princess protecting the nation, but you don’t have that authority! The proper way to deal with the dead is to be laid to rest in peace. We are willing to cooperate with Your Highness to find out the truth about our father’s death, but we brothers will absolutely not allow you to do anything to our father’s body. Even if Your Highness is a princess personally appointed by the Emperor and has a noble status, you cannot disregard our wishes and force an autopsy on our father’s body.” Master Bai’s words were very straightforward; in short, we did not wish to.
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