"Zhou Zifeng, you call yourself a scholar? Did Yun Yuan go to you to get medicine yesterday?" The Fujin had already sent someone to bring Doctor Zhou to the main room, where he was now being forced to the ground.
“Miss Yun did indeed visit yesterday. She had a knee injury and asked me to give her some medicine. Since I entered the manor, I have strictly adhered to the rules and never overstepped them. Why did Miss Yun jump into the lake to commit suicide? I beg Your Highness to investigate.” Zhou Zifeng hurriedly explained.
"Stop making excuses. Fangyun saw you harassing Yunyuan with her own eyes, and even saw her calves." Yanyu rushed to the Fujin's place after learning that Yunyuan had drowned in Bixin Lake, and kept pleading for Yunyuan's innocence.
"No, I didn't. I had Miss Yun Yuan cover everything below her knees. Besides, her knee injury is quite serious, probably from kneeling for too long." Doctor Zhou understood his situation and hurriedly told him what he knew.
Upon hearing his words, the Fujin looked at Yan Yu with a puzzled expression. The latter still looked sorrowful, seemingly still grieving over Yun Yuan's death.
"Madam, Sister Yun was punished by kneeling because she broke the princess's favorite jade hairpin. But she only knelt for an hour, not as serious as Doctor Zhou said. You clearly took the opportunity to harass Sister Yun, and now that she's dead, there's no way to prove it, so you can say whatever you want." Fangyun, always sharp-tongued, was even more eloquent at this moment: she had clearly used Yun Yuan's death to frame Zhou Zifeng, but now she was saying it was Zhou Zifeng's fault.
Sure enough, Dr. Zhou, who only knew how to study medical theory, was no match for Fangyun. He couldn't even utter a complete sentence.
"No, no. I didn't. I was just checking her injuries, I didn't mean any harm. Don't make false accusations," Zhou Zifeng said reluctantly.
"Elder sister, Yun Yuan was always perfectly fine, but ever since she went to Doctor Zhou's place yesterday, she's been acting strangely. And then…" If Yan Yu could live in the 21st century, she'd definitely be a movie queen. She and Fang Yun, one crying and the other arguing, cornered Zhou Zifeng, leaving even the Fujin (the wife of the deceased) baffled. This was because Yun Yuan's death was indeed inexplicable and without any warning.
“Zhou Zifeng, you are a doctor, yet you harbored ill intentions towards a respectable woman, even driving her to suicide. Lock him up first, and we will deal with him after I have thought things through.” The Fujin did not make an arbitrary judgment.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Yan Yu's eyes. She had originally intended to take this opportunity to drive Doctor Zhou out of the Fourth Prince's mansion, and then inform the Ninth Prince that Yun Yuan was already dead, so there was no one left who could overturn the case.
However, the princess consort...
“Yan Yu, you are currently in a heavy state and should not be easily angered or saddened. I will certainly handle Yun Yuan’s death impartially. However, the matter is not yet clear, and you are about to give birth, so it is not advisable to bleed. Let’s wait for Fourth Master to return before discussing it further.” As she said this, the Fujin waved for the men escorting Zhou Zifeng to take him away.
Seeing that things had already come to this, Yan Yu knew there was no point in saying anything more, so she decided to let Zhou Zifeng live a few more days.
Lanqin, supporting Nianxue, walked towards the place where Yun Yuan's body lay. This was the northwest corner of the Fourth Prince's mansion, a place rarely visited by anyone. It was connected to the mansion's training ground, located just behind it.
"Princess, we've arrived." Nianxue said, supporting Lanqin's arm, as she looked towards a dilapidated courtyard. This was where people who had committed offenses or were being punished were imprisoned, with only one eunuch guarding the gate.
Lanqin helped Nianxue up the steps one by one. The peeling paint on the courtyard gate shone with a special luster under the sunlight.
Lanqin thought the Fourth Prince's mansion was full of beautiful flowers and scenery, but she never expected there to be such a place.
"Gentlemen, not just anyone can enter here. Only the disabled, prisoners, or the dead are allowed to enter." The old eunuch guarding the gate saw a woman dressed in cloud-patterned satin and a woman who looked like a maid approaching, so he blocked them at the door.
“Father-in-law, please take this purse and buy some melon seeds and tea. Our princess wants to see the person who was brought in today,” Nianxue said.
"Two people have been brought in today, one dead and one alive. Who do you want to see?" The old eunuch, who had spent countless days there, had cloudy eyes and spoke with an air of arrogance, seemingly disregarding the newcomers. After saying this, he snatched the purse from Nianxue's hand.
"I only know one person, Yun Yuan, who just drowned in Bixin Lake. Who is the living one?" Lan Qin took some more gold melon seeds from her sleeve and handed them to the old eunuch.
"Doctor Zhou, who is connected to that drowned girl. Alas, he really doesn't know what's good for him. A perfectly good doctor, yet he had to seduce a maid." The old eunuch then took the gold melon seeds.
"I'd like to see Yun Yuan first, and then see Doctor Zhou. Would you be so kind as to do me this favor, Father-in-law?" Lan Qin took off the gold bracelet from her wrist and handed it to him.
The old eunuch gave Lanqin a deep look this time, then took the bracelet and stepped aside, saying, "It's only a quarter of an hour. I'll pretend I never saw anyone go in."
Lanqin glanced at it with a smile, then pulled Nianxue inside.
The master and servant arrived at the room where Yun Yuan's body was kept. They saw that her body was placed in a wooden coffin and covered with a white cloth.
The room was already in disrepair, with cobwebs hanging everywhere and so much dust that the original colors of the objects were no longer visible.
“Princess, I think we should go see Doctor Zhou. She’s already dead and can’t speak anymore.” Nianxue’s hands trembled slightly.
“Sometimes even the dead can talk.” Lanqin was actually a little scared, but she felt that Yun Yuan’s death was too sudden.
"Princess, don't scare me. Can dead people talk?" Nianxue didn't want to come, but she couldn't persuade Lanqin otherwise.
"Uncover that cloth!" Lanqin mustered her courage and took Nianxue's hand as they walked to the wooden coffin.
With trembling hands, Nianxue slowly peeled back the cloth, gradually revealing her pale face, which was already somewhat distorted.
"Oh dear~~" Nianxue quickly withdrew her hand, too frightened to look at the extremely pale and swollen face.
Lanqin stared at the face, forcing herself to look, and gradually, the fear subsided. She then examined the neck, and then the head.
"Princess, what are you doing?" Nianxue asked, puzzled, as Lanqin fiddled with Yun Yuan's hair.
"Check if she has any external injuries?" Lanqin said, gently stroking Yun Yuan's hair.
"Do you suspect that Yun Yuan did not commit suicide by drowning?" Nian Xue asked loudly.
"I just have some doubts!" Lanqin continued to examine Yun Yuan's head without giving up.
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