Chapter 52 Two Corpses
"However, for a woman like me who has a lot of lovers in the backyard, this is indeed the most convenient and easiest method." Qiandeng said silently.
"Now that the person behind the scenes is eager to come forward, it's not a bad thing that we know her details so early. The county lady doesn't need to worry too much. But there is another thing..."
Having said that, Cui Fufeng lowered his eyes and brushed away the snowflakes on his shoulders. After hesitating for a moment, he finally reminded her cryptically: "For what happened today, it's a good thing that Xue Xiyang came to see me."
Qian Deng nodded. "He was also the first person to discover the inside story of this matter. If he hadn't reported it in time, I wouldn't have been able to pull out the clue of Princess Gao's Mansion and fight back in Xuanhui Palace."
"He came to Hanyuan Palace to find me and told me that Princess Gao was behind the Yang Huaijiang case, and that today would be the day for the attack. He was worried that you would encounter difficulties in the palace. Although the Dali Temple has been ordered to handle all the troubles in your mansion, I am an outsider after all and cannot enter the palace. Fortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is willing to help."
When Cui Fufeng said the words "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince", he emphasized the words intentionally or unintentionally.
Ling Tianshui glanced at him thoughtfully: "I heard that Princess Changyi is the future Crown Princess?"
Cui Fufeng said, "Yes, it was decided when the late emperor was still alive, and the wedding is planned to be held in the spring of next year."
"Fortunately, you and the Crown Prince were willing to lend me a hand and help me through this crisis." Qian Deng remained unaware and said sadly, "But if this happens, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will inevitably be involved in the conflict between Xiao Fuyu and me, which will definitely put him in a difficult position in the future."
Cui Fufeng recalled the situation when he went to see the prince. He spoke a few words in a hurry and had not had time to explain the whole story. But the moment the prince heard the four words "Princess of Lingling County", he subconsciously left all the court officials around him and followed him out of the hall to ask and listen.
The look in his eyes clearly made him see something that shouldn't exist.
He pondered, but Qiandeng's thoughts were not on these things: "I want to investigate the background of that lady, to see if she really has family members in my grandfather's army, and if she has committed any military offenses that led to her being punished."
Ling Tianshui casually said, "Let's go find Ji Linyou. Most of the former subordinates of the King of Changhua are now under the command of the Ji family, right?"
Qiandeng nodded, but still felt a little depressed when he thought of the lady's leap.
"If I hadn't been so relentless and refused to give up the pursuit, wouldn't that woman have died, and wouldn't a single life have been lost in this world..."
Cui Fufeng knew that she had grown up in the care of her family. Despite her unfortunate fate, she had never witnessed these ugly plots. He slowed his tone and said softly, "Her death was her own fault. Since she dared to plot to harm others, she should have foreseen that her evil deeds would backfire."
"But, she must have been forced. A life was lost so easily..."
Ling Tianshui sneered, "If you're unable to reverse the situation, you've already violated the law. At the very least, your title will be revoked, and at worst, your palace will be destroyed. You'll also be cursed by the masses and never be able to turn over a new leaf until your death. If you could do it all over again, would you be willing to let her go and take on everything?"
Qian Deng shook his head, took a deep breath, and tried his best to clear away all the painful thoughts in his chest: "Yes, everyone has to pay the price for what they do. All good and evil are predetermined by fate. What power do I have to control the fate of others?"
"So you must always stay sober and discard all meaningless things like gentleness, compassion, tolerance, and innocence." Ling Tianshui's voice was low, but clear. "After all, you are not just the Princess of Lingling. You are the fate and hope of everyone in the Changhua Palace. Your every move affects the survival of everyone around you."
Cui Fufeng nodded in agreement, gazing at her with earnest sincerity. "The world is noisy and full of ups and downs. It is my greatest hope and blessing, as well as that of all the other gentlemen, that the county lady can continue on safely and securely."
Qian Deng's heart palpitated. She pursed her lips, staring ahead, and promised, "Yes, I will do my best to take every step forward, for the palace and for all those who stand by my side."
Chang'an Yizhuang was originally located in a dark and cramped place, and now with the snow flying like cotton wool in the mountains, it seemed even colder and gloomy.
As soon as the three men dismounted at the gate of the charity cemetery, they heard heart-wrenching cries coming from inside.
Qiandeng remembered that before entering the palace today, Aunt Xuanji mentioned that her aunt came here to identify Yang Huaijiang's body, so she immediately stepped into the room.
The old man guarding the charity cemetery squatted in the corner of the yard, warming himself by the fire and sighing. In the low house behind where the corpses were lying, Madam Ge was helping the crying Lady Dingxiang out of the house.
Upon seeing Qiandeng, Madam Ge hurriedly helped Madam Dingxiang up and said, wiping her tears, "County Lady, please try to comfort Madam. How can she bear this heartbreak?"
Qiandeng supported Madam Dingxiang and said soothingly, "Aunt, you are the mistress of a wealthy family. How can you set foot on such a lowly place like Yizhuang?"
Lady Dingxiang beat her chest and cried bitterly: "Auntie, I don't believe it! I don't believe Huaijiang would die so suddenly. I don't believe that the body found in the fire was his..."
As she spoke, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed on Madam Ge again.
Qian Deng quickly helped her to rest under the eaves, then stood up and pulled Madam Ge to a corner, whispering, "Aunt, have you seen the remains?"
"Yes, as soon as the Madam entered the cemetery and saw that... that charred corpse, she collapsed! I quickly ran out to borrow some medicine for her to smell, but when I came back, the Madam was already sprawled on the bed where the body had been found, having confirmed the body." Madam Ge wiped her tears and said, "The County Lady may not know that the middle toes of the Yang family members are different from those of others..."
Qiandeng knew what was going on. He turned around and saw that Lady Dingxiang had slowly woken up, so he went back to support her.
Madam Dingxiang clutched Qiandeng's hand with vacant eyes. After a long moment of staring, she vaguely recognized her and muttered, "My son Huaijiang is gone... He's the only one left in the family. He was my only hope. Now... How can I gain a foothold in the clan?"
This reminded Qian Deng of what the old woman in the military camp had said just now. He knew that his aunt was a second wife and had no children. Now her husband and son were both dead, and her daughter would not be accepted by her parents-in-law after marriage. There were probably many people in the family who were counting on her to make a living.
She consoled him earnestly, "Don't worry, Auntie. You are a royal decree holder, and you are my cousin from the Changhua Palace. If anyone from the Yang family dares to covet your property, the court and the palace will never forgive them!"
Lady Dingxiang burst into tears and held her hand tightly, saying, "Dengdeng, your aunt is counting on you... You are entering the palace today. Does the court have any instructions?"
Qian Deng supported her and saw burn marks on her hands. Just as Madam Ge had said, she had just wept over the corpse. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands, saying, "When I came to the palace this time, Her Majesty the Queen did ask about the affairs of the mansion. After learning about the details of Shi Jingning and my cousin's death, everyone sighed and said, "Could it be fate that brought this retribution..."
"Nonsense, Huaijiang...even if he made some mistakes, he was born into a noble family and has the protection of his ancestors. How could he suffer retribution from an evil ghost like Shi Jingning?" Lady Dingxiang interrupted her crying, and would never allow others to talk about Yang Huaijiang's right and wrong behind his back.
Qiandeng comforted her carefully, and when she calmed down, Cui Fufeng helped Madam Ge to help Madam Dingxiang get on the carriage so that she could have a good rest.
As a result, Lady Dingxiang grabbed Cui Fufeng again, and while crying, she urged him to avenge Yang Huaijiang, after all, they were family.
Seeing that Cui Fufeng couldn't get away for a while, Ling Tianshui impatiently shook the previous autopsy files, and while looking through the situations of the previous two fires, he went straight into the morgue.
The two bodies were found two days apart, both were charred and broken, and their faces were difficult to recognize.
Qian Deng followed him in and walked with Ling Tianshui to the two corpses to take a look.
The two bodies were of similar age. The only thing that could be verified was that the toes of Yang Huaijiang, who was sent later, were longer than Shi Jingning's.
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