Chapter 12 Nightmare
Qian Deng didn't expect Xiao Fuyu to behave like this, and couldn't help but frown: "Are the maids okay?"
"They couldn't swim, and they all... choked. Luckily, someone in the water pulled a rope, so everyone climbed ashore using the rope and towed the boat to shore."
Qian Deng was relieved: "Fortunately there happened to be a rope in the water."
"This isn't a coincidence," said Cui Fufeng, a man of great knowledge. He pointed to the outer river bend and said, "Last year, due to continuous heavy rains, Chang'an was flooded, and the Qujiang Lake was also silted up. When the Ministry of Works was clearing the silt here, the workers tied a lot of ropes along the shore. One reason was to make it easier to get in and out, and the other was to hold branches and debris across the water to prevent rotting garbage from blocking the river again."
Near the water pavilion, because fireworks were going to be set up today, Jin Tang and his men cleared the ropes and grass roots and broken branches that were blocked on the water surface, so the surrounding river bay was so clean and clear.
Qian Deng nodded silently, then asked Su Wan, "So, what happens after the princess comes up?"
"Because we came up from a muddy field instead of a dock, the princess's skirt was stained. Furthermore... two maids fainted from choking on water and were afraid they might not survive. I advised the princess to go back and rest first, and I took them back for medical treatment. I only sent one person to report to the princess, and we hurried back."
It was already late at night, and the princess had been sleeping in the small pavilion without making any noise. Everyone was afraid of her power and dared not enter without being summoned. When the maid sent by the princess arrived, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took someone in to wake the princess and inform her that the princess of Changyi had returned home first.
But when he entered the cabinet, he found that there was no trace of the princess on the small couch temporarily set up under the window. He didn't know when she had left.
Everyone was extremely surprised. Seeing that the back door of the pavilion was ajar, they followed the path at the back and found that it led to a hidden river bend with drooping green trees and green grass. It was quiet and deserted. How could the princess be there?
They were anxious, but they thought that the entrances and exits of this place were guarded and the princess would not go out, so they called out and searched around, but there was no response.
As the sky darkened, they were anxious and worried, so they quickly sent someone back to the palace to report. Princess Changyi heard something was wrong, changed her clothes, and returned to Qujiang Lake. She ran into someone sent by Qiandeng, and learned that something had happened to Princess Gao.
After the people from the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, Jingzhao Prefecture and Wannian County had all arrived, the yamen runners from the four ministries lit lanterns and, based on the words of the people in the princess's mansion, entered the small pavilion where the princess was resting.
Princess Gao's trip was naturally grand and the small pavilion where she rested temporarily was fully equipped with a small table and stool. There was a small folding couch under the window, covered with a soft silk quilt for resting, and there were still traces of the princess's sleep on it.
Everything inside was the same, so they continued walking back along the winding path to the river bend. Sure enough, they saw that at the end of the bluestone road was a patch of short, tender spring grass that had just sprouted. Beyond the grass was the muddy ground on the shore, which was damp and smooth because it was near the water.
Nie Hezheng, the deputy minister of the Dali Temple, had the yamen runners hold up lanterns and shine them over the area. He then asked the maids, "When you were looking for the princess, did you ever look by the water?"
The maids all shook their heads decisively, and some even said, "We knew the princess wouldn't go near the water, so we didn't go near it."
"Why not?"
"Because, just two days ago, the princess had a nightmare. She dreamed...she dreamed that she was drowning."
When everyone heard this, they immediately remembered that Princess Gao had dreamed that she fell into the water. She was so frightened after waking up that she ordered all the pools in the palace to be filled up and ordered the Jin family to come to help with the work. However, Jin Tang transferred all the workers to the Changhua Palace instead, which made her very embarrassed.
Cui Fufeng took the brightest lantern and squatted down to illuminate the wasteland outside the bluestone slab.
The maids had indeed not been to the water's edge, and only a few small pieces of the newly grown grass were broken, showing shallow traces of someone stepping on it.
The light shone forward, and less than two feet away from the water's edge, messy and shallow footprints suddenly appeared on the smooth wet ground between the willow trees. One of the long footprints slid towards the water's edge and disappeared.
"These are clear signs of a fall. It seems the Grand Princess slipped and drowned here!" Combining the testimony with the traces at the scene, the Jingzhao Yin was the first to come up with his conclusion on Princess Gao's death. "In my opinion, the princess must have woken up in the afternoon and gone for a walk by the water to relax, and the accident happened."
The most common guess, but also the most reasonable.
Cui Fufeng thought for a moment and ordered someone to fetch the mattress from the small pavilion, tie it up and throw it into the water.
The people on the shore watched the bedding float up and down, drifting along the river bend.
The yamen runners recorded the situation at the scene, and assigned several people to pay attention to the bedding thrown into the river. They watched it get stuck and float in the river bend, and followed it all the way.
Not long after the officials from the four ministries returned to the water pavilion, lights appeared on the shore, illuminating the sleeping mattress in the water. Sure enough, it had drifted here from the place where Princess Gao fell into the water.
Everyone looked at the wet bedding that was fished out of the water, and then at the body of Princess Gao covered with white cloth, and confirmed that Princess Gao had fallen into the water on that shore and drifted downstream to the gathering place in the water pavilion.
The eagle kicked the blanket, suddenly realizing what was happening, and said, "No wonder Confucius said, standing by the river, that this is what happens to the dead. If someone dies during the day, their body will float down at night!"
Everyone who was busy in the chaos was confused when they heard his strange words.
Only Meng Lanxi said calmly, "Prince is mistaken. Confucius said, 'Time passes like this, day and night.' It's the passing of time, not the dead."
Hearing the two men making such sarcastic remarks in front of his mother's corpse, Xiao Fuyu raised his head and glared at them with resentment. He then turned fiercely to Qian Deng and said in a hoarse and shrill voice, "Princess Lingling, how dare you let them humiliate my mother like this!"
Qiandeng gave Mingjiu a helpless warning look, but Mingjiu grinned at her with glee, revealing his snow-white teeth again.
Cui Fufeng walked over to Xiao Fuyu, bowed, and asked, "Princess Changyi, the various court departments are required to examine the Grand Princess's body as per custom. We would like to ask Ling Sijie, the commander of the Northern Court's Imperial Guard, to preside over the examination. Would you like to recuse yourself?"
Xiao Fuyu stared at Ling Tianshui with wide eyes and asked sternly, "My mother was so noble, and this man has a grudge against our Princess Mansion and wants to touch her body? I won't allow it, and neither will the court!"
Ling Tianshui sneered, folding his hands and not bothering to step forward. The officials from various departments were also wary of the Princess's Mansion's power and were temporarily in a dilemma.
Qian Deng advised: "If the Princess's Mansion insists, then the various government offices can indeed fall into the water and close the case. But the current situation shows that the death of the Grand Princess may have important doubts and is not an accident."
Xiao Fuyu was stunned, as if he was chewing on the meaning of her words: "Are you saying... my mother's death... has other reasons?"
"Yes. I heard the Grand Princess had a nightmare the other day, and even the pond in the mansion had to be drained and filled in. So why would she dismiss everyone and quietly walk to the shore alone, intentionally approaching the water?"
Xiao Fuyu woke up as if from a dream and croaked, "Yes... there's something strange about my mother's death! Investigate! You must find out for me, was she murdered?"
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