Chapter 88: Answer
"There seems to be something else behind Xiao Fuyu's death."
The matter was of great importance, so Qiandeng called Cui Fufeng and Ling Tianshui and met them in the study. He told them what Shangluo had heard from Xiao Fuyu's dying words.
"If the person who killed Princess Changyi today is the same one who attacked Shi Jingning at Jianfu Temple that day, then... there are two possibilities," Cui Fufeng pondered, expressing his conjecture. "First, it was indeed the Imperial Guards who did it. And there are only three people in the world who can mobilize the Imperial Guards. The Crown Prince has no possibility or need to attack Princess Changyi, and His Majesty still has feelings for Princess Gao. Therefore, the only possible person is Her Majesty the Queen."
"Princess Changyi planned step by step according to Princess Gaoguo's will. She would have also followed her mother's instructions and performed witchcraft on the Empress. Therefore, it is only natural for the Empress to order the guards to eliminate her." Qian Deng agreed with his opinion. "But if that were the case, why would the Empress have killed Shi Jingning? The information Shi Jingning revealed to me before his death was clearly related to the cause of my mother's death. But... when my mother was in trouble, the Emperor and Empress were on their way to Fengtian, and it had nothing to do with what happened at the manor."
"Yes, then there's the second possibility. Someone impersonated the Imperial Guards and murdered Princess Changyi. This person must be familiar with Ling Tianshui and know that he's well-versed in the equipment of various armies. They're trying to mislead us into thinking Princess Changyi was the Queen's culprit, thus covering up their own crime. Furthermore, Princess Changyi is also acquainted with him and encountered him at Jianfu Temple that day."
Qian Deng felt a chill in his heart, as if he were slowly sinking into the abyss. "So, the murderer must meet three conditions—he must be familiar with us and the Princess of Changyi, he must have been at Jianfu Temple on the day of Shi Jingning's tragic death, and he must be connected to the case at Zhuangzi."
The field narrowed again, but this time, only a handful of people remained who met all the criteria.
Ji Linyou, Xue Xiyang, Yan Penglai, Meng Lanxi, Jintang.
Qian Deng carefully wrote these five names on the paper and stared at them for a long time.
It has been half a year since my mother passed away. Who was her real murderer? What was the content of the missing letter? Who was the man she was referring to before her death?
This complicated and heavy pressure made Qiandeng unable to sleep every night, but now the mystery that had troubled her for half a year suddenly made some progress, and the breakthrough was actually Xiao Fuyu's death.
Ling Tianshui's eyes passed over the five names one by one, and he pondered in silence.
Cui Fufeng said, "Of these five, Yan Penglai and Meng Lanxi should be ruled out. Yan Penglai's knee injury prevents him from strenuous activity, let alone repeated killing. And Meng Lanxi, a mere Imperial Academy student with no martial arts training, how could he have obtained the Imperial Guard's standard sword, and how could he have killed the groom and the Princess of Changyi?"
Among the remaining three, Xue Xiyang and Jin Tang are much less likely than Ji Linyou.
After all, Ji Linyou not only has outstanding skills, but also has been in the army for many years. He is familiar with the deployment of various troops in the capital, and it is not a problem for him to even get a sword of the Guards.
Moreover, the people who can get the most benefits from the Changhua Palace are also the Ji family.
Thanks to Qian Deng's help, the Ji family is still in charge of the former subordinates of King Changhua, and they are unlikely to be replaced in the short term. If this continues for a long time, this team will even become the Ji family's private army.
However, thinking of the loyal and brave members of the Ji family, young and old, who escorted Ji Linyou to the palace when they were fighting on the border, Qian Deng was unwilling to believe that the Ji family had such a terrible plan.
They were all old men who had followed her father and grandfather in battle for decades. They were loyal and had never betrayed them.
Ling Tianshui asked, "The old prince still has more than 800 people under his command?"
Qiandeng nodded: "Eight hundred and sixty-two people."
It's not a lot, but it's not a small amount either. When Emperor Minghuang led the Tanglong Rebellion, he relied on less than this number.
"With over 800 men under his control in the Imperial Guards, Daming Palace is clearly under his control." Ling Tianshui paused for a moment before saying, "If the county lady trusts me, you can entrust this matter to me. The Northern Yamen Forbidden Army and the Imperial Guards have quite a bit of interaction."
Qian Deng and Cui Fufeng, one is a noble lady in the royal palace, and the other is a law enforcement officer, so the chances of them dealing with the Imperial Guards are very slim.
"Okay, I'll leave this matter to Lord Ling."
However, when the three of them followed their lead and all the suspicions finally focused on Ji Linyou, they were not very convinced of the result.
"It's already been a struggle to make any progress on this matter, so there's no rush. The most pressing matter before us right now is the new developments in the case of Princess Gao," Qian Deng said, recounting to Ling Tianshui what Shang Luo had said to them after he woke up today. "There may be more to Princess Gao's death. Our previous speculation may still be wrong."
"This is indeed a bit strange." Cui Fufeng pondered, "Given the style of the Princess's Mansion, I'm afraid they would directly attack Shangluo. Why would they go to such great lengths to keep him?"
Qian Deng said slowly, "The Princess' Mansion wouldn't treat Shangluo like this. But what if it wasn't the Princess' Mansion that treated Shangluo like this?"
Cui Fufeng had obviously never considered this approach before, and hesitated for a moment: "But it is true that Shangluo disappeared in the palace's backyard, and it is also true that he appeared under Xiao Fuyu's fleeing carriage."
"No, Shangluo didn't disappear in the palace's backyard. Furthermore, we've all been to his hiding place many times, and we might even be within half a foot of him. It's just that because it defies common sense, we didn't notice his presence."
Ling Tianshui raised his eyebrows: "So, he has been in the courtyard the whole time?"
"Yes, but at the last moment, the opponent provided us with an opportunity, and at the same time, they also created an opportunity for themselves. Thus, when the defense was the tightest, they found the opportunity to transfer Shangluo away."
She stood in the bright sunlight, her eyes clear and without any doubt, and it was obvious that she was completely confident in the case.
Thinking about the place Shangluo mentioned where he could hear the sound of water, Cui Fufeng suddenly realized something and asked, "Then why did Shangluo's cinnabar pendant appear in Zheng's house? Is Zheng Raoan's death related to this?"
"I'm certain of this, and I have to thank Master Cui for the details he dug up for me earlier, which gave me a clearer idea." Qian Deng said without hesitation, "All mysteries are tied to the past. Everything in the world is a cycle of cause and effect, a tangle of gratitude and resentment."
Cui Fufeng thought about the things he had helped her verify before, and seemed to be lost in thought.
"In my opinion, Princess Gao's death isn't a bad thing for the County Lord," Ling Tianshui suddenly said. "Especially since this outcome is probably the best possible outcome. Are you sure you want to continue investigating and uncover the truth?"
Qiandeng naturally knew what he meant.
Things can be resolved once, twice, but not three times. She initially failed to dismiss Mingjiu's suspicions, then publicly revealed in court that Princess Gao had committed suicide. Now that the court has closed the case and even offered her rewards, she's now turned the case around again. Not only herself, but the Emperor, Empress, and the court at large will become a laughingstock.
Princess Gao's suicide and Princess Changyi's death in the wilderness were the best possible outcomes. The Grand Princess was deeply entrenched in the court and difficult to deal with, but she brought this upon herself and ended her situation. The court remained peaceful, and people's hearts remained calm.
The best thing is that this matter has nothing to do with the Changhua Palace or the Princess of Lingling County.
She doesn't have to bear any responsibility, and the rumors in the capital will not harm her.
She could quietly send the offending husband away, and no one would link the matter to the conflict. What other outcome in the world could be better than removing herself cleanly from the storm, without being tainted by karma?
Qian Deng stood there in a daze for a long time before slowly speaking, "But between profit and the truth... which one is more important?"
Cui Fufeng stared at her deeply and said, "County Lady, your safety is the most important thing to us."
Ling Tianshui glanced at him and wanted to correct him, saying that it was you, not "we".
But for some reason, when he looked back and saw Qian Deng's dim and gloomy expression, the words he wanted to say became stuck in his chest and he could not utter them again.
The two men in front of her, one looking at her tenderly and the other staying with her coldly, are her all-purpose helpers and solid backing.
Qian Deng let out a long breath, closed his eyes, and nodded: "Okay, I will...consider it carefully."
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