Chapter 55 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
The Minister of the Dali Temple and the Chief Censor each brought their subordinates to the Lin'an County Lord's Mansion.
The Dali Temple Minister looked at the guards, imperial guards and dragon guards protecting the county lady's mansion, and his eyes twitched. Is this a threat?
After entering the mansion, the group was led to the incense-burning platform and the body of Princess Anguo.
Aunt Qiao handed over the incense at the right time, her face was kind and familiar.
The Dali Temple Minister recalled the past when he was the emperor's servant and often went with the emperor to the palace of the Concubine Chen. Qiao Ma always brought a variety of delicious snacks to entertain them. The emperor said that he would not show favoritism, so what about Qiao Ma?
He was the first to take the incense, bowed respectfully and burned incense to show his remembrance and respect for the deceased.
Upon seeing this, the officials of the Dali Temple followed their superiors' example and went forward one after another to burn incense.
The Chief Censor stood aside, glaring sharply at the Princess of Lin'an. This devil had summoned the entire Censorate to perform an autopsy on Princess Anguo and find out the truth. He had even written a memorial to impeach Duke Hengguo. He took the incense, performed the etiquette, and completed the incense-burning ceremony.
Zhang Xiaojia personally and carefully carried Princess Anguo's body to the autopsy room.
In the autopsy room, Zhang Xiaojia took a deep breath, suppressed her inner grief, and personally took off Princess Anguo's clothes. Her movements were gentle and cautious, for fear of causing any disrespect to the deceased.
Susie took over the next task. She began to dissect the body with a focused expression and familiar technique.
As a general practitioner, Zhang Xiaojia could see the wounds on the corpse clearly in an instant.
Nearby, a group of coroners meticulously carried out their own examinations. Each of them, with a solemn expression, armed with knives and pens and paper, meticulously examined every corner of the body. They missed no trace of clues, meticulously recording every detail, fearing the slightest omission. Finally, after a lengthy inspection, they meticulously completed their reports and gently put down their pens, as if paying tribute to the deceased.
Zhang Xiaojia took the report, quickly glanced through it, and then handed it directly to the Supreme Court Justice. The Supreme Court Justice took the report and read it carefully. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if he could penetrate the words and see the truth behind the wounds. Every word in the report was clearly presented to him, giving him a more intuitive understanding of the progress of the case.
"Broken ribs: Judging from the fracture pattern, it was caused by external force, possibly accompanied by violent acts such as falls and beatings." The Dali Temple Minister muttered in a low voice, frowning.
"Bruise all over the body: The widespread bruises indicate that the victim had suffered multiple external blows or compressions before his death, resulting in severe subcutaneous bruising." He continued to read the report, his tone revealing anger that was difficult to conceal.
"Chronic arsenic poisoning of internal organs: The toxicology report confirmed that the victim had ingested arsenic for a long time, which led to the gradual failure of internal organs. Symptoms of poisoning include liver enlargement, impaired kidney function, and cardiac toxicity." The last part of the report made the Dali Temple Minister frown even more.
The Chief Censor stood aside, looking at this shocking report, and could not help but curse: "This beast! How could he poison the princess so cruelly!"
The Dali Temple Minister also showed a rare solemn expression. He had seen many murders, but he had rarely seen such a torturous and vicious person torturing a woman.
Zhang Xiaojia's tone revealed a determination not to be refused: "This county princess has always acted with integrity. I have never abused my power to bully others, nor have I used my authority to coerce others. I have never dabbled in government affairs. But today, I swear to uncover the truth for Princess Anguo and expose the culprits who harmed her."
Her gaze was sharp as she continued, "As for the Prince of Heng, whether he is related to this case or not, his life or death is not my concern. His actions are subject to the Emperor's judgment, but if you dare to shirk your responsibilities, protect each other, and do nothing, then don't blame me, Zhang Xiaojia, for being rude."
Zhang Xiaojia paused deliberately, her tone tinged with a hint of joking: "This county lady will go to my eldest cousin every day to cry and complain to my aunt, trying to make things difficult for you. When your female relatives go to the banquet, this county lady will bully them every day."
Zhang Xiaojia said the last few sentences deliberately, she did not interfere in politics.
After hearing Zhang Xiaojia's half-true, half-false and slightly threatening words, Wude Sishi fell down from the tree. Did she know that she was bullying and forcing others by saying those last few words?
The Dali Temple and the Chief Censor left.
Yu Xi quickly walked up to Zhang Xiaojia and gently reminded her, "Princess Lin'an, has the burial site for Princess Anguo been properly arranged?"
Zhang Xiaojia nodded slightly and said solemnly, "Yes, the burial will be tomorrow. But the Duke of Heng's Mansion didn't even prepare a funeral hall for the princess. What should we do?"
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaojia's eyes lit up, as if she had an idea. She turned and walked quickly towards Zhaixingyuan, where she saw Imperial Physician Hu concentrating on treating Mingming. Mingming seemed to be in good condition, which made Zhang Xiaojia feel a little relieved.
Not daring to delay any longer, Zhang Xiaojia rode as fast as she could to the young emperor's uncle's residence. The housekeeper recognized her at a glance and quickly welcomed her in.
As he stepped into the palace, Zhang Xiaojia couldn't help but sigh that the scenery here was more beautiful than before, and every corner revealed exquisiteness and elegance.
The young uncle came out upon hearing the noise, and seeing Zhang Xiaojia, he asked with a hint of surprise, "Lin'an, why are you here?"
Zhang Xiaojia winked playfully, a mysterious smile curling up at the corner of his mouth: "Little Uncle, do you want to have a child?"
The young uncle immediately understood something when he heard this. He had lived through three emperors and had come through the previous emperor's struggle for the throne, so he naturally had a keen insight into Zhang Xiaojia's words.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Oh? Lin'an, what do you mean? If you want a child, you must have the conditions, right?"
Zhang Xiaojia nodded gently, a cunning glint in his eyes. "That's right, the conditions are: give Princess Anguo a beautiful burial plot and let her be adopted by you. That way, her children will call you grandpa! How's that?"
The young uncle was considering the pros and cons: "Xiao Dezi, clean up Mingyue Courtyard for me."
"Prepare the carriage. I am going to talk to my second brother, the head of the royal family, about the adoption."
On the way back, Zhang Xiaojia sat safely in the beautifully decorated carriage. The occasional scenery passing by outside the window made her feel a little more relaxed.
The issue of Princess Anguo's burial was finally properly resolved, and the surrounding turmoil and controversy gradually subsided with the intervention of the Dali Temple. Zhang Xiaojia had no major concerns about the Dali Temple taking over the case, as she knew that by now, public opinion throughout Kyoto was paying close attention to the matter. The Dali Temple had no choice but to enforce the law impartially, and any partiality or injustice would be exposed in full view of the public.
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