Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 290 Investigation Results
Today is the last day of the three-day deadline. Consort Jin is very worried about Yan Ciwan. During breakfast, she carefully takes care of Yan Ciwan's emotions.

But in fact, Yan Ciwan's mood was very stable, and she did not show the slightest unease.

They had just finished their breakfast when the Emperor sent someone to fetch Yan Ciwan to the Sizheng Hall.

Consort Jin glanced at the sky outside. The Emperor should have just finished court at this time. Why was he in such a hurry to summon Ning Ci? Could it be that the Dali Temple had not yet uncovered the truth, and the Emperor was getting impatient and wanted to close the case ahead of schedule?

She held Yan Ciwan's hand and tried to comfort her, saying, "When you see the Sage, don't panic. Father and Liulang will do everything they can to protect you."

Yan Ciwan knew that the Emperor had not summoned her for the case of Fu Hui's murder, but she still accepted Consort Jin's kindness.

"I know. I am grateful for the care that Your Highness has given me these past two days. I hope we will have the opportunity to meet again in the future."

Consort Jin gave her a gentle smile: "We will definitely meet again."

When Yan Ciwan walked out of the main hall, she saw Qiushuang standing in the courtyard.

Seeing that Qiu Shuang's complexion was extremely poor, she said, "I'm going to see the Sage. I shouldn't need your care anymore. You can go and get some rest."

Qiu Shuang was taken aback.

She knew today was the deadline, but she thought it would take until dark for a result to be reached. Unexpectedly, Ning Ci had to face the final verdict of fate early in the morning.

At this moment, she watched Ning Ci walk out, wondering whether Ning Ci would live or die on this journey.

Qiu Shuang withdrew her gaze, rubbed her sore shoulders, and decided that whatever Ning Ci did in the end was none of her business. In any case, her mission was complete, and she no longer needed to swallow her anger and serve Ning Ci. She could go back and get a good night's sleep.

……

Escorted by the Imperial Guards, Yan Ciwan arrived at the Sizheng Hall once again.

The eunuch said that the emperor was still inside the palace discussing matters with his officials, and asked Yan Ciwan to wait outside for a while.

Yan Ciwan had no choice but to stand quietly under the corridor and wait. Before long, a number of court officials came out of the Sizheng Hall one after another. They were all high-ranking officials of the court wearing black official robes.

The eunuch bowed to them, and only after they had walked away did he straighten up, beckon to Yan Ciwan, and signal her to come inside with him.

Inside the Hall of Thought and Politics, the Sage sat at the head of the table, with four people standing below him. Three of them were acquaintances of Yan Ciwan: Fu Zheng, Xiao Wenyi, and Xiao Wang. Only one young man in a red, wide-sleeved official robe was a complete stranger to Yan Ciwan.

Yan Ciwan knelt on the ground: "This humble woman, Ning Ci, kowtows to Your Majesty."

The sage gestured for her to rise and dispense with the formalities, and then spoke to Xiao Wenyi.

"Tell me the results of your investigation over the past three days."

Xiao Wenyi stepped forward and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I have ordered the coroner to examine Fu Hui's body. They found that Fu Hui suffered severe head injuries before and after his death, but he did not seek medical attention in time, which aggravated his injuries. Later, he collided with Ning Ci's horse, fell to the ground, and hit the back of his head again, causing his immediate death." Fu Zheng immediately retorted, "Even if my son was injured, the person who ultimately caused his death was still Ning Ci!"

"The coroner has opened Fu Hui's skull and found a large blood clot in the back of his head. In theory, an injury of that severity is life-threatening. If he does not receive treatment, even if he had not fallen and hit his head, he would still be unable to escape death."

Fu Zheng was instantly enraged, his eyes practically spitting fire: "How dare you desecrate my son's body?!"

Xiao Wenyi explained, "In order to determine the cause of death, the coroner has to cut open the body. Afterwards, the coroner has stitched the body back up properly, so the incision is not visible unless you look closely."

"Who gave you permission to do this?!" Fu Zheng was furious. He took a big step forward and aggressively approached Xiao Wenyi.

Xiao Wang was afraid that he would harm his grandfather, so he wanted to step forward and protect his grandfather.

Xiao Wenyi reached out to stop Xiao Wang, signaling him not to move, and then spoke to Fu Zheng.

"The Emperor has given us three days to solve the case. We are forced to do this in order to solve the case. Please forgive us, General Fu."

Fu Zheng glared fiercely at Xiao Wenyi, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

An ordinary person would have been terrified by now, but Xiao Wenyi was an old man who had served three dynasties. What kind of scene hadn't he seen? He knew that Fu Zheng wouldn't dare to act recklessly in front of the emperor, so he never showed the slightest fear from beginning to end.

The two sides remained deadlocked until the young man in the red wide-sleeved official robe stepped forward and broke the stalemate with a smile.

"General Fu, please don't be anxious. Father is watching from the side. Let Grand Tutor Xiao finish speaking first."

Fu Zheng closed his eyes, and the murderous aura around him subsided slightly.

He bowed and clasped his hands toward the red-clad gentleman. Although his expression was still unpleasant, his posture had become more humble and respectful: "It was your humble servant who was presumptuous. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Yan Ciwan suddenly realized that the man was her nominal fiancé, Li Cunxing, the current crown prince of the Daye Dynasty!

Li Cunxing comforted Fu Zheng for a few moments, then gestured for Xiao Wenyi to continue.

So Xiao Wenyi continued speaking from where she left off.

"Your Majesty, I sent my grandson, Liu Lang, to the East Market to investigate. He learned that Fu Hui checked into the inn called Junzitai three nights ago. He was alone. According to the innkeeper and staff, Fu Hui was extremely fearful and anxious when he arrived. He repeatedly warned them not to reveal his whereabouts to outsiders. After checking into his room, Fu Hui did not come out until the next morning, the day of the incident. Suddenly, he rushed out of his room, pale and with blue lips, as if he had suffered a great shock. The staff called to him twice, but he seemed not to hear them and rushed straight out of the gate of Junzitai, where he collided with Ning Ci, who was riding by on horseback. Everyone already knows what happened after that, so I will not repeat it."

Fu Zheng coldly questioned, "What do these things you're talking about have to do with my son's death?"

"Pale complexion, bluish lips, and a delirious demeanor... these are all symptoms of poisoning. I had the coroner cut open Fu Hui's abdomen and carefully examined his diet before his death. We found that apart from a small amount of tea residue, there was no other food in his stomach, indicating that he had only drunk some tea before his death and had not eaten anything else. The coroner found datura among the tea residue. Datura is a poisonous plant that grows in the Western Regions. Small amounts can cause drowsiness, while large amounts can cause hallucinations, mental instability, and in severe cases, death."

Fu Zheng trembled with rage: "You not only cut open my son's skull, but you also ripped open his stomach! You...you..."

Xiao Wenyi solemnly bowed to him and said, "We are doing this in order to find out the truth and find the real culprit who killed your son. Please forgive us if we have offended you."