Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 505 Who is the murderer!?
Lin Zhiqing felt that everything happening before her eyes was utterly absurd.

From the moment Consort Rong died, everything around us began to become very abnormal.

She closed the door and retreated back onto the bed.

The guards stood to one side, saying nothing.

She knew Lin Zhiqing was thinking.

Lin Zhiqing was indeed brainstorming; the Empress's behavior just now was truly unusual.

However, it is certain that the swordsman who tried to attack her earlier was not traveling with the Queen.

The Empress had been knocking on the door; was she trying to make sure she was safe?

Otherwise, the Empress would never have turned and left when she saw that she was alright.

And why did the old nanny say that the Empress had hysteria?

The servants in this palace are so disrespectful and lack any sense of hierarchy.

What exactly are the rules of Dasheng?
Lin Zhiqing took a deep breath.

Things started to get strange after Consort Rong died, and Lin Zhiqing's thoughts went back to when she first met Consort Rong.

She went through everything in her mind, feeling that she had overlooked something.

Could it be... that Consort Rong's death was not an accident?
The moment this thought crossed my mind, a thunderclap flashed across the sky.

Lin Zhiqing ignored the thunder; a chill ran down her spine.

If her assumption is correct, then everything seems to be making some sense.

But this is the palace! Consort Rong is a high-ranking concubine. Who would dare to harm her?
How strong must the person be to kill a concubine without making a sound?

Or rather... Lin Zhiqing thought of another possibility.

What if Consort Rong stumbled upon something and was cruelly murdered to silence her?
That seems to make it more likely.

At that time, Consort Rong was chasing after that cat. The surrounding environment was very quiet, and no one bothered to tend to the fallen leaves on the path.

This indicates that the place is very remote and sparsely populated.

This is indeed the perfect place for some people to do their dirty work.

What if Consort Rong stumbled upon someone's scandalous affair, was silenced, and then the incident was staged as an accident?
"boom!"

Another clap of thunder.

Lin Zhiqing rushed over quickly. Although he didn't find anything, he wondered what if the person hiding in the shadows was worried and wanted to kill him to silence him.

If this hypothesis is correct, then everything that just happened can be explained.

Furthermore, given the magnitude of this incident, even if the Empress were to handle it, why would she leave such a prime suspect in the side hall?

Even if one were to stay, one should go to a place like the Department of Criminal Justice.

But if we apply Lin Zhiqing's reasoning that the Empress wanted to save her, could the Empress keeping her in Fengyi Palace be considered a form of protection?
This idea was so absurd that Lin Zhiqing had never felt such a headache before.

But as she continued to consider other possible scenarios in her mind, none of them seemed more plausible than the one she had just encountered.

In such an unfamiliar environment, every thought Lin Zhiqing had was extremely agonizing.

But if she rashly leaves the Phoenix Palace, she will only face more danger.

At this point in time, the palace gates are already locked, so Lin Zhiqing definitely can't get out.

She had to be careful; she needed to leave the palace as soon as it was light.

But before that, all she could do was think carefully about what went wrong with everything that had happened that day.

She calmed down and thought, if she put herself into the scenario she had just deduced, then who would be the murderer, the murderer who killed Consort Rong?

The Empress!?
impossible.

Judging from the current situation, the nanny serving the Empress should also have problems.

She seemed to be constrained by her nanny and did not have the ability or time to do something in such a hurry.

At least the Phoenix Palace is quite far from the Imperial Garden, so there really wasn't enough time.

Lin Zhiqing carefully recalled everyone who was present, and after eliminating most of them, one rather special person came into her view.

Concubine Shu!

Lin Zhiqing still remembers that when Consort Shu arrived at the scene, her face was slightly pale.

At the time, she thought that Consort Shu was just frightened, and since Consort Shu's palace was very close to the Imperial Garden, she didn't think much of it.

But now it seems that some places are indeed very strange.

For example, Consort Shu's shoes and socks!
Although Lin Zhiqing only caught a fleeting glimpse of it, she remembered that Consort Shu's skirt had mud spots, but her shoes and socks did not.

This was already somewhat unusual.

This at least proves that Consort Shu went out and changed her shoes and socks.

Could it be that Consort Shu is the murderer who killed Consort Rong?

She was worried that the cover-up wouldn't be complete, which is why she returned to the scene after things had escalated.

There is relevant content in criminal psychology, so saying that makes sense.

If the murderer is Consort Shu, what did she do that Consort Rong discovered and then killed her?
If it were just a minor argument, it certainly wouldn't have gotten this serious.

If it's about vying for favor, the Emperor is currently bedridden and there's no need for that.

财？
will not.

right?
Consort Shu had no children and therefore had no reason to vie for power.

色？
Thinking of this, Lin Zhiqing fell silent for a while.

The emperor had been bedridden for a long time, and the harem consisted of women who stayed alone in their boudoirs.

The word color means a knife on the head.

If it is true that Consort Rong caught Consort Shu committing an improper act, this would be a capital offense, and Consort Shu must have had a motive.

However, until it is verified, all of this is just speculation.

Lin Zhiqing had not forgotten the matter of Consort Shu and her nephew, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

However, aside from these possibilities, the others are unlikely to be true.

Lin Zhiqing kept this idea in mind.

She sorted out all her thoughts, and when she looked up again, there was already some light outside.

Thinking of the Empress last night, Lin Zhiqing felt that something was strange about the palace.

How could the Empress have hysteria?

Her thinking is clear and her actions are normal.

The more Lin Zhiqing thought about it, the more she felt that there was something seriously wrong with the nanny around the Empress.

She took a deep breath; all of this could only be discussed after she left the palace.

Every minute Lin Zhiqing spent in the palace, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Weird, really weird.

As dawn broke, Lin Zhiqing went to the main hall to pay her respects to the Empress without hesitation.

But she was turned away.

The Queen is ill.

This news was told to Lin Zhiqing by the empress's personal maid.

This illness came on so suddenly.

Moreover, if the Empress falls ill, who can decide to send her away?

A virtuous concubine?

Yes, find Consort Xian!
Lin Zhiqing expressed her thoughts, but the old woman frowned and stopped her.

The truth about Consort Rong's affair has not yet been investigated, so Lin Zhiqing cannot leave the palace! Naturally, Lin Zhiqing was not satisfied with this answer.

"Granny, this matter has nothing to do with me. Her Majesty made a decision yesterday. She hasn't spoken yet, so you can't overstep your bounds and imprison me now." Lin Zhiqing directly expressed her dissatisfaction.

The old woman frowned, glanced around, and spoke without any politeness:
“Miss Lin, please calm down. In the current situation, staying in the palace is the safest option.”

Lin Zhiqing frowned: "Granny, you know what happened yesterday. Why did Her Majesty the Empress suddenly fall ill?"

"I don't know if the palace is safe or not, but Fengyi Palace is already riddled with holes."

She left no room for maneuver in her words.

To reiterate, her name is still on the list of those to be married off. Unless the people from last night reappear, no one can take responsibility if Lin Zhiqing threatens suicide.

The old woman frowned, wanting to speak again to stop Lin Zhiqing, but seeing Lin Zhiqing's resolute expression, she sighed heavily.

"Miss Lin, this is the path you've chosen, so don't regret it."

"I have never regretted it." Lin Zhiqing stared into the old woman's eyes.

The old woman remained silent, then took out a token and placed it in Lin Zhiqing's hand: "If you want to leave, hurry up, don't implicate our lady."

The token is fine.

After checking, Lin Zhiqing turned and left without hesitation.

The inner hall, the outer hall, the inner music hall, the Nine-Dragon Wall, the palace gate—only when they reached the palace gate did Lin Zhiqing finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

Raindrops continued to fall, disappearing into the palace.

The palace was like a bottomless pit, trapping everyone inside.

"Sister Qing!"

"Little Qing'er!"

Two shouts rang out.

Lin Zhiqing turned his head and saw Lin Yangyang and Lu Nanyue. The two walked up quickly with serious expressions.

"Qing-meimei, are you alright?" Lin Yangyang asked.

"It's nothing, we'll talk about it when we get back." Lin Zhiqing felt that danger still lurked all around them.

After quickly getting into the carriage, her heartbeat gradually calmed down.

"Cousin, Nan Yue, why are you waiting for me at the palace gate? Is it because of Consort Rong?" Lin Zhiqing asked.

Lin Yangyang and Lu Nanyue exchanged a glance, their expressions serious.

Lu Nanyue said, "Little Qing'er, something terrible has happened."

"After news of Consort Rong's death spread in the palace, His Highness the Crown Prince issued an imperial edict."

"The marriage alliance will be held tomorrow!"

"Bang!"

Thunder rumbled and rain poured down.

How could this be? ?
"Moved to tomorrow? What's the Imperial Observatory's explanation?" Lin Zhiqing asked.

“Xiao Huai has already gone to the Imperial Observatory, Xiao Qing’er, we…” Lu Nanyue hesitated.

Lin Zhiqing understood her thoughts.

Lu Nanyue wanted to ask if there was really no room for maneuver in the matter of the marriage alliance.

Lin Zhiqing closed her eyes.

She didn't know why the marriage alliance had been brought forward, nor did she know whether it was related to Consort Rong's death.

But the current situation is very unfavorable for them.

"Where is Grandfather?" Lin Zhiqing asked.

Lin Yangyang took a deep breath: "This morning, my grandfather went to the palace early after hearing the news that the marriage alliance had been brought forward, and he has not come out yet."

what?
Lin Zhiqing was taken aback.

She knew Lin Qingshan's personality very well; he would never allow her to go through a political marriage.

He must have only one purpose in entering the palace: to persuade the Crown Prince and the Emperor to cancel the marriage alliance.

How can this be?

The imperial edict has been issued, and it is written clearly in black and white.

"Sister Qing, don't worry, there will definitely be a turning point in this matter. At worst, I'll just go and kill that Liang envoy." Lin Yangyang gritted her teeth.

"How long must we, the Great Sheng, keep swallowing our anger? It's obvious that the Great Liang isn't a place with a strong army, so why can't we offend them?"

“Yangyang, be careful what you say! How can you talk such nonsense? What if someone hears you…” Before Lu Nanyue could finish speaking, Lin Zhiqing grabbed her hand.

She looked at Lin Zhiqing with a puzzled expression.

Lin Zhiqing took a deep breath: "Cousin, what you just said is feasible!"

"We'll go find the envoy from Liang, but we can't kill him."

Lin Yangyang nodded without hesitation: "Okay, whatever you say, I'll do!"

"Xiao Qing'er, do you know what you're saying? This matter could very well provoke a war between the two countries!" Lu Nanyue still had some sense.

Lin Zhiqing shook his head: "Nanyue, even if we do nothing, war is inevitable."

"I suspect that besides the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion, there are traitors in the capital who betray their country, but that's not important."

"As long as we act quickly, we'll make it in time!"

Lu Nanyue had no time to be shocked, because the carriage soon arrived at the Lin family's residence.

Lin Zhiqing went to the Lin family ancestral hall immediately, but no one knows what she did.

After leaving the ancestral hall, Lin Zhiqing gathered the Lin family members and asked Lin Yangyang to contact other noblewomen who were to be married off in peace.

A storm is brewing; this is destined to be no ordinary day.

……

As night fell, the Sifangguan continued its revelry with singing and dancing.

The Liang envoys indulged in sensual pleasures, surrounded by beautiful women on both sides.

He's about to return to the capital, so of course he has to enjoy himself to the fullest.

The sound of the rain was so loud that it drowned out the singing and dancing, and completely masked the sound of people walking on the rooftops.

At the same time, the gates of the residences of various high-ranking officials in the capital were knocked on one by one.

Censor-in-Chief Wang Yuan was awakened by the thunder. Just as he straightened up, a servant came to report that Lin Zhiqing had arrived!
In the dead of night, Wang Yuan frowned. What kind of trouble was Lin Zhiqing up to now?

He put on his clothes, opened his umbrella, and went out.

Wang Shuyi had already arrived at the gate of the mansion before him.

Wang Yuan was about to teach Wang Shuyi a lesson, but the scene before him took him by surprise.

"What are you doing?" Wang Yuan looked at Lin Zhiqing, who was dressed in mourning clothes, and asked, his voice filled with confusion.

Lin Zhiqing held Lin Congrong's memorial tablet in his hands, bowed respectfully, and then spoke:

“Lord Wang, my Lin family is full of loyal and righteous people. We have done right by Heaven and Earth and by the common people and farmers.”

"Now that the Great Liang has bullied us to this extent, if our Great Sheng continues to cower and shrink back, it will be destroyed today, or it will be destroyed tomorrow."

"I earnestly request that Lord Wang accompany me to the Meridian Gate to persuade the Emperor to rescind his decree."

Rain pattered on Lin Zhiqing's face, but Wang Yuan could clearly see the determination in her expression.

Before Wang Yuan could react, Wang Shuyi suddenly knelt down beside Lin Zhiqing.

They are so reckless!
Wang Yuan should have called it insolence, but Lin Zhiqing's words were filled with anguish.

In the end, he couldn't say anything.