I manage female characters in all the heavens.

Under the "Yunluo" technology, the tiny wound on her heart healed itself in a short time, and a large amount of gas filled Liu Shangyi's circulatory system, which soon took her life.

Whether it's serious or not, I'll kill you first. Who told you to be so rude in the first place?

Of all the people Yunluo had killed, Liu Shangyi's body was the most intact, with no visible damage, making his death seem perfect.

But the expression on her face during death was among the most ferocious and resentful of all those she had killed.

Yunluo snorted coldly, thinking to herself that Liu Shangyi was truly ungrateful. She had kindly tried to prevent Liu from suffering a fate worse than death and had even granted her the greatest peace, yet Liu was ungrateful and dared to put on such a frightening expression, as if she would haunt her even as a ghost.

That's so rude!

But never mind, out of respect for the dead, I won't grind her bones to ashes to vent my hatred.

Yunluo killed the evil servant and left triumphantly.

Not long after, the Empress Dowager returned to her palace surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs. She had been startled by the tremor today, and her already frail spirits were now even more exhausted. She needed to get some sleep and rest.

But as soon as he returned to the palace, he saw Liu Shangyi lying on the ground. Her face was twisted and her expression was ferocious like a demon, full of intense resentment and fear. She had a kind of beauty that was scared to death by Sadako.

Her body was not at peace either. She seemed to have suffered extremely painful torment before her death. Her whole body was twisted so that she was almost unrecognizable. Even after death, her muscles and bones did not loosen. Her body was held up by her limbs, which were stretched backward to the limit, and could not fall to the ground.

Such an unsettling death posture was no different from a ghost crawling out of hell. The Empress Dowager only glanced at it before her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

The palace maids and eunuchs were in a panic and hurriedly carried the Empress Dowager to bed. They then went to fetch the imperial physician. After a long while, they finally remembered that they had to report this to the Emperor immediately.

When Zhu Houzhao heard that a murder had occurred in the Empress Dowager's palace and that the Empress Dowager had fainted from fright, he was immediately enraged and ordered the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor, the two most powerful intelligence agencies in the Ming Dynasty, to form a joint investigation team to investigate the perpetrators.

If the culprit cannot be found within three days to avenge the Empress Dowager, he will spare no effort to destroy the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor!

Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi: ? ? ?

When the Empress Dowager got into trouble, the Emperor went mad, seemingly possessed by a master, and launched a counterattack, aiming to destroy his own right-hand men!

Upon receiving the news, Zhu Wushi rushed to the palace and, together with Duan Tianya, immediately began an investigation.

There was no other way; the Ming emperor's word was law, and he could not take back what he had said. If the murderer could not be found within three days, the mighty general might really lead his troops to launch an attack and destroy the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor.

He loves war so much that when there are no external enemies, fighting his own people is also a viable option.

As the emperor's uncle, Zhu Wushi knew very well what the absurd Zhu Houzhao was capable of doing.

With everything still unprepared and the time for rebellion not yet ripe, he could only exert his utmost effort to investigate and get through this difficult time.

The entire palace is now sealed off, and the Empress Dowager has already been moved to another palace for treatment.

Liu Shangyi's body was so gruesome that no one dared to move it. It remained in the same spot, and even the scene around her was completely preserved. Everyone who passed by avoided her.

I thought that if even he was in such a hurry, Cao Zhengchun, as the emperor's loyal henchman, would naturally be even more anxious.

Unexpectedly, by the time Zhu Wushi arrived at the palace and had already begun his investigation in the Empress Dowager's chambers, Cao Zhengchun had still not appeared, as if he were dead.

Zhu Wushi felt helpless. He had thought that the dirty and tiring work could be left to the Eastern Depot, but now that they hadn't come, he had to do it himself. Fortunately, he had brought his own men with him.

"Tianya, examine the body," Zhu Wushi instructed his adopted son. This was the reason he brought Duan Tianya along.

No matter when or where, the Iron-Blooded Marquis must be mindful of his sacred image. It would be too indecent for him to personally crawl on the ground to examine a corpse, as it would damage his majesty as a marquis.

He was used to bringing one or more imperial secret agents with him when he was doing serious business. If he encountered anything that might damage his image, he would leave it to them to do, while he himself always stood proudly on top of the world, giving others the confidence that he had everything under control, like a god.

Over time, people will truly worship him as a god, believing that everything he does is right, justified, and certain, thus blindly obeying him, even if it means rebelling against him.

For more than a decade, he has been dedicated to cultivating this image, and now it has been very effective. Even Cao Zhengchun, as an enemy, acknowledges that the greatness of the Divine Marquis needs no further explanation.

After observing the gruesome corpse on the ground, even the well-informed Duan Tianya couldn't help but frown, sighing that in all his years in the profession, he had rarely seen such a terrifying way of dying.

This is not the kind of physical discomfort caused by dismembered limbs and flying blood, but a strange and terrifying psychological fear that haunts all who have seen it, like a vengeful ghost, bringing heavy psychological pressure.

He silently circulated his internal energy, and the "Return to Oneness Mind Technique" flowed gently, quickly purifying his mind and dispelling all distractions, allowing him to concentrate entirely on his task and carefully examine the corpse.

This was a unique skill passed down to him by his adoptive father before he went to Japan to learn martial arts. It was thanks to this mental technique that he was able to integrate Central Plains martial arts, Japanese Iga school ninjutsu, and Nemuri Kyoshiro's illusion sword at his current age, unifying all techniques and forging his own path, reaching or even surpassing the level of the leaders of the eight major Central Plains sects at such a young age.

This is his fundamental law, with infinite wonders and immense power. Once it is activated, no terror can shake him.

He is not yet thirty years old, but his martial arts skills are already top-notch in the world. There are no more than ten people in the entire world who can defeat him in a head-on battle.

He truly deserves the title of the number one secret agent.

Soon, Duan Tianya completed the examination and reported the results to Zhu Wushi:

"She had a fierce fight before she died, and there was a faint palm print on her chest. Her dantian and meridians were shaken to some extent."

"Her martial arts skills are not bad. She seems to be practicing the martial arts of the Fire Cloud Sect, which was wiped out more than 50 years ago. Her internal strength is profound, no less than 60 years old."

"To inflict such injuries on her, the opponent's skill must be considerable; they are likely a seasoned master."

Very well, then it has nothing to do with Princess Yunluo. After all, everyone knows that the princess has only recently begun to master martial arts and is not some old monster with years of experience. It is impossible for her to have that kind of skill.

"However, her cause of death was not the shattering of her heart meridian by powerful internal energy. There were no fatal injuries on her body, but her meridians were inexplicably filled with a large amount of gas, which was the cause of her death."

The meridians in martial arts and the blood vessels in modern medicine are not the same thing. Both can be called meridians, but Duan Tianya used a different term to refer to blood vessels in order to make an accurate explanation.

After all, he was first and foremost a martial artist, not a doctor. The term "meridians" was naturally reserved for martial arts, and for medical matters, a new term had to be found.

At this point, Duan Tianya frowned: "This technique seems familiar. The Water Cloud Meridian Infusion Technique of the Biquan Sect in Luoyang can achieve this effect, but it will leave obvious penetrating wounds on the meridians."

"And this Liu Shangyi, her meridians were completely undamaged, yet they were filled with gas that she shouldn't have, which is puzzling."

There shouldn't be gas in the meridians. Since it appeared, there must be a place where it was injected. Duan Tianya couldn't detect such a place. It was as if the gas was generated out of thin air from the meridians. He couldn't understand it.

Even for him, this was a bit supernatural.

Zhu Wushi narrowed his eyes, and a huge weight was lifted from his heart.

Now that we have a suspect, regardless of whether we can find the real culprit, we have someone to take the blame, and the danger of the Emperor destroying the Dragon Guard Manor at all costs is averted.

However, to prevent any problems, it's best to find the real culprit; the investigation cannot be relaxed. If the investigation fails to uncover the truth, then it's not too late to blame Biquanmen.

Of course, based on what Duan Tianya just investigated, it's quite possible that Biquanmen was behind this, if not impossible.

Pei Lin, the leader of the Biquan Sect, is known in the martial arts world as "Jietian Lianbi" (Connecting Heaven and Green Jade). He is highly respected and has been practicing the Shuiyun Guanmai Jin (Water Cloud Meridian Infusion) for decades. His martial arts skills are among the best in the martial arts world, and he single-handedly supports the Biquan Sect.

He was a seasoned veteran with extensive combat experience, so it wasn't surprising that he could kill Liu Shangyi, who had long resided in the inner palace.

If he has made breakthroughs in his martial arts training over the years and cultivated the Water Cloud Meridian Energy to an unprecedented level, it is not incomprehensible that he could do such a thing.

Zhu Wushi was already thinking about how to forge some evidence in advance so that nothing could be found later, thus making the criminal facts of Biquanmen seem irrefutable.

"Oh dear, what's going on? Why has the Empress Dowager's palace been sealed off?"

(I previously got the character relationships wrong and made Yunluo a generation lower. The main reason was that the Empress Dowager in the drama looked too old, more like a grandmother than a mother. I made a mistake without realizing it. Now I've corrected it and revised the previous ones as well.)

(As for why a princess can call the Empress Dowager "Mother"... let's assume her biological parents died and she was adopted by the Empress Dowager, but not formally adopted, so she can only be titled a princess. That's how she's addressed in the drama, and the relationship does indeed look like mother and daughter. The author could only try to make it more palatable.)

Suddenly, a bright and clear voice came from outside the hall, melodious and graceful, like the song of a nightingale, which made people feel good.

"Your Highness, the place where the crime occurred is extremely terrifying. As a person of noble birth, it would be best if you did not go in, lest it frighten you," the guard's voice came.

"Terrifying? How terrifying? I'm really curious, I want to see!"

In modern information society, countless people want to see crime scenes, the more bloody and brutal the better. So how could an ancient princess who knew nothing about crime scenes be so curious?

Her reasoning is valid!

"...Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for us, we really can't come in..."

You have your curiosity, and I have my responsibilities. If you really want to see something bloody and brutal, I can have my colleagues hack me to death right here and now, but please don't make me make a mistake, lest my whole family be executed.

Zhu Wushi gestured for Duan Tianya to continue investigating the scene, while he left the palace and went outside. He immediately saw the girl who was being held back by the guards but was still tiptoeing and curiously peering inside.

The great Divine Lord, with a solemn and dignified expression, said, "Yunluo, do not be unreasonable."

Upon seeing him emerge, the guards breathed a sigh of relief, while "Yunluo" wore an expression of delight.

"Ah, it's the Imperial Uncle! That's wonderful! Please tell the guards to let me in to see the crime scene. I've never seen anything like this before, I'm so curious, I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't take a look!"

That's a lie. I can sleep soundly whether I see her or not. Of course, it's normal for me to stay up all night sometimes when I'm in the mood.

The guards were terrified and said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. His Majesty the Emperor is your elder brother. We are not worthy of being elder brothers. Please, Your Highness, have mercy on your words."

However, he was actually very happy to be called "elder brother" by the princess, and his goodwill towards the young princess increased dramatically.

Who wouldn't like such a beautiful girl who is of noble birth yet approachable and polite?

In an instant, they increased their efforts to stop the princess, determined not to let the lovely princess in.

They had all seen the scenes inside; they were too terrifying. If the princess didn't see them, she would only have trouble sleeping tonight, but if she did, she might be traumatized for life.

The kind and innocent princess deserves the best care, and they must do everything in their power to protect her physical and mental health!

Yunluo sensed their increasingly resolute attitude and was momentarily at a loss.

I've already called you guys "big brother," so why won't you do me a favor and let me in to take a look?

As the murderer, I must return to the scene after the investigation begins to make sure I haven't given myself away. What you're doing is putting me in a difficult position!

She became even more determined to break in. Although the guards liked the princess very much and longed to get close to her, the difference in their status made them realize that they could not touch the princess's body.

Faced with the relentless advance of the princess, they could only retreat, their faces filled with helplessness.

Zhu Wushi's face darkened, and he was somewhat helpless. He gestured for the guards to step back and let his niece in.

He stood blocking the doorway, his imposing aura spreading outwards, like a wall blocking the bouncing "Yunluo".

Yunluo's cheerful steps slowed down, and she could no longer jump. Finally, she stopped in front of Zhu Wushi, stood obediently, and lowered her head slightly, as if she was suppressed by the majesty of the Divine Marquis.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhu Wushi's eyes. Very good. His dignified image over the years had clearly taken deep root in people's hearts. Even Yun Luo, who was fearless, had to behave himself in front of him. The emperor was no match for him.

This empire truly belongs to Zhu Wushi!

Zhu Houzhao was nothing but a spendthrift son who never did anything of importance. He was either indulging in pleasure or on his way to do so. How could such a scoundrel govern the Ming Dynasty well?

Only Zhu Wushi can lead the Ming Dynasty to greatness once again!

The sun, moon, mountains, and rivers shine upon the Ming Dynasty, and its glorious future will last forever. Zhu Houzhao cannot bear such a grand ambition; it is Zhu Wushi who should take it upon himself!

Before Su Xin's influence, the Iron-Blooded Marquis was full of lofty ambitions. The reason he rebelled was not because he wanted to become emperor, but because Zhu Houzhao was indeed hopeless.

If he hadn't rebelled, seized the throne, and used his talent and ambition to rebuild the Ming Dynasty, the Zhu family's rule would have truly become an insurmountable crisis. He also had his dreams.

Of course, the fact that he proposed to the royal family to marry Su Xin back then, but was severely rejected by the Ming imperial family led by his elder brother, and that he wanted revenge was also one of the reasons for his rebellion.

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Zhu ignored his imposing gaze and focused on "Yunluo":

“The guards didn’t lie to you. The scene was indeed terrifying. Even I felt emotional and inexplicably upset when I saw it. If you can’t handle it, then don’t go in.”

"What you're curious about is who died, what the murderer did, and who the murderer really is. These things aren't confidential, so I can tell you directly."

Yunluo secretly pouted. I'm not curious about things I already know. I just want to see the scene and experience the whole process of being a murderer from beginning to end.