After rebirth, she turned around and married the emperor's uncle and tore the scumbag apart

Chapter 605 Can the Autopsy Be Turned On?

Early in the morning, the signs of another sunny day were already emerging in the capital. The azure sky was cloudless, and there was no indication that it had rained.

People were lamenting yesterday's heavy rain when they heard another piece of news: Zheng Zixu, the Minister of Rites, died suddenly last night.

The news spread like wildfire.

People in teahouses and restaurants were talking about it.

"I heard that the Minister of Rites attended the birthday banquet of the Duchess of Dingguo yesterday. How could he have died suddenly last night?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's a disease of affluence."

"I heard he was assassinated."

……

"Has anyone gone to pay their respects yet?" Su Lingyue asked Yan Qing.

Yan Qing nodded, "Some officials in the court went there early this morning after hearing about it."

Su Lingyue turned her head and asked Xiao Yu with a smile, "Your Highness, as the mistress of the Prince's Mansion, shouldn't I also make a trip there?"

With Zheng Zixu dead, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the Zheng family reacts, and how his father reacts.

Su Lingyue held Xiao Yu's hand with one of hers. Xiao Yu leaned against the soft pillow, his gaze fixed on Su Lingyue's profile.

"Thank you for your trouble, my Queen."

Xiao Yu gazed at her, his eyes filled with tenderness and longing. Although his hands were immobile, as long as she was there, he could always feel her warmth in his hands, which brought him peace of mind.

Su Lingyue smiled and turned to Yan Qing, saying, "Yan Qing, go and prepare a suitable condolence gift. I'll go there this afternoon."

Yan Qing nodded, then asked, "Do you want me to come along?"

Now is a critical moment. Yunting is at the Jiang residence, and the Prince's residence needs the Advisor to be in charge, just in case.

“No need, A-Qing will come with me. I’ll just pick two more guards to drive my horse.” She added, “The prince will feel more at ease with me if you stay in the manor.”

Yan Qing's expression remained normal for the first two sentences, but upon hearing the last sentence, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will take good care of everything." Yan Qing patted her chest and then turned to go out to make arrangements.

There was no one else in the room. Su Lingyue turned around and moved closer to Xiao Yu, meeting his gaze.

In the candlelight, Xiao Yu's eyelashes shimmered faintly.

"Why is Your Highness staring at me?"

"My Yue'er is so beautiful, I can never get enough of looking at her." Xiao Yu's voice was soft, like a feather tickling Su Lingyue's heart, making her feel a little itchy.

Su Lingyue rested her head on Xiao Yu's shoulder, gently hugging his thin body, her cheek lightly rubbing against his. "My prince is handsome too, the most handsome man in the world."

Xiao Yu chuckled, "Little liar, you've only met a few men in the capital."

"Perhaps you've been to other places, met other people, and encountered even more handsome men." His tone carried a hint of wistful coaxing.

Su Lingyue thought for a moment, then softly hummed in agreement. “Perhaps. The world is full of wonders. There may be more handsome men in other places, but more handsome men are matched with more beautiful women. In the capital, we are a good match.”

Xiao Yu quietly felt the warmth emanating from her arms and cheeks. She held him like that, as if she were an inseparable part of him. The warmth dispelled the chill in his body, making Xiao Yu want to stay with her.

Su Lingyue tightened her grip on her arm and gave a soft snort, "We promised to be together forever. Wherever you are, I will be there."

The warmth of the person in his arms was the warmest refuge in his twenty-five years of life, and he really couldn't bear to let go.

There might be other ways to restrain Yunting.

*

In the afternoon, Su Lingyue, accompanied by two guards, Cai Die, and Li Jing, went to the Zheng residence to offer condolences.

Many carriages and horses had already arrived at the Zheng residence to offer condolences. Su Lingyue got off the carriage and saw a familiar person.

Duan Xu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, sat in front of the carriage, looking at the plaque of the Zheng residence as if he were thinking about something.

"Lord Duan, aren't you going in?"

Duan Xu looked in the direction of the voice and met Su Lingyue's calm and clear gaze, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

To outsiders, he was a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court, skilled in criminal law and seemingly omnipotent.

Now, his confused and bewildered expression was seen by a junior, which was truly embarrassing.

Duan Xu jumped down from the carriage, nodded to Su Lingyue, and then gestured for her to proceed, "Please, Your Highness!"

The two walked in together. There were already quite a few people in the courtyard paying their respects. They were chatting in groups of three or five, and their topic of conversation was, of course, Zheng Zixu in the coffin.

His death was too suspicious.

Inside the house, Zheng Zixu's wife, children, and two concubines knelt there keeping vigil. Except for Zheng Zixu's two sons, who did not cry, Jiang and the two concubines all had red eyes from crying.

The two concubines, in particular, cried so hard they could barely breathe and nearly fainted.

After the two paid their respects, Duan Xu did not rush to leave, but instead walked around the coffin. Under the Zheng family's surprised gazes, Duan Xu asked the question that had been bothering him: "How did Lord Zheng leave?"

Jiang stopped crying, but before she could speak, Zheng Chengze said, "My father passed away suddenly from a heart attack."

He had barely finished speaking when one of the concubines pointed at Jiang and cried out, "My maid, Cui'er, saw you enter his room last night, and your two sons went in too. You must have conspired to murder him..."

Before she could finish speaking, another concubine beside her raised her hand and covered her mouth, looking at Jiang with a terrified expression. "Madam, she can't accept the passing of her master and is talking nonsense. Please don't take her seriously."

Jiang looked at the two of them coldly and said, "Of course."

The concubine, whose mouth had been covered, broke free of her restraints and shouted, "Master is in good health, how could he suddenly fall ill? It was you who couldn't stand Master's favor towards me and caused his death."

Jiang glared at her concubine and ordered the old woman serving her, "She's gone mad. Knock her unconscious, drag her away, and tie her up."

Upon receiving the order, the old woman immediately raised her hand and knocked the concubine unconscious. The two of them then carried her away.

Jiang bowed her head to Su Lingyue and Duan Xu apologetically, "I'm sorry to have made the Princess and Lord Duan laugh at me."

Su Lingyue looked at her and said calmly, "It's alright. It's just that Lord Zheng's departure was suspicious. Madam Zheng, you and your two sons should also take care."

Jiang looked at Su Lingyue and respectfully lowered her head, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly be careful."

Duan Xu knew from the way Jiang treated her concubines that she was definitely not a weak lady of the inner quarters, but the way she treated Princess Su was unusually submissive.

He frowned and said, "Madam Zheng, just now your concubine said that you and your two sons all saw Lord Zheng, who was still alive, at the end. What did Lord Zheng say to you?"

Jiang was still putting paper money into the basin when flames shot up, making Jiang's face appear and disappear in the light.

"My husband must have sensed something, because he called us in to give us instructions on household affairs, and told me to take good care of the two children and the concubine, and to tell the two children to study hard and pass the imperial examinations."

“That’s right,” Zheng Chengze and Zheng Chengxuan agreed.

Duan Xu had solved countless cases, and their unanimous agreement only fueled his suspicions.

"Madam, gentlemen, in case someone tries to harm you, could you please open the coffin so I can see Brother Zheng's remains?"

Upon hearing Duan Xu's words, Jiang and her two sons immediately became alert. Jiang looked at Duan Xu nervously and sternly refused, "Lord Duan, my master passed away due to a relapse of his heart disease. He has already been placed in the coffin. If you come to pay your respects, we are very grateful to you. But if you come to cause trouble and disturb my master's peace, we will risk our lives to appeal to the Emperor!"

Zheng Chengze stood up and gestured for them to leave, "My lord, Your Highness, please return now that you have finished your prayers!"

Seeing their righteous and indignant demeanor, Duan Xu didn't insist any further and left the mourning hall with Su Lingyue.

Duan Xu walked a few steps with Su Lingyue, then suddenly called out to her, "Your Highness, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Su Lingyue turned around and took a few steps away from Duan Xu.

He spent many years in prison and interrogating prisoners. When he got serious, his eyes and the aura he exuded were truly unsettling.

Su Lingyue looked troubled: "I'm just a woman confined to the inner quarters, I really don't understand these things. Lord Duan, although I can't help you solve your problem, I've heard a saying: 'Things will work themselves out in the end.' Just do what you think is right, and maybe one day you'll suddenly find the answer."

Duan Xu stared into her eyes, which were clear and unreadable.

He was confused.

According to his guess, shouldn't Su Lingyue be advising him not to meddle in other people's business and not to investigate her father?