Mu Mingtang still hadn't recovered from the shock of seeing someone die. For a moment, she didn't understand what Hsieh Hyun-chen was talking about, "What's the result?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen gestured to the incense ball in her hand and asked, "Who did you tell about finding this incense ball?"
Mu Mingtang shook her head, "Other than you, no one else." After she finished speaking, she paused for a moment and slowly frowned, "However, when I found it at noon, it seems that a servant girl saw it."
Hsieh Hyun-chen nodded. Obviously, she had expected this, "They must have found it, so they were anxious to silence it. There's no need to find someone to check the incense inside. There must be a problem. "
"Who did it?"
"Let's go and see."
As Hsieh Hyun-chen spoke, she tapped her finger lightly and the copper ball suddenly opened from the middle. Hsieh Hyun-chen said, "This incense ball can't be kept anymore. Find a box and put the incense away."
Mu Mingtang didn't quite understand, but she immediately stood up and looked for a box. Even if Mu Mingtang hadn't experienced this kind of situation before, she knew that she couldn't use a box that was too eye-catching. However, all of her jewelry boxes were exquisite. Mu Mingtang couldn't find anything that wasn't eye-catching. She simply took a risk and picked up her earring box and a piece of lipstick.
Hsieh Hyun-chen was very puzzled when she saw what Mu Mingtang brought over, "What are you doing with the lipstick?"
"I can't compare to you in terms of scheming, but you can't compare to me in terms of hiding things." Mu Mingtang had already opened the inner layer of the earring box and slowly scraped the incense ball with the lipstick. Hsieh Hyun-chen roughly understood what Mu Mingtang wanted to do. He wasn't good at this kind of delicate work, so he could only remind her in a low voice, "Don't pour too much. Leave a little in the incense ball."
"I understand." Mu Mingtang nodded. The bright red paper was covered with a thin layer of incense ash. Mu Mingtang folded the paper into a thin and thin paper bag and placed it in the small earring box. Then, he closed the lid and restored the earring to its original appearance. If he did not take the initiative to remind them, they would not be able to tell that there was something hidden underneath.
When Mu Mingtang hid the incense ashes, Hsieh Hyun-chen had already recovered the incense balls. At this time, the servant girl who reported the news had already run near. Judging from the sound of her voice, she would be coming in soon. Mu Mingtang lowered his voice and asked urgently, "What about the aromatherapy balls?"
"Just put it in any drawer." Hsieh Hyun-chen suddenly remembered that Mu Mingtang had been taken out of the cabinet just now. He said, "Put it back in the cabinet."
Put it back in the cabinet? Mu Mingtang frowned and quickly said, "Although I deliberately avoided people when I hid the aromatherapy balls in the afternoon, it doesn't mean that it wouldn't have been discovered. What if someone switches the aromatherapy balls while we're out? "
"Just let them switch them." Hsieh Hyun-chen said, "In any case, the only thing that is useful is the incense. It's enough that we have a sample. Leave the rest for them to destroy."
"Okay." Mu Mingtang hurriedly responded. She quickly stood up to put the earring box and the incense bag back. She had just restored the two items to their original appearance when the maidservant who reported the news ran in breathlessly, "Wangfei, something bad has happened."
She ran in and found that Hsieh Hyun-chen was also awake. The maidservant immediately knelt down and kowtowed, "This servant greets wangye, wangfei."
"Get up." Hsieh Hyun-chen's expression had already returned to his unique noble and cold appearance. He faintly said, "What happened outside?"
Facing Hsieh Hyun-chen, the maidservant was clearly a lot more nervous. She had been shouting the entire way, but now she couldn't even say a complete sentence, "Re … … Reporting to wangye, Bi He accidentally fell into the water. When the servants guarding the garden found her, she had already drowned."
Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen looked at each other. Mu Mingtang asked, "Where was she found? Why did she fall into the water? "
"It was in the lake in the garden. The manservant who was fishing for water plants saw her. As for the reason why she fell into the water … … this servant doesn't know. "
It was already November and the plants by the lake were bleak. The manservant just had to go fishing for water plants today? Mu Mingtang didn't ask any more questions. She looked inquisitively at Hsieh Hyun-chen, "Wangye?"
"I'll go take a look at the garden." Hsieh Hyun-chen said as he stood up. Perhaps it was because he stood up too quickly, his body swayed and he began to cough.
Mu Mingtang quickly went forward to support him. She called for a maidservant to bring him water. Hsieh Hyun-chen finally stopped coughing. After using up so much energy, his face was pale and his lips were white.
Mu Mingtang couldn't tell if Hsieh Hyun-chen was really coughing or if he was just pretending. Because she didn't know if it was real or fake, the worry on her face couldn't be faked, "Wangye … …"
"It's fine." Hsieh Hyun-chen slightly waved his hand, saying, "A person's life is more important than anything. With such a big thing happening in the palace, we can't be careless. My body is fine. Lead the way. "
Mu Mingtang could only give a deep sigh. She said to the maidservant, "Go inform the people in the garden to wait. Wangye's body is weak and can't stand the wind. He needs to be dressed properly before going out."
The maidservant didn't suspect anything. After kowtowing, she left. Mu Mingtang supported Hsieh Hyun-chen behind the screen to change his clothes. Mu Mingtang saw that Hsieh Hyun-chen was swaying with every step and her heart tightened.
When they were behind the screen, Mu Mingtang used the action of tying his cloak to ask in a low voice, "Are you really not feeling well? How about you stay in the room and I'll go take a look. "
"I'm lying to them." Hsieh Hyun-chen's lips did not move, but a muffled voice came out. Although his voice was low, it sounded like he was breathing well. It didn't seem like he would be blown away by the wind.
Mu Mingtang's heart finally relaxed and she let out a sigh of relief. She found that Hsieh Hyun-chen was really good at pretending to be sick. Whether it was faking fainting or coughing, it was all very easy. Mu Mingtang was fooled every time.
Just as Mu Mingtang finished thinking, Hsieh Hyun-chen started coughing again. This coughing seemed to be very laborious. Hsieh Hyun-chen had no choice but to bend over slightly and clench his fist by his mouth to stop the coughing. Mu Mingtang was originally helping Hsieh Hyun-chen tie his clothes. After he bent over, Mu Mingtang was almost in front of him. Mu Mingtang subconsciously wanted to retreat, but a hand suddenly covered her waist and exerted a little force.
"Don't move." Hsieh Hyun-chen hugged her and whispered in her ear, "It's very tiring to pretend to cough. You have to cooperate."
Mu Mingtang could only stiffen half of her body to "cooperate." This posture was very convenient for Hsieh Hyun-chen. Hsieh Hyun-chen leaned against Mu Mingtang's hair and whispered, "When we go out later, most of the fragrant incense balls left in the cabinet will be replaced. When you come back, just pretend you don't know. Continue to call the imperial physicians in. Don't just call Imperial Physician Zhang. Call three imperial physicians separately. "
"Okay." Mu Mingtang nodded. At this moment, she didn't dare to move. Fortunately, half of her body was covered by Hsieh Hyun-chen, so she didn't have to worry about her expression being seen by others. Otherwise, Mu Mingtang felt that she would definitely be exposed.
Mu Mingtang's cheek faintly touched Hsieh Hyun-chen's chin. She could only try to pull away, but her waist was held by Hsieh Hyun-chen. If she moved a little, Hsieh Hyun-chen would tighten his grip. The distance between the two was getting closer and closer.
Mu Mingtang could only try to talk about serious matters to divert her attention, "What should we do when we go out later?"
"Just do what you have to do. It's right for you to have doubts. Pay attention to the identity of the person who died. If possible, try to stay at the scene for as long as possible. "
"Okay." Mu Mingtang nodded as if she understood. She was a little hesitant and asked, "Is your body important?"
"I'm fine." Hsieh Hyun-chen finally stood up straight. His lips were pale and his eyes were cold. "I know what I'm doing."
Mu Mingtang made an 'oh' sound. After a while, she couldn't help but nudge him with her elbow, "Since you're done talking, then let go."
Hsieh Hyun-chen just realized that he was still holding Mu Mingtang's waist. He suddenly showed a weak posture and leaned on Mu Mingtang, "My body is weak now. I need someone to help me walk."
When Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen walked to the garden, there were already many people standing there.
Someone died in King An's Imperial Residence. Xie Xuanji and Jiang Mingwei rushed over. Jiang Mingwei stood far away in the attic with a cloak wrapped around her. She looked disgusted, afraid that she would accidentally stain her eyes with the dead person.
If it wasn't for her reputation, Jiang Mingwei wouldn't have wanted to come. Someone had just drowned and it was too unlucky. Jiang Mingwei wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and sneezed lightly in the wind. When the maid saw her, she whispered, "Princess, the wind is strong on the water. Be careful not to catch a cold. Why don't I ask them to make a bowl of ginger soup? "
"There's no need. We'll be able to go back in a while. There's no need to trouble yourself." Jiang Mingwei felt that it was just a drowned person. She didn't want to stay here for too long, let alone drink ginger tea at the scene of a dead person. Jiang Mingwei wanted to sneeze again. She used a handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth and complained, "I didn't feel the wind was strong at home. Today, when I came to their garden, I realized that this place is so empty and the wind is so cold."
After Jiang Mingwei finished complaining, she heard a sound not far away. Jiang Mingwei raised her head to look and said, "They're here."
Jiang Mingwei couldn't care less about the cold. She quickly hugged her cloak and went out to welcome them. The sound just now was indeed the arrival of Hsieh Hyun-chen and Mu Mingtang. When Jiang Mingwei walked over, she saw Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen supporting each other as they slowly walked down the corridor. Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen's clothes were made of the same material. They looked exquisite and heavy, and their clothes faintly glowed with a soft light. Mu Mingtang was wearing a red cloak while Hsieh Hyun-chen was wearing a blue cloak. The cloak and the clothes made of the same material gave off a strange feeling.
When Jiang Mingwei first saw it, she felt that it was an eyesore. When she looked again, wasn't this the embroidered brocade that Mu Mingtang had stolen from her? Jiang Mingwei's heart was immediately set ablaze. Mu Mingtang was such a despicable person. Jiang Mingwei had lived in the palace for so many years, but she had never seen such an insolent person! Mu Mingtang had deliberately used the green brocade to mock her. Now, he was openly wearing the other embroidered brocade to show off in front of her?
Jiang Mingwei comforted herself not to bicker with an ignorant commoner. However, when she turned around and saw that Hsieh Hyun-chen was wearing the same style, she was still furious.
Xie Xuanji also walked over and bowed slightly to Hsieh Hyun-chen and Mu Mingtang, "Second Brother, Sister-in-law."
Jiang Mingwei also quickly restrained her expression and greeted them, "Long live Prince An and Sister-in-law."
Jiang Mingwei tried her best to tell herself not to bicker with this despicable person. However, from the corner of her eye, she saw that her and Xie Xuanji's clothes were completely different. Xie Xuanji had his own personal maidservants. He never allowed Jiang Mingwei to interfere with his clothes and accessories. Even if Jiang Mingwei wanted to bicker with Mu Mingtang, she could not change Xie Xuanji's decision.
Jiang Mingwei could not help but feel disheartened.
Hsieh Hyun-chen nodded slightly and asked, "Where is she?"
"Over there. I've already fished her out of the water." Xie Xuanji moved aside and pointed to the back with a hesitant expression, "A drowned person looks scary. I don't dare to let you worry. It's windy outside. Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law should go back and rest for a while. After I've investigated everything, I'll send someone to report to Second Brother. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen shook her head and said, "It's fine. It's not like I haven't seen a dead person before. Although I'm not in good health, I won't be buried after standing for a while. Let's go and take a look. "
Xie Xuanji frowned and glanced at Mu Mingtang, "Second Brother, I'm afraid this is not suitable for a woman to see."
When Mu Mingtang heard this, he immediately said, "I've also seen a lot of dead people. I've even buried them with my own hands. I'm not afraid. If Prince Jin is afraid of corpses, then I'll accompany my husband. "
What kind of words were these? Xie Xuanji's expression turned ugly for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, you must be joking. Sister-in-law, you're not inferior to a man. On the contrary, I misunderstood you. Please don't blame me. "
After saying this, Xie Xuanji stepped aside and stretched out his hand, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, please."
Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen walked forward together. The corpse had already been fished out and was placed on the shore. It was surrounded by footprints and mud. Mu Mingtang originally wanted to take a closer look, but both sides were staring at her. Her clothes were not suitable for such things, so she could only give up.
It was a woman who looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. She was wearing the palace's uniform. Someone next to Mu Mingtang explained, "Prince, Princess, her name is Bi He. She also serves in Jade Qilin Hall."
"She serves in Jade Qilin Hall?" Mu Mingtang asked, "Why don't I have any impression of her?"
"Her hands and feet are clumsy. Usually, she's in charge of trivial matters in the back and doesn't serve in front of others. That's why Princess doesn't recognize her."
This was unavoidable. There were as many servants in the palace as there were clouds. Just Jade Qilin Hall alone had close to a hundred servants. Mu Mingtang couldn't recognize each and every one of them. Only people with decent appearances and clever personalities could appear in front of Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen. Most of the palace maids were submerged in the shadows. They worked hard all day and no one recognized them.
Mu Mingtang nodded and asked, "So it's like this. What does she do?"
The person who answered seemed to pause and then lowered her head, "She's in charge of the fragrance room. She's usually in charge of grinding the spices, drying them, and storing them."
She was in charge of the spices. Mu Mingtang and Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't move, but the two of them understood what the other was thinking.
Mu Mingtang's thoughts slowly became clear and she more or less understood what had happened today. She wasn't sure at first, but now that she saw the series of coincidences outside, Mu Mingtang could basically conclude that there was a problem with the spices in the fragrant incense ball.
Mu Mingtang didn't know what the problem was for now, but at least the person behind it didn't want Hsieh Hyun-chen to find out. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence? Yesterday, she had almost gone out, and Hsieh Hyun-chen had coincidentally fallen ill at the time she was supposed to go out. Today, she had just found the fragrant incense ball and was about to call someone over to take a look when the maid who was in charge of making the spices drowned in the garden.
Mu Mingtang very darkly suspected that the person behind this was trying to silence her.
In reality, these people's actions were a bit abrupt. Drowning in the middle of winter was very far-fetched. It seemed that they were also anxious.
Why were they anxious?
Mu Mingtang thought about the maid from this afternoon and fell into deep thought. Yesterday, Mu Mingtang changed her plans at the last minute and didn't go out. In the end, she just happened to run into Hsieh Hyun-chen's illness. After that, she had been guarding Jade Qilin Hall. At that time, there were too many people and the person behind this didn't have the opportunity to take out the fragrant incense ball. They could only wait for an entire night. Today, they were probably planning to come and take the item away, but they didn't expect that Mu Mingtang would be one step ahead of them.
When Mu Mingtang was looking for the item, she must have been seen by someone. After the informant passed the message to the higher-ups, someone immediately slipped and fell into the water.
Mu Mingtang shuddered just thinking about it. If she hadn't turned down the invitation at the last minute yesterday, and if she hadn't had time to tidy up the cupboard today, who would have known about the existence of the fragrant incense ball? Presumably, the person came and went without a trace. No one would have connected the fragrant incense to Hsieh Hyun-chen's illness.
Mu Mingtang was silent for a while. She felt that this woman who had mysteriously died was very suspicious. Mu Mingtang even suspected that she was the person who handled the fragrant incense ball's spices.
Mu Mingtang didn't hide her suspicions and asked, "Since she's from the fragrant incense room, why would she drown in the garden? It's already winter and the flowers that can be used to make fragrant incense have long withered. Why would she come to the garden alone? "
This … The surrounding people couldn't say anything. Xie Xuanji stood to the side for a while. When he heard Mu Mingtang's question, he continued, "Everyone has their own habits. The fragrant incense room is stuffy all day long. Perhaps she came to the garden to get some fresh air and accidentally slipped and fell into the water. Of course, this is only my guess. The dead can't speak. If Sister-in-law wants to know, you can ask the people around her to come over and ask. "
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