After reading Consort Xian's lengthy narration, the entire cause and effect of the case was finally clearly presented to everyone.
Mo Xuemin speculated, "Several women have disappeared in Jiangzhou in recent years. Could they have been silenced by her? It's very possible that Consort Xian was secretly contacted by the Zhao State envoy at Qingshan Temple, and they saw her?"
Xiao Lou nodded and said, "Possibly. Consort Xian was the mastermind behind the serial poisonings in Beijing. She's a ruthless killer and doesn't care about killing a few more."
Ye Qi sighed, " Consort Xian is indeed very skilled, but unfortunately, his teammates are too bad to carry him!"
Everyone: "..."
Xiao Ye's words pointed out the key point: Qi Fenghua is indeed too incompetent to be carried. He is not only confused in his actions, but also very simple-minded, not even half as good as Eighth Prince.
Prince Eighth was very talented, but he really didn't want to be emperor.
Not all princes want to be emperor. Wouldn't it be better to be a carefree prince, traveling around and enjoying life? You can take as many concubines as you want without having to consider the power of your concubines' families or sit on the throne every day listening to your ministers' nagging... In fact, Prince Eighth is the one who sees things most clearly.
Xiao Lou said softly, " Consort Xian is already over sixty years old. It seems she is truly disheartened and doesn't want to cultivate another puppet, so she simply took her own life." He turned to look at the woman lying on the bed with a peaceful expression and couldn't help but sigh, "She poisoned so many people, and in the end, she actually poisoned herself with her own hands."
Yu Hanjiang said, "This way, he can be considered to have died a worthy death. At least he was left with a complete body and didn't have to be beheaded."
Silence fell over the room, and everyone felt a pang of sadness.
Even if Qi Fenghua doesn't confess, it doesn't matter, Consort Xian's suicide note has already revealed everything.
She left so gracefully, but what will happen to the prince's family?
Yu Hanjiang frowned and said, "How to resolve this case still requires a petition to the Emperor. Here's what we'll do: Long Sen, take Consort Xian's will and the secret memorial I wrote, and go to the capital tonight. On one hand, keep an eye on the selection process, and on the other hand, ask His Majesty Qi Fenghua and the Zhenjiang Prince's Mansion how they intend to handle the matter."
Xiao Lou handed him the [ Li Qingzhao ] card and said, "Traveling is too troublesome. Send us a message by carrier pigeon as soon as you have any news."
Long Sen nodded and set off that night.
Yu Han
Jiang and Xiao Lou lay side by side in the bedroom, both with mixed feelings.
Xiao Lou said, "This is the most difficult case we've encountered so far. The clues are too scattered, and we can't find any physical evidence..."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The logic of the case is actually very clear, but there are too many details. Every detail must be grasped and every person mentioned must be carefully investigated. In the end, the key to solving the case was actually the palace gossip that Ninth Princess told Qu Wanyue."
Xiao Lou smiled helplessly: "Yes, if Teacher Qu hadn't overheard or paid attention to the gossip about the Empress, Consort Shu, and Consort Ming, we might have been completely confused and wouldn't have been able to connect it to what happened thirteen years ago."
Yu Hanjiang said, "If Liu Qiao hadn't produced the poison in time, we might have been wiped out when we were surrounded by assassins outside Jiangzhou City. If Ye Qi hadn't been vigilant enough, and Snow Goose had found him awake during the prison break that night, he might have been silenced as well."
Xiao Lou said, "And there's Lao Mo. The book 'The Record of Local Customs' hidden on the bookshelf has patterns of jewelry worn by women from Yan State. If he hadn't noticed it, it would have taken us several days to investigate the assassin's origins, and we wouldn't have thought of anything from Yan State."
Looking back, the process of solving this case was truly thrilling.
In fact, everyone has their own role in this escape room, and everyone should make good use of their identity and try their best to provide clues to the captain.
This was the first time an eight-person team had worked together to solve a case. Of course, Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were mainly responsible for reasoning and analysis, but the other teammates couldn't afford to falter—any one of them would greatly hinder the correct reasoning.
The first A-grade secret room was this difficult; Yu Hanjiang gets a headache just thinking about having to do this kind of role-playing again.
The only thing that made him happy in this secret room was the way he and Xiao Lou had been assigned their roles.
Xiao Lou is his wife.
At that moment, his wife was lying beside him, and the two of them were covered with the same blanket. Even just chatting under the covers made him feel happy.
He even somewhat didn't want to leave the secret room.
Xiao Lou said, " After Long Sen delivers the evidence, the emperor should make his own judgment. We've cleared this secret room, right?"
Yu Hanjiang said, "There's still one problem that hasn't been solved. Your brother went to Yan State. Try to contact Yan State..." " If I can contact the Third Prince and help quell the war between Qi State and Yan State, I'll probably be able to complete the game perfectly and get an S-rank rating."
Xiao Lou nodded and said, "That's true. It seems we'll have to stay in this secret room for another half month."
Yu Hanjiang thought to himself, "That's good too. I can continue to share a bed with my wife for another half month."
***
The next day, with nothing to do all day, Shao Qingge started spending money lavishly, booking the largest restaurant in Jiangzhou to treat Lord Yu to a meal. His teammates also benefited from his generosity and experienced a grand ancient meal.
The case has been investigated and is now just waiting for it to be resolved.
Having won again without lifting a finger, Shao Qingge said with a smile, "We can't take this gold with us anyway, so why don't I give each of you a few taels of gold? You can buy whatever you want and take the opportunity to experience the customs and culture of ancient times."
Everyone: "..."
CEO Shao really knows how to have fun, treating the heart room like a vacation!
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang weren't in the mood for leisurely strolls; after returning home, they waited for news from Long Sen. Fortunately, that very evening, Long Sen sent them a message by carrier pigeon, reporting on the situation in the capital.
The talent show has been perfectly resolved. His Majesty was indeed swift and decisive, apprehending the traitor who had infiltrated the Show Girl team on the very day of the selection, and further investigating to uncover the Ministry of Rites' mole, imprisoning them all in the Ministry of Justice's jail to await their fate.
His Majesty has also carefully read the second secret letter sent by Yu Hanjiang, as well as Consort Xian's confession in his will.
Treason is no small matter. According to the laws of Great Qi State, those suspected of treason are subject to the execution of their entire family. Qi Fenghua would implicate the entire Zhenjiang Prince's Mansion, leading to their demise. However, His Majesty is kind-hearted and grateful. After all, when the late Emperor established the Crown Prince, it was the Eighth Prince who proactively petitioned the late Emperor to appoint his grandson as heir. In the year the late Emperor passed away, when the Fifth and Sixth Princes rebelled and forced the emperor to abdicate, it was also the Eighth Prince who assisted him in suppressing the rebellion.
It can be said that without this Eighth Prince, there would be no throne for him.
Therefore, His Majesty gave Yu Hanjiang a secret order—
Yu Hanjiang was instructed to secretly execute Consort Xian and Qi Fenghua, and General Lin at the front was to forge an obituary and send it to the Prince's residence, saying that Qi Fenghua had gloriously sacrificed his life at the front.
As for the murder at the Prince's mansion, it was said to have been done by an assassin.
His Majesty will not only refrain from executing the entire Zhenjiang Prince's family, but will also take the opportunity to bestow the title of Eighth Prince upon him, making the title of "Prince of Zhenjiang" hereditary, and formally confer the title of Princess upon his two legitimate daughters, Third Miss and Fourth Miss.
It is said that Third Miss and Qin Rui are in love. However, Qin Rui, as a guard, is not worthy of Third Miss. Therefore, His Majesty has decided to transfer the highly skilled Qin Rui to the capital to serve as the commander of the Imperial Guard, grant him a higher rank and title, and allow him to marry Third Miss in a grand and glorious manner.
The fourth young lady's beloved was innocently murdered, and the fourth young lady herself was ashamed and covered her face because of a birthmark on her face. His Majesty decided to bestow upon her the title of Princess and then find her a good marriage. If the child in Madam Han's womb is a daughter, she will be bestowed the title of Princess at birth; if it is a son, he will be directly bestowed the title of King at birth.
Furthermore, Lord Yu has rendered meritorious service in solving this case, but because it is a "secret that cannot be spoken," His Majesty has allowed Yu Hanjiang to continue serving as Prefect of Jiangzhou, to gain experience in Jiangzhou for a few years while he is still young. In the future, Yu Hanjiang will be His Majesty's right-hand man, and His Majesty will find an opportunity to transfer Yu Hanjiang back to the capital, where he will naturally be promoted.
Upon seeing Long Sen's message carried by carrier pigeon, Xiao Lou couldn't help but sigh, "His Majesty is indeed ambitious and considers everything very thoroughly. This way, the people won't gossip about Prince Eighth, and Prince Eighth will treat him very well."
loyalty."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "All of the late emperor's sons are dead, leaving only the Eighth Prince. If His Majesty were to use treason to execute the entire Prince's family, he would be seen as a cold-blooded and ruthless tyrant in the eyes of the people. Moreover, the events of thirteen years ago have far-reaching implications. If the truth that Consort Xian was the mastermind is revealed now, the people will say that the late emperor was a foolish ruler who kept a murderer by his side, and that he was blinded for so many years without even investigating Consort Xian. This would not be good for the late emperor's reputation..."
Xiao Lou agreed: "Therefore, keeping this case a secret is the best outcome."
Truth and falsehood are intertwined; such is history. What historians record is not necessarily the truth—what Your Majesty wants the people to know is the so-called "truth."
***
Five days later.
The obituary from the front lines, along with Qi Fenghua's body, were sent to the Prince's Mansion in Zhenjiang.
His Majesty, using Qi Fenghua's "sacrifice for the country" as a pretext, bestowed great honors upon the Prince's residence.
The Third Miss and the Fourth Miss were both granted the title of Princess, and the Fourth Miss was betrothed to General Lin's only son.
The Fourth Miss, who had always been self-conscious and veiled, finally removed her veil on the day of her investiture. The birthmark on her face actually looked quite pretty with makeup. The Third Miss and Qin Rui were naturally very happy. Originally, the Third Miss's birth mother, Madam Qing, opposed the marriage, but His Majesty personally arranged the marriage and promoted Qin Rui. From now on, Qin Rui would be the commander of the Imperial Guards in the capital. Not only did she not object, but she also knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" the loudest.
The Eighth Prince was heartbroken by the successive deaths of his eldest daughter and eldest son.
The following day, more tragic news arrived: she had passed away at Consort Xian in Qingshan Temple, and her body was cremated at the temple. Prince Eighth had no affection for his mother, but he still went to the temple to offer incense for her.
Two days later, Xiao Lou's younger brother, Xiao Yu, returned to Jiangzhou with good news: In Yan State, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were engaged in a power struggle. The Crown Prince was extremely hostile to Qi State and, upon learning of the annihilation of their intelligence organization, advised the old emperor to launch a full-scale war. The Third Prince, on the other hand, was more friendly towards Great Qi State, believing that the continuous warfare between Yan and Qi State was unwise and depleting their national strength. He was willing to form an alliance with Great Qi State. In return for Great Qi State's help in ascending the throne, he promised to reconcile with Great Qi State and sign a ceasefire treaty.
The emperor was delighted upon learning this and ordered General Lin to cooperate with the Third Prince's operation. The Third Prince acted swiftly and decisively, killing the Crown Prince. The old emperor died, the Third Prince ascended the throne, and the two kingdoms of Qi and Yan signed an alliance, finally bringing an end to the years-long war.
As the story progresses to this point, a notification pops up simultaneously in the floating boxes containing Xiao Lou and the other eight characters—
Congratulations to Xiao Lou's contract book team for a perfect completion of [ Red Heart 8; Turmoil of War ] in 17 days, 12 hours, and 10 minutes, with an S rating. Now everyone has two choices:
First, stay in this world. In this world, one day is equivalent to one hour in the main city.
Second, return to Moon City immediately.
Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou: "Which one will you choose, Madam?"
Xiao Lou was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's go back? After all, we need to clear the level as soon as possible and meet up with Brother Jiu at Plum Blossom J. "
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Okay."
Actually, he would have preferred to choose the first one.
If it weren't for the urgent need to clear the escape room, and so many teammates eager to return to reality...
He truly wished he could be Xiao Lou's husband for life in this world.
******