Chapter 231: Autopsy Result

Autopsy Result

He clung tightly to Noble Consort Ning; at this moment, Emperor Shuncheng was like a wounded beast!

He kept howling, kept struggling, and finally burst into tears!

Instantly, the entire disordered stone chamber fell silent; everyone was stunned by Emperor Shuncheng before them. The palace guards stood there, staring at Emperor Shuncheng, eyes wide with fear!

Seeing this, Gao Caiyong also cried. Meanwhile, Nie Jinxuan felt an inexplicable ache in her heart, wanting to step forward to comfort him but not knowing what to say!

All around was silent, yet all that could be heard was Emperor Shuncheng's incessant weeping and roaring, his voice filled with pain and a heart‑wrenching sorrow.

No one spoke, yet no one knew what to say. But just then, as everyone stared dumbfounded at Emperor Shuncheng, Yin Fengzhan's eyes flashed; he silently lifted his leg, hooked the fallen knife at his side into his hand, and in an instant turned into a flashing streak, lunging at the palace guards!

Yin Fengzhan moved like lightning. Before anyone could react, painful shouts erupted from the stone chamber. At that moment, the startled Nie Jinxuan turned her head—and was instantly terrified out of her wits!

As it turned out, Yin Fengzhan was like an asura risen from hell, swinging his blade and spilling blood everywhere. In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so palace guards who had rushed in were all slain by him, none left alive!

Yin Fengzhan's face was icy cold. Seeing the ground littered with severed limbs, he coldly raised an eyebrow. Witnessing this, Nie Jinxuan was so frightened she could hardly speak, yet she couldn't help but whisper,

"Fengzhan..."

Nie Jinxuan's voice was soft, but Yin Fengzhan heard it. He glanced at her sideways—just then, Gao Caiyong's eyes widened, and he trembled as he ran to where Emperor Shuncheng still sat on the ground, clutching the weeping Noble Consort Ning.

Gao Caiyong's face was full of vigilance; he clearly feared Yin Fengzhan, blood‑raged, would harm Emperor Shuncheng. But Yin Fengzhan didn't even glance at him, casually tossed the bloody knife aside, stepped forward, and pulled Nie Jinxuan to her feet.

Yin Fengzhan's motion wasn't gentle, but it didn't hurt Nie Jinxuan. At once, the recently frightened Nie Jinxuan blinked, then raised her hand to wipe the blood from Yin Fengzhan's face.

Once

Once

Nie Jinxuan's movements were gentle. After wiping, she lowered her hand. Yin Fengzhan glanced at her, then shoved her aside and stepped up to Emperor Shuncheng.

At this moment, Gao Caiyong, who had just relaxed a little, became alert again; though trembling all over, he steadfastly blocked Yin Fengzhan and whispered,

"Your Highness Prince Chen, you… you cannot…"

At this moment, Gao Caiyong's face was ashen as paper, fear mixed with unease yet also resolve. Hearing this, Yin Fengzhan's face darkened; he shoved Gao Caiyong aside, took a few steps to stand before Emperor Shuncheng, and looked down at the still‑weeping emperor.

Yin Fengzhan said nothing, merely watching silently. After a long while, his eyes flashed; he reached out and seized Emperor Shuncheng.

"Get up!"

Yin Fengzhan finally spoke. But Emperor Shuncheng had already plunged into madness; seeing Noble Consort Ning torn from his arms, he let out another howl.

Emperor Shuncheng's cry was heart‑rending; he immediately began to struggle. Seeing this, Yin Fengzhan's expression turned grim, yet he kept his grip and whispered,

The Shuncheng Emperor screamed heart-wrenchingly and immediately began to struggle nonstop. Seeing this, Yin Fengzhan's expression instantly turned extremely ugly, yet he still didn't loosen his grip and said in a low voice

Yin Fengzhan said this to Nie Jinxuan behind him. Hearing it, Nie Jinxuan came to her senses, thought briefly, then stepped forward, placed Noble Consort Ning's body neatly in a clean corner, rolled the luminous pearls that had fallen to the ground beside her, and swiftly removed her clothing.

Nie Jinxuan's hands trembled slightly; as she moved Noble Consort Ning, Emperor Shuncheng grew even more frenzied, thrashing wildly and shouting loudly.

Nie Jinxuan's hand was trembling slightly; at this moment, seeing Nie Jinxuan move Noble Consort Ning, the Shuncheng Emperor became even more frenzied, immediately he struggled with all his might, while continuously shouting loudly

Emperor Shuncheng's madness was terrifying; yet Yin Fengzhan clung to him without wavering. In the blink of an eye, the emperor's frantic struggle left Yin Fengzhan's face scratched and bloody.

Yin Fengzhan remained motionless. Meanwhile, Nie Jinxuan stayed calm and began to examine Noble Consort Ning's corpse…

Time passed; the stone chamber echoed with Emperor Shuncheng's shouts and sobs, but Nie Jinxuan could only focus her mind, and despite examining the whole body, she found no clues whatsoever!

Noble Consort Ning bore no wounds, her body intact to an astonishing degree. Nie Jinxuan pursed her lips, then redressed the corpse neatly and reached to pry open her mouth…

Noble Consort Ning had no wounds on her body, intact to the point of being astonishing. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but press her lips, then she tidied up Noble Consort Ning's clothes, and then reached out to pry open Noble Consort Ning's mouth...

"Commandery Princess, no!"

……

A sudden shout made Nie Jinxuan jump; turning, she saw it was Gao Caiyong who had cried out.

"Senior Gao, what's wrong?"

Nie Jinxuan was puzzled. After all, if Gao Caiyong opposed her actions as Emperor Shuncheng did, why hadn't he stopped her earlier, waiting until now? Or perhaps he, too, had been frightened and only just recovered his senses?!

Nie Jinxuan was puzzled. After all, if Gao Caiyong opposed her actions just like the Shuncheng Emperor did, why didn't he stop her earlier and wait until now? Or perhaps he, too, was frightened badly, only just now regaining his senses?!

"Commandery Princess, you must not! Noble Consort Ning's body remains intact because a Soul‑Stabilizing Pearl lies in her mouth. If you remove that pearl, her corpse will turn to ash and vanish!"

Gao Caiyong spoke urgently. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan froze, then looked down at Noble Consort Ning, who seemed to be merely sleeping, and felt a surge of astonishment.

It turned out that Noble Consort Ning had remained unblemished for over twenty years after death because of the Soul‑Stabilizing Pearl… but could such a miraculous pearl truly exist in this world?!

While coming to a sudden realization, Nie Jinxuan felt half‑believing, half‑doubting; then she gritted her teeth and said to Gao Caiyong,

At the same time as she suddenly understood, Nie Jinxuan felt somewhat doubtful. But after thinking it over, she couldn't help but grit her teeth, and then said to Gao Caiyong

Saying this, Nie Jinxuan ignored whatever Gao Caiyong might still say, carefully pried open Noble Consort Ning's mouth—and the instant it opened, she saw a blood‑red pearl the size of a quail's egg!

Speaking, Nie Jinxuan, regardless of what Gao Caiyong might still say, directly and carefully pried open Noble Consort Ning's mouth; and at the moment Noble Consort Ning's mouth opened, she indeed saw a blood-red bead the size of a quail egg!

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan gasped; sure enough, the seemingly ordinary pearl glowed faintly, bore fine lines of different patterns on its surface, and upon closer inspection she was astonished to see something slowly moving within the blood‑red pearl!

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan was slightly startled; then she indeed discovered that the bead, which looked ordinary, actually faintly glowed, and on the bead there were some fine lines of different traces; upon closer inspection, Nie Jinxuan was astonished to find that within the blood-red bead, something seemed to be slowly moving!

But in a flash, Nie Jinxuan set aside her curiosity—there was no time to study the Soul‑Stabilizing Pearl now—and gently shifted it left and right with her hand, whereupon she furrowed her brow…

After a moment, Nie Jinxuan finally returned the pearl to its original place and closed Noble Consort Ning's mouth. At that moment, the silent Yin Fengzhan turned to her and asked softly,

After a moment, Nie Jinxuan finally moved the Soul-Settling Pearl back to its original position, while also closing Noble Consort Ning's mouth. At this time, Yin Fengzhan, who had been silent beside her, turned his head to look at her and asked in a low voice

Yin Fengzhan's voice was calm, yet a hint of concern could be heard. Nie Jinxuan, meanwhile, wore a grave expression; she glanced at the equally frowning Gao Caiyong, then at Emperor Shuncheng, and finally rested her gaze on Yin Fengzhan.

Yin Fengzhan's voice was calm, but upon listening closely, one could detect a hint of concern. At this moment, Nie Jinxuan wore a solemn expression; she then lifted her gaze to look at Gao Caiyong, who was also frowning beside her, after which she turned her head to look at the Shuncheng Emperor, and finally her gaze returned to Yin Fengzhan

……

Nie Jinxuan finally voiced her conclusion. As soon as she spoke, Yin Fengzhan stared, and Gao Caiyong's eyes widened; only after a long while did he snap back to awareness.

"How… how could it be?! When Noble Consort Ning met her fate, I, your servant, was present; when the emperor lifted her, it was indeed… indeed… and afterward, although the emperor forbade anyone to touch her corpse, I secretly dared to ask Imperial Physician Li of the Imperial Medical Institute to examine her, and according to Physician Li, Noble Consort Ning was……"

In fact, back when Noble Consort Ning met her end, Gao Caiyong watched Emperor Shuncheng suffer immensely, half‑crazed, feeling awful himself. But a life is at stake, and her death was truly lamentable; thus Gao Caiyong secretly risked great danger, having Imperial Physician Li of the Imperial Medical Institute privately examine the corpse. Once he heard Li's verdict, Gao Caiyong was certain that Noble Consort Ning had committed suicide!

Therefore, now Nie Jinxuan claims Noble Consort Ning didn't drown—doesn't that mean she didn't commit suicide?! How… how could that be possible?!

Thus, in his urgency, Gao Caiyong revealed the secret he had buried in his heart. But upon hearing it, Nie Jinxuan glanced at him and said,

Therefore, in a sudden panic, Gao Caiyong revealed the secret he had kept buried in his heart. However, upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan glanced at him and then said

Eunuch Gao, I just examined Noble Consort Ning's corpse; the corpse had no wounds. However, when I checked her nose and mouth, I discovered that there was not a speck of dirt or sand in her nose and mouth! Of course, this does not rule out the possibility that, after the incident, the Emperor sent people to clean her body, but the nose and mouth are still difficult to clean. Moreover, anyone who drowns, upon falling into water, will inevitably inhale the water's impurities due to breathing, etc. This is also the basic common sense used to determine whether a drowning victim fell into the river before or after death.

Therefore, I now cannot use a knife to dissect Noble Consort Ning's corpse for a detailed examination. But Eunuch Gao, I can confidently tell you that I don't know what the Imperial Physician Li said to you back then, but Noble Consort Ning definitely was not drowned. At the very least, she was already dead when she fell into Hehuachi!

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