Chapter 69: The Truth Comes Out

The Truth Comes Out

Rongxin Yuan was burned, Talent Lan died miserably... A lot of things really happened this night, but in Nie Jinxuan's view, all these things had only one ultimate goal, and that was to frame Noble Consort Zhang!

After all, although there was Talent Sun as a witness, the waist token as physical evidence, and Zhou Dexing's personal identification, and it seemed to be conclusive evidence, but if one reasoned carefully, it was not difficult to find that there were many loopholes!

For example, the first point: both lived in Rongxin Yuan, so why was Talent Lan burned to death without even a glimmer of hope of being saved, while Talent Sun was saved without any harm, and not only was this Talent Sun saved, but she also happened to see the arsonist!

Second point: regardless of whether Zhou Dexing was instigated by Noble Consort Zhang or wanted to go to Rongxin Yuan to set a fire to get rid of Talent Lan... but no matter which one, didn't Zhou Dexing know that he should cover his face or hide his tracks when doing such a thing?! But this Zhou Dexing was so bold and reckless, not only did he not hide his tracks, but he even let others see his true face... Could it be that Zhou Dexing was really such a simple-minded person? But if this Zhou Dexing was really so simple-minded, how could he have survived until now in the harem where even a falling leaf could kill someone?!

Third point: that waist token used as physical evidence, which even made Zhou Dexing bow his head and plead guilty as soon as it appeared! Although the waist token was indeed from Yongxin Palace, it was also something from the harem... or to put it another way, the waist token was not a secret, and this could not rule out the possibility that the waist token was fake! At the same time, what was even more baffling was why Zhou Dexing happened to drop the waist token, and Talent Sun happened to pick it up?!

At the same time, besides these points, what was more important was why would Zhou Dexing, a palace servant who had been at Yongxin Palace for eight years, sell out Noble Consort Zhang so easily?! And if Noble Consort Zhang's subordinates were all such people, then how could Noble Consort Zhang eventually sit in the position of Imperial Noble Consort, second only to one person in the harem?! I suppose she would have died countless times in the harem's infighting and mutual destruction!

Noble Consort Zhang seemed kind, but she would never be so stupid!

Therefore, everything tonight was, in the final analysis, a farce. It was just that the price of this farce was too cruel, cruel enough to use a living life as a burial, just to try to topple a woman in the harem!

Nie Jinxuan could not understand such things, but she was also helpless. So after seeing the clues, Nie Jinxuan had been observing the situation in front of her, while recalling what happened during the day.

Today at Yongxin Palace, Nie Jinxuan had some impressions of Talent Lan and Talent Sun. Because of Noble Consort Zhang's birthday, many concubines in the palace either sent people or came in person to give gifts, and Talent Lan and Talent Sun came in person. At that time, Nie Jinxuan remembered that Talent Lan was indeed very arrogant, but she was only a Talent, yet her words were full of thorns, while Talent Sun was much more obedient and quiet, and after the first few greetings, she didn't say much.

Therefore, it might be possible to say that Talent Lan and Noble Consort Zhang were at odds, and even that Noble Consort Zhang was kind on the surface but actually held a grudge against Talent Lan, but to say that Noble Consort Zhang set a fire and killed someone just based on this point was too far-fetched! And, leaving aside Talent Lan who was already dead, the other Talent Sun made people feel even more incredible. After all, based on Nie Jinxuan's observation of Talent Sun during the day, Talent Sun should be a knowledgeable, quiet, and obedient person. But now she insisted that Noble Consort Zhang set a fire and killed someone, there must be something behind this!

But Talent Sun was not a person who was easily instigated and manipulated, but looking at her appearance of identifying Noble Consort Zhang just now, it didn't look like a fake, which meant that Talent Sun should not have lied, she truly believed that Noble Consort Zhang was the murderer! And if this was the case, then Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but make a very bold assumption, that Talent Sun really saw Zhou Dexing's face, and the waist token she picked up later was just to give Talent Sun courage, and also an excuse to make Zhou Dexing confess later!

And since Talent Sun did not lie, then only Zhou Dexing was lying! Although he had been at Yongxin Palace for eight years, the world is unpredictable, and the human heart is the most difficult to measure, so the length of time did not mean that he would definitely not betray Noble Consort Zhang.

In this way, the matter was already very clear, this was a naked frame-up! Someone instigated Zhou Dexing to betray Noble Consort Zhang, and then directed this farce tonight. And although this blatant frame-up was direct and even full of loopholes, one had to admit that sometimes the simpler and more straightforward things were, the harder they were to explain clearly!

Nie Jinxuan understood the twists and turns in this, and Noble Consort Zhang naturally understood them too. So from the beginning, Noble Consort Zhang did not speak. Because once she spoke, it would become increasingly uncontrollable. Even in the end, she openly challenged Empress Duan and requested Emperor Shuncheng to investigate personally! Because Noble Consort Zhang, who had been in the harem for more than twenty years, knew that such a simple frame-up could not be missed by Emperor Shuncheng, and for the rights and wrongs of the harem, in fact, who was right and who was wrong didn't matter at all, what mattered was the Emperor's mind!

If the Emperor cares about you, then even if you commit a heinous crime, you will still be safe and sound. Conversely, even if you are innocent, as long as the Emperor wants you to die, there will be a hundred or a thousand reasons for you not to live past tomorrow!

Therefore, Noble Consort Zhang, who saw through all this, pinned all her hopes on Emperor Shuncheng. Therefore, it had to be said that Noble Consort Zhang was definitely a shrewd and bold woman. Of course, Emperor Shuncheng also gave Noble Consort Zhang face and did not question her to her face, but at the same time, the sentence of delaying the investigation personally also made Noble Consort Zhang terrified.

No one can understand the Emperor's mind. But in Nie Jinxuan's view, the more Emperor Shuncheng dragged this matter out, the more unfavorable it was for Noble Consort Zhang. So when Nie Jinxuan saw Noble Consort Zhang wanting to speak but not knowing how to speak, Nie Jinxuan stood out without fear.

The large Rongxin Yuan was silent. Everyone was startled by Nie Jinxuan's soft call, even Noble Consort Zhang, who had always been calm, couldn't help but freeze.

At this moment, hearing the voice, Emperor Shuncheng, who had already reached the gate of Rongxin Yuan, couldn't help but stop, turned around, and frowned.

"Who are you?"

His words carried majesty, and while speaking, Emperor Shuncheng couldn't help but narrow his eyes and look at Nie Jinxuan, who walked out of the crowd. At this moment, facing Emperor Shuncheng's deep eyes, Nie Jinxuan had no fear, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said slowly:

"Replying to the Emperor, your daughter-in-law Nie Jinxuan pays respects to the Emperor."

"You are... the fourth one's wife?"

Listening to Nie Jinxuan's words, Emperor Shuncheng was slightly stunned, then asked in a low voice. At the same time, his eyes flashed instantly.

"Yes, it is indeed your daughter-in-law."

"Since you are the fourth one's wife, why are you here?"

Emperor Shuncheng's face looked slightly gloomy. But then, just as Nie Jinxuan wanted to explain, Noble Consort Zhang next to her took the lead and explained on her behalf:

"Emperor, yesterday was this concubine's birthday, Zhan'er and Xuan'er came over, and this concubine saw that Jinxuan was an obedient child, so I let her stay for the night, without notifying the Emperor, please forgive me."

Nie Jinxuan did not understand why Noble Consort Zhang suddenly stood out to explain these things for her at this time. But no matter what, now that Noble Consort Zhang had already said it, she couldn't say anything else. At this moment, upon hearing this, Emperor Shuncheng nodded slightly, then fixed his gaze on Nie Jinxuan again.

"What is the matter that you called me just now?"

Emperor Shuncheng didn't have any nonsense. Hearing this, Noble Consort Zhang couldn't help but turn her head to look at Nie Jinxuan, but Nie Jinxuan said directly without even thinking:

"Replying to the Emperor, your daughter-in-law spoke rashly just now, for only one thing, and that is that your daughter-in-law believes that Noble Consort Niangniang was framed!"

Nie Jinxuan spoke calmly with an unmoved expression. But as soon as she said this, everyone present was shocked!

The inner palace of the imperial palace was extraordinary. Some things, even if known, could not be said. Just like the big fire at Rongxin Yuan and Talent Lan's miserable death this time!

After all, those who could survive in the palace were not fools! But now the real murderer was unknown, and choosing sides rashly was definitely not the shrewdest choice. At the same time, looking at the situation just now, Empress Duan clearly wanted to take this opportunity to attack Noble Consort Zhang. So, helping Noble Consort Zhang speak at this time was undoubtedly a demonstration against Empress Duan. And in this harem, who would be stupid enough to sing a rival play against the Empress of a country?! And that was when the Emperor's mind was unclear!

Therefore, at this very moment, everyone was surprised by Nie Jinxuan's boldness and directness, and then secretly sneered at Nie Jinxuan's stupidity and simplicity in their hearts. Even Noble Consort Zhang couldn't help but frown, and then couldn't help but scold:

"Jinxuan, still not stopping?! The Emperor has already made arrangements, where is there room for you to speak here? Still not stepping back quickly!"

Noble Consort Zhang was nervous that Nie Jinxuan would offend the Dragon's face. But at this time, just after Noble Consort Zhang finished speaking, and before Nie Jinxuan could speak, Empress Duan next to her suddenly smiled and interrupted:

"Why does Noble Consort Zhang need to be like this? Princess Consort Chen speaks for justice, and it is also to prove Noble Consort Zhang's innocence. As a junior, having this heart is commendable. Noble Consort Zhang should be very gratified, so how can you scold her? Of course, Princess Consort Chen can say so, presumably she has already grasped the evidence that can prove Noble Consort Zhang's innocence, otherwise just saying 'Noble Consort Zhang was framed' is not enough~!"

Saying this, Empress Duan turned her eyes and looked at Nie Jinxuan with a smile, then turned her head directly to look at Emperor Shuncheng.

"Reporting to the Emperor, since Princess Consort Chen asserts that Noble Consort Zhang was framed, I think it would be better to let Princess Consort Chen finish her words, otherwise it will definitely not be convincing!"

Nie Jinxuan didn't expect Empress Duan to stand out and say such things at this time. But then thinking about it, she was Yin Fengzhan's Princess Consort, and Yin Fengzhan's relationship with Noble Consort Zhang went without saying, so once she was slightly negligent, then let alone saving Noble Consort Zhang, even Yin Fengzhan would be implicated!

Therefore, thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but turn her head to look at Empress Duan. At this time, Emperor Shuncheng pursed his lips after thinking for a moment.

"Since the Empress has said so, then I will give you a chance. But you must remember, what I want to hear is evidence,"

"Yes! Your daughter-in-law will definitely say what is one and what is two, if there is half a lie, I am willing to go to prison, all at the Emperor's disposal!"

Thinking about it, in this harem, no one had dared to say such things in front of Emperor Shuncheng until now. So, upon hearing this, Emperor Shuncheng habitually moved his eyebrows, and a deep smile appeared on his face.

"Good! Then I will let you toss today. I want to see how you will prove Noble Consort Zhang's innocence!"

Emperor Shuncheng had said so, so naturally no one would say anything else. Although Noble Consort Zhang was secretly worried, she could only watch from the side, but couldn't say a word.

At this time, having received Emperor Shuncheng's permission, Nie Jinxuan first bowed respectfully to Emperor Shuncheng, and then went directly to Talent Sun without saying a word.

"Talent Sun, now that the Emperor is here, I won't say much, I just want to ask Talent Sun a few questions, please answer truthfully."

Nie Jinxuan looked calm, but Talent Sun, who had already determined in her heart that Noble Consort Zhang was the murderer, couldn't help but snort coldly, then glanced sideways at Noble Consort Zhang not far away, and then met Nie Jinxuan's eyes.

"Since the Emperor has already agreed, Princess Consort Chen, just ask."

"Good! Then may I ask Talent Sun how you knew about the fire outside tonight?"

Speaking in a low voice, Nie Jinxuan asked the first question, and while speaking, her calm eyes were always fixed on Talent Sun in front of her, not letting go of a single bit. But upon hearing this, Talent Sun looked at Nie Jinxuan quietly, and only after a while did she lower her eyes and say:

"It was probably around the time of the Ox hour, I'm not very clear about the specifics."

"What was Talent Sun doing at that time? Can you please tell me the situation at that time specifically?"

"I was sleeping in the room at that time. But as I slept, I heard someone shouting outside, saying that there was a fire. I was still a bit confused at the time, but then before I woke up, I smelled smoke, and then Furong ran in in a panic, pulled me and ran out, and later until I ran out, I realized that it was the sleeping room next to Talent Lan's side that was on fire..."

Simply telling the process, and Talent Sun, who was originally considered calm, couldn't help but burst into tears at the end.

"But when I came back to my senses, Talent Lan was already... already... woo woo..."

Regardless of the fact that Emperor Shuncheng and the concubines were still present, Talent Sun finally cried out. But at this time, listening to Talent Sun say this, Nie Jinxuan's eyes flashed instantly.

"Talent Lan died miserably, I can understand Talent Sun's mood, but please forgive me for asking a question... listening to the meaning in Talent Sun's words just now, when Talent Sun wanted to go to Talent Lan, Talent Lan was already dead. But if this is the case, then one thing is strange, that is, according to the situation at that time, Talent Sun should not have rushed into Talent Lan's room, but since Talent Sun did not see Talent Lan, how could you be sure that Talent Lan was already dead at that time?"

Nie Jinxuan asked a question that no one had paid attention to. Hearing this, everyone present was also stunned, and Talent Sun, who was crying very sadly, blinked her eyes blankly, and then glared at Nie Jinxuan with some displeasure.

"What does Princess Consort Chen mean by this?! Do you think I am lying?"

"Talent Sun has misunderstood. I am just talking about the matter, and have no intention of targeting Talent Sun, so please think about it seriously, why did Talent Sun think that Talent Lan was already dead at that time?"

Nie Jinxuan asked sharply, but looking at her serious and earnest appearance, Talent Sun suppressed her anger slightly, and then while recalling the situation at that time, she said in a low voice:

"Because the fire was relatively big at that time... I remember that when I was pulled out by Furong, Talent Lan's room was already a sea of fire! So at the very beginning, I thought Talent Lan had been saved like me. But later when I asked, I found out that Talent Lan didn't come out at all, and then I got anxious, but there was no way..."

"So at that time, Talent Sun felt that the fire was too big, and therefore intuitively thought that Talent Lan was already dead?"

"It should be like this, after all, such a big fire, even rushing in is not possible, how could Talent Lan still be alive? And at that time Talent Lan didn't even have a sound, if that's not dead, then what could it be?"

Glaring at Nie Jinxuan impatiently, Talent Sun couldn't help but raise her hand to gently wipe the tears on her face. Seeing her like this, Nie Jinxuan was not annoyed, and after waiting for Talent Sun to calm down a bit, she spoke again.

"That's good, since that's the case, then I want to ask Talent Sun the last question, that is, may I ask when Talent Sun saw that the murderer was Zhou Dexing from Yongxin Palace? And when did you pick up the waist token?"

"I happened to see it when I was standing in the courtyard, anxiously asking people to save Talent Lan. At that time, he was taking advantage of the chaos to run out, and looked back at the door, and just this glance let me see it, and because of the fire, the fire in the courtyard was very bright, so it also let me see his face clearly... So even if he turned into ashes, I would recognize him! It can't be wrong!"

Talent Sun said in a low voice, and when she reached this point, Talent Sun suddenly turned her head and glared fiercely at Zhou Dexing, who was lying on the side and already on his last breath, and then turned her head back to take back her gaze, and continued after a slight recovery.

"As for that waist token, it was picked up in the courtyard later. And it was this waist token that made me sure that I didn't see wrong just now!"

In front of everyone, Nie Jinxuan asked Talent Sun about the ins and outs of the matter in detail. And later, just when everyone thought Nie Jinxuan would strictly interrogate Zhou Dexing, they didn't expect Nie Jinxuan to ask Zhou Dexing only one question.

"Zhou Dexing, since you have already confessed that it was you who set the fire at Rongxin Yuan, then may I ask how you set the fire, and did you see Talent Lan when you set the fire?"

Nie Jinxuan's question was quite strange. Hearing this, even Zhou Dexing, who was lying on the ground, was stunned, but then he couldn't help but lower his head, and then said in a trembling voice:

"Ser, servant just casually... casually splashed lamp oil outside Talent Lan's room, and then... then..."

"And then you casually lit the fire?"

"Yes..."

"And then? And then you ran away?"

"No... no... at that time, at that time this servant was afraid of being seen and suspected, so, so I specifically waited for a while, and then waited for others to come to save the fire, and then this servant took advantage of the chaos to leave... but I didn't, didn't expect..."

"Then from beginning to end, have you ever seen Talent Lan?"

"No, no..."

Zhou Dexing said in a low voice, then raised his head and glanced at Nie Jinxuan quickly. But he instantly met Nie Jinxuan's eyes, scaring Zhou Dexing into lowering his head in a panic. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan pursed her lips slightly.

Nie Jinxuan stopped talking, and didn't ask anyone any more questions. The large Rongxin Yuan became quiet again. Seeing her like this, Emperor Shuncheng, who had been staring at her, couldn't help but ask:

"Fourth one's wife, you've finished asking?"

Emperor Shuncheng's voice was still gloomy, but the words he said made people feel a lot of pressure. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan raised her eyes slightly, and then nodded respectfully.

"Replying to the Emperor, your daughter-in-law has finished asking?"

"And the result?"

Emperor Shuncheng asked in a low voice, then a sharpness flashed in his eyes. At this time, Noble Consort Zhang next to her also became uneasy, but Empress Duan gave a cold laugh without a trace, glanced at Noble Consort Zhang, and then fixed her gaze on Nie Jinxuan.

And regarding Emperor Shuncheng's questioning, and the attention of the people around, Nie Jinxuan was always unhurried, looked at Emperor Shuncheng with a calm face, and then said slowly:

"Replying to the Emperor, although your daughter-in-law has finished asking, based on the current testimony, it cannot prove Noble Consort Zhang's innocence."

"Oh? Then that is to say, you asked for nothing?"

"No, your daughter-in-law does not feel that the words just now were asked for nothing. It's just that based on the few words of Talent Sun and Zhou Dexing, it is not enough to 100% clear Noble Consort Zhang of suspicion, after all, words are not evidence, there must be solid evidence, this is also the requirement you made to your daughter-in-law just now, isn't it? So now your daughter-in-law begs the Emperor to agree to a request, so as to bring out solid evidence to prove that Noble Consort Zhang is innocent!"

In Nie Jinxuan's calm words, there was a hint of persistence and affirmation. And meeting her beautiful, calm, and earnest eyes, Emperor Shuncheng raised his eyebrows.

"I said before that I would let you toss today, as long as you can bring out evidence! But I am curious, what are you begging me for, that you are so solemn?"

Emperor Shuncheng's curiosity was aroused by Nie Jinxuan. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan instantly lowered her eyes, and then slowly raised them and said:

"On-site autopsy!"

Nie Jinxuan shocked everyone again, including Emperor Shuncheng, Noble Consort Zhang, and Empress Duan! So, after Nie Jinxuan finished speaking for a long time, Emperor Shuncheng finally came back to his senses, and then looked at Nie Jinxuan with narrowed eyes.

"On-site autopsy?"

"Yes!"

"Good!"

A simple word, after finishing, Emperor Shuncheng ordered Gao Caiyong next to him without looking back.

"Immediately order someone to find Coroner Meng Xian from the Ministry of Punishments!"

Gao Caiyong was the head eunuch of the harem, and also Emperor Shuncheng's confidant. Although he was over fifty, he was very spirited. At this time, upon hearing Emperor Shuncheng's order, Gao Caiyong hurriedly responded respectfully, and then made a gesture to go down to arrange... but before Gao Caiyong could turn around, he was suddenly interrupted by Nie Jinxuan.

"Gonggong Gao, please wait!"

Calling out to stop Gonggong Gao, after finishing, Nie Jinxuan turned her eyes to look at Emperor Shuncheng.

"Reporting to the Emperor, your daughter-in-law begs the Emperor to agree to an on-site autopsy, but there is no need to bother Old Master Meng."

"... What do you mean by this?"

"Nothing, your daughter-in-law just feels that there is no need to specifically find Old Master Meng to come over!"

Saying this, Nie Jinxuan's expression calmed down slightly.

"Your daughter-in-law can personally perform the autopsy on Talent Lan on-site!"

Nie Jinxuan said word by word, but as soon as these words fell, everyone present widened their eyes almost simultaneously! Even Emperor Shuncheng, who had always had a gloomy face, was shocked.

"What? You want to perform an autopsy?"

"Yes!"

"You... are you sure?"

Emperor Shuncheng was worthy of being the ruler of a country. Although he was shocked at the very beginning, he calmed down immediately. Then he directly bowed his head and lowered his eyes respectfully to Nie Jinxuan.

"Your daughter-in-law will just try her best!"

Nie Jinxuan's voice was still calm. Hearing this, Emperor Shuncheng looked at her quietly for a long time before nodding.

"Good! Someone, bring Talent Lan's corpse over!"

Nie Jinxuan wanting to perform the autopsy herself was something no one expected! And having received Emperor Shuncheng's order, not long after, several eunuchs were seen carrying a wooden board that looked like a stretcher.

The wooden board was covered with a white cloth, and the shape of a person was faintly visible under the white cloth.

That was Talent Lan.

Instantly, looking at the situation in front of them, Talent Sun on the side burst into tears again. And the concubines around raised their hands to cover their noses in fear.

And then, under everyone's gaze, several eunuchs placed Talent Lan's corpse flat in an empty space in the middle, and then retreated. Then Nie Jinxuan didn't talk nonsense, walked a few steps to Talent Lan's corpse, and then bent down and lifted the white cloth on it!

But the moment the white cloth was lifted, a scream erupted from the crowd.

"Ah—"

"Oh my god—"

It turned out that under the white cloth on the wooden board, a corpse that was already charred and unbearable was lying on its side! The corpse was curled up, and one could see the shape of a person, but it was already impossible to tell whether it was a man or a woman!

This was what a person looked like after being burned to death, whether it was beauty or bewitchment before death, but at this moment, it was only miserable to look at!

Everyone present was frightened by Talent Lan's miserable appearance, even Emperor Shuncheng frowned slightly. At this time, looking at the corpse in front of her, Nie Jinxuan just looked up and down calmly, and then slowly squatted down.

"The deceased was caused by the high temperature of the fire, which caused the limbs to curl up. At the same time, according to the deceased's figure, it should be certain that it is a woman."

Nie Jinxuan said earnestly with lowered eyes. But hearing her say this, Empress Duan next to her couldn't help but snort coldly.

"This is Talent Lan's corpse, and Talent Lan is naturally a woman. Princess Consort Chen's words are really dispensable!"

"Not so! Empress Niangniang doesn't know, as a... coroner, one must never judge things based on subjectivity, but everything must be based on facts! One must not judge based on subjectivity, otherwise once there is a preconceived concept, it will be very easy to make mistakes!"

Without raising her head, she replied to Empress Duan, which instantly made Empress Duan's face sink.

"Oh? So, Princess Consort Chen thinks that this corpse is not Talent Lan?"

"No, Empress Niangniang has misunderstood, Jinxuan is just stating the facts, but did not say that this corpse is not Talent Lan. After all, Empress Niangniang has seen the current situation, the corpse was burned beyond recognition, impossible to distinguish, so Jinxuan has to check carefully!"

Saying this, Nie Jinxuan raised her head and looked at Empress Duan, then continued:

"What is certain now is that the deceased is a woman, and if there are no accidents, it should be Talent Lan."

Nie Jinxuan always had a sense of proportion when speaking, and as soon as these words came out, Empress Duan was blocked and couldn't speak. However, Nie Jinxuan didn't want to have any dispute with Empress Duan at this time. So she didn't say anything more later, and lowered her head to check, and only after a long while did Nie Jinxuan stand up... but before Nie Jinxuan could speak, she saw Emperor Shuncheng wave his hand, and then a small eunuch carrying a tray walked over quietly.

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan was slightly stunned, but then after the small eunuch came to her and handed over the tray in his hand, Nie Jinxuan was stunned.

It turned out that on the tray in front of her, various tools for autopsy were neatly placed: sheepskin gloves, knives, and various things used during autopsy.

Instantly, Nie Jinxuan understood in her heart. Presumably, when he agreed to let her perform the autopsy personally, Emperor Shuncheng had already ordered people to prepare. So, Nie Jinxuan bowed to Emperor Shuncheng, and then put on the sheepskin gloves without being polite, and then squatted down again.

"The deceased's body is completely charred, it is impossible to judge whether there were external injuries before death..."

Reaching out and touching the charred corpse, Nie Jinxuan said in a low voice at the same time.

"However, it is certain that the deceased had no fractures in her body before death... Come two people, help me move the corpse over."

Calling two small eunuchs to help without raising her head, Nie Jinxuan then checked the other side of the corpse with her hands. And after simply checking the deceased's corpse, Nie Jinxuan finally began to check the deceased's head... but the moment Nie Jinxuan touched the deceased's head, her expression froze, and then she suddenly ordered in a low voice:

"Bring the torch over."

Nie Jinxuan's voice was slightly serious. Then a guard holding a torch hurriedly stepped forward and handed the torch in his hand over.

At this time, seeing Nie Jinxuan's suddenly strange behavior, and the change in her expression, everyone present couldn't help but become curious. Then they held their breath and looked over. But before everyone could understand, they saw Nie Jinxuan suddenly put down the corpse's head, and then ordered again:

"Give me the knife!"

"Uh... yes!"

One order, one action. At this time, the small eunuch who was holding the tools next to Nie Jinxuan had already been stunned by Nie Jinxuan's series of actions. So, upon hearing Nie Jinxuan's order, he hurriedly reached out and handed the knife over. Taking the knife, Nie Jinxuan cut a long incision in the corpse's neck in front of everyone.

Seeing this, everyone present couldn't help but be shocked again. But at this time, Nie Jinxuan stood up from the ground, put the knife in her hand on the tray, and then took off the sheepskin gloves in front of everyone. Seeing her like this, Emperor Shuncheng moved his eyebrows slightly, and then couldn't help but ask:

"How is it? Have you finished checking?"

Emperor Shuncheng asked directly. However, Nie Jinxuan did not answer Emperor Shuncheng's question immediately, but unhurriedly put the taken-off sheepskin gloves neatly back on the tray, and then walked to Emperor Shuncheng and said respectfully:

"Replying to the Emperor, your daughter-in-law has not finished checking thoroughly."

"Not finished? Then you are..."

"Yes, although your daughter-in-law has not finished checking completely, I have already found the cause of the deceased's death!"

"Oh? How do you say that?"

Raising his eyebrows, Emperor Shuncheng couldn't help but ask, and while speaking, Emperor Shuncheng couldn't help but turn his eyes to glance at Talent Lan's corpse behind, and then fixed his gaze back on Nie Jinxuan.

And at this time, not only Emperor Shuncheng was curious, but everyone else present was also very curious. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan didn't sell it, pursed her lips slightly, and said directly:

"Replying to the Emperor, just now your daughter-in-law checked Talent Lan's corpse and learned that Talent Lan was not burned to death by the big fire, but was beaten to death by someone with a heavy object before the fire burned!"

Nie Jinxuan spoke calmly, and her beautiful and earnest face was still unmoved. But as soon as she said this, everyone was stunned!

But at this time, Nie Jinxuan, who had a calm face, seemed not to see everyone's surprise, and then continued:

"And the reason why your daughter-in-law judged this way is because of two reasons. First, just now when your daughter-in-law checked the deceased's head, I found that the deceased's head did not explode. Under high temperature, if a person's head is roasted by high temperature, the tissues inside the brain will definitely boil, which will increase the pressure inside the brain, and finally after reaching a certain degree, it will explode! And if it didn't explode, then there is only one situation, that is, there was already a gap in the deceased's head before, which released the intracranial pressure, eventually leading to the deceased's head not exploding."

"So based on this point, your daughter-in-law then carefully checked the deceased, that is, Talent Lan's corpse, and sure enough, I found a wound on the left temple of the corpse. And according to the situation of the wound, it can be inferred that the wound was caused by a human. And it was this wound that caused the deceased's brain to rupture, which made the deceased's head not explode."

"And at the same time, after finding that the deceased's head was hit by a heavy object, your daughter-in-law then checked the deceased's throat. Because, if a person was burned to death by a big fire before death, then in the big fire, the deceased would struggle and breathe, which would cause the thick smoke and dust in the big fire to be inhaled into the throat. But if the deceased was already dead before the big fire burned, then because the deceased had no breathing when the big fire burned, the deceased's throat would not have dust later. And just now when your daughter-in-law checked Talent Lan's corpse, I found that Talent Lan belonged to the second type. That is to say, before the big fire burned, Talent Lan had already stopped breathing!"

"So, based on the two reasons summarized above, your daughter-in-law can judge that Talent Lan was beaten to death by someone with a heavy object, and was burned after death. Instead of being burned to death by the big fire!"

Nie Jinxuan spoke unhurriedly. At the same time, she tried her best to use the most understandable words to say some forensic investigation terms. But at this time, listening to her explanation sentence by sentence, everyone present was already stunned and couldn't speak.

So much so that after a long while, Emperor Shuncheng finally came back to his senses.

"So, you think that Talent Lan was killed by someone before, and then the body was destroyed, and it has nothing to do with Noble Consort Zhang?"

"Replying to the Emperor, your daughter-in-law does think so! And, besides the result of the autopsy just now, in fact, Talent Sun's words just now have already explained the problem. Because, I don't know if the Emperor noticed just now, just now when your daughter-in-law was asking Talent Sun, Talent Sun said that when she escaped from the room, Talent Lan's room was already a sea of fire. And the reason why Talent Sun felt that Talent Lan was already dead was actually not just because the fire was fierce, but because Talent Sun looked at the raging fire in front of her, but didn't hear any cry for help from Talent Lan!"

"After all, the Emperor can imagine, if we ordinary people encounter a big fire, we will definitely panic, struggle, and shout. And at that time, although the fire was raging, according to the time calculation, it was not enough to make Talent Lan have no sound at all. Because if a person is burned to death by a big fire, that kind of pain is unspeakable, but what is more painful is that such pain will not end immediately, so if Talent Lan was burned to death by the big fire, even if she was not saved later, she would still be able to hear her miserable screams at that time. But Talent Sun didn't hear a single one, so it can be inferred that Talent Lan was likely already dead before the big fire burned!"

Nie Jinxuan's inference was reasonable. And at this time, Emperor Shuncheng turned his eyes to look at Noble Consort Zhang, who had a slightly stunned expression next to him, and then said in a low voice:

"But even if Talent Lan was killed by someone before, it doesn't mean it has nothing to do with Noble Consort Zhang! After all, now someone has proven that it was Noble Consort Zhang who instigated the fire, so how to explain this?"

"Replying to the Emperor, this point actually doesn't need to be explained at all, because that Zhou Dexing was lying from the beginning!"

"Oh? Do you have evidence?"

"Yes!"

Nie Jinxuan answered decisively. After finishing, she turned her head to look at Zhou Dexing, who was lowering his head and trembling constantly, and then said:

"Just now in front of the Emperor, Zhou Dexing once said that he had not seen Talent Lan, when he set the fire he just splashed lamp oil outside, and then lit the fire and hid, and then waited for the fire to get bigger, and then took advantage of the chaos to escape... But if this is the case, then there is a big problem, that is, if Zhou Dexing wanted to follow Noble Consort Zhang's instigation, and then harm Talent Lan, why didn't he first determine whether Talent Lan was in the room, whether she was dead or alive, before setting the fire?!"

"After all, let's imagine, if our own master asks us to kill someone, then what is the first step we take? I think it will definitely not be setting a fire, because, once the big fire burns, it will wake up the people in the room, and the people in the room will run out. In this way, it will increase the uncertainty of the task! And Zhou Dexing has been in the palace for so long, and he is not a fool, he cannot not understand these things! But even if he understood, he still did it, then there is only one explanation, that is, someone instigated him to do so, and this person is definitely not Noble Consort Zhang!"

"Therefore, if your daughter-in-law did not infer wrong, the matter should be: someone secretly found Zhou Dexing and arranged for him to set a fire at Rongxin Yuan. Whether this was a threat or a bribe, your daughter-in-law dare not speak rashly, but the final result was that Zhou Dexing agreed, and then according to the other party's instructions, came to Rongxin Yuan at the time. But at this time, Zhou Dexing did not know that Talent Lan was already dead, and that a lot of lamp oil had already been sprinkled in the room."

"Then Zhou Dexing set the fire, and then as soon as it burned outside, the lamp oil in the room also burned instantly. And this is why the fire was raging on Talent Lan's side, while Talent Sun's side was still safe at that time, and could eventually be saved!"

"Later, Talent Sun, who lived next door, woke up, and after being saved by the palace attendants, she thought of Talent Lan, but found that in the raging fire, there was no sound of Talent Lan, and thus intuitively thought that Talent Lan was dead! Then she turned back and happened to see Zhou Dexing who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to escape. But at this time, presumably Talent Sun still couldn't believe her eyes, because Talent Sun didn't expect that the person she saw at this time was Noble Consort Zhang, who was usually the most gentle in the palace. But the waist token that was not coincidentally dropped, but was coincidentally dropped, told Talent Sun that she didn't see wrong!"

"Therefore, the things that followed happened, Talent Sun had the best relationship with Talent Lan in the past, so she definitely couldn't swallow this breath, identified Zhou Dexing, and then after Zhou Dexing pretended how innocent he was, he directly confessed his crime, and then identified that it was instigated by Noble Consort Zhang."

"And this is the whole process of the big fire at Rongxin Yuan tonight and Talent Lan's miserable death. Although your daughter-in-law is not sure who the real murderer is yet, based on the existing evidence, it is enough to prove that Noble Consort Zhang is innocent. Of course, your daughter-in-law's inference that Zhou Dexing was instigated by someone is just an inference, but just based on the fact that he said on one hand that Noble Consort Zhang instigated him to harm people, and on the other hand he only did the thing of setting a fire, it can be determined that his testimony is not credible!"

Rongxin Yuan was silent. And at this time, the rising warm sun shone on Nie Jinxuan's face standing in the center of the courtyard, reflecting layers of light.

It was dawn. At the same time, this farce finally came to an end.

So, after listening to Nie Jinxuan's words, Emperor Shuncheng looked at her straight for a long time, and then looked at Noble Consort Zhang, who was still kneeling on the ground, with a stern expression.

"It seems that the beloved concubine is indeed innocent, get up!"

Saying this, Emperor Shuncheng immediately turned his head to look at Empress Duan, who had an ugly expression next to him.

"Since it has been proven that it was not instigated by Noble Consort Zhang, then the matter of investigating the murderer and burying Talent Lan will be left to the Empress!"

After finishing, Emperor Shuncheng looked straight into Empress Duan's eyes with sharp eyes, and then turned and left. ===== CHAPTER 70 =====