Chapter 409: Horrific Tragedy

Chunri Jian's words were simply shocking, like a stone breaking the sky.

Yu Lve had originally thought he was just coming to watch the show, but only now did he feel a chill down his back and realize there was a major matter——

Things turned out contrary to expectations.

Today I can't see any good show.

I might actually be the show myself.

This pack of dog civil officials is different from those straightforward military officers.

Although it seems like they'd all provoke the ruler's anger, military officers would handle it......

Just like last time, he was deeply implicated.

But for some matters, if they were handled by those civil officials who are used to sucking up to superiors and bullying subordinates......

Like Chunri Jian, appearing so weary before the ruler today......

If Du Shanü still had some doubts and suspicions when she arrived, then after seeing Chunri Jian's appearance with her own eyes, those doubts would have gone away by about thirty percent.

After hearing Chunri Jian speak, the remaining seventy percent, Yu Lve guessed that Du Shanü's doubts had probably mostly dissipated......

This, this is okay?

When Chunri Jian first arrived, she wasn't the type to just start crying at the drop of a hat!

Although it was hardly the time, Yu Lve still couldn't keep composure beside him, pinching his own numb, sluggish face hard.

Fortunately, at this moment, no one in the venue was paying attention to him in the corner.

Chunri Jian's appearance was unremarkable, but it was tragic that her parents were dead, her family separated, she had no home to return to, and her crying was especially sincere and moving, arousing pity.

Du Shanü supported her, listening to her halting words for a good while before grasping the general idea——

The day after she last saw Chunri Jian at the Zhoufu, the household servant Chunri Jian had left behind in Qiongzhou hurriedly made his way to Yongzhou, bringing news of a tremendous calamity.

That news was......

Chunri Jian's home suddenly caught fire; her parents, along with the thirty-two servants left in the household, all perished in the flames.

Fires happen everywhere; they aren't necessarily horrifying.

But the strangeness of this incident lies in the fact that, according to those who witnessed the night, everyone who helped carry water to fight the fire were neighbors.

Yet the Chunri family of thirty-four, who should have been panicking and fleeing in all directions, didn't even utter a cry for help, and all ended up 'buried in the fire'.

After the fire died down, most of the people inside had turned to white bones; in places where the flames were especially fierce, some left hardly any bones at all.

That old servant, who normally ran between Yongzhou and Qiongzhou delivering family letters and such, had watched Chunri Jian grow up, was naturally loyal and devoted, and also quite clever.

The fire broke out so suddenly that the whole family, people and dog alike, were nearly wiped out, not even a cry for help—how could such a thing happen under ordinary circumstances?

Rather than saying it was a fire, it's more like they killed people first, then set the fire, deliberately destroying corpses and erasing traces.

The old servant harbored suspicions, so he deliberately endured the pain and concealed his identity, not rushing out to collect the remains, but instead making inquiries everywhere......

Indeed, not inquiring would have been fine, but once he inquired, he discovered another major matter.

Logically, thirty-four people dying overnight in one night would, in any dynasty, be a major case capable of shocking the imperial court.

Yet the Zhoufu took it with an extremely nonchalant attitude, lifting it high only to set it down lightly.

There was not the slightest reaction of 'my clan's branch died, I will investigate to the end and give the oblivious a long lesson'; instead, they hastily concluded that the whole family perished in a fire and hastily closed the case......

However, how could this be possible?

How could this be possible?!

Chunri Jian bent over on the ground; he was already grief-stricken to the point of heart-dead, his frame emaciated, yet no matter how Du Shanü tried to lift him, he simply wouldn't rise.

He simply kept his forehead pressed hard against the blue stone slab, letting tears stream silently:

"It was precisely that day...... I decided to return to Qiongzhou."

Though it was only a few words, as he lay there collapsed, it truly made Du Shanü recall some details she had previously overlooked.

If I remember correctly, the last time I saw Chunri Jian was when I was about to send Yu Baobao back; Chunri Jian found an excuse to come to the Zhoufu, wanting to see Chen Weifang......

She was then afraid that Chinu and Yu Baobao would start a fight, so she told Chunri Jian to send the person away.

But Chunri Jian, having finally managed to see Chen Weifang once, was reluctant to leave; he had a servant deliver the person instead, then turned back himself to accompany her in seeing off the departing Ouyang An.

That day, she had met many people, and was also pregnant with Yuanlong, so she didn't have much energy......

Upon reflection, if it weren't a major matter, Chunri Jian wouldn't even have sent Yu Baobao away; back then she should have stayed in the Zhoufu for a while anyway, so how could she disappear the next day?

At that time, Chunri Jian must already have known about the calamity at home and chosen to turn back, right?

Du Shanü sighed inwardly, but still tried her best to lift him up:

"Take your time, take your time...... I don't blame you."

She is indeed someone whose mind is prone to suspicion of others.

But upon reflection, the other party is someone recommended by Afang, and has been loyally devoted to her for so long; there's no reason for a single stir of the heart to immediately become suspicion.

Moreover, looking at it now, everything truly has its cause.

The emperor hasn't even taken the throne yet; she can't learn all of his flaws.

Otherwise, how miserable would those she has suspected be?

Previously, Yu Lve—today she finally saw him as a cold-faced, warm-hearted simpleton.

Now Chunri Jian—today she also saw him as a clumsy person who has endured many hardships......

There's indeed still a lot to learn in this lifetime.

Du Shanü used some strength to pull him up from the ground; Chunri Jian was already weary, and after bursting into tears he looked even more disheveled, his narrow fox-like eyes swollen like lanterns, unable to even open them.

Du Shanü met his gaze, truly at a loss for words, and could only cautiously continue asking:

"If I'm not mistaken, you previously said that Qiongzhou is in the hands of the Chunri clan's main family; since your main family intends to cover this up, even if the murderers aren't them, they'd surely know the details......"

"Have you, in recent days upon returning, been able to find out who the murderer is?"

Given Chunri Jian's intelligence and ability, any clue would surely allow her to unravel the thread.

What's more, as soon as Chunri Jian opened his mouth, it was 'that bunch of beasts'......

Du Shanü's thoughts churned a hundred times in her mind; she only waited for Chunri Jian to ease up a bit, then spill the answer, and she would ruthlessly jot it down—but what she hadn't expected was——

Chunri Jian heard her words clearly, his legs went weak, and he nearly knelt down again on the ground:

"Not them? How could it not be them!"

"The real culprit is that bunch of people from the master's household!"

"They thought that by burning down my home, killing my parents, and everyone in the household, they could destroy the corpse and erase traces, but they didn't know that my father, already old and dim-witted, even though I am in Yongzhou, when he collects debts, he also habitually makes a copy and sends it to me for me to check......."

"When I went back and examined everything carefully, I discovered that the source of the calamity that wiped out my family was actually a batch of strange fragrance my father had imported from Nanyang a few months earlier! This fragrance is rare; at the time, my father first presented a portion of it to someone in the master's household, who, not knowing whether he lived or died, actually lit this fragrance at the banquet......."

This turn of events was too sudden; Du Shanü couldn't immediately grasp how the disaster was linked again to the banquet.

But in the next instant, Chunri Jian's words made her feel a chill run through her whole body.

Chunri Jian wept bitterly and said:

"My lord, do you still remember what business my family is in, right?"

"At that banquet, everything suddenly fell into chaos."

"What's worse is that at the time it was our family's banquet, with many high-ranking clan elders present; after that incident..... many, many people who knew the truth died......"

"Among them there was a woman at the banquet who could not be killed, so she could only be placed under house arrest...... Who is that woman, my lord, you should have heard of her—she was supposed to be sent out to forge an alliance, a noble lady of the master's household......"

?? No need to explain, everyone should understand!