Chapter 492: Who Is Crying Wolf?

Pan Pan Niangzi is dead!

She left no words when she died, only a smile, her hands reluctantly stroking Chen Chen Guanlou's cheeks before finally letting go helplessly.

Chen Chen Guanlou held her corpse tightly, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

After a long while, he finally let go.

He sent Dawang to fetch Lu Lu Da Tou, gave him money to buy a coffin and find a good burial site to bury Pan Pan Niangzi.

Lu Lu Da Tou knew Pan Pan Niangzi.

"She, she, she, isn't she that little widow? So all these years, you've been hiding a beauty in a golden house?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Keep this secret for me, don't make a fuss."

"I certainly won't tell anyone. But, how did she end up here? Looking at her, it seems she died of poison."

Chen Chen Guanlou was extremely annoyed, sat in the corner, asked Lu Lu Da Tou for tobacco, cut the shreds with special patience, wrapped the tobacco shreds in a sheet of Xuan paper, rolled it into a crude cigarette, lit it, and took a practiced drag.

That tobacco smell, how pungent it was!

He coughed repeatedly. After coughing, he continued to smoke.

After smoking several puffs in a row, gradually, he fell in love with that rich tobacco smell.

Lu Lu Da Tou watched this scene, "Is there any difference in smoking like this?"

"Refreshing!" he said so.

"I dare not learn from you. Smoking one cigarette wastes a sheet of Xuan paper. Xuan paper costs money!"

"If you can't bear to part with Xuan paper, toilet paper will do."

"Only you use toilet paper." Lu Lu Da Tou cursed, also imitating Chen Chen Guanlou, cut the tobacco into shreds, wrapped it in Xuan paper, lit it, and took a fierce drag.

"No difference! But, I must say, just holding the cigarette in the hand like this, this posture, is quite refreshing. Brother Chen, you're amazing, you can even come up with new tricks just smoking. How about this, you provide the materials, I'll roll cigarettes for you every day, you just need to reward me with a few as payment, do you think that works?"

"Don't I reward you enough usually?"

"Not little, not little. It's just, smoking, I can't afford such refined cigarettes. Cutting shreds and using Xuan paper. The tobacco I brought today isn't very good. Tomorrow I'll buy some premium tobacco to cut into shreds, it will definitely feel better. Brother Chen, you have such style when smoking, really, I'm not lying to you. You just sit there, cross your legs, smoke a cigarette, blow a smoke ring, even an official lord is outshone by you."

Chen Chen Guanlou heard Lu Lu Da Tou's flattering words and smiled indifferently.

"Recently many people have died in Jingcheng, coffins might not be enough. Are you sure you can transport one tonight?"

"Brother Chen rest assured, for someone you ordered, I would climb a mountain of blades to get it done for you. The person I found is the best in the funeral industry!" Lu Lu Da Tou gestured with his thumb, "There will be news soon. But, really bury her here? Aren't you afraid of being discovered? Although it's late, these days everyone sleeps lightly, any sound wakes them up. How about we transport the body out first."

"Fine! Go arrange a carriage."

Lu Lu Da Tou received the order and went to work busily.

Chen Chen Guanlou, while no one else was in the room, checked Pan Pan Niangzi thoroughly, not even sparing her clothes. He found no hidden secrets, no hidden notes or the like. Could it be he was overthinking it.

He was very certain Pan Pan Niangzi had breathed her last. For so long, not a trace of breath. Even if she could fake death, could she fake it for one or two hours? Moreover, the corpse was gradually showing the signs it should have after death.

That is to say, the death was real.

Pan Pan Niangzi was really dead!

He felt a bit melancholy, murmured softly, "Knowing it's impossible, I still hope you'll trick me one more time, secretly come back to life tomorrow, and secretly appear again in a year or two. Heh, what am I thinking! This time she's really dead!"

Lu Lu Da Tou found a carriage, Chen Chen Guanlou didn't let him move it, personally carried Pan Pan Niangzi's corpse onto the carriage, and went to the mortuary. The funeral industry people were already prepared, and the coffin was ready.

Even if goods are in high demand, as long as enough money is given, you can always squeeze some out.

Chen Chen Guanlou gave the funeral industry people a sum of money, asking them to handle the funeral arrangements on his behalf and find an auspicious grave to bury her.

He gave enough money, so the funeral industry people naturally agreed wholeheartedly, promising satisfaction.

Lu Lu Da Tou also said, "Brother Chen rest assured, I will watch over this side until Pan Pan Niangzi is buried. Do you want someone to cry?"

"No! She doesn't like hearing people cry."

Chen Chen Guanlou walked out of the mortuary. In the middle of the night, the soldiers of Wucheng were very lax, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were guarding the palace with no time to patrol the streets at night. Thus, when they went out on the streets at midnight, no one questioned them, and the way was clear all the way.

If they were really unlucky and met patrolling soldiers, his identity badge would be enough to let him avoid most trouble.

The funeral industry people were very particular about their work, just like the guards of the Heavenly Prison, doing as much as the money paid. Less money meant a simple funeral, more money meant a grand funeral.

The money Chen Chen Guanlou gave was generous, so the funeral industry brought out all their resources and handled it seriously. Lu Lu Da Tou watched the whole process, not slacking off at all, even giving up his favorite gambling business for this.

Chen Chen Guanlou didn't treat him badly either, giving him a generous reward.

The body lay in state for three days, then an auspicious grave was found for burial. On the day of burial, a strong wind rose, the sky was gloomy, sand and stones flew, as if the sky was about to collapse.

"I heard the Emperor is about to be chosen."

"Especially at this time, it's inauspicious!"

"Could it be the new Emperor chosen this time has a problem."

"Shh, you can't talk nonsense like that."

Chen Chen Guanlou heard everyone's discussion, his expression indifferent.

Even if the sky of Great Qian breaks, what does it matter? It doesn't hinder him from working and eating grain, nor does it hinder him from taking money to do business. Having personally confirmed Pan Pan Niangzi was buried, buried in the earth, I suppose this time she really can't come back to life.

A little bit of disappointment.

So it was real death, not fake death! The corpse already smelled, how could it be fake?

The biggest regret is that before Pan Pan Niangzi died, she didn't reveal Master Qi's identity. From what she said, Master Qi has more than one identity. Perhaps in front of people, he doesn't even have the surname Qi.

That's interesting.

Having settled this matter, Chen Chen Guanlou went back to his duties as usual, then he heard a shocking and incredible piece of news: Imperial Prince Zhongwangdian was poisoned, unconscious, and the Imperial Physicians were helpless. It even alarmed the Grand Masters.

I heard several Grand Masters in the palace are also going to make a move.

"Here it comes, here it comes!"

Chen Chen Guanlou's first reaction upon hearing this news was that the grand play had finally opened. Xie Changling had been out of prison for so long with no sound, turns out he was hiding a hand. If he doesn't act, fine, but once he acts, it's a big move.

Imperial Prince Zhongwangdian was poisoned, who is the biggest beneficiary?

Especially at this most sensitive and critical moment of fighting for the throne.

On the surface, every Imperial Prince qualified to fight for the throne is a suspect, and a beneficiary.

In reality, the biggest beneficiary was His Highness Prince Zhongwang himself.

Who would be so stupid as to poison someone at this time.

However, one cannot rule out the possibility that there really was an Imperial Prince or royal lord who took the desperate gamble of poisoning someone, thinking that once all the competitors were dead, he himself would emerge victorious. Such great wits exist at all times.

But… this is a fight for the throne, the contest for the highest position and greatest power. The contestants are surrounded by a host of strategists, and this is the most critical moment — how could they make such a low-level mistake.