Chapter 261: The Empress Wants to Silence People!

Li Qingluo:?

She looked at Nan Jia, still not having opened her mouth to ask what, but Nan Jia anxiously waved her hands while explaining: "Lu'er, don't misunderstand, that's Pan Li, not me."

Moreover, I carefully questioned the maidservant, and the maidservant said Pan Li would admire Prince Su, Your Highness, precisely because of his fierce, murderous god-like reputation, saying she was innately drawn to the strong, like Prince Su, Your Highness, whom no one dares to provoke yet who fears offending no one anywhere, a formidable person.

The maidservant also said she dreams of marrying into Prince Su's mansion, but Prince Su, Your Highness, has never had the intention to take a consort, so Pan Li, at eighteen, still has no news of an engagement, because Pan Li's parents and elder brothers dote on her and cannot go against her wishes, so they have never forced her into an engagement.

Li Qingluo, hearing that Pan Li actually had such a secret, immediately thought: "Could it be… that Pan Li was killed by Princess Qin Yu because of Prince Su, Your Highness?"

Nan Jia: "Indeed, there has long been a rumor in Jinling City that Prince Su, Your Highness, remains unmarried despite his age, and that he is waiting for Princess Qin Yu."

Li Qingluo: "If Princess Qin Yu and Prince Su, Your Highness, truly love each other, why haven't they married? One is a princess of two states, the other is a Prince of DaLiang; their backgrounds match and they are well-matched, so why keep waiting for each other?"

Nan Jia sighed upon hearing this: "It seems you truly don't know. Princess Qin Yu's marriage is not something the DaLiang emperor can decide; after all, she is a Chu person, so her marriage was long ago promised by the Chu emperor to the Western Regions' legitimate third prince."

However, because that third prince has always been young, reportedly only just turned fourteen this year, so Princess Qin Yu will only marry into the Western Regions' imperial court at the end of this year.

Li Qingluo was greatly shocked.

With Princess Qin Yu's status, her marriage is not her own choice, yet she is actually to be sent to the Western Regions?

The DaLiang emperor and empress dote on her greatly, yet they can only watch helplessly… have they also acquiesced to this marriage?

Then what meaning does Prince Su, Your Highness, have in waiting like this?

Nan Jia saw that she was really considering for those two, and couldn't help sighing: "You couldn't possibly be failing to understand what I'm saying, could you? I told you not to misunderstand, yet you really haven't misunderstood at all…"

Li Qingluo: "What are you saying?"

She truly didn't hear clearly.

Nan Jia: "I mean, I think Prince Su, Your Highness, may not be waiting for Princess Qin Yu as the rumors say; perhaps the rumor is merely a misunderstanding."

'I think what Prince Su, Your Highness, is truly waiting for… is the person he wishes to sincerely pledge his heart to?'

Li Qingluo: "The DaLiang laws are truly unfair. Why are women forced into marriage upon turning twenty, while Prince Su, Your Highness, is already twenty-two and the emperor still hasn't arranged a marriage for him?"

'This father is also too partial.'

Nan Jia lunged over and covered Li Qingluo's mouth: 'Do you want to die? Even at home you cannot so recklessly discuss the emperor!'

Li Qingluo: 'Okay, okay, I know I was wrong. This isn't here; now it's just you, right? Quick, tell me more about Princess Qin Yu.'

'Then isn't she several years older than her future husband?'

Nan Jia: 'More than four years, almost five.'

'Let's stop talking about her; do you want to know what happened to Li Qingzhu?'

Li Qingluo: 'What happened to her?'

Nan Jia smiled, about to discuss things in detail with Li Qingluo, when Que'er shouted in the courtyard: 'Miss, a message has been delivered from the restaurant, saying there is an urgent matter, please hurry over.'

Li Qingluo looked at Nan Jia regretfully: 'Then I can only make another appointment with you another day.'

After parting with Nan Jia, Li Qingluo then thought of that Qingyangzi.

Forget it; even if Nan Jia isn't truly dead now, his ending is what he deserves for having wronged Nan Jia.

Moreover, given Prince Su, Your Highness's temperament, what was seen that day was not entirely true.

Delicacy Restaurant.

Li Qingluo guessed it was Yang Qinwu coming to see her.

Indeed, he had already figured out seventy to eighty percent of what happened that night of the fifth day outside the Hall of Bright Splendor; further investigation had no leads, so he brought some things Li Qingluo wanted to know to see her.

He also couldn't openly go to the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu, so he could only meet at the Delicacy Restaurant.

Li Qingluo had just sat down when Yang Qinwu handed up a piece.

'I heard that on that night, several noble ladies had a dispute by the lakeside outside the Hall of Bright Splendor, and it was because of this jade pendant.'

Li Qingluo: 'Just because of a jade pendant?'

Li Qingluo took the jade pendant and examined it carefully.

This jade pendant is clearly priceless; its color, warmth, and even the weight in hand are all extraordinarily distinct.

Although she doesn't know how to appraise what kind of jade this is, she has seen enough of the world to know this jade is absolutely an extremely precious object.

'Where did you find this jade pendant?'

Yang Qinwu: 'I didn't tell you last time that the palace maids and eunuchs on duty outside the Hall of Bright Splendor that night have mostly vanished, unknown whether they are alive or dead?'

'Although later a few corpses of unknown cause were found in some corners of the imperial palace, they are actually not all of the palace personnel who went missing that night on duty.'

'I also know this matter concerns palace secrets; a slight mistake could cost even me, an Imperial Guard Colonel, my life. But since you entrusted me, I will investigate carefully upon returning to the palace.'

'Finally… I found it on the Empress's head.'

Li Qingluo's brow jerked violently.

Then she suddenly realized, 'The Empress is silencing people!'

'What happened that night between Princess Qin Yu and Pan Li must be something the Empress also doesn't want the world to know, which is why she did this!'

'Princess Qin Yu was punished by being sent to reflect in seclusion at an outer palace; she nearly caused the death of a minister's daughter, who is also the grand son-in-law's niece, and such a punishment is considered very light, yet the emperor seems to have acquiesced as well.'

'The Pei family… the emperor, the empress… behind them all there is only one point of connection…'

Yang Qinwu didn't quite understand.

How did it become linked to the Pei family again?

It's not strange that he doesn't know the Pei family is part of the deposed crown prince's faction, given that the Pei family has always been overly secretive.

Li Qingluo: 'How did you obtain this jade pendant? Also, how did you determine it was the Empress silencing people? Could it not be the work of someone Princess Qin Yu planted in the palace?'

This time, Nan Jia and I were both kidnapped by the Pei family; from what the two people killed by Hudie in the dungeon said, it seems a nobleperson gave the Pei family this order.

Who is this nobleperson, and who wants Pan Li's life?

It is obvious that this is certainly also related to the matter.

Yang Qinwu: 'I told you last time that I have a close colleague who happened to be on duty outside the Hall of Bright Splendor that night; this jade pendant is what he picked up.'

'Our Imperial Guard answers directly to the Majesty, and we usually only follow the emperor's orders, so we don't easily run into trouble. But seeing those palace personnel repeatedly go missing or die, he perhaps also sensed something, and thus has been uneasy for quite some time.'

I paid attention to this matter, so I watched him day and night, and only then did I notice his abnormality.

Just a few days ago, he was muddle-headed and led by someone into a consort's palace, and strangely, that palace had no guards inside or out that day.

If I hadn't been following him and happened to drag him out, he might have followed that strange scent and rushed into the consort's bedroom.

That consort usually isn't favored; after I inquired, I learned she happened to be bathing then, so if my colleague really barged in, both he and the consort would likely be dead.

To kill a palace guard, and incidentally get rid of a consort?

That's too much of a sacrifice!

Perhaps it's a case of killing two birds with one stone?

When we two returned to our quarters and discovered, his belongings showed signs of having been rummaged through.

Only then did my colleague realize the danger, and he took out that piece of jade pendant.

He said he picked up that jade pendant from a thicket by the lake, and that thicket happened to be near where Miss Pan fell into the water that night.

Coincidentally, we then found a palace maid who had passed by the lake that night but was not on duty; she is a servant of the Virtuous Consort, and perhaps that's why she escaped disaster.

She and my colleague are from the same hometown; knowing we were secretly looking for clues from that night, she voluntarily approached us and said she had vaguely heard those noble ladies arguing about a jade pendant while passing by the lake in the distance that night.

At that time she even turned her head and saw Miss Pan holding a small white object in her hand.

Beyond that, she didn't know anything else.

Li Qingluo lifted the jade pendant— isn't that exactly that small white thing?

Yang Qinwu: 'As for discovering that it was the Empress who did it, for us palace guards that's not difficult at all. Just pay a little more attention and investigate whom those missing or injured palace personnel had contacted before they disappeared or met harm.'

There aren't that many coincidences in the world; could it all be related to the Phoenix Nest Palace?

Li Qingluo couldn't help but admit that Yang Qinwu had some ability.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have so cleanly chopped off Li Kechuan's leg and retreated unscathed.

Li Qingluo looked again at Yang Qinwu: 'Whose jade pendant is this? Do you know?'

Yang Qinwu shook his head: 'This is what I haven't yet found out. Actually… it's not impossible, but if I keep investigating, I fear my own life would be in danger.'

Li Qingluo didn't make things difficult for him, so she let him leave.

Go, have Meishuang treat him to a hot pot with the finest food and drink, no need to charge him.

After giving orders to Que'er, Li Qingluo herself took the jade pendant to examine.

Could this be Princess Qin'yu's?

Ask Prince Su; perhaps he'll know!

Once that thought entered Li Qingluo's mind, she couldn't hold back.

Those shoes should also be returned to him.

Besides, he… now I don't know how he is.

Li Qingluo slipped the jade pendant into her bosom and had someone summon Wu Quan.

'Deliver a letter for me to Guiyuan.'

On the way home, Zheng Mama jumped onto the carriage and said: 'Miss, you had me investigate Liu Qiongzhu's affair, and I have found out.'

Li Qingluo had been resting, but upon hearing this news she immediately opened her eyes.

Nanjia had originally intended to tell her, but Li Qingluo suddenly needed to go out, so before leaving she had Zheng Mama hurry to check what was going on.

I didn't expect a reply to come back so quickly.

Zheng Mama excitedly said: 'Miss, Liu Qiongzhu has already been driven out of Prince Yun's Mansion!'