Xin Zizhao didn't like it when Wei Shuxuan kept things from him. However, he had no right to interfere in other people's business.
After sorting out her thoughts, Wei Shuxuan finally went to take a bath contentedly and then went to bed.
The next day, Xin Zizhao and Wei Shuxuan were having breakfast in the dining hall of Fenghe Palace when Chief Eunuch Li rushed over to report to them. "Your Highness the Fifth Prince, Young Master Wei, General Ge is outside and wishes to see Young Master Wei."
"Hey! Zian is here so soon! I've got to finish eating quickly and go out to work!" Wei Shuxuan said as she stuffed the meat bun in her hand into her mouth in a hurry. After chewing it roughly a few times, she picked up the bowl beside her, took a big gulp of porridge, and was about to go out when Xin Zizhao stopped her.
"You must swallow everything before you can go out."
The voice was so cold that Wei Shuxuan had never heard it before. Startled, she sat back down and obediently started to move her mouth.
Wei Shuxuan looked up at Xin Zizhao. His expression was cold. At first glance, it seemed no different from usual. But to Wei Shuxuan, who had been getting along with Xin Zizhao for quite some time, she could tell at a glance that he was extremely angry. Those cold, dark eyes were filled with a chill that made one dare not look directly at them.
Wei Shuxuan didn't dare to provoke Xin Zizhao when he was angry. After all, he was her long - term meal ticket.
Just as Wei Shuxuan and Xin Zizhao were staring at each other, Ge Zian came in from outside. He saw Wei Shuxuan sitting at the table with puffed - out cheeks, seemingly still having breakfast, while Xin Zizhao was holding a plain bun and looking at Wei Shuxuan.
Ge Zian walked over quickly and first saluted Xin Zizhao. "Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Fifth Prince."
However, Xin Zizhao didn't say a word for a long time. He just stared at Wei Shuxuan. Wei Shuxuan gave him a look and then turned away. Then, a somewhat cold voice sounded. "Rise."
"Thank you, Your Highness the Fifth Prince."
Before Ge Zian could speak, Xin Zizhao spoke first. "General Zian, are you here to find Wei Luo?"
"Ah, yes. Young Master Wei and I made an appointment to go and check the crime scenes of the remaining victims today."
Facing Xin Zizhao's question, Ge Zian answered him politely. Wei Shuxuan chewed the food in her mouth while paying attention to Xin Zizhao's reaction.
"I don't have many classes today. Can I go with you?" Xin Zizhao thought for a while and suddenly said this.
".....Don't you usually have classes until afternoon and only come back then? Why do you suddenly say you're free now?" Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Zizhao in surprise.
Xin Zizhao ignored her and just looked at Ge Zian. Ge Zian laughed heartily. "Well... I can't make the decision. After all, I'm just an assistant. Young Master Wei is the one who really makes the decision."
Then, Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan. In fact, Wei Shuxuan didn't really want Xin Zizhao to go out with them. She had some rather private things to tell Ge Zian, and the testimony of Wei Wei was needed for these things. So, if Xin Zizhao went out with them, it would be very difficult for her to find a chance to be alone with Ge Zian.
Seeing Wei Shuxuan looking so conflicted, Xin Zizhao raised his eyebrows. "Well?"
".....Okay, then let's go out together."
In the end, Wei Shuxuan agreed. She would just wait until next time to talk to Ge Zian.
After breakfast, Wei Shuxuan, Xin Zizhao, and Ge Zian went out together, planning to go to the crime scene of the next victim.
The fourth victim was also a concubine, a concubine who had been sent to the Cold Palace. The incident happened in Wuxiang Palace in the west. This concubine was drowned.
So, they came to Wuxiang Palace. Judging from the surrounding environment of Wuxiang Palace, it should have been a nice place before. It was a pity that the emperor's heart was so unpredictable. Once he fell out of love, he let this beautiful palace rot away gradually in the deep palace.
Wei Shuxuan walked into Wuxiang Palace. Outside the main hall, there were two abandoned lotus ponds. The water in the ponds had become dirty and turbid. The withered lotus leaves were floating on the sewage. The more beautiful it used to be, the more desolate it was now.
Walking into the main hall, she saw the dusty floor and the spider - webs in the corners as soon as she entered. Wei Shuxuan had just taken a few steps when the raised dust made her nose itch, and she sneezed several times in a row.
"This place is just too desolate, isn't it?"
"This is the imperial palace. It's just this realistic."
Xin Zizhao mercilessly hit Wei Shuxuan again. Wei Shuxuan pursed her lips and muttered, "I'm not going to stay in this damned place forever."
They continued to move forward. After passing through the main hall, they came to the back bedroom. There was a large bathing pool in the bedroom. The water in the pool looked very clear and clean, and it was still steaming. It didn't look like ordinary pond water.
Ge Zian noticed Wei Shuxuan's confusion. "This should be a hot spring. I heard before that His Majesty doted on Concubine Wu of Wuxiang Palace very much. She danced very beautifully and was very much loved by His Majesty. At that time, His Majesty even went to great lengths to build this palace for her and used water pipes to divert the hot spring here. It's a pity that later, when His Majesty found out that Concubine Wu had an affair with a guard, she was sent to the Cold Palace for more than ten years."
Wei Shuxuan got closer to the bathing pool and gently sniffed the water. There was a relatively strong smell of rotten eggs. It was said that real hot - spring water had this smell. According to the records, the fourth victim was fished out of a bathing pool. This should be the one.
"Can you two tell how deep this pool is?" Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Zizhao and Ge Zian, who were also squatting.
Xin Zizhao stood up, found a pebble beside him, and casually threw it into the pool. The splash of the pebble wasn't very high, and the sound was rather dull. "It's quite deep."
No matter how deep the pool was, it couldn't be dozens of meters deep. It was unlikely that the victim was directly thrown into the water and drowned. The murderer might have pressed the victim's head into the water until she died completely and then thrown her into the hot - spring water to soak.
After that, they searched Wuxiang Palace carefully again, but still found nothing and then left.
"Where are we going next?" Xin Zizhao walked beside Wei Shuxuan and watched as she took out the record book from her bosom and carefully flipped through it.
"We're going to Sishui Tower."
Just as Wei Shuxuan finished speaking, she saw a eunuch running over in a hurry. "Your Highness the Fifth Prince, this servant has finally found you."