Chapter 694: Chapter 446: Unusual Movements of the Heavenly Book, Traces Finally Revealed!_3
And below was a secluded deep poolâŠ
Gazing into the deep pool, Chen Yuan felt as if there were a pair of eyes staring back at him. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was just his own reflection. His fingers slowly traced the pillar nearby as he lifted his head to survey the surrounding scene.
It was not far from the Chunhua Palace he had previously visited, but beyond that, there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Without taking the stairs, Chen Yuan came down the same way he went up. He looked at the aged eunuch in front of him and said,
âThree things. First, I want to interrogate the two palace maids captured from the Noble Consortâs side. Second, let my people search the Noble Consortâs sleeping quarters. The third matter⊠I want to see the Noble Consortâs corpse.â
âThisâŠâ The old eunuch hesitated:
âThe Noble Consortâs sleeping quarters and her body cannot be casually inspected. This would violateâŠâ
Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Yuan raised his hand to stop him from continuing:
âThatâs not my concern. The Emperor has granted me this waist token, and if there are any issues, you can go consult His Majesty. However, you must satisfy my requests now,
Otherwise, if we canât track down the clues and fail to solve the case, who will bear the responsibility⊠you?â
Eunuch Zhaoâs speech halted for a moment, then he took a deep breath, staring at Chen Yuan and said,
âAlright, this servant will surely fulfill your requests, Director Chen, as long as the Noble Consortâs corpse is not desecrated.â
After speaking, he instructed two eunuchs to fetch the two imprisoned personal maids, and another two eunuchs to accompany Chen Yuanâs men, led by Wang Teng, to search the Noble Consortâs sleeping quarters once more.
Though they were not adept at this sort of thing, fortunately, Chen Yuan didnât demand too much, merely asking them to check for any suspicious areas.
The real clues, he estimated, would still lie with those two maids and the Noble Consortâs corpse.
After issuing his instructions, Chen Yuan was not idle. He was prepared to really start his own purpose and conduct a thorough check in the harem.
His destination this trip was not only to investigate the cause of the Noble Consortâs death. He always felt that Jingtai had casually thrown this task to him without the intent to delve too deeply into the matter.
Otherwise, they would have assigned a professional from the Ministry of Justice to investigate this matter.
After all, he was from the Heavenly Patrol Bureau, and their primary job was assassinationâŠ
When it came to solving cases, he was not particularly skilled either, relying merely on reasoning through minor details, which wasnât considered a strong suit.
Therefore, instinctively, he had some doubts about Jingtaiâs intentions, but he still accepted the task.
As for the purpose, it was quite simple: to take this opportunity to inspect the harem thoroughly and find the Dragon Vein where the predecessor Moluo was suppressed. Of the several locations Jiang He had provided, this was the only place left unexplored.
Chen Yuan wandered through the harem without specific intent, which left the old eunuch following him somewhat puzzled. Wasnât he here to investigate a case? Why was he meandering through the harem for no apparent reason?
They were far from where the Noble Consort had died.
But Chen Yuanâs response was⊠he needed time to think things through.
While observing the harem, Chen Yuan also noticed that it was indeed not as bustling today as it was during his last visit. The old eunuch informed him that before Chen Yuanâs arrival, the Empress and the Noble Consort had decreed that unless necessary, there should be less traffic in the harem in the next couple of days, especially areas farther from the Noble Consortâs palace.
It seemed they did not want to be associated with the case.
This time, with the advantage of his status, Chen Yuan was able to move about the harem unimpeded and at a quick pace, not at all as if he was pondering anything, but that was inevitable.
The harem was too vast; if he moved too slowly, he would not be able to cover it all in a day.
He passed by the Empressâs sleeping quarters, the Noble Consortâs sleeping quartersâwho was also the mother of the Eldest Princeâas well as the palaces of some Princesses who had not yet married and were still living inside the palace.
The old eunuchâs look towards him became somewhat questioning.
He felt Chen Yuanâs intentions might not be so pure.
âWhat place is this?â
Suddenly, Chen Yuan paused, stopped in his tracks, and asked, pointing ahead.
The old eunuch recalled for a moment, then said,
âThis is the Cold Palace.â
âThe Cold Palace?â
Chen Yuanâs eyebrows rose. He had never expected that the Dragon Vein where the predecessor Moluo was suppressed would actually be within this Cold Palace. It was truly⊠unexpected!
Indeed, Chen Yuan had found the place where the predecessor Moluo was suppressed.
Just then, the Heavenly Book Treasure concealed within his sleeve finally reacted.
This was the method given to him by the other Daoists: as long as he kept the Heavenly Book activated, he could sense changes in another Heavenly Book Fragment within a certain range.
Naturally, it could also help to determine if another Daoist was nearbyâŠ
As Chen Yuan had passed through the other locations Jiang He had once conjectured, the Heavenly Book hadnât shown any movement at all. This time⊠at last, there was a response.
It was not easyâŠ
The Cold Palace name alone suggested its desolation, and it was the place where Concubines who had made mistakes were placed under house arrest. Chen Yuanâs gaze flickered for a moment, hesitating whether or not to enter and take a look.
Meanwhile, the old eunuch casually said,
âWhat, does Director Chen not know of the Cold Palace?â
âI know of it, Iâve heard about it.â
âThis place, well⊠isâŠâ
âAlright, letâs go, letâs take a look at that Noble Consortâs corpse.â
After thinking it over, Chen Yuan eventually decided not to enter the Cold Palace. With his identity, it was somewhat inappropriate to do so, and it had nothing to do with the Noble Consortâs case. If someone reported this to Emperor Jingtai,
They might easily guess some of Chen Yuanâs intentions.
Since he had already found the place, there was no need to be hasty. Now was not the best time to meet predecessor Moluo, as Chen Yuan had been able to infer certain things from what the other Daoists had shared.
It was likely that predecessor Moluo had a grudge against the Great Jin Imperial Family; otherwise, he would not have been suppressed at the Dragon Vein. And the Emperor, how could he possibly be unaware of predecessor Moluoâs existence?
Again, the phrase âbetter safe than sorryâ holds true.
By the time Chen Yuan arrived at the Noble Consortâs palace, Wang Teng and the others had already conducted their search. After glancing at the two men, Chen Yuan casually asked, âDid you find anything unusual?â
Wang Teng walked thoughtfully to Chen Yuanâs side and whispered,
âWe only found a white Jade Lotus that seems a bit different from ordinary objectsâŠâ