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"Last night I heard a woman crying and wailing, so it was Chun Tao crying. I wondered who it could have been."

"Indeed, it kept me from sleeping."

Lady Chang listened quietly, without making any comments.

When Concubine Xu heard that Chun Tao was dead, she thought of Little Fuzi, who had come out of Xiyun Pavilion early in the morning and was still detained. If not for Chun Tao’s incident, she would have forgotten about him.

Shen Mingzhu glanced at the body covered with a white cloth from a distance, and said with some sorrow while holding her handkerchief, "Sister, Chun Tao was originally from Xiyun Pavilion. It was only because you were promoted to Lady and there weren’t enough hands to serve you that I sent Chun Tao back to you.

Wasn’t Chun Tao fine just yesterday, and then suddenly she died? "

Having lived like a salted fish for over a decade, Shen Chuwei had never seen a dead person before.

After getting up, Little Guizi and Little Anzi covered the body with a cloth.

She was unaware of the specific cause of death.

Shen Chuwei said indifferently, "I don’t know why Chun Tao, who served Lady Shen, cried and begged to return to Xiyun Pavilion."

Shen Mingzhu said with a sorrowful face, "That’s something you should ask your sister. I thought I was doing a good deed. I didn’t expect Chun Tao to end up like this. If I had known, I wouldn’t have sent her back yesterday."

Concubine Xu had been on bad terms with Lady Chang since they were young. When she heard her speak, it sounded unpleasant to her.

"Lady Shen, are you implying that Chun Tao was harmed by someone in Xiyun Pavilion?"

Seeing Concubine Xu had also arrived, Shen Mingzhu tried to keep her distance, standing beside Lady Chang.

"Concubine Xu, those weren’t my words. I’m just curious, how can a perfectly fine person suddenly be gone?"

After finishing her statement, Shen Mingzhu looked toward Shen Chuwei, her tone carrying a note of accusation, "Could it be that sister said something to Chun Tao that made her lose the will to live?"

Shen Chuwei replied, "How could I talk to her if I haven’t even seen Chun Tao’s face?"

"Then how could Chun Tao be fine one moment and gone the next? When I saw her yesterday, she was perfectly fine. Unless someone said something, she wouldn’t have taken her own life." Shen Mingzhu finished with a sigh of regret.

At that moment, the sharp voice of Liu Xi came from the entrance: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

Xiao Jinyan, dressed in dark morning court clothes, strode in.

Shen Chuwei and the others bowed to His Highness, "Wishing Your Highness peace and prosperity."

Xiao Jinyan scanned the crowd and said, "Rise."

He glanced over at Chun Tao covered with a white cloth and ordered Weichi, "Go check the cause of death."

"As you command." Weichi obeyed and strode toward the body.

Xiao Jinyan then turned to Shen Chuwei. "What happened here?"

Shen Chuwei recounted the course of events, "Your Highness, this is what happened."

"Your Highness, Chun Tao was originally a maid in Xiyun Pavilion; then she served in my quarters. Because my sister was promoted to Lady and I feared there wouldn’t be enough people to serve her, I sent Chun Tao back.

Yesterday, Chun Tao left Lanyue Hall cheerfully, never would I have imagined that by morning, she would be gone. "

Shen Mingzhu intended to push the cause of Chun Tao’s death onto Shen Chuwei, to show His Highness that she was a person of malicious heart, to see how she could remain favored then.

Xiao Jinyan’s cold eyes swept over Shen Mingzhu, seeing through her pretense and scheming, and deducing that she was behind the mischief, feeling fortunate for the opportunity she had delivered on her own accord.

"After leaving Xiyun Pavilion, there’s no way Chun Tao could have just vanished. Lady Shen’s promotion also didn’t happen just recently. Why did you suddenly decide to send Chun Tao back to Xiyun Pavilion?"

"Your Highness, as Lady Shen’s real sister, I was confined recently and also felt unwell.

It was only then I recalled, and I didn’t expect such an outcome.

Usually, Chun Tao was a nimble maid, otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought to send her back to continue serving my sister.

" Shen Mingzhu spoke earnestly, nearly in tears.

Xiao Jinyan, hearing Shen Mingzhu’s insincere words, didn’t even want to spare her another glance, his gaze turning to Weichi in the distance, awaiting the autopsy results.

Lady Chang saw that His Highness did not say a word and thought for sure he intended to protect Shen Chuwei. She took a step forward and said, "Your Highness, Chun Tao’s death is suspicious, surely there must be something behind it. It’s crucial for you to investigate thoroughly."

Xiao Jinyan said coldly, "The palace will certainly get to the bottom of this. If it’s found that someone is conspiring behind the scenes, the palace will punish them severely!"

Shen Mingzhu’s guilty conscience made her subconsciously clutch the handkerchief in her hand tighter.

After completing the examination, Weichi walked back briskly to report, "Your Highness, Chun Tao died from poison, about an hour ago, with no evident wounds on her body."

Shen Chuwei found this peculiar and turned to look at the body, wanting to see for herself.

Xiao Jinyan stopped her, "What are you doing?"

Shen Chuwei didn’t hide her intentions. "I want to have a look."

"What’s there to see in a dead person?" Xiao Jinyan was worried that Shen Chuwei would have nightmares after seeing the remains. After all, a person dead could look quite ghastly.

Shen Chuwei said seriously, "I want to ask her how life was in Lanyue Hall."

"Sister, are you all right? Chun Tao is already dead and can’t answer your questions." Shen Mingzhu feigned concern on the surface, but inwardly she was sneering. A dead person cannot answer your questions, and with Chun Tao dying in Xiyun Pavilion, you can’t absolve yourself of involvement.

However, Shen Chuwei said, "Only the dead do not lie."

Xiao Jinyan stood up and said to Shen Chuwei, "I will accompany you to take a look."

Shen Chuwei’s eyes curved in gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Shoulder to shoulder, the two walked toward the body.

Upon seeing this, Shen Mingzhu could not help but sneer internally; what was wrong with His Highness’s mind? To actually believe what Shen Chuwei said about dead people not lying? I want to see how a dead person can possibly speak.

Lady Chang clutched her handkerchief, watching the pair’s backs with resentment in her heart.

Shen Chuwei approached the body; she grabbed onto Xiao Jinyan’s sleeve, afraid of seeing a frightening visage in death.

Xiao Jinyan glanced down at the hand grasping his sleeve, then lifted his gaze to her delicate face. "If you’re scared, there’s no need to look."

"Your Highness, I will only look briefly," Shen Chuwei had prepared herself and said to Weichi, "Uncover it."

Weichi crouched in front of the body and lifted the white cloth.

Shen Chuwei swept a glance. Poisoned suicides didn’t have such a horrifying appearance, but it was still somewhat unsettling for her.

"That’s enough."

Hearing her words, Weichi immediately covered the body with the white cloth again.

Xiao Jinyan looked down and asked, "Did you see anything?"

"Your Highness, Chun Tao used to be plumper than Chun Xi before, but now she’s much thinner than she used to be.

You can tell at a glance that it’s due to long-term insufficient food, and on top of that, her complexion is yellowish-gray.

A yellow pallor signifies malnutrition, indicating she hadn’t been living well recently, suffering from hunger and lack of warmth.

And she was poisoned with vermillion–" Shen Chuwei added, noting the kind of poison that an ordinary maid, even if she had the money, couldn’t afford to buy.

"Sister, you can’t speak recklessly. When Chun Tao was in Lanyue Hall, I never mistreated her.

It was her own decision to lose weight that made her slim down.

" Shen Mingzhu finished her statement and looked at the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, every word I’ve said is true; I dare not deceive Your Highness. "