Chapter 117: How Can You Still Smile?

Shen Nanyuan nodded. "...Alright."

She couldn't help but tighten her grip. "Remember to tell me if anything happens."

"Yes, Miss."

Qingrui was truly frightened, her tone turning slightly anxious. "Miss, please get into the carriage quickly. Let us return to the mansion at once. I feel this place is... too eerie."

Just thinking about where they had just been sent shivers down her spine. The smell they had caught was that of a corpse; perhaps the very ground they had just trodden upon had dead bodies buried beneath it. The mere thought made her entire body go numb, wishing she could flee the spot immediately.

Having lived in the Duke of Zhen's Mansion for so long, this was the first time she had encountered such a thing, and the first time she had been so close to the dead.

It was terrifying to look back on.

She would likely not sleep well tonight.

The voices of the scholars were still trembling. "Then we shall take our leave as well. We leave this matter in your hands, Miss."

It seemed the sight they had witnessed earlier had shocked them too deeply; as soon as they finished speaking, they departed in great haste. Shen Nanyuan and Meng Chuyue boarded the carriage together. Only after they had traveled some distance did the panic in Shen Nanyuan's heart finally begin to subside.

"Could it be because of the dead bodies buried underneath that those flowers grew so red?"

She had previously thought that shade of red was strangely unsettling; thinking about it now, the possibility seemed highly likely.

Meng Chuyue nodded hesitantly. "Perhaps."

She really had not expected them to stumble upon such a matter today.

She paused. "I only wonder if that deceased person was murdered or died of some other cause. We will have to rely on the Court of Judicial Review to investigate and find out."

"Were you frightened?"

Shen Nanyuan shook her head slightly. "Not really frightened, since I didn't see the bones they mentioned. It just makes my skin crawl."

Hearing this, Meng Chuyue smiled. "You are actually quite brave, Yuanyuan. Any other young lady would have lost her composure from fright. You are truly different from them."

Shen Nanyuan replied, "So are you. You can still laugh."

"No wonder the two of us are friends," Meng Chuyue said with a smile.

However, not long after returning to the Duke of Zhen's Mansion, Shen Nanyuan found herself unable to laugh after hearing what Shen Sinian had to say.

"After the men from the Court of Judicial Review and the guards from our mansion went over, they dug up more than just one corpse beneath that patch of hibiscus. There were dozens of them. This is a matter of grave importance. His Majesty has specially ordered the Third Prince to investigate and clear up the matter alongside the Court of Judicial Review."

Dozens of them.

The sheer number gave Shen Nanyuan goosebumps all over. "How could there be so many?"

"I don't know. The coroner is still performing the autopsies. We will have to wait for the Third Prince to investigate the rest." Shen Sinian sighed, his gaze sweeping over his sister's face. "Seeing that you aren't afraid sets my mind at ease."

"It is fortunate that a patch of hibiscus grew over the corpses, otherwise who knows when they would have been discovered." He thought for a moment and continued, "I heard that some of these corpses have already turned to white bones, while others are decomposed. It seems they died at different times. That patch of hibiscus grew on top of these bodies, nourished by their flesh and blood, which is why they flourished so well."

Shen Nanyuan: "..."

She instinctively took a step back and glared at her brother.

Shen Sinian was truly dense—how could he describe such things to her!

The memory of the foul stench she had smelled during the day made her feel nauseous, and hearing his description only worsened it. She waved her hand, hiding her discomfort. "...Tell me about it when the matter is fully investigated."

Shen Sinian took a sip of tea and finally changed the subject.

"His Majesty purposely assigned the investigation to the Third Prince to see if he could handle it flawlessly. I expect the Second Prince is anxious once again at this moment."

Yet, recalling the Second Prince's smiling face in the Imperial Study, acting the part of a doting elder brother to Xiao Yan, Shen Sinian could not help but sneer.

Hearing this, Shen Nanyuan said worriedly, "Then won't he secretly trip Xiao Yan up?"

This event had never occurred in the original book, and she knew nothing about it, so she could not help but feel a bit anxious.

"Even if he wants to trip him up, there is nothing he can do. This time, the Third Prince is investigating the case alongside the Court of Judicial Review. The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review has a good relationship with the Prime Minister. Since the Prime Minister has already aligned himself with the Third Prince, the Chief Minister will naturally lean toward him as well. The Second Prince's reach does not extend to the Chief Minister."

Hearing this, Shen Nanyuan nodded, her mind at ease.

Aside from Shen Nanyuan and her companion, the scholars also knew about it. As the news spread from their mouths, it did not take long for the entire capital to learn of the matter.

The sudden appearance of dozens of corpses naturally struck fear into everyone's hearts. Panic spread through the capital, and His Majesty set a deadline of seven days to solve the case to appease the populace.

This was also the first time Xiao Yan had left the palace since his visit to the Duke of Zhen's Mansion.

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review came forward to meet him, bowing respectfully. "Your Highness."

All the corpses had been moved to the Court of Judicial Review and were being examined by the coroners. Xiao Yan frowned and asked, "How is it going?"

"Replying to Your Highness," the Chief Minister said, "all the corpses bear arrow wounds; they were shot to death. Their clothes are made of coarse cloth, so they were likely refugees or commoners living in poverty."

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. "Accompany me to the place where they were found in a moment."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The Chief Minister paused slightly. "Then, Your Highness, right now you..."

"I shall examine the corpses."

Hearing this, the Chief Minister could not help but raise his head in surprise. "You wish to inspect them in person?"

"Yes." Xiao Yan's dark, moist eyes carried a trace of chilling coldness, sending a shiver down one's spine. "Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all," the Chief Minister bowed. "Your Highness, please follow me."

As autumn deepened, the weather grew colder.

Shen Nanyuan put on her cloak once more. After having dinner with the Old Madame, she returned to Shaohua Court. The sky had turned completely dark. Before long, the imperial hunt would be taking place again.

Last year she had gone out of necessity, but this year, she actually wanted to go.

She thought of the persimmon tree from last year. She would also be able to chat with Gao Xueluo and Meng Chuyue, and perhaps... she might even see Xiao Yan.

It seemed half a month had already passed since she last saw him.

Qingrui stood to the side, pursing her lips. Watching her young mistress reclining on the soft daybed reading a storybook, she spoke softly, "Miss, will you be able to sleep tonight?"

Hearing this, Shen Nanyuan looked up in surprise. "Why wouldn't I be able to sleep?"

"With what happened today," Qingrui said, "I am afraid you might have nightmares."

"I won't. It only felt hair-raising at the time, but thinking about it now, it's not so bad," Shen Nanyuan said with a smile. "Besides, we didn't actually see what they looked like, did we? We only heard about it. It is nothing."