Red Mansion Rebirth: Ghost Phoenix

Chen Duo moved very quickly.

Less than a quarter of an hour after Wang Xifeng and the others left, his team from the Criminal Justice Department came over with a few veterans from the Inner Temple.

So, in one afternoon, he not only questioned all the people in the Qinghui Pavilion, but also detained the seven or eight people who were blocking the outside and questioned them one by one.

As dinner was approaching, Chen Duo politely entered the main hall and said goodbye to Concubine Rong. He then entered the side hall and said goodbye to Geng Ronghua. Then he took the seven people he thought were suspicious and returned to the inner temple.

During this time, there was some noise.

The two eunuchs, one said he was Dai Xiang's disciple, and the other said he was Qinghai's fellow villager. Chen Duo waved his hand expressionlessly.

Jing Li, who was left behind by Wang Xifeng to help, stepped forward and kicked them one by one, making them kneel on the ground.

"I'm Jing Li, the eunuch in charge of Yinyu Palace. The Imperial Concubine wants to find out who harmed Wu Jin.

"Don't say you're just Qinghai's fellow villager. You're his father, so you have to explain your whereabouts clearly!"

Jing Li grabbed the hair of the eunuch who was still trying to yell, and after whispering something, he exerted force and smashed the stupid head to the ground.

He stood up as if nothing had happened and looked at Chen Duo, "You are in need of someone who can do something powerful. I will talk to the Imperial Concubine for you."

Chen Duo nodded slightly, said "thank you", then looked at those people and continued asking.

This act served as a warning to others, and the rest of the people became more obedient.

Only the second daughter of the Mei family, Mei Ruojin, and the maid Anxiang, were vague about where they were going. After being asked too many questions, Anxiang became anxious:

"You are such an ignorant fellow! Our young lady is the cousin of Concubine Rong. Would we harm Concubine Rong? Let us go!"

Chen Duo placed the pen in his hand steadily on the inkstone. He stood up from the table, walked over, and pushed away Mei Ruojin who was being supported by Anxiang.

Then he raised his hand high, lowered it quickly, and slapped Anxiang in the face with his own hands.

A crisp sound!

Anxiang's face became visibly red and swollen.

"Let me put it this way. Even if you are the king of heaven, if you have the intention of harming people or animals in the palace, you deserve to be killed.

"What's more, seven palace servants in the main hall of Qinghui Pavilion saw you kicking Wu Jin, and then they broke into the inner hall under the pretext of chasing Wu Jin.

"Anxiang, right?

"You don't need to ask this here. Someone, gag him, tie him up and throw him aside. Take him away when you leave later."

As Chen Duo spoke, he returned to his table and began to inquire about Mei Ruojin's whereabouts.

Mei Ruojin's face flushed red, and she didn't know whether she was angry at the eunuch's humiliation or because she was ashamed to reveal her whereabouts.

Anyway, he insisted that he was just envious of the splendor of the palace, so he walked around nearby, got lost, and came back late.

Chen Duo nodded in understanding: "I heard that the second daughter of the Mei family is dull in nature, but because she is obsessed with painting, she is quite praised by Mei Hanlin.

“I guess this is also the reason why Mei Hanlin agreed to let the second young lady enter the palace to serve Concubine Rong during her pregnancy.

“Since Second Miss says she knows nothing, then just draw it.

"It doesn't matter if we are tired. We can just take the Second Miss's painting to compare the places and question the witnesses."

Mei Ruojin said again that she couldn't remember.

This is just being a rogue.

Chen Duo was not angry either. He just asked her to sit down next to him and said, "Then accompany this maid and go back with us to think about it slowly."

"How dare you ruin my reputation?" Mei Ruojin was furious.

Chen Duo looked at her indifferently: "First, Wu Jin was poisoned, and then Xiao Yuan drowned. Second Miss, your reputation in the palace is shit.

“If you are absolutely dissatisfied, I can even take a letter to your parents and uncle and aunt on your behalf.

"Let's see if they are willing to sacrifice the entire Mei family for your so-called 'reputation'."

When Mei Ruojin wanted to hold on for a while longer, Chen Duo became impatient and waved his hand, saying, "Gag her and tie her up, and take her away later."

Seeing Han Lue and Jing Li really approaching, Mei Ruojin hurriedly said: "I went to the Purple Palace!"

The looks from everyone, including Anxiang, turned into contempt after a moment of surprise and doubt.

Only Chen Duo lowered his head and recorded his statement without changing his expression. He then asked calmly, "Have you met anyone who can testify for you?"

Mei Ruojin's face flushed red, and she barely managed to hold on. She whispered, "I hid from everyone along the way. I saw a few eunuchs and palace maids, but they didn't see me..."

Jing Li frowned: "Doesn't that mean there are still no witnesses?"

"Miss, please draw the locations where you met these people." Chen Duo believed that she was telling the truth.

"It would be best if we could draw the person as well. We can find someone to verify the Second Miss's statement as soon as possible and release her sooner."

So when Chen Duo went to the main hall to say goodbye to Mei Ruoqin, he told her very clearly that her cousin, her maid, and the two palace maids and eunuchs in her palace would all be taken back for questioning.

As for the side hall, the two people assigned by Aunt Tian to clean the inner bedroom and the person in charge of inspection and supervision were all arrested.

Geng Simiao's heart was completely focused on Xiao Yuan, who was still unconscious. When he heard that Chen Duo was leaving, he panicked for a moment:

"Could it be that Xiaoyuan had seen the two people who wanted to harm her, and that's why she was killed to silence her?

"If Xiaoyuan wakes up and those two find out, will they come to kill her again?"

Then he comforted himself, "No, no, the imperial concubine said she wouldn't..."

Chen Duo thought that this might be possible, so he bowed and said, "I will report to the emperor and ask him to send some people to Qinghui Pavilion to guard it. Ronghua, please rest assured."

Geng Simiao thanked him again and again in surprise, and even wanted to give him a purse, but Chen Duo declined: "If the imperial concubine knew that I accepted your silver, I'm afraid she would break my hand."

When Chen Duo mentioned the imperial concubine, Aunt Tian couldn't help but look at him.

After he took his leave, Auntie Tian couldn't help but whisper to Geng Simiao, "Ronghua, is this Chen Duo the concubine's man?"

Geng Simiao was stunned for a moment, tried to think about it, and shook his head subconsciously: "Probably not, he is just more familiar with him than us.

"We were not familiar with each other before, but Chen Duo and Xia Shouzhong were old acquaintances, and Xia Shouzhong had been the head eunuch for the imperial concubine for three years.

"Later, when the palace was moved, the Imperial Concubine was already handling palace affairs for the Crown Princess. Chen Duo was transferred from the Daming Palace to the Eastern Palace, so he went to help the Imperial Concubine and became familiar with the place."

Auntie Tian thought that it might be more than that, but she refused to refute her master and just said softly:

“I’m afraid I will have to be stricter about the affairs in the palace in the future. Ronghua, please don’t let their crying make you soft-hearted and come to me to beg for mercy again.

"This incident is too big. If we don't stand up again in the future, who knows who will bully us next time?"

Geng Simiao blushed and took Auntie Tian's hand to apologize: "It's all my fault that I was soft-hearted. I let them go as soon as they complained. But it caused Auntie to be scolded by the imperial concubine."

"Your Highness means well, Ronghua should appreciate it." Aunt Tian smiled sincerely, "I was just scolded a few times, it's okay."