The first work of the imperial prison

The supper is served quickly.

This year's summer is very long. It's already in August. The weather is still so hot, and the night is not very cool. When I come back from a busy day, I'm really tired. I'm really tired. I'm a little too hungry. Instead, I don't have much appetite. Greedy meat, just want to eat something refreshing.

Ye Baiting, don't understand too much, I have already made an agreement with the kitchen in advance, the master chefs acted quickly, brought up a large bowl of chopped cold skin, set out small plates, chopped all kinds of vegetables, prepared the sauce, and cooked it by myself. Choose what flavor you like and mix it yourself, whether it is heavy or light, it is all up to you.

Shen Jiang drooled when he smelled the smell. He was very hopeless. He thought the small bowl was too delicate and didn't hold enough. He simply took the big bowl, picked cold skin to mix, added a lot of chili oil and vinegar, and ate it in one bite. , the taste is called a refreshing!

While eating, he still didn't forget to answer the young master's words just now——

"What are you afraid of, I won't go back today!"

Ye Baiting took a mouthful of Liangpi, it was indeed delicious: "Don't you take a look at Mrs. Sister-in-law?"

"I happened to pass by the house when I came back. I took a quick look and saw that she had already fallen asleep. In the past few days, after suffering from nausea, she was very sleepy. She fell asleep and probably won't wake up until after noon tomorrow. She doesn't know whether I'll go back or not, everything at home is fine, my brother-in-law's wife has also gone to help take care of it, and the nursing home is also watching closely, if nothing happens, I can always take it easy..."

Ye Baiting's heart changed. The process of a woman's pregnancy seems to be like this. The early pregnancy reaction will be more uncomfortable. After this stage, if the second trimester is taken care of well and the body is healthy on weekdays, it will not be too uncomfortable. I hope I can keep going. Mother and child are safe.

"You can't take it lightly, you have to take good care of your wife."

"Got it, I remember it every day!"

What Shen Jiang put down with his chopsticks was called a quick, late-night snack, which made him look like he was swallowing mountains and seas.

"Don't always talk about others, look at yourself."

Qiu Yiqing stretched out her long fingers to wipe off the sauce from Xiao Wuzuo's lips.

Ye Baiting paused, and met Qiu Yiqing's eyes.

The two looked at me, I looked at you, blinked, and remembered something at the same time...

Ye Baiting immediately leaned back, glared at him, and quickly glanced at Shen Jiang from the corners of his eyes, warning Qiu Yiqing: There are others here, how dare you try it seriously!

Qiu Suiqing: ...

You are so far away, even if you want to be serious, it seems that you have no chance.

He looked down at the sauce on his fingers, took the handkerchief with some regret, wiped it clean, and continued to look at Xiao Zuo with deep eyes: "Eat slowly."

Seeing that he behaved well today, that he was quite a good boy, Ye Baiting was very satisfied, and put a chopstick of cucumber shreds into the bowl for him: "You eat too, clear the fire."

Clear fire...

Qiu Yiqing looked at the emerald green water in the bowl, the water was tender, and the extra cucumber shreds, and thought that he should clear the fire.

A supper is very comfortable, with candlelight, side dishes, the star-studded night sky outside the window, the gentler summer breeze than usual, and Zhuzhilou’s generously provided recipes and specially prepared fruit and vegetable juices.

Drain off the residue, add cucumber or something, add water, neutralize most of the sweetness, and make it more refreshing. It tastes lighter than tea and tastes better than water, and it is not greasy after drinking for a long time.

A few people simply don't want tea, and drink this fruit and vegetable juice tonight!

Ye Baiting put down the bowl and wiped his mouth: "Shall we start now?"

"bring it on!"

Qiu Xunqing beckoned someone to come in and clear the table. Shen Jiang had already opened the small whiteboard, and quickly wrote the names of the people involved in the case on it, marking the simple relationship between them. For example, Dongchang Fulixing belonged to Concubine You People, Ban and An belong to the Empress Dowager, these are certain things, everyone knows.

But some relationships are not so obvious and certain. For example, who is suspected to belong to so-and-so, Shen Jiang is connected by a dotted line...

Ye Baiting spoke first: "The murderer in this case is very smart, and his methods seem to vary widely, but there are obvious commonalities, such as killing Xing Mingda and Yin Mengqiu, it was wine, and the murderer used a poison that was dissolved in wine—"

Shen Jiang: "It's what the young master said in the note, what kind of celery leaf hook kiss?"

"Shuisheng Celery Leaf Hook Kiss," Ye Baiting nodded, his eyes clear, "We all know that there are thousands of different types of poisonous plants. Each family and genus, even if they have similar names and similar habits, have different characteristics. What we can grasp , Written in medical books, but only a small part, more, only known by a few people, no records, or, our entire human beings have never been involved, the poison of hook kisses, we all know, Marchenaceae, vines , also known as mountain arsenic, heartbroken grass, rotten intestine grass..."

"However, water-grown celery leaves are moist and humid, and they often grow in swamps. It is difficult for ordinary people to get them. The toxin is concentrated in the rhizomes and is extremely strong. This poison has a characteristic. It is insoluble in water and easily soluble in wine. The poisoned person immediately It will occur within minutes, with dilated pupils, white foam at the corners of the mouth, and a high probability of being accompanied by severe convulsions. The death process is short and painful... The above characteristics were manifested in the corpses of Xing Mingda and Yin Mengqiu. The autopsy grid records are complete and detailed. It can be adjusted."

"That's why... the young master asked us to find wine?" Shen Jiang clapped his hands, really amazing!

What exactly is this poison, he and the commander have searched for it, but they can't find it. The murderer really has some skills, and he thought that this time he would rely on other evidence to solve the case. Unexpectedly, the young master really figured it out!

Qiu Yiqing knew what Ye Baiting wanted to remind: "There are many kinds of poisons, why use this one?" Is the murderer very familiar with this poison and is handy?

Shen Jiang: "Because it's hard to find! It's unknown, and no one can see through it. If you don't know it, how can you find it? Where can you find it?"

"But no matter how difficult it is to find something, it may not be known. The word 'unique' is too absolute. If you win the bet, it is absolutely safe. The source of the poison will not be recognized and found. If you lose, it is just right. There is someone who knows this poison, knows this poison—”

Ye Baiting's eyes flickered slightly: "It's a risk."

There is no such thing on the market, few people know it, can’t buy it, and use it exclusively. The murderer thinks it is absolutely safe and gives him a lot of trust. So, have you used it before?It is impossible for one person to complete the procurement, processing, storage, use and clean-up of poisonous substances, and all of these are risks.

If you use a public poison on the market, everyone knows it, it is easy to get, and there are various channels, it is difficult to determine who it is. If it is the only thing that no one else has, only you have it, then you You also said that you are not suspected, not the murderer?

Something too absolute is a double-edged sword.

Shen Jiang hissed and figured it out, the murderer is indeed smart and has a wide range of ways, he can find and use anything, but they are not afraid at all, the young master is even more powerful!No matter what kind of monster you are, or what crooked methods you use, the young master can uncover them all!

Ye Baiting pondered: "What I can't figure out now is still the process of poisoning. Here, Yin Mengqiu has a lot of planning time and room for completion, but Xing Mingda does not. There are so many people, how did the murderer pour the poison into Xing Mingda's wine glass? There are many rules in the imperial banquet, except for the people who served the wine and Yin Mengqiu who arranged the food and wine, no one seemed to have the opportunity to touch the wine glass of the deceased. "

It is impossible for people to enter the palace to meet, without this rule, it is impossible for the masters and ladies to stand up and pour wine for Xing Mingda. Talking about it, provoking something, who placed the poison and how?

Qiu Yiqing tapped the table with her fingertips, and said, "The evidence and clues cannot be pieced together yet."

"Then let's keep going down, maybe we'll get something after finishing it," Shen Jiang said with a little heart, "Master, don't stop, keep going."

Ye Baiting was skeptical about this point, but he was not in a hurry. After drawing a stroke on the edge, he continued: "The murderer also used wine to kill Mrs. Shan. It is true that there was an imperial banquet that day. Han Ning Mrs. Hou will definitely drink the fruit wine on the table. The cause of her death is also described in detail in the autopsy. There is no doubt that she drank too much wine and was lured to the ice cellar. The ice cellar, leading to freezing to death..."

"I don't think the word 'wine' is a coincidence, it was deliberately chosen by the murderer." His eyes drooped slightly, "The banquet in the palace, out of rules and etiquette, it is impossible for Madam Han Ninghou not to drink it all, she must have it Drink, but it is unlikely to be drunk, the noble masters are all there, if she indulges in drinking, is it a rule? Isn't she afraid of losing her composure after drinking, doing wrong things, or saying wrong words?"

But anyone who is not a fool cannot do such a thing in the palace.so……

Ye Baiting looked sideways: "Who offered the wine, Mrs. Han Ninghou couldn't refuse it, why did she drink so much?"

"That's right!" Shen Jiang remembered the autopsy experience that day, "When Shan's stomach was cut open, it was really full of wine, fruit wine, and cherry flavors. The murderer even noticed the type of wine and gave them the same! She drank so much...does she have any special emotions?"

Sadness, fear, nervousness, fear, anger... If a person is in these emotions, it seems possible?

There is no answer to this question yet, Ye Baiting shook her head lightly: "In short, the murderer's identity or relationship with her may be a little special. What we need to pay attention to here is alcohol. It was used in all three murder cases, whether it is It's not that the murderer likes to get used to it, it must be very convenient for the murderer to use this thing."

"This is..."

Shen Jiang opened his small notebook and marked this entry.

Ye Baiting asked again: "There are ice cellars everywhere in the palace, but there is still no evidence?"

"No," Shen Jiang replied while writing, "The murderer is so good at the job, we have almost finished searching the entire ice cellar of the palace, but we didn't find any traces that are close to Mrs. Shan."

Qiu Xunqing: "Tomorrow morning, I will personally go through all the ice cellars again to see if there are any new discoveries."

In the past, he had to go around such important places and take a look, but recently he was investigating the relationship between the characters and learning about the past. 24 years ago, 13 years ago, everything was very important. No time.

The current analysis has found the particularity of the poison and the commonality of the alcohol. The process of the crime is being restored bit by bit. If you want to find some more puzzle pieces, the case will be solved.

"The murderer attacked Xing Mingda. Although he used ice skillfully, the square handkerchief wrapped in the ice was lost. It was obvious that the incident happened in a hurry and he was not prepared in time. However, the use of ice should have inspired the murderer, and he soon realized that In terms of Madam Han Ninghou's murder... the murderer is really smart."

Ye Baiting pondered: "After this, the murderer became calmer, had more time to observe and prepare, and threw out Mrs. Han Ninghou's body. Firstly, the rainstorm was just right, and secondly, the murderer knew about Jinyiwei's search plan and the scope of the search. And where did the search go at this time... Throwing the corpse at this time is the most suitable time and method. As for the loophole, if the operation is not so careful, this loophole is not a loophole, but a problem deliberately set up. The murderer is looking for loopholes To fill in the vacancy, because when killing Mrs. Han Ninghou, the time for the method is not so abundant, and the plan is not complete."

Qiu Xunqing: "When Yin Mengqiu comes, the murderer is more at ease. With the degree of cracking the case and the analysis of information clues, what is the position of the female officer Yin Mengqiu in this case, what kind of secrets does she have, and what choices and actions she will make in the future due to different reasons. Well, the murderer probably knew that poisoning her with alcohol might have been a plan prepared in advance..."

The murderer has everything under control, even the direction of the female officer's flight, the time of poisoning, and the approximate place of death, all of which are calculated. The purpose is probably to drag more suspects into the water, so that it is easier to hide himself.

Listening to Qiu Yiqing's words, Ye Baiting was thoughtful: "The commander is right. What we are looking for is a smart person who is calm and decisive, but it seems that he is not so decisive..."

"How to say?" Shen Jiang didn't understand again.

Ye Baiting actually just discovered it, pointing to Xing Mingda's name: "Look, when you find a crisis, you kill immediately, the murderer is decisive," pointing to Mrs. Han Ninghou and Yin Mengqiu, "throwing the corpse, poisoning, the murderer is also calm and decisive." Yes, but the first two victims were killed at the front and back, and it took a long time for the last Yin Mengqiu, why did it take so long to think of killing?"

There was a dark light in his eyes: "Since the murderer is so smart and knows everything, all the secrets, and all the risks and crises, he should know how to deal with it without Jin Yiwei checking more. Yin Mengqiu is so risky, why hasn't he done it for so long?" Do it?"

Shen Jiang: "That's right, Yin Mengqiu was a key person 24 years ago. At that time, he served by the side of Concubine You Taigui and was pregnant. But everyone didn't know it. He must be the tool man who was secretly raised! Now it's old Besides, the risk has suddenly increased, if other people are going to die, won't she also be silenced? If you don't kill her quickly, what will happen if something happens!"

"The commander reminded me just now," Ye Baiting smiled and looked at Qiu Yiqing, "The murderer is definitely not soft-hearted, I tend to—"

Qiu Yiqing: "The murderer may have just discovered something special about the female officer."

"Where? What's so special, where is it so special?" Shen Jiang's eyes widened, "Could it be possible to turn against the water suddenly? Someone betrayed? Or have you been deceived for so many years?"

Ye Baiting and Qiu Yiqing looked at each other, and didn't say too much: "We have to wait until the person is caught, and let the murderer himself come and tell us."

"That's all about the case in the past few days, but we all know that this case is of a special nature and it is related to the past many years ago. Next, we will discuss it in three timelines—"

"24 years ago, 13 years ago, and now when the homicide happened."

"Let me start with the birth of the third prince 24 years ago. Where are all the people involved in these cases and what are they doing?"

"That's easy to say," Shen Jiang drew a straight line on the small whiteboard, "The location is the Jiangnan Palace. Mrs. Han Ninghou is pregnant and has a miscarriage. The commander has asked the guard to check her pregnancy record and the birth of the baby. The bones can be found, and they match. She belongs to the lineage of the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager should not care much about her. At this time, all eyes are on Concubine You, who is also "pregnant". The imperial concubine's "pregnancy" is still doubtful. At that time, there were two court ladies beside her. One was Lan Lu, who died that year, and the other was Yin Mengqiu. No bones, no, she wasn't pregnant, but there was a very small baby skeleton in the coffin."

"As for Yin Mengqiu, she had an affair with Xing Mingda back then, and she had a dark pregnancy. I checked carefully. In other circumstances, she has absolutely no chance of conceiving. Only in this year, the situation at the border is not good, and the palace rules are relatively not very good. Yan, she has this possibility. The young master has tested it. She has given birth to a child, so it can only be born in this year. She was the concubine You Taigui at the time, but she was very low-key in her behavior, with a very low sense of presence, and basically no one It can be seen that it is difficult to find out what happened, it was only after returning to Beijing that she slowly made her fortune, and after many years of hard work, she became a female official."

"Tong's body was the same back then, and together with Xing Mingda, he helped the people in the palace to do some errands..."

Shen Jiang concluded: "If the number of children in Lan Lu's coffin is correct, it can only be born by Yin Mengqiu. This child was born of an affair, and his status is not valuable. Yin Mengqiu himself is also a servant. No matter what he thinks, They can't keep their children, so they can only let their superiors deal with them..."

This counts the number right, which is in line with common sense, but there is still a problem, where did the third prince come from? It doesn't match up. It would have been better to have one more child back then.

Ye Baiting: "Or, who was pregnant with twins at the beginning—"

Qiu Xunqing: "Either way, if Imperial Concubine You is really pregnant, the child will also be born."

After a long period of silence, Shen Jiang sighed: "The women in the palace are really cruel, fighting for favor and power, the atmosphere is smoky, and the situation is layer upon layer..."

It's really hard for him to understand why it has to be like this!

However, there is currently no more evidence for these two directions.

Qiu Yiqing said, "During this period, different camps and different people are likely to do something?"

"If it's twins, Mrs. Han Ninghou is pregnant. It has nothing to do with the royal family. It is impossible for the empress dowager to become the emperor's seed. It is too difficult and there is no benefit. It is even more impossible for the imperial concubine You to use her. She is The Empress Dowager’s people are from different camps—”

Ye Baiting felt that the possibility of Shan's pregnancy with twins could be ruled out: "Unless we can find hard evidence that she is the person of Imperial Concubine You."

However, the behavior of Han Ninghou and his wife over the years is easy to check, so this possibility is unlikely.

Shen Jiang: "What if Yin Mengqiu is pregnant with twins?"

If this is the truth, it is obvious that one is dead and one is alive, the dead one is buried in Lan Lu's coffin, and the living one is the third prince.

Qiu Yiqing pondered: "If so, it is impossible for the Empress Dowager to not act."

In the situation back then, the two had been fighting for a long time, who was the reason why Concubine You was guarding against each other?Of course it can't be the emperor, as long as she makes a move, the empress dowager will investigate. In these past events, the empress dowager is probably the only one who knows all the secrets of "pregnancy".

What would she do if she knew these things?

"Expose the secret of Imperial Concubine You! Tear your face!" Shen Jiang punched in the air, suddenly excited, "Let's fight!"

But Ye Baiting asked: "Which thing will be exposed? False pregnancy, or the court lady next to her having an affair with an outsider, she wants to use this child who is about to give birth to seek the position of 'future monarch'?"

"Uh..." Shen Jiang thought for a while, "It doesn't seem appropriate?"

If it's about exposing the fake pregnancy, Concubine You has been doing this for a long time, and the Empress Dowager didn't make any effort. It seems a bit inappropriate to talk about it later. If the late emperor asked you why you didn't tell me earlier, how should you answer?Just known?Would the first emperor believe it?Do you think the empress dowager has ulterior motives?Imperial Concubine You is used to being good at acting, if she takes the opportunity to invite pets...

In other words, it's not that it can't be exposed, but that the timing is wrong and the best time has passed.Or the empress dowager had tried it before, and had tried twice, but failed, and if she mentioned it again, she would hurt herself, so she didn't use this question to play again.

If it is revealed that Yin Mengqiu is pregnant and having an affair with someone... the benefits don't seem to be very big, but still, Grand Concubine You is also on guard against her, once she moves, Concubine You will know, and she will have a miscarriage if she acts again , so pitiful, so uncomfortable, as for the maid who is pregnant and has an affair with someone else, what does it have to do with her?What she 'has' is just the lost one, the emperor's child.

"Yes, Shen Qianhu is getting smarter."

After Shen Jiang finished analyzing, Ye Baiting continued to remind: "What if the Empress Dowager stole the child? Could it be another way?"

"Hiss..." Shen Jiang's eyes widened, "That's a big deal."

Ye Baiting narrowed his eyes: "There is a bigger one. This is just one of the two possibilities we think. The other is, what if Imperial Concubine You is really pregnant and gave birth to a child?"

Shen Jiang: "The empress dowager must not react even more?"

This is not a matter of stealing, but a matter of killing!

The two had already fought fiercely and were evenly matched. Concubine You used endless means to win over the late emperor, and she was about to flourish. If she had another child and was crowned the crown prince, would there still be a place for the emperor to stand?

You don't need to be reminded by the young master, Shen Jiang can think of it by himself, the empress dowager will definitely try her best to suppress and get rid of Concubine You, and if she can't get rid of it, just get rid of this child...

The room was quiet for a long time, and the three of them were sorting out their thoughts, and their judgments on some things were almost the same.

Chou Yiqing tapped her fingertips on the table: "What roles did Xing Mingda and Tong Shi play in this process? Is Xing Mingda just the one who made Yin Mengqiu pregnant?"

Concubine You Taigui has a meticulous mind, a plan must have a lot of details, she announced her happiness in the palace, and had a miscarriage in the Jiangnan Palace, but Yin Mengqiu had an affair with Xing Mingda after arriving in Jiangnan, there is a time lag between them , Yin Mengqiu really likes Xing Mingda, falls in love, can't help himself, or all of this is pushed and signaled by Concubine You Taigui?

If there are more arrangements, the role of Xing Mingda himself will be even more...