Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Nangong Xuanyu said coldly, "Bring that corpse over to me."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of several imperial guards changed slightly.

Li Changde stepped forward cautiously and said, "Your Majesty, the remains are badly burned and their appearance is gruesome. It might offend Your Majesty's countenance. Perhaps it would be better to have the coroner..."

Nangong Xuanyu interrupted him: "Bring it over here!"

"Yes……"

Li Changde dared not persuade them any further and gave the two imperial guards a wink.

The two men accepted the order and quickly returned to the fire scene.

A short while later, they carried over a charred corpse using a makeshift door panel.

Despite being mentally prepared, several suppressed gasps still rose from the crowd when they actually saw the charred corpse.

It was hard to call it a corpse anymore; it was more like charred charcoal, curled up in a contorted position.

The limbs and torso were almost fused together, and the face was completely disfigured. Only empty eye sockets and faint outlines of teeth remained.

The corpse emitted a pungent, burnt stench...

Only a rough size, skeleton, and remnants of jewelry can barely provide any evidence of his identity.

Nangong Xuanyu stared intently at the charred corpse, his expression deep and serious.

Finally, he shifted his gaze from the charred corpse to Zhan Weiran: "Examine it carefully for me, and do not overlook any details!"

Zhan Weiran replied resolutely, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Nangong Xuanyu took one last look at the charred corpse, then turned and strode away.

Li Changde quickly led his men to follow.

Zhan Weiran examined the ruins and charred corpses with a solemn expression.

……

Yongshou Palace.

Xiao Mingzi reported the latest news from Yawenyuan to Shen Zhinian.

He was eloquent and vividly described what he saw and heard, along with the atmosphere at the time.

Han Dan, Fu Qu, and Qiu Yue stood to the side, their faces turning pale as they listened.

Han Dan shook her head: "Burned like that...it's terrifying to even think about..."

Qiuyue chimed in, "That's right."

"Fortunately, the Empress returned in time and did not see the scene... Pregnant women are most susceptible to being disturbed."

Han Dan frowned, her face full of doubt: "It's really strange. Jiang Shi was imprisoned in Ya Wen Yuan for so many years without making a sound. How could she have been released for some fresh air and then caught in a fire and burned to death?"

"Fuqu, don't you think this is strange?"

Fuqu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "It does seem strange."

"The guards at Yawen Garden are always very tight, yet a fire suddenly broke out and killed the only person inside. If it was an accident, it's too much of a coincidence..."

"I don't think it's necessarily an accident!"

Han Dan guessed, "Think about it, the Jiang family committed treason back then, which, according to the law, should have resulted in the execution of the entire family. Yet His Majesty spared Jiang's life, only imprisoning her. This in itself is very unusual!"

"When the Yawen Garden caught fire this time, His Majesty personally went there, showing how much importance he attached to it..."

"Anyone who sees this would think that Lady Jiang holds a special place in His Majesty's heart, wouldn't they?"

The more she spoke, the more reasonable her guess seemed: "Perhaps, someone saw that Lady Jiang was released this time and that His Majesty valued her so much, and they became afraid. They felt that Lady Jiang might regain favor one day and thus became a threat."

"Therefore... it's best to strike first and burn it all down to prevent future troubles!"

Fuqu did not refute Handan, her brows furrowed.

Han Dan's words were not entirely without reason.

In the imperial harem, what underhanded methods wouldn't be used to vie for favor and secure one's position?

Jiang Wange's existence is an anomaly in itself.

She was the only concubine who survived despite her family's rebellion. This uniqueness made her a thorn in the side of some.

It's not impossible that some people might be unable to resist the temptation and take the risk.

After all, even Liu Shiqing, who was once the most favored concubine in the palace and came from a prominent family, ultimately met a tragic end, being ordered to commit suicide by the emperor. In the eyes of those with ulterior motives, Jiang Wange's unique circumstances might make her even more of a threat than the former Liu family.

Shen Zhinian listened quietly to their conversation.

Han Dan's guess sounds reasonable.

Eliminating potential rivals was a common practice among the concubines in the imperial harem.

But Shen Zhinian had other thoughts in mind...

Nangong Xuanyu kept Jiang Wange around, not because she held any special place in his heart.

That man was as hard as iron; imperial tactics were ingrained in his very bones.

For him, the stability of the country and the consolidation of imperial power were always above all personal feelings.

The Jiang family's rebellion crossed a line that the emperor could not tolerate. He spared Jiang Wange's life, probably because he valued her talent.

Now that Jiang Wange has perished in the fire, is it due to the concubines vying for the emperor's favor? Or... was someone trying to silence her?

With the information Shen Zhinian currently has, she cannot clearly see the fog before her eyes.

"All right."

She said, "Since His Majesty has ordered Commander Zhan to investigate this matter thoroughly, a conclusion will naturally be reached. There are many people in the palace who may have many opinions, so once these words leave Yongshou Palace, not a single word of them shall be mentioned again."

The trusted confidants responded in unison, "Yes! Your servant/madam will remember!"

Shen Zhinian called out again, "Xiao Mingzi."

Xiao Mingzi cleverly stepped forward: "Your servant is here!"

Shen Zhinian said, "Keep a close eye on the follow-up developments at Yawenyuan regarding this matter."

"Don't get too close and attract attention. Just keep an eye on what's going on around you. Report any new information to us promptly."

Xiao Mingzi replied, "This servant understands!"

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhan Weiran replied, "...Your Majesty, I have repeatedly checked all the guard records inside and outside the Yawen Garden and questioned the relevant personnel."

"In the days leading up to the fire, and even on the night of the fire, apart from the eunuchs and guards who were delivering meals and conducting routine checks, no strangers approached."

"Based on the residue at the fire scene, the accelerant was kerosene."

He paused here, glanced at the emperor's expression, and continued, "His Majesty once instructed that anything Jiang wanted to research could be provided as appropriate, as long as it did not exceed the prescribed limits."

"She applied for kerosene, saltpeter, and other items several times under the pretext of needing them for experiments, and there are records to prove it."

"Therefore, it is not unusual for kerosene to appear in Yawen Garden."

“The signs of arson are obvious, and all clues point to… that the Jiang family set themselves on fire.”

Nangong Xuanyu asked with a cold laugh, "Are you saying that Jiang Wange set herself on fire and burned herself to death?!"

Zhan Weiran forced a smile and said, "The conclusion I found is indeed so..."

"The fire originated near the bed in the inner room, and there were no signs of forced entry or struggle."

Nangong Xuanyu said coldly, "Zhan Weiran, you've been serving me for quite some time now. Don't you know what kind of person Jiang Wange is? Or do you think I don't know?"

Zhan Weiran immediately knelt down: "This humble servant dares not!"

The emperor's tone was full of pressure: "In order to survive, Jiang Wange keeps offering me unheard-of ideas and racking her brains to prove her worth."

"She's afraid of dying."