The coroner and the concubine doctor pursue the murderer in the Dali Temple

When Chu Yunxi woke up, it was already bright daylight. She blinked and found herself in her room in the palace.

Hongyu heard the noise and walked in with water.

"Princess, you're awake. Come wash up and have dinner."

Chu Yunxi stretched lazily. She slept so deeply that she didn’t even know how she got back to her room. However, she could guess without asking that she must have been carried back by Xiao Mubei.

"What time is it?"

"My princess, it's already 9:00 PM. The prince has gone to the Dali Temple first. The carriage is ready. You can go there after breakfast."

Today is the day when the results of the skull restoration will be announced, and Xiao Mubei went to the Dali Temple early in the morning to wait.

Xiao Mubei didn't sleep last night. The scene of opening the coffin yesterday was like a print in his mind. He couldn't get rid of it no matter what. He was eager to solve the mystery as soon as possible. Who killed his mother? If he couldn't find this person, Xiao Mubei felt that his conscience would be uneasy for the rest of his life.

He didn't know how long he sat there until Chu Yunxi came to his side and whispered in his ear, "Your Majesty, Master Wang who is doing the skull reconstruction is here."

Xiao Mubei woke up as if from a dream, "Okay, let's go and take a look."

Chu Yunxi looked at his back with some worry. The prince had not been in good condition in the past two days, and this incident was a huge blow to him.

Master Wang was waiting in the front hall. Chu Yunxi happened to meet him when she arrived. She also heard that the prince had been in the study since he arrived and had not come out, so she went to call him first.

The two of them went to the front hall together and saw a short man sitting there, his clothes were torn in several holes. He was in his fifties and not very good-looking. Next to him was a round object covered with a black cloth.

Li Jinghong was also there. When he saw Xiao Mubei coming, they stood up and saluted. Xiao Mubei waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite. What is the result of the skull restoration?"

Master Wang didn't waste any time and directly lifted the black cloth. A clay head appeared in front of the people. It was lifelike and the features were clearly visible.

Xiao Mubei took one look and immediately blurted out, "Karena?"

Chu Yunxi looked at him in surprise, "Isn't this Lu'e?"

"No," Xiao Mubei shook his head a little upset, "This is the maid in charge of sweeping in Fanghua Palace, Keren."

Chu Yunxi was also confused. It turned out that it was not Lu'e. All previous inferences had to be overturned and re-examined. The key question was, where did Lu'e go? Why did she disappear after Concubine Xian moved out of the palace? Why did this lovely person die in the imperial garden?

Seeing that the two were distracted after seeing the restored head, Li Jinghong could only send Master Wang away. After returning, Chu Yunxi asked, "How is Master Wang's craftsmanship? Did he make any mistakes?"

"Never. Master Wang's skills are among the best in this field. Government officials in other places often encounter such cases and will send people to Master Wang for restoration."

There is no doubt about it.

Chu Yunxi thought for a long time before saying, "Your Highness, I'm afraid we have to re-investigate this case. We are heading in the wrong direction now. We can't say that our previous suspicions about Lu'e have been completely denied, but before we find this person, we still have to check other possibilities. Let's start with this Keren."

"Then let's go into the palace now."

Xiao Mubei couldn't wait any longer, so he ordered his men to prepare fast horses and go into the palace again with Chu Yunxi.

Still in Yongshou Palace, and still called Eunuch Cao. I had already looked at the missing list last time, and there was no one on it. This time I was looking at the death list and the list of people who had left the palace.

Chu Yunxi accompanied Xiao Mubei to watch it. The emperor emeritus also came. He has been in good spirits recently. He sat aside and drank tea leisurely with his father-in-law. When the tea was gone, he would refill it for the emperor emeritus.

After looking for half an hour, Chu Yunxi raised her head and rubbed her neck. In the past nine years, there was no name of Keren among the palace maids who died for various reasons, nor was there a name like Keren among the names of those who were released from the palace at the age of retirement. She was neither missing, nor dead, nor had she left the palace. Where could that person be?

The emperor spoke slowly, "Excluding all possibilities, the remaining one, even if it is impossible, is the only possibility."

Chu Yunxi's heart moved. She was not missing, not dead, and had not left the palace. Did that mean that she was still in the palace?

"Eunuch Cao, please bring over the list of palace maids in each palace."

Xiao Mubei was also rubbing his neck. He was a little surprised to hear Chu Yunxi say that.

While waiting for the roster, Chu Yunxi checked the body of the retired emperor again. It might be because there were no western medicines in ancient times, the retired emperor absorbed the medicine very well. Now his body is well controlled and he just needs to take the medicine on time.

The eunuch was very happy and said to Chu Yunxi: "The emperor has a very good appetite recently. He eats half a bowl of rice more than before at each meal. He looks much better. He can even walk around Yongshou Palace twice every morning. He feels much stronger."

Xiao Mubei listened, and his annoyance dissipated a lot. He sat opposite the emperor and said, "Grandfather, only when you are in good health can we do other things with more peace of mind. You must take good care of yourself."

"Don't worry, little brat. The old man is in good health. With Miss Chu here, is it your turn to worry?"

Xiao Mubei looked at Chu Yunxi, "Since you came, I have fallen out of favor."

How come you've learned to act like a spoiled child?

Eunuch Cao quickly brought out the list. Chu Yunxi took one first and began to flip through the pages. Xiao Mubei also picked up a book and began to read it.

An hour later, Chu Yunxi suddenly said, "Found it."

Xiao Mubei hurried over, and Chu Yunxi pointed at Keren's name and said, "Look, she's in the laundry department."

"Let's go to the laundry department."

The laundry department is where the lowest-ranking palace maids stay. Here, they have to get up and work before the sun comes out every day, and can only go back to rest late at night. It is not so bad in the summer, but in the winter, the water is freezing cold, but the maids still have to work non-stop. Many of them have frostbite on their hands all year round.

When Xiao Mubei and Chu Yunxi arrived at the laundry department, it was already time for dinner. Some of the palace maids had gone to eat. The head nanny of the laundry department greeted the two of them with a bow and nod, and sent someone to call Keren.

After a while, Keren was brought over. Chu Yunxi looked at the face that was almost exactly the same as the clay sculpture head in the morning, and sighed that Master Wang's craftsmanship was indeed excellent.

"Mammy, please go down first. I have some questions for Keren."

Chu Yunxi sent the head nanny away and looked at Keren from left to right. She saw that she was very thin, almost skin and bones, with a pale face and scars all over her hands. She had kept her head down since she entered the room.

Chu Yunxi looked at Xiao Mubei, who nodded and said, "Keren, do you still recognize me?"

But she still didn't raise her head, but her body began to tremble. Chu Yunxi frowned. Why did she start crying? Was she trying to play the victim so that Xiao Mubei would transfer her out of the laundry department?