The mind-reading coroner drove the court crazy

“Who are you?”

The Taoist nun's expression turned stern, and her eyes swept towards them like knives, her eyes full of vigilance, as if she would attack if the other party made the slightest movement.

Qin Miaoxi bowed to her and said, "Master, we are here to inquire about the relationship between the eldest princess and the Jie crown prince."

The Taoist nun's expression suddenly changed, and she said sternly, "I don't understand what you are talking about, and I don't know the princess. Please go back!"

Seeing her turn and walk away, Qin Miaoxi hurriedly shouted, "Master, the Jie envoys now suspect that the eldest princess is involved in the death of their crown prince. You have served the eldest princess for many years. Can you bear to watch the eldest princess die and suffer an unjust accusation?"

Qin Miaoxi's words were like a sharp alarm bell that suddenly rang, hitting her heart directly, echoing and deafening.

The Taoist nun paused for a moment, then without even turning her head, she called out, "Come with me!"

Qin Miaoxi exchanged glances with Lu Qingchen, then hurriedly followed.

Shan Yu and the envoys did not want to be left behind, so they hurried to follow.

The temple inside the Taoist temple looked quite simple and austere, and there was silence all around. There was no other figure in the entire temple.

They followed the Taoist nun and slowly walked towards the side room next door.

Entering the house, the Taoist nun raised her hand to signal everyone to make their own way. She then calmly landed on the futon, staring intently at everyone. She asked directly, "How exactly did you know about the relationship between the eldest princess and the Jie crown prince?"

The four people's faces suddenly darkened. They had never expected that there was actually a connection between the two. They guessed right.

Qin Miaoxi's face was solemn, her voice low but clear. "In the Crown Prince's notes, we discovered the relationship between these two. Furthermore, the eldest princess's behavior during the marriage was quite strange. She had a much smoother, more convenient route available, but she chose to forgo it and insisted on taking that circuitous route to the marriage, which happened to pass through Jie territory."

She paused for a moment and then spoke slowly, "The Princess chose that path probably to meet the Crown Prince."

The four of them looked at the Taoist nun. She sighed and said, "You're right. When the eldest princess and the Jie crown prince first met, they fell in love at first sight. However, the Jie tribe was in turmoil at the time, and the late emperor did not agree to the marriage. He later sent the eldest princess to marry the Xiongnu, causing her to die in a foreign land."

"Can you tell me about the eldest princess and the Jie crown prince?"

The Taoist nun raised her head and gazed into the distance, her eyes growing distant and long as she spoke quietly, "Ever since they met, the eldest princess has repeatedly sent messages to the Jie Crown Prince. Two long years have passed in this way. During these two years, the eldest princess has been cheerful. She once said that the Jie Crown Prince, in order to marry her soon, had joined forces with his brothers to quell the rebellion within his tribe and captured the traitors one by one. As soon as the Jie regime is stabilized, he will come to Longyuan Kingdom to propose marriage."

Her face turned pale, and her voice trembled slightly. "But the time kept getting postponed, and then news came that he wanted to marry a Jie woman. Upon hearing this, the princess became disheartened and finally agreed to the late emperor's marriage to the Xiongnu."

"After all, years of affection cannot be easily erased. To meet the Crown Prince once more, the Princess deliberately chose a route that passed through the Jie tribe. She even lied to the late Emperor, claiming she wanted to see the beautiful mountains and rivers once more before the marriage."

The nun's expression suddenly turned furious. "The princess circled the Jie border and stayed there for a full day and night, but still couldn't find the crown prince. Filled with disappointment, she left dejected. For the next year, she remained depressed in Xiongnu territory, her health rapidly declining. She emaciated and ultimately, unable to bear the torture, she chose to hang herself."

Shan Yu refuted without hesitation, "Absolutely impossible. I once read in my eldest brother's notes that upon hearing the news of the eldest princess's marriage, he was ready to abandon everything and rush to Longyuan Kingdom to find her. How could someone with such deep feelings for her turn a blind eye to the eldest princess?"

The Taoist nun gave him a deep look and said, "You are the younger brother of Crown Prince Shan Ji."

"Yes!"

"Then did you know that the Crown Prince once wrote a suicide letter to the Princess?"

Shan Yu's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, and he shouted, "This is absolutely impossible! The notes clearly contain my brother's endless thoughts for the princess. How could there be a suicide note?"

The nun's face remained calm as she slowly unfolded the cushion beneath her, revealing a secret compartment. Inside the compartment was a single letter, with the words "Personally from the Princess" prominently displayed on the envelope.

"That day, the eldest princess was completely disheartened and gave up all thoughts after reading the letter sent by your brother."

Shan Yu rushed forward and snatched the letter in his hand. He scanned the contents of the letter eagerly. In a moment, his entire body seemed to have lost its soul. His face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, and he muttered, "This... This is indeed my eldest brother's handwriting."

The Taoist nun sneered and said coldly, "Your brother is the executioner who killed the eldest princess. He only cares about using the power of Longyuan Kingdom to consolidate his power in the Jie tribe. How could he truly love the eldest princess?"

The Taoist nun, the eldest princess's personal maid, witnessed a heartbreaking transformation. Once, the eldest princess was that innocent, bright, and charming young woman, her eyes sparkling with longing and curiosity for the world. Yet, in just one year, fate had twisted her into a dejected, miserable woman. Her youth, mercilessly buried by the cruelty of time.

She was filled with hatred for Crown Prince Shan Ji, his despicable deceptions and his cold-blooded actions. She also harbored a deep resentment towards the Xiongnu, who had treated the eldest princess with such disrespect, even denying her a last shred of dignity after her death. Although the late emperor had sought justice for the eldest princess, the dead could never return, leaving behind only endless sorrow and regret.

"No, my eldest brother was always busy suppressing the rebellion and never mentioned marriage. By that time, the civil strife had already been quelled. I clearly saw my eldest brother rushing out in a daze, no doubt in search of the eldest princess."

"That's impossible. I've always been by the Princess' side, and Crown Prince Shan Ji has never shown up."

"But my eldest brother disappeared because he went to look for the eldest princess."

The Taoist nun was stunned. "Disappeared? What does that mean?"

"Missing! My eldest brother... He's been missing for over ten years, and his body has only just been found."

As soon as the words fell, the air around them seemed to freeze in an instant, and there was a dead silence.

Lu Qingchen's gaze darted between the two of them, finally settling on the Taoist nun. He asked softly, "Have you never heard of the disappearance of Crown Prince Shan Ji?"

The Taoist nun shook her head slightly, her expression calm: "I've never heard of it."

Lu Qingchen frowned slightly, then turned to look at Shan Yu, a look of confusion and inquiry in his eyes: "Why are you so sure that Crown Prince Shan Ji disappeared after meeting the Princess?"

Qin Miaoxi raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone cold and firm, "Don't try to hide it. No matter how long it takes, the truth will eventually come out. Do you want to see the Longyuan Kingdom and the Jie tribe go to war?"