Everyone didn't dare to disobey the order, and they retreated one after another, Wang Zuo and the Jinyi Guards protected Princess Yongfu, and then Wang Zuo personally went to unload the swords, hidden weapon sacs, flying knives, darts, etc. of the palace guards and put them aside, Duan Fei said: "Your Royal Highness the princess, do you want to go back to the room to rest first?" Wechen is going to start questioning them, and the process is very complicated and boring. ”

Princess Yongfu bowed her head and said: "Lord Duan, please, I'm not tired, Lao Wang Zuo, let them dodge, I want to watch Lord Duan investigate the case with my own eyes." ”

The brocade guard who was protecting the princess made a move, only to see Duan Fei say to Xiao Wang Zuo: "Xiao Zuo, how many people are there who followed King Xing into Beijing, and are they all here now?" ”

Xiao Wang Zuo glanced at the people gathered together and replied, "Those who can enter the backyard are here, and the other subordinates can't step into the backyard for half a step." ”

Duan Fei said: "Okay, those who have joined the palace for some years, please take three steps back, and those who have just entered the palace this year should take a step forward." ”

The housekeeper Zhu Chen took the lead in taking three steps back, among which Duan Fei recognized Hu Jie, Wang Zuo and a few others, and only three took a step forward, namely Mu Jiang, Chai Chao and a guard named Ao Yuan.

Duan Fei came to Zhu Chen and the others and asked, "Who saw Chunxi last today?" When was it? ”

Zhu Chen looked at Xiao Qian, and Xiao Qian replied: "It's me, the princess ordered me to send Chunxi to the side room for a while, that was at the end of the time, and then I never saw her again until ...... It wasn't until the princess asked me to pass on her that I found out that she was dead. ”

Duan Fei said: "The end of the time? That is, not long after the official left the other hospital? ”

Xiao Qian nodded, and Duan Fei said, "You shouldn't have had lunch at that time, right?" Later, no one sent food and water to Chunxi? ”

Xiao Qian lowered her head and said, "The people who are grounded, according to the convention, have nothing to eat, and it is already the princess's grace if they don't lock the door." ”

Duan Fei looked back at Princess Yongfu in surprise, and Princess Yongfu said in surprise, "I...... I do not know...... I only let Chunxi stay in the room and didn't go anywhere, and I didn't say I wouldn't give her food. ”

Zhu Chen said: "Your Royal Highness Princess, it's not that Xiaoqian deliberately blames Chunxi, this is the rule of the house, and it is always the case when punishing slaves and maids." ”

Duan Fei didn't pursue this question, turned around and asked Zhu Chen, "Where have you been from the end of the time to the present?" Can anyone prove it? ”

Zhu Chen replied as usual: "After seeing Xiaoqian lock up Chunxi, I went back to my house to rest, and after a while, lunch was delivered, I went to ask the princess for peace after lunch, and then went to the front yard to deal with some things, and went back to ask the princess for peace, and after sending the princess to Jinyiwei, I stayed to chat with Grandpa Lao, and when I was in the house, I was accompanied by the servant boy Kangqiu, and when I was doing things outside, everyone could testify for me." ”

The so-called handling of some things should be to deal with the information about King Xing and the information that Duan Fei went to Shuntianfu and other information, looking at Zhu Chen's gray hair, Duan Fei nodded and said, "Steward Zhu, please go aside to rest, Wang Zuo, what about you?" ”

Wang Zuo said: "Lord Duan, have you forgotten? Hu Jie and Chai Chao and I were ordered to follow the adults to investigate the case, and finally followed the princess back to the house, and then found that Chunxi was dead, the three of us should not be suspicious, right? ”

Duan Fei patted his head and said suddenly: "Yes, I was so busy that I almost forgot, yes, the three of you have sufficient alibi evidence, and this official can save a lot of tongues, well, the next one is ......"

Hu Jie couldn't help but say: "Lord Duan, whether Chunxi committed suicide or he killed has not yet been determined, and he began to interrogate us if we have time to commit the crime, is this a little inappropriate?" ”

Duan Fei glanced at him deeply and said, "It naturally makes sense for this official not to investigate the cause of Chunxi's death and check your whereabouts first, do you think it's inappropriate?" Seeing your sad face, I am more eager than anyone else to know how Chunxi died, is Chunxi your sister? ”

Hu Jie shook his head, nodded again, and said with tears in his eyes: "Although I am not Chunxi's own brother, I am ...... She was bought by my lord when I accompanied the old prince shopping, and I have been taking care of her as a sister all these years, but I didn't expect it to ...... I didn't expect her to ...... How did you leave so quickly......"

Duan Fei sighed lightly and said: "People can't be resurrected after death, let's mourn, if Chunxi dies unjustly, this official will definitely avenge her." ”

Hu Jie nodded, silent, Duan Fei's eyes looked at the next target, it was a guard chief named Luo An, he didn't wait for Duan Fei to ask and said: "Lord Duan doesn't need to ask one by one, there is such a thing as the disappearance of King Xing, we have strengthened our patrol and defense as a guard, and I am responsible for the defense of the backyard this afternoon, except for Mu Jiang and Ao Yuan, I know the whereabouts of everyone else in the field." ”

Duan Fei asked rhetorically, "Then who can prove your whereabouts?" ”

Luo An said proudly: "I have been serving in the palace for more than 20 years, except for Boss Zhu, I am the oldest here, everyone knows that I am loyal to the prince's family, and I have not made a mistake in 20 years, the old prince trusted me to make me the chief of the guard, how could I do such a thing?" ”

Duan Fei said indifferently: "Being loyal to the prince may not necessarily hurt an insignificant little maid, Chief Luo Guard, how are your whereabouts this afternoon?" Can anyone prove it? ”

Luo An took a deep breath and replied, "The old man has been patrolling and guarding the backyard with people all afternoon, and I don't believe that adults can ask a few of them." ”

Luo An ordered a few people to come out, including him, there were just six people, and the twelve palace guards were now divided into two shifts to patrol and guard, Duan Fei asked a few words, they proved each other's alibi, Duan Fei asked Hong Bang to write it down, and then pushed these people aside, and only Mu Jiang, Ao Yuan, and Lu Bing were left in front of Duan Fei.

Lu Bing is the youngest, but he is the closest guard to Xingwang Zhu Houxi, because Lu Bing is the son of Zhu Houxi's nurse, the two grew up eating the same milk, and they have grown up together since childhood, so they are naturally intimate.

Duan Fei asked the three of them the same, Lu Bing had someone testify, and he never left everyone's sight, Ao Yuan and Mu Jiang were not so lucky, the two of them each had a period of time when no one could prove what they were doing, Mu Jiang said that he had been practicing martial arts near the backyard, just now he had already said that he heard Xiao Qian's screaming when he was practicing martial arts, and Ao Yuan said that he took a nap after eating, and everyone else had something to do, so naturally he didn't see him.

The process of interrogation was very boring, and Princess Yongfu, who was watching with great interest, couldn't help but fall asleep, and finally heard Duan Fei say: "Okay, this official has remembered what you said, and it is too late for anyone to change their words, if I find out that what is said is not true, you will be unlucky." ”

Everyone shook their heads to say that they were telling the truth, Duan Fei said to Princess Yongfu: "Your Royal Highness Princess, Wechen has finished asking, and I am going to go in to investigate the scene, if the princess is tired, please go back to the room to rest, if Wechen finds clues, he will tell the princess as soon as possible." ”

Princess Yongfu has been a little exhausted in the past two days, and when she heard this, she bowed her head and said: "It's okay, Xiaoqian, you help me in, Lord Duan, what do you need, just tell Zhu Chen's housekeeper, who dares to disobey the order, don't tell me, just deal with it directly, the palace will go and rest for a while......"

Zhu Chen hurriedly said: "Your Royal Highness Princess, it's almost time for dinner, will you ask someone to send it to the house later?" ”

Princess Yongfu shook her head and said, "My brother hasn't heard any news yet, I can't eat it, just send one to Xiaoqian." ”

Seeing the princess return to the room, Duan Fei turned to the palace guards and said: "There have been accidents in the palace one after another, you have a lot of responsibility, before the official finds out the cause of Chunxi's death, none of you are allowed to leave the backyard of the palace, and you have to supervise each other when you go to the toilet, do you understand?" ”

"Yes, my lord, I will keep an eye on them." Zhu Chen said.

Duan Fei nodded and walked into the courtyard with Hong Bang, while Lao Wang Zuo stayed outside and chatted with acquaintances.

After entering the courtyard and seeing that no one was following behind, Hong Bang asked quietly: "My lord, if you don't investigate the case first, you will interrogate people first, do you have ulterior motives?" ”

Duan Fei nodded, took two steps forward before saying, "I'm actually looking at people, I don't care what they answer, because you will record them in detail, what I pay attention to is their eyes." ”

Hong Bang asked curiously, "So have you made a discovery?" ”

Duan Fei shook his head and said, "It's hard to say now, when I see this scene, I guess I'll be a little sure." ”

The two walked forward along the flower path in the garden, just in time to see Yang Sen coming out of it, he saw Duan Fei and asked in surprise, "Brother Fei, why did you come?" I've examined all the bodies. ”

Duan Fei motioned for him to be silent, Yang Sen closed his mouth and led Duan Fei to walk back, only to see Chunxi in a remote corner of the garden temporarily sheltered, but unfortunately died in the hut inside.

Seeing the hut, Yang Sen said: "How can Chunxi also be King Xing's maid, the princess locked her up in such a remote hut and didn't give her food, isn't it a bit too much?" ”

Duan Fei said: "It's better to say less about these words, the affairs in the palace are not something we can manage, what is the situation of the corpse?" Was it suicide or homicide? ”

Yang Sen said: "The deceased's face is strangled in front of the ear, there are no extra marks on the beams, the deceased's hanging height is the same as the height of the kicked down wooden pier, it can be preliminarily determined to be a suicide, but the deceased's wrists have bruises, and the lips are also broken, I haven't undressed and checked, I don't know if there are more scars on her body, from the cold and stiff degree of her body, it can be concluded that she has been dead for more than an hour, that is, she died in the middle of Shen Shi." ”

Duan Fei walked into the hut and said, "As a maid, it's normal to be beaten occasionally, is the injury on her hand a new injury or an old one?" ”

Yang Sen said: "It was a new injury, the injury on her wrist was obviously caused by someone who grabbed it hard not long before she died, and her clothes were messy and torn, I suspect she was raped before she died." ”

Duan Fei was stunned for a moment, and asked rhetorically, "Rape?" As soon as the words came out, he saw Chunxi, the little maid who was still alive and timid that morning, and who pleaded with the princess, was now lying straight on the ground, her tongue hanging outside her blue-black lips, her face pale and stiff, her eyes slightly open, and she looked blankly into the distance without focus.