Chapter 335: It Really is the Imperial Aunt
Chapter 335: It Really is the Imperial Aunt
As the group continued their frenzied efforts until dawn approached, the officials from the Court of Judicial Review finally unearthed an old silver ring beneath the layers of aged soil.
The ring had a simple design, one might even say it was somewhat crude.
This development left everyone's hearts filled with suspense and uncertainty once more.
Could it be that...
They had guessed wrong?
But something about this situation still seemed amiss.
Along with this ring, they had not found any other jewelry or possessions on or around the female corpse, indicating that whoever had buried her had likely removed all identifiable items intentionally, leaving behind minimal clues to her identity.
With the sudden appearance of this ring, the identity of the female corpse became even more enigmatic and perplexing.
When Prince Qi laid eyes on the ring, his eyes widened considerably. His eyes were naturally round, but now they appeared even more so, with a hint of protrusion.
He stumbled forward, his hands trembling as he took the seemingly plain ring from the Court of Judicial Review clerk. The expression on his face reflected profound sorrow and grief.
Prince Qi seemed unable to believe his own eyes as he vigorously rubbed the ring, again and again. After a long while, he suddenly and uncontrollably dropped to his knees, startling Si Sui, who instinctively reached out to support him but found himself unable to move the prince.
The Crown Prince was also startled by Prince Qi's actions, and it took him a moment to react and extend his hand to help, joining Si Sui in their attempt to lift the prince.
However, despite their efforts, neither of them could move Prince Qi's body, which had collapsed onto the ground.
Witnessing the sorrowful expression on Prince Qi's face, the Crown Prince felt a sense of foreboding arise within him.
Could it be...
Was it truly the remains of Aunt Jiaoyang?
After a prolonged silence, Prince Qi's voice trembled as he confirmed their worst fears: "It's my imperial sister. It's her. This is the ring I made for her with my own hands before she married far away in Cangzhou."
This was the kind of thing Prince Qi had never done before.
As the youngest son of the Empress Dowager, he had grown up surrounded by affection and luxury, never exposed to the kind of manual labor required for such craftsmanship.
Back then, when Princess Jiaoyang was about to marry far away in Cangzhou, Prince Qi had been filled with sadness and grief. He had learned this skill from others and rushed to create this somewhat crude ring as a last-minute effort.
His imperial sister had not complained, and she had even ruffled his hair affectionately, saying, "Little Nine has grown up."
Now, as he looked at this ring, Prince Qi couldn't help but recall the events surrounding his imperial sister's marriage.
She had been vibrant and full of life when she married into that distant family.
But when news eventually reached them, it was of her lifeless bones.
Even those bones had not been found, and now, as he beheld this old possession and thought of the bones before him, Prince Qi couldn't contain the sorrow in his heart. He raised his fist and pounded the ground heavily several times, the pain from his fingers slowly bringing his rationality back while his heart grieved profoundly in this moment.
Prince Qi attempted to stand, but he couldn't control the anger and resentment burning in his heart, and eventually, he fainted, his eyes rolling back.
The Crown Prince was alarmed, his eyebrows jumping, and he quickly called for people to help lift Prince Qi and summoned a physician.
Fearing something unforeseen, he specifically brought along two imperial physicians.
Amidst the chaos and haste, Prince Qi finally regained consciousness.
Princess Qi, unaware of the events that had transpired, felt a sense of foreboding upon seeing the excavation. She suspected that her initial conjecture was correct.
Now, witnessing Prince Qi's collapse and his mention of the imperial sister before losing consciousness, she knew her suspicions were confirmed.
The corpse that had been suddenly unearthed was indeed that of Princess Jiaoyang.
The Sus truly had hearts of stone.
Back then, as they faced the annihilation of their nine familial generations, they gritted their teeth and refused to divulge to the Emperor and Empress the location of Princess Jiaoyang's remains, choosing instead to leave them with everlasting regrets.
Unbeknownst to them, over a decade had passed since those events.
And now, Princess Jiaoyang's remains had suddenly resurfaced in an unexpected manner.
Thinking of this, Princess Qi glanced at the room where Si Sui was resting. Perhaps this was the unexpected joy that Fu Xing had brought them? Or maybe Si Sui had a special connection with her aunt, and in an unusual way, her aunt had revealed the location of her burial, reducing the regrets of those left behind.
Aside from her clothing, there was only a silver ring found on the female corpse.
It was likely that the Su family had put in a lot of effort, knowing that the body might be exhumed one day. They had removed all identifiable information, making it challenging to determine the identity of the remains.
As for the silver ring, Princess Qi speculated that its discovery might have been unintentional.
Perhaps those who buried the princess were unaware of the ring's existence.
Nonetheless, the ring, along with the coroner's examination, should provide sufficient evidence to confirm the identity of Princess Jiaoyang.
Further investigation by the Court of Judicial Review might lead to the perpetrators involved, providing additional corroborating evidence.
After being awakened by the imperial physicians, Prince Qi was briefly informed by the Crown Prince before he rushed off to attend to other matters.
With the break of dawn, the Crown Prince had to send a report to the Emperor about their findings.
This confirmation of Princess Jiaoyang's remains would hopefully bring some peace to the Empress Dowager's heart.
However, the discovery of the remains was not the end of the matter but rather the beginning of a new phase.
It would involve further investigations and the questioning of individuals, including the palace maids currently residing in the separate compound.
The Crown Prince did not underestimate the task at hand and had already informed the Emperor that he might require additional manpower.
As for how the Emperor would assign assistance, that was beyond the Crown Prince's knowledge.
Fortunately, Feng Xuan Shang was also present, and the Crown Prince did not hesitate to enlist his help.
Feng Xuan Shang had been busy early in the morning, collecting herbs and instructing others to lay them out to dry later. Afterward, he turned his attention to assisting the Crown Prince.
After breakfast, Si Sui and her brothers gathered to play together.
Princess Xiang had already informed them that the Crown Prince and his team were there to investigate, and they would not be able to play in the northwest area that day.
"We can't go over there?" Si Sui asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Not wanting to frighten his sister, Feng Xuan Rui chose not to elaborate on the previous day's events.
Feng Xuan Bin had spent the night resting, but the memories of what transpired still left him shaken. He dared not bring up the topic, and all he wanted was to return home as soon as possible.
However, with the matter unresolved, Prince Qi had no intention of leaving.
Princess Qi found it challenging to persuade him otherwise, understanding the depth of his grief for his sister.
Si Sui accepted that they couldn't return home for the time being and decided to join her brothers in flying kites in the southeast area.
The separate compound was expansive, with a considerable distance between the southeast and northwest corners.
There was no need to worry about the children causing any disturbance or interfering with the Crown Prince's work.
Even if they shouted at the top of their lungs in the southeast corner, their voices wouldn't carry to the northwest area.
The vast compound meant that it took Si Sui and her brothers about the time it took to burn a stick of incense to walk from their residence to the open area in the southeast.
The children arrived, sweating from the walk, and Princess Xiang promptly wiped their perspiration and offered them water.
Then, Si Sui and her brothers busied themselves with their kites.
(End of Chapter)
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