Chapter 4 Don't Cry, Zhenzhen 3
"I am here on the orders of His Majesty to investigate the cause of Princess Jintai's death. Now that I have found out that it is related to Princess Changping, I have come to personally invite the princess to the Dali Temple for a discussion."
"How dare you! If you dare to take one step closer, you will be committing treason and everyone will be punished!"
Cheng Jue took off his bamboo hat, untied his raincoat, and walked forward steadily, stepping up the stairs one step at a time, until he was only two steps away from Wei Wuji: "Insulting your superiors? What about you, General Wei? I am the son of the General Guarding the Nation and the Grand Princess Fengjue, so who are you?"
"you……"
"Second brother, no need to say more." The weak female voice sounded silent in the pouring rain. The door was opened, Song Yiyue was wearing plain clothes, with only a jade hairpin inserted diagonally in her bun, which made her look even more fragile in the wind and rain. She looked at Cheng Jue, trying to maintain the last bit of pride as a princess, "I will go with you, but the people from the Dali Temple must retreat outside the mansion, and are not allowed to touch anyone from the Princess's Mansion."
Wei Youya was not in the mansion, and Wei Wuji was just a playboy with a big mouth. There was only a five-year-old girl in the mansion, and all the burdens were on this sickly girl. Yet she could still stand up, which Cheng Jue had to admire.
"Everyone, leave and do not disturb anyone in the princess's mansion." Cheng Jue gave the order. Song Yiyue straightened his back, took the umbrella from the maid, and walked down alone.
Song Yiyue made all the arrangements, but she still couldn't sleep in her house. It wasn't until she heard the sound of Wei Wuji and Cheng Jue confronting each other outside during the thunder that she knew the truth had been revealed, otherwise Cheng Jue would never come to her house so late at night.
She wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, the feeling of suffocation was so terrible, the breath of death touched her a little, and she couldn't help but scream. At the beginning, Jintai must have been much more frightened and scared than she was now.
Once you feel some remorse, the next thing will come naturally.
Song Yiyue was sitting in the interrogation room of the Dali Temple. Zhou Zhenzhen took out the silver chain around her neck and said, "No need. I will tell you everything I know."
Princess Lin'an was once hypnotized by Zhou Zhenzhen, so it was not surprising that Song Yiyue knew her abilities. Cheng Jue waved his hand: "Then you will record the princess's confession."
Zhou Zhenzhen picked up the pen and wrote the first line.
On the third day of March, in Wangxing Pavilion, there was the annoying sound of rain outside, while from inside the pavilion came the sound of Song Eryue playing the wonderful song "Liang Xiao Yin", in which he was immersed.
As soon as Song Yiyue entered the room, she was attracted by the full painting of "Four Seasons Scenery" hanging on the wall, and she couldn't take her eyes away. She liked painting since she was a child, and most of the paintings she copied from her childhood were works by Wang Weian, but this full painting was the first time she saw it with her own eyes. She couldn't help but feel happy, so she went forward to take a closer look.
Wang Weian's paintings were a break from the simple style of the previous dynasties. The painting materials he used were made from the most precious gems of the time. His paintings were magnificent and gorgeous, with delicate brushstrokes. The whole painting would be amazing when hung up.
Song Sanyue noticed her gaze, took the painting down with his own hands, spread it out on the table, and let her appreciate it carefully.
Song Yiyue stared at every inch of the painting intently, and someone beside him whispered, "Wang Weian's paintings are brilliant, but they are a bit too dazzling, especially the water in this painting. Looking at it for a while will make your eyes hurt. My father gave me the painting, and I have kept it in the treasury. The day before yesterday, I asked someone to look for a headdress and then I remembered this painting. I thought about how to modify it and make it more pleasing to the eye."
Song Yiyue turned around suddenly, looking shocked: "You want to change the painting? It's hard to find a painting by Wei An, let alone a complete set like this! If you change it, wouldn't it be a waste of talent?"
Song Sanyue chuckled and said, "Paintings are for their owners to enjoy. If I don't find it pleasing to the eye, then why keep it? If this painting wasn't given by my father, I would have burned it. I think my elder sister is the best at drawing and painting, so she can teach me a thing or two today, and tell me where to put the ink so that it looks better."
"You...you can't change this painting! How can you change this painting?!"
"Mr. Zhu once taught me that the ink splashing method is the most spontaneous and natural way to paint." Song Sanyue looked at her reaction with the corner of his eyes, turned around and walked to the table to pick up the inkstone, raised it and was about to splash it. Song Yiyue rushed to grab it, but she didn't expect that Song Sanyue's hand loosened in the chaos, and the inkstone fell straight down and hit Song Sanyue's forehead...
"At that time, my second sister was immersed in playing the piano and didn't notice us. My fourth sister was solving a chess game behind the screen. I... I saw the blood all over the floor and was shocked and scared, so I hung the painting back far away and left Wangxing Pavilion directly. I didn't meet anyone on the way from the Princess' Mansion to the outside, so I felt relieved." Song Yiyue's fingertips were tightly clasped on the table, trying her best to control herself and stay calm. "I didn't know what happened to Jintai all the time, but from what happened when my father tested the three of us in Jintai Mansion, I guessed that she must be in danger. It wasn't until Lin'an went crazy after returning to the palace on the day of the Fragrance Festival and kept mumbling about all kinds of things about Wangxing Pavilion that I was completely sure. I accidentally killed her by mistake. This was not my intention."
Cheng Jue stood up, paced a few times and then stopped: "Are you doing this for the Wei family, for your daughter?"
Song Yiyue's eyes were filled with tears, and her pale face turned even paler. She nodded, "My father saw in General Wei's achievements that he allowed me to marry into the Wei family. But Wei Youya may seem like a gentleman, but he is actually a hypocritical villain who only knows how to flatter. He follows Prince Min closely and doesn't care about the palace. General Wei passed away last year. If I fail again, my family will probably fail. Poor Wan'er is still so young, how can I bear to let her suffer in the future?"
"So, when you heard that Huo Chi could take the blame, you felt relieved and sent someone to sneak into the Dali Temple Prison to keep an eye on the situation. When you found out that I would manipulate the situation to help Huo Chi get rid of the crime, you decided to take the initiative and get rid of Huo Chi. Am I right?"
Song Yiyue was silent for a long time. He lowered his head and tears fell on the table, staining the wood deeply.
When she finished speaking, she stopped writing. Zhou Zhenzhen's wrists were sore from writing. She glanced at what she had written, then looked at Cheng Jue, but in the end she said nothing.
The room was deserted and eerily quiet. The rain outside was gradually stopping, and it was just a drizzle. After a long time, Cheng Jue finally spoke to break the silence: "The princess just said that when you had an argument with Princess Jintai, Princess Ankang was playing chess behind the screen?"
His right hand moved unconsciously, and the interior structure of Wangxing Pavilion appeared before his eyes.
"good."
The glazed screen blocked the rising and falling black and white pieces, blocked Song Siyue's eyes, and also blocked the eyes of everyone outside from looking at Song Siyue.
His flying fingertips paused, Cheng Jue turned around suddenly, his eyes bright, "Princess Ankang knows that the princess is determined to kill Huo Chi?"
Song Yiyue was stunned, her eyes dodging: "Ankang she..."
"If the princess is telling the truth, the princess's mansion and the Wei family still have a chance of survival."
Song Yiyue bit her lower lip, finally shook her head, and then nodded: "I don't know if I know, but I decided after hearing her say 'If Huo Chi dies, Third Sister can rest in peace'... But I didn't dare to take anyone's life at first, so I kept delaying it until later."
Cheng Jue's eyes changed, and he grabbed Zhou Zhenzhen's arm and left the interrogation room.
Because of the incident, Huo Chi was transferred to another cell and was guarded by someone specifically.
"Huo Chi, take my seal of the Supreme Court Justice and lead a team to the Starry Sky Pavilion in Princess Jintai's residence. I think only you can find out the secrets in the Starry Sky Pavilion."
Zhou Zhenzhen felt that something was wrong: "Now Huo Chi is a suspect, how can we let him go?"
"We have to act accordingly. There is no other way, Huo Chi..."
"Master Cheng, rest assured. As long as the truth can be uncovered, the princess can die peacefully, and Xuanji Pavilion is not implicated in this matter, I am willing to do anything you ask me to do."
"Okay!" Cheng Jue took a deep breath, his voice deep, sinking into the chaotic deep pool.
No matter how dirty and filthy it was, no matter how chaotic and confusing it was to tell the way forward, he would still sink down and take a look.
"Zhou Zhenzhen, I'm going somewhere."
Seeing his stern look, she felt a dark thread connecting the fragments, and she already understood what he was talking about. She took the initiative to grab his hand, but her face was not serious, and she smiled: "Then let's go!"
That smile was like peach blossoms in spring, quietly blooming at the end of his abyss.
It was past midnight, and apart from the patrolling guards, no one else was speaking in the palace.
The lights in Chunsheng Palace were still on. The maid Feicui yawned, changed the lamp, and advised: "It's already this late, Princess, go to bed early! It won't be too late to relax tomorrow."
There was a chessboard in the room, with the white pieces trapping the black pieces in a corner, and it looked like they were going to win. Song Siyue didn't look sleepy at all, holding a black piece in her hand, her eyes fixed on one spot: "Originally, the white pieces were going to win, but the layout was too careless, and the opponent was left with a flaw. What a pity!"
She smiled tenderly and dropped the black piece.
Suddenly there was a sound in the silent night, and hurried footsteps came on the water. The next moment, the palace door was opened, and the maid Zhenzhu came to report: "The Dali Temple Minister Cheng Jue is outside the palace with a golden order, and he must see Your Highness. Princess, do you want me to tell him that you have gone to bed, or... go find His Majesty..."
"No need." Song Siyue said to Feicui, "Make me a bowl of red bean dumplings. I'm a little hungry."
She looked at Zhenzhu again: "Please invite Master Cheng in."
Cheng Jue came in very quickly, his robe soaked with rainwater and a bit cold. Song Siyue looked at him with a smile, then looked at Zhou Zhenzhen behind him, pointed to the side and said, "It's so cold outside, come sit down and have a cup of hot tea!"
Feicui brought a bowl of red bean dumplings to Song Siyue, and the little palace maid following behind her served two bowls of tea. Zhou Zhenzhen was afraid that there was something wrong with the tea, so she hesitated and did not dare to touch it. On the contrary, Chengjue picked up the tea and drank it without any hesitation.
Song Siyue stuffed the meatballs in her mouth and ate them sweetly. After she finished drinking the soup, she smiled and said to Feicui: "I'm full. I made it very delicious today."
"Princess, if you like it, I will do it again tomorrow."
Song Siyue nodded and told them to retreat outside and guard. Between her and Cheng Jue and Zhou Zhenzhen, there was only the finished chessboard.
"In fact, I thought I won, but in the end I still lost!" She grabbed a handful of white pieces in her hand and raised her face. Her innocent face smiled in the slanting light with a hint of weirdness.
Zhou Zhenzhen couldn't hold back any longer: "How did the princess block my hypnosis?"
"I ate something before going to the Dali Temple, and it has been giving me stomachaches. The pain is so severe that I can't concentrate on listening to you!" She smiled foolishly, making Zhou Zhenzhen's scalp tingle.
It turned out that Song Siyue had taken a small amount of poison and used the heart-breaking pain to keep herself awake. She also pretended to be fine without revealing a single flaw. How could this kind of mentality and means be that of a thirteen-year-old child?
"The princess is more intelligent than anyone else in the world. Now that things have come to this, will the princess still keep it secret?"
Song Siyue swayed her feet and tilted her head to ask, "What did Master Cheng say I was hiding? Did I sneak into Wangxing Pavilion to play chess? Or did I accidentally mention killing Huo Chi to my elder sister?"
"The matter of killing Princess Jintai."
"The coroner has already said that my third sister died at 1:00 pm, but I left Princess Jintai's mansion at 2:00 pm, and my entry and exit to the palace are all recorded. She died an hour after I came back, so how could I have killed her?"
Cheng Jue narrowed his eyes and said, "Princess Jintai did not die at the hour of You. It rained heavily that day, and the princess' body was soaked, which caused the coroner to postpone her death time during the autopsy. The one who killed Princess Jintai and then opened the window to let the rain in deliberately must be you, Princess Ankang."
Zhou Zhenzhen thought of the furnishings in the Wangxing Pavilion, and she felt even colder. Song Siyue took a deep breath and said, "That day, the third sister set up a delicate chess game for me, and I couldn't solve it. I was feeling depressed, and I saw what was happening outside through the carved patterns on the screen. Since the play was already going on, why shouldn't I go on stage? I waited until they all left before I walked out. At that time, the third sister had been knocked to the ground by the inkstone, twitching all over, and her face was scratched. Seeing how miserable she was in pain, I ended her life with a dagger."
"You're crazy! Killing someone is such a joke to you? And it was your closest relative!" Zhou Zhenzhen questioned with red eyes. Cheng Jue held her back, her voice tense, "Did you ever think of asking someone to save her?"
"She is playing chess with me, and it's a heart-breaking game. Since she has made her move, how can I not continue?" Song Siyue raised a strange smile, and then glanced at Cheng Jue, "Master Cheng, I'm waiting to see how you will continue this game."
Song Siyue poured the chess piece in her hand into her mouth and swallowed it directly, making it impossible for anyone to stop her. A large amount of blood gushed out of her throat, and she fell on the chessboard, "clatter..." The chess pieces fell to the ground.
"Princess! Princess, what's wrong with you?!" Jade and Pearl outside heard the noise and ran in. When they saw the scene, they rushed over.
Princess Ankang was nicknamed "chess maniac". She was born for chess and died because of chess.
Zhou Zhenzhen saw the bright red blood and recalled the most unbearable past events. She trembled all over and tears welled up in her eyes. The next moment, her shoulders felt warm and she was immediately embraced.
Although his clothes are cold, his chest is hot.
She listened to his heartbeat, clenched the fabric of his clothes on his chest, and sobbed uncontrollably.
Since then, she has been alone in her sadness and grief for the past few years since they were separated. Now, she is like a lost lamb who has finally found her way.
Cheng Jue had no idea what she was thinking and just thought she was scared. The cold Lord Cheng was at a loss in the face of her tears and could only clumsily pat her back and comfort her softly.
"Don't cry, Zhenzhen, don't be afraid, I'm here, don't cry..."
He stroked the person in his arms and his eyes fell on Song Siyue who had already died.
Song Yiyue accidentally smashed the inkstone, Song Eryue lost his mind and broke the strings of his zither, and Song Siyue went crazy and made the last knife.
These three people, intentionally or unintentionally, trampled their loved ones into hell step by step.
