I Have A Qi Fortune Altar.
Chapter 694: 446: Unusual Movements of the Heavenly Book, Traces Finally Revealed!_3

Chapter 694: Chapter 446: Unusual Movements of the Heavenly Book, Traces Finally Revealed!_3

And below was a secluded deep pool…

Gazing into the deep pool, Chen Yuan felt as if there were a pair of eyes staring back at him. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was just his own reflection. His fingers slowly traced the pillar nearby as he lifted his head to survey the surrounding scene.

It was not far from the Chunhua Palace he had previously visited, but beyond that, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Without taking the stairs, Chen Yuan came down the same way he went up. He looked at the aged eunuch in front of him and said,

“Three things. First, I want to interrogate the two palace maids captured from the Noble Consort’s side. Second, let my people search the Noble Consort’s sleeping quarters. The third matter… I want to see the Noble Consort’s corpse.”

“This…” The old eunuch hesitated:

“The Noble Consort’s sleeping quarters and her body cannot be casually inspected. This would violate…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Yuan raised his hand to stop him from continuing:

“That’s not my concern. The Emperor has granted me this waist token, and if there are any issues, you can go consult His Majesty. However, you must satisfy my requests now,

Otherwise, if we can’t track down the clues and fail to solve the case, who will bear the responsibility… you?”

Eunuch Zhao’s speech halted for a moment, then he took a deep breath, staring at Chen Yuan and said,

“Alright, this servant will surely fulfill your requests, Director Chen, as long as the Noble Consort’s corpse is not desecrated.”

After speaking, he instructed two eunuchs to fetch the two imprisoned personal maids, and another two eunuchs to accompany Chen Yuan’s men, led by Wang Teng, to search the Noble Consort’s sleeping quarters once more.

Though they were not adept at this sort of thing, fortunately, Chen Yuan didn’t demand too much, merely asking them to check for any suspicious areas.

The real clues, he estimated, would still lie with those two maids and the Noble Consort’s corpse.

After issuing his instructions, Chen Yuan was not idle. He was prepared to really start his own purpose and conduct a thorough check in the harem.

His destination this trip was not only to investigate the cause of the Noble Consort’s death. He always felt that Jingtai had casually thrown this task to him without the intent to delve too deeply into the matter.

Otherwise, they would have assigned a professional from the Ministry of Justice to investigate this matter.

After all, he was from the Heavenly Patrol Bureau, and their primary job was assassination…

When it came to solving cases, he was not particularly skilled either, relying merely on reasoning through minor details, which wasn’t considered a strong suit.

Therefore, instinctively, he had some doubts about Jingtai’s intentions, but he still accepted the task.

As for the purpose, it was quite simple: to take this opportunity to inspect the harem thoroughly and find the Dragon Vein where the predecessor Moluo was suppressed. Of the several locations Jiang He had provided, this was the only place left unexplored.

Chen Yuan wandered through the harem without specific intent, which left the old eunuch following him somewhat puzzled. Wasn’t he here to investigate a case? Why was he meandering through the harem for no apparent reason?

They were far from where the Noble Consort had died.

But Chen Yuan’s response was… he needed time to think things through.

While observing the harem, Chen Yuan also noticed that it was indeed not as bustling today as it was during his last visit. The old eunuch informed him that before Chen Yuan’s arrival, the Empress and the Noble Consort had decreed that unless necessary, there should be less traffic in the harem in the next couple of days, especially areas farther from the Noble Consort’s palace.

It seemed they did not want to be associated with the case.

This time, with the advantage of his status, Chen Yuan was able to move about the harem unimpeded and at a quick pace, not at all as if he was pondering anything, but that was inevitable.

The harem was too vast; if he moved too slowly, he would not be able to cover it all in a day.

He passed by the Empress’s sleeping quarters, the Noble Consort’s sleeping quarters—who was also the mother of the Eldest Prince—as well as the palaces of some Princesses who had not yet married and were still living inside the palace.

The old eunuch’s look towards him became somewhat questioning.

He felt Chen Yuan’s intentions might not be so pure.

“What place is this?”

Suddenly, Chen Yuan paused, stopped in his tracks, and asked, pointing ahead.

The old eunuch recalled for a moment, then said,

“This is the Cold Palace.”

“The Cold Palace?”

Chen Yuan’s eyebrows rose. He had never expected that the Dragon Vein where the predecessor Moluo was suppressed would actually be within this Cold Palace. It was truly… unexpected!

Indeed, Chen Yuan had found the place where the predecessor Moluo was suppressed.

Just then, the Heavenly Book Treasure concealed within his sleeve finally reacted.

This was the method given to him by the other Daoists: as long as he kept the Heavenly Book activated, he could sense changes in another Heavenly Book Fragment within a certain range.

Naturally, it could also help to determine if another Daoist was nearby…

As Chen Yuan had passed through the other locations Jiang He had once conjectured, the Heavenly Book hadn’t shown any movement at all. This time… at last, there was a response.

It was not easy…

The Cold Palace name alone suggested its desolation, and it was the place where Concubines who had made mistakes were placed under house arrest. Chen Yuan’s gaze flickered for a moment, hesitating whether or not to enter and take a look.

Meanwhile, the old eunuch casually said,

“What, does Director Chen not know of the Cold Palace?”

“I know of it, I’ve heard about it.”

“This place, well… is…”

“Alright, let’s go, let’s take a look at that Noble Consort’s corpse.”

After thinking it over, Chen Yuan eventually decided not to enter the Cold Palace. With his identity, it was somewhat inappropriate to do so, and it had nothing to do with the Noble Consort’s case. If someone reported this to Emperor Jingtai,

They might easily guess some of Chen Yuan’s intentions.

Since he had already found the place, there was no need to be hasty. Now was not the best time to meet predecessor Moluo, as Chen Yuan had been able to infer certain things from what the other Daoists had shared.

It was likely that predecessor Moluo had a grudge against the Great Jin Imperial Family; otherwise, he would not have been suppressed at the Dragon Vein. And the Emperor, how could he possibly be unaware of predecessor Moluo’s existence?

Again, the phrase “better safe than sorry” holds true.

By the time Chen Yuan arrived at the Noble Consort’s palace, Wang Teng and the others had already conducted their search. After glancing at the two men, Chen Yuan casually asked, “Did you find anything unusual?”

Wang Teng walked thoughtfully to Chen Yuan’s side and whispered,

“We only found a white Jade Lotus that seems a bit different from ordinary objects…”