A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 272 The Corpse at the Spring Banquet (3)

However, the Spring Banquet was hosted by the Empress Dowager for the Prince of Zhongshan and his son, and it was held in such a sensitive place as the Royal Garden. Without Song Shuyu's permission, it would be unimaginable to break in and arrest people!
But the situation was urgent and Mu Qingcheng could not afford to hesitate. She decisively mobilized her manpower, prepared arrest warrants, and rushed to the outskirts of Beijing without stopping!
……

Royal Garden.

Because the Empress Dowager loved plum blossoms, the late Emperor had red, white, green, yellow, and black plum blossoms transplanted from all over the country during his lifetime. He ordered special people to take good care of them, just so that the Empress Dowager could enjoy the plum blossoms in the royal gardens in late winter and early spring every year.

Since the late emperor's death, the empress dowager has lived in the deep palace and rarely attended palace banquets.

Today, not only did he personally attend the Spring Banquet, but he also invited scions of various prominent families, as well as the ladies of noble and official families, making the occasion grand and solemn.

In this way, who wouldn't envy the King of Zhongshan for being so favored by the emperor? Who would remember that the Crown Prince of Zhongshan was beaten in the street and imprisoned for many days?
During the banquet, compliments were constantly heard.

The Empress Dowager sat in a high position, with Song Shuyu to her lower right and the Prince of Zhongshan to her lower left. Behind them were the Crown Prince Shen Che and Princess Ningchang. The remaining seats were filled with sons of noble families and noble ladies from the capital, arranged according to seniority.

"The plum blossoms before all other flowers, bringing spring to the world."

Princess Ningchang, holding a plum blossom hairpin, smiled and said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is as noble as the plum blossom, a model for all women! I, Ningchang, have made this hairpin out of plum blossoms to wish Your Majesty long life, good health, and prosperity for generations to come!"

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, her eyes smiling, "Ningchang is very kind."

Eunuch Qin accepted the gift.

The Empress Dowager looked at Princess Ningchang, her eyes filled with a gentle smile, "It's been a few years since I last saw Ningchang, and she has grown even more beautiful and charming, like a flower in full bloom!"

Princess Ningchang, with graceful bearing, gave a gentle bow: "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty the Empress Dowager for your praise, but this humble woman is ashamed!"

"Shuyu," the Empress Dowager suddenly said, "I remember that you and Ningchang were childhood sweethearts and got along well since you were young. Once, Ningchang fell from a tree, and it was you who caught her in time."

The Empress Dowager's loving gaze lingered on the faces of Song Shuyu and Ning Chang.

Princess Ningchang glanced at Song Shuyu across from her, her pretty face flushed, shy and timid. "I have never forgotten Brother Song Shuyu's life-saving grace."

Seeing this, everyone present knew that Princess Ningchang, the beloved daughter of the Prince of Zhongshan, was in love with Song Shuyu, and the Empress Dowager intended to bestow a marriage upon her!
In this way, the grudge that King Zhongshan had incurred because his crown prince was detained by Song Shuyu's female advisor was easily resolved!
Guo Xuan, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Liang Ruoming, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, originally planned to marry their daughters to Song Shuyu in order to climb the social ladder to the Duke's mansion. However, Song Shuyu's actions were so swift and decisive that the two dared not accept the Empress Dowager's matchmaking offer.

However, Guo Xuan's eldest daughter, Guo Yuanke, was unwilling to have her dream of marrying into a wealthy family shattered, and Song Shuyu's heavenly beauty made people's hearts flutter at first sight.

Today, as the eldest daughter of the emperor, she was fortunate enough to attend the Spring Banquet. During the banquet, she stole glances at Song Shuyu countless times, her heart pounding wildly with the stirrings of first love. But now, the Empress Dowager was trying to matchmake Song Shuyu and Princess Ningchang, which filled her with jealousy and resentment, and she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand to shreds.

However, to the guests' surprise, Song Shuyu seemed not to understand the Empress Dowager's implied meaning, nor Princess Ningchang's affection.

At today's grand banquet, everyone is dressed to the nines, striving to outshine the crowd and shine brightly.

Song Shuyu, however, dressed simply in a plain blue robe with a silver crown in his hair, his attire extremely understated.

He seemed genuinely there to attend the banquet, his eyes fixed on the dishes, picking and choosing among the delicacies, and casually replied, "Really? I don't remember."

When he said this, he didn't even glance at Princess Ningchang. In front of everyone, he thoroughly demonstrated his "arrogance"!

The Empress Dowager's expression darkened. "Shuyu, you mustn't be rude!" The faces of the Prince of Zhongshan and Shen Che also turned ugly.

Princess Ningchang's almond-shaped eyes were slightly red, filled with sadness and embarrassment. She looked at Song Shuyu, tears streaming down her face, her grief overwhelming. "Brother Yu, have you really forgotten Ning'er?"

Song Shuyu ignored her, but stood up, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and said in a light tone, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have a bad memory and have indeed forgotten."

The Empress Dowager forced a smile and tried to smooth things over, saying, "You've been separated for so long, it's normal that you don't remember clearly. Now that Ningchang has returned to the capital, you should take some time to show him around and rekindle this childhood bond."

Upon hearing this, Princess Ningchang's sorrow immediately turned to joy, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"I'm tired, I'll go back to the palace to rest first. You all continue the festivities!"

Perhaps anticipating that Song Shuyu would refuse on the spot, the Empress Dowager did not give him a chance to speak. With the help of Eunuch Qin, she quickly and hurriedly left the banquet!

All the guests knelt and bowed, saying, "Respectfully bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager!"

The Prince of Zhongshan gave Song Shuyu a deep look, then turned and left, accompanying the Empress Dowager back to the palace!
With the person in the high position gone, the guests relaxed and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Song Shuyu wasn't interested and planned to leave the table and return to his office, but people kept coming over to toast him and try to get close to him. He couldn't be too aloof, lest he make enemies for the Duke's mansion, so he could only patiently deal with them.

Little did anyone know that Xu Yuying, sitting at the very end of the banquet, had eyes that were like venomous snakes coiled around Song Shuyu, love and resentment intertwined in the depths of her eyes, twisting her heart to the extreme!

However, when Song Shuyu's gaze inadvertently swept over her, she quickly lowered her eyes and hid herself.

Once Song Shuyu had looked away and was chatting with someone else, no longer paying attention to this side, Xu Yuying beckoned to her maid and whispered a few words in her ear.

Afterwards, Guo Yuanke made an excuse to leave the table, and Xu Yuying followed her without making a sound.

……

Meanwhile, Mu Qingcheng and his group of thirty were all stopped outside the royal garden.

The Imperial Guards stood watch inside and outside, and no one was allowed to approach within two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters)!
Mu Qingcheng presented the arrest warrant and requested permission to lead the Jingzhao Prefecture troops inside to arrest the person, but the Imperial Guard leader firmly refused: "The Empress Dowager is here, who dares to disturb her? If you want to conduct a case, you must wait until the banquet is over and the criminal comes out of the garden!"

"Human life is at stake, this is a last resort, I hope you will be lenient!" Mu Qingcheng cupped his hands, his words earnest.

The Imperial Guard leader insisted, "I am bound by duty and cannot comply!"

Having no other option, Mu Qingcheng had to come up with a compromise: "How about this, my lord, the Prefect of the Capital, is at the banquet. Would you let me in to report this matter to him?"

"This……"

"Rest assured, my master will bear all the consequences and will absolutely not implicate the Imperial Guards!"

Since Song Shuyu was both the Empress Dowager's nephew and a rising star in the imperial court, the head of the Imperial Guards agreed after a moment's thought.

Mu Qingcheng then ordered Jiang Zhan and Duan Qianzhong to disperse and guard every entrance and exit of the royal garden, ready to be deployed at any time!
(End of this chapter)