“Okay!” Shen Lixue nodded. She was going to go and see what was going on.
"I will go with you!" The Empress Dowager's voice suddenly became stern, carrying an unquestionable tone.
Shen Lixue was taken aback and advised, "Empress Dowager, your health is weak and you should not travel!"
The Empress Dowager frowned, took Shen Lixue's wrist, and strode forward: "Such a big thing has happened at the Holy Prince's Mansion, how can I sit still!"
A faint scent of ambergris wafted through the air. Shen Lixue looked up and saw that she was walking past Dongfang Zhan. Dongfang Zhan looked at her with a gentle smile, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
Shen Lixue frowned and reached out to remove the hair crown from her hair: "Yan Yue, put the hair crown away!"
Dongfang Zhan frowned slightly. Shen Lixue's jet-black hair was styled into an exquisite hairpin bun. Without a gorgeous and noble hair crown, she lacked some of the noble air, but gained more of a pure and ethereal beauty. Her natural beauty was more unparalleled.
"Grandmother, Zhan'er will escort you outside the city!" After repeatedly being rebuffed by Shen Lixue, Dongfang Zhan set his sights on the Empress Dowager.
"Alright!" The Empress Dowager was in a hurry to get out of the city, so she didn't think much of it and casually agreed to Dongfang Zhan's suggestion.
Shen Lixue frowned, said nothing more, and helped the Empress Dowager out of the Zhanwang Mansion, where they took a carriage to the foot of the mountain outside the city.
The guards of Shuntian Prefecture had arrived and were heavily on guard at the foot of the mountain. Within their protective perimeter, arrows were scattered all over the ground, and the bodies of five or six secret guards lay lying haphazardly, their bodies covered with arrows like a dense hedgehog. The blood on the ground and their bodies had long since dried, but a faint smell still lingered.
Shen Lixue recognized the markings on their clothes; they were the marks of the Holy King's Palace's secret guards.
Looking further ahead, Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, squatted in the very center of the bloody scene. In front of him was a corpse dressed in light blue clothes, its body riddled with arrows and covered in blood. Its face was disfigured beyond recognition, a truly gruesome sight.
His long robe with python patterns and the jade pendant from the royal palace at his waist both indicated his identity as Dongfang Xun, the heir of the Holy King's Palace.
"This is... an assassination attempt!" Li Youlan stepped down from the carriage, looking at the tragic scene in horror. She tightly covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief to prevent herself from crying out again.
Shen Lixue frowned deeply. Dongfang Xun was easygoing and had never offended anyone. Who was so ruthless as to use such a cruel method to kill him?
Looking at Dongfang Heng's petrified figure, Shen Lixue felt an indescribable pain in her heart.
The Holy Prince and his wife passed away early. Over the years, the two brothers have always taken care of each other as they grew up. They are the closest of relatives to each other. Dongfang Heng is cold and not good at expressing his feelings, but he truly loves and cares for his older brother.
The Empress Dowager frowned deeply: "Why would the Crown Prince of the Holy King come to this desolate wilderness?"
A guard from the Holy King's Mansion stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the young master has gone to the nearby mountains to find medicine for the old prince!" Dongfang Xun was very filial. The old prince was in poor health and needed recuperation. Many medicines were best taken fresh and consumed immediately, so he personally led people to the mountains to search for them.
Looking at Dongfang Xun, in the direction the guards were facing, they must have gathered the herbs, returned to the mansion, and were then shot to death by a hail of arrows.
"Your Highness's hands are clenched tightly, are you holding the herbs you've gathered?" Li Youlan's soft question echoed in my ears.
Shen Lixue looked up and saw that the left hand of the pale blue corpse lying in the pool of blood was indeed tightly clenched, as if it was trying its best to protect something.
A guard from Shuntian Prefecture cautiously walked over, glanced at Dongfang Heng discreetly, and seeing that he did not object, quickly bent down, grasped Dongfang Xun's tightly clenched fingers, and slowly pulled them apart one by one, revealing several herbs lying quietly in his palm.
The heir of the Holy Prince's Mansion was shot to death by a hail of arrows while trying to gather a few herbs. What a miserable life!
The guard shook his head and sighed, then gently took out the few herbs. A crimson silk handkerchief fell out and fluttered gently in the breeze.
The guard was taken aback. He picked up the silk handkerchief, quickly unfolded it, and found it stained crimson with mud. Beautiful magnolia flowers were embroidered on the bottom of the handkerchief, fresh and natural. On one corner of the handkerchief, a flowing character for "snow" was embroidered!
"Snow!" Li Youlan stood behind the guards without knowing why, and loudly read out the words on the corner of the handkerchief. She blinked and looked at Shen Lixue: "Young Master Xun rarely returns to the capital. Among all the women he knows, it seems that only Princess Lixue's name has the character 'snow' in it."
The beautiful magnolia flower and the scarlet silk handkerchief were Shen Lixue's favorites. The handkerchief she was currently tucking into her sleeve was scarlet with magnolia flowers on the outside.
Everyone's gaze also turned to Shen Lixue. They strongly agreed with Li Youlan's words. When Dongfang Heng died, he was holding a silk handkerchief embroidered with Shen Lixue's name. Her death and Dongfang Xun's death must be inextricably linked.
"Miss Li suspects I killed them?" Shen Lixue glanced coldly at Li Youlan, her gaze falling on the bloodstains on the ground. "Judging from the dryness of this blood, they've been dead for about an hour. An hour ago, I was having my coming-of-age ceremony at the Prince Zhan's mansion. Why would I come here to kill Prince Xun?"
Li Youlan frowned, feigning confusion: "How come Prince Xun has the princess's handkerchief in his hands?"
Shen Lixue smiled coldly: "People are alive, but handkerchiefs are dead. Just because you take out a scarlet silk handkerchief and embroider the character 'snow' on it, does that mean it's mine?"
Li Youlan was speechless, her pretty face flushing red and then turning pale, changing color several times in an instant. She glared at Shen Lixue resentfully and said with schadenfreude, "There is also a love poem on the handkerchief: 'In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches!'"
Shen Lixue glanced at Li Youlan and said arrogantly, "The handkerchief is fake, and this love poem was naturally fabricated by someone else. It has nothing to do with me. Miss Li, what are you so concerned about this handkerchief that appeared out of nowhere?"
"I...I just want to find out the truth." Li Youlan's tone was gentle, her voice slow and steady, yet her words were righteous and firm.
Shen Lixue scoffed, "Investigating cases and arresting people is the business of the Shuntian Prefecture guards. You are the daughter of the Li family, not a Shuntian Prefecture guard. What qualifications do you have to find out the truth? Are you trying to overstep your bounds?"
“You…” Li Youlan’s pretty face turned red with anger, and she gritted her teeth.
“Li Xue was adopted as a goddaughter by the Sixth Imperial Uncle, so her character is absolutely noble. As Prince An’s fiancée, she will be devoted to Prince An and will never have any feelings for Prince Xun!” Dongfang Zhan stepped forward, gentle and refined, and humbly helped Shen Li Xue out of the predicament.
Everyone nodded in agreement. The Azure Flame War God was invincible and had an excellent eye for people. Since he had taken Shen Lixue as his adopted daughter, her character was absolutely guaranteed.
Then there's Prince An, Dongfang Heng, who is also the God of War of the Azure Flame, with numerous military achievements and unique taste and vision. How could the woman he likes be of bad character?
With the double guarantee from the War King and the Prince of An, Shen Lixue would definitely not have any further involvement with Dongfang Xun.
Shen Lixue frowned, a bad feeling rising in her heart. Dongfang Zhan's words were all for her sake and had indeed helped her out of the predicament, but she still felt that something was wrong!
"Girls all love embroidered handkerchiefs, and there are so many that they can't even count them. If one is lost by accident, no one would even notice..." Dongfang Zhan explained, a strange smile playing on his lips.
Everyone's expression changed instantly, and their gazes toward the light blue corpse became somewhat strange. It turned out that Dongfang Xun had fallen in love with Shen Lixue and had accidentally picked up her handkerchief, which he had been carrying with him ever since. As the older brother, he had fallen for his younger brother's fiancée and become his brother's rival in love. This was too outrageous.
Rivals in love? Two brothers? Everyone quickly caught these two sensitive words and looked at Dongfang Heng in shock.
Fifteen years ago, the Duke of Wu's mansion was at the height of its power in the capital. Shen Lixue's full moon banquet was also held in a very grand manner. The people of the capital knew that the Duke of Wu and the Holy Prince were engaged to Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue. They also knew that Shen Lixue was originally going to be the Crown Prince's wife, but due to a small accident, she became the Princess Consort of Anjun.
Back then, they were just children, and the common people would just laugh it off during their leisure time. But now, with Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng's wedding approaching, and Dongfang Xun killed and holding Shen Lixue's lost handkerchief, people can't help but think more deeply about it.
“Prince An is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. Although he had a conflict with Prince Xun a few days ago, he would never kill his brother over such a trivial matter!” Li Youlan said, looking at Dongfang Heng, who was dressed in white and had a calm expression.
Prince An and Prince Xun are having a conflict? Shen Lixue's eyes narrowed instantly. After Dongfang Xun gave her the clothes, Dongfang Heng said a few unpleasant words to him. After that, Dongfang Heng took the roster and said he wanted to choose a husband for Dongfang Xun. Other than that, he did nothing else.