Old Zhang helped him into a chair in the downstairs hall, first carried his wheelchair up, then came back down to carry him on his back. After two trips, Old Zhang was already drenched in sweat. After escorting him into the room, before Xiao Jin Yu could even express his thanks, Old Zhang hastily bowed and retreated.
Xue Rucheng, dressed in a crimson formal robe, sat by the chess table near the window. Holding a black piece in his left hand and a white piece in his right, he was amusing himself by arranging a grid pattern on the board. Most of the board was already filled with black and white pieces.
Xiao Jin Yu scanned the spacious room but did not see Chu Chu.
"Wang Ye need not worry," Xue Rucheng said, fiddling with the chess pieces without looking up. "This old man has asked the Imperial Concubine for a small favor and will return her to you shortly... Would Wang Ye care to play a game of chess with this old man?"
"Sir..." Xiao Jin Yu stared at the chessboard, unmoving. Playing chess with Xue Rucheng had never been a pleasant experience. "Old Zhang said you had important matters to discuss?"
Xue Rucheng meticulously filled the entire chessboard before standing up. He brought a cup of hot ginger tea and handed it to Xiao Jin Yu, then leisurely sat back down. "This old man recalls that in recent years, Wang Ye has submitted several memorials requesting to exhume and examine a palace figure who has been buried for many years."
Xiao Jin Yu's hands trembled slightly, causing amber-colored ginger tea to ripple in the white porcelain cup. Yet his eyes remained calm as he nodded slightly and replied, "Yes."
"Was it Consort Wen of the Daozong Emperor, the one who died suddenly from illness over twenty years ago?"
"Yes."
Xue Rucheng lowered his head to take a sip of tea from his own cup. "However, Wang Ye never specified in any of your memorials which case required the exhumation, so His Majesty never approved the request."
Xiao Jin Yu pressed his thin lips together and offered a faint, bitter smile. "Yes."
"This old man has already reached an agreement with His Majesty. That coffin was delivered here last night..." Xue Rucheng raised his hand to point toward the western wall behind the sandalwood screen. "It's placed in the adjacent room. The Imperial Concubine was just asking for wine, vinegar, and charcoal earlier. By now, she should have already extracted Consort Wen's bones and started steaming and boiling them."
Noticing the vanished calm in Xiao Jin Yu's eyes, Xue Rucheng frowned. "This isn't the Imperial Concubine's first Corpse Examination, is it... It's just examining bones, and a woman's bones at that. What is Wang Ye worried about?"
"It's not that..." Xiao Jin Yu tightened his grip on the cup, his knuckles turning pale and trembling slightly. "I... I never intended for Chu Chu to examine her."
Xue Rucheng raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't the reason Wang Ye agreed to marry her in the first place to examine these remains?"
Xiao Jin Yu looked at Xue Rucheng in astonishment, but Xue Rucheng remained as composed and indifferent as when he had been playing with the chess pieces. "I married her by imperial decree..."
Xue Rucheng waved his hand and smiled faintly. "This is Wang Ye's private matter. As long as Wang Ye understands it yourself... This old man was unable to send a wedding gift when Wang Ye got married, so consider this as compensation."
Xiao Jin Yu was stunned for a long moment before remembering to bow his head and say, "Thank you for your assistance, sir."
"It was nothing..." Xue Rucheng lifted his head to casually glance at the exceptionally high ceiling, then looked down and kicked the polished but still worn-looking floor. "Anyway, this building is due to be demolished and rebuilt. No one usually comes here, so storing a couple of dead bodies isn't an issue."After speaking, Xue Rucheng slowly rose to his feet, frowning as he straightened the exquisitely tailored ceremonial robe that made him unsure where to place his hands and feet. "I heard Minger has arrived as well. This old man will go check on her... Your Highness may rest here for a while. The Imperial Concubine will naturally come after completing the examination."
"Is there anything I can assist with?"
Xue Rucheng glanced at his sickly pale face, "Just don't faint."
"...Understood."
When Chu Chu entered the room where the coffin was placed, the coffin Xue Rucheng had mentioned stood right in the center of the room. A tall, burly man stood guard beside it, staring intently. At first glance, Chu Chu frowned and spoke before the guard could salute her, "Brother Guard, is this the beauty's coffin?"
The guard was taken aback. He only knew that it had been quietly delivered by four imperial guards in the early morning, who claimed their master had borrowed it from the Emperor on behalf of Prince An. Having guarded this drafty place for several hours because of this mysterious aged coffin, he didn't think the person lying inside could be particularly beautiful.
"Be...beauty?"
"Grand Tutor Xue said this is Daozong Emperor's Consort Wen."
The guard looked blankly at the coffin. An emperor's consort wasn't something just anyone could see, let alone a woman from the current emperor's grandmother's generation. "This humble one is ignorant..."
Chu Chu moved closer, carefully examining the old but well-preserved coffin, her brow tightly furrowed. "This is a fir wood coffin. The wood isn't bad, the lacquer is well applied, but it's completely bare without any decorative patterns... Such coffins sell for five taels in Zizhu County town. Our shop sells them for four taels and seven, and we sell several every year. Concubines from wealthy families love using this kind of coffin... Why would an emperor's consort use such a coffin?"
The guard felt chills running down his spine. Not even thirty years old yet, how could he have the leisure to study such unlucky things... After struggling for a long time, he managed to utter something useless, "The Imperial Concubine's family certainly offers good value..."
Chu Chu looked up with a full, bright smile, "Of course! Tell me your name. If you go to buy one, I can have my father give you an even better discount. If you buy several, I'll have him throw in an extra one for free!"
The guard waved his hands frantically, dark lines practically visible on his forehead, "No need, no need... Thank you, Imperial Concubine..."
"Don't be polite!"
Author's Note: Dear readers~!
With publication approaching and per the publisher's request, updates will be suspended starting today. Expected return is mid-October. Thank you all for your support and understanding. Yatou bows in gratitude~
[Must shout here: Yatou's works guarantee completion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
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