There is a god in the sky

Chapter 262 The Case of Wu Meiren's Sudden Death 1

Everyone in the Criminal Investigation Department knows that Shen Lan is an orphan. Her adoptive father is old, and she was brought to the capital because of her excellent coroner skills.

In other words, she had no father, no mother, no brothers, and was all alone.

The Shen family line ended with her generation.

If the family is wealthy, they will definitely take in a son-in-law to continue the family line.

However, Shen Lan was only a coroner, and even with Lord Xiao's support, it wouldn't be easy for her to find a man to marry into her family.

Unexpectedly, the coroner Ji was so generous as to let his grandson marry into the Shen family.

Compared to him, the two who proposed marriage earlier seemed less sincere.

"Mr. Ji, why are you doing this?"

They did indeed value Shen Lan's talent. Although marrying such a girl might not allow her to stay at home and raise children, she could still make a name for herself and perhaps even help their careers.

If it's an only son, no one would want a daughter-in-law or granddaughter-in-law like that, but families with many sons don't care so much.

Shen Lan turned her gaze to Ji the coroner's grandson.

She had met the boy several times, and each time he would smile shyly when he saw her. Although he didn't say much, he was full of kindness.

Meeting her gaze, the other woman blushed again and whispered, "Miss Shen, I...I'm willing."

The idea of ​​him marrying into the Shen family wasn't something his grandfather mentioned on a whim; they had discussed it at home.

Her parents disagreed, but her grandfather felt that Miss Shen's coroner skills were even better than those of the Ji family, which had been passed down for generations. He believed that if they could marry her, the Ji family would surely become the most capable coroner family in the entire Bianjing, or even the entire dynasty.

Although being a coroner isn't a prestigious profession, reaching the top in this field is an honor.

Shen Lan never considered having a son-in-law marry into her family, nor did she ever think about getting married.

Putting aside the fact that her body is only sixteen years old, even if she were of marriageable age, she wouldn't get married if she hadn't met someone she liked.

First of all, she disliked illiterate people.

In this era, most men who could afford to read and write came from good families and would look down on a coroner like her.

In other words, finding a man she could marry was harder than climbing Mount Everest.

"I'm sorry, I'm not considering marriage at the moment," Shen Lan said clearly.

If she, a single woman, gets involved in romantic entanglements, it will be difficult for her to continue working in the government office.

"Why don't you reconsider? My grandson is gentle, intelligent and ambitious. If you two get married, the Ji family can provide you with a small house in Bianjing City."

Shen Lan sensed the sincerity in the coroner's words.

Buying a house in Bianjing (Kaifeng) is not cheap.

Moreover, it's rare for families to separate while the parents are still alive.

If she agrees, she will soon have her own little family in Bianjing, and her children will be able to take her surname, which would be a great thing.

"I cannot accept such a favor without having done anything right. I appreciate Mr. Ji's kindness, but I cannot bear such a debt of gratitude."

Shen Lan has not avenged her family's death and is also burdened with several major cases. How could she dare to implicate an honest and kind family like the Ji family?

A hand grabbed Ji Zeqian's collar from behind and pulled him backward.

"Lord Xiao..."

Everyone saw Xiao Ji standing behind Ji Zeqian with a smile.

"Alright, Coroner Shen has made himself perfectly clear. Everyone, you may leave now. Are you all very free?"

The crowd dispersed, and the coroner, Ji, left with his reluctant grandson.

Shen Lan saw him turn back every three steps and shook her head helplessly.

She couldn't let a naive young man be harmed.

Xiao Ji crossed his arms and blocked her way. "Stop looking. They're gone. Are you reluctant to let them go?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"You can't bear to part with such a good husband. To be honest, the conditions offered by Coroner Ji are excellent. Aren't you tempted?"

Shen Lan rolled her eyes at him.

"Are adults really that free?"

Others may not know her, but Xiao Ji knows her inside and out.

She reached out and pushed Xiao Ji aside, walking past him. After a few steps, she turned back and asked, "My lord, what has happened in the palace?"

Xiao Ji got back to the point and took her into his cell before telling her, "A concubine named Wu died in the palace. The emperor not only summoned me to the palace, but also Minister Zhao and Minister Chu."

"Miss Wu?"

"Yes, Consort Wu has been favored for the past two years, but she gradually lost favor after Consort Lin was favored."

Shen Lan frowned. "Could it be that someone in the harem suspects Consort Lin?"

"It's not a suspicion, but a palace maid confessed that Consort Lin killed Consort Wu."

"Did His Majesty believe it? Has Your Excellency found the real culprit?"

"I came back to take over this case. I need to go to the palace this afternoon, and you will come with me then."

“Okay,” Shen Lan immediately agreed.

On the way to the palace, Xiao Ji told Shen Lan in detail everything he knew about the case.

"Consort Wu's body was discovered this morning by her personal maid. She died in the bathtub in her own bedroom, and it appears that she drowned."

"Why would someone suspect Consort Lin if they died in their own bedchamber? Did Consort Lin spend the night in her room?"

This reason is really far-fetched.

"The palace maid said that last night, Consort Wu invited Consort Lin to have tea. The two chatted until very late, and the palace maids all went to rest. As for when Consort Lin left, they did not know."

But the palace maid said that, in a state between sleep and wakefulness, she seemed to hear the two arguing.

"This is outrageous! How can the rules in the palace be so lax? The master hasn't even gone to sleep yet, and the servants are already asleep?"

She heard the argument while still half asleep; why didn't she just say she was dreaming?

Xiao Ji snapped his fingers. "Yes, even the Emperor doesn't believe this claim. However, Consort Lin did see Consort Wu last night. Now, we can't rule out the possibility that someone killed Consort Wu and framed her."

Shen Lan asked somewhat uneasily, "I heard that before this, the most favored concubine was Consort Li."

Consort Li is Fu Qingyan's older sister and Xiao Ji's cousin.

"Don't worry about that. The person Consort Li hates the most is the Empress. She doesn't care who else is favored."

Shen Lan sensed the gossip, but it was best for her to know as little as possible about the entanglements between the concubines in the harem.

"Alright, it's time to get off the carriage. Once inside the palace, stick close to me. Don't talk to anyone who tries to talk to you, and definitely don't go with strangers."

Shen Lan nodded. Based on her experience watching various palace dramas in her previous life, the biggest taboo in the harem was wandering around alone.

If she enters a historical romance game instance, she might encounter a prince or nobleman who falls in love at first sight and insists on marrying her.

If she were to enter a palace intrigue scenario, she might accidentally bump into the emperor and become an insignificant member of the harem.

The most terrifying thing is entering the cannon fodder scenario, where she will become a victim of someone else's palace intrigue before tomorrow.

But her sixteen years of experience have taught her that she has only entered a copy of an ordinary person's struggle to live, and she must be careful and cautious with every step she takes.

After getting off the carriage, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before me.

The palace stood majestically before us.

The red walls and yellow tiles, layer upon layer, exude an air of nobility and solemnity.

"Keep up, we have to go in."

Shen Lan smiled and recalled her experience of visiting the Forbidden City in her previous life. Her mindset back then was completely different from now.

It turns out that under the oppression of imperial power, people can become self-conscious and fearful.