Chapter 582: The Crown Prince Knows Everything
Chapter 582: Chapter 582: The Crown Prince Knows Everything
Shen Ningning didn’t struggle, and Mo Lingwei naturally cherished this hard-won moment together.
Xie Ming’an focused on his examination, completely oblivious to what was happening between them.
After his examination, he frowned. "She is indeed not a virgin."
Shen Ningning gasped in surprise. "What?"
Mo Lingwei also furrowed his brow.
He’d rushed over the moment he heard the news, afraid Shen Ningning would be heartbroken over Lu Shaoyuan.
If Lu Shaoyuan had truly betrayed her, he certainly wouldn’t have let him off the hook.
But even as Mo Lingwei rushed over, filled with his own doubts, something had clearly felt wrong about the situation.
If this Shuyan really wasn’t a virgin, then Lu Shaoyuan’s words couldn’t necessarily be trusted.
After all, he was drunk to the point of blacking out. How could he possibly remember what he did last night?
In that instant, a cold fury stirred in the depths of his eyes.
Xie Ming’an continued his careful inspection. "The marks on her body don’t look like they happened just last night. It seems she’s had a miscarriage before, but I’ll need a doctor to confirm."
His expression grew more solemn the longer he looked. Finally, he set down his instruments and made his conclusion. "She’s a flower seller."
"What’s a flower seller?" Shen Ningning asked, confused.
Mo Lingwei answered patiently, "It’s a term for prostitutes who don’t work in brothels."
These so-called flower sellers just used selling flowers as a front to solicit for the flesh trade.
No wonder Shuyan had such thick calluses on her feet. Flower sellers were usually on their feet all day, doing business wherever they could find it.
Mo Lingwei said, "In that case, we should be able to find out her identity. From what I know, flower sellers don’t work near their own homes for fear of gossip, but they don’t go too far either. Women in this trade usually have the elderly or young children at home to care for. If we take her portrait and check the Capital City and the surrounding towns, we’ll definitely find a lead."
Shen Ningning blurted out, "You know a lot about this."
Mo Lingwei choked for a moment, then immediately explained, "I’ve never had any contact with them, I swear. It just so happens that last year, a case was brought before the court where four flower sellers accused the third-place scholar. My father, the Emperor, had me resolve it, which is how I learned about all this."
As he spoke, he lowered his hand. Shen Ningning’s eyes met his, and for a moment it looked like she was about to burst out laughing, but she managed to hold it in.
She averted her gaze. "Send someone to investigate, then. I wonder how Jiang Shanglong and the others are doing with their interrogations."
At her words, Mo Lingwei immediately ordered his men to have a portrait of Shuyan made and to prepare for a large-scale search.
A short while later, Xie Ming’an led Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei back to the interrogation hall.
Jiang Shanglong and his men had also finished their individual interrogations. The testimonies were mostly consistent.
However, the two shopkeepers Xie Ming’an had been focusing on gave inconsistent statements.
One said there were only thirteen people dining together, while the other said he also remembered fourteen, but that he’d never seen the extra man before.
Xie Ming’an wanted to interrogate the two of them separately. He’d have to use certain... methods, but they would be rather bloody and not suitable for Shen Ningning to witness.
"Sister, why don’t you head back to the mansion for now? You can have dinner with Father and Second Uncle."
Shen Ningning thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I can’t be of much help here anyway. But Second Brother, if you need me for anything, please remember to find me."
Xie Ming’an was about to reply when Mo Lingwei added, "You can find me as well."
"Then we won’t need to trouble the Crown Prince," Xie Ming’an said with a wide smile, seeing the two of them out.
Just as Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei reached the entrance, they ran into Mrs. Meng, who had just arrived.
She truly was a woman who had weathered many storms. Even after such a terrible thing had happened, Shen Ningning saw that her expression was as calm and composed as ever.
Upon seeing Shen Ningning, Mrs. Meng approached to greet her, her voice full of concern. "Princess, I hope this affair hasn’t frightened you. If that rascal Shao Yuan has truly done something to wrong you, I’ll be the first to disown him."
Shen Ningning offered a faint smile. "Aunt Meng, please don’t worry. I believe he didn’t do it. There must be more to this story. Since the matter is so serious, the Crown Prince suggested that my second brother take over the investigation. This way, we can clear his name sooner."
Mrs. Meng looked toward Mo Lingwei, who stood beside Shen Ningning. She quickly curtsied, her eyes red-rimmed. "Thank you for your understanding, Crown Prince."
Mo Lingwei gave a slight nod. "There’s no need for thanks, Mrs. Meng. There are some minor details that are inconvenient for us to handle. You should go and ask a few more questions yourself. Perhaps you’ll find a new lead for the case."
After thanking him again, Mrs. Meng hurried into the Ministry of Justice.
Mo Lingwei escorted Shen Ningning back to the Xie Mansion. Before she stepped out of the carriage, she paused and said, "Brother, if this incident with Lu Shaoyuan truly has nothing to do with you, then you need to consider if someone close to you leaked the news of your patrol today, allowing it to be exploited by someone with ulterior motives."
This was a meticulously planned setup.
The conspirators not only had to know who Lu Shaoyuan was dining with that night, but they also had to arrange for a "flower seller" like Shuyan to be ready for the setup. On top of that, they had to know the Crown Prince’s travel schedule and ensure Shuyan died precisely in front of Mo Lingwei’s horse.
’What did the person behind this really want?’
Mo Lingwei’s gaze suddenly sharpened. He composed himself and said, "I understand. I’ll investigate this."
Shen Ningning wanted to remind him to take care of himself and not let his intense emotions trigger another headache. But the words died on her lips. She said nothing, simply stepping out of the carriage and entering the mansion.
Mo Lingwei watched her enter the mansion and was about to leave when, to his surprise, the eldest son of the Xie family, Xie Mingxu, emerged from within.
"Crown Prince, might you have a moment to speak?"
Mo Lingwei raised an eyebrow. "Are you getting in the carriage, or am I going into the mansion?"
Xie Mingxu glanced behind him. "I’ll get in the carriage. For the time being, I’d rather my sister not know about this."
Mo Lingwei gave his assent, and Xie Mingxu climbed into the carriage.
So as not to arouse Shen Ningning’s suspicion, the carriage circled the streets a few times.
「Dusk.」
The Emperor was exercising with the help of an Imperial Physician.
He simply couldn’t stop worrying about Mo Lingwei.
Just then, the panicked voices of eunuchs sounded from the doorway. "Crown Prince, the Emperor is currently being seen by the Imperial Physician!"
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Mo Lingwei strode in, his face a mask of furious rage, his eyes bloodshot.
The Imperial Physician froze in fright.
The Emperor waved his hand, dismissing the Imperial Physician, before asking with a frown, "What happened?"
"That day in the bamboo garden... you met with Shen Ningning ahead of time, didn’t you?"
The Emperor stiffened. "Who told you?"
"You don’t need to know. Just tell me this: that day you met her, did you force her to stay away from me? Did you threaten her!" Mo Lingwei’s expression was dangerously cold, the veins bulging on the backs of his hands.
Seeing he could no longer hide it, the Emperor’s face went deathly pale. "I... I did meet with her beforehand. And I said some... unpleasant things. But Ling Wei, listen to me, let me explain. I already regret it, and..."
But as soon as Mo Lingwei heard the confession, he was deaf to any further explanation.
"How could you? You knew perfectly well that Shen Ningning is the one I love and care for, and you threatened her to leave me? And Lu Shaoyuan getting framed today—that was you too, wasn’t it? Because you regretted your first move, you decided to make her give up hope on anyone else."
The Emperor flung his sleeves back. "That’s utter nonsense! What does what happened to Lu Shaoyuan have to do with me?"
Mo Lingwei stared at him, his eyes cold, the corner of his mouth twisting into a chilling smirk. "At this point, do you really think I’d ever believe you again?"