C79 Part2

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Unexpectedly, Lord Zhuang, a staff member of the Ministry of Engineering Department, hid in the Warm Pavilion of the Study Room, secretly smoking opium.

Murong Ci's heart was faintly angry.

She picked up a carved wooden box beside the bamboo couch.

The wooden box was not big, but a little heavy,

"What's this?"

As she opened the lid, a strange light incense curled out.

The wooden box was filled with brown paste, only a thin layer remained.

She leaned closer and smelled,

"What is this?"

His complexion changed drastically,

"This should be the paste used to smoke from for opium pipe."

"Does this have something to do with Lord Zhuang's death by poisoning?"

"I can't answer Your Highness right now, but I think Lord Zhuang died strangely."

"This Prince has just seen that there's still half a cup of tea left inside the tea cup on the table, and we should bring it back to the Dali Temple for inspection."

"Well, I will tell them to carefully bring it back."

As soon as the two came out of the Warm Pavilion they handed the opium pipe and wooden box to the Head Official, and asked him to send it to the Dali Temple.

Murong Ci came outside and quickly walked to a middle-aged woman.

Murong Ci asked,

"Are you Madam Zhuang?"

Madam Zhuang was in grief, wearing a plain summer robe.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her tears were still there.

She was in grief, and stood almost unsteady.

The older mother supported her.

She wiped away her tears and replied:

"I am."

Murong Ci asked:

"Did you know that your Husband was going to spend the night in the Study Room last night?"

Madam Zhuang nodded,

"Last night, I sent him a bowl of mung bean soup in the Study Room, and he ate it right away.

I advised him to rest early and take care of his body.

He said that there were many things to deal with that day and he would return to the Sleeping Hall very late.

He told me to go to bed first.

What he truly meant was that he shouldn't come back to the Sleeping Hall to sleep, so I could go back and rest first."

"Did Lord Zhuang have any other Consorts or Concubines?"

"No. I have been married with him for more than 20 years, and he has always treated me well and fairly, respecting each other as even."

"Was Lord Zhuang very busy with his job recently?

Did he often not return to the Sleeping Hall to sleep?"

"Yes, in the past six months, he often came back to the Sleeping Hall very late, and half of the times he spent the night resting in the Study Room instead."

"Madam Zhuang didn't you think that Lord Zhuang looked depleted?"

Murong Ci stared at her, not letting the slightest expression on her face escape her sight, but she was very calm, her eyes firm, and didn't avoid the stare.

"He had lost a lot of weight in the past six months.

I asked the servants in the Dining Hall to make a lot of nourishing soup to replenish his body.

But he had a lot of work to do in the Ministry of Engineering and he stayed in the Study Room until late every day and night.

I worried about how thin he was getting.

I watched him getting thinner and thinner, and I felt anxious and worried,

However every time I tried to persuade him, he would reply violently, insulting me as a not understanding woman who didn't care enough about men."

Madam Zhuang was sad and wronged, and her voice dumb.

"In the past six months, Lord Zhuang had not only become thinner, but also pale, weak in limbs, often lethargic, and sometimes mentally weak and unresponsive, right?"

Shen Zhiyan suddenly asked.

"What you said is true.

At first I suspected that he was suffering from a hidden illness, and I called a doctor to treat him, but he blasted the doctor out and scolded me."

As Madam Zhuang replied, tears started streaming down again,

"Sir, was he poisoned?

How could he be poisoned to death?

Sir, you must find out the truth..."

Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan looked at each other, indicating that they would investigate thoroughly.

....

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END of CHAPTER 79 PART 2

.....................to be continued