After the conversation with the emperor this time, Song Yan was approved to enter and leave the palace freely. The emperor specifically told him that the investigation should be carried out secretly.
The secret investigation was also to prevent the people in the palace from panicking because of this matter. This was also the reason why the emperor specifically suppressed this matter before. Song Yan said that he could understand this.
However, the information that could be found out through a secret investigation was limited after all. Recently, he didn't know if the murderer had noticed something, but the murderer didn't commit any more crimes.
This feeling was the same as during the previous serial murder cases. It was also during the investigation that the murderer stopped acting, and then...
a scapegoat appeared.
Song Yan felt a faint uneasiness in his heart. Now the most dangerous person was Ye Zhiqiu. After Ye Zhiqiu talked to him last time and told him that there was something wrong with the imperial concubine, Song Yan also secretly investigated.
He found that the imperial concubine was really a bit suspicious.
But Ye Zhiqiu couldn't get away now. There were guards watching all around, and it was even more difficult to meet him.
On the other side, Ye Zhiqiu was sitting in front of Liu Shiyao. He was holding a cup of tea and sipping it. He turned his head and glanced at the patrolling guards outside. "Doesn't the imperial concubine think that the arrangement of the guards this time is a bit over - the - top?"
Liu Shiyao calmly reached out and tapped on the table. Hearing this, she lowered her eyes and said with great concern, "Recently, I've heard some rumors. Just to be on the safe side, this is for your protection."
"Protection? This seems more like detention. Are you afraid that I'll run away?" Ye Zhiqiu put down the tea in his hand and said calmly.
Liu Shiyao covered her lips and laughed at Ye Zhiqiu's straightforward words. "Mr. Ye has misunderstood. You are the teacher I specially invited from outside the palace to teach Lening. How could I detain you?"
...
Ye Zhiqiu met Liu Shiyao's gaze. The half - smiling look on her face made him uncomfortable, as if she was brewing some plan.
He couldn't figure this woman out.
"Then I'll thank the imperial concubine for her kindness." Ye Zhiqiu didn't want to dwell on this matter anymore. He quickly thanked her and tried to end the topic.
Liu Shiyao could see that Ye Zhiqiu didn't want to talk more about this topic. She propped herself up on the table corner and slowly stood up. The moment she stood up, her vision suddenly went black, and her head felt dizzy. She couldn't help but stagger.
The maid beside her quickly stepped forward to support her arm so that she wouldn't fall.
Liu Shiyao steadied herself by holding the maid's hand. After a short rest, she felt better. She looked down at Ye Zhiqiu. "Mr. Ye, you must be more careful tonight. Don't leave this side hall for even a single step."
After saying that, she lifted her steps and left without waiting for Ye Zhiqiu's response. She was just giving a reminder. What choice Ye Zhiqiu would make and what his fate would be next were no longer within her control.
Ye Zhiqiu looked at the tea on the table. The words Liu Shiyao had just said echoed in his mind, and he frowned tightly.
"Don't leave this side hall for even a single step... huh?" he murmured in a low voice.
But could he really trust Liu Shiyao's words?
Ye Zhiqiu didn't trust this matter at all. Moreover, the woman had arranged so many patrolling guards outside his hall. Even if he wanted to go out, he had to find a way to avoid these guards.
After some thought, he didn't take Liu Shiyao's words to heart.
When night fell, those patrolling guards were gone, and a letter mysteriously appeared on Ye Zhiqiu's table.
The handwriting on the letter was a bit familiar. It was exactly Song Yan's handwriting.
He asked Ye Zhiqiu to meet him in the garden, saying that he had found some clues and wanted to discuss them.
Looking at the letter, Ye Zhiqiu thought that things might not be that simple. Not to mention how the letter mysteriously appeared on his table.
Why did the guards outside suddenly disappear?
Combined with this letter, it seemed as if someone was deliberately luring him out.
This looked like an obvious trap.
But staying here might not be safe either. This was also a chance to escape. It all depended on what choice he would make.
After some thought, Ye Zhiqiu finally chose to go out. In the Yongning Palace on the other side, Liu Shiyao was holding a candle, which was the only source of light in the hall.
She watched Ye Zhiqiu's white clothes flash by in the side hall and gently sighed.
"He finally chose to leave." Her voice was very soft. As soon as she finished speaking, she blew out the candle in her hand.
As the candle went out, the hall suddenly plunged into darkness. Liu Shiyao looked up at the night sky. Only a crescent moon hung high in the sky tonight.
Under the moonlight, a dark shadow suddenly flashed by like a ghost and disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Ye Zhiqiu stopped and hesitated for a while when he passed by the garden. He didn't know if what was written in the letter was true or not, and he didn't know if Song Yan had left the palace yet.
Just as he was hesitating, a dark shadow suddenly covered his mouth and dragged him towards a secluded place.
This feeling was very familiar. He had just experienced it a few months ago.
Although Ye Zhiqiu had expected that this day would come, he didn't expect it to come so soon.
The sharp blade cut through his neck neatly. In a short while, blood gushed out. The warm blood flowed down, and Ye Zhiqiu felt that all the strength in his body was gradually disappearing.
He tried hard to see the murderer's appearance so that he could give Song Yan a hint after he was resurrected. But his vision was extremely blurred, and he could only vaguely see a blurry figure.
"Ye Zhiqiu!"
Just as the black - clothed man was about to stab his knife into Ye Zhiqiu's body again, a voice rang out in the silent night, followed by a rush of footsteps.
The murderer angrily clicked his tongue when he heard this. He put away the knife in his hand and quickly leaped onto the eaves. In a few steps, he disappeared.
Song Yan, who had rushed over in a hurry, ran to Ye Zhiqiu's side. He was still a step too late. He had clearly seen Ye Zhiqiu's figure just now, but before he could reach him, the other man had already been killed.
The wound on Ye Zhiqiu's neck was so deep that the bone could be seen, and blood was still gushing out continuously, but Song Yan had no idea what to do.
Although this wasn't the first time he had seen Ye Zhiqiu's dying appearance, he still couldn't remain calm no matter how many times he saw it.
Ye Zhiqiu could see that Song Yan was a bit flustered now. He must be in a very complicated mood. All Ye Zhiqiu could do was use all his strength to reach out and hold his slightly cold hand.
"Take... me away..." Ye Zhiqiu's voice was very weak. He spoke intermittently. Every time he said a word, a large amount of blood gushed out from the corner of his mouth.
His palm was extremely cold. Song Yan could feel the life slipping away bit by bit, but this wasn't the time to be sad. He steadied his mind and covered Ye Zhiqiu's bleeding wound.
He reached out to support Ye Zhiqiu, carried him on his back, and walked out step by step.
Ye Zhiqiu knew that Song Yan had calmed down when he saw that Song Yan was no longer panicked, so he closed his eyes reassuringly.
He was very sleepy now. Ye Zhiqiu didn't know how long he would have to sleep this time before he could be resurrected, but he could only leave the rest of the things to Song Yan.
Everything... would be discussed after he woke up.