On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2293 Opening the Coffin

Three days later at the Prince of Youcheng's mansion, a few rays of warm light shone through the window of the study, falling on the open letter.

Yan Ruyu gently held the carrier pigeon letter sent by Princess Mingzhao. The letter was urgent, detailing her strange encounter in the forest of Chongzhou.

The woman with the exact same face as her, pregnant with six months' worth of children, and the strange sight of blood-stained coffins.

She had just finished reading the letter when she heard steady footsteps outside the door, and Huo Changhe pushed the door open and walked in.

His brows furrowed with a somber expression, and he held in his hand a secret message sent by his bodyguards from Chongzhou.

Seeing Yan Ruyu sitting at the desk, he paused slightly, stepped forward and placed the plain paper beside her: "The news from the secret guards has just arrived, and it should be about the same thing as Mingzhao's letter."

Yan Ruyu reached out and picked up the plain paper, unfolded it and read it carefully. The secret message from the guard was concise and to the point, saying that the woman in the coffin looked exactly like the princess, was six months pregnant, and that the woman's family background and burial were strange.

As for Zhou Lao Er's family, they still need to go to Qingxian County. There is not much news about them for the time being. Apart from that, there is nothing more to say.

Yan Ruyu put down the plain paper and placed it together with Mingzhao's letter.

The two fell silent for a moment, both feeling somewhat uneasy.

Huo Changhe leaned down and looked at the four characters “unique appearance”, and said in a deep voice: “No matter what the reason is, it is related to you. I have to go there in person.”

"I don't think appearance is anything important." Yan Ruyu shook her head gently, pointing her finger at the words "pregnant woman".

She circled those two words.

"There are countless people in the world who look alike, but I feel that this woman's pregnancy is somewhat unusual."

It's so strange that she died so close to her due date, and that it was kept so secret.

Upon hearing this, Huo Changhe frowned even more deeply. He grasped Yan Ruyu's hand and said, "You are more perceptive and see things more clearly than I do."

The matter in Youcheng has been mostly resolved, and the aftermath has been settled. The city's guards and the manor's guards can be entrusted to reliable people.

Yan Ruyu looked up at him, a faint smile spreading across her lips: "In that case, let's make preparations and go to Chongzhou together."

You are now a free person, exonerated and cleared of all charges. No one can stop you from going wherever you want.

Huo Changhe tightened his grip on her hand, his eyes filled with heartache.

From dealing with the epidemic to investigating cases, Yan Ruyu has been working non-stop for so long.

"It's just that I'm making you run around all day again. You haven't had a proper rest for a single day lately."

"It's alright." Yan Ruyu took his hand in return, her smile softening. "Just think of it as a trip to enjoy the scenery. We've been under too much pressure lately, dealing with investigations and prevention. A trip to Chongzhou will help us relax."

Besides, Mingzhao is there; if we go over, we can lend a hand, which is better than just worrying here.”

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Huo Changhe said no more. He gently patted her head, and the melancholy in his eyes lessened, leaving only tenderness.

"Alright, I'll make the arrangements right away. I'll let the governor's office know, and we'll set off as soon as we're ready."

In Chongzhou, in the small courtyard rented by Princess Mingzhao.

The candlelight in the main room burned brightly, and the flickering flames cast shadows on the people filling the room.

Mingzhao sat in the main seat, with several sheets of paper on the table in front of him. These were the reports that Huo Changhe's three bodyguards had gathered over the past few days.

The head guard stepped forward and reported in a deep voice: "Princess, after days of investigation, we have found out the identity of the woman in the coffin."

She was the eldest daughter-in-law of the He family's main branch, surnamed Su. She had been married into the He family for three years, and this was her first pregnancy; according to the calendar, she was only about a month away from giving birth.

“The He family?” Mingzhao raised an eyebrow, his fingertips lightly brushing across the paper. “Is it a family of doctors in the city that has practiced medicine for five generations?”

I've heard people say that the He family enjoys extremely high prestige in Chongzhou.

“Exactly.” The guard responded and continued, “Since he was young, the old master of the He family has set a rule that he will hold a free clinic on the 2nd and 16th of each month. All poor people who come to see him for treatment and medicine will not be charged a penny.”

If a family is truly struggling financially, even if it's not a free clinic day, the old man will never refuse to help them if they come to his door seeking treatment.

When his subordinates were investigating, they heard from the people on the street that the old man often said, "Nothing is more important than human life. No amount of money can buy a human life."

Because of this dedication, the He family holds a high position in the hearts of the people of Chongzhou.

Mingzhao's brows furrowed, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table, his tone full of surprise.

"Given such a family, the eldest daughter-in-law of the main branch of the family, who was about to give birth, should have a proper funeral even if she suffered from an acute illness and could not be cured, so that she could leave with dignity."

How could they have been hastily buried in that desolate forest in the middle of the night, without even leaving a grave?

They even used methods like wrapping the coffin with black rope and affixing blood talismans to it. How could this be considered a normal burial?

Upon hearing this, Mu Chen whispered, "Princess, do you remember? Back in the woods, the one called Second Master said, 'He won't die a good death anyway.'"

Princess Mingzhao nodded: "That's right, it is true."

Mu Chen continued, "I think there's something strange about what he said."

“It wasn’t a good death after all,” Mingzhao repeated, his gaze instantly darkening.

"A family of doctors, kind to their daughters-in-law, and highly respected among the people, yet they were secretive about the death of their eldest daughter-in-law who was about to give birth, and the funeral was handled so strangely. There must be a lot of hidden stories behind this. Su's death was definitely not a simple matter of dying of illness."

She sat up straight, her gaze resolute, and looked at Mu Chen and the three guards: "Tonight, we'll go to that grove again and open the coffin!"

Even if there are no new clues in the coffin, there are always some clues that might reveal the cause of Su's death.

Mu Chen and his three bodyguards responded in unison, "Yes!"

As night deepened, the desolate forest outside Chongzhou City...

Thick clouds obscured the moonlight, with only scattered rays filtering through the gaps in the tree shadows and falling on the fallen leaves, giving them a faint, cold glow.

The woods were quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Mingzhao was accompanied by Mu Chen and three bodyguards, each holding a shovel.

She still had the small flashlight that Yan Ruyu had given her at her waist, and she walked all the way to the patch of renovated soil.

"This is it." Mingzhao lowered his voice and gestured to the others.

The group immediately took action, and before long, the black lacquered coffin reappeared.

Looking at the coffin, Mingzhao felt that something was not right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Open the coffin," Mingzhao said softly.

Mu Chen and his three bodyguards immediately stepped forward. The four of them grabbed the four corners of the coffin lid and lifted it up together, slowly opening the heavy coffin lid.

The lead guard immediately lit a tinderbox, and Mingzhao also turned on his flashlight. The firelight and the flashlight beam were brought together in front of the coffin, illuminating the inside of the coffin clearly.

But when they looked into the coffin together, they were all shocked.