PNB Chapter 167 Reviewing Files
Chapter 167 Reviewing Files
This water ghost hides during the day and comes out at night. It specifically targets pedestrians walking on the suspension bridge and suddenly pulls them into the freezing cold river, causing them to drown.
Every next morning, the bodies of the victims would appear on the shore, their bodies swollen and their eyes wide open, a scene that was extremely tragic.
Over the course of three consecutive years, the village lost eight lives, and no one, young or old, was spared.
It was not until the end of the third year that the body of the last victim surfaced. The villagers, terrified, finally decided to demolish the suspension bridge and take a more winding but relatively safer path instead.
At first, people thought it was someone malicious who did it and quickly reported it to the authorities. However, after investigation, the authorities discovered that the initial death case was subtly related to the tragedy of a woman in the village who was forced to drown in a pond.
Since then, all kinds of rumors have spread among the villagers, and they have speculated that the woman's ghost has not yet dispersed and has returned to collect debts.
The government did not take it seriously at first, until seven consecutive murders occurred like a chain reaction, and each case seemed to be inextricably linked to the woman, so they finally had to attribute it to supernatural forces.
Sheng Junwei carefully examined the birth dates of two of the victims with a frown on her face, buried deep in the mountains of case files and the few items left at the scene.
Time passed minute by minute, and she pondered for a long time, until finally she raised her head and took a sip of tea.
This incident was obviously not done by ghosts or gods, but if we want to uncover the truth, we need more clues, which cannot be done in one day.
She took out a booklet from her bosom, made a few simple notes, and then devoted herself to studying the rest of the cases.
Let’s go back to that strange case that is still talked about today. Its background is set in the turbulent spring of the 28th year of Qingyuan.
At that time, a major event occurred in the Forbidden City that shocked the court and the whole country. Deep in the palace, there was a treasure that carried countless legends and devout beliefs.
The Prajna Glass Lamp disappeared mysteriously and quietly overnight.
This lamp is an extraordinary object. Since it has been enshrined in the Buddhist temple for more than 20 years, it always seems to be gently covered by Buddha's light, warm and mysterious. It can not only dispel the evil spirit around it, but also protect the peace of the royal family.
It is also said to have miraculous effects. As long as it is placed in the bedroom, it can make people calm and their worries disappear. There are even rumors that it can increase the lifespan of the holder. It is truly a rare treasure.
More importantly, this colored glaze cup symbolizes the utmost respect and submission of the distant vassal states to the Yuan Empire, and has always been favored and cherished by the Empress Dowager Jing'an of the current dynasty.
However, this precious cup, which was almost regarded as the guardian object of the royal family, disappeared inexplicably shortly after the Empress Dowager personally inspected it.
I remember that day, when the morning light just broke, the Empress Dowager personally confirmed the placement of the Prajna glass lamp. At that time, the Buddha's light was faint and everything was normal.
But who would have thought that in just a brief moment when she turned around to take a rest in the Imperial Garden and sip a pot of tea, such a precious treasure disappeared like a phantom, without leaving a trace.
When the news reached Emperor Qingyuan, who was handling state affairs in the Qinzheng Hall, he was furious and immediately issued a secret decree, requiring a thorough carpet search of the Empress Dowager's residence, Shouxiang Palace.
However, even after carefully searching every inch of the palace, the glass lamp seemed to have disappeared, and the search ended in complete failure.
Unwilling to give up, Emperor Qingyuan expanded the search range and almost turned the entire palace upside down, but still found nothing, leaving only sighs and helplessness.
For those masters of Taoism who are proficient in Yin and Yang and the Five Elements and are good at the art of tracking and searching, finding lost items should be a basic skill that can be done easily.
With just a trace of remaining image or the unique scent of the treasure, coupled with an ancient searching spell, it can be found even at the ends of the earth.
However, fate seems to love playing jokes. Sheng Junwei, the protagonist of the story, although she has unique skills and keen insight into everything in the world, has never seen the true appearance of the Prajna Glass Lamp. This undoubtedly adds insurmountable obstacles to her journey to find the treasure.
Fortunately, there is always a way out. Just when everyone was at a loss, the clever Sheng Junwei did not give up hope.
She suddenly remembered that perhaps she could start with the people in Shouxiang Palace at that time and try to find a breakthrough from the clues of the palace maids and eunuchs who had close contact with the glass lamps.
So, she plunged into the mountains of palace archives, carefully reading through them page by page, vowing to find the truth and clues hidden under the dust of time in this vast and complex ocean of information.
Shouxiang Palace, this ancient palace that has witnessed countless court events, is home to a total of 28 palace maids, accompanied by 30 loyal eunuchs.
Time has passed and the years have been merciless. Most of the palace ladies and eunuchs have passed away, but the senior palace maid who served the empress dowager closely is still alive and well. She is already seventy-eight years old. It seems that her life has been particularly favored by time and has transcended the limits of mortals.
This Empress Dowager was of noble status. She was the mother of the late emperor and the respected grandmother of the current emperor.
And the senior palace maid who accompanied the Grand Empress Dowager for such a long time had been by her side since her childhood. Surprisingly, her life span was even longer than that of the noble Grand Empress Dowager.
After the Empress Dowager passed away, this loyal old palace maid was finally able to leave the constraints of the palace walls and live out the rest of her life in the outside world. The emperor himself was also very concerned about her later life. During every New Year, he would give her rich gifts to express the royal family's respect and gratitude.
At this moment, the morning light was just breaking and the sky was not yet fully bright. Sheng Junwei, holding the gold medal symbolizing privilege and mission, stepped firmly into the majestic gate of the Forbidden City.
"You want to inquire about Aunt Fang's past?"
The emperor's eyes were full of surprise. "This seems to come so suddenly. Why do you want to investigate her? Is there something wrong with her family descendants?"
Sheng Junwei explained respectfully and calmly: "Your Majesty's order to solve a case every day is something I dare not forget. After reviewing many dusty files, I think the 'Glass Lamp Disappearance Case' that occurred thirty years ago may be the case with the greatest potential for a breakthrough."
He paused, and then continued, "However, in order to find the mysteriously disappeared glass lamp, we must first determine its exact appearance and characteristics. Therefore, I plan to consult Aunt Fang, after all, she is one of the few eyewitnesses of that era who is still alive today."
The emperor pondered for a moment, a barely perceptible thought flashed across his eyes, and he quietly signaled Eunuch Yu beside him with an extremely subtle movement.
Eunuch Yu understood and retreated swiftly and silently. After a while, he respectfully handed over two booklets with simple covers.