Chapter 60: The Green Ghost Case Begins.

The golden sun shines obliquely on the ancient city wall, and the banners of merchants on the nine streets flutter like shattered jade.

Beneath the blue brick city gate, the eight-zhang-wide official road was crowded with camel caravans. Western Region glass and Jiangnan silk flowed with colorful patterns between sandalwood cargo boxes. The lintels of the money shops along the street were inlaid with bronze Pixiu, and the claws of the shops were decorated with carved silver ingots.

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians. Children, their voices still young, sang an unfamiliar nursery rhyme: "Copper Mother, copper mother, smiling sweetly, Father strings coins and hangs colorful clothes. Each copper coin brings a wish, blessing the child with peace; the round copper coin rolls across the mat, landing on the brush and inkstone, bringing literary talent. If it rolls into a candy cake, don't be angry, the Copper Mother bestows blessings of sweetness to the end; Copper Mother, copper mother, green eyes, swallows it, Father exchanges it for a candy cake, at midnight the purse rumbles, Mother says it's the Copper Mother laughing."

Inside the princess's carriage with its vermilion roof and gilded decorations, Yue Yining, who was taking a nap, was awakened by the faint sound of a children's rhyme from the roadside.

She rubbed her temples, sat up, and asked listlessly, "Yaoyao, where are we?"

Fu Yao was peeking through a corner of the gauze curtain at the bustling city scene outside the carriage window when she heard this and looked at her with bright eyes: "Miss, we've arrived in Suyang, and we're on our way to the City Lord's Mansion now."

The wheels rolled on, all the way to the gate of the city lord's mansion. The bamboo curtain with hanging beads was lifted, and a woman in green stepped out of the carriage. Her figure was as graceful as a willow, and her clear eyes were like ink beads reflecting white water.

Yue Yining slowly stepped down from the carriage, Fu Yao supporting her hand. Just as Yue Yining landed, she heard a voice calling from not far away: "Yue Yining!"

Yue Yining looked up and saw a man in a royal blue robe, none other than Ye Miheng, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. Yue Yining smiled and turned to bow, saying, "Greetings, Lord Ye. It's been a long time. How have you been, Lord Ye?"

She noticed Ye Miheng pause as he approached, then he awkwardly raised his hand, bowed, and said, "It's alright. Thank you for your concern, Lord Yue..."

Yue Yining chuckled inwardly, but said gently, "It seems that Lord Ye has also come to Suyang to investigate the Green Ghost case on the orders of the Fourth Prince?"

A few days ago, the imperial court received several memorials from local authorities, all reporting strange events that had occurred in Suyang City since March. First, green ghostly figures frequently appeared in Suyang, witnessed by many people. Then, there was a series of cases of sudden infant deaths, with three cases occurring within a month. The victims were all infants under two years old from ordinary families, and the cause of death was unknown.

Rumors soon spread that the green ghost feeds on the souls of infants, causing widespread panic in the city, with everyone fearing that the green ghost would kill their children.

After the matter was reported to the emperor, the emperor attached great importance to it and ordered the Dali Temple to combine these cases into the "Green Ghost Case". He also appointed three senior princes to send people to Suyang to thoroughly investigate the case.

A group of officials and maids from the city lord's mansion were already waiting at the entrance, and they led the two into the mansion.

Yue Yining and Ye Miheng walked at the front, which meant they were a bit further away from the others.

Ye Miheng then dared to mutter to Yue Yining in a low voice, "They say it's an investigation, but it's really just the first test of the three princes' abilities. As soon as Wei Jing heard it was about gods and ghosts, he immediately appointed me to handle the case. I can accept the assignment, but when I asked him for manpower, he wouldn't even give me one more advisor. Does that mean I have to do it all myself? Isn't he a little too confident?"

Yue Yining smiled and said, "Doesn't this also show that he trusts your abilities in this area?"

Ye Miheng glared at her: "Why are you making sarcastic remarks here? I'm a Taoist priest, not an exorcist! Wei Jing may not understand, but you, Yue Yining, also study the Five Arts, how could you not understand?"

Yue Yining glanced at him: "Then why didn't you reject him?"

Ye Miheng was furious: "Do you think Wei Jing would listen to anything I say?"

Yue Yining laughed: "That's true, he must have thought that was your excuse to avoid work."

Yue Yining's gloating smile made Ye Miheng's teeth itch. He retorted sarcastically, "Stop watching the show. Wei Ye didn't give you any other manpower, did he? I see you only brought that little girl Fu Yao. It seems the Third Prince is just as 'trustful' of you."

Unexpectedly, Yue Yining was not discouraged at all, and instead smiled and said, "That's right."

Ye Miheng's eyes widened, and he lowered his voice to say, "Hey, no, you're really not worried at all?"

Yue Yining: "What do I have to worry about?"

Ye Miheng gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "I did a divination before I came here to find out who the real culprit is in this case. The divination result was empty, which means there is no criminal. These babies were not murdered!"

“But if it’s not murder, then what is it? Think about it, what could possibly cause several families’ babies to die silently without any explanation, and the doctors and coroners still can’t figure it out?” Ye Miheng finally showed some worry. “What else can we do besides some divination? If it really is the work of ghosts, then we’ll have to go to the Three Mountains to invite exorcists. What use are two celestial masters and a bunch of useless officials?”

Yue Yining, who had been patiently listening to his complaints, suddenly smiled and said, "You really believe that ghosts are behind all these things?"

Ye Miheng was very dissatisfied with her tone and started glaring at her again, but he didn't dare to raise his voice too much, so he could only say in a low voice, "Didn't I already tell you? I can't figure out the culprit! If it wasn't a human who killed him, then it could only be a ghost, right?"

Yue Yining: "Look at what you're saying. Haven't you thought of other reasons? Couldn't it also be some kind of plague that only infects children?"

"How could a plague only kill so few people?" Ye Miheng scoffed. "If you're so capable, then tell me, what do you think is the truth behind the deaths of this green ghost and this infant?"

“If I knew the truth, why would I be here?” Yue Yining said. “However, I also had my fortune told in the capital.”

“My divination shows that not only is there no real culprit, but the true circumstances of many cases have also been concealed. For example, the number of infant deaths is not three in a month, but twenty-three.”

Ye Miheng's expression froze. Yue Yining didn't look at him and continued in a low voice, "After calculating this number, many problems will become clear."

"For example, this matter was not reported by local officials on their own initiative from the beginning. Rather, it had been accumulating for a long time and could no longer be suppressed, so they were forced to report it. The infant deaths did not begin in March, but started at the beginning of the year. At first, there were only a few, but by March, the number had surged to more than twenty, which also matches the divination I had calculated."

"With the number of deaths increasing, rather than continuing to conceal it from the court and inciting public resentment, it would be better to temporarily comply with public opinion and report the cases. In any case, the officials can manipulate the details of the cases no matter how they want to portray them. By downplaying the severity of the problem, the court might be too busy to send anyone to investigate, and the burden that was originally on the local officials could be conveniently shifted to the officials in the capital. To the local people, it could be said that the higher-ups are not doing their job and the court is not taking it seriously."

Ye Miheng was stunned. He hurriedly said, "No, that's not right!"

"Then why does the Emperor attach such great importance to this case? Or is it that he doesn't actually care whether the case can be solved or not, but just randomly chose this matter to test the three princes' ability to appoint people?"

Yue Yining glanced at him. "Do you think the Emperor only sent us to investigate the Green Ghost and the baby?"

Ye Miheng asked in confusion, "Otherwise, what else can we do?"

"..." Yue Yining looked at him with a complicated expression, and said sincerely, "You're really not suited to be a strategist. Wouldn't it be better to go back to the mountains and be your Grand Celestial Master?"

Ye Miheng's face turned bright red, and he could only mutter angrily in a low voice: "Stop talking nonsense! Now that I've come to Yanjing, I won't leave easily!"

"Okay, I guess I was being nosy." Yue Yining shrugged.

Seeing that she showed no intention of explaining things to him, Ye Miheng couldn't stand it any longer. He stealthily moved closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Why aren't you saying anything? What you just said meant that you know the emperor's true purpose?"

Yue Yining: "I know, but why should I tell you? We're competitors now. If I find out the truth first, then this case will be credited to the Third Prince's side. Why should I tell you the clues I've discovered?"

"You!" Ye Miheng was angered again. Afraid of attracting attention, he quickly lowered his voice again and said in a "soft voice": "Yue Yining, do you have any conscience? I just told you the divination results I had calculated. I am so unguarded and unconcerned about details with you. And look at how you treat me! Are you planning to treat me as an enemy?"

Yue Yining thought to herself, "I've figured out all those things you calculated too." But she still didn't say it aloud, afraid that Ye Miheng would really get angry with her here.

The scene in her imagination made Yue Yining both amused and exasperated: "Alright, alright, if you keep going, I'll become a heinous villain."

"Didn't you even look up what Suyang was before you came here?" Yue Yining slowly explained, "Suyang is the largest copper mining area in Dongxi, and also Dongxi's 'hometown of coins.' As the name suggests, the most famous industry here is the minting industry. Since the change of dynasties in Dongxi, 80% of all the official copper coins circulating in the market came from the mint in Suyang."

"This is why the Emperor attaches such importance to the case reported by Suyang, even though it is not serious. If the people of Suyang are unsettled, it will inevitably affect the national treasury. On the surface, we are here to investigate the Green Ghost case, but in reality, we are also the eyes and ears of the court sent to monitor the officials of Suyang and ensure the safety of the treasury."

What Yue Yining didn't say was that the officials of Suyang were so secretive, which meant that there was more to the "Green Ghost Case" than was an ordinary case.

Ye Miheng hadn't recovered yet: "Supervising corruption is fine, but investigating cases is a real headache."

"So many people died? Could it really be like you said, caused by a plague...?"

“No. I don’t think it’s a plague either.” Yue Yining had experienced a plague herself, and she had also researched various sources before coming. She did not believe that the “green ghost case” in Suyang was a sign of a plague. “I just want to tell you not to attribute things to ghosts all the time. If you get used to this way of thinking, you will suffer a big fall sooner or later.”

“Besides,” Yue Yining said, gazing at the carved railings and jade steps of the city lord’s mansion, “humans are far more terrifying than ghosts.”

The master of ceremonies and maids led the two into the main hall. Before them was a huge embroidered screen depicting a money tree with gold threads. Behind the screen, the sounds preceded the people. The clinking of wine cups mingled with the man's rough and hearty laughter, echoing around them for a long time.

Just as Yue Yining and Ye Miheng walked around the screen, they happened to hear a loud male voice: "Back when I was a Hanlin scholar in the capital, I had some dealings with Prime Minister Xie. It's been many years since we last met, and I never imagined his eldest son would grow up so big. Hahahaha! So young and promising, truly young and promising!"

"You flatter me, Lord Jin." The familiar, gentle voice, like spring sunshine melting snow, touched her heart like a gentle breeze. "This humble subject dares not accept such praise."

Yue Yining paused, but her body had already leaned out of the screen due to the momentum of her steps. Ye Miheng behind her did not stop and followed.

The walls of the hall are inlaid with rubbings of coins from various dynasties, from knife coins to Jiahe Tongbao, resembling a history of Dongxi coins. In the center hangs the "Copper Mountain Map", in which miners are shirtless and wielding hammers, the water is red and the copper is yellow and translucent, like orange snakes dancing wildly.

The banquet was filled with officials of all ranks, drinking and chatting, their laughter echoing throughout. The man seated at the head of the table was Jin Yuanxiu, the lord of Suyang City, who was embracing a beautiful woman in red, raising his wine cup in a hearty drink. To his left sat a woman with exquisite features, her long black hair tied in a white jade crown, her face as pure as snow, her wide-sleeved robe billowing like clouds, her eyes like the moon, truly a beauty surpassing even the spring mountains.

Xie Qingyu's long, slender hand held the cup, and as he smiled and spoke, his delicate fingers lightly twirled the cup. Seemingly noticing several figures appearing on the other side of the screen out of the corner of his eye, he glanced over casually, his gaze unexpectedly meeting Yue Yining's.

Yue Yining saw it. The cup in his hand seemed to freeze, no longer turning.

Xie Qingyu's eyes were calm, and he did not show any unusual expression after seeing her. He only glanced at her before looking away.

Ye Miheng, standing beside him, muttered, "What? I thought he was still on his way, but he's already here."

Yue Yining subconsciously looked up at him: "You know him?"

"Who doesn't know Xie Qingyu, the eldest son of the Xie family?" Ye Miheng was baffled by her question. "He has achieved brilliant political achievements and a distinguished reputation at such a young age, which shows that he is a rare and capable minister. In addition, he is a direct descendant of a powerful family. I think the local officials in Suyang will give him some face because of the Xie family, and it might be easier for them to ask him for favors. If I were the Seventh Prince, I would also send him."

The day after Yue Yining confronted Xie Qingyu, the Emperor announced the news, adding the Seventh Prince to the list of potential heirs. On the same day, the Xie family also publicly sided with the Seventh Prince in court, formally declaring their support for Wei Xueyu's bid for the throne.

As the head of a prestigious family, the Xie clan's affairs are far-reaching and influential. With Xie Zhi currently away from the capital, the eldest son of the main branch, Xie Qingyu, has become the person in charge of the clan.

But Yue Yining knew that Xie Qingyu couldn't make decisions on his own in everything. The clan elders and several uncles would more or less take advantage of their seniority and compete for benefits in front of him.

However, it is undeniable that Xie Qingyu, as the son of Prime Minister Xie and holding an important position in the capital, has seen his reputation and prestige rise accordingly, and his every move has attracted more attention than before.

Yue Yining withdrew her gaze and chuckled softly, "Indeed, I asked a stupid question."

The official in charge of ceremonies announced loudly, "Lord Yue, Lord Ye has arrived—"

Jin Yuanxiu seemed to only just notice them, calmly rising and smiling as he said, "Your humble servant Jin Yuanxiu greets you both. I apologize for not greeting you properly."

"You two have come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Please come and sit down for your meal. Let's rest early today."

Yue Yining didn't quite understand why Xie Qingyu was pretending to be unfamiliar with her. Logically speaking, given how frequently they had met before, it would be reasonable for them to act even more friendly now.

But since he did this, he must have had his reasons.

but--

The master of ceremonies led Yue Yining to a position right next to Xie Qingyu. Before Yue Yining could even sit down, Xie Qingyu stood up, her black robes flowing freely, silver patterns swirling like smoke and mist.

Yue Yining noticed his gaze and stopped to look back.

Surrounded by luxurious furs and golden goblets, the fragrance of clothes and the sway of hair, his gaze was clear and deep, a smile playing on his lips as he looked straight into her eyes.

He said gently, "Lord Yue, we meet again."

Yue Yining loosened her stance slightly. She smiled and replied, "I thought Lord Xie wouldn't be able to arrive so soon, but I didn't expect him to arrive so early."

Xie Qingyu held an important position and could not leave the capital for an extended period. Yue Yining had originally thought he would set off for Suyang in two days, but she did not expect him to arrive even earlier than her and Ye Miheng.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and taking their seats, Ye Miheng, who was sitting on the other side of Yue Yining, called out to her twice: "What's going on? Are you two very close?"

Anyone with a modicum of information wouldn't ask her such a question. To those with a keen eye, the sheer number of times she entered and left the Xie residence at the end of March already indicated that Xie Qingyu's attitude towards her was unusual. But there's room for explanation and maneuvering.

Yue Yining lied without changing her expression: "We're not that close. He tried to recruit me a few times for the Seventh Prince's camp, but I didn't accept his offer. I still plan to stay under the Third Prince's command."

The hall was filled with singing and dancing. Jin Yuanxiu held a wine cup and swirled it slightly. He squinted his eyes and smiled, "I wonder if the food in the manor suits the tastes of you gentlemen?"

Xie Qingyu said gently, "Lord Jin's hospitality is truly impeccable."

In fact, Yue Yining hadn't even touched her chopsticks yet, but she still responded with a few words of agreement. Jin Yuanxiu laughed heartily and raised the wine cup on the table: "Come, come, it's a rare treat to have a banquet with you all today. It's so lively and enjoyable! I'll drink this cup first, and you can all make yourselves at home! Hahahaha!"

Yue Yining raised his cup and said loudly, "I am weak and frail and cannot hold my liquor, so I will use tea instead of wine. Please do not take offense, Lord Jin."

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the hall became even more pleasant. Ye Miheng then raised his voice and asked, "I wonder when Lord Jin plans to arrange for us to investigate the case, and whether you have already arranged for personnel to cooperate?"

For some reason, the bustling noise in the hall seemed to quiet down a bit after hearing that one sentence.

Jin Yuanxiu, sitting at the head of the table, laughed heartily and readily agreed: "Of course, I will fully cooperate with the investigation."

"Tomorrow I will have my subordinate, who works at the yamen, come to see the three of you. If you have any questions about the 'Green Ghost Case,' please feel free to ask him."

Yue Yining noticed that several officials seated to Jin Yuanxiu's right glanced at Ye Miheng several times, seemingly whispering among themselves. The dancers in the hall swayed gracefully, their green gauze and red dresses captivating, but she paid them no heed. Instead, she secretly observed the unfamiliar officials through the gaps in the crowd. The more she observed, the clearer her understanding became.

Suddenly, a pair of golden sandalwood chopsticks flashed before my eyes.

Yue Yining's gaze paused. She turned her head and found Ye Miheng looking at her innocently: "What are you standing there for? Eat."

Yue Yining glanced at the chicken in her bowl, then looked up at it again, a hint of helplessness on her face: "You can just eat yours, why are you putting more chicken in my bowl? It's not like I don't have hands."

"Look how much you've eaten since the beginning! If I don't serve you, do you really think you'll eat it all by yourself?" Ye Miheng glared at her.

They had only met for half a day, and Ye Miheng had already glared at her several times. But Yue Yining felt inexplicably that the way he glared at her this time was different from before.

The young man in the sapphire blue robe, with golden light etched into his temples and eyebrows.

His features were clearly handsome, but his gaze was evasive, and his earlobes were suspiciously red: "...I've already put them all on your plate, why don't you just eat them? Why say so much?"

Yue Yining paused for a moment, then didn't say anything more about refusing.

She looked at the food on the table, lowered her eyes, sighed, and still ate the piece of chicken in her bowl.

Music and dance filled the hall, their melodies mingling with the sounds of music and dance, creating a shimmering, golden, and jade-like effect.

Yue Yining didn't stop Ye Miheng from putting food on her plate anymore, and just ate slowly. But Xie Qingyu, who was beside her, suddenly spoke up: "She doesn't like asparagus."

Ye Miheng's chopsticks, which were holding bamboo shoot slices, were placed into Yue Yining's bowl, and they remained suspended in mid-air.

Yue Yining froze, then suddenly looked up at the person who had spoken.

Xie Qingyu stood with her back to the embroidered cage lit by candlelight. The edges of her dark hair, which draped over her shoulders, were faintly gilded. Her spring-like eyes were covered with a thin layer of ice, making her gaze seem deep and unfathomable.

She was slightly taken aback, and then quickly looked at Ye Miheng's reaction.

Ye Miheng looked puzzled and curious, and couldn't help but ask, "How did you know?"

“The banquet was a continuous flow of dishes, with the same fare served on every table. I noticed that the plate of stir-fried asparagus on Lord Yue's table hadn't been touched, hence my guess.” Xie Qingyu spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice as clear as ice and jade, making it exceptionally pleasant to listen to, and even a little tingling in one's ears. “Am I wrong?”

Ye Miheng's eyes snapped over.

Yue Yining felt a little guilty under his gaze, but she couldn't lie: "No."

"I really... don't like asparagus."

Yue Yining broke out in a sweat; she didn't quite understand why Xie Qingyu had suddenly said those words.

He clearly didn't just notice it now; he knew it all along! What if Ye Miheng noticed something was wrong?

Ye Miheng paused, then slowly put down his chopsticks. He straightened his back, and the way he looked at Xie Qingyu was different from before.

Ye Miheng pursed his lips and said nothing, only saying to Yue Yining, "I remember you used to like eating asparagus, I shouldn't be mistaken. Or do you not like it anymore?"

Yue Yining did indeed enjoy asparagus for a period of time, but that was during the first three years after she went up the mountain to become an apprentice. Back then, she had a great appetite; after all, she hadn't even had enough to eat before, so how could she have been concerned about whether she liked it or not? During that period, Yue Yining ate almost anything, accepting whatever was offered.

Unable to speak directly, Yue Yining could only manage a dry laugh: "Ah, well..."

Xie Qingyu said softly, "So many years have passed. What you loved to eat when you were a child, you may not like when you grow up. No matter how much you liked it in the past, it can only be used as a reference. Your current taste is the most important."

Yue Yining: "Um...that makes sense."

After Yue Yining expressed her stance, Ye Miheng's expression changed, and his gaze towards Xie Qingyu became even sharper. Xie Qingyu, however, smiled faintly, her eyes gentle and unwavering.

For the first time in her life, Yue Yining had become the object of jealousy and rivalry, and she hadn't yet realized what was going on.

Something seems off, but let's eat first, I'm so hungry.

Yue Yining withdrew her gaze and decided to give her brain, which had been working non-stop, a rest.