Chapter 31 Double Mystery (XI) Visiting Guan Youjun.

According to custom, Yu Qi and Zhang Da walked to the street before dawn, bought two freshly slaughtered pigs and sheep, as well as several live chickens and ducks, and hired a porter to deliver them to the Guan family first. The two of them then strolled slowly behind, and it took them nearly an hour and a half to reach Xilong Street.

Zhang Da pondered all the way, wondering why Yu Qi had such a leisurely mood today, abandoning all the patients in the garden before dawn to invite him out. He followed excitedly, thinking it was about the case, but it turned out he was going to pay respects at the Guan family's grave.

Seeing that the Guan family was approaching, he hadn't even prepared any money for the funeral. After hesitating for a while, he had no choice but to ask Yu Qi for a loan. "Mr. Yu, I didn't expect you to come to the Guan family to pay your respects. As you can see, I don't have anything prepared on me. If you have some money on hand, could you lend me two taels of silver? Don't worry, I'll pay you back when I get back!"

Yu Qi gave him two taels of silver, and he thanked him repeatedly. He tore off half a piece of red paper from a couplet on a house, wrapped the silver in it, and put it in his pocket. "Why did you decide to come to pay respects to Guan Zhan, sir? You don't seem like someone who likes social interactions."

Yu Qi smiled and said, "Captain Zhang, you've been cooped up in the garden for so long, haven't you felt stifled? Wouldn't it be nice to come out for a walk?"

"To be honest, I had no time to stroll around before. The case wasn't closed, and I was worried about Lord Wang's wrath every day."

"Both of these murder cases were assigned to Lord Qi for investigation. Even if the investigation was not handled well, the blame should be placed on him. Why would Lord Wang cause you any trouble?"

Zhang Da smiled wryly, "You have no idea. Although Lord Qi and Lord Wang are not on the same side, even a small mosquito is still meat. He is still an official. Moreover, because of Old Master Qi, the Qi family still has many old friends in the capital. When Lord Qi and his brothers were young, they even served as study companions to the current Prince Zhao. No matter how much Lord Wang dislikes him, how could he really blame him for such a small matter? He'll just punish us lowly servants."

Speaking of the current Zhao King, he is also a controversial figure. Everyone knows that he is not the current emperor's biological son, but the son of the emperor's brother, the Ping King.

When the late emperor was in power, the Oirat Mongols invaded. The late emperor ordered the brave and skilled Prince Ping to lead the troops to fight. Although the battle was won, Prince Ping died in Xuanfu, leaving behind a son and a daughter. The late emperor then arranged for them to be adopted by the former crown prince.

The current emperor originally had two sons. After he ascended the throne, he named his eldest son the crown prince, and his second son and this adopted nephew were both made kings. However, a few years ago, his two biological sons died one after another, leaving only this non-biological Prince Zhao.

According to the ancestral rule of succession by brother, Prince Zhao should have inherited the throne. Unexpectedly, the Imperial Noble Consort gave birth to a son two years ago, and the position of Crown Prince, which originally belonged to Prince Zhao, is now uncertain.

However, the Imperial Noble Consort's son is still young, while Prince Zhao is in his prime, and the future is uncertain. Therefore, there are still many people in the court and the public who support Prince Zhao.

Qi Xubai was an old friend of King Zhao, and Old Master Qi was an important minister of two dynasties. He should have had a bright future, but now he is only a minor county magistrate in Nanjing. Does he not have the worry of unfulfilled ambitions and unfulfilled burdens?

“That was back when the Qi family was in the capital. But since they had a past relationship with Prince Zhao, Lord Wang was somewhat hesitant and didn’t want to make enemies with Lord Qi over such a trivial matter.” As he spoke, Zhang Da stretched his arms a couple of times. “But now it’s all right. Rouge has been caught. As long as she’s willing to confess, at least Guan Zhan’s case can be closed, and I won’t have to be punished.”

Yu Qi snapped out of his reverie and smiled, "Even if she confesses, there's no solid evidence, is there?"

Zhang Dayi smiled knowingly, “Although there is no strong evidence, she had a motive to kill and the time to commit the crime. She destroyed the body and left evidence. As long as she confesses, she can be convicted.”

The conviction was far too sloppy, but that's typical of the government—they just want to get it over with, as long as it's passable. Yu Qi didn't refute him, but instead crossed his arms and smiled slightly as he climbed the stone steps in front of the Guan family's gate.

Aside from relatives and friends, most of those entering and leaving the gate were people the Guan family had made acquaintances in the business world. Silk and brocade, horses and livestock, grains, oils and beans, jewelry, ceramics and antiques, pawnshops and money exchanges, timber and furniture—the Guan family had a wide range of interests, so guests came in droves. After the servant inquired about their identities, he led the two to the mourning hall. After burning paper money and offering sacrifices, Guan Youjun's personal attendant, the daughter-in-law, came to invite them over.

They led the two to a small flower hall in the inner courtyard. After sitting for a short while, Guan Youjun arrived, still dressed in plain clothes. She bowed upon entering and said with a smile, "I am honored that you have come to pay your respects. It is enough that you have come; there is no need for such formalities."

When asked about the pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks that had been brought over that morning, Zhang Da, not daring to take credit, quickly said with a smile, "That was all thanks to Mr. Yu's kindness. I came empty-handed, and even the money I received as a gift was borrowed from Mr. Yu."

Youjun bowed to Yu Qi again, saying, "Sir, you are too kind. I dare not accept such hospitality."

Yu Qi cupped his hands and said, "It's not a formality. Didn't I also receive a generous gift from you yesterday?"

"That's just a little bit to eat, sir, why bother with it?"

"What I'm delivering today are just things that are meant to be eaten."

Youjun invited the two to sit down, and ordered the warm tea to be removed and replaced with hot tea and some fresh snacks. She then asked with a smile, "Why didn't Miss Jiuli come with us? It would have been great if she had come. Many relatives and friends have brought their young ladies today, and many of them are about the same age as her. She is new to Nanjing and probably doesn't have many friends. She can take this opportunity to make some friends of similar age so that she won't be lonely when she walks around and chats with them."

Yu Qi laughed and said, "She didn't say she was coming."

"I think the master didn't tell her."

Zhang Da chuckled and chimed in, "Why do you think Mr. Yu didn't tell her, young lady?"

Youjun smiled and said, "Yesterday I saw that Jiuli is a lively and active girl. She would definitely have come if there was such a lively event. Since she didn't come, I guess it's because the teacher didn't mention it."

Yu Qi lowered his eyes and smiled, "Your household must be busy with guests coming and going. Bringing her along might cause trouble for you, Miss."

“Sir, you’re too kind. I have many guests, but most of them are business associates. If I were to personally greet and entertain them all, I would never be able to manage. Most people are handled by the people in charge of my household, and I try to avoid them whenever possible.”

Just then, the young woman in front of her came in and said, "Miss, Master Zhang, the broker of the Ningbo cloth trade, has come to offer sacrifices and asks you to come and speak with him."

Youjun's smile faded, and her expression turned serious. "Master Zhang? What brings him to Nanjing?"

"Visiting relatives heard about our family's situation and rushed over."

Having come from so far away, Youjun couldn't very well refuse, so she straightened her clothes and stood up to apologize, "Please have a seat, I'll be right back. Mother, please entertain our two distinguished guests for me."

The woman agreed and escorted her to the door, then turned back in, saying, "He's not anyone important, but it's rare for him to come all the way to Nanjing, and it wouldn't be right for you not to see him."

Yu Qi nodded with a smile, "The rice broker of Ningbo, your family's business really extends far and wide. I suppose you also have land in Ningbo?"

Niangzhuang smiled and said, "These are all things that people used to pay off debts. Most of them are barren fields, with low yields. It's just a small business."

Though her tone was humble, her demeanor and expression suggested that even a "small business" could make her a fortune. No wonder Guan Youjun was willing to remain unmarried to protect the Guan family's assets. Who can truly regard money as dirt? It's all just talk.

After chatting for a while, another young girl came running over in a hurry, asking, "Where is the eldest young lady?"

Seeing the anxiety on her face, Niangzhuang stood up and said, "Miss, you are entertaining guests in the front. What happened that makes you so anxious?"

"My wife has fainted from crying again!"

Has the doctor arrived yet?

"I've sent someone to fetch him, but I don't know when he'll be back. Let the young lady go and take a look."

"How can you possibly get away right now, young lady?" Niangzhuang asked anxiously, then turned to Yu Qi after a moment of confusion. "Mr. Yu, you are a guest, and we shouldn't trouble you, but we've heard you're a doctor. Could you please take a look at our lady first?"

Yu Qi lowered his eyes slightly, then readily stood up. "Please lead the way."

So Zhang Da was left to wait in the hall, while his mother dressed him and led him to the back room. There, he saw a number of women gathered around the bedroom. Judging from their clothes, half of them were servants and the other half were female relatives. He then called the crowd aside and went forward. On the bed lay a plump woman, who was Mrs. Guan. She was said to be only in her early forties, but her face looked as haggard as if she were in her fifties or sixties.

Yu Qi sat by the bed and took the patient's pulse. "It's caused by excessive worry, resulting in qi and blood deficiency. Do you have any acupuncture needles in the manor?"

An old woman hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, yes! It was left behind by a doctor before."

Yu Qi ordered him to bring it, and immediately administered acupuncture. Soon after, Mrs. Guan woke up, drank half a cup of tea, and after exchanging only a few words with her relatives, she started beating her chest and pounding the bed, crying.

A relative comforted her, "Madam, the dead cannot be brought back to life. You must grieve in moderation. Didn't Youjun say that the authorities have already caught the murderer? You must take good care of yourself so that you can witness the murderer pay for our second young master's life? Besides, if something happens to you, how will Youjun live without anyone to rely on in the future?"

Everyone agreed, but one woman, who seemed to be from the clan, said meaningfully, "Youjun is self-reliant and doesn't need anyone to rely on. Look at how well she manages the Guan family's business all by herself. Who in Nanjing doesn't praise her? I think she's the most capable person. Madam, you should take good care of yourself so you can enjoy Youjun's great fortune in the future."

Someone quickly pulled her aside and gestured for her to speak less.

As expected, Mrs. Guan's condition did not improve upon hearing this; instead, she cried even more bitterly. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and barely audible. "I only have this one son. I was counting on him, but who knew that God would abandon me? God has truly abandoned me!"

Another person hurriedly chimed in, weeping, "That's true. No matter how strong-willed Youjun is, she's still a young girl. She says she won't marry now, but that's just a fit of pique. As she gets older, things might change. Madam only has one son, Second Master. We thought our Guan family could rely on him in the future, but who knew—not only is Madam heartbroken, but we don't know what the future holds for us!"

The saying goes, "Raising a son is for old age security." People don't place much hope on daughters, no matter how clever and capable they are. They are still girls, and as women themselves, mothers understand women's vulnerability and emotional instability. Even if a daughter is her own daughter, she can hardly trust her.

Yu Qi understood what this meant, and without lingering in the room, he lifted the curtain and retreated to the outer room, where he happened to bump into Youjun behind the curtain.

She must not have heard his footsteps. When she bumped into him unexpectedly, she was startled at first, but a smile immediately appeared in his piercing eyes.

The two emerged and slowly walked towards the small hall at the front. The front and back courtyards were separated by a small garden, far smaller than the Lychee Garden. It was also planted with flowers and grass, offering a picturesque view at every turn, but it felt empty everywhere, probably because there weren't many people living there. Youjun walked slowly alongside him, a gentle breeze brushing her face, carrying the fragrance of gardenias. For some reason, she gradually thought of the marriage proposal she had made ten years ago.

I had only met that young master once, in this small garden. I don't even remember what he looked like, but I still remember the temperature on my face at that time, which felt like it was burning hot to the touch.

Or perhaps that's how young men and women are—even the most heartless are shy first. Jiu Li and Xu Bai stood side by side under the courtyard wall. Whether it was because they were too close to Xu Bai or because of the sun, Jiu Li felt her cheeks burning.

She stole a glance and saw that the lower half of Xu Bai's face was veiled by the setting sun, his eyes hidden in the shadows, also watching her. As if struck by a nail, she quickly looked away.

Xu Bai also felt embarrassed, smiled, and awkwardly raised his hand to fan his face. "The sun is getting a bit hot at midday. I think summer is not far away."

Jiuli put her hands behind her back, leaned against the wall and looked up. "It's good to be in summer. I hate wearing thick clothes. It makes me look bulky."

"No, you're thin, you'll look slim no matter how many layers you wear."

She couldn't help but laugh. "You really know how to talk to a girl, unlike my uncle, who always has a long face around women." After saying that, she became slightly worried.

Xu Bai said, "I heard that he invited Zhang Da out early this morning. Is there still something suspicious about Guan Zhan's case? I wonder if we will settle things first, or if they will settle things first."

He sounded rather relaxed, not in a hurry to investigate the case, and she asked with some doubt, "Why aren't you in a hurry? Aren't you afraid of offending Lord Wang?"

He smiled and said, "It's not that I'm not in a hurry, it's just that with your and your uncle's help, I feel very reassured."

Jiuli was pleased to hear this. "You think so highly of me? Actually, I've never even caught a thief before. Don't you think I'm just causing trouble?"

“You are naturally intelligent, how could you cause trouble?” He stood in front of her. “Has no one ever said you were smart before?”

She felt a little embarrassed as he stared at her, and lowered her head slightly. "It's just that my family is praising me. But how can you take all the good things my family says seriously? When I was little, everyone praised me for just learning to write a character," she said, pursing her lips. "Only my uncle said that my writing was crooked and irregular."

Just as Xu Bai was about to ask something, a yamen runner ran into the alleyway, cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to your Excellency, I asked along the east bank of the river, but I couldn't find out about the Wan family."

Yesterday, the constables learned from Baiyulou that there was a scoundrel named Wan San who often stood guard in front of their door, trying to swindle money from customers. According to the waiter, Wan San lived in the vicinity of Xiaoyuqiao, which is why Xu Bai and Jiu Li came here.

Jiuli straightened up after standing up from the wall. "Did the waiter at Baiyulou make a mistake?"

The constable shook his head. "That fellow met him here before. He told me himself, so it shouldn't be wrong."

As they were talking, Du Zhong joined the conversation and walked into the alley. “That’s right, I asked around. Wan San’s house is west of the bridge. It’s not a riverside house. He’s just bragging. Actually, it’s in a narrow alley. A few dilapidated houses are rented out to several families. I went into the courtyard and asked. The people inside said he wasn’t home at the moment.”

The group left the alley, crossed the bridge to the west, and after a few steps they arrived at the narrow alley that Du Zhong had mentioned. It was indeed a tenement, rented by all sorts of people from all walks of life. Looking out the door, the courtyard was so dirty and messy that it was hard to find even a place to put one's feet.

Seeing that it was not convenient to wait inside, Xu Bai did not go in. He said to Jiu Li, "That Wan San never does anything proper. He never goes out or comes home properly. I don't know when he will be back. I think we should go back to Liyuan first and have the yamen runners wait here until he is taken to Liyuan for questioning."

"No good." Jiuli shook her head. "There are so many patients in Liyuan. He definitely won't want to go in. If someone is innocent, forcing them will only make them feel wronged. Anyway, we're out here, and the weather is so nice. Let's find a teahouse by the bridge and wait. Don't worry, it's almost lunchtime. Doesn't he want to go home for lunch?"

So the group crossed the bridge and found a teahouse to sit down. They opened the window to face the river, and across the street was the alleyway. Xu Bai, worried that Jiu Li might be hungry, ordered some tea and snacks, and also sent a yamen runner to buy some cooked food from the street behind the building.

Before they could even buy the cooked food, they saw a man walking along the river from the opposite bank. He looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, skinny like a monkey, with his head down. Just as Chu Fengchun had described, he had a dark spot on his neck. And then they saw him head into the narrow alley. How could they be wrong? It was none other than Wan San!

The three hurriedly came out of the teahouse and chased after him into the alley. Sure enough, they saw Wan San turn into the courtyard. Immediately, someone in the courtyard teased him loudly, "Wan San, did you make any money today? I think you don't need to go out and make a living anymore. Just sit at home and a noble person will come to you."

Wan San was too lazy to joke with him. He just glanced at him and walked inside, saying, "Stop teasing me!"

Someone else pulled him back, "I'm not kidding, someone really did come looking for you just now. He's about your age, but you're all the same age, yet your fates are so different. Look at what he's wearing and carrying, he must be a rich man's son. Hey Wan San, don't tell me you've extorted some rich man's money and he's coming to beat you up?"

Wan San shrugged off, still looking impatient, "Bullshit! Don't spout nonsense!"

Someone yelled at him, "Wan San, did you encounter a ghost when you went back to the countryside a few days ago? You've come back like a different person, always with a long face. Who are you trying to fool?"

"Mind your own business! Stop talking nonsense and get out of my way!"

The three of them, Jiuli and his companions, overheard these words outside the courtyard wall. They exchanged glances and waited for the constable to arrive before ordering him to rush into the courtyard and capture Wan San.

Unexpectedly, the people living in this courtyard were known for their swindling and cheating. Upon seeing someone dressed as an official, they started shouting. Wan San, hearing this from inside, quickly opened the door, knocked over some clutter to block the constables, and darted out like a monkey.

Xu Bai and Du Zhong were talking at the other end of the courtyard gate when a shadow rushed out, and they didn't have time to react. Jiu Li happened to be standing under the wall on this side, a little distance from the courtyard gate. When she saw Wan San, she went to block him. Wan San ignored her and suddenly slammed her backward, knocking her to the ground. Fortunately, she was quick and grabbed Wan San's trouser leg, pulling him to the ground as well. Only then did the yamen runners and Xu Bai come over and hold him down.

Then Xu Bai took two steps over and helped her up, carefully examining her from head to toe, asking, "Where did you hurt yourself?"

Elsewhere, it was fine, but Jiuli felt a pain in her back, probably from scraping against the ground when she was dragging Wan San. She reached back to touch it and felt something damp. Looking at her hand, she saw mottled bloodstains on her fingertips. "It looks like I scraped my skin."

He quickly turned her around. The fabric of her clothes was tattered on her back, revealing some bleeding flesh. The wound wasn't deep, but it was large and quite noticeable. He took off his outer cloak and draped it over her shoulders. "Does it hurt?"

"Not that impressive." She was still smiling.

He frowned, "Let's hurry to the street and buy some ointment for treating external injuries."

The ointment was bought, but no one applied it. Du Zhong suggested that they go back to Liyuan to find a woman to help her apply the ointment, but Jiu Li was in a hurry to take Wan San to the yamen for questioning. Xu Bai refused and said on horseback, "Your injury is more important. Since we have caught him, it won't matter if we delay the questioning by a day or two."

Jiuli looked back through the carriage window. Wan San was being held by the yamen runners with his hands behind his back. He seemed to be defiant and kept struggling. The yamen runners got angry, kicked him a few times from below, and twisted his arm from above. He screamed in pain and then calmed down a bit.

She turned her face away. “How can it not be a problem? It’s easier to interrogate someone when they’re flustered and confused. Even if they lie, it’s easy for them to slip up. If you wait a day or two, they’ll calm down and carefully craft a lie, and you might not be able to tell the truth from the lie.”

Xu Bai knew perfectly well. He hesitated, glanced back at Wan San, then lowered his back on the horse and softly asked through the window, "How are you?"

"Oh, I just got a minor scrape. You all underestimate me. Do you really think I'm some pampered person who'd act like I'm going to die from a little injury?"

Du Zhong knew that she wouldn't listen to anyone when she was stubborn, so he stuck his head out and said, "Let's go to the yamen first. Maybe there are female servants there who can help her apply the medicine."

Most of the staff in the yamen were men, but there were occasionally women in the kitchen, who were in charge of tasks such as cooking and preparing tea. As soon as Xu Bai entered the yamen, he ordered someone to be found in the inner hall. Xu Bai noticed that although the person's clothes were simple and coarse, they were unusually neat and clean. He stretched out his hands, and his nails were neatly trimmed, with clean creases.

He was relieved and left the woman in the back room to apply medicine to Jiuli, while he and Du Zhong went to the outer hall to ask Wan San.

Although Wan San hadn't seen much of the world, he was young and fearless. As the constables pushed him in, he stumbled and then stuck out his neck, shouting, "What's so great about the yamen? The yamen can't arrest people for no reason! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"

The constable kicked him to his knees, yelling, "What are you shouting about?! Greet the magistrate first!"

Xu Bai sat in the chair, glanced at him and smiled, "I haven't asked you anything, and you're already crying foul. Then tell me, where are you being wronged?"

Wan San was speechless for a moment, his buttocks slumped to his heels, and he tilted his head. "Then what do you want to ask? I am a law-abiding and honest commoner, and I never do anything immoral or immoral."

Xu Bai picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. "If you never do anything immoral, then why do you run away whenever you see an official?"

"Me!" He straightened up, slowly twisted his waist a couple of times, and his voice returned to normal. "I didn't see clearly and thought they were debt collectors, so I ran away."

"Do you have a lot of debt outside?"

He chuckled, "For us poor people, owing a little money is no ordinary matter. This gentleman looks wealthy and certainly doesn't owe any debts. I wonder how much his monthly salary is?"

The constable kicked him in the back, yelling, "How dare you!"

He fell to the ground, then shamelessly laughed as he got up, saying, "Just asking around."

Xu Bai smiled nonchalantly, "There's a Mr. Chu Fengchun, a man from out of town. Do you know him?"

“I don’t know him.” He immediately shook his head, grabbed his handcuffs and picked his nose. “If I knew any master, would I be in such a miserable state? Besides, he’s an outsider. I’m a native of Nanjing and have never left Nanjing in my entire life.”

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Author's note: Thank you for reading.