Chapter 322 A Surprise Attack on Tianxiang Tower Unearths the White Lotus

As dawn broke, many people were still asleep.

After interrogating Zheng Xin'er last night, Manager Zhao went out again and had just fallen asleep when he was woken up by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Manager, something terrible has happened!"

Manager Zhao got up cursing and shoved the door open, yelling, "What are you yelling about so early in the morning?"

The old woman outside the door looked panicked, "There are...there are a lot of soldiers outside the door."

"What's so scary about officers and soldiers? Haven't you seen them before? Don't make a fuss."

Manager Zhao pushed the old woman aside, yawning as he fastened his belt, and went out to greet her.

I had only taken two steps forward when I saw a group of people rushing towards me.

The young man at the head of the group was dressed in a blue official robe, with handsome features; he was none other than Young Master Shen, who had visited Tianxiang Tower just yesterday.

Manager Zhao's right eyelid twitched involuntarily.

Shen Chu ignored her, waved his hand, and gave orders to the soldiers he had brought.

"Dig under that crabapple tree in the garden right now."

Upon hearing the words "Xifu Haitang" (a type of crabapple), Steward Zhao's eyelids trembled even more violently.

She rushed forward in three strides and stood in front of the soldiers.

"Oh dear, Young Master Shen, no, judging from your clothes, I should call you Lord Shen. What are you doing?"

"Our Tianxiang Restaurant is a law-abiding establishment. Your unauthorized intrusion with so many soldiers is simply terrifying."

Shen Chu sneered, "I am Shen Chu, the Imperial Envoy specially appointed by His Majesty to Yangzhou. Last night I received a report that a murder had occurred in your Tianxiang Tower."

"I have come with men to investigate. Is Steward Zhao's obstruction due to a guilty conscience?"

Manager Zhao clapped his hands and said with a smile, "When I first met you yesterday, I felt that you were extraordinary and not an ordinary person."

I never expected it to be the Imperial Envoy. I was blind to your greatness and misunderstood you yesterday. I will not dare to complain no matter how you punish me.

However, the women living in Tianxiang Tower were all timid girls. They would be terrified even if a chicken were killed, let alone a murder.

There must be some misunderstanding here. Please come inside, sir, and let me explain in detail.

Manager Zhao was being unreasonable, trying to attribute Shen Chu's behavior today to retaliation for her actions yesterday.

Chen Chu was too lazy to argue with her, and gave Hongxiu, who had come with her, a wink.

"Keep an eye on her, don't let her get away."

"Leave it to me."

Hongxiu stepped forward and grabbed Steward Zhao with one hand.

Steward Zhao started crying at the top of his lungs, "Help! Someone come quick! The Imperial Envoy...!"

Hongxiu frowned, took out a red apricot from her small handbag, and stuffed it into Steward Zhao's mouth.

"You're so noisy, you're ruining my mood for eating."

"Waaaaah..."

Manager Zhao was so angry that her eyebrows stood on end, but her mouth was gagged, so she could only make muffled noises.

Hearing the commotion, the guards of Tianxiang Tower rushed over and surrounded Chen Chu and the others.

Shen Chu glanced at Ling Ce and Han Feng, who had come with her, and said, "I'll leave it to you two."

Ling Ce pulled up the long skirt that was getting in his way and stuffed it around his waist, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

“It’s a small matter. I can handle it myself. Boss, step aside and don’t get splattered with blood.”

Han Feng readily agreed and took two steps back.

Of the four siblings, he was the best at embroidery—well, no, I mean, at medicine; the third brother was the best at martial arts; and the second brother, Mu Wan…

Thinking of his junior sister, Han Feng's eyes darkened, and he picked up his medicine box and turned to leave.

"I'll go to the woodshed to check on the injured girl."

With Ling Ce present, the guards of Tianxiang Tower were quickly routed.

Shen Chu dared not waste any time and immediately led people into the garden, where they found the crabapple tree that Zheng Xin'er had mentioned.

"This is it, dig."

The fifty soldiers she brought were imperial guards who were escorting the Vice Minister of Justice to Yangzhou.

They were originally going to wait for the Vice Minister of Justice to return to the capital together, but the Vice Minister of Justice was too badly injured, so he stayed here and kept waiting.

Last night, Shen Chu had Hongxiu take her official credentials to the squad leader in charge.

The squad leader was very responsible; upon seeing the seal, he immediately led his men to follow Hongxiu.

At that moment, Shen Chu gave the order and immediately led his men to start digging.

Before an incense stick could burn, someone shouted, "It's been dug up!"

Shen Chu walked to the pit and bent down to look. A stench hit her nose, making her almost vomit.

She quickly held her breath and saw two overlapping skeletons in the pit. Their clothes were not completely rotten, but most of their bodies were decayed, revealing their white bones.

However, judging from the fact that the clothes were not completely rotten, they were indeed two female corpses.

"Carefully remove the body."

When Manager Zhao saw the skeletons being carried up, he turned pale and collapsed to the ground.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps came from outside the door.

Shen Chu turned his head to look.

A man in his forties, with short hair and wearing a scarlet official robe, strode in, followed by a group of men in different colors of official robes and of varying ages.

The middle-aged man entered the room and his gaze swept across the entire room before landing on Chen Chu.

"I am Jiang Xingquan, the prefect of Yangzhou. I was unaware that Lord Shen had already arrived in Yangzhou. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

Shen Chu returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "Lord Jiang, you are too kind. It was I who failed to inform you beforehand."

It was only after arriving in Yangzhou that they received a report from the locals that two female corpses were hidden in Tianxiang Tower.

"I was anxious, so I immediately brought men to investigate."

By this time, the Imperial Guards had already carried up the two female corpses.

Jiang Xingquan's face darkened with anger. "In broad daylight, they actually dug up two corpses. Tianxianglou is truly audacious."

Lord Shen, you are the Imperial Envoy, and you discovered this case. Please make arrangements immediately.

All the officials of my Yangzhou Prefectural Government are here, at your service, Lord Shen.

We urge Lord Shen to investigate this case as soon as possible, to uncover the truth, and to bring justice to the deceased.

He solemnly bowed to Shen Chu.

Shen Chu reached out to support him, "This is Shen Chu's duty, Prefect Jiang is being too serious."

Before he could finish speaking, a gasp suddenly rang out from the crowd.

"A lotus, it's a lotus."

A minor official dressed in gray clothes suddenly stumbled out and rushed to the side of the female corpse placed on the outside, weeping bitterly.

Prefect Jiang's expression changed slightly. "You can recognize this as your wife?"

The minor official clutched the jade bracelet from the woman's wrist, sobbing uncontrollably.

"This is a family heirloom jade bracelet, which I gave to my wife after we got married."

The man's wife especially loved it and refused to take it off even when she was doing chores.

This is the villain's wife, White Lotus. Lotus, you died such a tragic death.

Prefect Jiang whispered to Shen Chu, "This is Clerk Sun from the Prefectural Office. His wife went out shopping last month and then disappeared. She hasn't returned since."

I don't know why he died in Tianxiang Tower.

Shen Chu recalled that among the twenty-two missing people, two were married young women.

It seems very likely that these are the two.

Prefect Jiang said, "The prefectural government has already prepared Lord Shen's office space. Please come in, sir."

"I will have everyone detained and taken back to await your interrogation, sir."

Shen Chu smiled and shook her head, stopping Prefect Jiang from doing so.