Chapter 97: The Officials' Search and Arrest

"Follow him closely. I want to see what tricks he's up to."

"yes."

Inside the shop, it was past noon, and they were waiting for the last customer to pay and leave.

He An brought over a bowl of noodles: "Shopkeeper, it's freshly cooked, eat it while it's hot."

Zhu Mingyue calmly ate her braised noodles, while He An hung up the "Closed" sign outside and closed the door.

"Shopkeeper, they've been watching you from outside."

Zhu Mingyue paused in her chopsticks, then scoffed, "It's alright. Just close this door, and they'll be coming to us in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Manager," He An said anxiously, "I can't figure it out. What exactly made us arouse suspicion?"

Zhu Mingyue shook her head: "I don't know. Some people are just naturally suspicious. Don't overthink it."

He An: "Could it be that I was discovered buying wound medicine that day?"

“It shouldn’t be,” Zhu Mingyue put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth. “You bought it early, and from several different pharmacies, so you shouldn’t have been caught. But when I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine today, I found they were arresting people who bought wound medicine. I’m afraid I won’t be able to buy it anymore.”

He An frowned: "Then your benefactor is..."

"Shh," Zhu Mingyue put her index finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet: "Here it comes."

Sure enough, no sooner had the words left his mouth than there was a knock on the door, and the officer's gruff voice rang out: "Open the door now!"

He An opened the door, looking extremely impatient: "Didn't you see the 'Closed' sign outside our shop? If you want to eat, come back next time." He then turned to close the door.

The officer drew his knife to stop He An's hand from closing the door: "Why are you in such a hurry to close the door?"

He An's face turned ashen. He wanted to curse, but fearing the knives in the officers' hands, he could only lower his hand that was trying to close the door: "What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

The official swaggered into the shop and saw Zhu Mingyue idly picking at the leftover noodles in her bowl at a table in the corner. Hearing the noise, she merely raised her eyes slightly and said, "The shop is already closed. He is just an accountant and can't cook. Please, sir, don't make things difficult for us commoners."

Seeing that he was still in the shop, the officer felt relieved and put on a fake smile: "In that case, I won't eat. But this shop is already closed, so you'd better go home early." With that, he turned and left.

After the people left, He An grumbled as he closed the door, then walked to Zhu Mingyue's side and said, "Manager, the officials really did come."

Zhu Mingyue: "You've already lost your composure so quickly."

He An thought for a moment and then suddenly widened his eyes: "He just advised you to go home as soon as possible. Is it because he wanted to follow you back?"

Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "Otherwise, it's just that they can't find any evidence against me, so they can't search me openly. If I had bought the wound medicine today, I would probably have ended up like that man who was pinned to the ground."

He An was puzzled: "They're just going to go around the whole city arresting people who buy wound medicine? How many people will be arrested by mistake?"

Zhu Mingyue patiently explained to him, "Whether it's a mistake or not is not important. It would be best if we could catch Brother Cui through this channel, but it's okay if we can't."

He An blinked: "Why?"

Zhu Mingyue: "Those who did this know best how badly Brother Cui was injured. Without the Golden Wound Medicine, he probably wouldn't even be alive. Now that this has happened, no one in Shangyang County will dare to buy the Golden Wound Medicine for a while. Their real purpose is to force Brother Cui to his death."

He An said worriedly, "What should we do now? What if they follow you back?"

"You don't need to worry about this. Go back and immediately send a message to Wang Zongxiu. He should still be at Zhengfu Inn. Invite him to come to the shop for dinner tomorrow."

Now that things have come to this, his every move in Shangyang County is being closely watched in the shadows, making it impossible for him to buy medicine. But Cui Jian's injury cannot be delayed, and there is no more wound medicine at home.

He An nodded in agreement.

Zhu Mingyue took a deep breath and then stood up.

"Shopkeeper!" He An called out to him, though he didn't speak, the worry in his eyes was palpable.

Zhu Mingyue comforted him, "It's alright. Since I dared to let them follow me, I'm naturally not afraid of them."

Zhu Mingyue strolled along the street, browsing as she went. She would see something that interested her but wouldn't buy it. She would chat with the vendors for a bit and then move on to the next one.

In the shadows, several officers huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, "Was he deliberately trying to lure us away?"

"Be content. At least they didn't go to a brothel. We can't go into those places!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhu Mingyue, who had somehow donned a veil, swaggered into the Nanfeng Pavilion.

Several officials were left standing bewildered in the street...

"Didn't you say he doesn't visit brothels?"

"As a shopkeeper, he naturally has money. It's normal for him to spend a little extravagantly in private, right?"

"But why would he go to the South Wind Pavilion?"

"What should we do? Should we follow them in?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances; none of them dared to step into such a brothel while wearing official robes, and could only watch helplessly as he walked in.

Zhu Mingyue spent two hundred coins to order the Snow Calling for half an hour.

Huanxue was very enthusiastic when she saw that the guest was him. "What kind of tune would you like to hear? I can sing a lot of them."

Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "I don't like listening to music. We can just chat."

Huanxue suddenly realized: "I was wondering why you came to Nanfeng Pavilion out of the blue. Did you come to inquire about Young Master Xu's whereabouts?"

He continued, "Young Master Xu left Nanfeng Pavilion and hasn't returned since. We dare not ask the madam, but we privately guess that Young Master Xu probably won't come back. Apart from what he couldn't take with him, there's nothing of value left in his room..."

Huanxue was talking enthusiastically when he belatedly realized that Zhu Mingyue hadn't paid any attention to him for a long time. He went to the table to check on him and found that Zhu Mingyue had fallen asleep on the table.

He was sleeping soundly, but his breathing was very light. Only because of his sleeping position, a string of crystal-clear drool was drawn from the corner of his mouth.

Huanxue: ...Didn't you say you were just going to spend two hundred coins to take a nap, without listening to any music or talking about anything else? Young Master Zhu is indeed rich.

Zhu Mingyue was sleeping so soundly that half an hour later, Huanxue looked at his peaceful sleeping face and couldn't bear to wake him.

But Nanfeng Pavilion has its own rules. He gently patted Zhu Mingyue's back with both hands, "Young Master Zhu, wake up quickly."

Zhu Mingyue's eyes were still dazed. She scratched her face, a little embarrassed, and said, "I'm sorry, listening to you talk made me fall asleep." Moreover, there was a faint fragrance in the Nanfeng Pavilion, which made people drowsy.

Huanxue chuckled: "It's nothing. Young Master Zhu's eyes are slightly dark, perhaps he didn't sleep well last night."

Zhu Mingyue stretched, her eyes glistening with tears. "I didn't sleep well last night, but you guys seem to be sleeping much better here."

Huanxue thought to himself, "They're really too rich. Spending two hundred coins just to take a half-hour nap is unheard of." But he certainly wouldn't say that. They specifically chose him, probably to patronize his business.

He poured Zhu Mingyue a cup of tea: "How about..."

Zhu Mingyue: "No, I'll come find you another day. If we don't go out soon, some people will be getting impatient."

After saying this, he drank the tea in one gulp, left Huanxue a reward of twenty coins, and left.

Huanxue picked up the copper coins on the table one by one, clutched them in her hand, and looked in the direction Zhu Mingyue had left, muttering to herself, "Was what I said really so hypnotic?"

"They're out! They're out!"

"Hurry up and keep up!"

Zhu Mingyue paused, glancing at the group of people following closely behind her, and slowly curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

He strolled around the street again, bought a leftover pork bone from the butcher shop, then bought two jin of water chestnut cake from a pastry shop, and finally bought a string of candied hawthorns from West Street.

Finally, he strolled home slowly, eating his candied hawthorn.

Upon arriving in the village, he changed direction and went to the village chief's house first.

The village chief was still working in the fields, while Li Zhengyang's mother was cooking dinner, with thick smoke still rising from the chimney.

Seeing him arrive, she was overjoyed: "Mingyue, is your foot all better?"

Zhu Mingyue nodded: "That's about right." He handed over a pound of water chestnut cake, "Auntie, I bought some water chestnut cake in town. It's the best made this season. You should try it."

Knowing she couldn't refuse, Li Zhengyang's mother smiled and accepted the gifts: "You silly child, your foot isn't fully healed yet, and you're already thinking about going to town. Why are you bringing us things?"

"You've come at the right time. Dinner is ready at home. If you don't mind my cooking, you can eat here and save yourself the trouble of going back."

Zhu Mingyue had the same idea, so she stayed.

Behind the tree outside the village chief's house, the group discussed the matter again.

"This is his home?"

The first person to speak was immediately ridiculed by his companions, "The Mingyue Tower makes a fortune every day, do you really believe he lives there?"

That makes sense. Who would want to live in a mud house if they had money? They would definitely want to build a three-courtyard house!

After they finished speaking, the group turned their attention to the only impressive mansion in the village.

...

"Auntie, I'm full." Zhu Mingyue hadn't actually eaten much. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. "By the way, Auntie, the bowls and chopsticks you used when you brought me food are still with me. If you're free, why don't you come back with me to get them? I happen to have a piece of clothing that's torn, and it's a shame to throw it away. I was hoping you could teach me how to sew it!"

Li Zhengyang's mother put down her bowl, still chewing her food, and replied without hesitation, "Okay, Auntie's full too, let's go now." Actually, she wasn't full yet; Zhu Mingyue had eaten way too fast, but since Zhu Mingyue had said so, she couldn't refuse.

The two walked together to the Xie family's house, and as they passed by the wall, they immediately noticed the messy footprints on the ground.

Zhu Mingyue pretended to be terrified and covered her mouth, tugged at Li Zhengyang's mother's sleeve, and pointed to the base of the wall under her gaze.

"Ah!" Li Zhengyang's mother exclaimed, then quickly covered her mouth. After what happened with Wang Youyin, even she was much more wary. Now, seeing the footprints in the corner, she couldn't help but think of that.

"A thief?" she mouthed to Zhu Mingyue.

Zhu Mingyue nodded quickly, shrugging her shoulders as if she were terrified.

Li Zhengyang's mother's heart softened. Zhu Mingyue was such a kind person, yet she was always targeted because she lived in a large house. One wave after another, look how frightened they were.

A surge of anger rose within her, and she shook her head to tell him not to be afraid.

Inside the Xie family home,

The officers finally managed to enter the courtyard, and as soon as they landed, they immediately split up and began searching.

Neither of the two main rooms were occupied. One room showed signs of having been lived in, with unfinished pastries and cold tea on the table. The incense in the room had burned out, but a lot of ash had accumulated and had not been cleaned up.

Considering that Zhu Mingyue, despite her limp, still went to the pastry shop to buy snacks, it seems this house definitely belongs to Zhu Mingyue.

The other room was completely empty, with the bedding neatly made up, showing no signs of having been lived in.

After an incense stick had burned, the group met in the backyard.

"Have you found any clues?"

"That Manager Zhu's room is completely bare. She's incredibly beautiful, but I never expected her to be such a mess in private. Not only does she frequent brothels, but her room also smells terrible, and she doesn't even make the bed. What about you?"

"No, he lives alone in this house. There are no signs of anyone living in the other rooms."

“I searched the east and west wing rooms, and they were all empty, without even a piece of furniture. No one could hide in them.”

"Has the kitchen been searched?"

"Not yet." But this kitchen only has a stove and a dining table; it's not a place where a living person could hide, is it?

"Never mind, the others haven't come back yet, let's go in and check!"

The group rushed into the kitchen, checked the stove, kicked away the dry grass, and even lifted the pot lid to look inside. There wasn't a single person, not even a mouse.

There was only one carved cabinet left against the wall, which was only about half a person's height. One of the people walked to the cabinet and rubbed his hands together: "I'll do it."

My finger just touched the cabinet pull ring.

Suddenly, a powerful voice rang out: "A thief has broken in! Catch the thief!"

The chaotic footsteps grew closer, and the group's hearts leaped into their throats.

The man instinctively pulled open the drawer with his right hand, and the right cabinet door creaked open. He glanced at it quickly and said urgently, "Nobody's here, let's go!"

Looking back, damn it, everyone except him had fled. He gritted his teeth and sprinted to the backyard, managing to climb out somewhat awkwardly before the thieves arrived.

The village chief walked in with the air of ten men, carrying a rake. The first thing he saw was a blurry figure running so fast that even he couldn't catch up.

Li Zhengyang's mother pushed Zhu Mingyue: "Go and see if anything is missing. If the thief has escaped, we have to report it to the authorities."

Zhu Mingyue looked completely disoriented, which to outsiders would have made him appear terrified. He nodded absentmindedly, "Okay, I'll go right now."

He went to his room first. It was a mess, and there was a faint smell of dust in the air, which calmed him down a bit.

They then went to several other rooms before finally going to the kitchen.

The cabinet door was opened halfway. Zhu Mingyue looked around and, seeing that the village chief and the others hadn't followed, she stepped forward and slightly opened the other side.

A stream of blood flowed from the bottom edge of the cabinet. Cui Jian, holding a knife, was hidden inside, his face pale. He seemed to be losing consciousness. Upon seeing him, he slumped to the side and completely fainted.

"Mingyue! Is anything missing from the house?" Li Zhengyang's mother shouted in the yard.

Zhu Mingyue quickly closed the cabinet and went out: "No, the thief probably ran away before he could steal anything because we arrived in time."

His words finally put their minds at ease.

After seeing the two off, Zhu Mingyue quickly dragged Cui Jian out.

The gauze on his abdomen was soaked with blood, but fortunately, it had scabbed over elsewhere without tearing. The wound on his arm was probably not torn and was in good condition.

Cui Jian looked slender and well-proportioned, but he was actually the type who looked thin in clothes but had a muscular build underneath; he wasn't exactly light. Zhu Mingyue struggled to move him to her bed, gently patting Cui Jian's face and softly calling out, "Brother Cui, wake up!"

The person didn't wake up, and the wound medicine in the house was gone.

Fortunately, there were still enough herbs. They took some Bletilla striata, crushed it into powder, and applied it to Cui Jian's wound, then changed the gauze. Perhaps it was just their imagination, but the bleeding wasn't as heavy as before.

Zhu Mingyue finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Cui Jian's deep sleep was still a cause for concern, and it took a long time to finally wake him up.

"Brother Cui, are you alright? Did those people spot you?"