Stone coffin female corpse 5

Because the task was too heavy to be done for an extra day, Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi did not dare to delay and decided to split up to carry out the investigation. Xiao Congzhi took Xiao Sizhao with him, while Old Master Xiao and Xiao Hezhang stayed at home to thoroughly investigate whether there were any problems with the properties under their names.

Perhaps because they were of similar age, Xiao Sizhao was not as afraid of Xiao Congzhi as his elders were. He still remembered that since their first meeting in Yidu, Xiao Congzhi had always been gentle and approachable. Now that it was just the two of them, Xiao Sizhao was even more at ease. He glanced at Xiao Congzhi out of the corner of his eye, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.

"cousin."

"Huh?" Xiao Sizhao turned his head in confusion.

"Call it that way if you're going to call it."

Xiao Sizhao lowered his head and stammered, "I wouldn't dare. But..."

"Stop." Xiao Congzhi raised his hand to interrupt Xiao Sizhao, and casually said, "Don't mention Xie Mowen, and don't try to persuade me. I've heard enough today."

Xiao Sizhao lowered his head even further, and after a long while, he uttered, "I won't persuade him, I dare not. But if we gain nothing, can he really take my family out of the city?"

Xiao Congzhi turned his gaze to Xiao Sizhao's head and stared at it for a while before saying, "Since he has spoken, then he must have a plan."

"Hmm..." Xiao Sizhao nodded like a quail, feeling half relieved, and then got down to business, "Where should we begin our investigation?"

“It wasn’t us.” Xiao Congzhi picked up his folding fan and lightly tapped Xiao Sizhao from a distance. “You and I will investigate separately.”

"ah?"

“You’re a party involved, and your perspective is different.” Xiao Congzhi pointed to the restaurant ahead. “It’s the biggest restaurant in Ninghai, bustling with people and a place where information is most mixed. I went in to ask around. But as an outsider, I might not be able to find anyone willing to talk. But you’re different. Magistrate Feng sent people to the Xiao family to force a marriage, and the people in the city must know about it. Right now, they’re probably talking about it the most. Your appearance here will immediately attract attention.”

Xiao Sizhao shuddered just thinking about the scene, and said with a bitter face, "And then what happens after you attract attention?"

“Observe their expressions, demeanor, and words; whether they are curious, puzzled, pitying, or afraid, terrified, or expectant, the underlying meanings are all different.”

Xiao Sizhao immediately felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He straightened his expression, lifted his leg, and took a step forward, as if he were going to his execution.

Xiao Congzhi chuckled softly, and said quietly behind Xiao Sizhao, "You don't need to be so nervous. I'll find a spot to keep an eye on the people around you."

Xiao Sizhao relaxed his shrugged shoulders and let out a long sigh of relief.

Xiao Congzhi stepped forward and patted Xiao Sizhao on the back: "I'll go in first, you wait outside for half a cup of tea before coming in."

Xiao Sizhao had no suspicions and obediently found a corner to squat down.

The restaurant was in an uproar. Just as Xiao Congzhi had expected, the matter of Magistrate Feng forcing a marriage was the hottest topic at the moment, and several tables were discussing it.

Xiao Congzhi walked through the noisy crowd, glanced up at the second floor, and after having an idea, told the waiter to arrange a private room.

The waiter warmly welcomed Xiao Cong upstairs, introducing their signature dishes with familiarity: "I see you look unfamiliar, sir. Perhaps this is your first time here. You must try their signature West Lake Vinegar Fish, which is fresh, tender, and juicy."

"Then bring out a plate," Xiao Congzhi said cheerfully, then asked casually, "When I came in just now, I heard a lot of people talking about the government office and forced marriage. What's the big deal?"

Seeing the customer's confident demeanor, the waiter spoke eloquently: "Sir, you've just arrived in Ninghai, haven't you? You may not know this, but just an hour ago, the government closed the city gates. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Xiao Congzhi asked cooperatively.

"Because the county magistrate is forcing the only son of the Xiao family to marry his daughter! He just forced the dowry into the Xiao family and set the wedding date for tomorrow before closing the city gates, fearing that the young master Xiao might escape."

Xiao Congzhi asked at the opportune moment, "This... does the young master of the Xiao family possess some kind of charm that warrants such coercion?"

"Hey!" Upon hearing this, the waiter became interested and began to explain at length, the content of which was almost identical to what Xiao Congzhi had heard at the teahouse outside the city.

After the waiter finished speaking, Xiao Congzhi poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then slowly said, "I see. That's really strange."

“That’s right!” The waiter didn’t feel thirsty at all. “There’s a saying that Magistrate Feng’s daughter is ill and can’t live without a man, so she’s in a hurry to get married. But she doesn’t like ordinary people, so she chose the lowest-ranking merchant family in Ninghai.”

Xiao Congzhi choked on his water. The rumor was excessively malicious towards the woman and completely unfounded. He stopped the waiter from continuing: "Another serving of vegetables, and a pot of Longjing tea."

"Longjing tea is very expensive this season."

"It's alright," Xiao Congzhi replied, placing a silver ingot on the table.

That's enough for five pots of Longjing tea! The waiter happily pocketed the silver ingot and agreed, then turned and ran downstairs shouting, "One distinguished guest in a private room, one West Lake Vinegar Fish, one plate of greens, and one pot of Longjing tea!"

As Xiao Congzhi watched the waiter's departing figure, he first smiled, then his smile faded as he turned his gaze downstairs. The mealtime had just passed, but the hall was still packed with people chatting.

Xiao Congzhi tried to decipher the contents of the conversation. Besides the guess mentioned by the waiter, some people were also speculating whether the Xiao family had a family heirloom.

But after listening to everyone, it seemed they were all just guessing, with nothing concrete or verifiable. Suddenly, everyone fell silent, and Xiao Congzhi frowned as he looked over. Sure enough, it was Xiao Sizhao who walked through the gate.

Xiao Sizhao wasn't exactly an introvert or extrovert, but being young and easily embarrassed, she felt both nervous and awkward being stared at by a group of people. She forced herself to raise her head and, trying her best to keep a normal expression, waved to the waiter: "Bring me a pot of yellow wine."

After spending most of the day drinking alone, everyone looked at Xiao Sizhao with pity.

Unable to find an empty table, Xiao Sizhao stood at the doorway, somewhat at a loss. Immediately, someone waved enthusiastically at him: "Hey, young master Xiao, why don't you sit here?"

Xiao Sizhao knew what the person's purpose was even with her eyes closed, but it was undeniable that they were of the same mind. With a sullen face, Xiao Sizhao walked towards the table where the voice had come from, bowed respectfully, and said softly, "Thank you."

The people at that table dared to solicit others to share a table in full view of everyone, so they were naturally quite uninhibited. The leader put his arm around Xiao Sizhao's shoulder and pressed him down to sit: "No need to be polite!"

Before Xiao Sizhao could even settle into his seat, the man asked, "Young Master Xiao, why exactly does Magistrate Feng want to marry his daughter to you?"

In an instant, everyone in the restaurant turned their attention to Xiao Sizhao, their gazes almost drilling a hole through him.

Xiao Sizhao was covered in sweat, but he pretended to be distressed and shook his head: "If I knew, why would I have come here to drown my sorrows?"

"Brother, you've really suffered." The man patted Xiao Sizhao's shoulder heavily and said, "Then the problem can only be solved at the yamen."

After they finished speaking, the group started discussing again in front of Xiao Sizhao, this time focusing on the Feng family, and the discussion became more and more outrageous.

About an hour later, a person sat down opposite Xiao Congzhi. The person was composed and, after sitting down, picked up Xiao Congzhi's teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"What progress?"

Xiao Congzhi shook his head and looked at Xie Mowen: "What about you?"

Xie Mowen also shook his head: "Ordinary people don't have any decent speculations; they're all just guessing."

Their first choice was to investigate among the common people, hoping to find out what rumors were circulating among them that the Xiao family was unaware of.

It seems that's not the case now. The real reason behind Magistrate Feng's daughter's marriage is hidden very deeply, and the deeper the hiding, the more complicated it is...

Having reached a conclusion, Xiao Congzhi stood up and walked downstairs, Xie Mowen following closely behind. After the two left, Xiao Sizhao, who had been watching the doorway, also made an excuse to leave.

After catching up with Xiao and Xie, Xiao Sizhao took a deep breath of fresh air and asked, "Did you find anything?"

"No," Xie Mowen replied. "I thought that since your Xiao family is far from the center of Ninghai, you might not be able to get the news in time, but it seems that the entire city is unaware of it."

Xiao Sizhao's shoulders slumped. He knew what this meant and immediately felt a bit nervous, afraid of ruining Xiao Congzhi's important matter.

Just then, a snow-white bird flew by, and Xiao Congzhi immediately turned around and turned into a deserted narrow alley. A moment later, the bird landed on his shoulder.

Xiao Sizhao instinctively followed Xie Mowen into the narrow alley. Only when he saw the carrier pigeon landed did he realize something was wrong. How could he possibly read the king's secret letter?

It was too late to retreat. Without hesitation, Xiao Congzhi took out the letter, read it at a glance, and then used his internal force to shatter the letter.

"What's wrong?" Xie Mowen glanced at Xiao Congzhi's expression and immediately sensed something was amiss.

Xiao Congzhi's expression did indeed darken instantly after reading the letter, but he did not explain, only replying, "It's about Yidu."

Xiao Sizhao knew it was inappropriate, but he still stepped forward and said seriously, "Your Majesty, the situation in Yidu is urgent, you should go back."

Xiao Congzhi smiled faintly: "I know what I'm doing."

Xiao Sizhao pursed her lips, about to say something, when another carrier pigeon circled down. This one was not as white and beautiful as the previous one, but rather grayish and with unusually small eyes.

Xiao Sizhao watched as Xie Mowen raised his hand and took the carrier pigeon.

This time, the letter was not shattered. After reading it, Xie Mowen handed it to Xiao Congzhi and said, "I didn't expect that Magistrate Feng was related to Feng Jue."

Jiang Xiang's crony, Minister of Revenue Feng Jue, was the cousin of Feng Huai, the magistrate of Ninghai County. The two had entered the imperial examination in the same year and both became Jiang Xiang's protégés. Twenty years ago, Feng Huai was transferred to Ninghai as magistrate.

A county magistrate, a lowly ninth-rank official—given Feng Huai's background, how could he have remained in such a minor post in a corner of Jiangnan for twenty years…

Xiao Congzhi's expression darkened further, and his eyes turned cold as he looked at Xie Mowen. "I never imagined this would be related to Prime Minister Jiang."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sizhao's expression turned serious, and she asked in a panic, "Could it be related to Aunt?"

His aunt, Xiao Congzhi's mother, was Xiao Congxi.

“No,” Xiao Congzhi said. “Only Jiang knows who my birth mother is. They would never tell anyone, let alone tell Feng Jue. Feng Huai certainly doesn’t know either. But placing Feng Huai in Ninghai must have been Jiang Xiang’s idea.”

Xiao Sizhao calmed down a bit and nodded with a stern face. "Twenty years ago, the Xiao family hadn't come to Ninghai yet. Feng Huai didn't come because of the Xiao family. But after all these years, for some unknown reason, he's set his sights on the Xiao family."

Xie Mowen suddenly thought of something and asked, "Has Madam Jiang kept an eye on the Xiao family these past few years?"

Xiao Congzhi looked up at Xie Mowen and pondered for a moment before saying, "In earlier years... I was particularly careful. The Xiao family was a prominent family in Jiangnan, holding a high position among scholars, and was worthy of Prime Minister Jiang's wariness. However, after my mother passed away, the Xiao family remained silent and gradually declined, so Prime Minister Jiang would probably have lowered his guard. When I ascended the throne, he colluded with his relatives to tamper with the jade tablet, erasing my connection with the Xiao family of Jiangnan. Since then, Prime Minister Jiang should no longer have any reason to continue paying attention to the Xiao family. Furthermore, the Xiao family sold their ancestral property and moved to Ninghai, keeping a low profile. I think Prime Minister Jiang might not even know that this Xiao family is the same as that Xiao family."

Xiao Sizhao's eyes widened slightly. He looked around very little, unable to determine whether he could hear what was being said.

"There's no one here." Xiao Congzhi noticed Xiao Sizhao's subtle movements and casually reminded him that with him and Xie Mowen here, it was impossible for anyone to hide in the shadows and eavesdrop.

Xiao Sizhao lowered his head abruptly and nodded.

Xie Mowen glanced at Xiao Sizhao, a smirk playing on his lips, then turned to Xiao Congzhi, "Then this matter is probably unrelated to Prime Minister Jiang."

"I hope so." Xiao Congzhi sighed, then said to Xiao Sizhao, "Sizhao, you go home first. Xie Mowen and I are going somewhere else."

"Where? I'll go with you myself; there's no reason for you to do it for me."

Xiao Congzhi laughed, "We have to have something even if we don't. I'll sneak into the yamen with Xie Mowen to investigate. You have no martial arts skills whatsoever, how can you come along?"

Xiao Sizhao blushed, scratched his ear sheepishly, and said, "Yes...yes, then I'll go home and tidy up the house. You're not staying at an inn tonight, are you?"

"Yes." Xiao Congzhi nodded, then added, "One room will do."

Xiao Sizhao was taken aback. When she understood the implication, her face turned even redder, and her ears turned red as well. She responded in a low voice.

Seeing Xiao Sizhao's reaction, Xiao Congzhi felt a little better and smiled at Xie Mowen.