Chapter 27: No Good Banquet 6

When did Zhao Yuanan climb up the tree? !

No wonder He Xuan pulled her back just now. It turned out that he had already noticed that there was someone hiding in the tree canopy above his head.

Having been discovered, Xun Shu and He Xuan no longer hid, but walked into the courtyard openly without saying a word about what they had just eavesdropped on.

There were three people standing in the yard.

Mrs. Zheng was nearly sixty years old and quite wealthy. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes, and her silver hair was meticulously combed and adorned with pearls and jade. She looked quite wealthy, but if you looked closely, the intricate patterns embroidered on the corners of her clothes had become threadbare, and the hairpins and rings on her head were also from many years ago, no longer as bright as they once were.

Perhaps because the incident happened suddenly last night, she was trapped in the mansion and did not bring any other clothes. She only put on an ill-fitting linen dress over her original clothes to show respect for the deceased.

Xun Shu looked at her and recalled what happened a month ago.

At that time, Jiang Zheng encountered Madam Zheng on the road. Knowing she was about to die, he excitedly went to the mountains to find wood to prepare a coffin for her. However, no one anticipated that before the coffin was completed, Madam Zhao was killed. The coffin was eventually purchased by County Magistrate Zhao and contained her body. A few days ago, the three of them went back into the mountains to select wood for Madam Zheng's coffin. Now, the finished coffin lay in the coffin shop, awaiting the arrival of the Zheng family. Unexpectedly, County Magistrate Zhao passed away again.

It seems that it won’t be long before we have to go to the mountains to look for coffin wood again.

Zheng's face was pale, her eyes bloodshot. Standing a few steps away from Old Madam Zheng, she watched the two people enter the courtyard with a complicated expression. She wanted to ask how much they had heard, but was afraid they would pursue her further. Feeling uneasy, she patted Zheng Yuanan's shoulder and said, "Yuanan, take your great-grandmother to play inside. Mother has something to discuss with these brothers and sisters."

Xun Shu and He Xuan stood there, their expressions and movements identical, without a word or the slightest intention of greeting Old Madam Zheng. Old Madam Zheng looked displeased, glaring at Xun Shu and He Xuan warily, wanting to reprimand these two youngsters for their rudeness, but in the end, she said nothing, snorted coldly, and left with Zhao Yuanan.

After the two entered the house, Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at them and said softly, "Come with me."

Xun Shu and He Xuan followed Zheng into the house. After the two sat down, Zheng carefully closed the door, turned around, clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and sat down on the stool opposite them. Her eyes were uncertain, and there was a slight tremor in her voice: "I wonder what brings you here today?"

Xun Shu glanced at He Xuan beside him and saw him playing with a small ant he had just caught. He said helplessly, "We are here because of what happened to County Magistrate Zhao last night. Did you kill County Magistrate Zhao?"

As soon as the words fell, the room was completely silent; even the cicadas outside the window fell silent. He Xuan paused for a moment, teasing the ants, and smiled silently with his head down.

This guy...when will he learn to be more reserved?

Zheng was also shocked by her directness and said in panic, "I don't know what you are talking about."

Xun Shu's eyes were clear and full of seriousness: "Yes, then it is. No, then it is not. Is this question so difficult to answer?"

"...Of course not!" Zheng clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly. "Master pulled me out of this hell and treated me so well. Now he's handed over the power of the housekeeper to me. Why would I kill him?"

"Then why did you behave like that at the banquet yesterday? Before County Magistrate Zhao's last struggle, you were already weeping and gasping for breath, as if you knew he was about to die and were mourning him in advance."

He Xuan's hand trembled and he almost crushed the ant in his palm to death.

Zheng denied it again: "I didn't! I saw that the master's hand was stung by a poisonous bee, and it was red and swollen. I was worried about his pain, so I couldn't help crying!"

"How do you know that bee is poisonous?"

Zheng was stunned for a moment and murmured, "I see the wound is swollen. I guess it's poisonous... Am I wrong?"

"County Magistrate Zhao was a strong, imposing man. I saw the body yesterday. The wound on his palm was only the size of a sesame seed. Even if it was slightly red and swollen, it was not worth crying so hard about."

"I know what you mean, young lady. You simply suspect that I released the poisonous bee. But how could a woman like me drive a bee to bite someone? Moreover, I have been married to the master for four years. If I wanted to hurt the master, why would I do it in public?"

This made some sense. Xun Shu thought for a moment and changed the subject: "Do you know the people who attended the banquet yesterday? Did you hear County Magistrate Zhao mention the relationship between these people?"

"In the past, the Madam was in charge of banquets, and I never showed up." Zheng's smile was a little bitter. "I have mentioned my situation to the young lady before. The young lady should know my difficulties. I wish I could stay in this small courtyard forever and not see outsiders. As for the master, he would never take the initiative to mention official affairs. How could I get to know these people? But--" Zheng paused, not hiding anything, "Many years ago, when my father was still alive and the magistrate of Chaozhou County, Feng Zhishu was a minor official in the county government. He once came to the mansion to look for my father. We met then, but I don't know if he still remembers me."

Zheng's eyelashes drooped, and she clutched the handkerchief tightly in her hand. Xun Shu watched from the side, and he had a feeling that she seemed to be hiding something, but he didn't know whether it was related to the death of County Magistrate Zhao.

"Since you don't want to see outsiders and don't want anyone to mention what happened back then, why did you show up yesterday?" He Xuan, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up. He took a teacup, placed the ant in it, and brushed the nonexistent dust off his hands. "Not only did you show up, but you showed up multiple times. First, you delivered flowers to the garden, and then you delivered medicine to the dinner. I really can't understand why these two things were so important that you would expose your identity and return to the public eye."

He Xuan's question was as sharp as a sword, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. He was clearly smiling, but his eyes were filled with cold scrutiny, and his aura was so oppressive that it made people breathless.

Xun Shu was stunned.

She bit her lip softly, feeling a chill wind blast through her heart, scattering a few icy shards, bringing a chill. She pinched her thigh hard, forcing back the words she wanted to say, but she couldn't suppress the chaotic thoughts surging through her heart. She turned her head, her gaze fixed on Zheng's face, not even glancing at the other person.

Zheng's throat rolled, her nostrils flaring. Under He Xuan's questioning, she became noticeably more nervous. She forced a weak laugh, her voice light and airy, "After Madam's death, Master entrusted the household affairs to me. I can't let him down. Since I'm in charge of this banquet, if I don't show up, I'm afraid Master will be ridiculed for his lack of etiquette along with me. It doesn't matter to me, but I don't want to see Master in such a difficult position..."

Zheng's eyes were red as tears welled up, falling like broken threads, staining her clothes with dots one after another. She cried so hard that her sobs filled the room, making it impossible for Xun Shu and He Xuan to interrupt her, and for a moment they were unable to continue asking questions.

He Xuan stood up, stretched, and patted Xun Shu's shoulder. "County Magistrate Zhao just left yesterday. I'm sure there are many things in the mansion that need Madam Zheng's attention. We won't bother you for now. After all, we are all trapped in this courtyard and can't leave. If we have any further questions, we will come back to bother you." He paused and smiled meaningfully. "I have a feeling we will come again."

Zheng stood still, unmoved, watching the two men leave the courtyard. Even after their figures disappeared, her sobs continued, her eyes becoming increasingly confused as she gazed at the empty courtyard, as if a lifetime had passed.

-

Xun Shu remained silent as they left Zheng's room. He Xuan followed her, looking at the tufts of hair on her neck, also without saying a word.

The two of them walked quietly across the courtyard, one in front and one behind, and when they reached the gate, they felt as if they were in another world.

It was as if something had changed unconsciously because of the breaking.

A murder had occurred at the Zhao residence, and it was under strict guard. Servants were forbidden to wander freely. Xun Shu stood in the middle of the unobstructed passage, the sun bathing her face. She squinted at the sun, and only when her eyes grew dizzy did she feel the chill in her heart dissipate a little.

She shook her head, glanced at He Xuan sideways, and said slowly, "I'm going to look for Bai Xing. Do you want to come with me?" She paused for a moment, and before He Xuan could answer, she quickly added, "If you don't want to go, then go ahead."

After saying that, she shook her head and walked straight to the yard a few steps away.

The strip of cloth on her bun drew a beautiful arc as Xun Shu moved, as if she was venting her emotions. If He Xuan hadn't been standing far away, she would have almost hit him in the face.

He Xuan looked at her angry back and felt a little confused for a moment.

How had he offended her? He stood there, pondering for a moment, and finally got a vague idea.

Xun Shu didn't give him much time to think. He knocked on the gate of the courtyard next to Zheng's, explained his purpose to the servant who opened the door, and then walked straight into the courtyard, not paying any attention to the person behind him. He Xuan quickly followed, and at the moment before the gate closed, he squeezed sideways into the courtyard.

Xun Shu pursed her lips and glared at him, her eyes filled with a rare mix of emotions. He Xuan looked at her with a smile and said confidently, "Of course I want to go with you."

Xun Shu sighed, as if admitting defeat, but also as if escaping: "Then let's go together."

-

Although the courtyard where Bai Xing lived was only separated from Zheng's courtyard by a wall, the appearances of the courtyards were very different.

Weeds grew wildly in the cracks between the stone bricks, the corners were broken, the surface was cracked. The paint on the wall was cracked and faded, and tiles were missing here and there. However, the bird's nest under the eaves was intricate and large in scale, which must have been home to many birds.

Bai Xing and several of Madam Zhao's former maids and servants were squeezed into such a courtyard, barely having a place to live.

By the time Xun Shu and He Xuan reached the center of the courtyard, Bai Xing had already received the news and was walking out of the house. She was wearing a coarse linen shirt, her hair loosely tied in a small bun, and dark circles under her eyes. She looked haggard.

The rest of the people in the yard went back into their houses to avoid the situation, leaving this dilapidated and empty yard to the three of them.

There was no place to rest in the yard, so the three of them stood under two half-dead trees that were connected by the same roots, barely getting some shade.

Just like in the Zheng family compound, Xun Shu didn't want to beat around the bush with Bai Xing and asked directly, "Does the death of County Magistrate Zhao have anything to do with you?"

Bai Xing was stunned and hurriedly retorted, "How is that possible? He's the owner of the Zhao residence, the boss of everyone in the residence, and the county magistrate of Chaozhou City. As a slave, I wouldn't dare kill him even if I had the guts of a bear or a leopard!"

This answer seemed to be within Xun Shu's expectations. She was not surprised when she heard it. Her eyes were locked on hers, not missing any of her subtle expressions, while she also took a look at her face.

Bai Xing felt her hair stand on end as she stared at him. She was getting increasingly impatient and was about to ask a question when she heard her ask, "So, how do you think County Magistrate Zhao died, and who killed him?"