"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Ruyin has not seen Brother Jingzhao for many days and is very worried about him."
Lin Ruyin bowed and immediately changed her address, calling him "Brother Jingzhao" repeatedly, making Xiao Jingzhao feel very uncomfortable, but he couldn't stop her.
"No need for formalities. If you need anything in the palace, just tell Chief Eunuch Ma. I am very busy with official duties and really cannot attend to it." Xiao Jingzhao's tone was calm and distant, leaving no room for the other party to have any illusions.
Lin Ruyin assumed Xiao Jingzhao was aloof and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Jingzhao. Your health is of utmost importance. I've cooked some bird's nest porridge for you. Please drink it while it's hot."
As Lin Ruyin spoke, she placed the bird's nest porridge in front of Xiao Jingzhao.
"Brother Jingzhao, you know where my elder brother went, right? With New Year's Eve approaching, will he come back?"
Xiao Jingzhao shook his head, "I don't know. He only said he was going out to recuperate and would come back when he felt better."
Xiao Jingzhao replied to Lin Ruyin's words, showing no intention of drinking bird's nest porridge.
Lin Ruyin was just asking casually. The steward in the manor had told her not to ask any more questions, as the young master would naturally return in a few months.
Seeing that Xiao Jingzhao didn't seem to want to drink, she mustered her courage and asked, "Is it because the late-night snack Ruyin made didn't suit Brother Jingzhao's taste? Or does Brother Jingzhao think Ruyin's cooking is bad?"
"No, nothing at all. You did a great job. I'll drink later. Ruyin, go back to the palace and rest."
"Your Majesty, Magistrate Lu of the Capital requests an audience!"
Upon hearing the report from outside, Xiao Jingzhao waved his hand, "Send it here quickly."
The arrival of Lord Lu at this hour must be a matter of life and death, so Lin Ruyin could only bow and say, "Brother Jingzhao, please continue with your business. I will take my leave now."
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly, without saying anything more.
As Lin Ruyin walked to the door, she saw a man with a solemn expression hurrying inside.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Before Prefect Lu could kneel down, Xiao Jingzhao offered a gesture of support and asked, "Minister Lu, is there something important that brings you to the palace at this hour?"
"Your Majesty, several murders have occurred outside the city. I find this matter unusual and have come to the palace to report it."
"A murder case! Tell me the details quickly."
Even the Emperor exempted him from the formalities, so Prefect Lu did not kneel down, but instead bowed and reported:
"As New Year's Eve approached, I sent out patrols as usual. Just as the city gates were about to close, several people came into the city to report that their sons had been murdered at home."
"Continue," Xiao Jingzhao said, raising his chin.
"When I heard this, I thought it was a burglary. The person who reported the crime said that they had no enemies and that nothing was stolen."
Xiao Jingzhao frowned slightly, and something suddenly flashed through his mind.
He stared intently at Prefect Lu, "Weren't all the victims men in their early twenties?"
"Your Majesty guessed correctly, that's right."
Prefect Lu paused for a moment and continued, "Your Majesty, I have inquired with the families of the victims, and it turns out that the victims were all adopted sons who had been brought into their household."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingzhao clenched his fists, exuding a chilling aura.
Prefect Lu asked, "Does Your Majesty perhaps have guessed who the murderer is?"
Xiao Jingzhao nodded slightly. "A group of assassins from a neighboring country have infiltrated my Wanling. This is a long story. I have sent the deputy commander to contact you and arrange for the city patrol to ensure the safety of the people of the capital on New Year's Eve."
"Your subject obeys."
Prefect Lu bowed and withdrew.
Xiao Jingzhao slammed his fist on the desk, causing the bowl of bird's nest porridge on the table to spill out with a "bang".
This was the first time Eunuch Ma had ever seen the Emperor so furious, and he stood to the side, not daring to utter a sound.
Hearing the commotion inside, the guards under the eaves leaped down gracefully and disappeared into the lamplight in a flash.
A moment later, Xiang Song and Xiang Yang rushed over.
"Your Majesty, have you discovered that group of people?"
Xiao Jingzhao's eyes darkened. "Those people must have entered the capital. They are heartless bastards who have killed countless innocent people in Wanling along the way."
Xiang Song quickly cupped his hands in apology, "It was all my negligence that allowed them to take advantage of the situation."
“They came prepared, and their identities were naturally flawless.”
Xiang Yang nodded in agreement, “Your Majesty is absolutely right. The facial features of the people of Liang are no different from ours. If they speak fluent Wanling dialect, we really wouldn’t be able to tell them apart in a crowd.”
Xiao Jingzhao immediately instructed Xiangyang: "Go to the Jingzhao Yin and cooperate with Prefect Lu to carry out patrols. Pay attention to checking inns, restaurants, brothels, and teahouses, and don't disturb the people."
"I'll go right away."
After Xiang Yang left, Xiao Jingzhao looked at Xiang Song and said, "You come with me and take a group of secret guards out. You must find those people within two days."
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment, I will be right back."
After Xiang Song left, Xiao Jingzhao returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and changed into a night outfit.
The group quickly disappeared into the night.
The servants on duty outside the Imperial Study had long been dismissed by Eunuch Ma. Seeing the bird's nest porridge spilled all over the table, Eunuch Ma shook his head and sighed, "It's a pity to throw it away. I'll have to help clean up the mess."
...
New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and the Jiang family's cooks have prepared the ingredients well in advance, just waiting for the New Year's Eve dinner to begin.
Gao Mu and Cang Yun personally went to the main gate to put up couplets, while Qiu Ju was busy giving out reward money to the maids and servants in the mansion.
Shuanzi grinned from ear to ear as he held the reward money. "The New Year's money Miss gave us is more than our monthly allowance. I'll soon have enough to save for my wife."
The mansion was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
As the sun set, Su Jin returned to the Jiang residence with Su Nan and Sui Sui.
Every year, he would see strings of bright red lanterns hanging in the mansion, each painted with a pattern he liked.
A servant was lighting the lights one by one, and the corridor was instantly brightened.
Seeing her son's eyes light up, Jiang Shuyue asked, "Do you like it?"
"I love it! Mommy's drawing is so beautiful. That rabbit looks just like my little white rabbit."
Night fell quickly, and Su Nan felt that the servant was not lighting the lanterns fast enough. He wanted Sui Sui to see the magnificent scene of the mansion lit up as soon as possible, so he volunteered to help light the lanterns.
Su Jin accompanied Jiang Shuyue and Sui Sui as they strolled along the corridor, enjoying the view.
"Sister, the cat you drew looks exactly like Xue'er."
Sui Sui followed her uncle's hand and saw that the tallest lantern in the string had a picture of Xue'er on it.
Jiang Shuyue smiled and said, "There are too many. I really don't know what to draw, so I just used Xue'er to make up the numbers."
Looking at the lanterns filling the courtyard, Su Jin sighed, "May our lives be like those lanterns, growing more and more prosperous."
"Yes, I hope that Ah Jin will marry Miss Du soon, and that their lives will improve like sesame flowers blooming, with the whole family living in harmony and happiness."
After admiring the big red lanterns, Qiuju invited the group to take their seats.
The New Year's Eve dinner is set in the dining room.
The masters sat at one table, while the maids and servants sat around four other tables.
At Jiang Shuyue's insistence, Gao Muqiuju and Cangyun sat at the same table with them.
Mei'er and Lan'er chose to sit at the table closest to their master.
The table was laden with delicacies, and the aroma of fine wine filled the air. Everyone frequently raised their glasses, and laughter echoed far and wide.
At that moment, several figures quietly descended from the backyard wall in the neighboring yard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
