Chapter 184 This official must know what connection that fox demon has with the King of the Northern Wilderness.
The two locked eyes, silently sizing each other up.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and blocked Bai Xiuming's view. Achan's hand touched Bai Xiuming's face, turning his face back, and she said with displeasure, "I'm talking, didn't you hear me?"
"Hmm?" Bai Xiuming turned his gaze away from the person in the distance. He grabbed A Chan's hand, lowered his head, and asked, "What did you say?"
“I said, take me back to Changpingfang first.”
He squeezed Ah Chan's fingers: "So eager to elope with someone else?"
Achan smiled and said, "Lord Bai, don't be so stingy. You are the one who came later. Remember to be more polite to Huiniang in the future."
Bai Xiuming gave a soft snort, spurred his horse, and the horse trotted towards the city gate.
Bai Zhanhuang watched the two figures disappear through the city gate, ignoring even when Mu Lin spoke to him.
Mu Lin noticed that the prince was distracted, so he made an excuse and took his leave.
After the people left, Bai Zhanhuang turned around and returned to the carriage. The coachman respectfully asked, "Your Highness, shall we continue to wait here?"
Bai Zhanhuang did not answer. He returned to the spacious carriage, and with a swipe of his hand on the storage bag at his waist, the Earth Spirit Book appeared before him.
The Book of Earthly Spirits moved automatically without wind, turning to the page with the name A Chan written on it; the two characters A Chan were still vividly and brightly red.
Bai Zhanhuang stared at the name for a moment, then picked up a small knife that was only the length of a palm and placed it aside. He placed his left palm over the blade and gripped it tightly.
Blood dripped from between his fingers onto his robe. Bai Zhanhuang calmly opened his hand, revealing a deep gash on his left palm, from which blood was gushing.
He clenched his left hand into a fist and placed it on the golden page of the Book of Earthly Spirits. Blood dripped onto Achan's name, and the red name detached from the page and floated up.
But below the floating name was a line of blood. The two characters were originally almost perpendicular to the blood line, and then they slowly moved northeast at a visible speed, which was exactly the direction of entering the city.
He marked Achan's name with his own blood, using himself as the starting point to search for Achan's whereabouts.
The Book of Earthly Spirits showed that just moments ago, he had brushed past Achan. He remained where he was, while Achan entered the city.
Bai Zhanhuang closed the Earth Spirit Book, and the words floating on it immediately disappeared.
"Let's go back to the city," Bai Zhanhuang ordered. The coachman, having received the order, dared not delay and immediately drove the carriage towards the city gate.
Bai Zhanhuang leaned back in the spacious seat, reached into a hidden compartment in the carriage and took out a bottle of wound medicine. He poured a layer of powder into his palm, then took out a handkerchief and casually bandaged the wound.
The carriage had just entered the city when a slender figure suddenly appeared inside. The newcomer knelt on one knee, her voice clear and melodious, her posture respectful: "Your Highness, we have made progress on the matter you asked me to investigate."
"Please sit down."
Only after Bai Zhanhuang spoke did the woman straighten up and sit in the empty seat on the side of the carriage.
"Tell me, what did you find out?" Bai Zhanhuang looked up at her.
Huang Wu lowered his eyes, not daring to meet the gaze of the Northern Wilderness King: "I have found out that Miss A Chan arrived in the capital around the Lantern Festival last year. On the night of the Lantern Festival, there was a sudden and continuous thunder. Bai Xiu ordered his men to leave the Mingjing Division and head to Anping Ward."
"Okay, continue."
Huang Wu took a deep breath and continued, "I heard that a great demon entered the city that day, but it was seriously injured and died in Anping Ward. I bribed a centurion of the Mingjing Division and learned from him that there was a woman present at the place where the great demon was discovered. Bai Xiu ordered that woman to be brought back to the Mingjing Division and imprisoned for a few days before being released."
Who is that woman?
"The woman's name was Ji Chan. She was originally the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang, but she was expelled from the family because of bloodline confusion."
"Ji Chan, Ji Chan." Bai Zhanhuang murmured the name, looking at his bandaged left hand, a faint smile escaping his throat. "A Chan really knows how to hide things."
Hidden inside someone else's body, no wonder no one discovered it.
Seeing that his lord was preoccupied with Achan, Huang Wu hesitated for a moment before speaking: "There is one more thing."
"Speak."
Huang Wu could only bite the bullet and say, "I also found out that the estate where the Empress Dowager was murdered was under Ji Chan's name."
Bai Zhanhuang showed no surprise on his face, and simply asked, "Is there anything else?"
"Also, on the night Huang Lin disappeared, a dragon's roar was heard in Changping Ward. Ji Chan happened to run an incense shop in Changping Ward."
These two clues, along with the prince's assessment of the other party's identity, clearly indicate that this Ji Chan is none other than the fox demon A Chan, whom she and Huang Lin had once hunted down.
Huang Wu's feelings were extremely complicated. During this period, because the emperor was watching, the prince dared not make any rash moves and only allowed them to investigate the cause and effect of the death of the Dowager Consort in private.
But after investigating, they ended up finding the girl named Achan.
If the speculation is true, then the death of the Dowager Consort was clearly a conspiracy specifically targeting her.
The other party not only plotted against Huanglin, but also caused the death of the Dowager Consort, and even wiped out the Zhao clan. The Northern Wilderness King's Mansion also paid a huge price.
Such methods reveal the depth of resentment in that girl Achan's heart, which is likely difficult to dispel.
Bai Zhanhuang chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned about the death of the Dowager Consort: "My mother wanted her dead, so she took my mother's life instead. She's as vengeful as ever."
Huangwu dared not speak.
As one of the culprits who drove Achan to the brink of despair, she knew perfectly well that if she hadn't been merely a tool of the Dowager Consort at the time, and hadn't been a fourth-level cultivator nurtured by the Northern Wilderness Prince's Mansion, the Prince would never have let her go.
The shallow mother-son bond between the Dowager Consort and the Prince had long been exhausted because of Achan. Only the Dowager Consort still believed that as long as she retrieved the items from the Zhao family's secret vault, she could repair her mother-son relationship with the Prince.
Among the old prince's many sons, this prince appeared to be the most humble and polite. Because of his young age, he was never taken seriously by his older brothers.
In the end, it was he who ascended to the throne of the Northern Wilderness King, stepping over the corpse of his own brother.
In the prince's eyes, familial ties were probably far less important than the girl, Achan, who had captured his heart. Huang Wu also regretted that if she had seen through these things sooner, things wouldn't have developed to this point.
"Your Highness, now that we have confirmed Miss Achan's identity, shall we... meet with her?" Huang Wu asked tentatively.
No, it's not the right time yet.
Bai Zhanhuang lifted the curtain on the carriage window and looked out. The streets were bustling with people, and vendors were enthusiastically hawking their wares.
His hand suddenly clenched, but his voice was extremely soft and slow: "The capital is truly prosperous, and it's easy to be blinded by its allure."
Huang Wu held her breath, wondering who the prince was referring to. She had no time to think about it and was just waiting for the prince's next order.
"Investigate Bai Xiuming. I need to know his likes and dislikes, his weaknesses, and his relationship with... Ji Chan."
"Yes, I will investigate immediately."
Huang Wu's figure disappeared into the carriage, but Bai Zhanhuang's gaze remained fixed on the outside of the carriage.
His left hand, which had already stopped bleeding, reopened due to the sudden exertion of force, staining the handkerchief tied to his hand red, but he seemed completely unaware.
In Changpingfang, Chen Hui was tending to her shop as usual when she suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves outside. She had just stood up when Achan rushed in like a nimble little sparrow: "Hui-niang, I'm back!"
A smile appeared on Chen Hui's face. She got up and walked to the counter, looking A Chan up and down.
She seemed to have lost some weight, but her complexion was rosy and she looked very healthy, clearly indicating that Bai Xiuming had taken good care of her.
However, a hint of allure would always unconsciously emanate from the corners of her eyes and brows, making her even more captivating, which made Chen Hui grit her teeth.
As someone who had been through it all, how could she not know what had happened?
When Chen Hui saw Bai Xiuming following A Chan in, her gaze turned sharp.
Achan was completely oblivious to Chen Hui's complex emotions and was still sharing her experiences on the road with her. After saying a few words, she turned around and saw Bai Xiuming, and hurriedly said, "Hui Niang, Hui Xue asked me to bring you a gift. I also bought you a lot of gifts on my way back."
As she spoke, she beckoned to Bai Xiuming: "Quickly bring out the things."
Before Bai Xiuming could speak, Chen Hui interrupted, "No rush. Take Lord Bai to your room to get his luggage. I'll make you some food. Are you hungry?"
Achan answered without hesitation: "I'm hungry."
She had been away from the capital for almost two months, and she thought of Hui Niang every day while eating. She was determined to take Hui Niang with her next time she went out.
Chen Hui closed the shop and went to the kitchen to make dumplings for A Chan. While she was boiling water, she saw Bai Xiuming come out of A Chan's room and walk towards the well.
"Lord Bai," Chen Hui called out to the other party.
Bai Xiuming stopped and turned around: "What is it?"
Chen Hui paused for a moment before saying, "Achan is careless about matters of the heart, but Lord Bai cannot pretend that nothing happened."
"Thank you for reminding me. I will discuss this matter with Achan privately."
Chen Hui nodded. Although she felt that Bai Xiuming's actions were too outrageous, at least he wouldn't lie to her about such a thing.
Little did she know, this matter was not really Bai Xiuming's fault.
In fact, on the way back, he had said that he would come to propose marriage after returning to the capital. At that time, Achan avoided the topic and never mentioned it again.
Between the two of them, it was actually him who was eager for a formal title.
Achan was unaware of their conversation. She had tidied up the things she had brought back along the way, washed up, and was eating the dumplings that Chen Hui had brought her as soon as she came out.
Although Chen Hui was dissatisfied with Bai Xiuming, she still maintained proper etiquette and treated him to dumplings before seeing him off.
After returning home, Achan acted like an ungrateful child, refusing to even step out of the front door. She stood at the door waving at him, saying, "Have a safe journey, Lord Bai."
Bai Xiuming gave her a half-smile, which made A Chan's neck go cold. She quickly shrank back, not daring to provoke him again.
After leaving Changpingfang, Bai Xiuming did not go to the Mingwang Mansion, but instead went to the Mingjing Division first.
Upon arriving at the Mingjing Division's office, he first met with Qin Heng to discuss the recent cases handled by the Mingjing Division, and then summoned Feng Yang and Jiang Kai.
Upon seeing Bai Xiuming, the two stepped forward to pay their respects, both looking somewhat excited.
"My lord, you're finally back!" Jiang Kai complained bitterly, "The commander simply doesn't treat us like human beings."
Before leaving, Bai Xiuming handed over two subordinates to Qin Heng, saying that he could give them any orders.
While other government offices were rife with intrigue and mutual distrust, Qin Heng wished he could entrust all matters to the two of them in the Mingjing Division.
They received the salary of a thousand-household commander but did the work of a commander. Every day they were either on official business or on their way to do official business, and they were almost exhausted to death.
"If you keep uttering nonsense, I'll pack you up and send you to the commander," Bai Xiuming said calmly.
Jiang Kai, quick-witted, immediately changed the subject: "My lord, as you instructed before you left, a loophole has been discovered. Not long after the Northern Wilderness King entered the capital, people began searching for connections with the Mingjing Division. Today, our people managed to leak the information to them."
"What information did you buy?"
“That person bought information related to the murder of the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness. She even specifically inquired about the location of the Dowager Princess's murder and the people in the estate. We did not hide anything from them.”
Then Jiang Kai added, "She also inquired about Huang Lin, but we didn't say much. We only told her that Huang Lin disappeared in Changpingfang."
"That's all?"
"There's more," Jiang Kai hesitated for a moment before saying, "The other party also inquired about the fox demon that broke into the city last year on the Lantern Festival. We told that person everything that happened at that time."
Bai Xiuming raised his eyes: "A fox demon?"
"yes."
"The origins of that fox demon seem to have remained a mystery?"
"Your subordinates are incompetent." Jiang Kai and Feng Yang didn't argue and directly admitted their mistake.
"Then investigate the Northern Wilderness King's Mansion. I need to know what connection that fox demon has with the Northern Wilderness King, and why it appeared in the capital."
"Yes." After agreeing, Jiang Kai left first.
Feng Yang walked behind, and after hesitating for a long time, he said, "Sir, it seems that Miss Ji is involved in all of these pieces of information that have been sold."
I initially thought it was just an accident, since they were completely unrelated.
But now, someone has brought the case of the fox demon from a year ago, along with the case of the Empress Dowager, to them. Suddenly, things have become a little complicated. He remembers that the adults had been suspicious of Miss Ji's identity.
Bai Xiuming ignored Feng Yang. He lowered his eyes and seemed to be asleep. Seeing this, Feng Yang did not speak again and quietly withdrew.
After Feng Yang left, Bai Xiuming opened his eyes and glanced at the neatly arranged case files on the table. He picked up a case file at random but did not open it.
He let his mind wander, filled with a jumble of thoughts: the Northern Wilderness King, the fox demon, the deceased imperial concubine, and... Ah Chan.
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