Chapter 4
Xuanshi Palace.
As Liu Ju expected, it didn't take long for Zhang Tang to meet Liu Che with his testimony.
"This maid's name is A-Yu. She used to work in a kennel. Her parents used to train dogs for other people, and she learned some skills from them."
Upon hearing this, Liu Che immediately grasped the key point: "Doghouse?"
"Yes. Last year, His Majesty selected a pet for His Highness and ordered the dog slaves to tame Fubao. Ah Yu was one of these dog slaves."
Liu Che's face darkened: "When did she go to the Ye Ting Palace?"
"When Fubao was delivered to His Majesty half a year ago, he was so delighted that he casually rewarded the dog slave who had taken care of Fubao. Ah Yu used the money to bribe the steward, hoping to get him a different job.
"The people in the kennels take care of cats and dogs all day long. They have a lot of work to do and they smell. Especially since even if the palace masters want to keep dogs, they will move them away after they are selected. These dog slaves who stay in the kennels cannot move with the dogs, and it is difficult for them to get promoted.
"So most of the people in the kennel wanted to find other jobs. The manager thought Ah Yu was the same and didn't find it strange. He accepted money and did things for people.
"But the money Ah Yu gave her wasn't much, and the steward didn't have the ability to transfer her to any lady or beauty, so he only arranged for her to do rough work in the Ye Ting Palace. If one day she meets a master in the Ye Ting Palace and wins his favor, it can be considered a way out."
Now it seems that Ayu may not have entered the Yunting Palace to seek a way out.
Zhang Tang took a deep breath and continued, "We didn't find anything unusual at the scene, and there were no traces of drugs on Fubao's body. That's because Ah Yu didn't use drugs; she used the whistle."
Blowing a whistle to train a dog has been around since ancient times. Furthermore, Ah Yu had already trained Fu Bao, so it was perfectly normal for Fu Bao to obey her whistle.
But there was one thing Liu Che didn't understand: "There was a whistle sound, but no one present that day heard it?"
"Ayu's parents use whistles to imitate bird calls, and different calls correspond to different training sessions. Ayu never showed this to anyone in the kennel, but it's clear she knows how to do it. The people present that day did hear birdsong, but birds are always flying around the pond, so no one thought it was unusual."
Liu Che's eyes flickered: "Why is she targeting Ju'er and Wang?"
Speaking of this, Zhang Tang sighed: "Ayu's target was not the Grand Prince, but only Madam Wang. Ayu's parents are dead, and she only has one sister, Alan, who was forced to serve as a maid in the palace by her husband's family.
"Four years ago, Madam Wang entered the palace as a servant. While servants weren't palace maids, they weren't considered proper masters either. They often lived with several people, so friction was inevitable.
"Once, Madam Wang was arguing with her roommate, and Ah-Lan happened to be bringing food over. As they pushed and shoved, Ah-Lan bumped into her. The hot soup in Ah-Lan's hand spilled all over Madam Wang, even on her face.
"A family's reputation is so important. Who wouldn't want to win His Majesty's favor? Lady Wang was worried about his reputation, so she became anxious and ordered Ah Lan to be caned. Ah Lan couldn't withstand the beating and died.
"Once Ah Yu learned of this, she tried every possible means to enter the palace, specifically to avenge her sister. She knew that Lady Wang would go out for a walk every day, and that the eldest prince would often take Fu Bao to the pond garden. Although the two did not interfere with each other, there was always a chance.
"Ah Yu was waiting for this opportunity. She used Fu Bao to kill Madam Wang twice, but she was also afraid that Fu Bao was quite spiritual and might recognize her if he were alive. So she summoned Fu Bao to silence him afterwards."
Liu Che looked at the lines of testimony on the bamboo slips.
Ah Lan's story was true. Ah Yu's torn clothes were found at the scene, and Ah Yu also had bite marks from Fu Bao. All the marks connected, but...
Liu Che pointed at the table and looked at Zhang Tang: "Is this the result you gave me? The whole result?"
Zhang Tang frowned, "Your Majesty, do you suspect Ah Yu is a scapegoat?"
Liu Che said nothing.
Zhang Tang stepped forward: "Your Majesty!"
Liu Che raised his hand to stop, looked at the attendant beside him, and then glanced outside the palace. The attendant nodded and bowed before leaving.
Flying Palace.
Liu Ju listened to the live broadcasts that Feng He kept bringing back with great interest. The people on the barrage also listened with great interest.
——So it wasn’t Liu Ju who brought disaster to Lady Wang, but Lady Wang who brought disaster to Liu Ju.
Liu Ju nodded secretly. Yes, he was innocent. It was not his fault, nor was it Fubao's fault.
—No, are you serious, screenwriter? The opening scene is filled with suspense, with an accident implicating Wei Zifu, Lady Wang, Liu Ju, and Liu Hong. The drama is so dramatic, so full of suspicion and intrigue. We've been led to speculate about everything from the harem to the court, and now you're telling me this is just a palace maid's personal revenge?
I thought so too. I was expecting some kind of grand conspiracy. If it wasn't some old-fashioned power struggle, you could have at least some decent palace fighting. This situation is really anticlimactic, so disappointing.
Liu Ju rolled his eyes. "So, if it doesn't go as you wish, it's a failure? You're just hoping that my father's reign will be unstable and his harem will be in turmoil? What kind of people are you? Pah!"
Seeing Feng He running back again, Liu Ju sat up straight: "Anything else?"
Fenghe shook his head.
Liu Ju frowned. Now that the truth was out, he had to clarify how to deal with the people involved. But then he thought, since the truth had just been discovered, maybe it wouldn't be so quick.
At least the story was complete, the case was solved, and at least one worry was put to rest. Liu Ju patted his butt and turned around, but Feng He spoke at this moment: "Your Highness, Wu Changshi of Xuanshi Palace asked me to bring you a message."
Liu Ju: ???
"His Majesty asks if you have finished listening. If you have, go do what you need to do. Stop sending people to his Xuanshi Hall all the time."
Liu Ju:!!!
Ahhh, I’ve been caught, it’s over!
Fenghe: ...looking up at the sky in silence.
Your Highness, you truly have no idea. Do you truly believe that I, a servant, have the ability to gather information from the Xuanshi Palace? All I know is that Your Majesty feels the matter is not confidential and is willing to share it with you.
How could Wu Changshi dare to speak without His Majesty's tacit approval? All this is because Your Majesty indulges you. You've heard so much, and you still think Your Majesty hasn't caught you?
********
Xuanshi Palace.
After sending Fenghe back, Liu Che signaled Zhang Tang to continue.
"I believe that with Ah Yu's execution, the truth seems to have surfaced, but in reality, there are still some unclear points. The place where Fu Bao buried the body is indeed rarely visited, but it is not very hidden. Since Ah Yu took such a great risk to kill the dog and bury the body, why didn't he choose a safer place? For example, sink it in the Cang Pond."
Liu Che nodded. Another point: according to the current evidence and testimony, Ah Yu had been patient for three years, setting up such a meticulous plan. She hadn't left any clues at the scene, leaving them searching for three days without success. This clearly shows how meticulous she was.
Would such a meticulous and patient person panic and reveal his true identity immediately after hearing the false news they released?
Liu Che didn't believe it. The current situation was more like the other party knew that he would investigate the matter to the end, and was afraid of exposing himself, so he deliberately pushed A Yu out, wanting to close the case as soon as possible and put the matter behind him.
At this moment, a guard came hurriedly to report: "Ayu committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
"What a man who committed suicide out of fear of crime!"
Apparently, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to withstand Zhang Tang's next round of torture, so he used his death as an opportunity to keep the secret secret. Liu Che snorted coldly, then laughed in anger.
Zhang Tang's face turned pale, and he knelt down hurriedly to apologize: "This is my fault. I failed to supervise."
"It's indeed your fault."
It's easy to kill someone, but much harder to keep them alive, especially if they're determined to die. After all, there are countless ways to kill someone, and countless ways to commit suicide, making it impossible to prevent them. But if someone died at Zhang Tang's hands, he would have to bear the consequences.
Liu Che's face was gloomy, his fists were clenched, and his knuckles were crackling.
Zhang Tang knelt down, prostrating himself on the ground, not daring to breathe.
After a while, Liu Che spoke again: "Who do you think will benefit the most if I have no children?"
Of course it’s the princes.
Zhang Tang's heart trembled. He had not thought of this before.
Concubine An has been interrogated. Although she is brainless and talkative, and is jealous of the Queen and Lady Wang's favor, this matter has nothing to do with her.
Zhang Tang also dismissed the rumors alluding to the Empress and Lady Wang. Looking at the rest of the harem, he couldn't imagine who could pull off such a scheme. And those with motives weren't limited to the harem.
but……
Zhang Tang hesitated and said, "Your Majesty is in the prime of life."
Even if Liu Che had few children, as long as he could give birth to Liu Ju and Liu Hong, he could also give birth to others. He was only in his thirties and was not about to die.
Now that they've killed Liu Ju and Liu Hong, what's next? Are they planning to kill every one they have?
Therefore, it is not very plausible to say that they were princes, unless there is another reason.
So what is the truth?
Liu Che was filled with doubts. He ran his fingers over the bamboo slips of testimony, tapping them repeatedly. After a long moment of deliberation, he threw the slips over and said, "Let's close the case accordingly."
Case closed? Knowing there's something fishy going on, but still wanting to close the case?
Zhang Tang was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood. If their plan failed, they would surely make another move. Since they wanted to use Ah Yu to calm the situation, why not just go along with it, let them think the storm was over, and thus lower their guard?
A fox will always show its tail. Your Majesty, just be a good fisherman, fishing patiently, and the fish will take the bait.
Zhang Tang withdrew. Liu Che then summoned the envoy in embroidered robes.
This was a new institution established by Emperor Wu of Han in the past two years to monitor the imperial court and inspect all officials. While a low-ranking official, it was directly under the emperor's jurisdiction and could report any illegal activities to the emperor. It held a very special position within the imperial court.
The summoned embroidered robe envoy arrived quickly, and Liu Che immediately asked, "What has Liu Ling been doing recently? Has he made any unusual moves?"
Liu Ling was the daughter of Liu An, King of Huainan. She loved fancy clothes and lively surroundings since she was young. Many years ago, she accompanied King of Huainan to the capital to pay homage. She saw that the prosperity of Chang'an was far beyond that of Huainan, so she decided to stay in Chang'an.
She had a clever tongue and was a gifted talker, often bringing the Empress Dowager to her raptures when she was still alive. Now that she was gone, she found her home among the wives of the powerful and influential. She was the one who set the pace for dress and play among many of the women in the capital.
Although on the surface she seemed to be a girl who lived a luxurious life and advocated enjoyment, given her status as the daughter of a prince, she acted quite ostentatiously and high-profile, so Liu Che also sent three or two embroidered clothes to keep an eye on her.
The embroidered messenger respectfully replied, "The princess seems to be in a bad mood recently, as if she is looking for someone but can't find him. I wonder if this counts as unusual behavior."
Liu Che paused: "Looking for someone?"
"Yes. The princess only searched privately, without making a big fuss. She probably didn't want others to know."
Liu Che's eyes were deep. This was interesting. Who was he looking for that needed to be so secretive and not reveal himself to others?
The embroidered robes servant bowed his head and said, "The master is very cautious. Our men dare not come too close for fear of being discovered. We don't know who this person is at the moment."
Liu Che frowned, not very satisfied with the result, but he also understood that the Xiuyi Organization had been established for a short time and had limited talents to recruit and train. There were too many places where he needed to use them, so he could not send elites to every place.
Moreover, Liu Ling did not seem to be a very dangerous or important person at the moment, so he had done his best to follow her embroidered envoy to this extent.
Liu Che thought for a moment and said, "Keep watching. Report any new information or suspicious findings immediately."
The embroidered robes envoy accepted the order: "Yes."
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