Chapter 33 Ajiu's Crying Shocked the Entire Mansion
"Sir...that...the housekeeper of Censor Qian's family is here again. He said that Sir Qian has always felt something is wrong with his body since he came back from the flower-viewing banquet. He has been suspicious and unable to sleep at night. He also said...he also said that he seemed to really see...a green light flashing above his head, and the turtles raised in the mansion also started to spit at him...He would like to ask Miss Ajiu...to go and take another look..." The housekeeper reported with a bitter face.
Chu Xuanyi’s eyes went dark, and he almost performed a “national teacher scam” on the spot.
"No!" Chu Xuanyi practically roared, "Tell him! This Master's Mansion is not a market! Ah Jiu is not a fortune teller! If he dares to come and make trouble again, I will report him for spreading rumors and misleading the public!"
The housekeeper was so frightened by the shouting that he quickly crawled away.
Chu Xuanyi sat slumped in the armchair, looking at Ajiu who was trying to teach the "ugly bird" to bark like a dog, and felt a throbbing pain in his head.
"Ajiu," Chu Xuanyi said weakly, "When you see His Royal Highness the Regent next time, can you...be a little more normal?"
"Sir, what's wrong with Jiu?" Jiu put down the wooden bird with an innocent look on his face. "Jiu is telling the truth! Big brother's belt is just prettier than that bad guy's rope! And big brother smells really good, much better than the ink and herbal scent on Master!"
Chu Xuanyi: "..."
He was speechless.
Forget it, reasoning with this girl is like playing the lute to a cow, no, it’s like playing the lute to a piece of wood without tendons!
In the next few days, the people sent by Chu Xuanyi almost turned the capital upside down.
The investigation into the "Moding Mint Candy Beans" is progressing slowly.
"Your Excellency," the staff member in charge reported grimly, "None of the major pharmacies or candy shops in the capital sell this product. I've also secretly visited some unofficial pharmacies and candy makers, and they've never heard of this... uh, 'Ink Ingot Mint Candy Beans.' Some speculate that this may be some kind of privately crafted tonic pill or a 'chewable good' circulated within a specialized trade, unavailable on the market."
The investigation into the "silver snake pattern/dark pattern on the black sleeve rope" is also like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Sir, although there aren't many rope accessories that match this pattern, most of them are used by people in the underworld, or secretive guards and spies. These people's whereabouts are uncertain, making it difficult to track them one by one. Moreover, this pattern is not unique. Several gangs and organizations have similar totem marks, but with slight differences in details."
Chu Xuanyi's brows were twisted into a knot as he listened to these reports.
Both clues point to "secrets," "special business," and "jianghu," which undoubtedly increases the difficulty of the investigation. The man in black and the forces behind him are hiding too deeply!
Just when Chu Xuanyi was at a loss, Ajiu said something shocking again.
That day, Chu Xuanyi was worrying about a pile of files in his study when Ajiu ran in with a small plate of osmanthus cake.
"My Lord, please eat some cake! This is sweet, not as bitter as the candy beans that bad guy ate!"
Chu Xuanyi was interrupted by her thoughts. He took the osmanthus cake with some reluctance and asked casually, "Ajiu, that bad guy in black clothes, does he... does he often eat those 'Ink Ingot Mint Candy Beans'?"
"Yeah!" Ah Jiu nodded vigorously. "He seems to like eating that! When Ah Jiu saw him, he kept chewing that thing in his mouth, like a little rabbit eating grass, chewing and chewing, and then his throat would move, gulp -" She imitated the swallowing movement, "And, besides the stinky smell of medicine and ink, he also has a kind of... a light smell, like... like the hay and horse manure mixed together in the stable, but it has been exposed to the sun, so it is not so smelly, but has a kind of fragrant smell!"
A stable? The smell of hay and horse manure mixed with the sun?
A light bulb went off in Chu Xuanyi's mind!
He stood up suddenly and stared at Jiu: "Jiu, are you sure? Does he have that smell?"
"Of course!" Ah Jiu nodded vigorously. "Although it's very faint, Ah Jiu's nose is very sensitive! Even better than that big yellow dog in the mansion!"
Chu Xuanyi was so excited that he almost jumped up!
The smell of a stable!
In the capital, besides the stables in the various stately homes, there were also… official post stations! And… “express delivery shops” specifically responsible for delivering military intelligence and letters!
To stay awake during their day-and-night journeys, did the couriers take special stimulants? And since they work with horses all year round, it makes sense that they'd smell like stables!
In addition to what Ajiu mentioned before, "silver snake pattern/dark pattern on the black sleeve rope", some express delivery shops or escort agencies responsible for escorting important letters may also use clothing or accessories with specific dark patterns for the purpose of unified identification and convenient management!
"Come here! Check immediately! All the major official post stations, express delivery shops, and escort agencies that undertake official letter escort business in the capital! Focus on checking their messengers and porters to see if they usually take stimulants like 'Ink Ink Mint Candy Beans', and whether there are any dark patterns like 'Silver Snake Patterns' on their clothing accessories!" Chu Xuanyi ordered very quickly.
This clue is so important! If the man in black is really from a courier or escort agency, then his employer is likely using these channels to pass on information, or even... mobilize personnel!
Just as Chu Xuanyi was excited by this new clue and was about to lead people to investigate personally, a sneaky figure outside the Imperial Master's Mansion was quietly climbing over the high wall under the cover of night.
The man was dressed in black, and his movements were agile and he landed silently. He was the man in black who was ordered to come and "deal with" Ah Jiu.
He had secretly observed the layout and guarding situation of the Imperial Master's Mansion during the day. This was the time when the guards were changing shifts and the defenses were the most relaxed.
His target was clear - the little girl who was said to live in the most remote courtyard in the backyard of the Imperial Master's Mansion.
The man in black was like a ghost, avoiding the patrolling guards and sneaking towards the courtyard where Ajiu lived as if he knew the way.
Around his waist was a black rope with faintly visible fine silver patterns on it. In his sleeve pocket was a small bamboo tube containing several pills... covered in white frost on the outside, pitch black on the inside, emitting a bitter and minty scent.
He had already touched the window of Ajiu's room, gently pushed aside the window paper and looked inside.
A dim oil lamp was lit in the room. A small figure was lying on the table, seemingly asleep, with a strangely shaped wooden bird next to it.
A cold look flashed in the eyes of the man in black. He took out a thin blowpipe from his arms. The blowpipe was already loaded with a thin needle that was soaked in poison.
With just a gentle blow, the needle can silently kill the troublesome little girl.
He held his breath and aimed the blowpipe at the back of Jiu's neck...
Just as he was about to blow out the poison needle—
“Meow—!”
A shrill cat cry suddenly came from behind the rockery in the yard, so sharp and piercing that it broke the tranquility of the night sky!
Immediately afterwards, a rustling sound was heard, as if something was rolling down from the rockery.
The man in black was startled and stopped subconsciously!
Almost at the same time, Ah Jiu, who was originally sleeping soundly on his stomach in the room, suddenly raised his head, sniffed hard with his little nose, and then cried out "Wow":
"Wuwuwu... Sir! Sir! There's a bad guy! He's wearing black clothes, and he smells like medicine, ink, and horses. He has little snake ropes tied to his sleeves, and he likes to eat bitter candies... He... He wants to prick Ajiu with a little needle! Wuwuwu... Ajiu is scared..."
Ajiu's voice is full of energy and has great penetrating power!
The entire Imperial Master's Mansion was instantly alarmed!
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