Chapter 66 The Person is Gone
Shi Zhu noticed that her young master had been standing in the sun for quite some time, and fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead, so she couldn't help but feel a little worried.
At this moment, the maid Xiao Cui came over carrying a plate of freshly washed pears.
He quickly stepped forward to take the wooden tray, and then casually grabbed the largest one and stuffed it into Xiao Cui's hand.
Xiao Cui blushed and smiled, whispering "Thank you, Brother Shizhu," before going to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Shi Zhu carried the pears to Liu Jinzhang and said, "Young master, these are freshly washed pears. Please try them; they're good for cooling you down."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jinzhang simply said, "Hmm, just put it there."
He turned around and handed the letter sealed with sealing wax to Shizhu. "Find a time to deliver this letter to the Princess's residence and make sure to hand it to Her Highness personally."
Shi Zhu quickly placed the pear on the stone table, wiped her hands clean on her clothes, and then took the letter.
"Don't worry, young master, I'll go after dinner."
Liu Jinzhang hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on the pears in the wooden tray, and casually asked, "Where did these pears come from?"
"His Highness Prince Cheng sent it."
Shi Zhu scratched her head and added, "It's not just pears, there's also a basket of delicacies from land and sea, said to be to nourish your body. From what I can see, these are all good things that you can't buy in the market, they're very precious."
Liu Jinzhang frowned. "Prince Cheng?"
He had no dealings with this second prince before, so why would the prince suddenly send someone to deliver something?
Shi Zhu explained, "The eunuch who delivered the gifts said that His Highness Prince Cheng knew that you and Princess Chang had some estrangement recently, so he specially delivered some things on behalf of Princess Chang in the hope of easing the tension between you two and relieving Princess Chang of her worries."
As he spoke, he smacked his lips, looking puzzled.
"There are rumors circulating that the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince are vying for the throne and are irreconcilable enemies. But in my humble opinion, the two of them have a pretty good relationship. Otherwise, why would the Second Prince specially deliver something to you on behalf of the Eldest Princess?"
Liu Jinzhang stared at the pears in the wooden tray.
He knew that the second prince was kind-hearted and guileless, and that he had an almost obsessive affection for Li Yuanzhao.
Therefore, it makes sense that they sent these things to Li Yuanzhao.
However, this second prince was indeed not capable of great things, and he probably knew it himself, so he didn't want to compete with his elder sister from the bottom of his heart.
But he had no choice in the matter.
His status and the prestigious family behind him destined him to be unable to be a carefree prince.
With Prime Minister Cui advocating for him in the court and the Imperial Concubine plotting for him in the harem.
On the chessboard of the struggle for the throne, he has long been placed in the most prominent position, and sooner or later he will have to compete with his elder sister.
"You guys eat."
Liu Jinzhang turned and walked towards the study, adding before leaving, "Take some to Mother as well."
Shi Zhu responded and, before delivering them to the old lady, slipped two more into his pocket, intending to give them to Xiao Cui later.
She has always loved these new gadgets.
After dinner, Shizhu took the letter and went to the Princess's residence.
Coincidentally, the eldest princess happened to be at her residence outside the palace today.
He waited at the gatehouse for quite a while before being led by a palace attendant to see His Highness.
When I gave her the letter, she was lost in thought after reading it, I don't know what she was thinking.
After a long pause, he finally gave the order to invite him to stay for a late-night snack.
Who doesn't know that the Princess's mansion is incredibly wealthy?
The skills of the chefs in the manor alone are probably unmatched even by the imperial kitchen.
He could not resist the temptation of delicacies that ordinary people could only dream of in their entire lives.
He couldn't resist the urge, so he stayed for a meal and even drank some wine that was supposedly a century-old vintage.
By the time he had finished his delicious meal and was humming a little tune as he walked back, the moon was already hanging high in the trees.
As soon as I turned into my alley, I suddenly saw a bustling crowd and flames soaring into the sky, illuminating the night as if it were daytime.
That direction... is home!
Shi Zhu's drunkenness vanished instantly, and he rushed forward like a madman, pushing through the crowd of onlookers.
The two-courtyard house was engulfed in flames, and the wooden beams crackled and popped in the raging fire, threatening to collapse at any moment.
"Young Master! Madam! Xiao Cui!"
He screamed and tried to rush inside, but was held back by the neighbors.
"Foolish boy, don't go and die!" an old woman sighed, trying to dissuade him. "The fire is too big; you can't get him out..."
"Let me go! My young master is still inside!" Shi Zhu struggled desperately. "I need to save them! Let me go!"
But as soon as his cries ended, a deafening roar came from behind him.
The two-courtyard house collapsed suddenly in the flames.
Wooden beams and bricks, carrying sparks, crashed down and were instantly engulfed by the sea of fire, leaving behind a scorched, flat area before his eyes.
The struggle of the carnation suddenly stopped, and her whole body went limp, collapsing to the ground.
The patrolling Imperial Guards arrived quickly, and Li Yuanzhao was among them.
The moment Shi Zhu saw Li Yuanzhao, she cried and rushed to his side, "Your Highness, help! Young Master, Madam and Xiao Cui are still inside, please save them."
A cryptic glint flashed in Li Yuanzhao's eyes, and he immediately ordered the Imperial Guards, "Search with all your might! Find them alive or dead!"
The guards received the order and immediately rushed to the fire with buckets of water.
Shi Zhu knelt on the ground, staring intently at the figures moving through the ruins, her hands clasped together, repeatedly chanting "God bless you."
After an unknown amount of time, a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, and the raging flames were finally extinguished, leaving only charred rubble and the acrid smell of smoke.
The captain of the Imperial Guard emerged from the ruins and knelt on one knee before Li Yuanzhao. "Your Highness, we searched every corner and found three bodies: an adult man, an elderly woman, and a young woman. They were all dead."
Li Yuanzhao's gaze fell on the rubble that was still emitting smoke. After a long while, he spoke calmly, "In that case, let's hand it over to the Court of Judicial Review to close the case. Since it involves the murder of an official, it is ultimately up to them to investigate and make a conclusion."
"Yes." The Imperial Guard acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Upon hearing this, Shi Zhu's heart sank completely.
He didn't understand why everything was fine at dinner.
The family of four was chatting and laughing, but how come he was gone when he came back after only going out to deliver a letter and have a late-night snack?
How could it have caught fire?
Dinner was already over, the fire in the kitchen had been extinguished long ago, and even candles are scarce in the summer, so how could such a big fire have started out of nowhere?
He suddenly remembered something, his whole body trembled, and he hurriedly called out to Li Yuanzhao, who was turning to leave, "Your Highness! Something's wrong! This fire is strange!"
Li Yuanzhao stopped in his tracks, looking down at the servant boy at his feet, whose face was covered in soot and whose eyes were bloodshot. "What's wrong?"
"We haven't cooked anything since dinner! The firewood in the kitchen was all put away properly, so how could it suddenly catch fire?"
Shi Zhu's voice grew increasingly urgent, trembling with sobs, "And the fire came so fast! In the blink of an eye, it burned through the roof, like... like someone had poured oil on it! Your Highness, the young master must have been murdered!"
With that, Shi Zhu knelt down with a thud and kowtowed several times. "Your Highness, my young master was, after all, your master. His death was shrouded in mystery. I beg you, for the sake of our past relationship, to investigate this thoroughly!"
Li Yuanzhao's gaze inadvertently swept over Chen Yanqing beside him.
When Chen Yanqing was caught in that gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and his face immediately showed some surprise.
His Highness entrusted him with such an important matter, and he had been planning it for many days.
They thought their plan was foolproof, but unexpectedly, a servant saw through it.
"Alright, get up." Li Yuanzhao finally spoke. "There are too many people around here. Come with me back to the princess's residence first. We can talk about it once we get there."
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