The fish lantern rotates, bright and dazzling, revealing only the fish's belly...
Seeing the two men bring over their teacups, Luo Ling slowly took a sip before saying, "Yesterday, when A-Jun returned to the palace late at night, His Majesty was still reviewing memorials in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Upon hearing of this matter, he urgently summoned Minister Du of the Ministry of Justice to the palace and ordered A-Jun and me to accompany Minister Du to the Eastern Depot and the Garrison Command. A-Jun also used this incident as an excuse to search the palace, fearing that assassins might have infiltrated it."
At this point, Luo Ling lowered her eyes to look at the tea in her hand and said in a stern voice, "But no one was injured, and no one asked for leave."
Jiang Yuanjun said, "However, we did discover something at the Liang family's residence. The third son of the Liang family was not at home that night. According to the people in the residence, the third young master has not returned to the residence for a long time and is making a living by copying books for others. But there was a cup of unfinished hot tea in Liang Lang's room. Liang Xu said that he often went to Liang Lang's courtyard because he missed his younger brother."
"Because Liang Xu personally appeared in Zhuyu Lane to meet with the concubine of the Prince of Jing who was hiding outside, Chu Yening had already instructed everyone in the Marquis's Mansion to keep a close watch on Zhuyu Lane and also withdrew the people hiding in Liang's Mansion. In recent days, he has not paid attention to the movements inside Liang's Mansion."
Luo Ling said, "We think that there was no one else in that room at the time except for Sun Zheng, the concubine of Prince Jing's heir."
Tao Qingyun had been listening quietly, and when she heard this, she chuckled: "Liang Xu must be feeling uneasy right now! He went out with a lot of guards with swords, do you think he's afraid? Since he went to see Sun Zheng in person, he must be plotting something. Let's wait and see."
Qin Weixi had been listening quietly behind the group. Her brother mentioned that no one had been injured in the area they had searched that day. However, based on the drunken old man's words, the theater was clearly connected to important officials or eunuchs in the court. It was one thing that no one was injured, but it was another that no one had asked for leave. She suddenly lowered her gaze to the teacup she held, to the reflection of her face in the water.
Qin Weixi's heart stirred.
"Could it be that he, like his mother, knows the art of face painting?"
The four of them looked at her simultaneously.
Chu Yening said, "I think this person should know us and be very familiar with us."
Tao Qingyun frowned: "Why?"
Chu Yening remained silent, but recounted what Jiuqu had investigated that morning.
Tao Qingyun murmured to himself, "Sun Cheng, Sun Cheng... a nameless memorial tablet, Sun Shaopu." Suddenly his eyes lit up: "Huh?"
Qin Weixi said, "If this person had transformed into Bai Sheng ten years ago and then used a fire to escape, it's not hard to imagine that he would have used the same tactic a second time, with someone else taking his place."
The expressions on their faces changed again.
Chu Yening suddenly stood up and said, "To the secret prison!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Weixi looked at the wound on his abdomen and was about to speak when Tao Qingyun asked in surprise, "Now? To see Grand Master Sun?" As she spoke, Chu Yening had already strode out of the study. Luo Ling followed behind and asked, "Yening, your injury?"
"It's nothing."
Tao Qingyun said angrily, "Alright! I've disliked him for a long time and wanted to give him a good beating."
Jiang Yuanjun glanced back at him, and Tao Qingyun quickly pushed him forward.
Inside the dimly lit secret prison of the Marquis's mansion, the short man who had been knocked unconscious by Chu Yening in the Green Diamond Room was now imprisoned in an inconspicuous corner, while Sun Shaopu was tightly chained around his neck, lying on the ground, his consciousness also somewhat unclear. The two were separated by several walls.
Zhong Ti had already received orders to light the fire in the dungeon, and the group slowly walked down the stone steps around Qin Weixi.
The dungeon reeked of blood, was perpetually damp and shrouded in darkness. Before they had even reached the bottom, Chu Yening suddenly turned back and asked the girl following closely behind him, "The smell... is it alright?"
Qin Weixi looked at the vaguely visible figure that she hated day and night, and said, "Fourth Brother, I am not afraid of these things."
Chu Yening smiled and nodded.
Sun Shaopu knew someone was coming when he heard the sound of chains outside the dungeon. For days, Zhong Ti had been left to languish in the dungeon, and no one had ever spoken to him. He would also be beaten from time to time.
As he trembled all over, his limbs writhing in agony as if being devoured by a wild beast, someone would tell him, "Do you know why we're beating you? Our master is displeased. You little bastard, do you want to live?"
Sun Shaopu nodded repeatedly. He wanted to live; not a moment ago did he not want to live. Even the moment his voice was poisoned and he lost his voice, he was still thinking about how he had to get out of there alive, and how there were people he wanted to see…
Qin Weixi walked step by step toward the secret cell where Sun Shaopu was imprisoned. Looking at Sun Shaopu, who had once been high and mighty and looked down on the insignificant eunuchs in the palace, the former Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was now a prisoner. His high-pitched voice had been mute by some unknown poison, and one of his eyes had been blinded by his mother.
The last palace servant her mother saw before her death was Sun Shaopu. She had previously thought he was really dead, scared to death by the loyal servants of the Qin family's old mansion. But when Chu Yening told her that Sun Shaopu was not dead, besides being surprised and excited to see her enemy, she felt more resentment. She wished she could cut him into pieces and throw him into the soil to be eaten by insects and ants, and to be attacked by wind, sand and snow day and night.
But upon suddenly seeing this person, she could only numbly give a cold smile and glance at him slightly: "You scoundrel, do you still recognize me?"
Having grown accustomed to the sounds of men in the dungeon these past few days—mocking, angry, and disdainful voices—Sun Shaopu was startled when he suddenly heard this emotionless female voice. He instinctively raised his head, hastily brushed away the messy hair obscuring his eyes, and peered through his remaining eye.
Sun Shaopu stared intently, then glanced at the four people accompanying her. His face paled instantly, and his heart pounded. Sun Shaopu's gaze darted back and forth between her face and Luo Ling's, and he nodded hoarsely.
Qin Weixi gave another cold laugh, but this time she took a few steps closer to him and asked, "You scoundrel, take another good look." She glared angrily with her almond-shaped eyes and her delicate eyebrows raised.
Sun Shaopu looked again, and for some reason, this look inexplicably reminded him of the Duke of Dingguo, Qin Heng, who was now just a skeleton. He was startled, and then stared at her intently.
Qin Weixi asked again, "You scoundrel, have you ever dreamed of my father?" She suddenly smiled and said, "And my mother, and my brother."
Sun Shaopu's pupils suddenly contracted, and his eyes widened instantly, revealing disbelief and panic.
Qin...that's the youngest daughter of the Qin family, she's not dead.
The group looked back at the dry ground and noticed that water had gradually seeped onto Sun Shaopu's body. A strong, unpleasant odor also emanated from him.
Tao Qingyun feigned surprise and said, "Oh dear, you're scared to death?"
In an instant, Qin Weixi bent down and grabbed his neck tightly. Seeing this, Songyang and Jiuqu lifted him up from the left and right to prevent her from hurting him.
"You scoundrel, what did you say to your mother before she slit her own throat?"
Sun Shaopu slowly shed tears from his one intact eye, sobbing and shaking his head repeatedly. He slowly raised his head again to look at the people standing in front of him: the Luo family, the Qin family, the Chu family, the youngest grandson of the Marquis of Chengyi, and His Highness the Crown Prince were all there.
The capital is about to change.
Enraged, Tao Qingyun stepped forward and kicked him hard: "You bastard, are you still not going to confess now? Why are you protecting the people behind you? You didn't even utter a sound when your voice was poisoned and you lost your voice."
Sun Shaopu grimaced in pain, curled up in a corner, but still managed to peek at Jiang Yuanjun with his remaining eye.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuanjun stepped forward, looked down at him expressionlessly, just as she had looked at Gao Jian, who was struggling to his death, in the prison that day.
He looked coldly at Sun Shaopu. In front of his childhood friend, he was not the crown prince of a country, who was of inestimable nobility. He could show his gentle side to his friends, his relatives, and the common people of the world, but at this moment, he was only a dignified and authoritative crown prince.
For a moment, Qin Weixi even seemed to see the founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, Jiang Zhongting.
Jiang Yuanjun said, "Sun Shaopu, your position was taken over many years ago, and now no one but us remembers you. But I would like to ask you, do you still remember Gao Jian and Li Yuanda?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Shaopu suddenly raised his head and widened his eyes.
Luo Ling then stepped forward, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at Sun Shaopu with a deep expression. He said, "Gao Jian, the Minister of Works, was once a loyal minister who was devoted to his duties and did not covet fame or fortune. But people's hearts are fickle. Some people can't go back to the days when they have been ensnared by others' fame and fortune and have had smooth sailing for too long."
Luo Ling suddenly smiled slightly, but the smile was extremely cold. Sun Shaopu listened to these words in astonishment. He had never seen Luo Ling like this before. Back then, everyone said how steady Luo Songyue's eldest son was.
"As for Marquis Wuding, Li Yuanda, his magnanimity was actually too narrow. Once he reached a high position, he forgot all about the past. Therefore, one of them committed suicide in prison, and the other was exiled to the border."
When Sun Shaopu heard about prison and exile, his eyes were filled with disbelief. Then he looked at the group in horror. Before he could fully process what he had just heard, Chu Yening had already smiled and walked over to him.
He cried out, saying that he had suffered inhuman torment these days, all of which was inflicted by this man.
Chu Yening was twirling a short dagger in his hand, casually leaning against a wooden table in front of Sun Shaopu. He glanced at the person on the ground with disgust in his eyes.
In a flash, he turned his head again, as if talking to himself: "Sun Cheng, Chen Guiyi, Woxuege, Bai Sheng..." But in an instant, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Sun Shaopu with a sinister smile: "Sun thief, do you know anyone here?"
Sun Shaopu stood frozen in place, as if his soul had been ripped from his body. The others had been carefully observing his expression and actions as Chu Yening read out those names, but Sun Shaopu remained silent, biting his lip and weeping bitterly. However, the others already understood; they felt they had seen the hope of exonerating the Qin family and the truth behind General Chu Lanzhe's tragic death at Huangtupo.
Over there, Chu Yening had already stood up. He laughed and said, "No rush. I've waited ten years, can't I wait a little longer? There will be a time when you'll have to speak up. When that time comes, it will probably be the time when you, Sun thief, will die without a burial place!"
After they left the secret cell, Tao Qingyun was still red-faced and furious: "Stubborn fool, so stubborn." She glanced down and asked, "Shouldn't we interrogate that henchman from the Ma family?"
Chu Yening said, "With that old man's words this morning, this little minion isn't so important." He instructed Jiuqu and Queshe, who came after him, and smiled slyly, "Take good care of them first."
The two immediately burst into laughter, their voices ringing out like silver bells. Those who had served the heir of the Marquis of Jingning in the past all knew exactly what kind of "serving" this meant.
Luo Ling said, "Ye Ning had already changed when he read those names. It's just a matter of time." He looked up at the sky, still with his usual gentle smile, "Summer ends, autumn comes, winter snow flies. I hope we can all have a good New Year this year." After saying that, he looked at Qin Weixi and then asked the others, "What do you think about the face-painting technique that my little sister mentioned earlier?"
Tao Qingyun said, "That's the strange thing. All these things clearly show that this person is hiding in these few places. The city gates were sealed last night. How could he possibly grow wings and fly out? Search again. Search all the influential people in the Eastern Depot, the Garrison Command, the Inner Court and the Outer Court who think they hold power. I don't believe we won't find a single clue."
As soon as he finished speaking, he sensed something was amiss. He turned to look at Jiang Yuanjun, who had remained silent since leaving the dungeon, and asked again, "What's wrong with Old Wood today?"
Jiang Yuanjun was lost in thought when Tao Qingyun called him. He snapped out of his reverie, shook his head and smiled, "It's nothing, just thinking about some things from back then. Just now, my brother mentioned the art of face painting, which reminded me of how my seventh sister was harmed by thieves and almost lost her life in the river. But for many years, we have had no clues, no leads, and no way to start."
When the topic turned to the time when Qin Weixi and Tao Qingyun were on the verge of death, everyone fell silent for a moment.
Luo Ling said, "The mighty Yangtze River is not easy to cross. I will investigate this matter slowly after these other things are settled."
Tao Qingyun suddenly hissed, and the others looked over to see him rubbing his chin. Looking up, they saw two more mouth ulcers on the corner of his mouth.
Luo Ling sighed and stepped forward to ask, "Where did this fire come from?"
Tao Qingyun quickly stepped aside: "Hey, it's nothing, it's getting late. I didn't go home yesterday, I have to go back and check on the old man."
Luo Ling shook her head helplessly: "It's rare for the four of us to get together, let's stay and have dinner before we leave." As she spoke, Luo Ling went to look at Jiang Yuanjun.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuanjun said to the group, "Lord Du is still dealing with various matters. Last night, my father didn't sleep a wink after hearing about Ye Ning's assassination attempt. I need to go back to the palace to find Lord Du again."
Luo Ling nodded: "I have something to discuss with Ye Ning, so let's meet outside the palace."
Tao Qingyun remained silent, then quickly said, "We can't get everyone together no matter what. Oh well, I'll just stay with you."
It was nearly dusk, and as twilight descended, Jiang Yuanjun, his eyes deep, was about to nod and leave when Qin Weixi, remembering what he had just mentioned about her nearly losing her life in the river, said, "Fifth Brother, I've come to see you off."
Before he could finish speaking, Song Yang appeared out of nowhere, carrying a brightly lit fish lantern, and said to Chu Yening, "Lord Marquis."
Then, Chu Yening slightly raised her chin, and Songyang walked towards her, saying, "This was given to the villagers that the old Marquis had helped a few days ago. The Marquis had already instructed his subordinates to deliver it to the Marquis's residence." As he spoke, a rare hint of embarrassment appeared on Songyang's usually composed face: "I forgot that day because I was in a hurry to leave."
Qin Weixi took the lantern from one hand, turned to look at Chu Yening, and saw Chu Yening smiling slightly at her. She then turned back to look at the lantern in her hand.
The fish lantern rotates, bright and dazzling, revealing a line of small characters written on its belly: "Grow wings, soar high." At the end is a powerful and vigorous character "熙" (xi).
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