Sizhou 2
Sizhou borders Yangzhou, and its layout and mansion designs are similar to those of Yangzhou. Mansions often feature pavilions, terraces, and exquisite gardens. Those with a bit of heritage enjoy layering these landscapes, adding a touch of elegance to their homes and, to a certain extent, making it easier for people to converse in private.
Su Zirui stood between the pavilions in the inner courtyard of Sizhou Bai Mansion, sipping tea. Thinking of the face on the stage that was almost painted beyond recognition, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
"Sir," Beili stepped into the pavilion and bowed.
"What happened?" Su Zirui asked without raising his head.
"Zui Haitang, the mainstay of the Wanxing Troupe, is dead. He fell from a beam. The coroner hasn't completed the autopsy yet, but I've examined the body and the cause of death is likely strangulation. It's very likely that he was killed and tied to the stage, covered with a cloth. I just don't understand why he fell in the middle of the show. Lord Zhu, the governor of Sizhou, has already asked someone to interrogate the troupe members." Beili reported concisely.
"Zhu Jiazhen? Did he get promoted?" Su Zirui asked casually after taking a sip of tea. He remembered that the last time he heard this name, he was not yet the prefect.
"He was just promoted to prefect last month." Beili paused, then added, "Does your Excellency still remember Miss Aruo and Miss Caixin from Fengxian Bridge in the capital? They are also in the troupe."
Su Zirui raised his eyebrows and asked in a slightly surprised tone, "Why are they in the troupe?"
"After they left the capital, they followed the opera troupe south with Zhang, an actor from the same courtyard. Zhang's name was Zhang Xi. He used to perform opera in a teahouse. He was from the same school as the owner of the Wanxing Troupe. It just so happened that the owner accepted the invitation of the richest man in Qiongzhou and went south, so he followed the troupe. It was because of him that Aruo and the others joined the troupe. According to them, they spent more than a month with Zui Haitang day and night."
"She really does bring unrest wherever she goes." Su Zirui didn't know if it was just bad luck or what, and was speechless. He had thought it was just her erratic nature, but he didn't expect her luck to be bad too.
"Sir," Beili said with a slightly strange expression, as if he was holding back something, "Sir, the prefect has listed Miss Aruo as a suspect and has locked her up in the official jail."
Su Zirui turned around and looked at him with an unfathomable expression, "What do you mean?"
"The constables from the government office found Zui Haitang's jade bracelet in her room and said that she... coveted Zui Haitang's jewelry. Well, they killed her to silence her." Beili looked sympathetic.
Sure enough, those who watch the show are all fools.
Su Zirui began to feel that she was still worthy of sympathy.
……………… …………………… ……………………
"Oh my God! It's going to be frost-free in June..."
Aruo clutched the wooden bars of the prison with both hands, wanting to cry but having no tears. She concluded in her heart that this prefect was a fool. She was still on the stage performing an opera, so how could he have the time to kill someone? Besides, Zui Haitang was taller and stronger than her, and more agile than a newcomer like her. How could he strangle him to death?
"Aruo." Cai Xin hurried along the winding corridor, carrying a lunch box, bowing to the guards along the way. She walked to the front of the cell, squatted down, and looked at Aruo with concern. "How are you? Were you tortured? Were you beaten?"
"No one has come to question us yet." Aruo shook her head, looking pitiful. "By the way, what's the situation outside? Why is that Lord Zhu so excited? And I remember that Yanhong and the others also have Zui Haitang's jewelry, right?"
"Actor Zhang asked around and found out that Zui Haitang is the prefect's old lover. He said that he would marry her as a concubine after this performance, and that the prefect's wife finally agreed. I didn't expect... there was also Yanhong. She had been hooking up with the prefect's brother-in-law for a long time, and followed him when something happened. That's why the prefect didn't pursue the matter." Cai Xin said as she opened the lunch box.
"What? That fat young master Zhao, the man Yanhong feels sick about? She just gave in like that?" Aruo's eyes widened, sighing that a woman's heart changes even faster than the day itself. Thinking of her own situation, she choked and said, "I'm innocent. Can't the law give us justice?"
Although she shouted like this, Aruo was not an ignorant little girl. She knew that there were many unfair things in this world.
Cai Xin didn't know what to do for a moment. They only knew a few people in Sizhou, and their influence was modest, making it difficult for them to confront a high-ranking official. The two of them sat in silence, each trying to figure out how to extricate themselves from this situation.
"Oh, by the way, Yanhong asked me to tell you something. She said it's hard for women to survive in this world, and the prefect had lost such a good opportunity, so how could he let you go? Otherwise, she wants to introduce you to someone, and said someone has been waiting for you for a long time." Caixin repeated the original words almost word for word, and then said with a puzzled look, "Aruo, what does Yanhong want to introduce you to?"
What else could it be? It had to be fat.
Aruo curled his lips and touched her head. "After raising her for so long, Xiao Caixin is still so sweet. Why didn't she come and tell me directly about this?"
She also wanted to ask Yanhong why she surrendered without even struggling. There was still a glimmer of hope for her to regain her innocence by going to jail, but once that fat body pressed down on her, would her slender body still be able to breathe?
"Do you think it's easy to get in here? Xiaoman had to arrange for several people to let me in. Actor Zhang wanted to come in but was not allowed in either. Luckily she was here, otherwise I don't know what to do." Cai Xin picked up a piece of food and handed it to her mouth.
"She's still working as a constable?" Aruo ate her hand in one bite, speaking incoherently.
Li Xiaoman was a friend she had met while passing through Sizhou three years prior. Her father was a police captain, and at the time, she had just become the only female detective in the city. Back then, they had gotten into some minor trouble in Sizhou, and they had gotten to know each other, forming a bond. Even though they hadn't seen each other in three years, they kept in touch through letters.
Aruo had originally planned to visit Captain Li and the others after finishing the show, but unexpectedly something happened before the performance was over. It was quite embarrassing to come to their house and ask for help after not seeing them for three years.
As he spoke, Aruo thought of the old friend who suddenly appeared, "By the way, where is Beili?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him since the officials arrived." Cai Xin had thought about asking him for help, but Sizhou was so big that she didn't know where to find him. "Do you think Lord Su is also in Sizhou?"
If only he were there. Lord Su was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, and he was definitely better than the prefect who didn't know right from wrong. Cai Xin thought of Lord Zhu, the prefect who had determined that Aruo was the murderer. She poked at the rice in her bowl angrily, then scooped a spoonful and handed it to Aruo.
Aruo blinked and took two bites of her rice. While she was singing on stage, she had actually spotted someone who looked like him, but there was a beautiful woman sitting next to him. Even if he was really there, the master probably wouldn't have had time to pay attention to her.
"Men are really unreliable, Xiao Caixin, I still want to eat meat."
"Okay, take your time eating, it's enough."
"Xiao Caixin, I have you, who else do I need a man for!"
Not long after the meal, the police came to chase us away.
After sending Cai Xin, who kept looking back, away, Aruo paced back and forth in the cell, forcing herself to calm down and process the situation. They didn't know many people in Sizhou, and if Li Xiaoman and his daughter weren't in charge of the case, there wouldn't be much they could do to help. Could it be that their only hope was to find the murderer?
"Zui Haitang was strangled to death. When?" Aruo remembered that at lunchtime, she had said she had no appetite and went back to her room. Even if she died, she must have died between lunchtime and the start of the play. The stage had been set up yesterday, and no one was watching today, which made it easier for the murderer.
"He's so tall, he should know martial arts. But there are so many people who know martial arts these days, and the scope can't be narrowed down." After carefully sorting out the timeline, it seemed that there was not much they could do. She and Cai Xin were basically rehearsing.
Suddenly squatting down, Aruo held his head, feeling a little weak and irritated, "Is it really true that I can only sit and wait for death?"
These days, it's too easy for the superior to kill someone. Aruo has been away for so long and never offends anyone easily, nor does he do things he is not sure of, for fear of being killed inexplicably.
This wasn't her first time in jail, but she was certain that Su Zirui had no intention of killing her, or rather, that he simply wanted to punish her, so she wasn't panicking. But this time was different. He didn't even bother with the normal procedures. Could someone be trying to make her a scapegoat?
"I wonder if the people in Beili would mind if I use my influence to some extent? They say they know someone in the Ministry of Justice... can they give him a suspended sentence?" Aruo stroked her chin, hoping for a long time. After thinking for a long time, she couldn't come up with an idea. Finally, she shook her head and stretched. "Never mind, let's wait and see how the prefect wants to conduct the trial tomorrow."
She wasn't one for dwelling on trivial matters; her motto was to let things work themselves out. At least, she wasn't at the end of her rope yet. This place wasn't far from Yangzhou, so if she really needed help, there were still one or two people she could turn to. But right now, she didn't want to make things any more complicated.
After briefly flipping through the matching bedding, Aruo was a little disgusted. "Luckily it's summer now, otherwise how could I live with such a thin quilt? This environment is really not as good as the Ministry of Justice..."
Just as he complained, there was a sudden loud noise from a distance. Soon people on the aisle began to move. Aruo looked around curiously and vaguely heard that there was a bombing somewhere.
The loud noise had a huge impact. Even the officers in the cell started discussing it, and soon several guards were called out.
"It seems that Sizhou is not very safe." Aruo shook his head and sighed, then lifted the quilt and prepared to take a nap.
Shortly after she lay down, she heard a sudden scream from the hallway, sending a chill down her spine and causing her to jump. After a swaying movement, a dark figure hurriedly stopped at the door of her cell. Then, the lock was cut off with a knife. The figure, dressed in black and masked with a black cloth, strode towards her with a scimitar in hand.
"You, you, who are you? Do you want to silence me or...ah——" The scimitar chopped towards her, making her scream in fear.
As her shoulders loosened, the torture device that was originally stuck on Aruo's neck broke with a sound. The man reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her out.
Before Aruo could recover from the shock of being struck by the knife, he was dragged away without even seeing the face of the person who came.
At the entrance to the prison, four or five men in yamen runners' uniforms were lying in a mess. Aruo was being dragged along, stumbling. Seeing those men, he suddenly grabbed the men in black and asked, "Did you kill them?"
The visitor was not expecting her to ask this question suddenly. He was startled for a moment and said in a rough voice, "No, I just fainted."
After saying that, he pulled her out of the prison in a hurry. Aruo was relieved when she noticed that there was no blood on the ground.
As the two men stepped out of the prison gate, under the silver moonlight, a tall and slender figure stood with his back to them. The corner of his dark purple robe was lifted by the night wind, and his figure was graceful.
The masked man reacted very quickly and pulled Aruo over, trying to pull her behind him. Aruo was startled and quickly stood in front of him, grabbing his hand and holding her in front of him, with the scimitar in his hand across her neck.
"The heroes of Sizhou are really brave enough to rob a prison in a government office. I am quite impressed by them." His tone was as cold as moonlight. Su Zirui turned around and stood with his hands behind his back. His handsome face did not have a trace of emotion. His cold eyes were icy and his whole body gave off an aura that said "keep away from strangers".
The moment she saw him, Aruo's mind suddenly seemed to clear up. She couldn't bear the accusation of jailbreaking. Her eyes turned and she suddenly shouted to the boss in panic, "Master Su, help me!"
"Shut up!" The person behind her didn't expect her to ask for help like this, and hurriedly covered her mouth. Aruo was forced to turn her head to look at the masked man, who raised his exposed thick eyebrows.
The next moment, a fierce palm wind came. The man in black did not expect that the other party would start fighting as soon as he said he would with a hostage in his hand. He hurriedly dodged. The cold light of the scimitar flashed, and the blade just passed Aruo's neck. The palm wind was quickly retracted. Before the man in black could react, his palm felt numb, and the scimitar he was holding was hit at the handle and slipped out of his hand.
He looked up in surprise and met a pair of deep and cold eyes. His heart trembled. He grabbed the person in his arms and jumped back. The other person's body movements were strange, and he was approaching like a shadow.
Caught between the fighting masters, Aruo was almost suffocated by the palm wind and subconsciously tightened the hand that was clasping her neck.
The face grew paler, and Su Zirui frowned slightly. He backhanded the opponent's fist, retracting his strength, but his movements became more and more agile and unpredictable. After several exchanges, the man in black noticed that the opponent's palm wind was weakening, giving him time to react.
"No..." Aruo forced himself to open his eyes and pushed his elbow back.
The man in black paused, a flaw suddenly revealed, and in a trance the attack was already in front of him.
The man in black turned sideways and gritted his teeth to take the punch. His shoulder was in great pain and he was thrown backwards by the force while holding onto Aruo, hitting the wall heavily.
The violent shock made Aruo's internal organs seem to shift, and her entire head ached. She blacked out and passed out. Damn it, all men are scumbags. In the end, she had to bear it all alone...
The masked man gritted his teeth and endured the surging blood. When he raised his head, he saw a dark purple figure approaching. The other party reached out and hooked, and the person in front of him was already in the other party's arms.
Just as he was about to reach out, the opponent counterattacked with a palm, and the masked man subconsciously met his palm. The two palms collided, and the collision of energy sent the black hair of the person caught between them flying wildly.
The person in his arms was affected by the palm force, his face suddenly turned pale, and even his breathing stopped. Su Zirui's eyes were cold, and he decisively withdrew his internal energy and leaped backwards along the opponent's palm wind.
"Sir!" Beili jumped down from the roof with a knife in hand. A group of people dressed as officials also rushed over, holding knives in defense. The man in black glanced at the environment, took the opportunity when Su Zirui turned around to grab the scimitar, jumped onto the roof and turned to flee.
"Aruo!" One of the men dressed as constables came hurriedly over. He was tall, but his voice sounded like a woman.
Su Zirui glanced at Beili, moved his hands, and handed the person in his arms to the female detective who had hurried over.
"Who is so bold as to break into the prison!" A man in official uniform strode over accompanied by guards and said angrily.
"Master Zhu, whether it was a prison break or a murder to silence the witnesses has not yet been determined..." The female detective couldn't help but say when she heard his words.
"Man'er!" A middle-aged man among the detectives interrupted her, bowing to the prefect, who looked uneasy. "Your Excellency, someone just broke into the prison and tried to abduct a prisoner, but was stopped and then escaped."
"Stopped?" The prefect only then saw clearly that there were other people at the scene. He looked over and his face changed immediately. He quickly straightened his official hat and rushed over, bowing and saying, "Minister Su."
Su Zirui smiled slightly, dignified and gentle, "Master Zhu, how are you?"
"I'm sorry for not welcoming you, sir. I hope you'll forgive me."
"Wenyuan came here for personal matters this time and did not inform Brother Shixian, so how can he be negligent?" Su Zirui waved his hand and spoke gently, even changing his name to a more intimate courtesy name.
Upon hearing this address, the prefect Zhu Jiazhen's expression softened slightly. Although the man before him was younger than him, he held a higher official rank and a stronger background. His usually straight spine naturally bent. "I have to thank Brother Wenyuan for your help in tonight's incident. But this prisoner..."
"There's no rush for this matter. By the way, my father mentioned you before leaving, and he hasn't congratulated Brother Shixian on his promotion." Su Zirui suddenly remembered something and congratulated him with a smile.
The prefect was delighted, "It's rare that Mr. Su cares about you."
While they were chatting, Beili gave a slight wink to Captain Li over there. Captain Li waved his hand and ordered his men to retreat and collect the missing person from Li Xiaoman's hands and headed towards the prison.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com