Chapter 39 Antidote 7 The Prince Has Been Watching Us
Su Li came over quickly, accompanied by Wen Fengxuan and Xie Ningyuan.
Zhu Song nodded towards Wen Fengxuan, "Your Highness."
Wen Fengxuan also replied, "Sir."
Su Li, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but roll her eyes. Zhu Song saw it but didn't care. He handed the 'pebble' he had taken out of the black-clothed man's teeth to him, "This is what he hid in his teeth."
Su Li broke the 'pebble' open, revealing its bright red interior. With just one glance, she was certain, "It's Crane's Beak Red."
Zhu Song frowned. Is it the Crane's Beak Red again?
The yamen runner forced the man in black to kneel on the ground. Zhu Song asked coldly, "Tell me, who sent you here?"
The man in black was silent at first. Zhu Song saw that he couldn't get any more information out of him, so he stopped asking. "Take him away and torture him severely. Make sure to find out who's behind this."
The bailiff responded and left with the man in black.
As soon as the bailiff left, Zhu Lingye arrived. "The coroner has finished the examination and they all died of poisoning with thiamin."
Zhu Song had anticipated this without him saying anything, "Send a few of your trusted aides to keep an eye on the prison."
Zhu Lingye knew he was worried someone might harm the remaining assassin. "Yes."
After all this commotion, it was almost midnight and everyone was tired. Zhu Song said, "That's all for tonight. Everyone go back to bed."
Everyone went out together. As soon as they reached the door, they heard someone shouting anxiously, "Help, help, ouch, ouch!"
Zhu Song stopped and stared at the source of the sound, but it was too dark to see clearly. "Let's go and take a look."
Zhu Lingye ran over and quickly brought over a man with a bruised face and nose. "It's this kid."
Zhu Song stared at him, but his face was completely changed and his original appearance could no longer be seen. "Who is he?"
Zhu Lingye explained, "The groom who offended His Highness this morning."
Zhu Song was puzzled, "Twenty slaps on the face?"
The man quickly said, "Sir, someone wants to kill me."
Because his mouth was badly swollen, it was difficult to understand what he said. It took Zhu Song a while to explain the reason.
At night, he couldn't sleep because of the pain in his butt, but he was very sleepy, so he lay on the bed without moving, looking like he was asleep.
Suddenly he heard the sound of the window opening. At first he didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was the wind that blew it open, but then he heard footsteps and someone jumped into his room through the window. He was about to speak but the man moved quickly and started beating him wildly with a sack on his head.
"I'm just a groom. Who is so cruel as to send so many assassins to kill me? Master Zhu, you must make the decision for me."
Zhu Song couldn't help but frown after hearing his words, but he still asked in a businesslike manner, "What are the characteristics of the assassin who came to kill you?"
The groom replied, "Sir, my wedge pierced his palm." He showed everyone the wooden wedge in his hand, the pointed end of which was stained with blood.
It is normal to put the wedge in your mouth and bite it when you feel pain because there is no good painkiller.
Taking advantage of the night, Wen Fengxuan's eyes drifted towards Xie Ningyuan without a trace. Xie Ningyuan moved a little behind him and curled up his palms completely.
Zhu Song looked at the wound on the groom's face and said, "I understand and will investigate thoroughly. You should go back and rest first."
"Sir, you must catch the murderer and give me justice." The groom repeated hurriedly.
"Go down."
"Yes." The groom then limped away.
Zhu Song said, "Let's take a rest too."
Wen Fengxuan nodded to Zhu Song, took Xie Ningyuan away first, and Su Li followed.
Zhu Song and Zhu Lingye walked together. On the way, Zhu Lingye expressed his opinion on the groom being beaten, "It seems that man is not a very good person."
They knew very well that it was not an assassin, because assassins would not hit people in the face.
Zhu Song didn't say anything, so Zhu Lingye asked again, "Do we really need to check on him?"
Zhu Song said: "Let's solve the big problem first."
The implication is that it is not necessary.
Zhu Lingye gave him a thumbs up.
The next morning, Zhu Song got up early. While he was having breakfast, Zhu Lingye came over and said to him mysteriously, "Brother, guess who went to the jail last night?"
Zhu Song looked at him without saying anything. Zhu Lingye didn't really want him to guess, so he continued, "Xue Caining, what you said before is indeed correct. She really has a problem."
Zhu Song asked, "Who did she go to see?"
Zhu Lingye shook his head and said, "I don't know. My people are outside and haven't gone in."
There are only four people in the prison now. Xue Caining went there during the assassination incident. At that time, there were only three people: Li Wentao, Yi Kangning, and Duan Zhenghong.
Zhu Song tapped the table with his fingers. What kind of trouble does a woman like her want to stir up?
A shadow fell before his eyes. Zhu Song looked up and met Wen Fengxuan's gentle eyes. He unconsciously curled up the corners of his mouth, "Your Highness."
Wen Fengxuan sat down in front of him, "Sir, what are your plans for today?"
"Catch someone."
Building a dam is a huge project. Duan Zhenghong and Yi Kangning would never deceive people for five years and then leak something after the dam collapsed. They must be a nest of snakes and rats.
Wen Fengxuan didn't need to go to arrest people, he said: "Then I will find something else to do."
Zhu Song nodded in agreement, and he didn't take it to heart. After a busy day, when he didn't see Wen Fengxuan at dinner that night, he asked, "Where did your highness go?"
Zhu Lingye didn't know either. After asking, he found out that Wen Fengxuan and Zhu Lingwang went out together this morning and haven't returned yet.
Zhu Song was surprised because Zhu Lingwang was working at the Censorate, collecting the outstanding wages for the year. When Zhu Song told him about this yesterday, Zhu Lingwang had said he was going to visit every village and wouldn't be back until he finished. Zhu Song knew he was writing a memorial, so he agreed. But Wen Fengxuan was in such poor health, how could he possibly go with him?
Zhu Song stood up and was about to go find Wen Fengxuan, but Zhu Lingye stopped him and asked, "Where are you going?"
Zhu Song said, "Go and find His Highness. How can His Highness, who is worth a lot of money, sleep in the open air?"
Zhu Lingye disagreed with his approach, "I think you should not go. Can't you feel that His Highness actually likes to do these things? Last time you didn't let him go to the dam, I felt that he was not very happy."
Zhu Song frowned and stared at him. Do I need to tell you that you are unhappy?
Zhu Lingye said, "I think His Highness doesn't want you to constantly remind him that he's a sickly person who won't live long."
Thinking of the envious look Wen Fengxuan had when he looked at Zhu Lingye, he had to admit that he was right. But Zhu Song was still worried, "What if we run into an assassin again when we're out and about?"
Zhu Lingye said, "I only worry about assassins when I'm with you. Who would kill him?"
Zhu Song was silent.
Zhu Lingye continued, "His Highness has been locked up in the Imperial Palace for eighteen years. Before he dies, let him go outside and take a look."
Zhu Song pointed at him and said, "Don't even say a word." Then he sat back down.
Seeing this, Zhu Lingye knew that he had given up the idea of looking for Wen Fengxuan, so he tried to persuade him, "Brother, I actually feel that His Highness is not as scary as the legend says. You shouldn't be too critical of him."
Zhu Song looked at him speechlessly and said, "Stop talking about this. Let's interrogate him tonight and get to the bottom of this as soon as possible."
When dealing with these things, you have to cut the Gordian knot quickly, otherwise the longer you delay, the more likely things will go wrong.
"Um"
The two of them came to the prison together. Now the prison was bustling, completely different from the depressed scene of the previous few days. Yi Kangning, who had been hanging in the torture room for several days, was squeezed out.
Zhu Song arrived at the torture chamber and looked at the assassin, who was nearly dead from being beaten. The executioner said, "Sir, he is very stubborn. He hasn't said a word since he came in."
Zhu Song raised his hand, and the bailiffs retreated. Zhu Song walked up to the assassin, lifted his chin with an iron rod, and said expressionlessly, "Turn him into a human pig and throw him into the wine jar."
The yamen runner's eyes widened slightly in fear, and he asked hesitantly, "Sir, then... then he's doomed to die?"
Zhu Song patiently explained, "How could that be? With Su Li, the miracle doctor, here, it's no problem for him to live for another three to five years. Those who should be arrested have already been arrested, so his confession doesn't matter."
The assassin, who had remained silent all this time, finally responded. His eyelashes were stained with blood, and his eyes trembled. He called out in a hoarse and dry voice, "Master Zhu."
Zhu Song looked at him slowly, "Want to talk? But I don't want to listen."
"Master Zhu." The man was obviously anxious. "Duan Zhenghong sent us here. I've already told you, just give me a quick death."
Zhu Song asked him, "Besides sending you to kill me, what else did he ask you to do?"
The man replied, "We haven't done anything before. We've been training in a dark room."
Zhu Song asked, "Where is the dark room?"
The man replied, "I don't know. I only know it's underground and very large. We've been training there and have never come out. Duan Zhenghong usually doesn't come looking for us."
Zhu Song asked, "Where are your families?"
The man replied, "I have no family. My family was poor when I was little, so I sold it for five taels of silver."
As he said this, he lowered his eyes and a tear mixed with blood fell to the ground. It was indistinguishable from the bright red blood.
Zhu Song asked again, "Are all the people there like this?"
"Um."
Zhu Song asked him, "Is there anyone else in the dark room?"
"No more, we are all out."
Zhu Song asked again, "When you came out yesterday, did you see clearly where the darkroom was?"
The man said: "I haven't come out since I entered the dark room. I'm unfamiliar with what's outside. I only saw a big house and there seemed to be many women inside."
Duan Zhenghong's mansion was full of beauties, and Zhu Song guessed that this so-called secret room must be in the basement of Duan Zhenghong's mansion. He would only feel at ease if it was built right under his nose.
"Take him away."
The man was afraid that Zhu Song would turn him into a human pig, so he quickly shouted, "Master Zhu, I have told you everything I know. Please let me die in peace."
Zhu Song didn't say anything and let the bailiff take him away.
Zhu Lingye stayed to interrogate, and Zhu Song took people to Duan Zhenghong's residence.
The Governor's Mansion, always bustling with activity, was now in chaos. Zhu Song, having arrested Duan Zhenghong, had ordered the place surrounded. Suddenly deprived of power, the family was left with no one to make a decision. The noise could be heard from far away, and the women were fighting, pulling each other's hair, neither willing to give in. They only stopped when Zhu Song entered, their hair a mess.
Zhu Song had the yamen runners gather everyone together and asked loudly, "Where is the secret room under the Governor's Mansion?"
Everyone was silent, lowering their heads and not even daring to look at Zhu Song.
Seeing they wouldn't cooperate, Zhu Song slammed the table and sternly declared, "Duan Zhenghong committed a serious crime punishable by confiscation of property and beheading. I allowed you to remain here to give you a chance to atone for your sins. Since you are all so stubborn, I will show no mercy. Come, take all of you to the prison and execute you in the autumn."
Everyone was terrified when they heard this. The timid ones even fell to the ground and cried, "What kind of sin is this? I don't get any benefits, and I will be beheaded."
Everyone was crying, but there was still no useful information. Zhu Song frowned and said coldly, "Whoever reveals the location of the secret room will be spared."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, and someone whispered, "What darkroom?" "I've never heard of it." "There's a darkroom down here?"
Something was not right. Zhu Song thought for a moment and then asked, "Where are the people in the kitchen?"
"I... We are from the kitchen." A dozen men stood at the front.
Zhu Song asked, "Even if the people in the dark room don't show up, they still need to eat. You must know the truth, so tell the truth."
The men were so frightened that their legs went limp and they immediately knelt down. "Sir, we are responsible for the meals in the mansion, but we have never prepared meals for strange people."
Zhu Song picked on them, "Duan Zhenghong asked you to prepare, not to deliver."
The men still shook their heads. "No, we never prepare extra meals. We always prepare them based on the number of people."
How could this be possible? Could it be that he had guessed wrong, and the secret room the man had mentioned wasn't located in the basement of the Governor's Mansion?
Before Zhu Song could sort out his thoughts, he saw a yamen runner coming hurriedly.
"Sir, something terrible has happened. The assassin has killed Yi Kangning."
"What?"
Zhu Song hurried back, and on the way the yamen runner told him what had happened.
The yamen runners took the assassin to the cell because there were too many prisoners in the prison and there were not enough cells for each person. When they reached Yi Kangning's cell, the assassin fell to the ground. He was the only one in Yi Kangning's cell. Seeing that the assassin didn't have much time to live, the yamen runners dragged him to Yi Kangning's cell.
After a while, a scream suddenly came from the cell. The bailiffs rushed over and saw that the assassin was pinching Yi Kangning's neck and forcing him to kiss him. At that time, the bailiffs did not notice anything wrong and were still watching the joke, but soon Yi Kangning became abnormal. His body went limp and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
The assassin slammed into the wall, his brain bursting and he died on the spot.
Zhu Lingye, who was interrogating the case nearby, heard the noise and rushed over. He saw at a glance that Yi Kangning was poisoned, so he sent the yamen runners to inform Zhu Song.
When they arrived at the prison, Zhu Lingye was waiting at the door, pacing back and forth anxiously. When he saw Zhu Song coming back, he hurriedly greeted him, "Brother."
Zhu Song strode into the cell and asked, "Is Yi Kangning still alive?"
Zhu Lingye replied, "He's almost dead. I asked the doctor to check him out, and he said the poison was too strong and he couldn't be saved."
Zhu Song said: "Go and call Su Li back."
Zhu Lingye responded, "I've already sent someone there."
When they arrived at the cell where Yi Kangning was imprisoned, the assassin's body had already been dragged out. Now only Yi Kangning was there. He was lying on the bed with black lips and tears and blood in his eyes. He was breathing out more than breathing in, but his eyes were wide open, as if he was determined to die with his eyes open.
Seeing Zhu Song coming over, Yi Kangning moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something to him, but his voice was too soft for Zhu Song to hear clearly. Just as he was about to lean over to listen, Zhu Lingye stopped him and said, "Be careful, there's a trap."
Zhu Song glanced at Zhu Lingye, then glanced at Yi Kangning, brushing away Zhu Lingye's hand, "It's okay."
Zhu Song leaned over and Yi Kangning whispered in his ear: "Bedside, secret box, Red Eagle." Then he died.
Zhu Song straightened up, and Zhu Lingye asked curiously, "What did he say?"
Everyone in the prison was looking over here. Zhu Song looked at Zhu Lingye and said in a deep voice, "He said he knew he was wrong."
"Ah?" Zhu Lingye was very surprised. He was admitting his mistake after being so mysterious?
"Death is the end of all debts," Zhu Song sighed. "Let the coroner perform an autopsy and find out the cause of his death."
Zhu Lingye looked at Yi Kangning's dark complexion, not quite understanding, "Isn't this obvious?"
Zhu Song reminded him, "The assassin's body has been searched, it's impossible for him to have taken drugs."
"Yes." Zhu Lingye was also confused. "Then how did he poison Yi Kangning to death? Could it be..."
Zhu Song was about to leave, but after hearing what Zhu Lingye said, he stayed put and waited for his next words. Then he heard Zhu Lingye say, "Actually, he didn't die of poisoning. He died of nausea."
Zhu Song walked away without saying a word. What was he expecting?
Zhu Lingye chased after him, "You think it's impossible? I think it's very likely. If someone forcefully kissed me, I would be so disgusted that I would suffocate and die."
Zhu Song turned his head to look at him: "Don't say such unreliable things, it seems that you have nothing on your neck."
"On the neck?" Zhu Lingye touched it and then understood what he meant. He curled his lips and stopped talking.
When they arrived at the morgue, the coroner was still performing the autopsy. Zhu Song went in to take a look. The coroner saw him and said to him, "Surprise."
The coroner was nearly sixty years old this year and had seen a lot of ups and downs. Zhu Song was excited to hear him say these two words. "How do you say it?"
The coroner replied, "The poison is in this man's blood. It's not easy to do this. It's only one in a million."
Zhu Song frowned and was about to speak when he heard Zhu Lingye say in surprise: "Oh, I see. He didn't kiss him for real, but to pour blood into his mouth. This is too disgusting."
Zhu Song asked solemnly, "Where are the other assassins?"
The coroner replied, "The others are not, only this one."
Zhu Song asked again: "Any other discoveries?"
The coroner shook his head, "Not yet."
"Tell me if you find anything."
"yes."
Zhu Song left the autopsy room, and Zhu Lingye followed him. "Brother, what does this mean?"
Zhu Song said: "This assassination is fake."
"Ah?" Zhu Lingye was surprised. "What do you mean?"
Zhu Song said: "I came here for Yi Kangning."
Such a big drama was staged just to kill Yi Kangning.
Yi Kangning, not Duan Zhenghong.
Zhu Song said, "Go check Yi Kangning's background right away."
"yes."
Zhu Lingye left in a hurry. Zhu Song looked at his back and thought about Yi Kangning's last words, "Bedside, secret box, Red Eagle."
The red eagle in the secret box beside the bed?
Could it be that this is what the assassin came for?
What is the Red Eagle Club?
Since this was so important, Zhu Song didn't act rashly. He first interrogated the arrested officials. Pulling out the radish brought out the mud. He discovered that Yi Kangning and Duan Zhenghong had been accumulating wealth in Jizhou over the years. In just twenty years, they had embezzled at least hundreds of millions of taels of silver, and the account books listed a long list of them.
The interrogation lasted until late at night. Zhu Song asked someone to continue the interrogation while he took Zhu Lingye out of the prison. When he returned to the front hall, he actually saw Wen Fengxuan and Zhu Lingwang.
Zhu Lingye was surprised to see them, "It's done so quickly?"
Zhu Lingwang shook his head. Zhu Lingye looked at him strangely. "Then why did you come back?"
Zhu Lingwang explained, "Su Li left, and I came back because I was worried about His Highness's safety. We've almost finished our visits, and I'll let the yamen runners take over the rest."
"I'm going to sleep first," Zhu Lingwang said and was about to leave.
Zhu Song quickly asked, "Where did Su Li go?"
Zhu Lingwang stopped and looked back at Zhu Song. "He said he was rejected and was heartbroken, so he went traveling around the world to relax."
"What?" Zhu Song frowned, "You just let him go?"
Zhu Lingwang said, "If he wants to leave, can I still forcibly detain him? This is illegal."
Zhu Song was very angry, and Zhu Lingye tried to persuade him, "Oh, oh, you know he's been like this since he was a child, stubborn. There's no point in getting angry. You might as well go get him back."
Zhu Lingwang just walked away.
Wen Fengxuan took over at the right time, "I think Doctor Su is determined to leave, and it seems he won't change his mind."
Zhu Song blurted out, "What about your body?"
Wen Fengxuan paused, then explained in a gentle voice, "My health has improved greatly. Doctor Su's travels around the world, treating patients and saving lives, is more meaningful than staying by my side."
Zhu Lingye was deeply moved by what he heard, "Your Highness is so kind."
Zhu Song glared at Zhu Lingye and said, "Go and get him back right away."
"Ah?" Zhu Lingye was stunned for a moment, "Are you really going to chase her?"
Zhu Song urged, "Go quickly."
Zhu Lingye was a little embarrassed. "I can go, but which direction should I chase? I can't just run around randomly."
At this time, Zhu Song also realized that he was confused and looked at Wen Fengxuan and asked, "Your Highness, do you know where he went?"
Wen Fengxuan shook his head. "He left in a hurry and didn't reveal his whereabouts." He added, "Your Excellency, there's no need to be so. I know my health."
Now that things have come to this, it is useless for Zhu Song to worry. He glanced at Xie Ningyuan, but Xie Ningyuan just stood quietly behind Wen Fengxuan without even raising his head. Zhu Song was so angry that he could not vent his anger and could only give up.
"Yes, Your Highness has been tired all day, please rest early."
Wen Fengxuan nodded and left with Xie Ningyuan.
Seeing that everyone had gone to bed, Zhu Lingye yawned and said, "I'm going to bed too."
Zhu Song held him back, "No, you still have something to do."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lingye's eyes widened, "What else do I need?"
Zhu Song said: "Come with me to a place."
Zhu Lingye thought he was going to look for Su Li again and didn't want to go at all. "Brother, it's useless to go. Let's not waste our time, okay? I'm sleeping like a dog and I'm not asleep yet. I'm waking up like a chicken and I'm not getting up yet. Don't bother me with this kind of thing."
Zhu Song slapped his head and said, "Shut up."
Zhu Lingye looked at him with helplessness in his eyes, but there was nothing he could do.
Zhu Song returned to his room and put on a black cloak. Zhu Lingye looked at his outfit and was very confused. "Are we going to kidnap someone?"
Zhu Song said: "No, go find the thing that Yi Kangning mentioned."
Upon hearing Yi Kangning's words, Zhu Lingye instantly perked up. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" He then quickly asked, "What? I just said that he couldn't really repent."
Zhu Chan said: "The bedside box containing the Red Eagle."
Zhu Lingye frowned. "Red Eagle, what is that?" But since he hadn't seen the real thing yet, it was pointless to ask.
The two of them walked towards the door in the dark, but they ran into Wen Fengxuan halfway. Zhu Song was surprised, "Your Highness, why are you here?"
"What I heard today makes me feel uneasy." Wen Fengxuan replied with a sad face, then restrained his expression and asked, "Are you going out, sir?"
Zhu Song responded, "Yeah, something."
Wen Fengxuan nodded, "Then I won't bother you, sir."
"Your Highness, please rest early."
Zhu Song left after he finished speaking. Zhu Lingye glanced at Wen Fengxuan, nodded at him, and followed him. When he was almost at the door, Zhu Lingye looked back and then grabbed Zhu Song, "Brother."
Zhu Song turned his head to look at him. Zhu Lingye glanced at him and continued, "The prince has been watching us. How about we take him with us?" He then added, "The prince seems quite smart. Maybe he can help."
Zhu Song then turned around and saw that Wen Fengxuan had already looked away and was walking back with his head lowered. His thin back was very long in the moonlight, and he looked lonely and desolate.
"Your Highness." Zhu Song spoke faster than his brain, and by the time he reacted, he had already stopped the person.
Wen Fengxuan turned around and looked at him. The moonlight shone on him, and he looked cold and pure, but he clearly had a pure heart.
Wen Fengxuan in the moonlight was magical and irresistible. Zhu Song thought so and started talking, "We are going to investigate the case. Your Highness, please come with us."
Before Wen Fengxuan could reply, Zhu Lingye had already turned back and pulled him, "Let's go."
Wen Fengxuan obediently followed Zhu Lingye. Zhu Song raised his chin towards him, clearly inviting him, "Let's go."
Wen Fengxuan finally responded. He raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "Let's go."
The three of them walked out of the door together, their brisk backs showing the youthful vigor and vitality.
At the gate of the Yi Mansion stood two mighty stone lions, so lifelike that they looked like real people at first glance. There were yamen runners patrolling the gate, but there weren't many people. Zhu Song and the other two avoided the yamen runners and opened the gate with their keys.
Unlike the Governor's Mansion, which was crowded with people, Yi Kangning was now fifty-six and still unmarried, with only a dozen servants to serve him. It was already the middle of the night, and the mansion was quiet, without a sound, illuminated only by the moonlight.
Among the three, only Zhu Lingye had been to Yi Mansion before, so Zhu Song said to him, "Go to the bedroom."
Zhu Lingye followed his memory and came to the bedroom. Zhu Song took out a tinder from his cloak and blew it gently, and the dim flame lit up. Wen Fengxuan still didn't know what they were looking for. He looked at Zhu Lingye and then at Zhu Song. Although he was confused, he didn't ask.
Zhu Song took the tinderbox and walked into the inner room. He stood in front of the bed. Wen Fengxuan and Zhu Lingye followed him. Zhu Lingye looked at Zhu Song's scanning gaze and said, "If you can tell it's a secret box just by looking at it, it can't be called a secret box."
"Secret box?" Wen Fengxuan finally followed his lead and asked.
Zhu Song then realized that he still didn't know Yi Kangning's last words, so he repeated them.
After hearing this, Wen Fengxuan looked at the bed with a curious look, trying to find where the secret box might be.
"Go ahead and look for it."
"yes."
But the three of them searched for a whole hour, searching everywhere, on the bed, under the bed, and everywhere, but they found nothing except some strange books.
The three of them looked at each other. Zhu Lingye frowned and asked Zhu Song, "He lied to you, didn't he?"
Zhu Song also frowned, "Why did he lie to me?"
Wen Fengxuan was holding a copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas that he had found by the bedside. He lowered his head to look at the torn book, flipping through it casually, frowning and wondering, "Could it be that I've come to the wrong place? The bed he was talking about isn't this one?"
Zhu Song and Zhu Lingye looked at him at the same time. Wen Fengxuan stopped what he was doing and explained, "I was just guessing. I just felt that he had no reason to lie to you."
Zhu Lingye said, "But there are so many beds in the Yi Mansion, how do I know which one it will be?"
It is impossible to come up with the answer just by imagination. After the three of them came out of the main house, they walked around the Yi Mansion again. Like all the other mansions, there was nothing special about it.
Seeing that it was almost dawn, Zhu Song decided to go back today. If he really couldn't find the person, he would search the house.
Just like when they came, the three of them dodged the yamen runners and left Yi Mansion.
They walked in silence all the way back to the governor's office. The three of them looked at each other and went back to their rooms.
Zhu Song returned to his room, washed up briefly, and then lay down on the bed. The moment he lay down and looked at the ceiling, he suddenly realized something very important.
That is, the room he lives in now was previously occupied by Yi Kangning. This was Yi Kangning's room in the governor's office.
He used to live next door, but later Wen Fengxuan moved into his room. Coincidentally, Yi Kangning was arrested again, so he moved into Yi Kangning's room.
Then, could the bedside that Yi Kangning mentioned be this one?
There was a knock on the door.
Zhu Song frowned. Who would come to see him at this hour?
Zhu Song jumped up from the bed, and the moment he opened the door and saw Wen Fengxuan, his tone became gentle, "Your Highness."
Wen Fengxuan's eyes sparkled with obvious excitement. He said, "Sir, I've thought of a possibility. Would it be convenient for you to come in and talk about it?"
"Of course." Zhu Song responded while moving aside and closing the door after Wen Fengxuan entered the room.
Wen Fengxuan didn't keep the question secret and said directly, "I just thought, could the bed he was talking about be the one the adults are sleeping on now?"
Zhu Song didn't say that he had thought of it, but nodded in affirmation, "It's very possible."
Wen Fengxuan looked at him, and when he saw that he didn't continue, he said, "Then I'll go back first."
Zhu Song didn't have the habit of folding his quilt. When Wen Fengxuan came in, he immediately thought of the messy quilt on the bed. After hearing what Wen Fengxuan said, he naturally wouldn't keep him. "I'll tell His Highness tomorrow if I find it."
Wen Fengxuan lowered his eyes, responded, and turned to leave. Zhu Song watched him leave, and saw him look back as he walked to the door. Their eyes met, and Wen Fengxuan nodded, reaching out to open the door.
"Your Highness."
Zhu Song finally shouted, and Wen Fengxuan paused in the air, then retracted his hand and turned to look at him.
Zhu Song said: "How about we go look for it together?"
Wen Fengxuan asked softly, "Is it too disturbing?"
"No." Zhu Song replied confidently, "He must be hiding very well. With His Highness's help, I might be able to get some sleep tonight."
"good."
Wen Fengxuan's eyes curved up, and his mood obviously improved. Zhu Song also raised the corner of his mouth slightly.
This time it went smoothly. In less than a quarter of an hour, we found the secret box on the bedside, which contained a black box.
The two exchanged glances, equally surprised. Zhu Song took out the black box. It was pitch black, but on the lid was a lifelike red eagle, its wings spread. The eagle was majestic, yet also had an indescribable strangeness.
Zhu Song was sure that this was what Yi Kangning was talking about.
"Open it?"
Zhu Song looked up at Wen Fengxuan, then carefully opened the black box.
The box was divided into two parts, the upper part was a rolled-up piece of paper, and the lower part was a black cipher cylinder, which was round in shape. The cylinder was engraved with numbers, and there were seven seemingly movable squares at the bottom.
Zhu Song took out the paper first, and before he unfolded it, he smelled a faint bitter smell.
"Smoke, pine and ink."
Wen Fengxuan didn't understand this, so he asked curiously, "Hmm?"
Zhu Song looked up at him and explained, "'Kao Pan Yu Shi' records: 'I have always said that pine soot ink is dark but not charming, while lampblack ink is charming but not dark.' Because it is fine and easy to grind, it is favored by scholars. And because it dissolves in water, it is often used to transmit information."
Wen Fengxuan repeated, "Dissolves as soon as it comes into contact with water?"
Zhu Song nodded, picked up the cipher cylinder from the black box, and shook it gently, making a dripping sound. "There's water in it. If you force it open without the password, the water will flow into the cylinder and the words written in pine soot ink will melt."
Wen Fengxuan frowned, "If you use high temperature..."
"No." Zhu Song interrupted Wen Fengxuan before he could say anything. "The bronze cipher cylinder is completely sealed. The high temperature will turn the heated water into steam, which can't escape. It will also melt the pine soot ink."
Wen Fengxuan carefully looked at the seven indentations on the cipher tube. "It looks like the cipher is seven numbers."
Zhu Song nodded. This was obvious, but he had no idea at the moment. He looked at the note in his hand, perhaps he could get the answer from it.
Zhu Song opened the note carefully, and it read:
'Bedtime Story
The little rabbit's home was very poor, with earthen walls that were drafty on all sides. Fortunately, he had many brothers and sisters, so they could huddle together for warmth.
The sun is so bright, why are they all gone? Only the little rabbit is left.
The little rabbit heard the eagle's cry and was so scared that it crawled into the snake's skin.
After walking a long, long way, it finally found shelter.
Oops, this isn't a forest.
The tiger opened its bloody mouth and there were words on its forehead: one, two.
Three hundred miles east of Jishan,
Zhu Song frowned and looked up at Wen Fengxuan unconsciously. Since the note was in Zhu Song's hand and Wen Fengxuan leaned over to read it, the two were very close. Zhu Song could feel Wen Fengxuan's breath. Zhu Song seemed to smell a faint peach scent, which made Zhu Song blink unconsciously.
As if sensing Zhu Song's gaze, Wen Fengxuan looked towards him with some confusion in his eyes. Zhu Song covered it up with a light cough, "Your Highness, have you noticed anything?"
Wen Fengxuan's gaze fell back on the paper, and he frowned slightly, "It should be a metaphor."
The thing that Yi Kangning was thinking about when he died couldn't have been just a meaningless bedtime story.
Zhu Song nodded, "Your Highness is right. I have asked Ling Ye to investigate Yi Kangning. There will definitely be some progress tomorrow."
Wen Fengxuan nodded, "Then I'll go back first."
Zhu Song blurted out, "I'll see His Highness off."
Wen Fengxuan refused him, "No need, my lord, you've been busy all day, you should rest early."
Zhu Song did not insist, but simply reminded: "The night wind is cold, Your Highness, remember to close the window."
Wen Fengxuan curled his lips slightly, "Thank you for the reminder, sir."
Zhu Song smiled and replied, "Your Highness is very polite."
Zhu Song sent Wen Fengxuan to the door and closed the door only after he could no longer see Wen Fengxuan.
I lay in bed and thought about Yi Kangning’s bedtime story for a while, and fell asleep soon after. It is worthy of being a bedtime story.
The next day, Zhu Song got up early. When he opened his eyes, it seemed as if he had not slept all night. He got out of bed yawning, his eyes so tired that they hurt.
Before I finished breakfast, Zhu Lingwang arrived and asked, "Are we going to raid Duan Zhenghong and Yi Kangning's homes today?"
Zhu Song nodded. The whereabouts of the stolen money had not been discovered yet, so the only option was to search the house.
Zhu Lingwang said, "I want to go."
Zhu Song nodded in agreement. Zhu Lingye went to investigate Yi Kangning, and Zhu Lingwang was just the right person for him.
Just after noon, Zhu Lingye and Zhu Lingwang returned one after the other.
Zhu Lingwang reported, "The stolen money isn't in their residence. Duan Zhenghong only has 50,000 taels of silver in his possession, and only 5,000 taels were seized from Yi Kangning's home. The rest of the items are worthless."
Zhu Song remained silent with a sullen face. Zhu Lingwang continued, "Now we can only investigate the other properties under their names."
Zhu Song still didn't say anything. He remembered what Yi Kangning once said. Since he has a backer, Duan Zhenghong must have one. Could it be that they have the same backer?
Zhu Song said: "Capture all the people in the two houses and interrogate them strictly."
Zhu Lingye responded, "I'll give the order right away."
Zhu Song said: "Ling Wang went to stare at it."
Zhu Lingwang responded and turned away.
After saying this, Zhu Lingye began to talk about Yi Kangning's situation.
Yi Kangning was born into a merchant family in Ninglang County, making a living selling jewelry. Although not a wealthy family, his family was well-off. Moreover, Yi Kangning was the only son in the family. Although not rich, he had no worries about food and clothing since childhood, and he had at least three or five servants around him.
When he was four years old, Yi Kangning followed his father to Suzhou to import a batch of goods. When passing through Ganning Township, they encountered a group of bandits. Yi Kangning was kidnapped and separated from the caravan. He was found two years later.
During this period, Yi Kangning's mother died of excessive grief.
After Yi Kangning was found, his personality changed drastically. He became sensitive, irritable, and unwilling to get close to others. He could only calm down by reading. When Yi Kangning became the top scholar at the age of 25, his father also passed away.
Yi Kangning worked as a Hanlin reviewer in the Hanlin Academy for three years, and was later transferred to Jizhou to serve as governor until now.
Zhu Song frowned. A Hanlin Reviewer was transferred to the position of Governor? This kind of promotion was unheard of. It seemed that Yi Kangning had a very strong backing.
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