Chapter 50 Answer 2 "He went there to pray for a child."
Zhu Song glanced through the case file. It had previously been handled by Captain Wang of Jingzhao Prefecture. Lost money cases were difficult to investigate. Silver coins all looked the same, and thieves wouldn't keep them forever; after a few passes, the money would be gone. Therefore, Captain Wang kept his case file simple, confining himself to investigating Xia Zhi's most recent contacts.
Xia Zhi is a famous singer in Xuanyin Pavilion. The guests she receives every day are all dignitaries, but the number is not large, at most two or three, and at least one.
Zhu Song looked at the list of names on the file and recognized them all. This was also the reason why Jingzhao Prefecture was so eager to transfer it to the Dali Temple after learning that the lost silver was official silver.
However, for Zhu Song, it is not so important who stole the lost silver. What is important now is where the two lost ingots of official silver came from?
Zhu Song immediately summoned Xia Zhi to the Dali Temple for questioning.
The Jingzhao Prefecture did not make this matter public, and even Xia Zhi herself did not know that the two silver ingots she lost were government silver, so she was a little surprised when she was summoned by the Dali Temple today.
Xia Zhi arrived at the Dali Temple and met Zhu Song in the front hall. She bowed and said, "I, Xia Zhi, greet Master Zhu. I wonder why you summoned me here?"
Zhu Song waved his hand and said, "Sit down."
Xia Zhi looked up at him and sat down on the right.
Zhu Song said, "Three days ago, you went to Jingzhao Prefecture to report that you had lost two silver ingots, totaling forty taels. Is this true?"
Xia Zhi replied: "Yes."
Zhu Song nodded. "This case was transferred to the Dali Temple early this morning. I have a few questions for you. Please answer truthfully."
Xia Zhi replied: "Yes."
Zhu Song asked her, "How did this forty taels of silver come into your hands?"
This sounded amiss, so Xia Zhi asked cautiously, "Master Zhu, what's wrong with this silver?"
Zhu Song said: "It's just a routine inquiry, just answer it."
Xia Zhi lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before he began to speak.
"A month ago, just after dawn, a drunken man arrived at Xuanyin Pavilion and started yelling loudly. He was ugly, had a loud voice, and was dressed in shabby linen clothes.
Although Xuanyin Pavilion was open during the day, it still attracted more guests at night. The night before, there were especially many guests, and the women in the pavilion went to bed late and spent the morning catching up on sleep. I thought he was here to cause trouble, so I called for help to kick him out, but he immediately offered forty taels of silver, so I received him personally.
I played him a piece of "High Mountains and Flowing Water", but he said it was not nice. I then played him a piece of "Guangling San", but this time he was not dissatisfied and fell asleep quickly on the table.
He slept until the evening. Coincidentally, there was a disturbance in the pavilion, so I went to deal with it. When I came back, the person was gone. I asked the waiter and found out that he had left.
Our boss has been in Yangzhou and hasn't returned yet, so I'm in charge of keeping the income from the pavilion. But those two silver ingots looked particularly different, so I collected them separately and put them in the compartment of my dressing box.
I seldom open the compartment. Three days ago, one of my earrings fell off, and I searched everywhere for it, only to discover that the two silver ingots were missing."
Zhu Song asked again, "Did he go to Xuanyin Pavilion again later?"
Xia Zhi shook his head, "No."
Zhu Song asked again: "What's his name?"
Xia Zhi still shook his head, "I don't know, he was very drunk, we only said a few words in total."
"Which ones?"
Xia Zhi lowered his eyes and thought for a while before replying, "When he came in, he asked, 'Is there anyone who can sing? I'm in a good mood today and I want to listen to some music.'
I went over and called out to the waiter, "Where did this drunk come from? Get him out."
He said, 'The drunk is right, but the drunk has money.'
After saying that, he took out the silver ingot.
I was afraid it was fake, so I asked the waiter to verify it. During that time, he just sat there and waited without saying a word.
After verifying that it was true, I went up to him and said, "Excuse me, sir. Women are very sensitive. Please don't be offended."
He wasn't really angry, he just asked, "Can you listen to the music now?"
I invited him upstairs and asked him what song he wanted to listen to. He replied, "Just play whatever you like."
I played the song "High Mountains and Flowing Water" and right at the beginning he said, "This one doesn't sound good, change it."
That’s all I have to say.”
Zhu Song nodded and said, "Cooperate with the artist to draw the portrait of that man."
Xia Zhi asked, "Master Zhu, is there something wrong with that person?"
Zhu Song reassured her, "We haven't found any problems yet. We'll let you know when there's progress. Don't worry."
Xia Zhi nodded without saying anything more. Zhu Song called painter Zhang and asked Xia Zhi to work with him on the portrait.
At noon, Gu Huaiyu came back, and the two chatted while eating in the public kitchen. Gu Huaiyu asked, "How is the investigation of the official silver going?"
Zhu Song said: "This has just begun, how can it be so fast."
Gu Huaiyu gave him a meaningful look without saying anything. Zhu Song saw it and said, "Just say whatever you want to say."
Gu Huaiyu shook his head. "It's hard to say. You wouldn't listen even if I told you."
Zhu Song knew what he was going to say, "It's better not to say it."
Even though he said that, Gu Huaiyu still wanted to say, "I remember that this year is not your zodiac year, why is your luck so bad?"
Zhu Song looked up at him and said, "This isn't bad luck, this is loyalty to duty."
Gu Huaiyu said: "I knew you didn't want to hear it."
Zhu Song hummed and said nothing more.
He understood what Gu Huaiyu meant. This matter was probably related to Prince Su's faction. Looking at the entire Kyoto, only Prince Su's faction had the courage to do this.
Gu Huaiyu sighed, "I hope I'm wrong."
Zhu Song doesn't care. It's better to be itchy when you have too many lice. Anyway, you have already offended them, so you are not afraid of offending them again.
After dinner, the two returned to the hall. Gu Huaiyu asked, "Aunt Meng and Princess Jin have been very close recently."
Zhu Song nodded. He had asked Meng Xiaohe before, "I met her at Xiangguo Temple."
Gu Huaiyu frowned slightly, "I don't think I've ever heard of Princess Jin worshipping Buddha before?"
Zhu Song also asked about this matter, "I'm telling you this in secret, don't tell anyone."
Gu Huaiyu said: "Don't worry."
Zhu Song certainly trusted him, otherwise he wouldn't have told him, "I'm going there to pray for a child."
"Oh." Gu Huaiyu understood. "Prince Jin and Princess Jin have been married for several years, right?"
Zhu Song said, "They got married quite young, but Princess Jin went to the palace when she was nine years old. I guess that was what Concubine De originally wanted."
Gu Huaiyu said, "Princess Jin seems to be the child of a distant relative of Concubine De's mother's family."
Zhu Song didn't care much for these things. He had heard of them but didn't take them seriously. "I think so."
Gu Huaiyu still remembers these things, "I remember it was also thirteen years ago."
Zhu Song couldn't remember at all and shook his head, "I don't remember."
Gu Huaiyu reminded him, “At that time, I was still wondering if something happened to the princess’s family, so she was sent to the capital.”
Zhu Song still had no impression, so Gu Huaiyu couldn't continue, "I'm going to take a nap."
Gu Huaiyu was about to leave when Zhu Song stopped him, "Hey, I haven't finished what I was saying yet."
Gu Huaiyu looked at him and asked, "Do you remember?"
"That's not it." Zhu Song said, "Who would remember these trivial things?"
Gu Huaiyu was somewhat helpless, "Me."
Zhu Song explained, "I mean it's useless."
Gu Huaiyu asked, "What's the point of chatting?"
Zhu Song paused and changed the subject swiftly. "My mother and Princess Jin have a good relationship because when Princess Jin went to Xiangguo Temple for the first time, she had a nightmare that night. My mother happened to live next door, so she comforted her and even sang a song for her to comfort her."
Gu Huaiyu was a little curious, "A song to soothe children?"
Zhu Song said, "It's the one we used to listen to when we were little, the one called 'Six Street Lights and Children's Fun'. Didn't you always sing it when we were little?"
Gu Huaiyu said, "Oh, I know that song. It was the most popular song in Beijing more than ten years ago. When it was popular, people were singing it in the streets and alleys."
"I'm really telling you this in secret." Zhu Song leaned forward and lowered his voice. Gu Huaiyu couldn't understand why there was anything to be said in secret about a nursery rhyme that everyone knew, but he nodded anyway, "I definitely won't tell anyone."
"I think the princess' nightmare is a bit strange."
"Hmm?" Gu Huaiyu became interested. "What do you mean?"
Zhu Song lowered his voice even more, "She has been having the same dream ever since she went to Xiangguo Temple."
Gu Huaiyu guessed, "You mean you're possessed?"
"I originally thought so, but my mother told me that the people around the princess are carefully selected, and Prince Jin cares about the princess very much. If the people under him do not serve her well, they will be severely punished."
The more Gu Huaiyu listened, the more reasonable it seemed to him. "Could it be that the person who was severely punished harbored resentment, and so cast a curse on the princess?"
Zhu Song waved his hand. "Impossible! I specifically asked my mother to ask, and no one in the palace except Prince Jin knows the princess's birth date."
Gu Huaiyu said: "Perhaps some witchcraft doesn't require birth date?"
"You always believe in looking at evidence instead of guessing."
"It's just a small talk, not an investigation." Gu Huaiyu smiled and then asked, "What is the princess's nightmare?"
The blessing said: "She stood in the sun and committed suicide."
Gu Huaiyu frowned, "Is that it?"
Zhu Song nodded, "It was said that the sun was very big, very close to her, as if she could touch it with her hand. She took a sharp sword and cut her throat, then fell to the ground and died."
"This..." Gu Huaiyu didn't know what to say, and finally said, "It is indeed a nightmare."
Zhu Song said: "So my mother has been accompanying the princess to Xiangguo Temple every day recently."
Gu Huaiyu asked, "Is it relieved?"
Zhu Song shook his head, "No, I still have this nightmare every day."
Gu Huaiyu said, "Instead of going to Xiangguo Temple, it's better to find someone to interpret the dream."
Zhu Song replied, "I heard that the princess originally had this plan, but she was afraid that the answer would indicate childlessness, so she never went."
Gu Huaiyu asked, "Does Prince Jin know about this?"
"I don't know." Zhu Song said and then made another guess, "But I guess he doesn't know, otherwise, with Prince Jin's temperament, he would have solved it with great fanfare long ago."
"Too."
The two chatted for a while and then went back to their rooms for a nap. When they woke up, Painter Zhang had just finished his portrait.
Zhu Song took it and looked at it. He was indeed a very ugly man, with droopy eyebrows, triangular eyes, and unshaven beard. He looked very fierce.
Xia Zhi asked, "Does your Excellency have anything else to arrange?"
Zhu Song said, "Not yet. Go back first. Don't leave the capital until the case is solved."
Xia Zhi blessed her body and said, "I understand."
Xia Zhi left. Zhu Song handed the portrait to the yamen runner and ordered, "Search the whole city for this man."
"yes."
The man's identity was quickly confirmed. Xiao Shaoxian, a thirty-five-year-old idle gambler who loved drinking and would go berserk when drunk, had been jailed several times in Jingzhao Prefecture for molesting women. Since the molestation was limited to verbal, he was released after only a few days each time.
But when the yamen runners went to his house, they didn't see anyone. After visiting, they learned that Xiao Shaoxian had not been seen for several days. Finally, they learned from a small vendor who walked the streets that Xiao Shaoxian had gone to the "Jiuji Pawnshop" three days ago and disappeared.
"Jiuji Pawnshop?" After listening to the report from the yamen runner, Zhu Song felt that the name was very familiar.
The yamen runner lowered his voice and replied, "Sir, I've heard that this place is a pawnshop in public, but secretly it's a huge underground casino."
When talking about underground casinos, Zhu Song remembered that he had heard Gu Huaiyu talk about it. He said that this casino had a great background and big ambitions. Underground casinos were originally illegal, but he was so lucky that he reported and shut down all the underground casinos in the capital in just half a year, leaving only this one. Later, someone reported him, but he was safe and sound.
The Dali Temple didn't care about these things, and Qu Zhoubai didn't like to talk about them with Zhu Song, so Zhu Song just heard Gu Huaiyu talk about them a few times in casual conversation, and he didn't take it to heart.
Zhu Song asked the yamen runner, "Is Lord Gu still going to Jingzhao Prefecture today?"
The yamen runner replied, "No."
Zhu Song nodded, went to find Gu Huaiyu, and asked him about Jiuji Pawnshop.
Gu Huaiyu raised his head from the pile of files and asked, "Jiuji, is there something wrong with the pawnshop?"
Zhu Song said: "Not yet, I just need to go in and find someone."
Gu Huaiyu nodded, "I don't know who it is exactly, but it's probably related to the Song family."
Zhu Song said: "Song family? That is..."
"Hey." Gu Huaiyu interrupted him, "You can't say that without evidence."
"Okay." Zhu Song stopped talking. "Then I'll lead the team to find them myself."
Gu Huaiyu joked with him, "I can go too."
Zhu Song smiled and said, "Forget it, I won't bother Miss Gu with such a small matter."
Gu Huaiyu waved his hand and urged him, "Hurry up, it's almost dark."
"Okay."
Zhu Song personally brought his men to Jiuji Pawnshop. The chubby shopkeeper came out to greet them. He looked kind but spoke rudely. "I wonder what's the matter, Master Zhu, that has you mobilized so many people?"
Zhu Song's face was calm as he took out Xiao Shaoxian's portrait and unfolded it in front of the shopkeeper. "Arrest him. Someone saw him enter Jiuji Pawnshop with their own eyes. I'm conducting a routine search."
The shopkeeper didn't respond. "Master Zhu, you're wrong. We're a legitimate pawnshop. Not only are we filled with priceless treasures, but even our threshold isn't just for anyone to step through. Master Zhu, believing a few biased words from others, is showing off here at Jiuji Pawnshop. I cannot agree to that."
Zhu Song maintained a normal tone. "I never said you weren't a legitimate pawnbroker. I don't care if you have priceless treasures or priceless thresholds. Since there are witnesses and testimony, I must investigate. This is my duty. If you refuse to cooperate, then I can only reasonably suspect that you are deliberately shielding someone and colluding with them. I will treat you as an accomplice and arrest you together."
The shopkeeper was not convinced, "Master Zhu is abusing his power to oppress others."
Zhu Song didn't waste any more time talking to him. He just asked him, "Are you going to give it up or not?"
The shopkeeper glared at Zhu Song for a long time, "What will happen to Master Zhu if we don't catch the man?"
Zhu Song said coldly, "You are delaying like this, are you trying to give the prisoner a chance to escape?"
"You are slandering me."
Zhu Song stared at him coldly without saying anything. The shopkeeper's eyes widened, but he reluctantly moved aside. Zhu Song waved his hand and said, "Search."
The shopkeeper was sulking and didn't say anything, but Zhu Song was leisurely walking around the pawnshop, looking around.
The shopkeeper said, "Don't just look at it, sir. If you like it, buy it."
"My salary cannot afford this priceless treasure." Zhu Song swept the row of shelves against the wall, and inexplicably thought of the hot potatoes in his father's study. He didn't know whether Wen Fengxuan had arrived in Suzhou, and when he would return to Beijing?
After a while, the bailiffs finished the search.
"Sir, it's not found."
The shopkeeper quickly said, "I told you, we're a legitimate pawnshop, not just anybody can come here."
Zhu Song retorted coldly, "Who are you talking about, cats and dogs?"
The shopkeeper stopped talking. Zhu Song glanced at him coldly and left with his men.
It was almost dark when they returned to the Dali Temple. Zhu Song ordered the yamen runners, "Keep looking. No matter what method you use, you must find Xiao Shaoxian."
The yamen runners all responded, "Yes."
That night, Zhu Song was sleeping soundly when there was an urgent knock on the door. Zhu Song jumped up and opened the door. At the door was a yamen runner from the Dali Temple. Seeing Zhu Song, he looked excited and said, "Sir, we have found the person."
Zhu Song quickly asked, "Where did you find it?"
"On the street."
"Um?"
The bailiff explained, "We had originally planned to disguise ourselves and sneak into the underground casino behind the Jiuji Pawnshop, but since we had never been to such a place before, we didn't know how to get in, so we wandered around the streets for a while. Then we suddenly heard a commotion, and when we rushed over, we saw Xiao Shaoxian lying on the ground with a bruised face."
The yamen runner lowered his voice at this point, "Everyone around here said he was thrown out by someone from the casino downstairs."
Zhu Song asked, "Where is Xiao Shaoxian now?"
The bailiff replied, "He has been escorted back to the Dali Temple."
Zhu Song nodded, "Okay, go back and rest first, we'll talk tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir." The bailiff turned and left. Zhu Song yawned and glanced at the moon in the sky. It was probably just after midnight.
The next morning, Zhu Song arrived at the Dali Temple. The yamen runner on duty greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Zhu."
Zhu Song nodded, "Where's Xiao Shaoxian?"
The bailiff replied, "In prison."
Zhu Chan said: "Mention the interrogation in the lobby."
"yes."
Zhu Song went to the public kitchen to get two buns and ate them while walking. When he finished eating, he arrived at the lobby. Xiao Shaoxian was already kneeling in the hall, looking drowsy and not in a good condition.
Zhu Song walked in, and the yamen runner said, "Sir, the person has been brought here."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shaoxian quickly knelt straight and said to Zhu Song, "Sir, I haven't done anything wrong. I haven't molested women recently."
Because he had an injury on the corner of his mouth, he didn't dare open his mouth wide when speaking, and his voice sounded a little strange.
Zhu Song sat in front of the hall, looking at him coldly, and slammed the gavel, which scared Xiao Shaoxian so much that he trembled.
"Sir, please don't scare me."
Zhu Song asked, "A month ago, you went to Xuanyin Pavilion to have fun."
Before he could finish his words, Xiao Shaoxian hurriedly asked, "Sir, you shouldn't arrest me for having fun, but arrest the people from Xuanyin Pavilion. What does this have to do with me?"
The yamen runner shouted coldly, "Don't interrupt the lord while he's speaking."
"Oh." Xiao Shaoxian responded, then realized something was wrong, "No, I..."
The yamen runner interrupted him, "Shut up and listen to what the master has to say."
The bailiff was holding a killing stick, which looked very scary. Xiao Shaoxian pursed his lips in fear and stopped talking.
Zhu Song continued, "A month ago, you went to Xuanyin Pavilion to have fun and were almost kicked out. So you gave a girl two silver ingots, totaling forty taels of silver. Is that true or not?"
Xiao Shaoxian looked at the yamen runner, who said unhappily, "My Lord is asking you a question, why don't you answer it quickly?"
Although Xiao Shaoxian looked timid, he spoke very reasonably, "You just told me to shut up, so I didn't dare to say anything."
The bailiff said, "I told you not to interrupt, not to stop talking."
Xiao Shaoxian asked uncertainly, "Can I tell you now?"
The bailiff clenched his club tightly and said, "Speak."
Xiao Shaoxian then looked at Zhu Song and said, "To answer your Excellency, I didn't give it to you."
Zhu Song frowned, "What do you mean by not giving it?"
Xiao Shaoxian replied: "I just didn't give anyone money."
"Nonsense." Zhu Song slammed the gavel again, but this time Xiao Shaoxian didn't get scared. He looked quite calm.
Zhu Song muttered to himself, "Tell the truth, or you'll be severely punished."
"I really didn't." Xiao Shaoxian reiterated, "How could I give money to people for no reason? I'm not Shancai Tongzi."
Zhu Song said, "How can you say you went there to have fun and listen to music for no reason?"
Xiao Shaoxian sighed, feeling helpless. "Sir, I've never been to any Xuanyin Pavilion. Do you think I'm someone who can listen to music?"
Zhu Song frowned, "Is what you said true?"
Xiao Shaoxian replied, "Oh my, Master Zhu's reputation is well-known. I wouldn't dare lie to anyone but you. At most, I'd just flirt with a girl when I was drunk to satisfy my urge to talk. It's absolutely impossible for me to spend money on women, let alone forty taels."
Zhu Song looked at Xiao Shaoxian, and seeing that what he said was true, he hesitated in his heart. Could it be that the portrait was distorted?
"Go, call Xia Zhi to confront him face to face."
The bailiff responded, turned around and ran away.
Zhu Song paid attention to Xiao Shaoxian's movements, and seeing that he was completely unmoved, he became even more suspicious. Could it be that he really caught the wrong person?
"Sir, can I sit for a while? My knees hurt so much from kneeling." Xiao Shaoxian looked up at Zhu Song eagerly.
Zhusong agreed.
Xiao Shaoxian had something else to say: "Sir, can you give me two pieces of roasted bread? I haven't eaten all night and I'm starving."
Zhu Song ordered the yamen runner, "Go and bring him two buns."
"No fire?" Xiao Shaoxian was a little disappointed, but no one paid any attention to him. However, he continued to say without any concern, "Hey, I'm choking on my buns. Give me two bowls of porridge."
When Xiao Shaoxian ate ten buns, drank three bowls of porridge, and sat on the ground burping contentedly, the summer solstice arrived.
Xiao Shaoxian blinked and looked at her with an infatuated look on his face, "She's so beautiful."
When Xia Zhi saw Xiao Shaoxian, he immediately pointed at him and said, "That's him, sir, that's him."
Xiao Shaoxian was immediately confused. "What do you mean by me? Don't think you can talk nonsense just because you are pretty."
Zhu Song ignored Xiao Shaoxian and looked at Xia Zhi and asked, "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"
Xia Zhi said confidently: "It's only been a month, and I have a deep impression of him."
Xiao Shaoxian frowned, stood up and pointed at Xia Zhi, "Hey, hey, hey, are you talking like you're spitting shit? When have I ever seen you before? Don't throw dirty water on me."
Zhu Song asked Xia Zhi, "Besides you, who else saw him that day?"
Xia Zhi replied: "A lot of people were woken up by the noise that day, and they all saw him."
Zhu Song nodded and asked the yamen runners to take the cursing Xiao Shaoxian back to the prison. At the same time, he sent two yamen runners to Xuanyin Pavilion to confirm Xia Zhi's words.
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