Chapter 182: Only the Beauty Has Changed
The newly crowned top scholar, highly valued by the emperor, was naturally a key figure under protection. Moreover, since there was only one person ambushing him, he didn't even need to lift a finger; the assassin was caught on the spot by the accompanying guards. After being caught, the man shouted someone else's name, as if he had mistaken Zhao Yunjing for someone else.
That reason might fool a fool, but everyone here is shrewd; who is easily fooled?
Zhao Yunjing spent most of the day wandering the streets, visiting every one of the busiest and most bustling streets in the capital. Unless he was blind, no one would mistake him for someone else.
The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture happened to be nearby and arrived the fastest, followed by the Six Doors. Before Shuntian Prefecture and the Six Doors could even join forces, the assassin confessed.
He did receive a sum of money, but he didn't see the other party's face. The other party only asked him to come out at this time and place and pretend to be a robber to scare Zhao Yunjing. As for why the other party only asked him to scare him instead of directly harming him, the assassin said he didn't know either.
"Brothers, sir, I admit I'm greedy for money, but I'm poor and have a mountain of gambling debts. My wife and children need food and drink, and my eighty-year-old grandmother is sick and needs half a tael of silver a day for medicine. I can't survive without this money!" the assassin cried.
Someone in Shuntian Prefecture recognized the assassin and told the prefect, "Sir, he is Ma Laosi from Sifangjing. Three months ago, he had his leg broken by people from the gambling den. Apart from petty theft, he is usually quite law-abiding. His family situation is indeed similar to what he described. It seems that the person who gave him money knows his situation very well, and is most likely someone from the gambling den."
"Scholar Zhao, have you been to any gambling dens recently? Or have you offended anyone?" asked Lord Yang, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture.
“Your Excellency, I have never been to a gambling den. As for who I have offended…” Zhao Yunjing thought for a moment, “I have probably offended all the people who accompanied the Emperor back to the capital. However, I believe they are not so petty. Theoretically speaking, they should be new enemies.”
Today, the Six Doors team was not led by Jiang Wuyu, but by a lean man in his forties or fifties with a mustache. His surname was Hu. He first glanced at Zhao Yunjing and then said, "Your Excellency is currently enjoying great prestige. Once the Emperor bestows upon you the title of Your Excellency, you will immediately take up your post. With your official rank, your prestige will surely increase even further. I urge Your Excellency to keep a low profile and travel discreetly."
Before Zhao Yunjing could speak, a female voice came from behind: "As a member of the public service, instead of thinking about finding the mastermind behind the murder as soon as possible, you are making a big show of implying the victim. Hu Laosan, when you said this, did you think about the Six Doors at all?"
Zhao Yunjing recognized the voice and turned around to see who it was.
Zhu Yan didn't even glance at him, but instead scanned Hu Laosan from head to toe, sneering, "Twenty years have passed, and you, Hu Laosan, haven't changed at all. You still love to shirk responsibility!"
Hu Laosan looked at her for a while before recognizing her: "You are Zhu Yan, the girl who has been missing for more than ten years. I don't know if you got married or were sold into a brothel?"
Zhu Yan's beautiful eyes turned cold: "Hu Laosan! Stop talking nonsense, or I'll tear your mouth apart!"
“Miss Zhu, you just said that I, Hu Laosan, haven’t changed at all in decades, so you must know that I just don’t know how to speak properly and that’s not what I really think. But if you really think that way and are willing to misinterpret my meaning, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Hu Laosan then circled back to Zhao Yunjing: "The Six Doors handles unusual and difficult cases. Small-time thugs like Ma Laosi are Lord Yang's responsibility. For the Six Doors to interfere would be overstepping our bounds. We've indeed handled fewer cases in recent years, but that doesn't mean we have to steal even these minor figures. However, Miss Zhu has just returned and is eager to make a name for herself, which I understand. I have some personal connections with Lord Yang; perhaps I can talk to him and let you have the credit?"
This is blatant disrespect!
If it were Zhu Yan twenty years ago, she would have already lashed out with her whip. But today, she was unaffected. She glanced at Hu Laosan, then at Lord Yang, and finally at Zhao Yunjing: "Young Master Zhao, I'll take you home."
"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Zhu."
There are not many female officials in the Great Liang Kingdom. Even if there are, they only assist the Empress in handling palace affairs in the inner palace. Zhu Yan is the first woman to walk around outside wearing the uniform of the Six Doors.
Zhu Yan said, "Recently, Lord Jiang gave me a task: to recruit women who are interested in becoming constables throughout the Great Liang Kingdom. However, I have not been active in the martial arts world for a long time, and the relationships I had with the various sects in different places have become distant. I have a list here. If Young Master Zhao happens to pass by any of the places on the list, please ask him to come and ask them for help."
Zhao Yunjing took the list, glanced at it, and stuffed it into his sleeve, saying, "People of the martial world dislike restraint and are ashamed to associate with the imperial court. In their eyes, the Six Doors, the yamen runners, and others are all lackeys of the court. I'm afraid—"
Zhu Yan interrupted, "That's why I need to use your words, Young Master Zhao, to recruit people for the court's use."
"Thank you for your trust, Lord Zhu. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
Zhao Yunjing cupped his hands in greeting, “However, I do not know when I will travel or when I will pass through the places on the list. In order not to delay Lord Zhu’s work, Ajiao has a group of pretty good women on her hands. When Lord Zhu has some free time, you can go and take a look with Ajiao. If you like them, you can hire them directly. If you don’t like them, I will make some plans.”
Recalling the moment when Zhou Mujiao led her out of that cage and she was bathed in the free sunlight for the first time in over a decade, Zhu Yan's eyes welled up with tears.
After leaving Peach Blossom Village, she went straight back to the capital and secretly investigated for a long time before revealing herself. It wasn't until Jiang Wuyu returned that she was reinstated to her original position.
The Zhao family residence is just ahead. Zhu Yan cupped her hands in greeting and said, "Then it's settled. I'll come to your residence first thing tomorrow morning."
Watching Zhu Yan leave, Shui Sheng couldn't help but say, "Young Master, Sister Zhu has changed a lot, but it also seems like she hasn't changed at all."
Shuisheng was the first servant to be bought into the household besides Zhu Yan. At the time, he had a fairly good relationship with Zhu Yan. However, Zhu Yan hadn't looked at him once throughout the entire incident, which puzzled and saddened him.
“Sister Zhu is now a member of the public service, and she was on duty just now, so it’s naturally not appropriate for her to chat with people,” Zhao Yunjing explained. “In addition, the Six Doors are directly managed by the Emperor, and any matter can be reported directly to the Emperor. In order to prevent anyone from taking shortcuts through the Six Doors, they will keep a certain distance from everyone in the court. This is called avoiding suspicion.”
"But Sister Zhu just now—"
“Shuisheng,” Zhao Yunjing patted his shoulder, “there are some things you can’t understand or figure out at the time, so listen and observe more, and you’ll eventually figure them out.”
Zhao Yunjing was welcomed into the house by the Zhao family. Shuisheng scratched his head and suddenly realized something.
Zhu Yan always avoids suspicion when she sees anyone, but today she spoke and passed notes in front of so many people. She must have received an order from the Emperor!
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