Chapter 11: Taking a roundabout approach
Pei Mansion
Pei Lin sat at his desk, holding a scroll in his hand. Several sheets of paper were spread out on the desk, which were the investigation records of the Qin family case from yesterday.
Seeing Pei Zhiwei follow him in, he put down the dossier and pointed to the pear wood stool next to him: "Sit down. I just had Granny Liu warm up some almond tea, it will be brought over in a little while."
Pei Zhiwei lifted her skirt and sat down. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke: "Father, you have always supported my investigations. Why did you say it was inappropriate for me to be there at Zuixianlou today?"
Her tone was calm, without questioning, but with a hint of doubt.
Pei Lin picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and the warm tea moistened his throat before he slowly opened his mouth.
“Local cases are mostly neighborhood disputes or thefts, involving ordinary people, and investigations can be conducted based on evidence. But it’s different in the capital.”
He lightly tapped the file on the table with his fingertip, the paper making a rustling sound.
"The powerful and influential here are deeply entrenched. A case that may seem simple may actually involve factions in the imperial court, conflicts of interest, and the dignity of the royal family."
One wrong step and it's not just about losing your job; it could really drag your whole family down with you.
He looked up at his daughter, his eyes filled with solemnity. The candlelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting a hint of worry.
"It's not that I think local cases are too lenient, nor that I don't want you to investigate cases. It's just that there are more rules in the capital than in the provinces, so you have to find the right methods to do things."
"Just like when you found shoe prints at the Qin residence, even if he were a powerful figure in a local area, the Pei family of Hedong wouldn't be so easily deterred. They could simply report it to the county magistrate and have him investigate."
"But in the capital, Lady Qin was the Princess Consort of Prince Rui, bestowed by the Emperor himself. Her death could not be separated from the face of the imperial family no matter what."
You have to consider whether His Majesty will care, then think about Prince Rui's position, and also take into account Lord Qin's reputation.
It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I can't confront them head-on; I have to find opportunities indirectly.
Pei Zhiwei nodded, understanding her father's meaning, but there was still one thing she didn't understand: "Then you said that His Highness Prince Rui's actions were inappropriate, what exactly were inappropriate?"
"His mistake was that he didn't consider your feelings." Pei Lin's tone deepened, but there was no hint of reprimand; it was more like he was carefully dissecting the pros and cons.
He stood up and paced around the study.
"Firstly, investigating cases is the duty of the Court of Judicial Review. Although he is a prince, he has no right to investigate cases, and he should not have approached you directly without consulting me first."
"There are many eyes in the capital. If he sees him bypassing me to find you, he'll inevitably say you've 'overstepped your authority' and 'a woman presumptuously discussing criminal matters.' If these words get out, it won't do you any good for your reputation."
He stopped at the window and gazed at the darkening sky over the courtyard.
"Furthermore, today at Zuixianlou, when he was discussing matters with you, he only had Zhou Ping, a constable, by his side, and there wasn't even a maidservant serving him."
You are an unmarried young lady, and he is a prince. If a man and a woman alone in a private room stay for too long, even if you are innocent, people will gossip and say that you are "climbing the social ladder" and "disobeying the proper conduct of a young lady".
He's of high status, and no one dares to say a bad word about him, but all that mud will eventually be thrown at you.
He turned around, the candlelight casting a deep shadow on his face.
"Finally, he was too impatient. It's good that he wanted to find out the truth, but he didn't consider your situation."
You followed him around doing everything, and in the end, the case was solved, but the credit went to him.
If something goes wrong, the blame might fall on you.
After all, no one would blame a prince, but they would criticize a girl who "doesn't know the rules"!
As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Jinghong walked in carrying a gilded lacquer tray with two bowls of steaming almond tea on it.
Today she wore a light purple long gown with a front opening, and only a jade hairpin in her hair, making her look exceptionally elegant. She placed the teacup in front of the two of them and joked with them.
"Oh, so you're saying something bad about Prince Rui?"
I overheard everything from the corridor, all that talk about 'inappropriateness' and 'reputation.' In my opinion, you're just unhappy because Prince Rui is getting close to our Zhiwei.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Lin's expression darkened slightly, but he did not refute it. He simply picked up the almond tea, took a sip, and hissed softly from the heat.
Yan Jinghong then turned to Pei Zhiwei, smiling as she held her handkerchief.
"Your father heard from the steward this morning that someone saw His Highness Prince Rui having breakfast with you at a breakfast stall on East Street. He couldn't sit still and paced around the study for half an hour."
Later, you heard that Zhang Yanzhi had been assassinated, so you went directly to the scene to investigate. You even encountered Zhang Qifeng yelling at you, and you were both furious.
Pei Zhiwei then remembered that she had caught a glimpse of a familiar figure hurrying past at the roadside food stall that morning. Now she realized that it was probably someone her father had secretly placed there to protect her.
"Later, when you went to the Zhang residence, your father was afraid that Zhang Qifeng would speak rudely to you again, and he almost couldn't sit still and wanted to go find you, but he was also afraid that you would handle it on your own and that his appearance would make you lose face."
I finally held it in until you all went to Zuixianlou, and now I'm finally letting it out.
As Yan Jinghong spoke, a hint of teasing flickered in her eyes.
"Now you're using 'reputation' as an excuse to say a few words, but I think it's really just jealousy. You're afraid that other people's boys will get closer to you."
"Mother!" Pei Zhiwei's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly explained, "Captain Zhou was there at the time, and later the heir of the Marquis of Ding'an was also there. It wasn't just me and His Highness Prince Rui."
Pei Lin coughed lightly, interrupting his wife and daughter's teasing, and his tone returned to its usual calm and composed manner.
“I am indeed indignant. As the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, investigating cases is my duty.”
But my daughter wasn't sold to the Xiao family. Why should he make her run around doing thankless tasks just because he says something?
His words carried a hint of a father's protectiveness, yet they were all reasonable.
“There are plenty of people in the capital who want to curry favor with the Xiao family, but my Pei family doesn’t need to rely on our daughter to do so, and we certainly can’t let our daughter suffer this injustice.”
As he spoke, his voice rose several decibels, causing the lamp flame on the table to flicker.
Looking at her father's serious profile, Pei Zhiwei suddenly realized that her father was not against her investigating the case, but was afraid that she would be used and hurt in the power struggle among the elites.
Just as she was about to speak, Pei Lin continued, "Actually, I have two meanings."
Firstly, it's to let His Highness Prince Rui know that you are my daughter, Pei Lin's daughter. If I want your help in investigating the case, you have to go through me; you can't bypass me.
Secondly, it was to make him understand that this case should be investigated openly and legitimately by the Court of Judicial Review, and to urge him to quickly find a way to persuade His Majesty.
This way, mobilizing the constables and examining the case files will be perfectly legitimate. He will lead the investigation, and I will assist him. This will not give anyone grounds for criticism, and it will also better protect you.
"You...you don't intend to give up the investigation?" Pei Zhiwei was slightly taken aback, only realizing her surprise after asking the question.
She originally thought that since His Majesty had already issued a decree to close the case, her father, even if he had doubts, should lay low for the time being. She never expected that he had other plans.
"Give up?" Pei Lin shook his head, his fingertips brushing across the open investigation record, finally stopping at the three characters "Qin Chaochao," the ink still fresh, as if carrying the chill of last night's scene.
"Qin Chaochao was the legitimate daughter of the Imperial Censor and the Princess Consort of Rui, bestowed by the Emperor himself. How can we give up so easily when she died so mysteriously?"
His voice was low, and the candlelight flickered on the desk, making the furrows between his brows appear even deeper.
"His Majesty outwardly issued an edict to close the case, ostensibly to silence public opinion and temporarily quell rumors. But secretly..."
He paused slightly, then tapped his fingertips heavily on the name.
"If anyone dares to commit violence during the royal marriage ceremony, it would be a disgrace to the imperial family."
Your Majesty...doesn't it also wish to find the true culprit?
He sighed, the heavy breath pressing down on his chest, and his tone softened as well.
"But His Majesty ultimately took Prince Rui into consideration."
If Lady Qin's death is truly as disgraceful as outsiders speculate, what will become of His Highness's dignity? What will become of the imperial family's authority?
Therefore, the most important thing right now is for someone to be able to legitimately step forward and investigate the matter thoroughly, without implicating too many people.
He looked up at his daughter, a sharp glint in his eyes that was barely perceptible.
“Prince Rui is His Majesty’s most beloved younger brother, so it is most appropriate for him to handle this case.”
I will assist him from the sidelines. Even if something untoward is discovered later, His Majesty, out of consideration for him, will not punish him severely. You and I... can also be spared.”
Before the words were finished, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the courtyard, approaching from afar and shattering the tranquility of the night.
The butler trotted to the study door, breaking the heavy silence in the room: "Master! Madam! Someone from the palace has arrived! It's an imperial eunuch delivering a decree!"
The three men's expressions tightened, and they immediately composed themselves and straightened their clothes.
Pei Lin took a deep breath and stepped out of the study first, followed closely by Yan Jinghong and Pei Zhiwei.
The lights in the courtyard were already on, illuminating the area where people knelt to receive the offerings.
The eunuch unfurled the imperial edict, his shrill voice, with its distinctive intonation, echoing loudly in the courtyard:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Qin Chaochao, daughter of Imperial Censor Qin Liang, died on the eve of her wedding. The case is suspicious and there may be hidden circumstances."
Prince Rui, Xiao Yunzhan, is hereby appointed as the chief investigator, with Pei Lin, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, assisting in the investigation. All offices under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review and the Prefect of the Capital are required to cooperate and may not shirk their responsibilities. This is the imperial decree.
"Chen, Pei Lin,"
"This humble woman is Pei Zhiwei,"
"This humble servant is Yan Jinghong,"
The three men kowtowed in accordance with etiquette and replied in unison, "As you command, long live the Emperor!"
As Pei Zhiwei stood up, she glanced around and caught a fleeting glimpse of her father's barely perceptible, momentary smile of relief on his lips as he lowered his head.
The eunuch closed the imperial edict, a knowing smile spreading across his face, and gave Pei Lin a slight bow.
"Lord Pei, His Majesty has issued another decree, saying that you have encountered such a thorny case as soon as you returned to the capital, which is truly a great hardship for you."
If more manpower is needed for the investigation, it is up to the adults to decide.
After speaking, his gaze seemed to casually sweep over Pei Zhiwei beside him.
He added, "His Majesty also specifically instructed that Lady Pei is intelligent and kind-hearted. If she can assist His Highness and the official in clarifying the case, it will be a great merit."
Pei Lin immediately bowed to express his gratitude, his words sincere. He then instructed the steward to present the prepared gifts and personally escorted the eunuchs to the ceremonial gate.
After the glaring crimson-purple hue completely disappeared, Yan Jinghong's tense shoulder line suddenly relaxed, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"I knew it! How could you hold it in!"
I heard at the breakfast stall this morning that His Highness Prince Rui was looking for Zhiwei, but you held it in until you came to Zuixianlou before finally letting it out, and you even deliberately said some things about 'reputation', not only to let Zhiwei know your concerns.
This is also to urge His Highness Prince Rui to quickly request imperial decree so that you can continue your investigation."
Pei Lin blushed, but didn't refute her. He just glared at her and said, "What does a woman like you know?"
But there was no real blame in his tone.
Seeing her father's embarrassed expression, Pei Zhiwei couldn't help but smile.
She then realized that her father's words at Zuixianlou earlier that day were not only out of love for her, but also a shrewd calculation in the officialdom.
This both preserved her reputation and facilitated the opportunity for a formal investigation.
After Yan Jinghong went to instruct the servants to prepare dinner, Pei Zhiwei followed her father back to the study and told him about her discoveries that day.
She took out the small piece of cloth wrapped in the handkerchief, along with the copied shoe print pattern, and laid it on her father's desk, pointing to the details in the pattern.
"In the alley where Zhang Yanzhi was attacked, the cloud-patterned shoe print was a forgery; the shoe size was half an inch larger than the assassin's real shoe size."
The assassin's light-footed skills were crude; he left deep marks and pieces of clothing on the locust tree, indicating he wasn't part of the same group as the shadowy figure who "left no trace on the tiles" atop the Qin mansion wall.
"And what Xie Shizi said, there have been at least three cases in the capital in recent months of women who were married off to higher social classes but 'refused marriage and hanged themselves,' but their families covered it up with 'illness' or 'accident.'"
I suspect Qin Chaochao's case might be a serial crime, with the killer specifically targeting women who don't want to marry into wealthy families.
Pei Lin listened attentively, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table.
He took out a map of the capital and laid it out, marking several locations where the incidents had occurred.
“These cases seem scattered, but they are actually all in the western part of the city.” He pondered. “If it is a serial case, the murderer’s activity range should be in this area.”
Just then, the steward came in to report: "Master, His Highness Prince Rui's personal guard has arrived and says he has important news to convey to you."
Pei Lin let the guard in, and the guard clasped his hands and bowed.
"Lord Pei, my lord has sent word that he has secretly dispatched people to investigate the poor scholar who is Wang Yulan's lover, as well as the cousin of the second daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. We should have news by tomorrow."
However, there is currently no conclusive evidence that this matter involves the inner quarters of the household.
Therefore, if we confirm their identities and whereabouts, I would like to invite you and Madam Pei to a private room at Zuixianlou tomorrow at noon to see if we can find out any connection.”
Pei Lin glanced at his daughter and said to the servants, "Go back and tell His Highness that my daughter and I will arrive at noon tomorrow."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com