Chapter 14 is indeed good.
Pei Zhiwei's fingertips were slightly cool. When they touched Xiao Yunzhan's skin under his sleeve, Xiao Yunzhan's arm stiffened slightly, and his fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly before he regained his usual expression.
He turned his head and saw Pei Zhiwei gesturing for him to look at the man. He then subtly raised his chin and glanced into the shadows outside the shop.
When the shopkeeper saw the man, his smile grew even warmer. He dropped the jewelry he was holding and hurried over to greet him, deliberately lowering his voice to say, "You've finally come!" His tone was full of familiarity.
"Those few gold hairpins were just picked up by Madam Li a few days ago."
She specifically instructed that if a similar style were found, it should be kept for her daughter, as it was being prepared as part of her dowry and would be perfect for her.
As she spoke, she went around to the back of the counter, and with practiced ease, reached into the wooden partition and pulled out a bulging cloth bag.
The bag was tied tightly, and the shape of the silver ingots could be vaguely seen. She shoved it into the man's hand with a swift motion.
"Here's the payment from last time, please check it."
Next time, bring more of the styles popular in Jiangnan, preferably a complete set of ruby headdresses.
"There are many weddings in the capital lately, and the young ladies are all looking for jewelry that is both festive and elegant—those pieces are sure to fetch a good price."
The man took the money bag, lightly weighed it in his hand, and his wrinkled face immediately broke into a smile, his tone revealing undisguised pride:
"Don't worry, next time I'll bring the best stuff, top-quality goods that I've sourced directly from the imperial merchants of Jiangnan. I guarantee you'll make a fortune!"
He stuffed the money pouch into his clothes, turned around, lifted the curtain, and disappeared into the crowd on the street in a few steps.
Pei Zhiwei then released Xiao Yunzhan's wrist, quickly walked to the shopkeeper's side, and naturally took his hand, her voice soft and tinged with admiration:
"Shopkeeper, you really have connections! You can even get goods from the imperial merchants of Jiangnan."
I visited several jewelry stores in Beijing the other day, but I didn't see anything as good as this—your Linglong Pavilion truly hides a treasure trove of gems without ever revealing its true value.
The shopkeeper had seen many curious customers like Pei Zhiwei, so he didn't think much of it and explained with a smile in a low voice.
"My lady, you don't know, that man just now was a grain transport official from Jiangnan. He travels the grain transport route all year round and can smuggle some good things over from Jiangnan."
These are all goods from the imperial merchants of Jiangnan; the styles are fresh, and the prices are cheaper than those of genuine imperial merchants. Many ladies and young wives love to buy them.
"No wonder, I heard that Madam Qin from the Qin family often comes here to buy jewelry."
Pei Zhiwei suddenly realized, and then gently changed the subject, "But Madam Qin is the daughter of the Imperial Censor and the future Princess Consort of Prince Rui, so she probably wouldn't be interested in this kind of 'smuggled' goods, right?"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper first glanced around warily before pulling her closer to the counter, lowering his voice even further.
"You must be new to the capital and don't know this. Lord Qin is known for his integrity. Despite his high rank, he doesn't have much spare money."
"Mrs. Qin took several sets of these clothes from me as part of her dowry, saying the style suited her taste and it saved her some money."
Pei Zhiwei feigned surprise and widened her eyes: "This... what's the use of being such a high-ranking official? Even your daughter's dowry has to be calculated like this."
"That's right!" The shopkeeper sighed, then couldn't help but add, "Speaking of which, Qin Niangzi is almost being taught to be stupid by her father."
The "Rules for Women" and "Precepts for Women" are practically etched on her forehead; she rarely even sees the faces of men outside the family.
If there were any men like your husband in the shop today, she would definitely hide in a private room on the second floor and wouldn't come out until they left.
Pei Zhiwei was genuinely surprised this time.
For over a hundred years since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty, women have been tolerant of each other, and women in the capital city are often forthright and open-minded. The manager of Linglong Pavilion in front of us is a woman in charge, but I never expected that Qin Chaochao would be taught to be so reserved.
The shopkeeper noticed her surprise and shook his head helplessly: "Or should I say that her father has made her stupid?"
"Shh!" Pei Zhiwei quickly put her finger to her lips, her tone tense yet affectionate, "Sister, keep your voice down! That's the Imperial Censor. If someone hears us, it could cause trouble."
The shopkeeper felt a warmth in his heart when he saw how protective she was of him, and the way she called him "sister" made him feel even more comfortable, so his smile deepened.
"We're destined to meet. Next time new stock arrives, I'll definitely save some for you and let you be the first to choose."
"Thank you so much, sister!"
Pei Zhiwei feigned surprise and whispered in her ear, "To be honest, my husband has just returned to the capital from out of town. He will inevitably have to deal with some social obligations in the future. If we can pick out some unique jewelry in advance, it will make things look better for his family."
The shopkeeper immediately understood and patted her hand with a smile: "Don't worry, my lady! When the new goods arrive next time, I'll send someone to deliver the message to you as soon as possible, making sure no one else gets there first."
After chatting for a few more minutes, Pei Zhiwei specially selected a pair of round pearl earrings and a jade hairpin. After paying, she and Xiao Yunzhan walked out of Linglong Pavilion side by side.
Just as they turned the corner and were completely out of sight of Linglong Pavilion, Xiao Yunzhan asked, "Why did you find that man suspicious? He looked like just a canal official who helped people smuggle jewelry; there was nothing special about him."
"Is it because the manager of Jinxiu Manor said that the dark blue, thick summer cloth was what grain transport officials often wore that you found him suspicious?"
Pei Zhiwei stopped and took out the rubbing paper with the shoe print from the brocade bag, pointing to the wear and tear on it.
“Your Highness, look, the shoe prints we found on the locust tree on the day Zhang Yanzhi was attacked. The forefoot was worn down particularly badly, and the point of impact was forward. This shows that the person who left the shoe prints was used to landing on the forefoot first when walking.”
She paused, recalling the man's walking posture just now, and her tone became even more certain.
"The man just now walked with his forefoot landing first, and even the wear on the toe of his boot was exactly the same as the shoe print on the rubbing paper."
Everyone's foot placement and leverage point are different, just as everyone's handwriting has its own characteristics. No two people will ever have the exact same walking habits or shoe wear.
Moreover, handwriting can be imitated, but shoe prints cannot.
Xiao Yunzhan took the rubbing paper, carefully compared the marks on it, and recalled the man's walking posture. A coldness gradually appeared in his eyes.
"You mean, he's the one who assassinated Zhang Yanzhi?"
"I can't be sure if he carried out the assassination, but I can confirm that the shoe print on the locust tree and the fake shoe print at the scene were both left by him!"
Pei Zhiwei spoke with certainty, explaining his deductions one by one.
"Moreover, the manager of Jinxiuzhuang also said that only officials from Jiangnan would wear dark blue thick summer cloth in the capital. He is both an official from Jiangnan and fits the characteristics of the crime scene in every way, which is by no means a coincidence."
Xiao Yunzhan put away the rubbing paper and looked in the direction the man had left. The figure of the guard had already silently followed and disappeared into the crowd.
“The secret guards will follow him and investigate his residence and the people he comes into contact with.”
He turned to look at Pei Zhiwei, his eyes filled with genuine appreciation, "Madam Pei's keen sense of traces is indeed well-deserved."
Pei Zhi smiled and handed the jewelry box he had just bought to the servant behind him: "Your Highness flatters me. It's just that I've been following my father around investigating cases for many years, and that's how I've developed the habit of paying attention to these details."
As soon as he finished speaking, a guard suddenly ran over from a distance. Upon seeing Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Zhiwei, he immediately clasped his hands in a salute, then quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words in Xiao Yunzhan's ear.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunzhan frowned slightly, his tone becoming somewhat hurried: "I have other important matters to attend to and must take my leave first."
After saying that, he turned to the guards and servants, his eyes darkening, and he gave them a very serious instruction: "You must make sure to get Lady Pei back to the manor safely. Be careful of your surroundings on the way, and make sure there is no mistake whatsoever."
***
The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the vermilion gate of the Pei residence.
Pei Zhiwei lifted the carriage curtain, first having the servant hand her the brocade box containing the jewelry, then her gaze fell on the several neatly folded bolts of silk in the guard's arms, and she said with a smile, "Please take these materials back to the Prince's residence."
The guard hesitated for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Madam Pei, this is what you and His Highness chose together just now..."
"Precisely because it was chosen together with His Highness, it should be returned."
Pei Zhiwei gently brushed the edge of the moon-white silk with her fingertips. The material was soft and smooth to the touch. Her tone was natural, with a hint of candid laughter.
"I was just picking out a few extra bolts of fabric because they looked good on him. How could I possibly take the prince's fabric home with me?"
Hearing these words so earnestly and without the slightest hesitation, the guard said no more and quickly bowed and replied, "Thank you for your trouble, Madam Pei. I will bring the fabric back intact and report your words to Your Highness in full."
Pei Zhiwei nodded in agreement and lightly stepped through the gate of the mansion, carrying the jewelry box.
Just as they rounded the screen wall, they saw Yan Jinghong sitting on the veranda, engrossed in reading a storybook, while Pei Lin was flipping through scrolls of documents beside him.
The golden rays of the setting sun shone through the gaps in the locust tree leaves, falling on the hems of their clothes and casting a warm glow, creating a rare sense of tranquility.
"Father! Mother! I'm back!" Pei Zhiwei ran over with a loud voice, put the jewelry box on the stone table, and her eyes sparkled as if they were filled with starlight.
Yan Jinghong put down her storybook, looked up and saw her excited expression, and leaned over to tease her: "Did you find a treasure while investigating a case? You look so happy, did you find some important clue?"
"We do have clues, but for now, let me show you something even better!"
As Pei Zhiwei spoke, she reached out and lifted the brocade lid of the jewelry box, first taking out the jade crown and jade belt with bamboo leaf patterns, and presented them to Pei Lin with both hands, her tone full of joy.
"Father, look at this jade crown! The shopkeeper said it was carved from the same piece of white jade. Look at the texture of the bamboo leaves, it's so delicate."
This matches your everyday clothes perfectly! And this jade belt, the pattern even matches your jade crown. Wearing the whole set together would be so elegant!
Pei Lin put down the dossier, reached out and took the jade crown. His fingertips touched the warm, smooth jade surface, and his gaze fell on the carving of the leaf veins. He couldn't help but nod.
"It's really good material, and the carving is exquisite. You silly child, even while investigating a case, you still remember to buy me these things..." There was a hint of reproach in her words, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
"And Mother's too!" Pei Zhiwei took out the pair of lustrous pearl earrings and white jade hairpin from the box and stuffed them into Yan Jinghong's hands.
"These pearl earrings make you look elegant, and the jade hairpin has a beautiful texture, which matches the long gown I made for you last time perfectly!"
I spent ages choosing, and the shopkeeper said it was the latest style from the capital, and nobody else had seen it before!
Yan Jinghong held the earring up to the light, the pearls round and full, shimmering with a soft glow in the setting sun. Her heart warmed instantly, but she deliberately kept a straight face.
"You silly child, you've only been back in the capital for a few days, and you've already spent quite a bit of money! It's not like we don't have jewelry at home, why did you go out of your way to buy these? What a waste!"
"I won't waste it!" Pei Zhiwei sat down next to her, took her arm and gently shook it.
"Father works hard investigating cases every day, and Mother is tired from managing the household. I rarely come across such nice things, so why not buy some for you? Besides, this jade crown suits Father well, and these earrings suit Mother well!"
Pei Lin looked at his wife and daughter's affectionate appearance, picked up the jade belt and compared it to his waist, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.
"You always say things that make people feel soft-hearted. But this material is indeed quite nice; it could be worn out on a suitable occasion."
"I knew it!" Pei Zhiwei proudly raised her chin, then suddenly remembered the discovery of Linglong Pavilion and quickly brought the topic back.
"By the way, Father, I also ran into a suspicious official at Linglong Pavilion today."
His walking posture and the wear and tear on his shoe prints matched the traces found at the scene of Zhang Yanzhi's attack.
His Highness has already sent his secret guards to follow him; perhaps they can uncover some clues…”
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