Chapter 42 I know how he died
Xiao Yunzhan leaned back in his chair and looked at Zhou Wenbin. "Don't rush to interrogate him. Without solid evidence, he'll just play the rogue and might even turn around and accuse you of coercing him into a confession."
Zhou Wenbin paused, then scratched the back of his head: "Well... we can't just leave it like this, can we?"
Xiao Yunzhan: "I didn't tell you to ignore it. Do you remember the 'Pharmacy Head Joint Guarantee Document' that Shen Yizhi showed when he was making a fuss about unsealing the pharmacy?"
Go check this first.
What did the old doctor at Suhetang say the other day? Shen Yizhi stole ginseng to pay off his debts and was chased out of the pharmacy by Shen Chengzhang with a broom. Who in the entire Suzhou pharmacy doesn't know that?
Shen Chengzhang had dealt with those gang leaders for decades. Even if they weren't close, it's unlikely that someone would immediately take the lead in submitting a guarantee document for his unfilial son right after he died.
Who is leading this? Why are they willing to take this risk? Finding out this might reveal the origin of the silver ingots.
Zhou Wenbin suddenly realized what was going on, and the anxiety on his face subsided considerably. He quickly cupped his hands in understanding: "Your subordinate understands! I'll go to the pharmacy right away and investigate, questioning everyone one by one. I guarantee I'll find out who's behind this!"
As he turned to leave, Xiao Yunzhan called him back.
"Remember, don't alert them. Just say you're checking the paperwork and procedures, don't ask any other questions," Xiao Yunzhan added.
Seeing Zhou Wenbin run away in response, he turned to Pei Lin, lowering his tone.
"Young Master Pei, the secret guards just sent word that they've found some clues about the Uyghur caravan. Shall we speak in private?"
Pei Lin understood and stood up, saying, "I also have some details I'd like to discuss with Your Highness."
Xiao Yunzhan: "Madam Pei, come along too. You're sensitive to clues; you might be able to glean something from the secret guards' reports."
The Third Princess looked at them and waved her hand with a smile: "You all go ahead and do your work. Investigating the case is the priority. I'll have them send dinner to your courtyard."
Xiao Yunzhan's temporary residence was not far from the flower hall.
As soon as the three sat down, Xiao Yunzhan took out a folded note from his sleeve and handed it to Pei Lin.
"The secret guards reported that the official ship we were originally on moved in the middle of the night after we boarded the prince consort's ship."
It wasn't transferred to another boat, nor was it loaded onto a truck; it was simply sunk into the nearby river.
"It sank?" Pei Lin looked up abruptly. "Aren't they afraid the authorities will pull it out?"
“If I’m afraid I wouldn’t have done that.” Xiao Yunzhan gestured with his finger on the map. “This section of the river is very deep, and it was nighttime. The guards said they used heavy objects to weigh it down, so it sank completely.”
They probably knew we were watching the ship, so they simply destroyed the evidence to prevent us from uncovering more of the smuggled salt's whereabouts.
Pei Zhiwei was also startled. "But I missed something when I was scouting at night, and alerted the enemy?"
"It shouldn't be. According to the guards, they must have decided to do so a long time ago."
“Furthermore,” Xiao Yunzhan continued, “Li Rong found some wheel tracks in the abandoned canal of Sizhou, which looked like they were from the transport of parts for grain transport ships.”
The wheels are wide and the load capacity is deep, which is consistent with our previous predictions.
You can follow the tracks into the dense forest, but the trail breaks off after a short distance.
He left a few people to continue searching the area, while he brought the majority of his men back.
They said the forest has many forks in the road, and it had rained, so the tracks had been mostly washed away. Even if they searched diligently, they might not find anything.
Pei Zhiwei stared at the map spread out on the table. The location of the abandoned canal in Sizhou was circled, and next to it was marked "where the cart tracks broke". He wondered to himself if the parts of these canal boats had also been destroyed.
"Don't be discouraged," Pei Lin suddenly said, his tone reassuring.
"The canal transport issue has been entrenched for decades; how could it be so easily investigated?"
"We've only been in Suzhou for four days, and we've already forced the Zhang and Gu families to show their true colors. That's quite fast."
Pei Zhiwei looked up and saw that there was no sign of discouragement in her father's eyes, and the disappointment in her heart gradually faded.
Xiao Yunzhan also perked up: "Pei Shaoqing is right."
The more eager they are to destroy evidence, the more it suggests that something big is hidden behind it.
Take your time; you'll eventually find a weakness.
Pei Lin changed the subject and looked at his daughter.
"By the way, when you went to the reed marshes outside the city with His Highness this morning, did you find anything besides no trace?"
“Nothing else.” Pei Zhiwei thought of Ding Jin, her tone tinged with doubt.
"It's Ding Jin from the Taihu Gang. I always felt he was very strange."
When Suhetang's Gubenjiu (a type of tonic) was mentioned, his expression changed for a fleeting moment.
She told her father about the contradictions in Ding Jin.
Upon hearing this, Pei Lin pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Based on what you've said, he's probably been taking Cold Food Powder for a long time."
"Hanshi San?" Pei Zhiwei was taken aback, not expecting this answer.
Xiao Yunzhan was also somewhat surprised, but then he understood.
No wonder he looked strange.
Taking too much Hanshisan (a traditional Chinese medicine) can make a person's face flushed and appear energetic, but in reality, it damages their fundamental health, leaving them very weak.
Shen Chengzhang never touched Hanshisan (a traditional Chinese medicine), but he went mad after drinking wine laced with an excessive amount of Hanshisan.
If Ding Jin had been taking Hanshisan regularly, he probably had developed a tolerance to it, which is why he didn't go insane.
However, I have a feeling that there's something wrong with him, but I can't quite put my finger on it, so I've already had my bodyguards keep an eye on him.
The three then talked about Cold Food Powder and Delightful Grass, all agreeing that these two herbs were key.
One can drive a person insane, and the other can cause them to fall into a coma; both are inextricably linked to the current case.
However, when I checked with other pharmacies, they either said they had no stock or that no one had been buying in large quantities recently, which made the investigation quite difficult.
"It seems we still have to start with the pharmacy." Pei Lin rubbed his temples.
Both of these are controlled drugs and ordinary people cannot buy them.
Those who can obtain them in bulk either come from pharmacies or are privately resold by people within the pharmacy industry.
"Not necessarily." A clear voice came from outside the door, and Yan Jinghong walked in carrying a food box.
"I was just outside the door when I heard you talking about the alluring herb and the Cold Food Powder. Why are you so fixated on the pharmacy?"
All three turned to look. Yan Jinghong placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, and inside were several plates of freshly made pastries, still steaming.
She picked up a piece of crane pastry and handed it to Pei Zhiwei before continuing, "It's true that both of these medicines are controlled, but you've forgotten that in some places, controlled medicines can still circulate—like brothels."
"A brothel?" Pei Zhiwei was stunned, forgetting to even bite the crane-shaped pastry in her hand.
"What does the alluring herb have to do with brothels?"
Yan Jinghong smiled, her tone as natural as if she were talking about something ordinary.
"Powdered aphrodisiac is a good ingredient for making aphrodisiacs. Many brothels would secretly keep some for girls who wanted to please their customers."
As for Hanshi San (Cold Food Powder), although it is very potent, some customers like it, feeling that it gives them energy. Brothels, in order to attract customers, will also keep some in reserve.
Upon hearing this, Pei Lin, Xiao Yunzhan, and Pei Zhiwei were all stunned.
They had previously focused solely on pharmacies and drug stores, believing that controlled drugs could only be distributed through legitimate channels, and never considered places like brothels.
Pei Zhiwei suddenly realized what was going on.
No wonder the investigation into the pharmacy was fruitless; it turns out they had overlooked such a crucial place!
Xiao Yunzhan stood up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"In that case, let's go to a brothel tonight. The biggest one in Suzhou, 'Yihonglou,' might be able to find something there."
Pei Zhiwei nodded immediately, her eyes full of eagerness.
Pei Lin looked at his daughter's expression, shook his head helplessly, but did not object.
After all, this is the direction with the best chance of a breakthrough at present.
***
Suzhou is much more lively at night than during the day.
Lanterns hung high on East Street, and bursts of laughter echoed from the taverns and teahouses.
The area in front of the Yihonglou was bustling with activity, with men dressed in fine silks and satins coming and going.
The pimp at the entrance greeted guests warmly, his voice carrying half a street away.
Pei Zhiwei, dressed in a dark blue long robe and with his hair tied up in a man's bun, stood next to Xiao Yunzhan, looking every bit the handsome young master of a wealthy family.
She twirled the folding fan in her hand and couldn't help but tease, "Your Highness, is this your first time in a place like this? Don't look scared when you go in later."
Xiao Yunzhan glanced at her, his ears secretly burning.
He grew up in the palace and was later granted the title of prince. He never set foot in brothels, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.
But seeing Pei Zhiwei's confident demeanor, he couldn't help but retort, "How could I possibly show weakness? It's just a place to have some fun."
Despite saying that, once inside the Yihonglou, Xiao Yunzhan still revealed his weakness.
The strong, pungent scent of perfume mixed with the smell of alcohol hit him, making him instinctively hold his breath and move half a step closer to Pei Zhiwei to avoid a girl in pink who was getting too close.
The sounds of girls' giggles and men's teasing filled his ears, and the pipa music, played with a melodious and seductive grace, made him even more uncomfortable.
Seeing that they were well-dressed, the madam hurriedly greeted them with a beaming smile, her handkerchief flying in the air.
"Oh my, you two gentlemen look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting our Yihonglou?"
"Please come in quickly! We have the best private rooms upstairs, and there are girls who just arrived from Yangzhou; their singing is wonderful!"
Pei Zhiwei stepped forward and patted the madam's hand familiarly, then casually slipped her a silver ingot.
"Mom, you're too kind."
We're just here to sit for a bit; we don't need a private room, just a spot downstairs will do.
"Bring us some more good wine and food, and if there are any charming girls, call us a couple too."
Seeing her generosity, the madam smiled even more broadly and quickly replied, "Okay!" leading them to an empty space downstairs.
Xiao Yunzhan followed behind, watching Pei Zhiwei deal with the madam, and was quite surprised.
She is usually calm and meticulous when investigating cases, but I never expected her to be so at ease in a place like this, as if she were a regular here.
The madam casually summoned two girls to serve her.
The girl in the pink dress held a pipa in her hand; the girl in the blue dress held a wine pot and greeted them softly.
"Greetings, gentlemen."
Pei Zhi smiled and asked them to sit down. He picked up the wine pot, poured a cup of wine for Xiao Yunzhan, and then poured one for himself. He then started chatting with the girl in the green dress.
Xiao Yunzhan sat to the side, occasionally taking a sip of wine, listening to their conversation, and didn't find it boring at all.
He found that Pei Zhiwei was very good at talking; she quickly became familiar with the girl, chatting about everything from the scenery of Suzhou to recent events, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
As they chatted, Pei Zhiwei casually mentioned, "Speaking of which, I just arrived in Suzhou a few days ago and saw someone slashing people on the street."
I heard he was the manager of Suhetang, and then he died suddenly, which really startled me.
The girl in the green dress paused, a strange glint in her eyes, before leaning closer and speaking in a low, mysterious voice.
"Young master, you may not know this, but Manager Shen's death was not so simple. I know how he died."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com