Chapter 172 She Still Minds
Dongfang Qi suppressed his turbulent emotions and resumed his usual gentle and harmless demeanor:
"I understand. I'm sorry, I may have drunk too much tonight and was a little impulsive. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."
Lin Qingyue smiled lightly: "Don't worry, I'm not easily troubled."
He actually hoped that this would bother her, as it would at least mean that he was special to her.
"Then can we still be like before?"
"Of course."
Lin Qingyue replied with a smile, adding, "But you've almost mastered the art of talismans. You don't need to come to my house every night to study. From now on, you just need to practice diligently on your own until you're proficient."
Dongfang Qi was silent for a moment before he slowly said, "Okay."
"Okay, it's getting late. If you don't leave now, the palace gates will be locked. You don't have to see me off. Let's go back to the East Palace as soon as possible."
As Lin Qingyue spoke, she waved her hand and left gracefully.
Under the moonlight, she walked briskly, as if what had just happened had no effect on her at all.
But Dongfang Qi knew that she still minded.
Otherwise, he would not refuse my visit.
At this moment, he regretted expressing his feelings so abruptly.
Even if she still has someone else in her heart, even if that person is dead, he has become the eternal white moonlight in her heart.
But if time goes on a little longer, maybe I can get into her heart.
Over the next few days, Lin Qingyue and Dongfang Qi were busy with a case at the Xuanjing Division and a reception for Prince Ling Zhen, respectively. Each of them had their own concerns and tasks, and they didn't see each other again.
After several days of investigation, Xie Shouzheng, Hong Yao and others finally identified a suspicious place.
That was the best restaurant in the capital, Tianxianglou. Some time ago, people from the Xuanjing Division had a dinner there.
Since the restaurant needs to store food and wine, there is a large ice cellar in the backyard of the restaurant.
When Hong Yao and Xie Shouzheng went to Tianxiang Tower to investigate, they smelled a faint scent of a corpse at the entrance of the cellar.
Xuanjing Division.
Xie Shouzheng said to Lin Qingyue, "The problem now is that the ice cellar in Tianxiang Tower has been closed recently, and it's also locked from the outside."
"If it weren't for my extremely sensitive nose, I would hardly be able to smell the faint scent that escaped."
"Originally, Hongyao and I wanted to break in and search the ice cellar. But Hongyao heard the rustling of living creatures inside, and there must be a lot of them."
"Just in case, I'll come back to get some reinforcements. Hongyao will be keeping watch outside Tianxiang Tower."
As Xie Shouzheng spoke, he called out dozens of guards.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyue put on his official hat and said, "I'll go take a look too."
Who on earth was so bold as to steal the corpse right under her nose?
Perhaps having heard their conversation, the Netherworld Umbrella resting on the Xuanjingsi desk began to glow red. The Soul-Guiding Bell jingled, carrying the plea of the wronged soul: "My Lords, please take me with you! I want my body back!"
Xie Shouzheng picked up the Netherworld Umbrella and said to Lin Qingyue, "There's no time to lose, let's go."
Soon, the group arrived at the entrance of Tianxiang Tower and met up with Hongyao.
Hong Yao said, "I've been keeping an eye on it. Tianxianglou has just opened its doors and isn't open for business yet. The ice cellar in the backyard has been sealed, and employees are not allowed to enter or leave at will."
Lin Qingyue said to Xie Shouzheng, "Since we've chosen a clear path, let's set up the battle."
Xie Shouzheng gave a look, and the guards behind him automatically split into two teams. One team surrounded Tianxiang Tower, while the other team followed Xie Shouzheng, Lin Qingyue and others in.
Tianxiang Tower opens at 9:00 a.m. every day, and guests start to arrive after 3:30 p.m.
Lin Qingyue had previously invited the King to a banquet at Tianxiang Tower. The waiter was very impressed by her and thought they were coming to eat again, so he hurried over to greet them:
"Are you guys coming to dinner again today? We just opened, and it'll be another quarter of an hour before..."
Before he could finish, a guard showed the Xuanjing Division's token and shouted:
"Xuanjingsi has been ordered to conduct a search. All employees of Tianxianglou must stand still and await investigation!"
Then two majestic commanders, accompanied by dozens of their men, walked through the lobby of Tianxiang Tower and headed towards the backyard.
The waiter had never seen such a scene before. He turned pale with fear and ran upstairs in a panic: "Boss, something bad has happened!"
Tianxiang Tower is the property of the Feng family.
The Feng family is a family of great Confucian scholars. The current head of the family is Feng Ying, who is the chief academic officer of the Imperial College and a third-rank official, responsible for the highest level of education in Qi.
The Feng family once produced an imperial tutor, so they had a high status in the State of Qi.
All students who took the imperial examinations were proud to drink a pot of champion wine in Tianxiang Tower.
The food and wine at Tianxianglou are also well-known in Beijing, but unfortunately the prices are too high and only poor people can afford them.
Feng Ying happened to be planning a banquet at Tianxiang Tower at noon today to entertain some of his most proud disciples.
Before he even got close, he heard his men come to report: "Sir, Tianxiang Tower has been surrounded by people from the Xuanjing Division."
The nobles have always looked down on government offices like the Xuanjingsi that do dirty work. Feng Ying even calls himself a great scholar of the time. Whenever he hears people mention the achievements of the Xuanjingsi, he always acts with disdain.
He didn't expect that today, the mob that he had always looked down upon would have the audacity to storm into his Tianxiang Tower.
Lin Qingyue, Xie Shouzheng and others drove straight in and soon arrived at the entrance to the cellar in the backyard.
There were several locks above the entrance to the cellar, keeping it firmly locked.
Xie Shouzheng looked around and shouted, "Where is the shopkeeper? Open the lock!"
The shopkeeper was a young man in his 20s. He pushed his way out from the crowd, bowed, and said:
"My Lords, please forgive me. This cellar is filled with ice cubes collected in the winter, which is very valuable."
"To extend the shelf life of the ice, there are strict requirements for opening the ice cellar door. It cannot be opened during the day when the sun is strong, and a large number of people cannot enter. Otherwise, the cold air inside will leak out, causing the ice to melt, resulting in heavy losses."
"If you wish to enter the ice cellar, please come back at night, and no more than two people may enter."
Xie Shouzheng said, "Come at night? You must be joking! Deputy Envoy Lin and I have brought our men here. We must have evidence and must go in to search. If it's night, who knows if you will move the things inside?"
The shopkeeper sank to his knees. "You absolutely cannot do that, sir! The weather is getting hot now. If we don't follow the rules, the ice inside will melt, and the frozen Western wine and fruits will rot!"
Lin Qingyue said, "I can guarantee that the ice inside will not melt. If any losses are incurred, our Xuanjing Division will bear the responsibility. Of course, the premise is that your ice cellar is clean and there is nothing hidden in it that we are looking for."
She dared to say these words, of course, she was confident. In fact, as long as a small talisman array was set up at the door, the cold air inside could be sealed.
But the shopkeeper blocked the door to the ice cellar, refusing to agree. Finally, he even dared to question, "Tianxiang Tower is the Feng family's property, it's extraordinary. Aren't you afraid of offending the Feng family by being so offensive?"
Xie Shouzheng snorted coldly, "I handle cases solely to redress the grievances of the victims, and I'm not afraid of any powerful force! Since you're unwilling to cooperate, we'll do it ourselves! Come on, take down the door panel for me!"
"yes!"
Several guards responded and were about to take action when they heard someone shout, "Who dares to take action?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
