Chapter 134 Leaving the Capital (18) So similar...
As was customary, Xu Bai escorted Zou Chang all the way out. When they reached a secluded spot, Zou Chang brought up Jiu Li's words, "I once heard the Prince say that the girl Jiu Li is very likely the daughter of the Emperor and Aunt Quan. Is that true?"
Xu Bai smiled faintly and said, "This is just a guess by the prince and me. We have no way of knowing whether it is true or not. The reason we brought her to the capital this time is twofold: first, to use her to get Yu Qi to help us investigate this case; and second, to find out more about this matter. If she is indeed the emperor's bloodline, we will have another card to play."
Zou Chang paused for a moment, then twisted his hands behind his back and glanced at him. "If she really is a princess, are you planning to use her to coerce the emperor when you have no other choice?"
“I don’t know either.” Xu Bai tilted his head back slightly to look at the sky. The snow was still falling, and the sky was dark, making it even harder to see. He smiled and said, “I brought her to the capital just to be on the safe side. As for whether we will need to use this card or not, it depends on what Your Highness plans to do.”
Zou Chang nodded solemnly, “I ask Eunuch Shen to recommend Yu Qi to investigate this case. Eunuch Shen will definitely meet Yu Qi the day after tomorrow. When Eunuch Shen sees this Miss Jiu Li, he will know what to expect. He has been serving the Emperor since he was ten years old. No one knows the Emperor's affairs better than him.”
"That's what I meant too."
Zhou Chang pointed in front of him, "Furthermore, with Your Highness involved in this case, who can't see that the Chen family is already impatient? The Emperor's health has been poor for quite some time now; he hasn't attended court for a month, and all matters concerning the provinces are being handled by the cabinet. Only important matters are discussed with ministers in the palace. If we don't take drastic measures now, who knows what dangers await us in the future? I think Your Highness already has a plan in mind. I heard that before you were placed under house arrest, you sent a secret letter to Lu Shao in Sichuan."
Xu Bai blinked and pondered, "Has Your Highness come to a decision?"
Zou Chang didn't answer, but just smiled, put his hands behind his back, and went out the gate. Xu Bai pointed to the servant on the gate and ordered him to light a lantern and send Zou Chang off.
A moment later, Xu Bai brought the guests over and went straight to the guest courtyard. Hearing him stamp the snow off his boots on the veranda, Jiu Li turned her head to look at the curtain. Sure enough, Xu Bai lifted the curtain and came in, telling the three that he had discussed with Zou Chang the possibility of having an eunuch, Shen, recommend Yu Qi to the Emperor. "This Eunuch Shen has served the Emperor for decades and is a trusted man. His recommendation is perfect." Saying this, he bowed to Yu Qi, "The day after tomorrow, I will trouble you to accompany Lord Zou to Eunuch Shen's residence to pay your respects."
Yu Qi sat upright on the couch without even looking at him, his tone indifferent, "Eunuch Shen is a palace eunuch, and I am just a commoner. I am honored that Eunuch Shen is willing to see me. How could I be wronged?"
Zhang Da chuckled and changed the subject, "I've heard of this Eunuch Shen. He's the one who has the final say in the palace. Even Consort Chen has to give him some face, right?"
Xu Bai nodded with a smile, sat down on the stool next to the couch, and looked at Jiu Li. “Are you comfortable in these rooms? No one lives in this house all year round, so it might be a bit damp. You can ask Li Mama to light some more charcoal to fumigate it. Beijing is much colder than Nanjing.”
As if specifically instructed to Jiuli, Jiuli glanced up at Yuqi, smiled and nodded, then changed the subject, asking, "Isn't Aunt Guan staying not far from us? I wonder when she'll be returning to Nanjing?"
Zhang Da chimed in, "She said she might not go back until after the New Year. Since we're here, we should at least check the accounts for this year before we leave."
Jiuli pulled the plum blossom stool closer to the bed. "Uncle, do you think we should also spend the New Year in the capital?"
Yu Qi nodded slightly without saying a word. Seeing that his attitude was too cold, Xu Bai felt it was inappropriate to stay any longer, so he awkwardly got up, told the three of them to rest early, and then took his leave. Zhang Da got up to see him out, and then came back in a moment later. Jiu Li picked up the kettle from the tea stove and went to the kang table to add water to Yu Qi's teacup. However, when she saw Zhang Da's face, she noticed that he looked somewhat uncomfortable and had a hesitant expression, so she sat back down on the couch.
She held the teacup lid and scrutinized Zhang Da's expression. "Brother Zhang, is there something you want to say? Tell me, we've known each other for so long, and we've come to this unfamiliar place together. Don't we trust each other?"
Zhang Da rubbed his hands and glanced at the two of them, "Don't get angry when I tell you, but I've been thinking about something. Back when Chen Jia was in Nanjing, Master Qi came and went from the residence several times. He should have recognized his servant Jiang Xu, so why did he tell Yu'er he didn't? Could it be that he deliberately let Jiang Xu go—"
He then gave an awkward laugh, "I don't want to be paranoid, but I treated Du Zhong like a little brother, and I can't help but overthink things now that he's dead."
Yu Qi remained calm, his tone unusually sincere, "Thank you for your trouble on Zhong'er's behalf. Go and rest. We'll make some preparations tomorrow, and we need to see Eunuch Shen early the day after tomorrow."
Knowing how meticulous he was, Zhang Da could only nod and say, "Sir, you must be careful. Master Qi is not the same Master Qi as before."
Yu Qi gave a cold laugh, "Whether it's Second Master Qi or Lord Qi, he's still Qi Xubai, he's never changed." He then glanced at Jiu Li.
Jiuli knew he was warning her, so she put her hands on her stomach and didn't dare to say a word. After Zhang Da took his leave, she very considerately saw him off. Zhang Da was flattered and asked, "Why are you seeing me off?"
"Thank you, Brother Zhang," she paused, then lowered her head, "for thinking of Eucommia ulmoides."
Zhang Da felt embarrassed by her thanks. Seeing that the smile on her face was no longer as innocent and bright as before, he couldn't help but sigh, "You silly girl—don't worry, ah, although I came to the capital this time to gather information for Lord Yan, since I've encountered these things, I will never think only of myself. Of course, I'll be counted in for avenging Brother Du Zhong!"
Jiuli raised her face and forced a smile, "You're a member of the government, aren't you afraid of the Chen family?"
"What's so scary about the Chen family or the Qi family?"
Speaking of the name "Qi," Zhang Da knew that she had always been close to Xu Bai, so he stole a glance at her and said with an awkward smile, "Mr. Yu has a sharp eye. He was so against your marriage to Master Qi back then, but now it seems he was right. Don't be too upset. You can always find another good family later. I think Wei Hong from the Wei family is quite good. I heard he went to meet two young ladies but didn't like either of them. Maybe he's waiting for you."
Jiuli's face immediately fell. "I didn't think about those things. Right now, I just want to avenge Du Zhong."
Zhang Da nodded, "Then I'm going to sleep. You and your husband should go to sleep early too."
She watched him from under the eaves for a while. Several lanterns hung there, but none were lit. Snow had blown down to the eaves, leaving a thin layer of snow on the ground, reflecting the moonlight with a pale blue hue. Suddenly, a firecracker exploded with a bang. The New Year was still more than half a month away. A feeling of desolation, of being far from home, welled up within her, and she recalled the New Year celebrations in the Suzhou countryside.
When she entered, Yu Qi was still sitting on the couch, transferring charcoal from the small tea stove to the charcoal brazier. Seeing her enter with a heavy expression, he looked up at her and asked, "What were you and Zhang Da talking about outside?"
"I didn't say anything, I just thanked him for being so concerned about Du Zhong's matter."
Yu Qi watched as she sat back down on the stool, leaning forward to warm herself by the fire. The yellow firelight cast shadows on her face, making her look as if she were standing in the twilight, with a kind of dejected appearance. He reached out and pulled her to sit on his lap, touching her lips.
Her lips trembled slightly, and tears streamed down her face as she looked down. "Uncle, why do I feel a little homesick?"
He put his arm around her and pulled her to lean on his shoulder. "It's probably because the New Year is coming soon."
“I remember when we were in the countryside, around this time of year, I went to town with Grandma and Du Zhong to buy things for the New Year. Do you think Grandma will blame me for not protecting Du Zhong well?”
"If she has anyone to blame, it's me."
She glanced up at his face, feeling increasingly frustrated with herself. Aside from expressing some shame and remorse, there was nothing she could do now; he would have to go through the trouble of comforting her if she said those things. She could only swallow her sobs, feeling utterly useless except for causing trouble.
Yu Qi hugged her for a while, then took her back to the east room to settle down. A charcoal brazier had been lit in the room to keep it warm for a long time, but it hadn't been lit in the main room when they came back. This showed that Xu Bai had given Granny Li extra instructions to take good care of Jiu Li.
She was displeased by what she saw, so she went over and kicked the charcoal brazier. "Cat crying for a mouse, you're just being hypocritical!"
Yu Qi, however, said something unusual: "His feelings for you aren't entirely fake; there's a bit of sincerity in them as well."
Jiuli turned her head and glared at him with her bright red eyes, "Why are you taking his side now?"
He came over and touched her head. "I don't want you to think that the world is full of bad people, or that all the good things are just an act."
"You used to always say that Du Zhong and I were fools—"
He chuckled helplessly, "You've never raised children. You'll understand when you have. When you're naive, you complain that they're naive; when you're shrewd, you complain that they're shrewd. But really, it's just because you're afraid they'll suffer. In this world, being too naive or too shrewd is not a good thing."
Jiuli slowly turned and walked towards the other end of the bed, then turned back to look at him, "Your tone of voice is just like Aunt Guan's."
Yu Qi smiled and followed her over. Knowing that she was sensitive to unfamiliar beds and would have a hard time falling asleep, he sat down by the bed and chatted with her casually. Jiu Li smelled the cool, elegant scent emanating from him, like the grass and trees in the cold spring, and slept soundly and peacefully.
The next day, everyone went to Shen's residence to pay their respects to Eunuch Shen, an old eunuch with gray hair and a plump figure. He sat in a chair like a smiling Buddha, his eyes fixed on Jiu Li. He didn't hear a word Zou Chang said for a long time. After everyone finished speaking, he busied himself telling the young eunuch to prepare lunch and even personally ordered several dishes, some of which Jiu Li had never heard of before.
After giving his instructions, he turned to Zou Chang and smiled, "Lord Zou, there's no need to say anything more. I've agreed to this. The Prince's case is not just a personal matter, but also concerns national affairs. Naturally, it must be thoroughly investigated and the evidence must be conclusive to silence public opinion. This Mr. Yu is from out of town and has no connection with any of the court officials. He is indeed the best candidate. Don't worry, I will report to the Emperor when I go to the palace this afternoon."
Zou Chang and Xu Bai exchanged a glance and thanked him repeatedly. Shen Gonggong, uninterested in such pleasantries, then smiled and looked at Jiu Li behind Yu Qi, beckoning her forward and asking kindly, "How old are you, young lady?"
Jiuli glanced back at Yu Qi, curtsied, and answered truthfully.
The old eunuch then smiled and exclaimed, "They look so alike! They're practically identical!" He then looked at Zou Chang and said, "Lord Zou was appointed to his post ten years ago. He probably doesn't know about Quan Shanheng, the granddaughter of General Quan. If you've ever met her, you'll understand why I'm so surprised. This girl looks exactly like Miss Quan! If any of the old folks who know Miss Quan saw her, who wouldn't be astonished?"
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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