Chapter 147 Leaving the Capital (Chapter 31) Meeting at the Emerald Garden. ...
Could it be that the princess was consumed by jealousy because the prince consort and Shuqiang didn't take her seriously enough, and the princess, unable to bear it any longer, secretly slipped out through the back door and killed Shuqiang in the camellia garden while resting in the back hall on the night of the incident?
No, Shuqiang was raped before she died, so she must have seen a man at least when the incident occurred. Jiuli shook her head inwardly, touched her chin, and considered another hypothesis: could it be that the prince consort used the excuse of being drunk to rest in the back palace, took the opportunity to be intimate with Shuqiang in the camellia garden, and the princess followed him, killing Shuqiang after he left?
Zhang Da finished his tea, smacked his lips, and stood up. "Alright, tomorrow I'll go to that gold shop Feng'er mentioned and find the receipt for that ring. With witnesses and physical evidence, let's see if the princess and her husband still dare to say they don't know Shuqiang!"
Jiuli hurriedly said, "I'll go with you!"
Yu Qi got up with him and gently instructed Jiu Li, "Alright, you should go to sleep early and be careful with the charcoal fire. Tomorrow, Qi Xubai and I will go to Jixiang Hutong to find Shunzi."
Jiuli reluctantly escorted Yuqi to the door. Looking out over the porch, she saw a large moon shining above the dark rooftops, making the courtyard seem like a deep well. Only half a month remained until the end of the year; she wondered what next year would bring.
The next day, when Xu Bai got up for breakfast, he learned about Zhang Da's discovery. Although he did not agree that the case was related to the princess and her husband, he had no choice but to follow this clue to investigate. If he tried to persuade Yu Qi and the other two, it would make his intentions too obvious and he was afraid of angering Yu Qi.
After the meal, just as they were about to part ways, a servant suddenly brought over an invitation, specifically for Yu Qi and Jiu Li. Upon opening it, they saw that it was signed by Chen Jia, who was specially inviting Yu Qi and Jiu Li to the Emerald Garden for a meal, as an apology for the offense he had committed in Nanjing.
Holding the invitation, Jiuli muttered, "I'm afraid this is a trap. He's already holding a grudge against us for hurting him, and now he wants to apologize to us?"
The servant said, "The person who delivered the invitation said that Master Chen has also invited someone to accompany him. If Mr. Yu wants to know something, he only needs to ask this person."
"Who is it?" Jiuli closed the invitation and looked at Yu Qi. "Should we go?"
Yu Qi took the invitation. "Go. It seems Master Qi and Zhang Da will have to go to the gold shop."
Zhang Da's expression turned serious. "Mr. Yu, is there a trap for you two? I don't believe Chen Jia would be so kind."
Xu Bai said, "Even if Chen Jia had the greatest courage, he wouldn't dare to play any tricks on you and Yu'er at this time. That would undoubtedly send his Chen family and Consort Chen to their doom. You can rest assured."
Yu Qi smiled, turned his head and threw the invitation on the round table. "Zhong'er died at his hands. If he doesn't invite me today, I will go to meet him another day. In that case, there's no better time than today."
So Jiuli changed her clothes and, together with Yuqi, took a carriage to Lushan Hutong. They found Emerald Garden, where they saw dense, withered ivy clinging to the walls like countless ghostly hands and white bones. Walking several feet along the wall, they came to a gate, above which hung a plaque with the faintly green characters "Emerald Garden." They knocked, presented their invitation, and followed the servant inside. After winding through nine turns, they arrived at a waterside veranda. Following the veranda for several dozen steps, they saw a moon gate. Inside, some trees, though unknown, were lush and verdant in the cold northern winter.
As they entered the courtyard, they heard music playing, as if someone was playing the pipa in the room to the left. Soon, a delicate woman's voice began to sing. Jiuli was looking to the left when she heard a woman on the porch say, "Honored guests have arrived? Please come inside."
Jiuli glanced around and saw a graceful woman standing in front of the door. Her hair was styled in a voluminous updo, with a gold hairpin slanted into one side. The hairpin's round head seemed to be inlaid with a piece of Hetian jade. A wisp of hair was loosely framing her face. Her skin was fair, her eyebrows and eyes delicate, exuding a cold yet alluring charm. She stood askew, wearing a grey fur robe with a white fur collar, one of her long, slender legs slightly jutting out. It turned out she wasn't wearing anything underneath the robe!
In this freezing weather, isn't she afraid of frostbite on her legs? Jiu Li glanced at Yu Qi, who was staring intently at the woman from head to toe, his gaze finally settling on her barely visible thigh.
The woman glanced at Jiuli, gave Yuqi a mocking smile, and gracefully walked into the house. Seeing Yuqi still staring at her back, Jiuli felt a surge of anger and deliberately bumped into him, then stormed into the house.
Just then, Chen Jia stepped out from behind the screen, a sinister smile playing on his lips. He bowed deeply to Jiu Li and said, "It's been half a year since we last met. How have you been, Miss Jiu Li?"
Upon seeing him, Jiuli disregarded everything else, her eyes blazing with hatred. "Don't you know how good I am? Don't think you can get away with anything. You're the one who killed Du Zhong!"
Chen Jia straightened up and spread his hands to the side. "You can't just accuse someone of murder randomly. Do you have any evidence? I heard that on your way here, Mr. Yu killed several bandits. Tsk, Mr. Yu acted too quickly. Why didn't he leave any survivors?"
Even if they had been spared, these people wouldn't have confessed. Chen Jia must have used their families as hostages to make them assassins. Jiu Li chuckled, "Those assassins may be dead, but there's still Aunt Guo. Don't think you can get away with it."
“Sister Guo? Yan Shu’s official report on this case never mentioned a Sister Guo.” Chen Jia pretended to frown and think for a while, then nodded in sudden realization. “It seems that a woman surnamed Guo was mentioned, but I heard that she fell into the water and drowned the day before the boat from Sanhe Post Station was about to arrive in Nanjing.”
Nine Carp rolled her eyes in alarm and was about to pounce on him when she cried out, "You're trying to silence me!"
"Fish!" Yu Qi suddenly called out softly from outside the door, slowly stepping in with a calm expression. "No wonder there's been no movement from Nanjing, and no wonder Master Chen is so confident."
Chen Jia bowed to him again, then raised his face, revealing an even darker smile. "I thought Mr. Yu hadn't come, and that only Miss Jiuli had come alone. It seems I was wrong. How could Mr. Yu have trusted Miss Jiuli to come to my 'Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den' alone?"
Then he laughed heartily, “Just kidding, just kidding. This is just a quiet and elegant house. I’m afraid that’s what you two think. Actually, I have good intentions. I know that Mr. Yu and Jiuli are currently troubled by the case of the palace maid Shuqiang. I specially invited you two here just to provide some clues.”
Yu Qi slowly took two steps towards him, then twisted his hands behind his back. "What clue?"
“Someone from the Prince Consort’s residence came and told me something. I thought it concerned the princess and her husband, so I asked him to come and explain it to you personally. No rush, it’s a rare reunion of old friends, let’s talk while we eat.” Chen Jia smiled and instructed the person behind the screen, “Qingque, have someone prepare a feast.”
Yu Qi peered through the openwork lattice of the screen and saw that the beautiful woman from before was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, drinking tea. Upon hearing Chen Jia's instructions, she put down her teacup and came out from inside, not looking at anyone, and simply walked out the door.
Chen Jia then invited the two to a pavilion. Along the way, Jiu Li had a feast for the eyes, encountering many women of all shapes and sizes, dressed in red and green, none of whom looked like maids. What Emerald Garden was it? It was simply a den of iniquity! She looked closely at Chen Jia's back and described his figure as being no different from when he was in Nanjing, but something seemed off. His skin seemed whiter, his voice thinner, and his temperament more effeminate.
"I wonder what use he has for having so many women here," Jiu Li thought with a disdainful laugh. She glared at him angrily, wishing she could stab him in the back! Just then, Yu Qi seemed to have forgotten Du Zhong's death and started talking back and forth with him, which made her furious. If it weren't for the fact that she had to see the servants of the Prince Consort's mansion, she would have already abandoned Yu Qi and left this Emerald Garden!
Suddenly Chen Jia turned around and smiled at her, "Miss Jiuli used to be so bright and cheerful, why are you so quiet today?"
Jiuli sneered and turned her face away, "What can I say to my enemy? If you want me to talk more, it's when I'm settling scores with you."
Yu Qi glanced back at her, and then calmly inquired about the woman from earlier with Chen Jia, "That Miss Qingque, who is she to Second Master Chen?"
“Oh, that’s an instructor I hired at Emerald Garden a few months ago to manage my concubines.” As she spoke, she glanced at Yu Qi. “Don’t underestimate my concubines. They are all good at singing and dancing. When we have dinner later, I’ll have them come and practice.”
Jiuli, standing behind, coldly crossed her arms and said, "It seems that no matter how Master Chen changes, he still likes to force good people into prostitution."
Chen Jia turned to look at her, her eyes smiling, exuding an increasingly sinister and feminine aura. "You can't say that. They were originally artists who voluntarily sold themselves to me. It just so happens that I've recently developed a penchant for collecting beauties. How can you say that I forced them?"
Yu Qi then asked, "Did that Qingque girl also come here voluntarily?"
Chen Jia stared at him meaningfully, "Mr. Yu is very interested in Qing Que?"
Jiu Li felt a surge of resentment, her eyes blazing at Yu Qi's back. No matter how Guan Youjun tried to please him before, he remained unmoved; it turned out he didn't like women like Guan Youjun. Finally, a charming woman had managed to win him over! It seems men are ultimately all utterly vulgar!
Seeing that Yu Qi smiled and acquiesced, Chen Jia said with a smile, "Sir, you have a good eye. Qing Que was a dancer in the former Crown Prince's residence. After the Crown Prince passed away, the Emperor ordered the dismissal of the servants inside and outside the residence. Qing Que then became a dancer instructor in the most prosperous brothel in the capital."
"How long is youth?"
Chen Jia looked up and laughed, "Don't let her youthful appearance fool you, she's already twenty-seven or twenty-eight!"
She was the same age as Guan Youjun, but her demeanor inexplicably transformed from Guan Youjun's coldness into a touch of alluring charm. Jiu Li felt increasingly displeased. Seeing servants going in and out of the pavilion ahead to set up a banquet, she quickly hurried to the front, leaving the two of them behind.
Upon entering the pavilion, the warmth of the heating was comforting. A small table was placed in front of a wide chair, and another table was placed in front of the chairs on either side, with incense burners on each side. Qingque stood in the center, directing the maids to set the bowls and dishes on the three tables. In the short time that followed, she changed her clothes again, now wearing a peacock green cloak over a dark green dress, exuding a mysterious allure.
She glanced at Jiuli but ignored her, continuing to move the bowls and plates among the three tables. As she spoke to the maids, she said, "The arrangement of the bowls and plates at the banquet is also very particular. They should be arranged at different heights, with appropriate temperatures, and even the style and color of the bowls and plates should complement each other. Eating is not just about filling your stomach, but also about enjoying a good mood."
The maids answered "yes," and Qingque left only one person inside to warm the wine, instructing the others to serve outside. As the maids were walking out, Chen Jia came in and casually pointed to someone, "You, go and call a few girls to dance and entertain the guests."
They then took their seats. Chen Jia sat at the head table, but reached out to Qing Que, pulling her to a chair. Jiu Li wasn't surprised by this; the Emerald Garden was nothing more than Chen Jia's playground, where women of any status were merely his prey. When she turned her gaze, she saw Yu Qi staring at Qing Que from across the room, a look that made her tremble with rage.
Sure enough, five beautiful young women arrived after a while. Chen Jia pointed to the one holding a pipa and asked her to play the instrument. The four of them danced. Jiu Li had never seen a song and dance before, and she was completely captivated. Suddenly, one of the girls twisted her ankle while turning around and fell to the ground with a cry of "Ouch!" The music also stopped abruptly.
It wasn't a big deal at first, but just as the girl was getting up, Chen Jia threw his chopsticks at her and said with a dark face, "You spoil the fun! What do you think we should do to punish her?"
No one spoke. Chen Jia glanced around, then looked towards the door and called out, summoning a servant. He laughed and said, "You'll be punished by spending the night with him."
Upon hearing this, Jiuli slammed her hand on the table and stood up, "Aren't they your concubines?!"
Chen Jiayang smiled from his chair, "Miss Jiuli still has a chivalrous heart. But since she's one of my people, it's my business how I arrange things. Besides, she's willing herself. You can ask her if you don't believe me."
Jiuli's eyes fell on the girl, but unexpectedly the girl knelt down and kowtowed to Chen Jia, "Thank you for your mercy, Second Master."
Chen Jia wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "You may all leave now. Please invite Miss Phoenix here."
In an instant, the girls and the servant boy had all left, except for Jiuli, who remained standing behind the table, stunned. After a while, she turned her gaze to Yu Qi's face, who gave her a wink, and she had no choice but to sit down resentfully. Chen Jia glanced at her sideways for a long time, only smiling silently.
A short while later, a servant led in a young woman. Chen Jia emerged from behind his desk, pointed at the woman, and said to Yu Qi, "Mr. Yu, this Miss Phoenix is the concubine of the Imperial Son-in-Law, Chu Minzhong. She was the one who spoke to me yesterday. I think those words concern the case of Shu Qiang, so I asked her to repeat them to you in person. Miss Phoenix, please speak. Mr. Yu and Miss Jiu Li are acting on imperial orders. Whether it's a princess or a prince, we are all impartial and selfless."
The phoenix bowed respectfully to the left and right, saying, "I know that the Prince Consort had an affair with that deceased Shuqiang, and I have evidence." As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and placed it on Yu Qi's table, "This was made by Shuqiang for the Prince Consort, and there are two names on it."
Yu Qi picked up the embroidered handkerchief and saw only a pink hibiscus flower embroidered on it, but no words. The phoenix reminded him, "You have to look at it from the other side."
Jiuli walked to the table, took the handkerchief, and held it up to the light. Sure enough, from the back, the words "Minshu" were visible on the hibiscus flower. She glanced at Yuqi, handed him the handkerchief, and scrutinized Fenghuang. "Since you are a concubine of the Imperial Son-in-Law, why did you come out to accuse the Imperial Son-in-Law and Shuqiang of their affair? Don't you know that this matter is detrimental to the Imperial Son-in-Law and the Princess?"
Phoenix glanced at Chen Jia, who circled her and said with a smile, "To tell you the truth, Phoenix was chosen by the Chen family two years ago at the request of the Imperial Concubine to be the Prince Consort's concubine. At that time, Phoenix's family was seriously ill and they were forced to sell themselves into slavery. I bought her at a high price. She was grateful and, upon hearing that someone outside was slandering the Imperial Concubine for murder and framing the Prince, she stood up to clarify the truth. If you two suspect that Phoenix is biased or deceitful, you can compare this handkerchief with the needlework made by Shuqiang."
It's like a godsend; just when they were about to fall asleep, someone delivered a pillow. They were looking for evidence of the affair between the prince consort and Shuqiang, and someone delivered it. Regardless of whether it's true or false, it shows how much the Chen family hates King Zhao. Seeing that there wasn't enough evidence to prove King Zhao's murder, they changed the charge and pinned the crime on the princess. Anyway, if the princess is guilty, King Zhao will inevitably be implicated.
Yu Qi smiled, tucked the handkerchief into his bosom, and asked the phoenix, "Even if the prince consort and Shuqiang had an affair, it doesn't prove that they are the murderers in this case. Besides these points, does the young lady have anything else to say?"
The phoenix twisted her hands and stammered, "I also know one more thing: that dagger was taken by the princess from the Prince Zhao's residence."
How did you know?
“I saw that dagger two days before the incident in the princess’s room. However, I didn’t know that the dagger was the murder weapon until yesterday when I came here to talk to Master Chen. I asked him what the murder weapon looked like, and that’s when I found out that it was the same dagger I saw in the princess’s room before the incident.”
Jiuli was skeptical. "Even if you saw that dagger in the princess's room, there are thousands of daggers in the world. How could you associate it with the murder weapon?"
"Firstly, I noticed that the princess hid the dagger very well, on a beam under her bed; secondly, after the incident, I heard that the dagger belonged to the prince, which made me suspicious."
"If it seems suspicious, why did you only bring it up more than a month later?"
"Because it concerned the princess, I didn't dare to ask others indiscriminately. I just kept a close eye on things in secret. Who knew I would find this handkerchief? So I gave it to Master Chen, and that's when I took the opportunity to bring up the dagger."
Chen Jia chuckled from the side, “You two probably don’t know the princess’s temper. Ever since Phoenix and another girl entered the palace, the princess has made things difficult for them in every way, treating them like servants, and no one dares to say anything. After the incident, she even had a falling out with our Chen family. Phoenix was sent there by our Chen family on the orders of the Imperial Concubine. She didn’t dare to come to me without any evidence. If the princess accused her of colluding with foreign enemies and talking nonsense, she would be in even worse shape. So she only dared to secretly come here to tell me after finding the handkerchief.”
That makes sense, but Jiu Li still doesn't believe it. She glances at Chen Jia and says, "Phoenix, it's not that we don't believe you, but there are rumors going around that the Chen family is framing the Prince. The princess is the Prince's own sister, and if she is the culprit, the Prince will also be implicated. And you have some past ties with Second Master Chen, so we can't just listen to your word. I ask you, besides you, has anyone else seen that dagger in the princess's room?"
Phoenix nodded. "There was also an old woman. That day, she and I were cleaning the princess's bedroom together. I was making the bed and noticed the bed frame was making a lot of noise. I was worried it wasn't sturdy, so I shook it a few times. We heard a crash from under the bed, and we thought something had fallen. We crawled under the bed to look and found the dagger. If you don't believe me, young lady, you can go and ask this old woman. She doesn't know Master Chen. She's just a lowly servant who cleans in the prince consort's mansion. She has no grudge against the princess or the prince consort. What she says is always believable."
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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