Chapter 153 Leaving the Capital (Part 37) The young master of the Marquis Lü's family...
Shunzi stood frozen in front of the counter, momentarily at a loss for what to do. After a while, he hurriedly bent down and picked up the scattered silver coins from the ground, putting them into a small wooden box. He then carried the box to the eight-immortal table in the outer room and casually snatched two banknotes from Xu Bai's hand. He stood with his back to the table, lowered his head and pondered for a while. He glanced back at Yu Qi Xu Bai, his face full of hesitation and uncertainty.
Xu Bai, fearing he wouldn't speak, threatened him further, but Yu Qi raised his hand and said gently, "Eunuch Shun, even if you don't speak, we can guess that this silver was given to you to make you give testimony that is detrimental to Prince Zhao, right? Since the Emperor ordered us to investigate, he probably thinks this case is very strange. You might as well speak now; the Emperor might understand that you were coerced but repented in time and give you a lighter punishment. If we wait for the officials to come and forcibly take this silver and arrest you to be interrogated in the Ministry of Justice, then when the trial is over, I'm afraid your crime will be even more serious."
Shunzi glanced at them, still hesitant and uneasy, "But I'm just a lowly palace servant. Even if the testimony is overturned, she will only be punished. I'm afraid she won't treat me well in the future. Aren't you making things difficult for me?"
Xu Bai glanced at Yu Qi, then walked out into the outer room with a smile. "You work in the palace, so you must know that the death of a palace servant is nothing unusual. The reason this case has caused such a stir is twofold: firstly, because it's in the public eye, and secondly, because the Emperor intends to rectify the corrupt practices in the harem and the court. Just speak your mind. I believe that this time, no one will dare to hold you accountable later. In fact, even if they wanted to, they probably wouldn't have the chance."
Shunzi pondered for a moment, then slowly sat down on the bench. “This silver was given to me by Chen Jia, the second master of the Chen family. At that time, I was still ill. He sent someone to bring this silver and told me that it was the Imperial Concubine’s idea. He told me to wait until I recovered and then explain to Lords Zou Chang and Qin Ji that I had seen the Prince emerge from the camellia garden that night.”
As she spoke, she showed him the two banknotes. "These are banknotes from the Fuda Money Shop in the east of the city. I checked them when I went to exchange the silver some time ago. The person who deposited the silver is named Gao Cuiyun, the wife of a manager in the Chen family. With these banknotes, we can retrieve the stubs from the money shop and have the teller testify, which will prove that Second Master Chen bought evidence of perjury."
Just as Xu Bai was feeling pleased, he suddenly heard Yu Qi chuckle softly from inside the screen, "Eunuch Shun knows a lot, have you been to school?"
Shunzi said, "I haven't read more than two books, I only know a few characters."
Yu Qi looked around the room again, and took a special look at the pillow on the large bed. The pillow was made of indigo cloth, with bat patterns embroidered on it in dark blue thread. The two colors were similar, so it was not easy to tell the difference.
Then Yu Qi gracefully walked to the outer room, glanced at the two silver notes on the table, and said, "Do you know Shu Qiang?"
Shunzi said, "I have met him before, but we are not very familiar with each other."
Yu Qi nodded and smiled, then folded up the two silver notes. "Did Eunuch Shun actually patrol the camellia garden area that night?"
Shunzi remained silent for a moment before nodding. "I have been there before, but I have never seen the Prince."
Xu Bai hurriedly asked, "Did you hear any noise? Or did you see anyone else?"
“No.” Shunzi thought for a moment and then shook his head. “Perhaps the time I went there didn’t match the time of the incident, so I didn’t see Shuqiang or anyone else.”
Yu Qi asked, "What time did you arrive at the camellia garden?"
“Our duty room is in charge of the water clock. I remember clearly that I left my duty room at six quarters past Hai hour, and patrolled the Camellia Garden via Qingniao Pavilion. This journey took about a quarter of an hour, which means I arrived at the Camellia Garden at seven quarters past Hai hour. But Master Chen told me to change it to five quarters past Hai hour, and that's when I saw Prince Zhao walking out of the Camellia Garden looking flustered.”
It seems that Consort Chen had calculated the time correctly. The fifth quarter of Hai hour was exactly the time when King Zhao left the scene after committing the murder. So she had Shunzi change the story to say that he passed by the Camellia Garden at the fifth quarter of Hai hour.
Yu Qi paused for a moment, then said, "But Lords Zhou and Qin searched the camellia garden and indeed found a handkerchief belonging to Prince Zhao inside."
Shunzi shook her head. "I don't know about that."
After asking their questions, the two slowly walked out of the courtyard. Xu Bai thought that this would not only completely clear Zhao Wang's name but also prove that Consort Chen had framed him. He felt very relieved and thought that the weather was fine today. He said with a smile that he should treat them to lunch. He suggested that they go back and pick up Jiu Li and find a good hotel on the street to treat the two to lunch.
When Yu Qi didn't respond for a moment, he turned around and saw that Yu Qi was lost in thought. After waiting a while, he tentatively asked, "What are you thinking about, sir?"
"It's nothing, I'm just afraid that Master Qi is celebrating too soon."
What does that mean?
"The real culprit is still unknown. As long as the dagger remains unexplained, the Prince will remain under house arrest. Besides, there's also the handkerchief that Lords Zou and Qin found in the camellia garden belonging to Prince Zhao."
Xu Bai's face showed distress again as he buried his head in thought. Currently, during the period between the New Year and the Lantern Festival, local authorities were lax and checkpoints were loose, allowing Guizhou to gradually gather troops, weapons, and provisions. Once everything was ready, they couldn't remain hidden for too long. If Prince Zhao couldn't escape to Guizhou in time, the court might receive the news and send troops to quell the rebellion first, thus losing the initiative.
He thought to himself, "Although the prince's handkerchief is always embroidered with yellow clivia, it's not a rare item. Anyone can imitate it, or the prince could just throw it away anywhere and anyone could find it. The dagger was lost long before the incident, and all the servants in the mansion can testify to that. Tang Shunzi is also willing to come forward and overturn his previous testimony. With just these two things, the handkerchief is not enough to prove anything. Let Lord Zou talk to the emperor; at least he can get the emperor to lift the prince's confinement."
Yu Qi remained silent for a moment, then smiled, his hands clasped behind his back. "In that case, Second Master Qi, you may go and try to find Lord Zou. You don't need to treat me to a meal. I have other business to attend to this afternoon, so let's part ways here."
As they walked out onto the main street, Xu Bai realized that he didn't intend to tell him where he was going. Besides, Xu Bai had never appreciated his kindness, so why force him to stay? He bowed to him and took his leave, then walked to the right side of the street.
With the sun high in the sky and lunchtime approaching, Jiuli paid her respects to the ladies and was on her way with Rongle to Consort Chen's palace for lunch when she came across a patch of vibrant red plum blossoms blooming on the cobblestone path. Jiuli was immediately captivated, recalling how, back in the countryside of Suzhou, red plum trees were planted in her house, and at the end of the year, she would pick them and arrange them in slender white porcelain vases, adding a festive touch to the house.
Seeing that she liked it, Rong Le picked a blooming flower for her. She became a little embarrassed and asked, "Can I pick flowers from the palace? Will I be punished?"
Rong Le laughed and said, "Hey, others might not be able to fold them, but you can fold as many as you want, young lady!"
Jiuli, carrying Hongmei in her arms, walked forward with a smile. Before long, she met Shengjia, who was also heading towards Cangwu Pavilion. Jiuli hurriedly knelt down in front of the sedan chair, but Zhou Hao got off the chair, walked over, and pulled her up to look her over. "You have fair skin and bright eyes. You are wearing a scarlet cloak on the outside and a white dress on the inside. Holding this red plum blossom, it complements you perfectly, making you look exceptionally beautiful and radiant."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!"
"Get up, let's go to Cangwu Pavilion together."
The two walked ahead, with Shen Quan and Rong Le following behind, and a group of eunuchs and guards trailing behind, making a grand entrance as they arrived at Cangwu Pavilion. The young eunuchs in front of the palace gate hurriedly knelt to greet them, and as they entered the courtyard, Wan Sheng also led the palace servants to kneel and greet them in the corridor.
Zhou Hao said, "No need for formalities," and everyone went inside to dine. A table in the warm pavilion was already set with eight dishes. Jiuli noticed one dish: crab roe tofu, a Suzhou dish. Wansheng pointed and said, "I heard that Miss Jiuli likes tofu, and since you grew up in Suzhou, you must love this dish. I specially asked a Suzhou imperial chef from the imperial kitchen to make it. Please try it; does it taste like home?"
Jiuli had just bowed and thanked him when Zhou Hao said, "Logically speaking, the young lady's hometown should be in the capital."
Upon hearing this, Wansheng's face stiffened for a moment, but she immediately put on a smile again, "Your Majesty is right." As she spoke, seeing that Zhou Hao had taken his seat, she also invited Jiuli to sit down. Seeing that Jiuli was holding a sprig of red plum blossom and didn't know where to put it, she called Yun'er to take the red plum blossom and said with a smile, "Did you pick this for me, Miss?"
Jiuli couldn't say no, so she could only nod, "May Your Majesty be like this red plum blossom, prosperous year after year."
Wansheng smiled, glancing at Zhou Hao while scooping some crab roe tofu for Jiuli.
Zhou Hao watched as Yun'er placed the red plum blossoms on the long table and said with a smile, "In previous years at this time, we would pluck a branch of red plum blossoms from the palace and send it to families with noble titles. Have you sent them all this year?"
Shen Quan, who was setting out the dishes, replied, "We haven't had time to send any to Lord Lu's household in Yan'an yet."
Zhou Haolu said, "We must not discourage these meritorious officials. After we finish eating, pick a sprig of red plum blossom and prepare an annual allowance. You and Miss Jiuli can then deliver it to the Marquis of Yan'an's residence."
Jiuli was horrified. This morning, Consort Chen had mentioned the eldest son of the Lü family to her, and this afternoon she was being sent to deliver the New Year's gifts. Did this mean she was being asked to go and meet him? She was suspicious; did the Emperor really need to go and meet people to choose a son-in-law? On the other hand, she feared she was overthinking things, and there must be some other reason. Judging from the conversation, it seemed the Emperor had hurt this Lord Lü in the past, and now, at the New Year, he wanted to appease him by sending her, the "princess" whose identity was unclear but everyone suspected, to both maintain imperial dignity and show a sense of intimacy.
After the meal, Shen Quan prepared to disembark from the sedan chair, carrying additional silks, wine, and food, and accompanied by several eunuchs, went with Jiu Li to the Marquis of Yan'an's residence. Jiu Li hesitated for a long while inside the sedan chair, then lifted the curtain and called out to the adjacent sedan chair, "Eunuch Shen!"
Shen Quan lifted the curtain and asked with a grin, "Is there something you need, Miss?"
"What official position does this Lord Lü currently hold?"
"In addition to inheriting the title of Marquis of Yan'an, Lord Lü Hechun is also the Vice Commissioner of the Governor's Office. He was originally the Commander-in-Chief of Sichuan, but two years ago, he injured his leg in Sichuan and was temporarily transferred back to the capital by the Emperor to recuperate."
Jiuli had heard that the Governor's Office had long been stripped of its real power by the Ministry of War, so the Vice Governor was just a figurehead official, while the local commander-in-chief was a military officer with real power. However, Lord Lu had been stripped of his real power and was recuperating at home. Why was that?
But he didn't ask too many questions, only asking his son, "What position does their eldest son hold now?"
"His eldest son is named Lü Jing, and he serves as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."
The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices—isn't that just a sinecure with a salary? Jiu Li thought to herself as she was about to lower the curtain when she heard Shen Quan laugh and say, "This young master Lu is twenty-six years old. He's as handsome as Pan An, and he comes from a noble family. No young lady from an official family in the capital doesn't want to marry him! But he's too proud. He once vowed to marry a girl who is both beautiful and intelligent, but he hasn't found anyone he likes. This has delayed him until he's twenty-six and still unmarried."
Jiuli, filled with disdain, said, "He's as handsome as Pan An? Who has ever seen what Pan An looks like? I only ask you, how does he compare to my uncle?"
"Well, it depends on how you compare them. In terms of age, Mr. Yu is thirty, and Young Master Lü is twenty-six, so Young Master Lü naturally wins. In terms of family background, Mr. Yu was born into a peasant family, while he comes from a ducal family, so Young Master Lü also wins. In terms of himself, Mr. Yu is a herbalist, and he at least holds an official position, so he's slightly better—"
Jiuli was getting a little impatient. "I'm asking you how you compare appearances."
Shen Quan chuckled and said reproachfully, "Won't you know soon enough, Miss?"
The sedan chair arrived at the Marquis of Yan'an's residence. A young eunuch had already come to report, and there was the Marquis, Lü Hechun, who had changed into his official robes and was kneeling outside the gate to greet them. After Shen Quan bowed, he introduced Jiu Li. Lü Hechun had heard of this person before, but because his status was not right, he could not perform a full bow and only addressed her as "Miss" with his hands clasped. Jiu Li also simply nodded back to him while holding Hongmei.
Upon entering the main hall of the Marquis's residence, all the men with official positions in the mansion came out in formal attire to kneel and greet them. The incense table was already prepared. After listening to Shen Quan's oral instructions and receiving the annual allowance, everyone dispersed. Only one young man wearing a black gauze hat and official robes remained in the hall with Lü Hechun to entertain the two of them. He must have been Lü Jing, the eldest son of the Lü family.
Na Lu Hechun wanted to invite Jiuli to the head seat, but she declined several times. Instead, she pushed Shen Quan up, saying, "Eunuch Shen, please sit up with Lord Lu. You are the elders."
Shen Quan then invited Lü Hechun to sit on the chair above, saying, "The young lady grew up among commoners and is not used to such formalities. Your Excellency should sit down. Even if you ask her to sit at the top, she won't be able to sit comfortably. It's better for the younger generation to sit at the bottom."
Upon hearing this, Lü Hechun immediately understood the implication. No wonder the eunuch he had sent earlier had specifically asked Lü Jing a few questions. He smiled and nodded, then called the steward to bring tea, fruit, and snacks, and asked Jiu Li what kind of entertainment or wine he liked.
Jiuli, fearing he wouldn't be able to return for a while, quickly sat down on the chair to the left and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Marquis, but I have other matters to attend to later, so I won't trouble you with your entertainment."
Na Lujing then chimed in, "I heard that you're handling the case of that palace maid, Shuqiang? You must be busy with that matter?"
"I dare not slack off on the imperial command." Jiu Li said with a smile, glancing at him. This Lü Jing was indeed tall and handsome, but he was a little thin and looked weak and not very dashing, unlike a man from a military family.
Lü Jing smiled and said, "I heard that you and your uncle helped the government solve a series of mysterious cases in Nanjing. You are truly remarkable women who are just as capable as men. It's just that I was unable to meet your uncle today. I will pay you a visit another day."
Jiuli, fearing he was being too attentive, dared not answer too much, only smiling and nodding. Although Lü Jing didn't say much either, he secretly watched her from the other side. She felt uncomfortable when she noticed his gaze, and after sitting for a short while, she quickly took her leave under the pretext of investigating a case.
Shen Quan had no choice but to bid her farewell, and was seen off by the Lu family father and son. As the two walked ahead, Shen Quan was about to ask her what she thought of Lu Jing when Jiu Li, without waiting for him to speak, climbed into the sedan chair and waved to him with a grin, "Eunuch Shen, Marquis Lu, I'm going back to see my uncle now. See you another day!"
Having said that, he hurriedly urged the sedan chair to be lifted. Shen Quan could only watch the sedan chair go. He stamped his foot in front of the Lu family mansion and said, "Look at this girl. She is so serious and impatient when she does things. She is afraid that the murderer will get away!" Seeing the Lu family father and son approaching with smiles, he turned to Lu Hechun and said with a smile, "Lord Lu, the Emperor still remembers you. Today he asked me to ask you if your legs have recovered?"
Nalu Hechun was slightly taken aback, his eyes reddened, and he quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "Please report to Your Majesty, thank you for your concern for me. My illness has been cured, and I am as loyal and devoted to serving the country as before!"
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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