Chapter 163 Leaving the Capital (Part 47) My uncle is ill. ...
The two of them rode directly to Jixiang Hutong. Lü Jing sent his servant to the courtyard where the eunuchs lived to call Zhang Shun out, giving him a few instructions. The servant obeyed and ran into the hutong. Jiu Li, fearing that Zhang Shun would see her soon, winked at Lü Jing and walked away. After a while, Lü Jing also turned and winked at her, and sure enough, a moment later, Zhang Shun followed the servant out of the hutong.
Zhang Shun followed the servant to Lü Jing and bowed. The servant hurriedly replied to Lü Jing, "Master, this is Eunuch Shun. I saw him as soon as I went into the courtyard, so I invited him here."
Zhang Shun had just heard from the servant that this was Lu Jing, the young master of the Marquis of Yan'an's mansion, but they had never met before. So he asked, "I am Zhang Shun. May I ask what business you have with me, sir?"
Lü Jing laughed and said, "It's very cold standing in the snow. Why don't you get in the car, Father-in-law, and we'll find a hotel up ahead to sit down and talk slowly?"
Zhang Shun dared not refuse, nor did he dare get into the carriage. He could only see Lü Jing onto the carriage, while he himself sat at the front of the carriage with the servant, slowly heading towards a tavern not far ahead. Once the carriage was far away, Jiu Li turned into the alley and walked into the courtyard. A young eunuch dressed in casual clothes approached and asked a question. Jiu Li took out his token, explained his identity, and then asked the eunuch to lead him to Zhang Shun's room.
The young eunuch had already heard of Jiu Li in the palace and was unsure how to greet her, so he could only bow and nod repeatedly, forcing a smile, "Miss, are you looking for Zhang Shun? I just saw him go out."
Seeing that he was seventeen or eighteen years old and had a handsome face, Jiuli inexplicably thought of Du Zhong, and her expression softened considerably. "I'm not looking for him, I just want to go into his room and take a look. If you lead me there, I'll give you a reward."
“Who would dare refuse a young lady’s order, let alone ask for a reward? However, he is currently sleeping in a room by himself, so he must have locked the door when he went out. Please wait for me to go to the head steward’s room to get the key.”
Seeing him turn and go into a room, Jiuli waited for him a moment, then obtained a large bunch of keys and followed him into the inner courtyard. Upon opening the door, she saw partitioned rooms on both sides, with an eight-immortal table in the middle. Looking around, she saw only a single quilt on each of the shared beds, so she ventured into the inner room and slowly looked around.
The young eunuch cautiously asked from outside the screen, "I heard that you are investigating Shuqiang's case, and you came here today to check on Eunuch Shun's room. Could it be that Eunuch Shun has some connection with this case?"
Jiuli chuckled, "It's nothing, I was just looking around. He didn't give false testimony earlier."
"He has already admitted to giving false testimony. Yesterday, he went with Lord Zou to the Emperor to explain the situation. He also handed over all the money the Chen family gave him. It's quite pitiful, really. He has no money and nowhere to go. He can't find a job in the capital either. We, the people in the clock-carving workshop, are planning to pool some money for him so he can do business in other places."
"Are you also from the water clock workshop?"
The young eunuch nodded hurriedly. Jiu Li remembered what Yu Qi had told him: Zhang Shun had said that he arrived at the Camellia Garden at 7:45 PM on the night of the incident, but because he had given false testimony, Chen Jia made him change his story to say that he arrived at the Camellia Garden at 5:45 PM.
If Zhang Shun arrived at the location at 7:45 PM, he wouldn't have had time to commit the crime. Based on the time, Shu Qiang arrived at the camellia garden around 2:45 PM, where she encountered the murderer. She would have been raped and murdered between 2:45 PM and 5:45 PM. In other words, when Zhang Shun actually arrived at the camellia garden, Shu Qiang was already dead inside, but he didn't discover it. Jiu Li's initial suspicions, sparked by Zhang Shun's handkerchief, were now uncertain.
However, if Zhang Shun had nothing to hide, why would he never mention to anyone that he had a relationship with Shu Qiang? Otherwise, Shu Qiang wouldn't have personally made a handkerchief for him.
As she pondered, she continued pacing around the room, when suddenly she noticed the pillow on the bed. The indigo pillow also seemed to have a bat pattern embroidered on it, but the thread was similar in color to the pillow and not very noticeable. Jiu Li picked up the pillow and examined the stitches closely. She then pulled the fabric towards the window and saw that Zhang Shun's name was indeed embroidered in a hidden thread.
"Since you are from the water clock workshop, are you on good terms with Eunuch Shun?"
The young eunuch smiled and shook his head. "We're just acquaintances, not close friends. Eunuch Shun is an honest and kind-hearted man, but he's a man of few words and doesn't joke around much."
"Does he have any friends? People outside the palace too."
"No, he just goes to the palace to work every day. He used to have people living with him, but he didn't like having many people around. When they were there, he would go out for a stroll, and when they weren't there, he would stay in his room."
Jiuli was about to put the pillow back when she noticed a piece of wood, about four or five inches long and slightly thicker than a thumb, lying under it. Strange, why would a stick be under the pillow? Could it be that Zhang Shun's destiny lacks the element of wood?
She picked up the piece of wood and examined it closely; it was a branch of a camellia tree, with a few drops of blood on the tip. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she remembered the camellia garden in the palace. After a moment of distraction, she quickly put the piece of wood back on the bed, still pressing it down with her pillow. She then took a handkerchief, went outside to the octagonal table, poured water from the kettle, wet the handkerchief, and wiped her hands.
While continuing to talk, he said, "He has no relatives or friends, and he doesn't seem like the type to squander money. So where did all the money he earned during his years working in the palace go? You all have to chip in to give it to him."
The young eunuch lowered his head and pondered, “Miss, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been wondering about that too. A couple of years ago, Eunuch Shun still had nearly a hundred taels of silver in his savings, but he started to go broke from the year before last. I haven’t seen him eating and drinking extravagantly. When I asked him, he only said that he lost money gambling, but he never gambles, and I’ve never seen him gamble.”
According to the three palace maids who were acquainted with Shuqiang, Zhang Shun's savings were mostly spent on Shuqiang. There's no such thing as a free lunch; was his sincere devotion to a palace maid a pretext for a romantic relationship?
That's not surprising. I heard that Zhang Shun was castrated and entered the palace when he was a teenager. By then, he already knew about love between men and women. It's only natural that he would fall for the beautiful Shuqiang after entering the palace. Unable to have her, he killed her? But the timing of the crime doesn't add up.
She pondered for a moment, then smiled at the young eunuch and asked, "What's your name?"
"My name is Tang Zheng."
“Eunuch Zheng, good, I’ll remember. I didn’t bring any money with me today. I’ll go to the water clock room tomorrow and give you the reward money.”
Tang Zheng hurriedly knelt down, "I dare not accept any reward from you, young lady!"
"Don't mention it. Since I made the promise, I naturally have to keep my word. Don't refuse. That's settled then, I'm leaving. Lock the door."
After speaking, she gave him a broken ingot, but did not instruct him not to let Zhang Shun know that she had been there. Sure enough, Zhang Shun returned a while later, and soon after sitting down, he noticed that someone had been in the room, so he called Tang Zheng over to ask him.
Tang Zheng couldn't get away with it, so he had to tell him about Jiu Li coming into the room to check on things. He added, "There's nothing to be afraid of. The Emperor has already forgiven Eunuch Shun and only banished you from the palace. They can't hold you accountable for being forced to give false testimony."
Zhang Shun plopped down on the stool, lost in thought. Tang Zheng called him several times, but when he didn't respond, he quietly left.
Meanwhile, Jiuli walked through the snow to the front of a restaurant, where she saw Lü Jing waiting by the carriage. Seeing that she was slipping, he came forward to help her, leading her into the carriage and settling her in. He then presented her with a pair of silver fox fur hand warmers, saying they were brand new and sold at a silk shop up ahead. Jiuli thought he was being overly fussy and lacking in masculinity, but she didn't refuse. She accepted them, cupped her hands in his, and thanked him with a smile.
Lü Jing hurriedly said, "Isn't this just what we should do? Why should you thank me, Miss? If you thank me, it would be too formal. Where are we going now?"
"I have an urgent matter to attend to at the palace."
He then gave a command to the outside of the curtain, and waited for the carriage to suddenly move, causing him to stumble and bump into Jiu Li's shoulder. Seeing that Jiu Li didn't blame him, he felt even closer to her.
As the carriage drove by, a familiar figure emerged from the roadside. This person was dressed in a gray-blue khaki coat, wearing a straw hat, and kept his head down as he disappeared into the alley. After several twists and turns, he arrived at the gate of the Qi residence, knocked on the door, and said he wanted to see Yu Qi. The servant went inside to report, and soon came out and led the person to the guest courtyard. As he left, the servant kept looking back, scratching his head as he stared at the person.
The man entered the main room, where Zhang Da was also sitting. He looked at the man with surprise, thinking to himself, "So Yu Qi has acquaintances in the capital too." Unexpectedly, the man removed his straw hat, causing Zhang Da to both exclaim in surprise and laughter, "So it's Miss Qingque!"
Qingque smiled, exuding charm. When she heard Yu Qi come out of the bedroom, she turned around and went to meet him. "I have something important to tell you."
Yu Qi glanced at her up and down, then walked off in the other direction. "What's the important matter?"
She followed him to the round table and glanced at Zhang Da. Yu Qi sat down on the stool, straightened his sleeves, and said, "Just speak, Constable Zhang is one of us."
Qing Que said, "It seems the Emperor intends to take Prince Zhao's life!"
The two were slightly surprised. Zhang Da stood up and offered her a seat, then told her to sit down on a stool next to him. "Please sit down and tell me in detail!"
"This morning, Chen Jia asked me to do something. He asked me to find a group of dancers and send them to Prince Zhao's residence tomorrow in the name of the old prince. He said that the old prince was concerned about his nephew's boredom while being confined to the palace, and since it was a festival, he specially sent a group of women who could sing and dance to amuse him. He also asked me to stay in Prince Zhao's residence to serve him and to drug his food every day. Chen Jia would never dare to assassinate Prince Zhao. I guess it was Zhou Hao who wanted to use him as a tool."
Yu Qi asked calmly, "What kind of medicine is it?"
"It is a slow-acting poison called 'Half-Month Spring'. After taking it for the first three to five days, the symptoms are similar to those of a cold. After taking it for another three to five days, sores will appear in the mouth and on the skin. After taking it for another three to five days, the body will collapse and die."
Zhang Da exclaimed in surprise, "What a vicious medicine!"
Yu Qi paused for a moment, then said, "Officer Zhang, go and invite Qi Xubai here."
Before long, Zhang Da invited Xu Bai over. Yu Qi asked about Yang Qingnian, and Xu Bai cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, sir, I've ordered him to go and buy the New Year's supplies."
Yu Qi was relieved and introduced Qing Que, asking Qing Que to repeat what he had just said.
Xu Bai was greatly shocked, then slowly shook his head. "Indeed, Lord Zou said that the Emperor inquired about smallpox a couple of days ago, prompting the Imperial Medical Bureau to send people everywhere to investigate smallpox cases. I think the Emperor is deliberately making a big fuss, just waiting for the Prince to die so he can pin it on smallpox." As he spoke, he bowed to Qing Que, "I hope you will be considerate, Miss!"
Qingque stepped forward and stroked his arm. "Don't worry, Second Master Qi. But I can't keep watch for more than a few days. You'll have to think of a way to rescue the Prince from the palace."
The three were about to head to Youyumi to discuss with Guan Youjun how to rescue King Zhao when, coincidentally, a servant had already hired a carriage and horses. Yu Qi then took out a bamboo hat and handed it to Qingque, saying, "You should not stay here for long. It is more important to go back to Emerald Garden to save Chen Jia's life."
Xu Bai had his servant lead Qing Que to the side gate. The three of them came out of the main gate, got into the carriage, and went to Youyu Rice Shop in the east of the city.
It was already noon, and the sun was faintly hidden in the clouds. Jiuli and Lü Jing arrived at the palace gate. Lü Jing had not been summoned and dared not enter the palace rashly, but he was reluctant to leave Jiuli. So he hesitated at the palace gate, feeling confused.
Jiuli, wanting to be seen with him as a couple in front of the Emperor, laughed and said, "What's there to be afraid of? I have a token bestowed by the Emperor, which allows me to enter and leave the palace with my uncle during investigations. You're taking my uncle's place today, so you can naturally enter as well. If the Emperor blames you, just put the blame on me. Besides, I don't think the Emperor will blame me, right?"
Seeing a hint of shyness on her face, Lü Jing was overjoyed. He disregarded everything else and went inside with her. Sure enough, the guards did not stop them, but only told him to wait in the outer palace duty room. After entering the inner palace, Jiu Li went to Yu Gan Palace to pay her respects. Seeing Shen Quan waiting outside the hall, she knew that there was an important person inside, so she had to wait a little longer.
Shen Quan asked, "The Emperor did not summon you today, so why did you come in, young lady?"
"I'm here today because of the case. I've already paid my respects to the Emperor, and I still need to visit the camellia garden. Is that convenient for me?"
"Oh, what's inconvenient about that? Even if you're here to investigate a case, you're welcome to come in and stroll around anytime. Just treat it like your own home. The Emperor will be happy if you come to the palace often, won't he?"
As the two were talking in hushed tones, the palace doors suddenly opened, and several officials came out. Shen Quan then opened the food box in the hands of the little eunuch beside her, took out the medicine bowl, placed it on a tray, and carried the medicine and Jiu Li inside.
Moving to the inner hall, Zhou Hao was already seated on the couch. Jiu Li's eyes darted around, and she knelt down with a medicine bowl in her hands, presenting it to Zhou Hao. "This medicine is a little cold now, Your Majesty, please take it."
Shen Quan quickly praised her for being sensible and considerate. Even Zhou Hao couldn't help but smile, took the medicine bowl, and raised his hand to tell her to get up, "Why did you come today?"
Jiuli repeated his plan to investigate the camellia garden again. Upon hearing this, Zhou Hao asked, "Why do you want to see that garden again? Did you not understand it before, or are there some new clues you need to investigate?"
Last night, Yu Qi said that they should delay the case in front of the Emperor for as many days as possible to cover their rescue of Prince Zhao. Therefore, Jiu Li pouted slightly, "There are some new clues, but we haven't found enough evidence yet. Since we're free anyway, we'll come today to examine the garden more thoroughly. Is the Emperor afraid I'll damage the palace floor tiles, or does he simply not want to see me, or doesn't want me to come?"
Zhou Hao couldn't help but laugh a few times. "This girl really knows how to be charming, unlike your mother. How did you get here today since no carriage was sent to pick you up?"
“I hitched a ride with Young Master Lü. I asked him for a small favor this morning, so I went to his residence, and he arranged for his carriage to bring me here.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Hao's smile faded slightly, and he glanced at her sideways, "Didn't you dislike Lu Jing? Why are you willing to associate with him now?"
Jiuli opened her eyes wide, a hint of regret on her face. "Yesterday, because of my willfulness, I displeased the Emperor. I thought about it when I got back. Of course, the Emperor meant well. The Marquis of Yan'an's family is a prominent one. Besides, my uncle advised me that young people have a narrow perspective. I only like smooth-talking killers. How can they be as good as the Emperor in judging people? I think that makes sense. Anyway, Lu Jing is handsome. I might as well get to know him first and see his character. If I don't like him then, it's not too late."
After hearing this, Zhou Hao hesitated for a moment and did not reply.
“I think that’s what makes a girl so good,” Shen Quan said, bringing him tea to rinse his mouth, her face crinkling with laughter. “She’s sensible, considerate, and reasonable!”
Zhou Hao nodded slightly. “Growing up in the countryside has its advantages. Shen Quan, go and bring Lü Jing in. Since the young lady is willing to associate with him, I have to give him a few words of advice.”
As he spoke, he ordered a chair to be brought over and asked Jiuli to sit down. He then said to Jiuli, "Since Yu Qi raised you, he should know about your marriage. Call him tomorrow and I will tell him about it myself."
Jiuli hurriedly said, "My uncle is ill and I'm afraid he won't be able to come to see the Emperor tomorrow."
"Sick? What kind of sickness?"
"It's a cold. It's too cold in the capital, and he's not used to it. He's taking medicine and will be fine in a few days. Once he's better, I'll send an imperial decree to summon him."
Zhou Hao remained silent for a moment, then nodded. After half a cup of tea, Lü Jing followed the little eunuch in. Zhou Hao then ordered Rong Le to lead Jiu Li to the camellia garden, and instructed Shen Quan to go to the imperial kitchen to tell Jiu Li what dishes he liked. He also ordered that dinner be served at Yanxia Tower, with Consort Sun to accompany him, and that Jiu Li should leave the palace after dinner.
After kneeling and thanking Rong Le, Jiu Li followed him out, glancing at Rong Le's face the whole way. He guessed that Rong Le was only in his early twenties, about the same age as Zhang Shun, and asked, "Eunuch Le, are you married?" Seeing Rong Le's startled expression, he smiled and said, "I know that wealthy eunuchs like you all have their own houses and families outside. You serve the Emperor, so you must be rich. Finding a wife shouldn't be difficult for you. I've heard that poor families who can't even afford to eat would love to marry their daughters to wealthy and powerful eunuchs like you."
"Not everyone is like that."
Do you have a woman you like?
Rong Le blushed and shook her head. After a while, Jiu Li couldn't help but ask again, "Then do you want a woman?"
Rong Le blushed so deeply that blood could drip from his face, and he couldn't utter a word, only shaking his head. Seeing him so embarrassed, Jiu Li thought to herself that he still wanted to, but he just didn't dare to admit it. It seemed that eunuchs were not much different from ordinary men; apart from being unable to perform sexually, they all had the heart of a man.
Every now and then, they would walk into the camellia garden, where the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow, with no yellow mud in sight, but Jiu Li did not look down at the ground. These camellia trees were only as tall as a person, and the branches at the top were relatively thin. To find one thicker than a thumb, one had to bend over and look down.
"What is the girl looking for in the tree?"
"You'll find out soon enough." Jiuli examined each tree one by one, and when she reached the spot where the body had been found, she indeed found a broken section! Upon closer inspection, the broken section showed no signs of decay, clearly indicating that it had been broken off by someone.
She looked closely for a while, straightened up, and thought to herself, "So that's how it is."
"What are you daydreaming about, young lady?" Rong Le asked, looking at the tree with a puzzled expression.
Jiuli snapped out of her daze and smiled, "Oh, it's nothing."
"Has the young lady discovered something important? Do you know who the murderer is?"
She shook her head like a rattle-drum, "No, no, I don't have that kind of power, it would be a waste of effort. Let's go to Yanxia Tower, didn't His Majesty say that dinner is served there? I'm a little tired, let's go there and rest first."
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Author's Note: The main story will be finished in the next few days. My next book will be "The Phoenix's Mistake". I will update daily in the next book. This book was written because it was too long and I was too tired, and I was also sick. Please forgive me.
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