Chapter 165 Leaving the Capital (Part 49) Miss Jiu Li has been kidnapped! ...
When Lü Jing returned home, the next day he indeed hired a small opera troupe and sent them to the Qi residence. There were six people in total, both men and women, who were skilled in playing various instruments and singing. Xu Bai ordered Yang Qingnian to specially prepare two rooms to manage the opera troupe, and to hold banquets every day to invite old friends from the capital to his home to drink and watch the opera, with continuous high music.
The festivities continued until the 27th. Yang Qingnian took some time to return to Chen Jia, who in turn returned to his father. His father, Chen Chengzong, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "At this time, the Qi family is in the mood for decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations, with drums and music playing. Could it be a trap?"
Chen Jia reported, "I heard from the Qi family that Miss Jiuli already knows who the murderer is, but there is still one piece of evidence to be verified. She even boasted that Yu Qi will recover from his illness in a few days and will definitely be able to solve this mystery. She said that she will be able to catch the murderer before the sixth day. Because of this, the Qi family is very relaxed and is just waiting for the case to be completed so that they can ask the Emperor to relieve Prince Zhao's predicament."
Chen Chengzong looked up and saw that there was still a trace of worry on his face. He glanced at him and asked, "Then why are you frowning?"
Chen Jia then moved to the chair, saying, "My son is afraid that Qi Xubai is harboring some kind of scheme—"
Chen Chengzong pondered for a moment, then sneered, "That Qi Xubai is still wet behind the ears. Although his ancestors were once prominent, he was just a minor county magistrate. What does he know about important matters in the court? No matter how clever he is, he won't be of much use."
“But he was very close to Zou Chang.”
Chen Chengzong shook his hand, "Zou Chang is just a Dali Temple Minister, a high-ranking official, but he doesn't even have the qualifications to join the cabinet. He can't cause any trouble."
Chen Jia frowned. "But he has a lot of prestige among those censors. If there is any trouble in the future, I'm afraid the censors will be persuaded to surrender by him."
This is something we must be wary of, but the crux of the matter still lies with Prince Zhao. Fortunately, the Emperor has already issued a secret decree to eliminate Prince Zhao. As long as the matter is accomplished, the Chen family will have rendered another service, and welcoming the Imperial Concubine back to the palace will not be difficult.
Thinking of this, he inquired about the current situation of Prince Zhao. Chen Jia stepped forward and whispered, "A group of singers and dancers have been in Prince Zhao's residence for several days. Qingque said that Prince Zhao has been taking medicine for three days and has already developed symptoms of a cold."
"Is this Qingque you sent reliable? Entrusting such an important matter to a prostitute is really hard to trust."
"Father, rest assured. I have already investigated Qingque's background. She is an orphan who fell into prostitution at a young age. Later, she was chosen and sent to the late Crown Prince's residence. After the Crown Prince passed away, she was left with no one to rely on and fell back into prostitution. She is still waiting for me to reward her with a large sum of money so that she can leave the capital to buy a house and property. Besides, she once served in the late Crown Prince's residence and knows the rules of the Prince's residence. She is also beautiful and will not cause Prince Zhao to dislike her and drive her out. She is the most suitable candidate."
As he spoke, Chen Jia nodded to himself, "Furthermore, the steward of Prince Zhao's residence informed Deputy Commander Song, who was on guard duty, this morning. As expected, the imperial physician should be sent to treat Prince Zhao by noon. Father thinks that the imperial physician must have been instructed by the Emperor to go and investigate carefully, and he can find out whether it is true or false."
Sure enough, Song Wen, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard who was guarding Prince Zhao's residence, learned that Prince Zhao had caught a cold and immediately went to the palace to report. Hearing that the Emperor was watching a play on the evening terrace in the inner palace, he waited outside the Yugan Palace. When the young eunuch went to the evening terrace to report, the play was in its most exciting part. Shen Quansheng waited until the play was over before coming to Zhou Hao's side to whisper his report.
After exchanging only a few words, Zhou Hao rose to return to the palace, and Jiu Li and the other consorts hurriedly curtsied to see him off. Once he and his entourage of eunuchs and guards had disappeared from sight, Jiu Li also went to Consort Yu to take her leave, saying that she felt bored sitting in the palace and wanted to go for a walk to relieve her boredom. Consort Yu couldn't stop her, and instructed Rong Le to accompany her carefully, before letting her go.
After leaving Xilu Terrace, Jiuli asked Rongle, "Where does the water clock room go?"
"What are you doing in the water clock room, young lady?"
“I met a young eunuch a few days ago. He did me a small favor, and I said I would reward him. But I didn’t have any money on me at the time. I said I would come to the palace to reward him the next day, but I forgot. I can’t break my promise, can I? Please take me there.”
Since they were just strolling around anyway, Rong Le led her to the water clock room and showed her all the palaces along the way. It was almost New Year's Eve, and the palace had already changed the lanterns and posted red couplets. Some palaces had added a few red plum blossoms, making everything look bright and red. You could also hear the sounds of laughter and merriment coming from the palaces.
Upon entering the water clock room, one could see many time markers hanging on the left wall, and several copper water clocks placed against the wall. Not far in front of the water clocks was a large table where several young eunuchs on duty were playing dice and gambling. Against the right wall was a chair where an older eunuch was sitting and drinking tea; presumably, this was Eunuch Liao, the head eunuch of the water clock room.
When Eunuch Liao peeked through the crack in his teacup, he quickly stood up to greet the newcomer. Rong Le straightened his back and said, "This is Miss Jiu Li, who is here to see someone named Tang Zheng."
Upon hearing this, the group of eunuchs hurriedly knelt down. Jiu Li saw Tang Zheng in the crowd and smiled, "Get up quickly, Eunuch Tang. I said I would reward you, but I forgot earlier. I'm only here today, so please don't mind that I'm late."
He spoke, and everyone stood up. He handed Tang Zheng some silver, and then slowly looked around the room. Tang Zheng and Eunuch Liao followed behind Rong Le, who in turn followed Jiu Li, explaining to her how to change the time plates and how the copper kettle kept time.
"As the water in the bucket below accumulates, the arrow will rise and point to the hour mark on the divination stick. The exact hour and quarter mark it points to is the exact hour and quarter mark. Since we're afraid of making a mistake with just one set of pots, we keep several sets to cross-check each other, so there's no chance of error."
Jiuli walked slowly in front of the several sets of bronze water clocks, his eyes sharp as he looked at the buckets. He asked, "Who was on duty the night of the incident?"
The five eunuchs, including Tang Zheng, all responded. Jiu Li turned to Tang Zheng and asked, "What time did Eunuch Shun go out on patrol that night?"
Tang Zhengdao: "We were all dozing off at the time, and we didn't know he was leaving. It wasn't until he came back to pour tea and smashed the teacup that I looked at the time and it was almost 9 PM. Eunuch Zhang told us to hurry up and change the time cards. He was on duty in the hall. When we came back after changing the time cards, he started to have stomach pains and was sweating profusely. We thought he had just had colic and told him to go back and see a doctor. Who knew that he later got dysentery."
According to their calculations, Zhang Shun arrived at the camellia garden around 9:45 PM, which was consistent with his own account, meaning he had no time to commit the crime. However, Jiu Li turned to look at the water clocks and couldn't help but wonder, what if the time was falsified? The time on these water clocks would change depending on the depth of the water, so it wouldn't be difficult for Zhang Shun to alter the time.
That night, Zhang Shun went to inspect the camellia garden and secretly witnessed Shuqiang and Princess Yuan arguing. From their conversation, he learned that Shuqiang had long been having an affair with the prince consort. So, after Princess Yuan left, he sneaked into the camellia garden to confront Shuqiang. Whether it was due to his burning jealousy or something Shuqiang had said that hurt his dignity, he lost control of his emotions and attempted to rape Shuqiang.
But what could a eunuch accomplish? So he broke off a branch from a camellia tree to vent his lust and anger. Afterwards, fearing that Shuqiang would report him, he picked up the dagger that Princess Yuan had lost and killed Shuqiang with a single blow. On the way, he had already planned ahead. He first secretly returned to the water clock room and deliberately set the time a little later, making people think that he had only passed through the camellia garden after the incident. Then, under the pretext of changing the time tablets, he sent everyone away and set the time back a little. Finally, he feigned illness and hid in Jixiang Hutong for a month.
Unexpectedly, the incident implicated King Zhao, and the Chen family bribed him to give false testimony. So he went along with it and gave false testimony to King Zhao, until the day Yu Qixu came knocking on his door—
Having deduced these events, Jiu Li did not make a fuss, but only smiled and glanced at Tang Zheng, "Has Eunuch Shun left the capital?"
Tang Zheng shook his head, "Not yet. It's hard to find a car or boat right now. He plans to leave after the New Year."
After today's interrogation, if Tang Zheng goes back and tells Zhang Shun, Zhang Shun probably won't live to see the New Year.
Jiuli nodded with a smile, said "Farewell" to everyone, and then left with Rongle, returning to Xilu Terrace. On the way, she saw an old imperial physician and his apprentice carrying a medical kit in the distance. Her eyes lowered slightly, and she thought to herself, "I seemed to have heard the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards guarding the Prince's Mansion come to report when I was watching the opera. It seems that Yu Qi was right. This imperial physician must have been summoned to treat Prince Zhao."
She knew the truth, but feigned surprise, "Those two in front look like officials from the Imperial Medical Bureau! Oh dear! Is something wrong with the Emperor?!"
Rong Le quickly said, "Miss, don't make a fuss. The Emperor was just enjoying the opera. If someone hears this, they might say you're cursing the Emperor."
Jiuli clutched her chest, "You scared me! Who in the palace is sick? Why was the imperial physician summoned?"
"I heard that the prince caught a cold, and the emperor summoned the imperial physician to the prince's residence to examine him."
Nine-Carp gazed at the imperial physician's figure, slowly nodded, and took a side path towards the Sunset Terrace.
When Physician Hu came to the Yugan Palace to pay his respects, he received a few instructions from the Emperor and then left the palace for Prince Zhao's residence. On the way, he secretly pondered the Emperor's words and couldn't help but become suspicious. When he entered Prince Zhao's residence and took Zhou Yu's pulse, he noticed several rashes on his face and immediately understood five or six parts of the situation.
A few days ago, Shen Quan privately approached him, asking him to concoct a poison that would kill within a month. He prepared it day and night, naming it "Half-Month Spring." Those who took this medicine would, from birth to death, suffer from smallpox. The initial symptoms of smallpox were exactly like those of a cold, with red spots appearing on the skin. Within two days, these red spots would develop into papules, which would then spread all over the body. Coincidentally, because the Emperor had always inquired about smallpox, the Imperial Medical Bureau had recently been conducting intensive research on it.
No wonder the Emperor said those things when he entered the palace. His intention was probably to have him investigate whether or not Prince Zhao had taken "Half-Month Spring".
Physician Hu apologized profusely, then bent down to examine the red spots on Zhou Yu's face closely; they didn't seem fake. He sat back down and carefully took Zhou Yu's pulse, which was indeed floating and tight. He then asked the servant, "Has Your Highness experienced any discomfort these past two days?"
The servant said, "He has had a high fever for two days and it hasn't subsided. He feels weak and also complains of a headache."
When did these red spots on your face appear?
"I just saw it last night."
Seeing that Zhou Yu had withdrawn his hand, the servant helped him sit up by propping up a pillow. Zhou Yu slumped on the ground, looking weary and listless. "Doctor Hu, is my illness serious?"
Nine times out of ten, he had ingested that poison; clearly, the Emperor intended to take the Prince's life. Given the gravity of the situation, Physician Hu dared not disobey the Emperor's will and could only conceal the truth, smiling and saying, "Your Highness, please rest assured, it's just a common cold. I'll return to the Imperial Medical Bureau to draft a prescription, get the medicine, and send it over. You'll be fine in a few days."
Zhou Yu remained frowning. "Imperial physician, are you trying to hide something from me? If it's just a cold, why are there red spots on my face?"
"This is just common rubella, Your Highness. Don't worry, worrying will only harm your health."
After a moment's thought, Zhou Yu could only nod, "Take one hundred taels of silver and send Physician Hu out."
The servant led Physician Hu away. Zhou Yu leaned against the bed, his eyes gradually darkening, revealing a fierce and ruthless spirit. Just as he was about to throw off the covers and get out of bed, Qingque brought a bowl of hot soup into the bedroom. Seeing that he seemed about to get out of bed, she quickly put down the soup bowl, went to the shelf to take a dark blue woolen cloak, and draped it over his shoulders. Seeing that he had settled down behind a desk, she brought the medicine to the desk.
"Mr. Yu said that this is for treating the rash on the prince's face. It takes a long time to work. Even if the prince takes it now, it will take at least six or seven days to get better. He is not afraid that the Imperial Medical Bureau will come to check again."
As Zhou Yu wrote something on the paper, he shook his head. "The doctors in the Imperial Medical Bureau are all shrewd. If there is any improvement, they will definitely be able to tell. You're finished."
As he spoke, he wrote two sentences, cut them into a strip, looked up at her, and suddenly smiled. "You must find a way to deliver this strip to Tao Wen at the entrance of Baiyun Alley. He is my head guard, and he has seven trustworthy men in his group. The journey to Guizhou is fraught with danger, and they must escort you. Tell Tao Wen to bring men to meet me outside the city tomorrow evening. There is no room for error. If I return to seize the throne in the future, rest assured, I will not hold your ancestors' actions against you, and I will reward you handsomely."
Qingque took the note, folded it carefully, and tucked it into her skirt, saying in a low voice, "I'm not doing this for a reward."
Zhou Yu stood up with a slight smile, "No matter what your reason was, I will remember your kindness."
Qingque pursed her lips, curtsied, and went straight to the side gate. Both doors were tightly shut. She knew that eight Imperial Guards usually guarded the gate. Even if Yu Qi could outmaneuver them, he wouldn't be able to hold them off for long. If it dragged on, or if the commotion became too great, it might attract the Imperial Guards at the main gate, and even the Military Affairs Bureau. Although it was just before the festival and many people were relaxed, if nothing happened, all was well; but if there was even the slightest disturbance, not only would they be unable to escape, but they might all be trapped in the capital.
Fortunately, the captain on duty at the side gate, Cao Lang, was about the same age as her, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. These past few days, he had often stolen glances at her while walking around the mansion. She put on a seductive smile, opened the gate, and went out. As soon as she heard the noise, the eight guards immediately gripped their sword hilts, their faces expressionless, but their eyes revealing a serious and sharp edge. She glanced at them, then gave Captain Cao a seductive look.
Cao Lang immediately approached and asked, "What is it, young lady?"
"Captain Cao, I need to go out for a bit. Please allow me to pass."
Cao Lang glanced at her sideways and asked, "What are you doing out there, young lady?"
Qingque nestled against his chest, her fingers tracing patterns on his clothes. She looked up and whispered with a smile, "Captain Cao, don't you know who I am? Today, the imperial physician came to diagnose the prince's condition. I must carefully explain the details to my master so that he may be at ease."
These Imperial Guards naturally knew who she was acting on orders to and understood her purpose in entering the Prince's residence. Otherwise, given whose name she was using, they wouldn't have so easily allowed her to lead that group of singers and dancers into the residence a few days ago. However, they still had to ask as usual.
Cao Lang smiled, his eyes moving to her shoulders, which were barely covered by fur. "It's cold outside, young lady, be careful not to catch a cold."
“I’m not some delicate little girl.” Qingque patted his shoulder and walked away. “I’ll bring back some good wine and food to treat you. You’ve been keeping watch like this all day long, it must be really hard on you.”
As she finished speaking, a soft, charming laugh drifted over from ahead. The crowd watched with amusement as she swayed her hips and descended two stone steps, continuing on her way.
A guard approached Cao Lang and said, "Captain, this Qingque girl is quite something!"
Cao Lang glanced at him, smiled, walked to the door, took off his waist knife and held it in his arms. His eyes lingered as he jumped onto the long street to look at the snow, which was covered with a layer of golden light like a light veil.
After several days, the sun finally shone. Yu Qi, wearing a cloak, paced back and forth in the courtyard, basking in the sun, his mind racing. He should have received the letter he sent to Zhao Liang last time. Zhao Liang was a smart man and should be able to deduce the current situation from the letter. If Zhao Liang had made preparations earlier, as long as Zhou Yu arrived safely in Nanjing, going to Guizhou would be much easier. From then on, he would be like a fish in water, soaring high like a bird. What happened after that depended on his own fate.
All that could be heard was the sound of string and wind instruments coming from the living room. Xu Bai had invited several old friends to his home to watch the opera and have a banquet. When the opera reached its climax, a servant suddenly came into the hall and whispered in his ear that an eunuch from the palace had come to deliver a message to Yu Qi.
Xu Bai pondered for a moment, then stood up and bowed to several old friends from prominent families, saying, "Please enjoy your drinks, everyone. I'll go see Mr. Yu."
Then a friend stood up and said, "I've long heard of Yu Qi's great reputation. Why don't you invite him to join us for drinks, Brother Qi?"
"It's not that I didn't want to invite you, but Mr. Yu has caught a cold and hasn't fully recovered, so it's inconvenient for him to sit down. I hope you all will understand."
Having said that, he left the unimportant people behind and hurried over to the guest courtyard. There he saw the young eunuch talking to Yu Qi and Zhang Da, and it seemed that he had heard them say that Jiu Li had gone missing. Xu Bai was greatly alarmed and rushed down the stone steps to ask what had happened.
The young eunuch hurriedly said, "The young lady was originally in the palace accompanying the Emperor and several empresses to listen to a play. After lunch, she said that the New Year was in two days and she wanted to go to her family's ancestral cemetery to pay respects to her ancestors. The Emperor originally wanted to send a troupe to escort her, but the young lady was used to such ostentation and didn't like pomp and circumstance. So, Eunuch Shen sent two guards to ride in the carriage on ordinary chairs. But the young eunuch who had just driven the carriage returned to the palace to report that when the carriage reached Qianlong Mountain, it encountered twenty or thirty bandits. They killed the guards, kidnapped the young lady, and only released the driver because they thought she was a young lady from a wealthy family, demanding money!"
Yu Qi's face turned deathly pale. "Does His Majesty know?!"
"His Majesty is aware of this and has already dispatched five hundred Imperial Guards to search for him at Qianlong Mountain. Eunuch Shen said that you should also know, and perhaps you can still be of help, so he sent me to inform you."
Zhang Da hurriedly asked, "Where is Qianlong Mountain?"
“Go west for twenty li from the south gate.”
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Author's Note: Thank you for reading. There is one more chapter to complete the main text.
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