Chapter 46 Mother-of-Pearl Incense (09) Don't fall for him, don't get into a relationship...
At this moment, both of them were just shadows. Jiu Li couldn't see Yu Qi's expression, but she could hear his slightly heavy breathing. Based on her past understanding of him, she knew very well that he was suppressing his anger at this moment.
But why was he angry? Was it because she said she "often" thought of Xu Bai?
She smiled in the darkness, inexplicably; the angrier he got, the more she wanted to provoke him. She continued with a relaxed and contented laugh, "Speaking of which, Xu Bai should be going to the yamen for his shift tomorrow. I don't know what he's been busy with at home these past two days, he hasn't come to our house at all—"
Before she could finish speaking, she had just reached the ceremonial gate. There was a stone step in front of the gate, and she hadn't paid attention. She tripped and almost fell into the gate. Yu Qi quickly pulled her up with great force, causing her to turn around and bump into his arms.
"He's been busy with important matters these past two days, so naturally he didn't think to come see you. Don't be so presumptuous." His voice was almost menacing.
Jiuli's heart skipped a beat, but she said, "What important thing could he have to do? He's already taken leave to stay home. Besides, he took leave to prepare a banquet for our family's guests, which shows how important I am to him."
Actually, she felt guilty saying this, but since Xu Bai couldn't hear her anyway, she could only let her make it up.
Yu Qi couldn't help but lean closer to her and sneer, "You've only met a few men, do you know how ambitious men can be? Do you know how strong a man's lust for power can be?"
Speaking of this, a woman's self-deprecating smile suddenly appeared in his mind: "What's laughable about women is that they often think they are more important to men than these things."
He suddenly gripped her wrist tightly. "This is what your mother said. She doesn't want you to suffer the same fate she did. You have to listen to her!"
But the anger in his words was his own.
"My mother?" Jiuli paused, then tried to ask, "Why would my mother say these things? Could it be that she was deceived by a man?"
After saying that, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Oh, I know, was she taken advantage of and then abandoned by my father?"
Yu Qi was furious. He threw away her wrist and turned around. "What do you mean by starting something and then abandoning it? I've never seen your father since the day I met your mother. You were born without a father, and you don't even have a name."
No wonder he was the one who named her later. She quickly turned to face him and asked, "Then who is my mother?"
Yu Qi remained silent for a moment, then helplessly grasped her arms. "I swore to your mother that I would never tell you anything about her. She wanted you to be a young lady of the Yu family, and she only wanted you to live a peaceful and ordinary life as a girl."
Jiuli knew very well that, given his personality, she wouldn't get anything out of him no matter how much she asked. His mouth was as tight as an iron gate; it had been more than ten years since she last heard him mention his mother.
She simply pried his hand away and said, "This is a completely different matter from Xu Bai. How can you assume that just because my mother was deceived by a man, I will definitely be deceived by one too? Is it possible for someone to be taken advantage of by a man to be hereditary?"
He gritted his teeth inwardly, "I now suspect that Qi Xubai's approach to you has ulterior motives."
She had never met or interacted with the Qi family before coming to Nanjing. What ulterior motive did Xu Bai have? Could it be related to her background? Otherwise, she couldn't think of any other reason.
She didn't tell him these speculations. After a moment of silence, she pretended to be silly and laughed, "What could their intentions be? If they're after money, our family isn't as wealthy as theirs. If they're after sex, I've heard Rouge say before that love between men and women is originally based on lust."
Yu Qi was not clear about the situation at the moment, so he could only say, "Anyway, I don't think he has pure intentions towards you."
Jiuli chuckled, "Then why did you write a letter to the old lady in the first place?"
"Back then, I thought he was a good person, but I've only recently discovered that he's two-faced."
"If you thought he was a good person back then, why were you so mean to people back then?"
He realized he couldn't justify his silence, so he remained silent.
Jiuli turned her face away and glanced at him. "No matter what his intentions are, he hasn't done anything bad to me right now. It's all just your side of the story, just speculation. I can listen to you and be wary of him, but you can't just make me turn against someone for no reason. That's too unreasonable."
Yu Qi remained silent, offering no unreasonable rebuttal. She was right; for now, he could only be cautious. If Xu Bai was indeed after her background, and he had already become suspicious, there was no way to avoid him. He could only deal with him for the time being, trying to find out his purpose, or perhaps the purpose of the Prince Zhao behind him.
After thinking for a while, he said in a low voice, "Although we can't become enemies, we should be careful when we interact with him."
"What sense of propriety?" Jiu Li asked casually, her eyes lowered.
"Don't let him take advantage of you." He emphasized, afraid his warning wasn't enough. "Don't fall for him, don't like him!"
Can something like this really be entirely controlled by self-control? She glanced at him, then nodded.
Seeing her seemingly perfunctory attitude, he felt a surge of anger, and approached her sharply, grabbing her arms, "Did you hear me?!"
"I heard you, I heard you!" she muttered softly, "You pinched me so hard it hurts."
Just then, the ceremonial gate suddenly opened, and Fengqiao poked his head out. "Oh, Master, Yu'er, I was wondering why you didn't knock when you came back, since I heard people talking outside?"
The two went in one after the other and returned to their rooms to rest.
Meanwhile, the two of them talked for half the night, completely unaware that Xu Bai was currently accompanying King Zhao Zhou Yu on a painted boat with his elder brother Xu Yun.
The painted boat was magnificent and grand, its interior as large as a private flower hall, separated from the outside by a screen. The singing and dancing outside had just ended when Zhou Yu dismissed his attendants, picked up a wine jug from the table, and went around the screen to the inside. Xu Bai and Xu Yun followed him in, seeing him standing by the window, smiling as he watched the dancers lift their skirts to go ashore.
After looking at you for a moment, he turned around with a smile. “I have never been a lecherous person, and I know that neither you two brothers are either. But the Censorate has many eyes and ears, so I have no choice but to meet you here.”
Xu Yun nodded with a smile, "Your Highness is of noble status, and naturally many people are concerned about your every move."
He slowly walked to the carved couch at the head of the table and sat down, setting down the wine pot and jade cup. He pointed at Xu Yun, but smiled at Xu Bai and said, "Your elder brother still likes to comfort people. You sit down, don't stand all the time. Not everyone who stands and talks to me is necessarily respectful. We've been friends for over a year, let's not talk about these formalities."
The two men smiled and bowed, then stepped back to sit on the chairs on either side. They said, "If Your Highness finds the Censorate's residence inconvenient, I have a good place to recommend you next time you come to Nanjing."
"Oh? I wonder where this place is?"
"Litchi Garden".
Xu Yun glanced at him, then silently picked up his teacup and sipped it.
“Litchi Garden?” Zhou Yu squinted, then remembered in a moment, “Isn’t that the residence where we were treated for the epidemic last time? I heard that the garden is very large and is the ancestral home of a wealthy man surnamed Li.”
Xu Bai nodded, "This is the very house. After the epidemic was cured, this garden was bought from Master Li by a merchant from out of town. It is currently being renovated. When Your Highness comes again, it will be a secret and well-kept place."
It was common for high-ranking officials in the court to receive gifts from merchants, so it was nothing unusual. Zhou Yu then asked, "What is the name of this merchant from out of town?"
"His name was Chu Fengchun, and he was a merchant who traded cloth."
“Chu Fengchun—” Zhou Yu frowned and thought for a while, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of this person before.”
Xu Bai smiled. "Although Your Highness does not recognize him, Your Highness has seen his master. I once heard Your Highness mention that two years ago, when Your Highness went to Guizhou to suppress the Miao people's rebellion, you traveled with a merchant from Sichuan named Lu Shao. Does Your Highness remember him?"
So it was him! Zhou Yu couldn't help but sit up straight. Lu Shao had been mining and smelting iron in Sichuan for many years. Because of his business dealings and his special status, there were some taboos surrounding him, fearing it would attract criticism from the court. Therefore, the two had no contact after parting ways on the same road. Unexpectedly, Lu Shao still had the intention of currying favor, and used a man surnamed Chu to cover his tracks.
Zhou Yu knew that things were different now. He was no longer the emperor's only son. Consort Chen's son had turned one year old, and the emperor and even the entire court had high hopes for him. He, the adopted prince, would probably be exhausted in the future.
He rose from his seat, paced slowly around the couch for a long time, pondered for a while, and then suddenly changed the subject, "This time when I returned to Nanjing, my father specifically ordered me to cooperate with the Southern Zhili Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel to investigate Wang Shanfeng. Recently, someone in the court has accused him of abusing his connections with the two Chens to engage in improper official conduct in Nanjing and to use his public office for personal gain. Xu Bai, you have been Wang Shanfeng's colleague for more than a year, is this really true?"
Wang Shanfeng was none other than Magistrate Wang of Jiangning County. Xu Bai sneered, "So what if he does? Doesn't Your Highness understand? Ever since the Emperor's health has deteriorated in recent years, and Consort Chen has gained increasing favor, the two Chens have gradually become the undisputed rulers of the court. Now that the Fourth Prince has turned one year old, the cabinet reveres the two Chens, and the government is now controlled by them. Wang Shanfeng has long been under their patronage. This year, for the birthday of the Grand Prince's brother-in-law, Wang Shanfeng has prepared a priceless birthday tribute, which just set off for the capital the day before yesterday. Even if it is discovered that Wang Shanfeng has engaged in corrupt practices, the two Chens will protect him in court. It will only be a minor punishment."
Seeing Zhou Yu turn his back and remain silent, his elder brother Xuyun said, "Xubai, don't be impetuous when you're young. Since the Emperor has ordered the Prince to investigate, I think he intends to punish him severely and also wants to give the two Chens a warning. Although the Emperor is unwell, he is still a wise ruler."
Xu Bai glanced at him, speechless, and sat down in the chair looking somewhat dejected.
After a while, Zhou Yu smiled and turned around, "It's more important to take care of the things at hand first. There's no need to hold a grudge against Xu Bai. Tomorrow, you will go back to the yamen as usual and keep an eye on Wang Shanfeng for me. If he makes any mistakes, gather evidence so that I can return to the capital to report to my father and see how he decides to proceed."
Xu Bai accepted the order and went to the yamen early the next morning. Sure enough, Wang Shanfeng was not there. He asked a clerk and was told that Prince Zhao had just arrived in Nanjing and that Lord Wang had rushed to the Censorate to report on his duties and accompany him. He instructed Xu Bai to make all the decisions for the next few days.
Xu Bai sneered inwardly, stepped behind the desk and sat down, flipping through the documents. "Has the magistrate had anything important to do these past two days?"
The clerk replied, "It's nothing serious, just following the established procedures. It's just that a murder occurred a couple of days ago, and Zhang Da is currently investigating it."
Who was the deceased?
The clerk explained the initial situation, but didn't know much else. Xu Baiyuan didn't take it seriously, but after the clerk finished speaking, he laughed and said, "Speaking of which, it's all thanks to that Mr. Yu from last time. Zhang Da invited him to examine the body, and it was indeed murder. Otherwise, everyone would have assumed that the man drowned himself after getting drunk."
"Mr. Yu? Why did you invite him?"
"Don't you know, sir? The deceased had stolen from the Yu family. It was quite a coincidence that Zhang Da was ordered by you to investigate the thief for the Yu family, and the thief drowned the next day."
So that's how it is. He immediately called Zhang Da to ask him what was going on. Just then, a yamen runner came to deliver a message, saying that Yu Qi and Jiu Li were outside the yamen and wanted to invite Zhang Da to go to the Tang family residence to check. So he explained that he would go out of the yamen with Zhang Da to meet them.
When Jiuli saw Xu Bai today, he seemed different from usual. She thought he probably knew something about her past and wanted to get closer to him, hoping to get some information out of him. However, she remembered Yu Qi's instructions and was afraid that he would try to get information out of her instead, so she became even more cautious.
On the surface, however, he was as warm as ever, greeting her at the door with a touch of enthusiasm, "Xu Bai, have you finished with your things at home?"
Xu Bai smiled and nodded. Seeing Yu Qi standing behind him and no carriages or horses stopped in front of him, he asked, "On such a hot day, did you and your husband come on foot? Since you are helping the yamen with a case, you should have sent someone to let them know, and the yamen would have sent a carriage to pick you up immediately."
"The sun wasn't too strong when I got up early, and the streets were quite lively. I thought I'd like to take a walk around."
Yu Qi came up from behind, his usual indifferent attitude: "Lord Qi, you misunderstand. We are not helping the yamen with a case, but only investigating the things that were stolen from our own homes. If you have to say we are helping, it is to help Constable Zhang."
Zhang Da was embarrassed and said, "It's all the same. I'm also working for the government. If you help me, you're helping the government."
Jiuli then asked Xubai with a smile, "You know about Tang Chengguan's case?"
“I just asked Constable Zhang. Shi Qi, who was arrested yesterday, denied that he was the murderer. If it wasn’t him, I think his wife Yue Hong is highly suspicious. He might just be an accomplice. I was just about to go to the Tang family when you arrived. I’ll have someone prepare a carriage and horses, and we’ll go there now.”
"Wait a minute," Yu Qi raised his hand and said, "Lord Qi, you should first send someone to search Shi Qi's house in Xiaorong Village to see if the stolen items are there."
Xu Bai readily agreed, and someone was summoned from the gate to give instructions. He also asked someone to prepare carriages and horses.
Jiuli said, "It's not far, why make a fuss? Let's just walk."
So the four of them, along with two other constables, headed toward Liuli Street, discussing as they went their investigation of Shi Qi and their visit to the Tang family the previous night. The sun rose higher and higher, and it grew hotter. Xu Bai turned his head and saw that Jiu Li was sweating, so he slowed his pace ahead, as if to deliberately accommodate her.
Jiuli noticed his actions and wondered to herself whether this person was genuine or not. If he was just pretending, he was being far too meticulous.
It took about half an hour to get to the Tang family's house. Before even entering, I heard Yue Hong arguing with someone in the courtyard. After listening for a while, I learned that it was because the coffin board didn't fit properly. Not only did she ask the coffin shop to replace it with another one, but she also wanted a refund.
As soon as the group went inside, the coffin shop assistant hurriedly slipped away through the crack. Yue Hong couldn't stop him, so she turned around and tugged at Yu Qi in a pretentious manner, "Look at you, sir! I was just discussing a refund with the shopkeeper when you came in and scared him away. He's worth two coins."
Yu Qi pointed at Xu Bai with annoyance, "That's Lord Qi over there. If you have anything to say, just ask him."
"He's Lord Qi? Didn't you say you were Lord Qi last night?!"
Jiuli laughed and said, "If I hadn't said that last night, would you have let us in obediently?"
Yue Hong had no choice but to glance at it. Xu Bai, on the other hand, was confused by what he heard, so Jiu Li came over and explained a few words to him. He smiled and nodded, ordered Yue Hong to step aside, and instructed two yamen runners to lift the coffin lid and bow to invite Yu Qi to inspect it.
Yu Qi did not investigate anywhere else, but only parted Tang Chengguan's hair to look at it for a while. Then he ordered the lid to be closed again. Seeing Xu Bai questioning Yue Hong over there, he went to check the large round water vat under the courtyard wall.
Jiuli and Zhang Da were also in front of the vat, bending over to examine it closely. They noticed that a large patch of moss on the vat wall had been scraped off. They whispered to Yu Qi, "Uncle, look, did Tang Chengguan rub it off when he was struggling? But it's strange that if Tang Chengguan scraped it off with his fingernails, it should have been in streaks. How could so much have been scraped off?"
Zhang Da chimed in softly, "What's so strange about that? Yue Hong probably found some scratches in the jar afterward and, fearing it would leave evidence, washed that area away."
Jiuli glanced back at Yue Hong, who was nothing more than a slovenly woman accustomed to being disheveled. Even the house was filthy; a baby slept in the bed, and Yue Hong hadn't even noticed when the baby had soiled itself. How could she possibly notice such trivial details? "That makes sense, but I still feel—"
Zhang Da laughed and said, "If you think it's useless, look at these pomegranate petals in the jar. Didn't you say this morning that there were some petal fragments under Tang Chengguan's fingernails?"
She nodded. "But it's still unclear whether it's pomegranate blossom or not. It's too fine to tell, and it's been soaked in water, so the fragrance is long gone."
"Anyway, since you and your husband both recognize them as flower petals, then there's no mistake."
Jiuli thought so too last night, but now, walking into the Tang family's house in broad daylight, she felt something was amiss. Although there happened to be such a large water vat here, enough to drown a person, and coincidentally, there was some mud, algae, and flower petals inside, it was suspicious yet not quite right.
A murderer, knowing that the authorities were coming to inspect her house today, how could she still have the leisure to argue with the coffin seller over two coins? Either she really has nothing to hide, or she has an extraordinary level of cunning and scheming.
Jiuli turned to look at Yue Hong, who was arguing loudly with Xu Bai, “Oh, my lord, how many times do I have to say it? I haven’t seen Shi Qi for a month. He came to see me yesterday, and I asked him to come with me to the yamen to collect the body. He sat here for a while after we came back, and I asked him to stay for lunch before leaving!”
She was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet, fearing that people wouldn't believe her.
Jiuli then asked Zhang Da, "Is what she said the same as what Shi Qi said?"
Zhang Da said, "It's the same, but who knows if they colluded beforehand? From the day Tang Chengguan left until his body was found the next day, Shi Qi said that he was sleeping at home during that time. He was the only one at home, so there was no one to testify for him."
Jiuli muttered, "It's normal for a lazybones like Shi Qi to sleep at home."
Unfortunately, no one saw what Yue Hong said, and in her anxiety, she didn't care about being an adult or not. She put her hands on her hips and raised her voice, saying, "Does that mean that just because no one saw me kill someone, I've killed someone? If that's the case, then there are plenty of murderers in the world!"
Zhang Da hurried over and sternly rebuked her, "What are you yelling about?! Stop acting like a shrew in front of the adults! Tang Chengguan may not have died in that river, but he definitely drowned. You have a water vat in your house that could drown someone, and there are definitely some traces left in it. How dare you shout and act like a scoundrel here! I ask you, why is there a clean part in that vat? Did you only wash half of it when you were washing the vat?!"
Yue Hong looked at the vat and recalled that she had only washed half of it!
Yesterday morning, after dragging Tang Chengguan's body back and placing it in the coffin, she was so glad that Tang Chengguan had died so cleverly and wonderfully that she specially went into the kitchen to cook two good dishes. When she came out after cooking, she saw Shi Qi bending over to wipe the vat, and she went over to scold him, "You've always been a person with long arms and legs, why are you suddenly so diligent today?"
Shi Qi straightened up and laughed, "I just saw that the water in this vat was empty, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to clean it up for you and fetch some more water. Now that man surnamed Tang is dead, this house is naturally yours. Although it's a bit small and dilapidated, it's still in the city, much cheaper than where we live in Xiaorongzhuang. I'll move here too, learn to be more diligent, and find some odd jobs on the street. From now on, we can live a stable life."
Yue Hong laughed and spat at him, "Pah, now you're thinking about being diligent? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have been so poor that I sold myself to this dead man."
One scolded the other, and the other repented. They left the jar, which had been wiped clean, ate their meal, and then, all lovey-dovey, went to bed, never thinking about the jar again.
"That Shi Qi, who deserves to be torn to pieces, said he would fetch water but didn't. I had to fetch it myself and fill the vat after he left!"
Jiuli looked down at the jar again, unable to determine whether she was covering up or telling the truth. This was troublesome; regardless of whether the two women were the murderers or not, other clues needed to be found to prove it.
Just as they were struggling with this, they saw Yu Qi emerge from the filthy room and walk towards the vat.
The two constables had just finished searching the kitchen when they saw Xu Bai and Zhang Da interrogating Yue Hong. They came over to report to Yu Qi, "Mr. Yu, the kitchen has been searched, and there's nothing suspicious. The stolen items you mentioned are also missing."
Yu Qi scooped a handful of water from the jar to wash his hands. "Did you find any wine in the kitchen?"
Seeing this, Jiuli quickly found a water ladle to scoop water for him.
The constable shook his head. "I didn't see any wine, but there were two empty wine jars, though they've been empty for a long time."
Yu Qi nodded. "Alright, go tell Lord Qi and Constable Zhang to go back."
Jiuli put down the water ladle and handed over the handkerchief. "Uncle, have you found out?"
Yu Qi smiled at her, "You've been staring at this water vat for half a day, have you figured it out yet?"
She shook her head in disappointment. "This water vat does seem to be the place where the corrupt official Tang Chengguan drowned, but I don't quite believe that Yue Hong committed murder. Look at her, she's so loud and unruly. Even if she could kill, she doesn't seem like the kind of person who would resort to such scheming. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but no one can testify for the two of them. Based on this water vat and the boast that Shi Qi made at Xiaorongzhuang yesterday, she and that Shi Qi are just a mystery."
Yu Qi wiped his hands and said, "You're feeling sorry for her again? Have you forgotten how she scolded you? And how Shi Qi cut Zhong'er's leg?"
She pursed her lips. "It's not that I pity her, it's just stating the facts. Even if I hate them, I can't just assume they did it, can I?"
Yu Qi smiled and handed the handkerchief back to her. "Wet it and wipe your face. You're all sweaty from the sun."
She took the handkerchief, but her face was full of disgust. "I don't want it. What if someone really drowned in that vat?"
"Don't worry, Tang Chengguan didn't die here."
After saying this, he walked towards Xu Bai and Zhang Da, and said to them in a cold tone, "Gentlemen, let's go."
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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