Chapter 144 Leaving the Capital (28) Visiting the Prince Consort.
After being introduced by Zou Chang, Yu Qixu and Bai Qi bowed to Xiang Yuan to pay their respects. Xiang Yuan had heard yesterday that the Emperor, in order to show fairness, had personally selected several people from Nanjing who had solved several murder cases to conduct a thorough investigation. She was worried about them and originally planned to summon them to the Prince Consort's residence tomorrow to ask them questions, but she did not expect to meet them here.
A cold wind blew by, and she was startled, turning to the side and tilting her head slightly. "I heard there's a girl here named Yu Jiuli, where is she?"
Yu Qi smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, “Replying to the princess, I asked her to check the guest list from the banquet that night at Eunuch Shen’s residence.”
Upon hearing this, Xiangyuan quickly turned around, "Why do you need to check the list?"
Seeing the surprise and panic in her expression, Yu Qi became suspicious. He raised his face and looked directly at her. "Shu Qiang showed signs of being raped before her death, so all the men who attended the banquet in the palace that day should be investigated."
"How dare you!" Xiang Yuan blushed and shouted, "How dare you utter such filthy words in front of me!"
Just as Yu Qi was about to explain, Zou Chang preemptively said with a smile, "Princess, please calm down. Mr. Yu is just a commoner and is not very familiar with these rules. Please forgive him if he has said anything inappropriate."
Qin Ji, however, laughed sarcastically from the side, "Even someone who doesn't understand etiquette knows that such words shouldn't be spoken carelessly in front of a woman. I think this is a great disrespect to the princess."
Zou Chang sneered, "When the princess asks a question, you should not hide anything in your reply. If you only care about avoiding details, how can the case be investigated? Lord Qin is the head of the Ministry of Justice; he can't be ignorant of this principle. The princess is worried day and night about the prince's matter and is only hoping that someone can clear the prince's name. How could she blame someone for such a trivial matter?"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yuan naturally couldn't remain angry any longer. Her expression softened slightly as she glanced at Yu Qi, "Not only are you outspoken, but you're also incredibly audacious. At the palace banquet, all the attendees are members of the royal family. How dare you even doubt these people?" As she spoke, she glanced at the Imperial Guards standing in front of the door and gave a cold smile, "There are always guards patrolling the palace, and Father Emperor also has many Imperial Guards. They're men too, so why don't you investigate them carefully?"
Yu Qi nodded slightly. "Your Highness, the two guards, Zou and Qin, who were patrolling the palace that night, have already questioned them. Your Highness grew up in the palace and knows the rules better than I do. Guards are not allowed to walk around the inner palace without a reason. When they are on duty, they are in groups of several and supervise each other. Therefore, all the guards on duty that night have witnesses. The rest are the royal relatives who attended the banquet. His Majesty has given me an order. This case is of great importance. Anyone suspected can be thoroughly investigated. I was merely following orders. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Xiang Yuan was speechless for a moment, so she went up to Zou Chang and asked about Zhou Yu's condition, "How is Your Majesty doing now? You've been trapped in the manor for more than a month. Have you become much more haggard?" As she spoke, tears involuntarily streamed down her face.
Zou Chang smiled and reassured her, "Princess, don't worry. Although the Prince is young, he has experienced a lot since childhood. This matter is no problem for him. The Prince said that the Princess should rest assured that the manor lacks nothing. The Princess should not go to the palace to bother the Emperor anymore. Just stay at home and listen to the Emperor's advice. It is cold now, so the Princess should not stand here for too long. You should go back to the manor quickly."
Xiang Yuan nodded, wiped away her tears, and returned to her residence in a sedan chair with a group of servants. Unexpectedly, she saw Shen Quan's carriage in front of the gate. She got out of the sedan chair and saw that the driver was indeed a young eunuch. She called the young eunuch over and asked him, only to find out that he had brought Jiu Li and Zhang Da over.
Xiang Yuan raised her eyebrows slightly and asked again, "Did Eunuch Shen personally send a carriage to bring them here?"
The young eunuch answered again. Upon hearing this, Xiang Yuan secretly pondered Shen Quan's meaning. Rumors were circulating that Yu Jiuli was the Emperor's illegitimate daughter with that Aunt Quan from years ago, and it seemed there was indeed some truth to it. Now, he had personally ordered a carriage to send them over. Was it out of fear of Yu Jiuli's background, or did he truly suspect the couple as well? In any case, Shen Quan was the most adept at discerning the Emperor's intentions in the entire palace. Without the Emperor's tacit approval, he would never have dared to send them over.
Thinking of this, Xiangyuan had no choice but to suppress her resentment. She sent a young eunuch to wait in the gatehouse, and she and several maids went through the second gate and returned to the main room. As soon as she entered the room, she heard men and women talking and laughing inside.
Peeking through the screen in the back room, I saw the Imperial Son-in-Law, Chu Minzhong, sitting in the seat of honor, inviting the two people below him to drink tea. "This is tribute tea from Hangzhou. Whether in Suzhou or Nanjing, people mostly drink tea from Hangzhou. Please have a taste."
To the right sat a beautiful young woman with skin as smooth as jade, dressed in a tea-colored dress and a light brown skirt. Her features were neither plain nor flamboyant, and her hair was styled in a fluffy bun. Xiang Yuan found that face somewhat familiar. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it resembled her former aunt, Quan Shanheng. No wonder everyone who had seen her said that she was undoubtedly Quan Shanheng's daughter. How could two such beautiful faces appear out of nowhere? Xiang Yuan felt a pang of sadness and didn't go in for a moment, instead hiding behind the screen and observing Chu Minzhong's expression.
Chu Minzhong was tall with handsome features and pale, almost bloodless skin. Jiuli put down her teacup and carefully examined him for several moments before asking, "Your Highness, are you not feeling well?"
“You noticed, young lady,” Minzhong smiled and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. I’ve caught a cold recently, and the medicine prescribed by the imperial physicians hasn’t helped much.”
Jiuli smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I've studied medicine since I was a child, and I can also take pulses and prescribe medicine. Why don't I take the prince consort's pulse?"
Minzhong couldn't refuse, so he could only nod and say, "Thank you for your trouble." Jiuli moved to the chair next to him, took his pulse on the table, and every now and then her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she muttered to herself.
"But is my illness serious?"
Jiuli glanced at him, deliberately speaking evasively, "It's not a big deal, it's just—"
This further alerted Minzhong, "But what?"
"The Prince Consort has been ill for at least a month, hasn't he?"
Minzhong nodded with a smile, "It has been more than a month. I have taken some medicine and it has helped a lot, but I still feel weak and lethargic."
Jiuli withdrew her hand, and Qiao Zuo walked back to the lower seat in deep thought. "That's right. I see that the pulse is deep, weak, and difficult to circulate, which is a sign of a long-term illness. The medicine from the Imperial Medical Bureau must be good. However, the Prince Consort's face is gloomy and his forehead is congested, which is a sign of lingering yin energy. It cannot be cured by taking medicine alone."
As he spoke, he winked at Zhang Da, who immediately understood. Seeing Minzhong frowning in thought, he deliberately asked Jiuli, "What does 'entangled in yin energy' mean?"
Jiuli turned and sat down. “There are many different interpretations of this, all sorts of strange ones. For example, our doctors say that at this time of year, the weather is freezing cold, which is considered Yin. But in Feng Shui, the north side of a mountain and the south side of a river are considered Yin. Or, in the realm of ghosts and spirits, ghosts are considered Yin. It’s often said that a ghost’s spirit is lingering and can cause a person to be ill for a long time.”
Minzhong's eyelids twitched, and he raised his face to force a smile. "I've never believed in these things."
Jiuli could only give an awkward smile. "I think it's because the season is too cold. If it's still not good, it will naturally get better when spring arrives and the flowers bloom." As she spoke, she picked up her tea and took a sip. "By the way, Prince Consort, I heard that you and the princess also attended the palace banquet in October?"
"The princess and I will naturally attend the palace banquet."
"That palace maid who died that night," Jiu Li paused, then turned to Zhang Da and muttered, "what was her name—"
Zhang Da was about to speak, but seeing Jiu Li's expression, he swallowed his words and pretended to recall as well. Unexpectedly, at that moment, Min Zhong blurted out, "Jiang Shuqiang."
"Yes, yes, Jiang Shuqiang!" Jiuli's mind popped into her head, and she turned to him with a chuckle. "Does the Prince Consort know this Jiang Shuqiang?"
Suddenly, a soft voice drifted in from behind the screen in front of the door, "A mere palace maid, who recognizes her?"
Zhang Da, the Nine Carp, looked closely and saw a radiant young woman walking in. She had slanted eyes, an arrogant expression, and gave the two of them a haughty glance. She walked to the smokehouse next to Chu Minzhong's chair, stretched out her hands, and slowly turned the smoked food over and over. During this time, she turned her head and glanced at Minzhong. Minzhong paused for a moment before slowly getting up.
It turned out that this was Princess Xiangyuan. Jiuli and Zhang Dayi also stood up to pay their respects, but Xiangyuan acted as if she hadn't heard them and continued to warm her hands. After a while, a maid brought in tea and placed it on the table. Only then did Xiangyuan walk to the chair to the left of Minzhong and sit down, still holding her hands in front of her and looking at him. Her lips seemed too lazy to open or close, and she mumbled "No need for formalities." Minzhong then sat down again.
Zhang Da didn't dare sit down and remained standing in the hall. After a while, Xiang Yuan lowered her hand, looked at Jiu Li, and smiled lightly. "You're the Jiu Li girl that Father Emperor sent to investigate the case? I heard about you yesterday. I heard you even went to the palace to meet the Emperor? What did Father Emperor say to you?"
Seeing that her arrogance seemed to be mixed with a bit of hostility, Jiuli could only nod and glance at her, whispering, "The Emperor didn't say anything, but he told us that this case concerns Prince Zhao, and that we, whether we are imperial relatives or high-ranking officials, should investigate and question as necessary, and not ignore important clues because of fear of the Emperor."
As expected, Xiang Yuan's expression changed, and she gave her a forced smile, saying, "Father is right. The one who was wronged in this case is my own brother. You must investigate thoroughly, otherwise the consequences will be so great that even eight heads wouldn't be enough to kill you. Ask whatever you want, but make sure you get the answers you need."
Jiuli dared to raise her head, "The princess just said that she did not recognize the deceased?"
Xiang Yuan nodded casually. "There are one or two thousand maids in the palace. I've lived in the palace for so many years, and I only recognize the people in my own palace. What's so strange about not recognizing her?"
“That’s true. A princess of noble birth would never know such insignificant people.” Jiu Li chuckled twice, glancing at Min Zhong out of the corner of her eye. He was sipping his tea politely, seemingly not listening. Jiu Li then looked away and asked with a smile, “I heard that the princess and her husband left midway through the evening banquet to rest in the back hall of the Azure Bird Pavilion for a while?”
Xiang Yuan scraped the teacup outside, "Since you already know, why are you asking?"
Jiuli still tried her best to smile and said, "The palace servants who were serving at the time didn't remember exactly when the princess and her husband left and returned, so I asked them."
Suddenly, Xiangyuan slammed the teacup down at her feet, furious. "Are you implying that the Prince Consort and I are being sidelined in the palace, with even the palace servants indifferent to us? Is that what you mean?!"
Tea splashed onto Jiu Li's skirt, scalding her so much that she took a step back. Seeing the situation was bad, Zhang Da quickly stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "Please forgive me, Princess!" He then turned to Jiu Li, winking and pulling her down to kneel as well.
Jiuli had no choice but to lower her head and beg for forgiveness, "Please forgive me, Your Highness, for my slip of the tongue."
The atmosphere was tense for a moment before the prince consort, who had been silent for half a day, finally spoke with a smile, "Don't be afraid, the princess doesn't mean to blame you. It's just that the princess has been unable to eat or sleep lately because of the prince's affairs, so naturally she's been a bit irritable. Don't take it to heart. Please get up."
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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