Chapter 146 Leaving the Capital (Thirty) They all pretended nothing was wrong. ...
Shortly after, the guard who had entered the mansion led out a man in his early thirties, who said he was the gatekeeper. The man's surname was Wang. After Song Wen made a brief introduction, Yu Qi asked directly, "Manager Wang, I just want to ask if you know about the loss of your prince's dagger?"
The steward said, "Who in the whole mansion doesn't know? We searched every nook and cranny of the mansion for those few days, and we also looked in all the places the prince had been, but we just couldn't find it! Later, the prince said that if we couldn't find it, then we let it go."
Jiuli squeezed forward, "There's nothing outside, and nothing inside the manor either. Could it be that a thief broke into the manor? Think carefully, who came to the manor the day before the prince lost his dagger?"
"It seems that two officials from the Ministry of Rites came that morning, and the princess came in the afternoon. That's about it."
Jiuli and Yuqi exchanged a glance, and then Yuqi smiled and said, "Thank you for your help, Steward Wang and Deputy Commander Song. I have no further questions, so I'll take my leave now."
Steward Wang bowed and went inside, while Yu Qi continued to lead Jiu Li down the steps. With two long, drawn-out creaks, Jiu Li looked back at the two tightly closed doors, the setting sun shining obliquely on them, turning the dull red into a fiery and intense heat.
After the sun had been shining for most of the day, the snow in the streets had long since melted into mud, but it was still piled high on the roadside. She hadn't noticed it when she came, but on the way back, Jiuli saw that the hem of her skirt was slightly wet. She held onto the hem of her skirt and still refused to hire a carriage, insisting on walking back with Yuqi. Yuqi had no choice but to go with her.
She stood close to Yu Qi, saying as they walked, "The prince should have met the two officials in the hall or the study. Only the princess is allowed to enter and leave the prince's bedroom. Could it be that she took the dagger?"
Yu Qi crossed his arms. "That's possible, but we need to figure out one thing first: what does she want that dagger for? Is it really to frame someone for murder? Qi Xubai was right when he said that Princess Yuan and Prince Zhao were adopted by the Emperor when they were young. The two siblings depended on each other in the palace and had a deep bond. What is her motive for framing her own brother?"
After thinking for a while, Jiuli still couldn't figure it out, so she could only think about the immediate problem first. "Let's not think that far ahead. If she didn't take the dagger to frame someone, then why? In my opinion, it's a relic of Prince Ping. She is also Prince Ping's biological daughter. Could it be that she saw the dagger by chance, thought of her father, and secretly took it home as a keepsake?"
"Why take it now of all times? Besides, Prince Ping is no ordinary family. He must have left behind many keepsakes. Why should she, as his sister, insist on fighting with her brother for the same thing?"
That makes sense, doesn't it? After listening, Jiuli felt that her explanation was a bit far-fetched, but she couldn't think of any other reason for the moment. Could it be that she was just grasping at straws in her desperation? She sighed and looked straight into the long alley.
Huh? We came from two main streets, how did we end up in this alley?
Yu Qi said, "I'll take you somewhere."
"Where is it?"
You'll know when you get there.
Walking straight out of the alley, you'll find yourself on another bustling street. Walk to the end of this street, turn left, and after a short walk, you'll arrive at the gate of a mansion. Looking up, you'll see no plaque, but the lanterns on either side bear the character "全" (Quan), indicating it was once the Quan Mansion. Xu Bai had told me that the Emperor had ordered the renovation of this mansion and assigned several palace servants to live and guard it.
Do you remember this house?
Jiuli peeked through the crack in the door, but a rockery behind it blocked her view. Not to mention the house, even in her mother's hazy memories, she only saw a slender and indifferent figure from behind. If it weren't for everyone saying that they looked exactly alike, she would never have been able to imagine what her mother looked like.
Her heart sank, and she stepped back, shaking her head. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Don't you want to see your old home?"
What's so interesting about it?
She turned to walk down the stone steps, but Yu Qi grabbed her arm and said, "Go in and pay your respects to your mother."
"We should pay our respects at her grave after everything is settled."
"That tomb was just a cenotaph; she was reduced to ashes in the fire long ago."
She thought about how she had been nameless since birth, and that Yu Qi had given her a name later. She always felt a bit awkward and uncomfortable towards her mother. But a mother is a mother after all. Hearing these words, she felt a pang of sadness, and her eyes involuntarily reddened. She stared blankly as Yu Qi went up to knock on the door, and a certain expectation gradually arose in her heart.
To her dismay, she knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered. It seemed that this mansion was usually deserted, and the gatekeeper was not on duty. Jiu Li felt disappointed again, tucking her hands tightly into her sleeves, and followed Yu Qi toward the street. After a while, she remembered something, turned around and looked back for a long time, but did not see Yang Qingnian's figure.
Meanwhile, Yang Qingnian followed the two men to the Prince Zhao's residence, not daring to approach. He only saw the two men summon a servant from the residence to question them, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He thought to himself, "Whatever, judging from their afternoon discussion, this case seems to be related to the princess. I might as well take this opportunity to send a message to Chen Jiatong, and I'll receive a reward."
So he walked to the Chen residence with slumped shoulders, only to be told by a servant that Chen Jia had gone to Lushan Hutong. Years ago, Chen Jia had purchased a house in Lushan Hutong, originally intended for entertaining friends. Built in the style of Jiangnan, it was shaded by green trees and evergreen, hence the name "Emerald Garden".
Since Chen Jia returned to the capital to recover from his injuries, he had changed his previously lustful ways and started keeping several singers and servants in this garden, where he would seek pleasure whenever he had nothing to do. Yang Qingnian followed the path and told the servant at the gate his purpose. The servant went in to report and soon returned to invite him into the courtyard.
Upon reaching the outside of the room, he could see a lavish couch facing the door. A young and graceful woman sat reclining on the couch, Chen Jia lying on his back with his head resting on her lap, his mouth open. The woman slowly fed him segments of a peeled orange. On the footstool beneath the couch, another woman sat playing the pipa. As the music became more melodious, Chen Jia also popped a peeled orange into her mouth.
Yang Qingnian pondered to himself, "I heard that Master Chen has lost his manhood, yet he's here having fun with all these beautiful women. No wonder people say that palace eunuchs have the most tricks up their sleeves. Although Master Chen didn't become a eunuch, I imagine he's just like them after he's washed his clothes."
He was secretly mocking and disdainful in his heart when he tripped over the threshold and fell into the hall, eliciting a series of alluring and charming laughs from the two women.
Chen Jia then sat up from the woman's lap, pulled the woman down to sit on the couch with him, and glared at the person lying on the ground with a sinister smile. "Steward Yang, if you didn't come here today for something important, I'll blame you for ruining my good mood."
Yang Qingnian hurriedly got up and knelt down, saying, "Whether it's serious or not, I don't know. I just need to come and tell you as soon as I get any news, Second Master."
"Speak."
"It seems they've traced it back to Princess Yuan and her husband. This afternoon I overheard them talking in the room about how the princess and her husband had also left the table when the incident happened, and they even seemed to know the dead palace maid, but they deny it! Don't you think that's strange?"
Chen Jia got up from the couch with a frown on her face and slowly paced around him.
He just craned his neck, his eyes following his every move. "Right after saying that, Mr. Yu and Miss Jiuli went to Prince Zhao's residence, without taking our Second Master with them. Second Master sent me to secretly follow them, and I went along. I saw them call out a servant from the Prince's residence and say something, but I didn't hear what they said." As he spoke, he put on a smile. "Second Master Chen, is what I said important or not?"
Chen Jia glanced at him for a moment, then smiled slightly with a twitch at the corner of his mouth. He turned and walked back to the couch. "Give him fifty taels of silver!"
The servant guarding the door hurriedly agreed, and Yang Qingnian kowtowed several times before taking his leave. He then relayed these words to Xu Bai. Xu Bai dismissed him, lit a lamp, and lingered alone in the room. At this critical juncture, instead of investigating Consort Chen, they were investigating the princess's husband. If it turned out that he truly had no connection with Consort Chen, wouldn't all their efforts be wasted?
After thinking it over, he took a lantern and went to the guest courtyard, only to find that the main house was not lit, but only the east wing room had a flickering candlelight. He walked to the corridor and listened, and found that Yu Qi was in that room.
All that could be heard was Jiu Li chewing something, asking hastily, "Brother Zhang hasn't come back yet, could something have happened?"
"No, Zhang Da has some martial arts skills. Ordinary petty thieves can't make things difficult for him." Yu Qi sat at one end of the couch, peeling roasted chestnuts and handing one to her as he peeled them.
"What if the princess accidentally discovers him there, and then uses that as an excuse to punish him?"
He chuckled softly, "The princess resents you. Even if she wants to punish someone under some pretext, she'll have to inform you first so you can plead for her. Otherwise, how can she make things difficult for you?"
That's true. Zhang Da was insignificant to the princess. According to the princess, Yu Jiuli was the mastermind! As she was thinking this, she accidentally choked on a chestnut. In her haste, she picked up her tea and drank it, but the tea was still hot from being brewed. She quickly spat it out, soaking her front of her clothes.
Yu Qi took out a handkerchief and handed it to him, saying, "Go change your clothes. You change your clothes so many times a day." After saying that, he got up to leave.
Jiuli hurriedly threw the handkerchief on the couch and ran to pull him, "Please sit down a little longer and talk to me. It's still early, I can't sleep."
Hearing that delicate voice from outside the window, Xu Bai felt a lump in his throat. Afraid that Yu Qi would actually come out and bump into him, he could only leave quietly with a gloomy expression.
Unexpectedly, Yu Qi did not come out, so he sat back on the couch and said, "Then you should change your clothes first."
Jiuli stepped inside the screen, loosened her belt, and turned to look at him. He deliberately avoided her gaze, his hand crunching chestnut shells on the kang table. The sound was soft, but it sent a shiver down her spine. Feeling embarrassed, she went and lowered the curtains hanging on both sides of the screen.
Two lamps were lit at the head and foot of the bed, and through their light, her graceful silhouette could be seen. Since Du Zhong's death, Yu Qi had been depressed and had not had any desires for the past half month. But when he caught a glimpse of her shadow, he felt a fire burning in his heart and stared at the shadow on the curtain even more intently.
A moment later, Jiuli hung the curtain up again, and walked towards the bed wearing only a long autumn coat and skirt. Yu Qi snapped out of his reverie and looked away, saying, "Why didn't you put on your outer cloak?"
Jiuli muttered under his breath, "There are two charcoal braziers burning inside and outside here, it's so hot wearing an outer garment."
After speaking, she felt her face burning. For some reason, as soon as she drew the curtain, she couldn't help but start thinking wildly. But they both knew that now was not the time. Du Zhong's body was still warm, and during the mourning period, how could they do whatever they wanted? Therefore, they could only pretend to be nonchalant.
After a while, Yu Qi picked up another chestnut, "Want some more?"
Fearing he would leave if she said she wasn't going to eat, she could only nod and, for no reason, lift the copper kettle from the tea stove to add water for him, while secretly glancing at him, "I wonder what time it is."
It's probably late afternoon.
"Why isn't Brother Zhang back yet?"
Didn't he just say that? He looked up and met Jiu Li's gaze.
She panicked for no reason and spilled some scalding water on his hands. Hearing him gasp, she quickly put down the pot and searched the couch for a handkerchief to wipe his hands. When Yu Qi touched the smooth skin on her hands, it felt like a beast had been knocked against its cage, a sense of impending danger rising within him.
He snatched the handkerchief from her and gestured with his chin towards her, saying, "I can do it myself. You sit down properly."
Jiuli sat quietly at the other end, but her heart was pounding wildly. She regretted keeping him, as it was also a torment for her.
Suddenly they fell silent. One was peeling chestnuts with undivided concentration, while the other ate them with rapt attention. It was like hearing the dripping of water from the eaves, drip, drip, time moving dangerously slowly.
Just then, Zhang Da returned, shouting as soon as he entered the courtyard, "Mr. Yu! Sir! Are you asleep?"
Jiuli breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly opened the door. "Uncle is here."
Zhang Da burst in, bringing with him a chill that disrupted the warm, ambiguous atmosphere in the room. Yu Qi momentarily relaxed his guard and looked at him, "Why are you in such a hurry? Did you find something?"
“The fish’s intuition is still the most accurate!” Zhang Da plopped down on the couch and simply turned the stove over to his side to warm himself. “I’ve been guarding the Prince Consort’s mansion for half a day. After dinner, I was planning to come back, but as I walked along the street, I saw a maid coming out of the side gate of the Prince Consort’s mansion, carrying a bundle and crying. It was obvious that she had been kicked out of the mansion!”
He had already taken the spot on the couch, so Jiuli had to move a stool and sit down in front of Yu Qi. "I told you we should have stirred up trouble today, and look, they chased us away. Does this girl know something?"
Zhang Da slapped his thigh suddenly, "You guessed it! I saw that girl thinking the same thing, so I secretly followed her—"
The girl's house was in an alley in the west of the city. Zhang Da followed her to the door and stopped her. Upon closer inspection, he realized that he had seen her that morning; she was the girl who had led them into the room to wait. Before it got dark, the girl recognized him as well and immediately lowered her head, muttering, "I don't know anything."
Zhang Da chuckled, "I haven't even asked you yet and you're already saying you don't know. Looks like you guessed what I was going to ask?"
The girl shook her head repeatedly, "I don't know."
"I'll find out if I ask you. What's your name?"
"Wind."
Zhang Da nodded. "Feng'er, you were still working at the Prince Consort's residence this morning, how come you've been kicked out now?"
Feng'er hesitated before raising her face. "I...I made the princess angry."
Only after asking did she learn that the princess had been ordered by the princess's mother to go to the market to buy some talismans in the afternoon. However, the old lady had just put the talismans up in the house when she angered the princess. The princess could not scold her mother-in-law, so she called Feng'er, who had bought the talismans, over and gave her a severe scolding before kicking her out of the mansion.
After listening, Zhang Da sighed, "Everyone says that the servants in the homes of princes and nobles are more respectable than the young ladies and gentlemen of ordinary families, but I don't think so. Look how difficult your job is. You were just ordered to buy something, but you were instead angered by your master. You're caught in the middle. By the way, why did your old lady ask you to buy talismans?"
Feng'er glanced at him and said, "Didn't you say this morning that the Prince Consort's illness hadn't improved because he was being haunted by a ghost?"
Zhang Da smiled knowingly and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I did say that. But these vengeful spirits don't haunt unrelated people, so has your Prince Consort wronged some dead person?"
Feng'er lowered her head and remained silent. After a while, she shook her head and said, "I don't know anything about Master's affairs."
Seeing that this girl, though not very clever, was very cautious and unwilling to speak carelessly, Zhang Da changed the subject, asking, "Didn't you come out of the palace with the princess?"
"How could I be so lucky? I was bought after the Emperor bestowed the title of Imperial Son-in-Law's wife upon me, before the Princess even arrived at the mansion. So, we maids bought from outside can be dismissed at any time."
"Since you were bought by the Prince Consort, why don't you plead with him to spare you when the princess is kicking you out?"
"The prince consort doesn't concern himself with such household matters. Apart from the princess, only the old lady manages them, but even the old lady doesn't dare to contradict the princess."
"With a princess as formidable as she is, the prince consort must be quite afraid of his wife, right?"
To everyone's surprise, the girl blushed and said, "The Prince Consort is not that kind of spineless man. Although they argue, the princess can't win against him. In small matters, the Prince Consort gives in to the princess, but in big matters, the princess lets the Prince Consort have his way."
Zhang Da chuckled casually, "What big things could happen in a family? I heard he doesn't even dare to get close to his two concubines, probably because he's afraid the princess will get jealous."
Feng'er retorted, "Who said that? Those two are just disliked by the Prince Consort. The Prince Consort, the Imperial Concubine's maid, and the princess wouldn't dare to do anything to them!" As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had misspoke and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Zhang Da smiled and said, "I've already heard it, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you said it. Since you've already let it slip, why don't you just tell me directly, is the palace maid you mentioned the one who died earlier, Shuqiang?"
Feng'er pondered that she was now either offending the princess or these imperial envoys Huang Ming. No matter how powerful the princess was, could she be more powerful than the emperor? Since she had already let it slip, she might as well just say it all.
"According to Feng'er, she didn't know any Shuqiang at first. It was only when Chu Minzhong asked her to make a ring that she received a note and asked the craftsman to engrave the words on the note on the ring. She asked the craftsman and learned that the note said the words 'Shuqiang'. It wasn't until she heard that a palace maid named Shuqiang had died that she realized the two had an affair."
After hearing this, Jiuli rolled her eyes and said, "I understand. When the prince consort enters the palace, he must be traveling with the princess. That's why Feng'er said that the princess must know, but she doesn't dare to do anything to the prince consort."
Zhang Da said disdainfully, "We saw it at the princess's residence this morning. Although the princess has a bad temper, the prince consort doesn't seem to be afraid of her at all. It seems that the princess is just an empty shell with a strong exterior but a weak interior."
That's how it is with couples; if you're strong, he's weak, and if you're weak, he's strong. Although the princess is of noble birth, Chu Minzhong is from a commoner background and has nothing to lose. Moreover, he resents Xiang Yuan for forcibly choosing him as the prince consort, thus cutting off his career aspirations. Therefore, he only gives her face in public, but doesn't really take her seriously in his heart.
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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