Chapter 19: Shaoqing of Dali Temple
At the gate of the Dali Temple, the Xiezhi squatted majestically, and the police were guarding the black lacquered yamen.
The door that people used to avoid is now crowded with idle people.
Several yamen runners were applying glue and posting the verdicts. Those crowded in front of the list waited eagerly, while those at the back eagerly asked, "Is this the case involving the husband of the Lingling County Lady? Who is the murderer?"
"Is it Jintang or Meng Lanxi? I'm so anxious! I bet a full two strings of cash on Meng Lanxi!"
"It's only two strings of cash, so be content. I bet thirty strings of cash on Yu Guangling, and I lost everything!"
"Hahaha, I'm betting on Ji Linyou. He's a martial artist and can fight and carry. Even if everyone else dies, he'll be unscathed!"
Amidst the clamor, the notice was covered in paste, and the officers lifted it up by the four corners, about to stick it on the wall.
"Stop!" At this moment, a horse rushed to the gate of Dali Temple and stopped outside the crowd, and a woman's voice sounded to stop.
Qiandeng jumped off the horse, and the guards accompanying her separated the crowd for her.
The yamen runners saw that she was dressed in plain white and wearing a veil hat, but her whole demeanor was definitely not that of an ordinary person, so they stopped what they were doing to post the notices.
"Who stopped the Dali Temple from posting notices?"
"I'm not trying to stop you, I just want you to wait a moment. After all, this case is closely related to my Changhua Palace." Qiandeng's breath was still a little unstable, and he tried to speak gently.
A yamen runner had seen her at the Imperial College and asked tentatively, "Is this... the Princess of Lingling County?"
The guard immediately said, "It's my county lady. You'd better not post that notice yet!"
While the yamen runners were hesitating, Qian Deng said again, "Please inform me that I need to see your Shaoqing Gao."
The yamen runners looked at each other in confusion and put aside the pasted notice.
Someone said, "Our Gao Shaoqing has already concluded this case, and the criminal has confessed the truth. Even the saints praised our government for its efficient handling..."
Seeing that they were unwilling to help him, Qian Deng went straight to the gatehouse and said, "Please let me know that I need to see your Shaoqing Gao."
The doormen had already heard the noise outside and now stood there with their heads hunched over, their faces filled with helplessness. "Please go back, County Lady. I'm afraid Gao Shaoqing is unwilling, unable, and will not see you."
"Why?" Qiandeng frowned slightly.
A younger gatekeeper laughed and said, "The county lady, go and ask around. Gao Shaoqing is no longer in the yamen."
Qiandeng frowned slightly, wondering what it meant when Temple Secretary Nie Hezheng hurried out with dark circles under his eyes. He bowed to her and pleaded, "County Lady, please go back. The whole yamen has been busy all night long over this case. Gao Shaoqing, even at his age, dragged his frail body through the interrogation all night. Fortunately, we made it to the early morning and the criminal finally confessed. The case file was presented to the Emperor early that morning, and His Majesty commended him in person. Isn't this case closed? What else can the County Lady do to stir up trouble?"
As he spoke, resentment filled his eyes, and it was as unconcealable as his tone.
Qian Deng said, "I know your company has been working hard, but this is a matter of life and death. How can you, because of your hard work and pressure from above, rush to hold someone accountable, disregard the truth, and create a false case?"
Nie Hezheng's voice also turned cold. "I wonder why the county lady feels that what we have uncovered is not the truth? Meng Lanxi committed murder, and you and many others caught him red-handed, with the murder weapon in his hand. The deceased also left a note identifying him. The evidence is solid, and the clues are all there. Now that the county lady says it's not him, then who is the real murderer?"
Qian Deng was speechless for a moment. He pursed his lips and pondered for a moment before asking, "Did Meng Lanxi really confess last night? Did he admit to murdering someone?"
"Yes, it's written in black and white, clearly and distinctly, with signatures and seals. The motive for the crime is fully confessed, and the entire process is clearly laid out. Otherwise, how could we dare to close the case?" Nie Hezheng spread his hands, expressing his honesty while also blocking her way to the Dali Temple. "County Lady, please understand. Everyone in the Dali Temple has worked tirelessly to give you an explanation. Now that the palace and the court have given their approval, if you raise any doubts, we really don't know what to do..."
"Human life is at stake. Even if you are doing this for the sake of this county lady, the case is still unclear. I don't think it's right to hastily declare it closed!" Qian Deng raised his hand to push his arm away and was about to step into the yamen.
The temple secretary insisted on stopping him, saying, "Even if you are the county lady, trespassing into the government office is a violation of the court's laws. Please respect yourself and return home as soon as possible."
The doorman next to her also came up to block the door. Although he didn't dare to raise his hand to push her, seeing the way they formed a human wall to defend the Dali Temple, there was no way Qiandeng could rush in. She could only turn around helplessly.
Just as I turned around, I heard the sound of horses and carriages.
At the foot of the stairs, the Dali Temple bus was slowly stopping, the door half open, revealing a corner of a crimson official uniform.
Gao Dexun, the senior official in the Dali Temple, is just a figurehead. Now, of course, the only red-robed official in the Dali Temple who can ride the bus is Gao Shaoqing.
It turned out that he was indeed not in the government office. Qian Deng's mind turned to another thought, and she immediately lifted the hem of her skirt, strode down the stairs, and headed straight for the bus.
The driver of the Dali Temple was pushing open the door, and the young official in red clothes leaned over and stepped out of the car.
He was tall and slender, although a little thin, but his long arms and legs made the carriage seem cramped. When he got out of the carriage, he lowered his head much more than others. Qiandeng, who was standing on the steps, could not see his face at all.
I didn't notice Gao Shaoqing the last time I saw him, but he was actually so tall and slender - although Qiandeng had a flash of thought in his mind, he didn't stop and pounced down in a hurry.
"Shaoqing Gao, the Meng Lanxi case must not be closed perfunctorily. I believe there must be something else going on..." Knowing that he was old and deaf, Qian Deng raised his voice.
"County Lady, why are you so stubborn..." Nie Hezheng and the yamen runners rushed forward from behind her, trying to stop her.
Qiandeng dodged them but missed a step on the stairs. The sound of wind rang in her ears and she fell to the ground unexpectedly.
Fortunately, she had three years of hard training and had some basic skills, so she immediately took a big step and jumped down the stairs, avoiding a fall. However, her balance was already lost, and she stumbled and fell towards the Scarlet-robed Shaoqing below.
Amidst the onlookers' groans, the man who had just gotten off the carriage hastily raised his hand to help her. In a panic, Qiandeng's hand pressed hard on his chest. He groaned softly and was then pressed against the wall of the carriage by her.
It was as if the pain from the old wound that had not yet healed was aggravated by her poking.
Before he could think about it, her body, which was rushing forward uncontrollably, was already pressed against him.
The veils on their heads were tilted, and only a thin layer of white gauze separated them. The two of them pressed their bodies together, cheeks touching, and pressed against the wall of the car in an extremely intimate posture, which made everyone around them gasp. In the huge Yamen Street intersection, you could hear a pin drop.
"Lingling County Princess..."
She heard the voice of the person beneath her, whispering softly in her ears, cold and low, so familiar.
And the broad shoulders that her hands were resting on, the fair neck that her cheek was pressed against, no matter how you looked at it...it was impossible that this was the elderly Gao Shaoqing.
Qian Deng's heart suddenly became trembling with fear, and he looked up -
The Dali Temple Shaoqing who was pressed against the car wall by her in public was actually Cui Fufeng.
As for the old wound on her chest that she was pressing, it was of course the knife wound that had not yet healed when he saved her in the cold pond that night.
Qiandeng quickly straightened up, took several steps back, and held down the veil on her head tightly to prevent others from seeing her red face.
Unfortunately, the surroundings, which had been silent for a moment, were suddenly in uproar.
"Throwing herself into someone's arms in public... Tsk tsk, she's truly worthy of being the Princess of Lingling County, who has ten fiancés!"
"I already have eight in the backyard and it's not enough. Do I need another one?"
"Ridiculous! Young Master Cui is the future head of the Cui family of Boling. How could he possibly marry into the Changhua Palace?"
Amid the discussions, Cui Fufeng frowned slightly. The yamen runners beside him understood and immediately shouted to disperse all the idle people.
Cui Fufeng bowed to Qiandeng and said, "I'm sorry, the county lady was frightened."
Even though Qian Deng had witnessed many grand occasions, his mind was still slow at this moment: "You...you were transferred to the Dali Temple? Where's Gao Shaoqing?"
Cui Fufeng gestured for her to follow him inside and explained, "Gao Shaoqing, feeling his age, has retired to his hometown. This morning, he will complete the Guangling and Zheng Junshan cases, and I will take over."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com