Wen Jufeng (Part 4)
The backyard of Dali Temple was always peaceful, so peaceful that it was unremarkable, as if not even a breeze could get in. But at this moment, a tree was being shaken and swaying incessantly.
Chen Zhuangmu quickly straightened up and pulled Li Chu back. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Miao Zhubu's figure disappear from the window she had climbed out of.
"Princess," Li Chu said, her voice tinged with grievance, "Are you in pain?"
"You're pouting, yet you're concerned about whether I'm in pain?" Chen Zhuangmu smiled faintly, touching her back, which was numb and painful.
She must have been in such a hurry that she scraped herself against the window when she jumped down; that would have made too much noise, otherwise even Registrar Miao wouldn't have heard it.
She didn't take this small matter to heart and said to Li Chu, "We need to hurry back to the copying room."
Li Chu agreed, carefully avoiding the area above Chen Zhuangmu's back, wrapped her arms around her waist, and used her light-footed skills to arrive at their destination silently.
As far as Shen Zhuangmu knew, all the clerks had something to do today and had taken leave. If it wasn't urgent, no one would come, which was why she dared to leave so boldly.
We couldn't find the case file today, so we'll have to wait for another opportunity.
Soon after, Chen Zhuangmu regretted not having asked Li Chu to help classify the case files.
She stared at the stacks of case files on the desk, secretly marveling at how many unsolved cases there were. Huijing seemed peaceful and tranquil, so when did so many cases start?
I randomly flipped through a booklet, and it turned out to be about events that happened just recently. Every tiny handwriting revealed a person's hidden resentment.
She tried hard to identify the types on the list, distinguishing all the important items, and reorganized and copied them, not even noticing when Li Chu handed her the fruit.
Li Chu sighed and didn't bother her anymore, so she just put it in her own mouth and ate it.
After finishing a stack of makeup, Chen felt a bit hungry and thought she should eat something to tide her over. She reached out to Li Chu, but after a while, she didn't find anything in her hand.
She looked back in confusion and saw Li Chu looking embarrassed. "Princess, I accidentally finished eating."
Chen Zhuangmu chuckled, then showed off her work to Li Chu, raising her head and saying, "Look, I've already finished all of this!"
"Your Highness is truly capable," Li Chu praised appropriately, adding, "At this speed, she could probably finish everything in two days!"
Just then, a person pushed a creaking little cart piled high with case files, swaying precariously, and slowly came to a stop in front of Shen Zhuangmu.
The man patted the file and said, "Clerk Shen, there are still these. You can sort them out first, and I'll bring the rest later."
Watching the person walk away, Chen Zhuangmu's eyes widened as she silently roared, "What! There's more!"
That wasn't just some, it was stacks, piles, and piles...
Li Chu frowned and said, "How can there be so many?"
Chen Zhuangmu, completely devoid of her morning energy, nodded resignedly and said, "I heard there were originally two clerks, but later there was only one left. It must be because there was a backlog of work that they hadn't had time to organize."
I just learned how to do makeup today, so I'm taking my time. By noon, I'd only managed to put together one and a half stacks.
A snore drifted in from beside her; Li Chu was already fast asleep, sprawled out on the chair. Chen Zhuangmu walked over and gently patted her awake, saying, "Time to eat."
Li Chu yawned, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and nodded.
The sky is no longer a cold, lifeless gray; it has become more colorful with the passage of time. Sunlight shines through the window onto the food, making it look even more delicious.
Unfortunately, when Chen Zhuangmu arrived at the dining hall, it was already empty.
Miao, the registrar, stuffed rice into his mouth and said, "Oh, Princess, we thought..."
He didn't say anything more. Shen Zhuangmu understood what was going on, waved her hand and said with a smile, "I'm just passing by, just passing by."
Before she could finish speaking, she had already stepped out of the cafeteria and said anxiously to Li Chu, "Li Chu, I'm hungry."
Li Chu agreed and turned to run away, thinking she should go back and tidy up her desk first.
"Recorder Shen." A male voice came.
Chen Zhuangmu turned her head and saw a young man dressed in blue clothes, without any jewelry. He was neither humble nor arrogant, with a dignified posture and bright eyes.
She knew without a doubt that this was the famous Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhang Jiao.
This is the role model for young people recognized by the people of Huijing. He is the son of the Right Minister of Justice. He studied diligently from a young age, became the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination, and entered the Court of Judicial Review for two years. Due to his success in solving many strange cases, he was promoted directly to Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
He was neither arrogant nor flamboyant, and he rarely frequented music venues; he was the "perfect child in his parents' eyes."
That's what everyone in Huijing is saying; there are almost as many people spreading the rumors as there are people spreading them about her. It's hard for Chen Zhuangmu not to know.
She bowed and walked over, but Zhang Jiao turned around and looked up at the sky. She asked, "What is it, Shaoqing?"
“You will go to the scene today,” he said.
"Me?" She wondered if she had misheard. "Isn't this the Sizhi's business?"
“They all have urgent matters to attend to, and I will send someone with you.”
"But I still have a lot of files to organize."
"Let's go to the scene first." Zhang Jiao said, then turned and left.
Chen Zhuangmu almost rolled her eyes. According to her, there are eight Sizhi in the Dali Temple. If none of the eight Sizhi can spare the time, are they sure it's not targeting her?
But he was also nervous because there was a real emergency case, and worried that something might have happened to the magistrate, which could delay the investigation and wrongly accuse an innocent person.
The rules established by Qun Chao two years ago now require that cases from the county be repeatedly investigated by the Dali Temple. For minor cases in rural areas, everyone tries to shirk responsibility, and a series of standard regulations have been formulated.
She had to go to the left and right of the makeup room anyway, and comforted herself inwardly, "Whatever I do, I'll do it anyway."
As she watched people leave the canteen one by one, she grew anxious outside. A short while later, someone stood before her and said, "I am truly ashamed to have kept Registrar Shen waiting for so long. My surname is Li, and I am from the Department of Ceremonies. The Vice Minister said that today is your first day on duty, so I will go with Registrar Shen."
Chen Zhuangmu quickly agreed, but was too embarrassed to say that she was waiting for Li Chu, not for him.
Li Siwu smiled, revealing eight large teeth, and said, "Then let's not delay, let's go now. Otherwise, the people in the county will get impatient."
With a wry smile, Chen Zhuangmu agreed, only to see the apricot-colored figure she had been longing for rushing towards her.
She walked quickly towards Li Chu. "Li Chu, give me the fruit."
“I heard someone was checking for red spots on a woman’s arm at her house,” Li Chu said, handing a small cloth bag to Chen Zhuangmu. “Could it be that there’s an infectious disease in the city?”
Chen Zhuangmu took the document and put it into her crossbody bag. She said to Li Chu, "I have to go out for a bit. You eat first. Please put away my files for me. I'll organize them when I get back."
Li Chu asked in bewilderment, "What is the princess going out for? No, I want to go with the princess too."
Chen Zhuangmu waved her hand, "Don't worry, this trip is on official business." She leaned close to Li Chu's ear and said, "Besides, I have hidden weapons."
Li Chu watched as her princess left the house, but she was no longer in such a hurry.
If you want to find her, you're sure to find her princess.
Crooked trees rushed past, and even the chirping of birds in the trees was incomplete. The scenery before my eyes became a complete blur, and clattering sounds filled my ears.
She pulled her head back into the carriage, determined not to look any further, or she would surely vomit.
But as soon as she pulled back, she wanted to take another look. Although she had traveled far before, it was all to find a cure for poison. In the past three years, she had been either in a carriage or confined to a house, where she could neither be exposed to the wind nor get wet in the rain. Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.
As the horse braked suddenly, her head slammed against the side of the carriage with a thud.
Is this really not a trial by fire?
“Recorder Shen, we’ve arrived.”
Chen Zhuangmu pinched her philtrum, tidied her hair and clothes, and forced herself to get off the carriage as if nothing was wrong.
What comes into view is a row of small trees and a narrow path; the rest are tall trees.
Investigating a case here is truly a bit creepy.
Li Siwu said with his hands behind his back, "Let's meet up with the county magistrate first."
Chen Zhuangmu agreed and followed behind Li Siwu, sighing at the wonderful life she had before she took the job.
The county magistrate already knew that a princess favored by the emperor had gone to the Dali Temple. Although she was the descendant of a treacherous minister, His Majesty doted on her so much that the court officials had been at odds with her for three months in order to ensure she could continue to hold her title as a princess.
The woman before me had her hair styled in a high bun, adorned with a few hairpins. She wore a light white long-sleeved shirt and a blue pleated skirt. On the left side of her skirt hung a white jade pendant with a floral design.
She looked thin and delicate, with an ethereal beauty. She walked as if she didn't lift her legs, and her complexion wasn't very good. This person must be a princess.
So they all walked forward at the same time and bowed to greet each other.
Li Siwu raised an eyebrow and, who was originally directly in front of Shen Zhuangmu, shifted slightly to the right to return the greeting.
Chen Zhuangmu bowed in return, then stood up straight without saying a word.
"Then let's go in first," said the county constable.
The remaining people readily agreed, but the narrow path only allowed two people to walk side by side.
“Princess, please go first,” said another county constable.
Chen Zhuangmu smiled and said, "This humble official does not know where it is."
"Oh, yes, then we're up ahead?" The third county constable took the opportunity to turn around and look at her, raising one eyelid to carefully examine her expression.
Chen Zhuangmu gritted her teeth and said, "You can just call me Chen Lushi. I'll follow you. Let's get going and set off quickly."
With that statement and seeing Chen Zhuangmu's attitude, they felt relieved.
They were indeed walking very fast, constantly traveling between various parts of Huizhou and Jingzhou, so naturally, someone like Chen Zhuangmu couldn't keep up. She unknowingly fell behind, and just then, she took a fruit from her bag, ate it, and hurried to catch up.
They wandered around and came to a dense forest, surrounded by dilapidated low houses that had not been inhabited for many years.
The county constable had been circling around and shouted, "Not even a bird is being pulled..." Before he could finish speaking, someone slapped him hard across the face. The person who slapped him looked at the shawl and gestured for him to shut up.
She pretended not to see it, her face hidden behind a mask.
County Commandant Zhu said, "The person who reported the case said it was found here, in Stone Village, in the wasteland. We've checked, but there are no traces around."
Li, the clerk, laughed and said, "Would the murderer be so stupid as to leave no trace and wait for us to investigate?"
"You're so sarcastic!" This county official was quick to anger.
Chen Zhuangmu watched as Li Siwu was writing something, so she went to look around herself, but as expected, she found no clues.
Villagers wouldn't come to this place. The only strange thing is that the surrounding weeds are withered and have stopped growing, but the woods to the left of where the body was located are lush and green. Assuming there is a river nearby, shouldn't there be more villagers around? Can the trees grow this tall just from a water source? Perhaps there are birds roosting there.
Li Siwu and Chen Zhuangmu separated to take notes, and she unknowingly walked into the woods.
"Recorder Shen!" Li the steward called to her. "Come back, don't go in."
Chen Zhuangmu agreed and then walked back, holding onto the tree branch.
Just then, they heard a rhythmic sound of footsteps, and it sounded like quite a few people were coming.
A man dressed in a royal blue brocade robe with dark patterns and arrow-shaped sleeves, with a black jade pendant at his waist that flicked and swung, and a few streaks of blood on his nose, which only made him look more stunning.
His actions startled everyone around him.
Especially those three county constables, who could only stammer and not utter a complete sentence.
It was Li Siwu who stepped forward and said, "Deputy Envoy, we don't know martial arts, so we won't cause you any trouble."
Having said that, he turned and ran away. This left the county constables speechless.
Zhao Yi hadn't noticed the commotion, but then he realized something, turned to look at Chen Zhuangmu, and said, "Aren't you going to run?"
She agreed and turned to run away, but as far as she knew, Zhao Yi was quite skilled in martial arts. She had just noticed that when he was standing, blood was trickling down his right leg.
The attackers were either highly skilled in martial arts or numerous in number; such an assassination attempt was bound to kill Zhao Yi.
After running for a while, Chen Zhuangmu knew that she would be discovered sooner or later because of her speed. Taking a gamble, she turned around and hid in a small house. She could see the movement over there through the crack in the window. If someone came this way, she could use the crack to throw a hidden weapon.
She peeked through the crack and saw Zhao Yi not hiding his sword, but gripping it tightly. At the same time, the three county constables had also vanished.
A dozen or so people stood opposite Zhao Yi, standing firmly in orderly ranks, clearly professionally trained assassins.
"How much money did he give you? I'll give you double." Zhao Yi shouted this at them. They didn't answer at all and instead swooped down, swords aimed straight at Zhao Yi's face.
Zhao Yi dodged by leaning back, and with his sword thrust down, he stabbed a row of assassins in the waist and abdomen. But the assassins seemed unaffected, straightened up without taking a break, and immediately started fighting again.
After exchanging more than a dozen blows with Zhao Yi, the group realized they couldn't kill him and began to form a battle formation.
Zhao Yi frowned and stood there with his sword, saying, "What's the point of all this fancy stuff?"
These words were an immense insult to a martial artist. As soon as the words were spoken, a man from the center of the group drew his sword and charged straight at Zhao Yi. Zhao Yi spotted the man's weakness, bent down, and pierced the man's waist and abdomen. He knew without even looking that the man was doomed.
With one key person missing from their formation, the group of men in black inevitably panicked for a moment. Zhao Yi seized this opportunity, charged straight into the group of men in black, and wreaked havoc.
The men in black weren't stupid. They didn't care that Zhao Yi had gotten two great deals for free. For them, losing one or two comrades was nothing; the important thing was to live and get the money.
Zhao Yi was surrounded again, and neither side dared to make a move easily.
She couldn't see anything from the side of the curtain, and she squatted by the window anxiously, almost breaking the jade pendant in her hands.
After a long standoff, one of the men in black made a gesture, and they all rushed forward. Zhao Yi blocked with his sword, but was pushed back a meter. Suddenly, he stopped with a kick, turned around and kicked the first man in black away, and ran straight into the side path.
As the crowd drew closer, Chen Zhuangmu's heart leaped into her throat. Just then, two men simultaneously slashed at Zhao Yi with their swords. Chen Zhuangmu aimed at the black-clad man's sword and fired a hidden weapon.
With a loud "whoosh," Zhao Yi was kicked into the room.
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