Chapter 32: Excessive “Of course, killing someone to replace their identity is even more inappropriate…
Luo Gao's face turned pale, and everyone else became nervous - because there were only so many people in the post station, and it could only be one or a few of them. If it was related to the theft of treasures or something else, no one would want to be involved.
They were about to deny it.
Luo Gao's expression shifted. "My lord, you misunderstood me. I'm just afraid of losing my composure in front of all of you. No matter how nervous I am, I have to clean myself up to avoid..."
Yan Siqing: "Are these the two? I remember your surnames are Chen and Zhao?"
The two simple couple had just been blaming each other and having a conflict over trivial matters, but when Yan Siqing suddenly mentioned it, everyone's attention was drawn to them. They immediately became the focus and were stunned.
Also don't give them a chance to explain.
Yan Siqing: "Your boots."
The couple looked down.
The man, Chen Shuang, said, "Just because we changed into clean boots, do you think we've been to the stables like Boss Luo? Then, aren't your and your cousin's boots cleaned?"
Ruo Zhao: "My two masters are noble, and they have a lot of clothes with them. Their boots and clothes are all clean and replaced. Can you compare? Aren't you just an ordinary couple like you claim to be? There is no contradiction in this."
Indeed, it is contradictory, unless Chen Shuang and the other person reveal their identities.
The two of them exchanged a quick glance with Luo Gao.
His wife, Zhao Li, smiled wryly and raised her hand in a bow. "Young Master, you are truly noble and capable, truly remarkable. I can't hide this from you. My husband and I are not ordinary people. We are wealthy businessmen with some assets. We live in Jixiang Garden and deal in antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. When we travel abroad for business, we often deal in confidential business secrets, which we don't want to expose. That's why we disguise ourselves as ordinary people. Changing our boots is just a habit. It has nothing to do with tonight's theft. Please don't misunderstand..."
Jixiang Garden is rich and luxurious, with layers of gardens and shockingly high land prices. Calculated in gold, it is indeed a good place that only the rich businessmen of the empire can afford to live in, second only to the residential areas where some powerful officials have their residences.
Chen Jiao: "You're just a merchant, at best you have some money, yet you're pretending to be an ordinary person? How ridiculous."
"What kind of post station is this? Each one is more packed than the other."
What a rotten mouth! He offends everyone the moment he opens his mouth.
Fu Yi's maid and Chen Jiao's followers couldn't hold back their expressions and their eyes turned black.
Fu Yi rubbed his eyebrows and subconsciously looked at Jiang Huiyan Siqing.
Chen Shuang glanced at Chen Jiao and said calmly, "Mr. Chen's fan is signed by Mr. Jianyu, a great poet and calligrapher, but it's a forgery."
Chen Jiao blushed, slammed his fan shut, and was about to retort.
Yan Siqing: "Did you deny it? That's fine, but then it'll be even harder for you to explain another thing - you two just said you were going out to discuss business in secret, and you came dressed simply. I remember when you arrived, each of you only had one soft bag, which could only hold one change of clothes at most. How did you manage to pack a second pair of boots?"
"Unless you know someone here, or someone is selling those boots, or you already have a partnership with the post station and the post station has made arrangements, or else, even if the great escort Luo gave you the boots, you changed clothes and boots, and you also agreed on a pretext to make a big deal out of this and report it to the police."
"I'm afraid the authorities and your superiors will all suspect you of engaging in backroom dealings and stealing from your employer, and then resorting to deceitful excuses once you've been exposed."
"Even with this accusation, there's no way you can tell the truth?"
Luo Gao and Chen Shuang were now at a loss, and they bowed to Yan Siqing with bitter faces.
"Young Master is amazing."
"We did meet secretly in the stables before, but it wasn't to swallow the jade pendant. Instead, we were conducting a transaction according to our original plan. The transaction in Chang'an was arranged to confuse the public. The real transaction took place here, as evidenced by the secret letters we exchanged."
"My husband and I are both prostitutes at Yuguifang."
A tongue man refers to a person who passes messages on behalf of the master in secret transactions. He is also the secret person closest to the master. He has a lot of say and represents the master's intentions. Being able to come and trade with Luo Gao is indeed in line with their planned second-level confidentiality design.
Speaking of Yuguifang, Yan Siqing and the others were familiar with it, and those who were going to Chang'an were also familiar with it. They all knew that it served the powerful people in Chang'an.
Jewelry, spices, fabrics and even secret objects exchanged from the Western Regions were basically the first to be offered to these people.
Chen Shuang is not a wealthy businessman, but a gossipmonger in Yuguifang. In fact, he is less afraid of Chen Jiao than the former.
This is because the power and background of the master behind him must be no weaker than that of Governor Zhou and the Zhou family. There is even a balance of power between them. It is impossible for them to fall out for Chen Jiao, not to mention that Chen Jiao was the one who offended them first.
Since Yuguifang was mentioned, no one except Jiang Hui dared to inquire about the identity of the superior. That was the end of it.
Yan Siqing didn't rely on Jiang Hui to break the impasse. She simply followed Chen Shuang's and Luo Gao's confession and asked, "Did you find anything during the transaction? Can I see the flying money voucher, the secret letter, and the proof of your identity as a Yuguifang official?"
She was meticulous and didn't believe everything just because of what was said on both sides, but her tone was gentle and serious and she didn't make people angry.
Moreover, Ruo Zhao stepped forward and said with a smile: "Don't worry, our eldest and ninth sons will not embezzle your belongings. They will only inspect them here and will not take them away."
"No, no, that's not the intention. We naturally trust the two gentlemen."
Is it still hard to tell who is better between the two tongue masters Chen Shuang?
I'm already wary.
Luo Gao: "Take it. This is the only way to prove the three of us are innocent. Otherwise, it will be hard to explain."
When he said this, Fuyi and the others also thought of it - before this, the Ninth Young Master pressed the matter quickly, not giving any chance to refute or make excuses, but in the end he left a gap for the couple to deny it, and he took advantage of this flaw so that they would not be able to correct their previous statements after the flaw was completely exposed.
If it was a legitimate identity and they were having a legitimate private transaction, why did they refuse to explain after the treasure was stolen and pretend that they had never met?
Because they were in the wrong, they had to give up their rights and privacy in the subsequent investigation.
Chen Shuang and Zhao Li exchanged glances. The latter took the items, placed them one by one, and sighed, "We didn't expect that as soon as Boss Luo opened the box, the 'Double-Tailed Acacia Pendant' inside was gone. The three of us were devastated. The young master probably can't understand how servants like us, sent by others, can fear the master's investigation. Moreover, to put it bluntly, the master wants to obtain this jade pendant and secretly offer it to the future Crown Prince's wife. The highlight and sincerity lie in this private matter. If our identities as servants are exposed and known to outsiders, it will not only mean that the master will lose the three thousand taels of gold and the hard work of his connections, but also lose face. It will also damage the reputation of our Yuguifang. After discussing it, the three of us had no choice but to cut our losses in time, extract ourselves, and then let Boss Luo report the case to the police to find out the whereabouts of the jade pendant."
"I never thought that I would be completely exposed in front of you, Master Jiu..."
Their frankness actually had another hidden meaning - it was exposed here, and everyone knew it, but there was a powerful force behind Yuguifang. The owner wanted to use the jade pendant to offer to the future prince's wife in the palace, and was connected to the powerful people in the palace. Anyone with a little self-knowledge would have to keep their mouths shut and not talk nonsense and tarnish the reputation of these nobles.
In fact, at this point, the jade pendant is already a trivial matter.
The key is to stop losses in time.
——————
The threat was not to the two young men of noble birth, but to others.
Even a fool like Chen Jiao understood it, let alone others, let alone Yan Siqing.
She also heard Jiang Hui's cold laugh, and was even more aware of the other party's repeated glances at her.
As if she didn't see it, she lowered her eyes to check the flying money secret letter and other items that were also placed on the table...
Jiang Hui was also watching.
The secret letter is real, from Yuguifang.
The certificate of identity of the Yuguifang Sheren is also genuine, and both the material and the mark are the same.
He had contact with Yuguifang before he dared to pretend to be a member of Yuguifang. Yan Siqing had also done business with it before. He had lived in Yancheng for a long time and had been exchanging secret letters with it for a long time, so he was quite familiar with it.
It only took a quick glance to confirm the authenticity.
As for the flying money certificate, it is an ironclad fact. It is the most practical official currency circulation item. Everything from the seal to the material is recorded in the Ministry of Revenue. If anyone can forge it, he will be a huge traitor to the empire, and the punishment will be more than just the execution of nine generations of the clan.
After looking at all three items, Jiang Hui was sure they were real, but he vaguely noticed that Yan Siqing seemed to... look at the flying money certificate twice more, and rubbed it twice with her white jade fingers, and then put it down.
Luo Gao was a little nervous, "Is there something wrong?"
Yan Siqing: "No, they are all genuine. The identities of the two servants of Yuguifang are beyond doubt. Then this exquisite box is still sealed. Did the great courier Luo close it later?"
Chen Jiao was unwilling to let others steal the show and kept wanting to get a word in. However, he felt that since he had already offended two servants, there was no need to be at a disadvantage. So he started to find fault: "The excuse of taking the people out earlier is fine, but now you're closing the exquisite box. It's not to protect the privacy of the owner of Yuguifang, right? What explanation can you give?"
Luo Gao wasn't panicking at all. He rubbed his nose and said to Yan Siqing and the others politely, "It's nothing secret. The replacement items inside shouldn't be exposed to others. I originally wanted to take them out and throw them away, but I was afraid it would delay the investigation. After all, the government investigation requires a complete investigation of all the characters and the cause and effect. If I deal with them privately, it will only arouse suspicion."
Chen Jiao sneered: "Isn't this a private disposal and conspiracy?"
Why is this big mouth so annoying?
The fact that Governor Zhou kept him to work for him might mean that he really liked him a little, otherwise he would have fanned this kind of junior to death on the stove if he had to see him once during the New Year.
Luo Gao and the other two glanced at him sideways, endured it, and focused on looking at Yan Siqing and the taciturn and cold Jiang Hui behind her.
When Jiang Hui heard the words "inappropriate things", he thought it was something dangerous. He took a step forward and stood in front of Yan Siqing. Ruozhao and the others also felt like they were facing a great enemy.
"Open it and take a look." Jiang Hui said.
Liao Qing and the inn owner also shared the same opinion. They didn't want to be suspected and it would be best if the matter could be clarified.
Chen Jiao was the one jumping up and down the most and was also the one closest to the front.
Fu Yi stayed motionless in the back, avoiding but not hiding. He leaned against the pillar and took in everyone. His eyes swept over the people gathered at the table, focusing on Jiang Hui and the other two...
Luo Gao had no choice but to pick up the iron key and put it into the keyhole of the exquisite box. He twisted his fingers left and right, and with a click, the closed exquisite box unlocked the expansion joint, and the cover popped open a gap. Luo Gao opened the cover.
"Hmm, this is it. Originally, there were two fish pendants neatly arranged on the red cloth, but now it has become like this..."
People like Chen Jiao are afraid of death inside, but like to show off on the outside. After the lid was opened, no weapon popped out, and no poisonous gas was leaked. He immediately realized that this thing was not dangerous. At least he saw that Jiang Hui and others did not avoid it.
That......
Chen Jiao took a step forward. "What could this black thing be? It looks like a lump of stone. Why are you so scared? However, I was raised by my great uncle for a few years. He is very knowledgeable and once said that there are many rare jade mines in the Yunnan border and the Western Regions. But the raw stones themselves are just ordinary stones, unremarkable. Maybe the so-called Pisces pendant you bought is just a raw stone to make up the numbers. That small foreign country, the Kingdom of the Tang Dynasty, is trying to fool you, Yuguifang! After all, everyone knows that the richest man, Hai Fugui, controls his country's economy. If there are any valuable treasures, he can even make them flow out of the Tang Dynasty..."
He became more and more excited as he spoke, feeling that this was the truth. His voice became louder and he even picked up a pair of chopsticks to poke the black lump.
“Look…”
"Ouch, it's broken? This is worse than the original stone?"
"Sure enough, haha!"
"This thing must have been fake originally. No one stole it."
Everyone was also surprised and didn't bother to criticize the man for showing off. Their eyes fell on the black lump that was pierced by the chopsticks.
It broke into two halves with just one poke, revealing a dark blue powder inside. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't look like a raw stone, let alone a treasure.
"Perhaps the real one has already been given to that lover of Hai Fugui's. Didn't he say he has a mistress in a coastal city..."
Yan Siqing frowned slightly, pursed his lips, and did not respond.
In the past, when there were no powerful men like Jiang Hui, Yan Siqing had always been respected for his clothes but feared for his abilities in coastal cities. What's more, he is now even more powerful.
Although he is essentially a prisoner now, his interests are the same and he can use the other's strength to fight against the other.
But she didn't.
Jiang Hui's fingers on the hilt had been slightly moving, but after noticing Yan Siqing's subtle expression, he thought for a moment and retracted his fingers. He didn't resort to violence, but used courtesy. He suddenly said, "Since it's already been stolen, leaving something like this behind is really unnecessary. It could be some kind of poison. There are also women here who are weak after the journey. You'd better be more careful and don't touch them."
"Mr. Chen, you are so stupid. What you said is totally unreasonable. Move aside and let me deal with this thing."
No one present ignored his words. They all agreed when they heard him and thought that the female relative he mentioned was Fu Yi.
At least that's what Chen Jiao thought. After being humiliated repeatedly today, how could he not be angry? He felt that Jiang Hui was doing it on purpose and immediately retorted: "What do you mean by poisonous or not? How can this thing be poisonous?"
"Do you think I'm ignorant? The poison won't enter your body or mouth. If this rubbish is made of stone, it must have a strange smell. If you smell it, you might be poisoned..."
"Does this smell? Does it?"
He seemed impulsive but had a bottom line. He just carefully sniffed under his nose with chopsticks stained with some powder and sticky substances.
Luo Gao opened his eyes wide, wanting to say something but hesitant to do so.
Yan Siqing was stunned for a moment, raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and took a step back.
Jiang Hui: "No taste?"
Chen Jiao frowned, but he felt that he was not feeling unwell. He was sure that this thing was non-toxic. Otherwise, how could Luo Gao and his men dare to keep it on hand? Couldn't he use it elsewhere?
He stiffened his neck and said, "No! This is definitely not poison. Do you dare to bet with me?!"
Jiang Hui: "Then it is definitely not poisonous."
Chen Jiao: “?”
Luo Gao hit the nail on the head, "Mr. Chen, this is ordinary dried horse manure."
Jiang Hui: "Not ordinary either, it has no taste."
The people present couldn't help themselves.
Luo Gao said aggrievedly: "It's just too indecent, so I have to cover it up."
“Really…”
"Mr. Chen, I'm sorry. Sigh... Could you please stop looking at me like that?"
"But I just smelled it, I didn't taste it."
"It's no problem."
"Oh, is it really tasteless?"
Chen Jiao acted as if he had already eaten it.
This time, Fuyi could finally walk away with dignity.
It would be abnormal if you didn't go far.
Although in her opinion, Chen Jiao's stench was more disgusting than horse manure.
Yan Siqing, who had recognized the black spot a long time ago and was disgusted because she covered her mouth and nose, was also amused. When her eyebrows curved, she saw that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was looking back at her like a young man who was playing a prank on others.
The other person was Chen Jiao, because he said something that made her dislike him.
She had concerns and didn't deal with it, so he took action.
So he came here clearly to take credit.
He really couldn't pretend much in front of her.
Yan Siqing's smile faded, she avoided his gaze, took two steps, and moved to the other side of the table before Chen Jiao could explode in anger.
"It's not polite to play such a mischievous trick after stealing something."
"Of course, killing someone to replace their identity is even more illegal."
"Don't you think that's excessive?"
Her tone was very gentle, which was obviously extreme compared to Jiang Hui's malice and perversity, but more terrifying, and it also instantly quieted the just noisy and ridiculous atmosphere.
Everyone was shocked and their eyes were fixed again, both on her and on the person she was talking to.
Those two people.
A couple.
Chen Shuang and Zhao Li.
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