Chapter 5 Chapter 5 That is the business of the Three Courts and has nothing to do with me...
Lu Suizhu wanted to get close to Qiuzhu, so she put the jade bracelet in her hand on Qiuzhu's hand. She needed someone to confide in this Pei Mansion.
"Miss, no, no, the Second Young Master has instructed us to take good care of you, and I dare not neglect it."
Lu Suizhu smiled slightly, did not continue the conversation, pulled her hand and sat down, but did not take the bracelet back.
"Come and chat with me. There's nothing different between us. We're both miserable people."
Hearing Lu Suizhu's sincerity, Qiu Zhu was also moved, and couldn't help but feel a little more pity for the woman in front of him.
"The young lady is beautiful and has won the favor of the young master. She will definitely be blessed in the future. Moreover, the second young master has a straightforward personality. He is not as cold as the eldest young master, nor as strict about rules as the mistress and the master. We all like to serve in the second young master's courtyard."
Qiu Zhu told Lu Suizhu a lot of things about the mansion, which gave her some understanding of the Pei Mansion. If she met a few masters in the future, she would not be so clueless and lose her composure.
It was very quiet at night, with only one or two whistles occasionally heard in the wind blowing the remaining snow. Because of her daily piano practice, she had very good hearing since she was a child. From time to time, there were coughing sounds from the direction of the next room, the sound was very small and low, and one could tell that the owner was suppressing the pain.
"Who lives next door?"
"To answer the young lady, it's the eldest son."
Pei Zhiji was actually next door? Just a wall away, it was extremely convenient for her to do what she wanted to do next.
Seeing Lu Suizhu's gaze lingering for a long time without a response, Qiu Zhu hurriedly explained, "The eldest young master is in poor health, and the doctor said he needs to rest and recuperate. This place is remote in the mansion, so it's rarely disturbed on weekdays, and the eldest young master also enjoys quietness."
"I see."
Qiu Zhu went down to keep watch. Lu Suizhu tossed and turned in bed, sleeping a little uneasily, waking up intermittently. The low cough that could not be heard kept on, making the depressed person feel heartache. Lu Suizhu sighed towards the wall.
"Louyue Pavilion seems to have been sealed off."
"I heard there was a murder there. Master Li died, and he was killed by a girl from Louyue Pavilion."
"Oh my god, this is a murder of passion."
"How could this happen?"
When Lu Suizhu heard the maids and servants talking about this, she twisted her hands together in her sleeves.
The person killed by the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace that day might be the Li Taifu they were talking about. It was really too much of a coincidence that she had to doubt it.
The snow piled up in the courtyard became loose and floating after a night of cool breeze, and emitted a dazzling pearly color under the sunlight.
In a moment, Lu Suizhu stood at the door of Pei Zhiji's courtyard with a bowl of pear soup. Before she walked in, she heard voices of conversation. The people inside seemed a little excited, and there was a hint of crying in their voices.
"Master Pei, what do you think I should do? My superiors are pressuring me to close the case quickly, but I've been investigating and finding that Master Li disappeared to Louyue Pavilion. If I were to investigate further, he only met with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince the day before. You can't ask me to investigate the Eastern Palace, right? What should I do?"
Seeing his tearful face, Xiao Feng turned his eyes away and pursed his lips tightly, afraid of accidentally laughing out loud. However, Pei Zhiji took out a handkerchief and handed it to him very calmly, with steady movements as if he had done it countless times.
Xu Ruogu casually wiped away two tears and seemed to have calmed down a little. He looked around and saw that there was no one around, so he said something in a low voice.
"Otherwise, the rumors will continue and say it was a murder of passion."
When Lu Suizhu heard the words "murder for love", her heart tightened. If she hadn't been holding the pear soup in her hand, she would have almost pushed the door open and gone in.
"But there's no guarantee that there weren't any witnesses when the murderer committed the crime. If someone comes forward and accuses him—"
When Lu Suizhu heard the word "eyewitness", her heart was in her throat, her toes were tensed, and the pear soup in her hand churned twice, almost spilling out.
"Who do you point to?"
Putting down the scroll in his hand, Pei Zhiji suddenly leaned forward, his brows raised inadvertently, and looked at Xu Ruogu leisurely.
His eyes were fixed on him without moving an inch.
"Or—who is your Lord Xu suspecting?"
After repeatedly questioning Xu Ruogu, he was already sweating profusely. He leaned on the wall with one hand, barely able to steady himself.
Pei Zhiji leaned back, no longer staring at him. His voice was cold, as cool and clear as the sound of jade struck in the quiet room: "Actually, there's no need to go to such trouble. Go to the death row and find a body that looks like Lord Li. Throw it into the pond in the backyard of Louyue Pavilion and say that Lord Li fell into the water after drinking."
The hand holding the handkerchief to wipe away tears paused for a moment, leaving no trace of tears. Xu Ruogu's eyes seemed to gleam, but he hesitated when he spoke. "Isn't it too hasty to close the case like this?"
"Then Lord Xu, please go to the Eastern Palace to investigate. Pei will not stop you."
Having said this, Pei Zhiji did not want to talk any more and lowered his head to handle official business. His eyes, revealed from under his brows covered by pine trees, seemed to be shrouded in darkness.
Xu Ruogu's slightly bent back stood before him, his eyes etched with sorrow. Pei Zhiji hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Xu Shaoqing is already the Minister of the Supreme Court. You must act with caution and prudence. Expressing your emotions too expressively can lead to disaster."
It would have been fine if he hadn't heard this. After hearing this, Xu Ruogu couldn't hold it back anymore. His eyes were red and he looked more genuine than before.
"Master Pei and I went to high school together, and we were classmates for a while. All these years, I've worked hard and finally became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and I've always worried about losing my head... Master Li died so inexplicably. I really don't want to be the Chief Justice now, Master Pei..."
Before he could finish his words, Xiao Feng extended his hand and politely asked him to leave. He had been hearing these words over and over again for at least a few years, and his ears were almost callused. When you get older, you will just keep nagging.
Lu Suizhu stood aside, watching Xu Ruogu being invited out with an unpleasant expression, shook his sleeves, and muttered softly, "How disgraceful." Then he sighed and left, completely ignoring the woman standing in the corner.
"Sir, this Lord Xu clearly knows that the Pei Mansion and His Royal Highness are related by marriage, yet he still comes to ask you, isn't this embarrassing?"
"Xiao Feng, your vigilance is getting worse and worse."
Before Xiao Feng understood what it meant, he saw Lu Suizhu walking into the study slowly, carrying a bowl of soup. Pei Zhiji was handling official business, with a thick stack of documents piled beside him. Xu Ruogu had opened the door when he left just now, and it was now half-closed. Perhaps the wind had blown in, and he clenched his fist and pressed it against the corner of his lips, coughing lightly.
"Master Pei, we meet again."
Seeing that it was Lu Suizhu, Pei Zhiji couldn't help but frown and look at her, a puzzled look on his face: "Why is Lu Zither Master here? It seems that no one in the Pei Mansion invited the Zither Master to come."
"Master Pei, please forgive me for laughing. It was the Second Young Master who brought me here."
Pei Zhiji looked at Xiao Feng, vaguely remembering that day when he said that the second young master brought back a girl. Now when he looked at Lu Suizhu again, there was a strange color in his eyes.
"I heard that Master Pei has been feeling unwell recently. This pear soup is perfect for relieving a cough. I hope you don't mind."
After a long time, no one responded to her. Lu Suizhu stood there waiting quietly. Her heart felt like thousands of raindrops pouring down, entangled with each other, tripping her up and leaving her in a dilemma.
Just as she was waiting in agony, Pei Zhiji finally stood up. His tall body walked straight past Lu Suizhu, raised his hand slightly and took a book from above.
Perhaps because he had just coughed, his voice was a little hoarse.
"A few days ago, Master Lu Qin was talking about the people of Liangxi, and her pursuits were all for her own benefit. Now, she is willing to be someone's concubine. Such a change of heart truly makes me admire her."
Lu Suizhu bit her lip. Qiuzhu said that Pei Zhiji was cold and indifferent, and she experienced it today. She should have turned around and left after Pei Zhiji finished speaking, but her feet seemed to be stuck with lead blocks, and she stood there, unable to move.
"Anything else?"
Pei Zhiji had no intention of paying attention to her, so he asked this question out of politeness so that he could send the guest away more conveniently.
Lu Suizhu was so conflicted that her heart was torn between them, almost crushed. In the end, she couldn't help but ask.
"Master Pei, Grand Tutor Li died in Louyue Pavilion. Are you just going to hastily close the case without investigating the real culprit?"
"That's the business of the Three Courts, it has nothing to do with me."
"But--"
Pei Huaiji looked up at her and said, "It seems that no one has ever said that Master Li is dead?" He was much taller than the woman in front of him, and at this moment he was looking down at her, giving people a feeling of looking down on her.
The eyes under the long eyelashes were extremely oppressive. Although he didn't say much, Lu Suizhu felt that there was sharp ice in them, as if he wanted to see through her completely. She unconsciously took a step back.
"I'm sorry for being so abrupt. Please drink this pear soup while it's hot. Suizhu will take her leave now."
Pear soup?
Pei Zhiji's eyes fell on the bowl of pear soup on the table, which was sprinkled with some crabapple petals. It was obvious that the owner of the soup had put some thought into it. He tapped the official document with his slender fingers. There was no sound, but it seemed like a silent mockery.
"Huai Shen is simple-minded, unaware of worldly affairs, and never thinks the worst of others. Now that you have entered the Pei Mansion, you should be more cautious, so that you can stay together for a long time."
Lu Suizhu understood all the seemingly incoherent words. Her fingers were clenched in a place where no one could see, and turned a little blue.
This Lord Pei is so difficult to deal with that it is difficult to gain his trust, let alone get the imperial examination questions from him.
"Thank you, Master Pei, for your advice. Suizhu will not disturb you for now."
When she pushed the door open, it was a little wider. She wanted to just leave it there, but as soon as she raised her foot, she heard a few muffled coughs from inside. Although she was confused, she thought there was no need to argue with a patient, so she turned around and closed the door.
There were bamboos planted in Pei Zhiji's yard. They should have been the green bamboos of Suiyuan, but at this moment they were oppressed by the wind and snow, and they were completely out of energy. They looked a bit pitiful. Lu Suizhu gathered her clothes, and somehow felt that his broken yard was particularly cold.
After everyone left, Pei Zhiji casually instructed Xiao Feng, "Find someone to keep an eye on her."
"Sir, do you suspect that she is a spy?" Xiao Feng put his hand on his neck and stroked it, his eyes filled with unspeakable determination.
Unable to bear it any longer, Pei Zhiji took the document he was reviewing and knocked his hand down with a look of great dismay. He felt truly regretful at the moment.
"Suo Ye should stay here, and you should go to the southeast to investigate the mines."
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