Chapter 171 Investigation
Li Xiaoxiao didn't get up until almost noon the next day. She stretched lazily and got out of bed, and immediately saw Meng Guanqi sitting in the room reading a book.
"Huh? Are you off today?" She glanced at the water clock in the room; it wasn't noon yet, and he was wearing casual clothes, not like someone who had just returned from the yamen.
Meng Guanqi smiled slightly: "There's no day off today, but I don't have to prepare to go to the Hanlin Academy every day like before..." He told her about the new job the Crown Prince had assigned him. Before he could solve this case, he had a lot of free time and could stay at home every day.
Li Xiaoxiao snuggled up to him triumphantly, hugged his shoulders, and chuckled, "Do you know how you got this job?"
Seeing her smug little face, Meng Guanqi put down the book in his hand, picked her up and sat her on his lap: "Could it be that Madam recommended her for me?"
Li Xiaoxiao said proudly, "Of course! Originally, the Crown Prince preferred me to investigate, but I thought it would be too tiring and mentally taxing, so I recommended you to the Crown Prince."
She affectionately pinched his cheeks: "The Crown Prince said that if you do this job well, he'll promote you! How are you going to thank me?"
Meng Guanqi's long eyelashes fluttered twice, then he leaned closer to her face, first kissing her, then pressing his lips to hers and asking, "How would you like me to thank you, Madam?"
The two hadn't seen each other for seven or eight days, and now their feelings were stirring with a certain impatience. Meng Guanqi's heart was pounding, and her hands were uncontrollably moving upwards...
"Sister Xiaoxiao, are you up yet?" Aze's familiar voice came from outside the door, startling the two of them. Li Xiaoxiao immediately pulled up her clothes, poured a large cup of tea and gulped it down. After calming herself down, she called out, "I'm already up!"
She quickly waved to Meng Guanqi, urging him to go inside and tidy up, in case Aze noticed something was wrong. She then hurried towards the door, saying, "You're up so early?"
Aze, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, couldn't help but proudly raise his head when he heard her question: "I got up a long time ago. I got up to eat dinner last night, and I even had breakfast with Brother Guanqi this morning!"
He sighed, "I didn't expect you to be such a heavy sleeper. You said you'd sleep for a whole day and night, and you really did sleep for a whole day and night. You're only getting up now."
Li Xiaoxiao chuckled: "So what did you do after you got up? You're wearing this outfit, so you must have exercised, right?"
Aze became even more proud: "Brother Guanqi taught me to practice on the parallel bars and horizontal bar, it was so tiring..."
At this point, he sighed regretfully and looked south: "It's a pity my brother isn't home. If he were, I could play with him. He's been gone for almost two months now, why hasn't he written me a letter yet?"
Li Xiaoxiao said, "It must be because he can't read yet. And you know how mischievous he is, he can't sit still, so learning to read will definitely be very difficult for him. He might even get a spanking from Lord Meng!"
Aze sighed, "I have so many teachers. When I couldn't learn to write, one of them even slapped my palm. If my younger brother were here, I would give him one and teach him his early lessons."
Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but pat his head. It seemed that Aze and Rui Rui still had a lot of affection for each other. Every time he came to their house, he would mention him.
"Oh, right, Sister Xiaoxiao." Aze suddenly became happy: "Father and Mother agreed to let me stay here temporarily. I can go back when Father is ready to ascend the throne, and I don't have to go to school for now!"
Li Xiaoxiao's eyes widened suddenly: "Really?"
Aze nodded very firmly: "It's true! This is what Brother Guanqi suggested to Wanquan yesterday. This morning, Father sent Rong Si over. He agreed and even brought my luggage. I'm going to stay at your house for a long time!"
Li Xiaoxiao was overjoyed! She didn't have to go to the palace to work anymore; she could stay home and take care of her child! And Meng Guanqi didn't have to report for duty every day either, which meant he was also at home. Hahaha, how could such a good thing happen?
She picked Aze up and spun him around several times. Aze laughed heartily, but he was so dizzy from being spun around that he almost fell on his bottom when she put him down.
Li Xiaoxiao said excitedly, "Great! You don't have to go to school, so we can go out and play!"
No child can resist the idea of going out to play. Aze's eyes lit up: "Where are we going to play?"
Li Xiaoxiao planned to call Meng Guanqi over, but when she brought Aze into the room, she saw that he was looking at several very old booklets. It seemed that he was researching the information of the hunchbacked eunuch Zheng Futian, so it seemed that she should not disturb him at this time.
She stroked her chin and thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered someone, her eyes lighting up: "That's right, when it comes to eating, drinking, and having fun in the capital, who is more knowledgeable than him?"
She immediately went to find Ah Sheng: "Go back to the old house and ask if Fifth Uncle is free..."
If you're looking for good food and fun places, who's more suitable than Meng Mao from the world of playboys?
Ah Sheng asked blankly, "What do you need Fifth Master for?"
Li Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment. The emperor and empress had just been buried, and it didn't seem right for Aze to go out and play in a big way. It would be better to call Meng Mao over first and ask him if there were any places that were both secluded and fun.
She rolled her eyes and said, "Just tell him I need to talk to him, and ask him to come over when he's free."
Although it's a bit impolite for a junior to address an elder like that, what can she do when Aze is there to protect her? She's managing to do her job and have some fun at the same time.
Ah Sheng accepted the order and drove the carriage to the Meng residence.
When the servant boy from the Meng household rushed to find Meng Mao, he was being lectured by the old Minister Meng: "How long do you plan to waste your days like this? Do you want your son to follow your example and live a life of mediocrity?"
Meng Mao looked at Old Madam Meng with pleading eyes.
Minister Meng roared, “Don’t look at your mother! What good is it? How many years do we have left to live? Can we protect you forever? Once we two old folks die, our family will definitely split up. Your eldest, second, and third brothers, no matter how high or low their official positions, will all have jobs to make a living. And you? You’ve accomplished nothing in your life, spending your days chasing chickens and dogs, doing nothing productive. You’re good for nothing. Are you trying to drive your old man to his death?”
Meng Mao lowered his eyelashes and let him scold him.
Anyway, such conversations happen every now and then, but lately, perhaps because of his advanced age, Minister Meng has been scolding people more and more frequently.
The husband was disciplining their son, and even if Madam Meng was anxious, she couldn't interrupt. Although Meng Mao was her youngest son, she naturally favored him more, but it was also true that her son was disappointing, no wonder Minister Meng scolded him.
A panting servant came to deliver the message and saved him: "Fifth Master, Ah Sheng from the Li family has come and said that the Sixth Young Mistress wants to see you. She wants you to come over if you have time."
Meng Mao suddenly raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Upon hearing that it was Li Xiaoxiao who had invited him, Minister Meng quickly shut his mouth, and Madam Meng exclaimed "Ah!" and hurriedly said, "What does the Sixth Young Mistress want with Fifth Master? Quickly call Ah Sheng over."
Ah Sheng was invited in. He had never had the chance to stand in front of Minister Meng and Madam Meng before when he was working in the mansion. He was a little nervous for a moment.
Madam Meng hurriedly had someone give him a handful of fruit, and then asked, "Ah Sheng, what does the Sixth Young Mistress want to see Fifth Master about? Isn't she working for His Highness the Heir Apparent?"
When the Emperor and Empress passed away, and all the officials mourned, everyone knew Li Xiaoxiao, the only first-class guard by Aze's side. Aze was still young, and he must have been exhausted from guarding the coffin for so many days. But every time, he would either lean on Li Xiaoxiao's back or in her arms, and his trust in her was astonishing.
With the Crown Prince about to ascend the throne, and Aze being the future Crown Prince, Li Xiaoxiao's status immediately rose more than a hundredfold, even surpassing Meng Guanqi, becoming the most trusted and closest person in the Crown Prince's family. Many people would kill to get close to Aze, but she used to often take Aze out to play and even attend weddings.
These words were naturally told to Minister Meng and his wife by Meng Rong, who was serving as Vice Minister of Works. She also warned her family not to offend Li Xiaoxiao and to find opportunities to get closer to her, since the Meng family's closest relative to the emperor was this daughter-in-law from the branch of the family.
Moreover, some time ago, Meng Guanqi specially asked Meng Mao to send back a message, asking the Meng family to cancel the marriage alliance with the Wang family. Fortunately, they listened to his advice and did not let Meng Yueniang get engaged to Wang Erlang. As a result, Prince Xin really did something terrible. On the second day of his marriage, he disregarded the death of the emperor and empress and ran away with his people!
Once this news spread, the Wang family quickly became the target of avoidance by other prominent families in the capital. Meng Rong sighed in alarm, having heard that the Crown Prince was ordering the capture of the escaped Prince Xin. If it weren't for Meng Guanqi's warning, her family would have been dragged into trouble, even if they hadn't been dragged down.
Therefore, the tasks related to the Li family have unknowingly become the most important matters for the Meng family.
Ah Sheng said dryly, "The young mistress didn't say what it was about, only that she would see if Fifth Master was free, and if so, he could come to our house."
Madam Meng hurriedly said, "He's free, he's free. What could her fifth uncle possibly be doing? He's always free whenever we call him... But why is she home at this time? Isn't she working in the palace?"
Ah Sheng said, "The young mistress is on vacation, and the young master has come back to stay with her."
The room suddenly fell silent. What an honor! The prince was even allowed to come home on vacation...
Minister Meng, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "In that case, Meng Mao, go and see if the young master has any instructions."
Meng Mao hurriedly agreed, and Old Madam Meng rewarded Ah Sheng with a purse and immediately sent a carriage to take Meng Mao to the Li residence.
Meng Mao had the Meng family's car follow behind, while he himself got into Asheng's car and patted Asheng on the shoulder: "You really don't know why the Sixth Young Mistress called me over?"
Ah Sheng shook his head: "Fifth Master, don't worry, we'll find out when we get back. There's no need to be too reserved. Our young mistress is very easy to get along with and very approachable."
Lu Biao said that Li Xiaoxiao crippled Lu Ke with one kick, and Lu Ke can only walk a few steps with the support of the wall now, which shows how serious the injury is. Asheng actually said that she is very approachable.
Meng Mao shuddered, disagreeing with Ah Sheng's words.
The two houses weren't far apart; it took less than half an hour by car to get there. Upon entering the Li residence, Li Xiaoxiao and Aze came out to greet them: "Fifth Uncle has arrived."
Meng Mao bowed to Aze and went straight to the point, asking Li Xiaoxiao, "I wonder if my niece-in-law called me over because she has something to ask you?"
Li Xiaoxiao blinked: "Something's happened, something important! Fifth Uncle, this way please."
She invited Meng Mao into the house and spoke at length with great emotion, then smiled with narrowed eyes, "I've heard that Fifth Uncle has his own insights into eating, drinking, and having fun, is that right?"
Aze imitated her, squinting at Meng Mao.
Meng Mao stared blankly at the two, a master and servant who looked nothing alike but had remarkably similar expressions.
It took him a while to figure out that Li Xiaoxiao had indeed invited him to eat, drink, and have fun. Not only did she plan to do it herself, but she also intended to take the young master with her. However, because she was worried that the young master would be discovered if he went out to eat, drink, and have fun at this time, she wanted him to find a secluded place with few people.
Meng Mao held his head, wondering if his niece-in-law's behavior would lead the young master astray.
Li Xiaoxiao patted her chest and assured, "If you don't tell, I don't tell, and Aze doesn't tell, who will know? We'll sneak out and sneak back, no one will find out."
Meng Mao knew quite a few places where you could eat well, have fun, and not have to show your face. His eyes lit up and he immediately thought of a place. He called his attendant over and gave him an order. Soon the attendant returned, and Meng Mao stood up: "Alright, the rooms are booked. Let's go. I'll take you there. It's absolutely secluded and safe."
Meng Mao took them to the horse farm.
He booked the most expensive private room, and instead of walking with others at the entrance, he used the passage that the owner had specially set up for VIPs. Li Xiaoxiao and Aze wore veils the whole time, and no one noticed them at all.
Once inside the box, they opened the window halfway, allowing them to see the entire racecourse from the inside, while those outside couldn't see them. Li Xiaoxiao and Aze watched several exciting horse races in a row.
The next day, Meng Mao secretly took them to watch polo. Half-naked men rode on horses, using bamboo canes to hit a small ball. There were occasional intense collisions, which were both thrilling and exciting to watch. Li Xiaoxiao and Aze were amazed.
It's true that you have to find a playboy to have fun with. Otherwise, Li Xiaoxiao wouldn't know that there are such fun places and exciting events in the capital. The key is that Meng Mao arranged the itinerary very discreetly, so no one would find out that they had been there.
While the three of them went out to eat, drink, and have fun every day, Meng Guanqi, after reviewing the information Wan Quan had sent over, finally discovered some clues.
Zheng Futian entered the palace in the third year of Jian'an (200 AD), when he was fifteen years old.
While fifteen is a relatively old age for castration and entry into the palace, there are exceptions. These exceptions are usually made by desperate families who are struggling financially. However, what is strange is that Zheng Futian is literate.
People from poor families would never have the opportunity to learn to read. Since he could read, he could easily find a job that would support him, such as working as a bookkeeper in a shop or teaching children in a school. He could even choose to marry into a family because he could read, without having to be castrated and enter the palace, unless he had other purposes for entering the palace.
However, after twenty-nine years in the palace, he had actually been reduced to the lowest-ranking eunuch, only able to empty chamber pots. For a literate eunuch, this was simply impossible.
This was definitely intentional on his part, perhaps to facilitate the transmission of messages.
Meng Guanqi searched carefully and found that he was transferred to the Jingjun in the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, when the sixth prince was eleven years old.
The sixth prince began plotting to harm the crown prince at the age of twelve, which means that Zheng Futian was intentionally transferred there ahead of schedule.
A literate eunuch who entered the palace at the age of fifteen spent twenty-nine years in the inner court. It is absolutely impossible that he waited until Li Chengyao was twelve years old before looking for an opportunity to harm him. Li Chengyao was born thirteen years after he entered the palace. It must be because he had tried his best for the first twenty years but could not achieve his goal. It was only after more than twenty years that he finally opened a gap with Li Chengyao.
What was his activity trajectory during those twenty-four years?
Meng Guanqi asked Wan Quan for a map of the inner palace, which detailed the location of every department of the Imperial Household Department. Then, he used a red pen to mark the locations where Zheng Futian worked in chronological order.
After marking it, he looked at the map covered with red dots and couldn't help but gasp.
Just then, the Crown Prince asked him about the progress of the case, so he took the map and went to the palace.
He took out the map and spread it on the table in front of the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, please take a look. This is a map showing Zheng Futian's service in various places during his twenty-four years in the palace. I have marked them all with red dots. Can Your Highness find any patterns?"
The Crown Prince frowned, examined the area closely for a while, and realized, "For the past twenty-four years, he has been trying to get closer to Jinghe Palace and Taiji Hall?"
Meng Guanqi nodded: "For nearly ten years, he was trying to get closer to Jinghe Palace. He even got a job there, but for some reason, he was expelled after less than three months for making a mistake. Then he turned his attention to Taiji Hall and gradually moved closer to it..."
In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, he had even entered the outer study to serve, and was only a little bit away from getting close to Emperor Jian'an. However, his resume was suddenly changed when he was demoted to a eunuch for making a mistake. Since the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, he had been working as a eunuch who emptied chamber pots.
In other words, during his more than twenty years in the palace, he first tried to get close to the Empress, but found that even after entering Jinghe Palace, he still couldn't get close enough to serve the Empress and the Emperor. So he turned his attention to Emperor Jian'an. He spent so much time finally getting close to Emperor Jian'an's study, almost able to make contact with the Emperor, but then he resolutely gave up and became the lowest-ranking eunuch.
It is estimated that he made contact with forces outside the palace, successfully turned Li Chengyao against him, and then began to use Li Chengyao to deal with the Crown Prince.
Meng Guanqi said with a heavy expression: "But there is a contradiction here. Through this picture, we can see that Zheng Futian spent 24 years trying to get close to the late emperor, but when he finally entered the outer study, his goal changed."
The crown prince also understood: "His target has become me."
Meng Guanqi said, "To be precise, it was Your Highness and Prince Xin. He initially wanted to get close to the late Emperor and assassinate him, but overnight he turned it into you and Prince Xin killing each other. This was probably not his own idea. I am more inclined to believe that he contacted external forces and that they changed their target rather than Zheng Futian. Zheng Futian was probably just an executor of orders."
Meng Guanqi felt a deep sense of sorrow.
Zheng Futian spent twenty-four years and his entire life on his mission to become the Jian'an Emperor, but the people behind him changed their minds, causing his more than twenty years of hard work to go down the drain.
An ordinary person would probably not have been able to accept such a change, but Zheng Futian did it without hesitation, becoming a low-ranking soldier and passing on messages between outsiders and Li Chengyao. After Li Chengyao's failure, he even went so far as to assassinate Aze, but after failing, he committed suicide in front of everyone.
How much hatred must he have felt to be willing to spend his entire life on such a path of no return?
Meng Guanqi asserted, "Zheng Futian's purpose in entering the palace was definitely not for you and Prince Xin, but for the late Emperor. His enemy was also the late Emperor. I think we are not far from the truth."
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Author's note: The truth is getting closer, have you guessed it yet?
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