Chapter 172 Investigation (2)
The Crown Prince's expression was grave: "Have you identified anyone you suspect?"
Meng Guanqi opened his mouth, then suddenly closed it again: "I have some guesses in my mind, but the matter is of great importance and cannot be acted on mere guesses. Everything must be based on evidence. I must verify these guesses before I can report back to Your Highness."
The Crown Prince could tell at a glance that he must already have someone in mind, but he was unwilling to say it at this time.
He patted him on the shoulder: "You did the right thing. I am about to ascend the throne. Even if I trust you, I can no longer say things to me casually without solid evidence. Go ahead and investigate. If you need any help, you can ask Wan Quan. If he can't handle it, he will come back to report to me."
"Yes." Meng Guanqi bowed and was about to take his leave, but halfway there he suddenly turned back and asked, "Your Highness, Zheng Futian's body hasn't been disposed of, has it?"
According to palace rules, a criminal who has committed a serious crime of assassination should be thrown into a mass grave to be eaten by wild dogs. However, because Meng Guanqi is still investigating the case, Zheng Futian's body has not yet been disposed of.
The Crown Prince said, "I have requested that all of Zheng Futian's belongings be sealed up for your verification purposes, and his body is no exception."
Meng Guanqi said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. This corpse is still useful and must not be disposed of carelessly."
The Crown Prince replied, "Perfectly safe."
Wan Quan stepped forward: "Your Highness."
The Crown Prince said, "Did you hear that? Zheng Futian's body must not be moved. Have someone guard it carefully."
Wan Quan accepted the order: "Yes."
After Meng Guanqi left, the Crown Prince stared in the direction he had disappeared for a long time without coming back to his senses.
Wan Quan asked, "What is Your Highness thinking about?"
The Crown Prince smiled slightly: "How clever you are, Meng Guanqi has already guessed who the murderer is..."
Wan Quan was shocked: "What? He knew, why didn't he say anything?"
The Crown Prince said, "He is still cautious and knows he cannot speak recklessly in front of me."
Wan Quan said, "Perhaps it is inconvenient for Lord Meng to say this in front of His Highness. Should I ask him to find out?" In fact, Meng Guanqi's concerns were not wrong. After all, it was only the murderer he thought of. If he told the Crown Prince without evidence, what if he made a mistake?
If it were him who inquired, there would be no problem. He would simply report it back to the Crown Prince as gossip. The Crown Prince could believe it or not, but at least he wouldn't draw any conclusions easily.
The Crown Prince shook his head and sighed, "Let him investigate. Now that he has a clue, he will naturally find a way to verify it. I just need to wait for him to present the evidence to me."
Wan Quan sighed, “The personalities of Lord Meng and his wife are really different. Lord Meng is cautious in everything and rarely draws conclusions, but Guard Li is the kind of person who says what he thinks and will never compromise himself.”
Speaking of Li Xiaoxiao, the Crown Prince suddenly asked, "Where did she take Ke'er?"
Wan Quan wanted to slap himself. Why did you have to bring her up?
Wan Quan naturally knew that Li Xiaoxiao was taking Aze out to eat, drink, and have fun every day. Even if the Crown Prince said he could entrust Aze to Li Xiaoxiao with peace of mind, as the head eunuch, he still had to keep track of the Crown Prince's whereabouts.
Wan Quan hurriedly said, "Guard Li noticed that the young master was in a bad mood, so she took him around to relax these past few days. But Your Highness, please rest assured, she did this very discreetly, and no one has discovered it..."
The Crown Prince snorted: "Is she taking him around to play? I've heard before that she doesn't like staying at home and always wants to go out. She's married and has a job now, but she's still so playful. She's not steady at all."
Wan Quan said, "The only thing Guard Li can't get rid of is his playful habit; otherwise, he's excellent."
The crown prince pursed his lips, said nothing, and pondered in his heart what official position he should bestow upon her.
He has been busy with etiquette training for the coronation these days. The coronation ceremony will be held in a few days. After the coronation, it will be time to bestow a proper official title upon her.
With her abilities, he would like to make her the commander of the Imperial Guards directly, but that would bypass Pang Shi, which is not appropriate. Otherwise, he would let her succeed Pang Shi as the commander of the Eastern Palace guards.
Jumping from a first-class bodyguard to a third-rank military officer in one fell swoop is quite an achievement, but apart from her, he doesn't trust Aze's safety to be entrusted to anyone else.
The Crown Prince nodded. It's decided then. With the salary of a third-rank military officer and various tributes, she won't say anything stupid like that the family is so poor they can't even afford to eat anymore, right?
Even if Meng Guanqi worked for free every day, she could still support her entire family, including her relatives in Biyang County. I heard that Meng's family objected when the two got married. I wonder where they will put their faces after Ren Shu is appointed.
The crown prince couldn't help but chuckle at this thought.
When Li Xiaoxiao returned home with Aze in high spirits, she found Meng Guanqi sitting there in a daze.
Not only was he in a daze, but his expression was also very heavy, and his whole being exuded a gloomy aura.
Seeing this, Li Xiaoxiao instructed Liu Zhi, "Take Aze downstairs to wash up."
Willow branch responded and took Aze's hand to go take a bath.
Li Xiaoxiao then asked Meng Guanqi, "What happened? Why do you look so unhappy?"
Meng Guanqi handed her a map covered with red dots, and Li Xiaoxiao took it with a puzzled look: "What is this?"
Meng Guanqi said, "This is where Zheng Futian served in the palace for twenty-nine years."
Upon closer inspection, Li Xiaoxiao also noticed the pattern: "Do you already know who he is?"
Meng Guanqi looked at her and said, "I have a preliminary guess in mind, but I need to verify it."
Li Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "Finding the murderer should be a happy thing, why do you seem so unhappy?"
Meng Guanqi sighed, "I can't be happy."
Because if his conjecture is true, it would be a complete tragedy.
Li smiled and said, "Then tell me first, who do you suspect?"
Meng Guanqi took out a worn-out booklet and pointed to the date on it, saying, "This is the date Zheng Futian entered the palace, the third year of Jian'an."
Li Xiaoxiao asked, "What's wrong with the time?"
Meng Guanqi said, "In the second year of Jian'an, a tragedy that shocked the world occurred. It was an extra imperial examination held in the second year of the late emperor's reign, which coincided with a once-in-a-century cold wave. Because the late emperor was preoccupied with his filial duties, he did not provide timely medical treatment, resulting in the freezing death of more than ten candidates and frostbite and illness in hundreds, causing a tragedy that saddened scholars throughout the land. Among the more than ten who froze to death were a pair of Zheng brothers, Zheng Chuyang and Zheng Fuyang. They came from the prestigious Zheng family, and Zheng Chuyang was once known as the top candidate in the imperial examination. With the brothers' abilities, they could have secured two spots on the imperial list that year, but they unexpectedly lost their lives due to that cold wave. The Zheng brothers froze to death in the second year of Jian'an. Zheng Futian entered the palace in the third year of Jian'an and spent his entire life trying to get closer to the late emperor, so I suspect that he may be related to the Zheng family."
If Zheng Futian is indeed related to the Zheng family, then all the mysteries can be solved.
Only powerful families could afford to raise assassins, bribe officials and vice ministers of the Ministry of War, and even instigate the Sixth Prince's rebellion. Moreover, the Zheng family now has a high-ranking official, Zheng Chuyang's son Zheng Mian, who is currently the Provincial Governor of Shanxi, a second-rank official, a true regional governor.
The Zheng family was truly wealthy, well-connected, powerful, and influential, and they had made ample preparations, which is why they were able to suppress the Crown Prince.
Meng Guanqi's face was ashen: "The unexpected death of the Zheng brothers in the examination hall was a complete tragedy. It is only natural that the Zheng family would seek revenge against the late emperor..."
"But the truth of this matter is so painful because the Zheng family suddenly gave up on avenging the late emperor and turned to the innocent Crown Prince and Li Chengyao. Zheng Futian had been in the palace for twenty-four years and finally had the opportunity to get close to the late emperor, but perhaps the Zheng family gave up because of a momentary lapse of judgment... The late emperor made a mistake. He should have apologized to the scholars who suffered back then, and even issued an edict of self-reproach to remind himself not to make the same mistake again. But he did not. Instead, he did everything he could to prevent the historians from recording this history truthfully and did not allow the people to discuss anything about that cold wave. The Zheng family lost two of their family's elites at once. How could they suppress their overwhelming hatred? I can understand that Zheng Mian wanted to avenge his father and uncle, but he shouldn't have targeted the Crown Prince and his brothers. They knew nothing about what happened back then."
Li smiled and said, "Perhaps he thinks that brothers fighting and killing each other will make the late emperor suffer more?" Besides, it's not uncommon for sons to pay for their fathers' debts in this era.
Meng Guanqi shook his head: "I don't know the specific reason either. I can only guess in this direction, but guess is just guess. We can't convict Zheng based on guess alone. All claims need solid evidence to prove that the guess is correct. Otherwise, I would never have said it to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Li smiled and asked, "Where do you plan to start?"
Meng Guanqi said, "We only have Zheng Futian as a witness right now, so naturally we should start with him."
Li smiled and said, "But he's already dead."
Meng Guanqi said, "He is dead, and I think that since he was prepared to sacrifice himself, his place of origin, background, and family relationships must all be fake, but there is one thing that may be true."
Li smiled and asked, "What is it?"
Meng Guanqi said, "His surname is Zheng."
Li Xiaoxiao fell into deep thought, and after a long while she said, "Is all your reasoning based on the assumption that his surname is real?"
Meng Guanqi nodded: "Yes, I think he can abandon everything to enter the palace to avenge his family. He has long since disregarded life and death. But no one can guarantee when he will be able to avenge his family. In order not to forget where he came from, he will definitely hold on to something and remind himself day and night not to forget his purpose in entering the palace. The surname Zheng is not uncommon. When he enters the palace as a slave, his name may be changed at any time by a master. But the only thing that will not be changed is his surname."
Even if the masters in the palace like to give their servants auspicious names, no one ever changes a servant's surname, so his surname will always be preserved.
Meng Guanqi murmured, "At the age of fourteen or fifteen, and already literate, if he were the proper master of the Zheng family, he could have easily entered officialdom through the imperial examination to help his family take revenge. But he didn't do that, which means he was not allowed to take the exam. Zheng Futian was very likely a servant. And a servant who is literate and not much younger than the Zheng brothers must have been their page or personal attendant. He was willing to risk his life to enter the palace to avenge his master after witnessing his master freeze to death in the examination hall."
Li Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered a detail: "By the way, before Zheng Futian committed suicide, he said, 'Young master, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Jingwen is not capable of killing his enemies with his own hands, so I will go down to apologize to you now!' Jingwen, perhaps his real name is Zheng Jingwen, and Zheng Futian is his alias."
Meng Guanqi sighed, "It seems my guess was at least 70-80% correct, if not 100%. He calls us 'master' and 'young master,' so he must be a servant. I just don't know if he's Zheng Chuyang or Zheng Fuyang's page or personal attendant."
If the name Zheng Jingwen is real, then verifying its authenticity is not difficult. As the saying goes, "when one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." Zheng Chuyang was the top scholar in the country at that time, and his attendants must have known him. All that is needed is to find his classmates or fellow students to verify his identity.
The second year of Jian'an is only twenty-eight years ago. Some of the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from that year may have passed away, but there must still be some left in the world.
The couple fell silent at the same time.
Li Xiaoxiao hugged Meng Guanqi's neck, leaning against him: "I understand your distress. This is a twisted revenge war. Normally, Zheng Jingwen should have approached the late emperor and then assassinated him. Whether he succeeded or not, he got what he wanted and had a clear conscience. Besides, the late emperor was the one who was wrong in the first place. I don't even think there's anything wrong with what Zheng Jingwen did... But one should take responsibility for one's actions. He shouldn't have transferred his hatred to the innocent crown prince. Now he's in the wrong even though he was in the right..."
But was this Zheng Jingwen's will? Li Xiaoxiao didn't think so. He was just so unlucky. He spent so much time finally getting close to his enemy, but his master stopped him. In the end, he didn't get his revenge and even died. All the suffering he had endured for nearly thirty years was for nothing.
Li Xiaoxiao murmured, "If it were me, I would definitely not listen to Zheng Mian. I spent twenty-four years getting close to my enemy, and now you want me to give up? I can't do it..."
This is the tragedy of being a servant, unable to have one's own will.
Meng Guanqi held Li Xiaoxiao in his arms, patting her back gently. Suddenly, he said, "Tomorrow I will go back to the Meng family mansion and ask my grandfather who among the Jinshi graduates from the second year of Jian'an is still alive."
Li Xiaoxiao looked up: "By the way, when was my grandfather a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)?"
Meng Guanqi said, "My grandfather was a Jinshi in the fifth year of Jian'an, which was the next year after the second year of Jian'an. He must have known many Jinshi from the second year of Jian'an."
The next day, when Minister Meng heard that Meng Guanqi had come to visit, and thinking about how Meng Mao had been spending every day with the heir apparent these days, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
Now that Meng Guanqi and his wife are so favored, they often remember their kinship and come to visit, which is very good.
He specially asked the steward to bring out the Snow Peak Emei tea that he had treasured for a long time and brewed it for Meng Guanqi: "Try this tea. Even if you serve the Crown Prince, you probably wouldn't have the opportunity to drink such a fine tea."
Boiling water was poured into the tea leaves, and the aroma filled the room. Meng Guanqi took a deep breath and couldn't help but exclaim, "Good tea!"
One sip and the fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth; he had never tasted such fine tea in the Eastern Palace before.
Minister Meng was extremely pleased with himself. He took a sip of tea before slowly asking, "Did you come to see my grandfather for something?"
Meng Guanqi asked, "Grandfather, do you know which of the Jinshi graduates from the second year of Jian'an are still alive?"
Minister Meng is already sixty years old this year, which is quite long. It's hard to say how many of the Jinshi graduates from the previous year are still alive; they have probably all retired and returned to their hometowns.
Minister Meng frowned as expected: "Why are you asking this? So many of the Jinshi graduates from the second year of Jian'an are now long gone..."
Meng Guanqi said, "I have an old case that I need to investigate by finding a Jinshi from the second year of Jian'an. That's why I came here to ask if you know anyone who is still alive?"
Minister Meng lowered his head and thought for a long time. Suddenly, he remembered someone: "There is indeed someone who is relatively close, Yuan Zhigang, a native of Yongzhou. He once served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. He retired a few years earlier than me. His hometown is in the countryside of Yongzhou, not far from the capital."
Yuan Zhigang… Meng Guanqi's spirits lifted: “How old was this Vice Minister Yuan when he passed the imperial examination?”
Minister Meng said, "Thirty-five or thirty-six years old, what's wrong?"
He's sixty-two or sixty-three years old this year, which is indeed not young. I hope he can still remember what happened in the second year of Jian'an.
Meng Guanqi said, "I would like to ask him about the events of the second year of Jian'an."
Minister Meng's expression changed: "The matter of the second year of Jian'an? Is it the case of the tragic death of the candidates? Then you don't need to go. Before the late emperor was alive, he strictly forbade the discussion of this matter. Several officials in the court were also punished because of this matter. If you rashly go to Vice Minister Yuan's door about this matter, he will not say a word."
Meng Guanqi was surprised: "You can't say a single word? But the late emperor is no longer here..."
Minister Meng said, “That’s why you’re new to officialdom and think you know everything, but you still don’t understand the rules of being an official. Those who can become second or third-rank officials in the court keep their mouths shut tighter than anyone else. Even if they have a thousand things on their minds, they will never utter a single word to you. Besides, the late emperor has already passed away. Bringing up this matter again would be disrespectful. Telling you would not do you any good and might even bring you trouble. So why would anyone tell you?”
Meng Guanqi had never thought about this question before and was stunned on the spot.
Minister Meng frowned: "What exactly do you want to ask him? I was only one year behind him in the imperial examination, and I know roughly about similar things. Tell me about it."
Meng Guanqi thought for a moment, glanced at the old servant in the study, and then waved his hand, and all the servants serving in the study withdrew, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.
Minister Meng was, after all, a former second-rank official. He only needed a glance or a gesture to understand these rules, and those who served him naturally understood them perfectly.
Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Meng Guanqi asked in a low voice, "Grandfather, do you know the brothers Zheng Chuyang and Zheng Fuyang?"
Upon hearing these two names, and recalling what Meng Guanqi had just mentioned about the events of the second year of Jian'an, Minister Meng immediately understood: "You want to ask about these two brothers?"
Meng Guanqi nodded.
Minister Meng sighed, "These two brothers were the very source of the tragedy of the second year of Jian'an, which the late emperor had strictly forbidden to mention. Back then, Zheng Chuyang was hailed as the top scholar in the land; which scholar hadn't heard of him? Actually, Zheng Fuyang was also quite good; he was only two years younger than Zheng Chuyang, and his abilities were not to be underestimated. But because Zheng Chuyang was so famous, he overshadowed him, so everyone's attention was focused on Zheng Chuyang... But who could have imagined that such an accident would happen, that the two brothers would freeze to death at the imperial examination site? The Zheng family was a prominent family in Luxiang, and they had finally raised such outstanding brothers, only to have them die halfway through their journey. For more than ten years afterward, they couldn't recover until Zheng Chuyang's son, Zheng Mian, became the top scholar at the age of sixteen, and only then did the Zheng family slowly regain its former vitality..."
Meng Guanqi exclaimed in surprise, "Zheng Mian was the top scholar in the imperial examination?"
Minister Meng nodded: "The sixteen-year-old top scholar is the youngest in the history of this dynasty. Although some people said that when he became the top scholar, it was because the late emperor was compensating him for his father's unexpected and tragic death, the controversy stopped immediately as soon as his article was published. He is a truly outstanding young man."
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