Feigned Death, Game Within a Game
After this incident, no one could sleep soundly at night. Xiao Diting, being a subordinate, slept in a side room of Shangguan Lin's residence.
Her large-scale search of the house at night, coupled with her pacing back and forth inside, made it difficult for her to remain still without disturbing Shangguan Lin, who was a light sleeper.
Jue couldn't think of going back to sleep, so she simply sat on the edge of the bed and looked through the files. Shangguan Lin, who had been woken up, also got up fully clothed and came over to knock on her door frame.
"Did I wake you up?" Xiao Diting closed the file and tossed it aside, but saw Shangguan Lin shaking his head repeatedly with a haggard face.
"I can't sleep, and I heard that Your Highness also seems to be having trouble sleeping. The night is still long, so I thought I'd like to have a chat."
The two girls had gotten to know each other well and were quite harmonious. Xiao Diting pushed the files over and gave them to Shangguan Linteng.
Shangguan Lin didn't object to her suggestion and naturally sat down next to her. The two hugged the blanket and whispered to each other like close friends in their boudoir.
Chunyan had stayed with her until midnight waiting for her subordinates to deliver messages. In the latter half of the night, she was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open, so Xiao Diting approved her to go and rest.
There were only the two of them in the side room. Xiao Diting cleverly removed the curtain, isolating them from the outside world, while Shangguan Lin hugged the quilt and leaned closer to her.
"Since we promised Wang Shude that we would investigate the cause of Shuangqiao's death, and since the incident happened so suddenly, we have not yet seen her body or the crime scene."
Xiao Diting lowered his voice and whispered to her, blinking his eyes. Shangguan Lin understood and waited for her to continue: "We didn't have enough manpower when we came to Jiangzhou. We were hastily recalled today, and with Wang Shude's interruption, we didn't have time to investigate these flaws in detail... What do you think?"
Shangguan Lin followed her example and lowered his voice: "They conspired together. It's possible that Ji Shuangqiao isn't dead."
Shangguan Lin's statement is not entirely wrong; the deduction is reasonable. A woman who can know the whereabouts of the envoy from the capital and openly admits her scheme is shrewd and meticulous. There is no way she would let herself get killed so easily.
If she didn't die, then what was the meaning behind her doing this?
"Her 'sincerity' goes far beyond this!"
The two spoke almost in unison, each seeing a strange excitement in the other's eyes. In this case shrouded in mystery, Ji Shuangqiao used death to tear open a crack in the truth.
Xiao Diting was at a loss for words. Their purpose in coming to Jiangzhou to investigate the salt and iron accounts was actually to verify far more than just this.
The Duqu River bandit case and the unusual exposure of the salt and iron accounts were all due to the fact that officials from the capital were going to the south of the Yangtze River... and that dark figure who had just arrived in Duqu and flashed past people was like a ghost that would kill.
These strange events were mostly the work of Ji Shuangqiao alone, all in order to persuade officials from the imperial court to come. She even knew very well who would be coming here.
She might be waiting for Shangguan Lin, or she might be waiting for someone else.
At least she believed that the Embroidered Uniform Guard would help her.
When they rushed to the capital to witness his "sincerity," he then used death to deliver a severe blow to Shangguan Lin, forcing the Southern Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to become deeply involved in these matters.
While putting Shangguan Lin in a high position and putting him to death, it also reminded her that another force had infiltrated the situation, related to these old events, and that she might not be able to defeat them.
The methods used must be sophisticated; a single miscalculation could lead to utter ruin.
This was her way of showing Shangguan Lin her true "sincerity," and that Shangguan Lin had no right to refuse.
"Oh dear, I can't take it anymore." Xiao Diting chuckled. "Why is she like this? She never says everything at once."
Shangguan Lin said with some helplessness, "Miss Ji is introverted, even a bit awkward... I didn't understand why my mother described her that way before, but now I think my mother was being too subtle."
After figuring this out, the two looked at each other and smiled, unsure of what other expression to make.
<1>We looked at each other speechlessly, only tears streaming down our faces.
For Ji Shuangqiao, the two of them were practically free labor delivered right to his door.
Good life but bad luck.
Xiao Diting wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes, muttered to himself, grabbed Shangguan Lin's sleeve, and then fell onto the bed.
Shangguan Lin was slightly surprised for a moment, then quietly lay down beside her. The two leaned against each other, and Xiao Diting stared intently at the bed curtains: "Lianjun, when do you think we can resolve this matter?"
"It'll probably take some time, let's not talk about that now." Shangguan Lin turned his head and nudged her with his shoulder, "We don't talk about work when we're sleeping."
"Just thinking about having to deal with these things as soon as I open my eyes makes me feel so tired, so tired..." Xiao Diting mumbled, his mind filled with scattered thoughts of the past.
She had been in this era for some time now, and to say that she had a good relationship with it would be a lie. She remembered her first mission, when her senior took her to hide in a mountain valley and they watched the stars together.
"If you don't know what tomorrow will bring, it's not a bad idea to imagine it in advance." The words her senior had said came out of her mouth, but Shangguan Lin, who was lying next to her, did not answer her.
Xiao Diting glanced at her and saw that she had closed her eyes, was breathing lightly, and looked completely unguarded. She had already fallen asleep, hugging half of the quilt.
Xiao Diting remained motionless in that position. She knew that Shangguan Lin was overworked and his sleep quality was not good. Now that he was finally able to get a good night's rest, she didn't want to disturb him.
However, thinking about many things and her uncertain future, she naturally couldn't sleep.
Afraid of waking Shangguan Lin, she remained in the same position, keeping her eyes open until dawn.
As dawn broke, Xiao Diting had only dozed off for a moment when Chunyan lifted the curtain and woke her up.
Shangguan Lin beside her had already woken up and was combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror. The morning light shone through the window and fell on her hair, which was dry and yellow and looked somewhat rough.
There was nothing that could be done about it. The Imperial Guards were very busy with official duties, and Shangguan Lin's health was already poor. It was truly remarkable that he could have such energy and spirit.
"Awake?" Shangguan Lin turned to look at her, the weariness in his eyes had faded considerably. "I asked the kitchen to prepare some congee, it'll be ready to eat after you wash up."
Xiao Diting rubbed his aching temples as he got up. He had been awake all night and his head felt heavy.
She pressed her head as she got up, shook her head, and only then did she become a little more awake.
After she quickly washed up, Chunyan brought in hot water. Seeing that the two of them were awake, she hurriedly served them: "Your Highness, Lord Shangguan, the porridge is warming in the main hall. It's plain porridge with pickles. I thought you two probably wouldn't have much of an appetite."
The two sat down in the side hall and had just taken a couple of sips of porridge when a commotion broke out outside.
Xiao Diting fiddled with the pickled vegetables in his bowl with his chopsticks, watching the dried radish float in the white porridge. Shangguan Lin bit his chopsticks but didn't touch the pickled vegetables much, presumably because he didn't like them.
She beckoned Chunyan over: "Go and see what's going on outside, and while you're at it, find some other breakfast for Lord Shangguan."
Chunyan went out as instructed, and then the two people inside heard Chunyan's shrill voice outside: "Lord Shangguan is a woman, and Lord Wang's uninvited visit is probably against the rules!"
She shouted sharply, for she was, after all, a maid from the palace. Even if she wasn't the Third Princess, even if she was a woman like Shangguan Lin who inevitably had to show her face in public, it was against the rules for an outsider to come uninvited.
Xiao Diting put down her bowl, pressed Shangguan Lin back into place, and gestured for her to eat properly first: "Eat first, let him wait a while."
Shangguan Lin paused, her hand holding the bowl of porridge. Her eyes darkened slightly, but out of respect for Xiao Diting, she didn't immediately lash out: "He's certainly eager."
Xiao Diting took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth: "Perfect, saves us the trouble of looking for him."
After saying that, Xiao Diting waited for Shangguan Lin to finish his porridge before getting up and walking out.
As soon as she arrived at the gate, she saw Wang Shude dressed in official robes, being stopped by the servants in the courtyard. Upon seeing her come out, he immediately greeted her with a beaming smile: "Lord Shangguan, did you rest well last night... I was thinking that I should go to the crime scene today, so I came here to wait for you."
Shangguan Lin nodded slightly, stepped aside to let Xiao Diting come to him: "Lord Wang, you've come at the right time. Let me introduce you. You know this young lady. Her name is Xiao Xiao. She is a judge of the Dali Temple. She came to Jiangzhou with me to cooperate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard in investigating the salt, iron, and grain cases. We will need your cooperation in the future."
Wang Shude was taken aback when he heard this, but quickly realized which "肖" he was referring to, since the imperial surname of the Great Jing Dynasty was "肖".
He had heard that the Third Princess of the current dynasty was serving in the Dali Temple because of her talent. He glanced at Xiao Diting and separated her from the rumored "Princess Mingzhao".
When Lord Wang saw her yesterday, she was dressed in a smart outfit, and he assumed she was a female official serving Shangguan Lin. He never expected her to be from the Dali Temple.
He quickly bowed and said, "So it's Judge Xiao. My apologies for not recognizing you... With Judge Xiao and Lord Shangguan working together, this case will surely be solved."
Xiao Diting returned the greeting, his tone indifferent: "Lord Wang, you are too kind. It is merely my duty."
Shangguan Lin spoke up at the right moment, interrupting the formalities: "Since Lord Wang is here as well, let's set off now... Let's go and see Madam Ji's body first, so we can determine the cause of death."
Wang Shude's smile froze for a moment, and he rubbed his hands together as he said, "To be honest, last night I received news from Huaizhou that the Yang family personally sent people to pick up their daughter-in-law's body and bring it back to Huaizhou for burial. It was taken away in the early hours of the morning."
Xiao Diting and Shangguan Lin exchanged a glance, just as expected.
Xiao Diting sighed with feigned regret: "So hasty? I wanted to examine it carefully, perhaps I could find some clues."
Shangguan Lin chimed in, "Since it's already been sent back to Huaizhou, it's not appropriate to bring it back. However, the crime scene should still be there, so let's go take a look."
Wang Shude nodded hurriedly: "That's how it should be, that's how it should be! I've already had a carriage prepared, let's go there now."
Shangguan Lin waved his hand, "No need, riding a horse is faster."
As they walked towards the mansion gate, chatting, the servants had already prepared the horses. She gave Wang Shude a meaningful glance, then mounted her horse as she spoke. Xiao Diting followed closely behind, and the four guards also mounted their horses.
Seeing this, Wang Shude had no choice but to have his own mount brought over, and he awkwardly climbed onto it.
Unfortunately, Lord Wang hadn't ridden a horse in many years, and the servants struggled to push this fleshy lump onto the horse. The whole process was quite comical, but Shangguan Lin politely turned his face away and didn't laugh out loud.
After finally climbing onto the saddle, he wanted to say something to Shangguan Lin, but the other deliberately kept his distance, so he could only follow behind awkwardly.
The group left the city and headed towards the cliff where the "accident" had occurred at Ji Shuang Bridge.
On the way, Xiao Diting took advantage of the wind and whispered to Shangguan Lin, "Won't he become suspicious?"
"At most, he thinks we're too eager to investigate the case." Shangguan Lin looked ahead and said with certainty, "Since Ji Shuangqiao dared to fake her death, she must have made all the arrangements. Even if Wang Shude has doubts, he won't be able to find anything."
Xiao Diting nodded, his gaze sweeping over Wang Shude behind him.
But he was seen slowly following behind, reining in his horse, glancing around every now and then. He seemed to have no guile and was more like a pawn that had been pushed forward.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the foot of the cliff, where several yamen runners had already gathered. Upon seeing Shangguan Lin and his group arrive, they hurriedly stepped forward and reported, "Sir, this is where Madam Yang's carriage fell off the cliff."
Xiao Diting dismounted and walked to the edge of the cliff to look down. The cliff wasn't very high, and below was dense bushes. He could vaguely see some broken planks from the carriage and a few pools of blood that had long since dried.
"Where did the carriage fall from?" she asked.
The constable pointed to the mountain road above: "Right at that bend, the wheels seemed to have been tripped by a stone and plunged straight down. When we arrived, the carriage had already been smashed to pieces, and Madam Yang and her maids... were all dead."
Shangguan Lin squatted down, picked up a bloodstained wooden board and examined it: "The marks on the broken axle are very fresh, it doesn't look like it was caused by years of disrepair."
She then walked onto the mountain path and carefully examined the road surface. "The tire tracks here are very messy, as if someone deliberately damaged them."
Xiao Diting followed along the mountain path and indeed saw many potholes of varying depths on the road surface, as if they had been carved out by a hard object: "It seems this is not an accident."
Wang Shude stood to the side, his face pale: "This... could this have been done on purpose?"
“It’s too early to say.” Shangguan Lin stood up. “Collect all these broken planks and take them back for a thorough examination… Also, ask around in the nearby villages if anyone saw any suspicious individuals last night.”
The constables quickly agreed and began cleaning up the scene.
As Xiao Diting walked to the bend in the road, he looked at the bushes below the cliff and suddenly noticed something unusual—the branches of several bushes had been neatly broken off, not like they had been run over by a carriage, but rather like they had been cleared away by someone.
She made a note of the discovery without making a sound, then turned and winked at Shangguan Lin.
Shangguan Lin understood and said to Wang Shude, "Lord Wang, there's nothing more to see here. Let's go back first."
Wang Shude felt as if he had been granted a pardon and nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, I will do as you say, Lord Shangguan."
On the way back, Xiao Diting deliberately lagged behind and whispered to Shangguan Lin, "There are signs of clearing at the bottom of the cliff. Ji Shuangqiao must have escaped from there."
“I saw it.” Shangguan Lin looked ahead. “Since she left clues, she won’t really disappear… Next, we should sound out Huaizhou.”
Xiao Diting nodded, his gaze fixed on the distance.
Ji Shuangqiao faked her death, putting them in the spotlight. The road ahead will only be more difficult.
But she knew they had no way out; they could only follow this lead until they uncovered the whole truth.
Wang Shude continued to follow behind, sighing all the way, talking about how to explain things to Huaizhou, completely unaware of Xiao Diting's gaze behind him.
As Xiao Diting watched his retreating figure, he suddenly realized that perhaps everyone in this game had their own agenda.
"That's very interesting."
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