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Pei Wenjin was also busy at this time. The princess had just made a big mess, and the emperor was obviously going to protect her. Before dawn, he sent a small team of personal guards out of the capital.
A troop of light cavalry arrived and surrounded a farm in the desolate wilderness. Half a year ago, Pei Wenjin sent people to monitor the flow of large sums of money among the people. Although the results were minimal, he never gave up. Now that there was a new lead, he came without stopping.
He was wearing a straw raincoat and fell rapidly to the ground. The raindrops were falling densely, and the thunder and rain well concealed the sound of the horse's hooves. He signaled everyone to lie low and wait for his scouts to bring news.
Soon, a cry of an eagle echoed in the air, and a huge bird of prey circled in mid-air. Pei Wenjin stretched out his arm, and the gyrfalcon that flew over landed steadily on his arm.
When the gyrfalcon folded its wings, they brushed against his face. Pei Wenjin laughed and scolded, "I've told you many times, if you shout too loudly, you'll scare away your target."
The gyrfalcon ignored him, burying its head in its wings and preening its feathers. Pei Wenjin took the letter tube off its foot, opened it, and frowned.
The paper, slightly damp with rainwater from his hands, clearly read: "Returning empty-handed, sir, return home immediately."
That was a secret message from a scout who had scouted the area beforehand.
Pei Wenjin was not giving up. He quickly reined in his horse and smashed open the dilapidated wooden door of the farm. The Imperial Guards followed him in one after another. They searched around, breaking down tiles and walls in an attempt to find any useful clues.
Unfortunately, not even a ghost was seen; the farm was already deserted.
Standing in the dilapidated main hall, he knew he had been tricked. He crumpled the note, gripped the hilt of his embroidered spring knife tightly, and roared furiously, "Back to the capital!"
The gyrfalcon, oblivious to human joys and sorrows, leaped about on Pei Wenjin's shoulder. This enormous bird of prey, kept in the capital and glossy and healthy, was a size larger than it had been in the region beyond the Great Wall.
Pei Wenjin found it too heavy and tossed it aside. The gyrfalcon spread its wings in dissatisfaction and made a sharp complaint, but Pei Wenjin ignored it and coldly said to it, "You'll have two less pieces of meat for dinner."
Amidst the mournful cry of the gyrfalcon, the Imperial Guards hurried back to the capital.
Xiao Diting slept until the sun was high in the sky, and was in a very good mood. After a simple breakfast, she put the document Pei Wenjin had given her in her arms and, on a whim, chose a dark blue silk skirt. The style was simple and would not affect her movements.
She stopped the maid's hand from continuing to adorn her hair with flowers, and with a gentle push, removed the jingling metal ornaments from her ears as well.
The maid asked, puzzled, "What is this?"
Xiao Diting succinctly replied, "It's inconvenient to move around."
After tidying everything up, Xiao Diting, carrying his waist token and accompanied by a maid, discreetly left the house.
Fortunately, the emperor lifted her confinement, and since the princess was appointed to the Dali Temple, she only needed to say "investigate a case" to be released.
The carriage leaving the palace traveled along Zhuque Avenue for a while before turning and twisting its way into another street.
The correct name for the Embroidered Uniform Guard office should be the Zhenfu Division. As soon as Xiao Diting entered the alley, she keenly noticed that many pairs of eyes were on her, but there was nothing in her field of vision.
She had her maid wait at the alley entrance, while she got off the carriage and walked in alone.
The Zhenfu Division was located in a remote corner of the imperial city. There were very few people around. Compared with the magnificent imperial study I had seen yesterday, this place exuded an air of poverty.
With its leaky eaves, dilapidated wooden stakes, and overgrown courtyard, Xiao Di had initially assumed that given the formidable presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the office must be quite decent.
Unexpectedly, among all the personnel in the entire Zhenfu Division, the most valuable ones were probably the people inside.
Xiao Diting stepped over the threshold and knocked on the tightly closed wooden door. After a long while, someone rushed over to open the door. Ji Chuan hopped over and saw that it was Xiao Diting who had come alone. His expression was as if he had swallowed a thousand flies. He couldn't help but be startled and slammed the door shut.
Xiao Diting's hand, which was pressing on the threshold, was immediately affected.
The pain of the five fingers being connected to the heart is unbearable for ordinary people, and Xiao Diting was no exception. She was in so much pain that physiological tears welled up in her eyes, and she hopped around in the open space, clutching her wrist.
Pei Wenjin was not at the Zhenfu Division at this time. Song Pingzhang, the Northern Zhenfu who had taken off his flying fish robe, rushed out of the house and saw Ji Chuan frantically surrounding Xiao Diting, trying to add fuel to the fire by applying medicine to her. Xiao Diting dodged and cried out in pain. He was immediately at a loss and rushed over to pull the two apart.
Unexpectedly, Ji Chuan was fine, but Xiao Diting's steps became unsteady, and he fell straight backward.
Song Pingzhang: ...
Himekawa:......
Xiao Diting lay on the ground, half-dead, pleading for help: "Help, help me... The Imperial Guards are killing people..."
In his heart, Song Pingzhang was shouting "Oh my god!" while simultaneously feeling utterly doomed, wondering if the crime of accidentally killing the princess was enough to bring down his entire family.
Before he could even think about the matter of the nine generations of his family, Song Pingzhang hurriedly called his colleagues to carry the prince into the house. He then took out a bunch of medicines and tried them one by one. Xiao Diting looked at her greasy hands, sighed, and said the most complete sentence she had uttered since entering the house.
"Is this... going to pickle me and eat me?"
Song Pingzhang quickly slid to his knees and pressed down the bewildered Ji Chuan, saying, "Hurry up and apologize to His Highness!"
For once, Ji Chuan had a moment of clarity. Xiao Diting's attitude of not pursuing the matter, and even his willingness to joke, was already giving him a way out, so he had to accept it quickly.
"Your Highness, I apologize. I acted rashly. Please punish me as you see fit!"
Xiao Diting wrapped one hand in thick bandages. She took a small sip of the tea handed to her by a servant, feeling quite disappointed. It was indeed a far cry from the tea served to the emperor; it was utterly unpalatable.
Ji Chuan's perception was inconsistent. He saw Xiao Diting take a sip and then throw it aside. The silly boy, for some reason, blurted out, "Is Your Highness's tea not good? I heard that Your Highness likes strong tea, so I specially added tea leaves!"
In despair, the Northern Garrison Commander could only nudge the brat with his knee to silence him.
No wonder Xiao Diting was so sickened by the tea that he felt like he was going to choke. He gave Song Pingzhang a forced smile and gestured for the noisy pearl bird to get lost. Song Pingzhang readily agreed.
Xiao Diting found it very interesting. The Embroidered Uniform Guards always had a cold and aloof aura that kept strangers at bay, and their commander was also willful and arrogant. He never expected that, apart from Ji Chuan, this clown, there would be such a meticulous and gentle person working here.
Xiao Diting looked around at the interior of the Zhenfu Division, and it was simply appalling. It could only be said that the old and dilapidated appearance on the outside was the face of the entire Zhenfu Division.
Song Pingzhang closed the door and came in to see Xiao Diting sitting quietly in her original spot. The princess's skin was unhealthy white. He glanced at Xiao Diting's injured hand and felt even more pity for her.
He casually tidied up the documents behind her and asked her purpose in a casual conversation: "This humble servant, Song Pingzhang, greets the Third Princess. My children were impolite just now, please forgive them, Your Highness."
This silly child has done more than one thing out of manners, so Xiao Diting turned a blind eye and naturally wouldn't hold it against him.
Xiao Diting took out the Manjushri from his sleeve, pushed it in front of Song Pingzhang, and raised his head slightly: "I came here without my father's approval... Of course, I mainly followed your command. I just wanted to find out the reason, so that I wouldn't die in vain."
Song Pingzhang bowed and said, "The commander already told us about this yesterday. If Your Highness has any questions, I can answer them for you."
Just as he was told, the rapid sound of horses' hooves outside interrupted him. He quickly pushed open the door, and Xiao Diting got up and followed. The suddenly stopped horse stepped into a puddle, and Song Pingzhang quickly dodged the splashing water. However, Xiao Diting behind him was not so lucky.
Xiao Diting was speechless. The newcomer was arrogant and dismounted. The servants who surrounded him led away the spirited horse. Such a high-profile style could only belong to Pei Wenjin.
The rest of the Imperial Guards who had gone out returned with their horses.
Xiao Diting tried to clean the water off his body, and when he looked up, he met a pair of sharp eyes. The features were gentle and refined, but the staring gaze reminded Xiao Diting of a wolf lurking in the snow.
Pei Wenjin took off his raincoat, revealing his flying fish robe with wet edges. He was somewhat surprised to see Xiao Diting's hands wrapped up like a dumpling. As he walked forward, he cast an inquiring glance at Song Pingzhang.
Song Pingzhang gritted his teeth: "That brat Ji Chuan did it."
Pei Wenjin nodded: "Yes, punish him by making him do all the miscellaneous work of the Zhenfu Division for a month... and punish him even more if he doesn't do a good job."
From outside came the boy's heartbroken wails: "No, Commander! I'll change it, I'll change it, okay?"
Pei Wenjin sneered, his disdain and anger evident to anyone: "Although our prince is of unparalleled martial virtue, it is still shameful to have one's weapon taken away."
Xiao Diting sat to the side, chuckling dryly. What a Pei Wenjin! Even at a time like this, he's still trying to nag her.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the courtyard was getting tense, Song Pingzhang stepped forward and quickly tried to smooth things over: "It's raining, everyone, please come inside and talk."
Pei Wenjin stood still, but Song Pingzhang grabbed his sleeve and, gritting his teeth, threw the big man into the house. Xiao Diting had no thoughts about it. No matter how bad the commander's attitude was, they had to work together now, so what could he do to her?
This time, Xiao Diting was confident and remained calm and composed.
Pei Wenjin entered the room and took the main seat, casually tossing his sword onto the table. Song Pingzhang carefully put it away and shouted at Pei Wenjin, "This is a sword bestowed by the Emperor!"
He yelled and woke up the person behind the screen. Xiao Di heard the sound of the inkstone falling to the ground and realized that someone had been dozing off in the back of the house all along.
"Ah—" Nan Zhenfu Shangguan Lin walked out of the back room carrying a stack of files, her eyes glazed over. Her steps were unsteady and she looked like she was about to fall. She was dressed simply, and the only accessory she wore was a hair tie with two red agates wrapped around the end.
This is the girl I saw at the restaurant last time.
After finishing this task, Song Pingzhang pulled Shangguan Lin aside, led her to her seat, pulled out the dossier, and pushed it in front of Pei Wenjin. He did it all in one go, as if he had done it countless times before.
Shangguan Lin leaned against the table and fell asleep immediately, while Song Pingzhang looked at Xiao Diting with a helpless expression.
Xiao Diting expressed his understanding: "Let her sleep."
It seems this family is doomed without Song Pingzhang.
Pei Wenjin buried himself in the files and quickly returned them to Song Pingzhang. Song Pingzhang asked Xiao Diting, "Your Highness, would you like to take a look? Our commander is currently sulking and hasn't spoken yet."
Xiao Di was pleased with the idea and leaned over to listen to Song Pingzhang's analysis of the current situation.
With his usual calm demeanor, Song Pingzhang spoke unhurriedly: "Although the contact person is dead, the case is not completely closed. However, we cannot be completely sure that there is a second way to go... This morning, the commander went to the outskirts of the city, and it seems that he returned empty-handed."
The trail has gone cold again, and that's the real headache.
Song Pingzhang's mouth was dry from talking, so he took a sip of tea.
Xiao Diting: "Are you really not left with any clues at all?" To be honest, investigating cases wasn't her forte; infiltration was.
Song Pingzhang shook his head, looking tired. This matter had caused quite a stir, with the relevant officials passing the buck. Otherwise, the Embroidered Uniform Guard wouldn't have had to take the lead, and there hadn't been any results. The feedback from above wasn't pleasant either.
"It wasn't a complete failure." Pei Wenjin, who had been pretending to be mute, raised his head and softened his tone. "On the way back, we caught a servant loitering at the city gate. If anyone comes to ask for him later, remember to tell him to get lost."
Song Pingzhang, suppressing his excitement, asked, "Shall we proceed with the interrogation now?"
Pei Wenjin nodded: "He has been detained. Take His Highness with you. Call a few more brothers; more men will make a stronger impression."
That's nonsense. Pei Wenjin thought for a moment and decided not to wake Shangguan Lin. He told someone to cover her with a blanket while she was fast asleep, left Ji Chuan behind to handle the matter, and led the others to Dianzhao Prison without stopping.
Fate is an unpredictable thing. Logically speaking, Xiao Diting should have been imprisoned in Dianzhao Prison yesterday, but since it was not her fault, she was not imprisoned. Who would have thought that she would come here on her own today?
If the Zhenfu Division is remote, then the Dianzhao Prison is as remote as can be.
A huge Bixie was carved on the heavy bronze door, baring its teeth and claws, looking extremely majestic. This place mainly held prisoners who had committed serious crimes, so it was heavily guarded. This place was also under the jurisdiction of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The waiting jailer opened the mechanism door, and Xiao Diting followed Song Pingzhang at the back, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the legendary prison. They followed a path down, the interior of which was pitch black, with only braziers lit on both sides, not bright, but enough.
Those who can enter this place must either be of noble status or have committed countless crimes; they must possess at least one of these qualities.
Pei Wenjin brought more than twenty Imperial Guards with him on this trip. Xiao Diting didn't understand why so many people were needed for a small interrogation, and she felt very suspicious. Pei Wenjin led them through a maze of twists and turns into a cave. From a distance, Xiao Diting could smell the blood... but it wasn't on her.
The door lock was unlocked, and Pei Wenjin stepped inside. Xiao Diting and Song Pingzhang exchanged a glance and followed him in. What came into view was a bloody and mangled body. Xiao Diting stepped on a small, hard object.
Looking down, I realized it was a tooth.
They said they caught someone on the way back, and in the blink of an eye, the person had turned into this state. Even Song Pingzhang couldn't bear to look at it: "It's too much trouble to make things difficult for an ordinary servant. It's unnecessary."
“Ordinary servants don’t talk nonsense. Luckily, we found him in time and knocked out all his teeth. This guy was keeping watch at the city gate.” Pei Wenjin sneered and kicked the servant. “What about what you just told me? The person in charge is right here. If you have any excuses, you’d better speak up quickly. Even if you faint, we’ll still have plenty of ways to deal with you.”
Xiao Diting kicked away the teeth on the ground, not realizing for a moment who Pei Wenjin was referring to as the "main character". She only realized that Song Pingzhang beside her had taken a step back when two Imperial Guards rushed out from behind her, grabbed her arms, and forced her onto the only chair in the room.
The servant on the rack, his face contorted in a grotesque expression, burst into a hoarse wail as Pei Wenjin plunged a dagger into his calf: "It was all the princess's orders! I didn't know! I don't know anything else! Officials, please spare me—ahhhhhhh—"
The servant scrambled to Xiao Diting's feet while howling, his hands covered in blood as he tried to reach her embroidered shoes. Pei Wenjin stepped on the back of his hand and casually ground it.
Pei Wenjin lowered his eyes, speaking to the servant lying on the ground, but his gaze was fixed on the princess sitting in the chair.
The lingering sense of oppression washed over him, and Xiao Diting swallowed hard.
The servant fainted from the stinging pain.
Pei Wenjin, abandoning his previous impatience, gazed at Xiao Diting with an almost benign expression. He nudged the servant with his leg and said, "Did you hear that, Your Highness? This is the reason I invited you here for 'tea.' Someone has accused you of colluding with this case. Do you have anything to say?"
The air seemed to freeze, and Xiao Diting suddenly felt a little breathless. She glanced at the servant lying at her feet.
"Perhaps we've all been wrong—the seemingly most innocent prince might just be the mastermind we've been searching for."
Xiao Diting felt pain from her twisted arms and was covered in cold sweat. She couldn't utter a word, the unknown secret letter from last night still vivid in her mind.
The Imperial Guards had been lying in wait for a long time, and since they couldn't find a reason to explain themselves, Xiao Diting insisted on walking into the line of fire, so they naturally couldn't let him go easily.
Xiao Diting slightly raised his chin, looked into Pei Wenjin's unfathomable eyes, and remained silent.
She's not the original owner of this body, so she knows nothing.
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