Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Pulled into an embrace.
Su Ran's problem was more difficult than expected.
The Su family's previous transactions with the ship merchants were secretive. They would not accept the "tributes" given by the ship merchants, but would directly instruct them where the money should flow and directly transfer it to the places that needed it. This is why the account books provided by the two ship merchants were not very useful in accusing Su Ran.
Although the evidence Xu Qing'an had originally prepared had not yet been handed over, it had lost some of its effectiveness due to the disappearance of the ship merchant. This was because the evidence involved transactions between the two parties, even if it was complete, still required the confrontation of human or physical evidence. However, that person and his account book had long since disappeared.
Although Su Ran's case was put on hold, there was solid evidence that the shipowner had assassinated an imperial official, and someone in the court was pressing for a closure to the case.
That night, Shangguan Xu met privately with Xu Qing'an. Xu Qing'an said, "It seems the ship merchant's account books aren't in the Su family's possession. Otherwise, they should be making a fuss about the merchant's 'slander' instead of rushing to close the assassination case."
"You must have searched that person's residence before, but you didn't find the account book."
Shangguan Xu thought that Xu Qing'an had brought a dagger, so he must have been to that person's residence.
Xu Qing'an nodded. "Yes, and judging by the furnishings in the house, someone must have searched it before I left, and their purpose was clearly to find the account books."
Shangguan Xu: "So the account book is not in that person's room."
Xu Qingan: "Maybe it's on him."
"On his body? Kill him without searching him?"
"What if we can't find it?"
Shangguan Xu was silent.
Xu Qing'an continued, "What if that person died in the wrong place, or if they're not dead but missing, then we can't search them?"
Shangguan Xu turned around and found a seat. "But this is just your guess. If that thing still can't be found, Su Xingzheng will be able to put an end to this matter. If we want to deal with him again, we'll have to think of other ways."
Xu Qing'an followed and stepped forward. "This matter seems quite urgent right now, but there's no rush. Although I have evidence of the three families' dealings with Su Xingzheng, the lack of one of their account books gives Su Xingzheng the possibility of exploiting a loophole. Therefore, I dare not hand over that thing lightly."
Shangguan Xu also knew that it was better to let this kind of thing go than to rush and make mistakes.
"Then let's first check the whereabouts of that ship merchant."
In fact, Xu Qing'an had another method - that night in prison, Liu Chang told him that he had already collected all the evidence that the former Minister of Works was framed, and as long as he took it out, he could convict Su Ran of the crime of slandering the court official.
However, this is also risky.
After all, she was also involved in what happened back then. If he proposed this method, it is still unknown whether she would agree. I am afraid she would doubt his intentions. If she stands with Su Wang again at that time, then all the plans she has made for so long may be wasted.
During the day, Xu Qing'an sat alone at his desk, thinking about these things and sighing softly.
Just when he was in a dilemma, the servant suddenly came to report.
"My dear, there is someone outside the mansion who wants to see you."
"Who is it?"
"She said her name was A Zheng."
——
A Zheng's health has recovered a lot recently, and her spirits have finally returned to 70% to 80% of their previous state. She has even resumed her daily martial arts training before she was injured.
She was practicing sword in the courtyard when Shangguan Xu came to visit her.
Seeing Shangguan Xu approaching, A Zheng put away her sword and walked towards her.
"There are no outsiders here, so no need to be polite." Seeing A Zheng was about to salute, Shangguan Xu quickly raised his hand to stop her.
"How is it? Did you see Doctor Xun?"
A Zheng left the palace to get the token from Shangguan Xu. After recovering over the past two days, she still felt that there were several parts of her body that were not right, and the imperial physician could not figure out what was wrong, so she asked to leave the palace on her own initiative, saying that she wanted to see Xun Yang for a medical consultation.
Shangguan Xu would naturally agree, and now that A Zheng is back, she naturally has to show some concern.
Ah Zheng pursed her lips, smiled slightly, and nodded, "I saw him. He said he was fine and that those reactions were normal during the recovery process. So the imperial physician couldn't find anything out from taking his pulse."
"That's good."
"only……"
"Just what?" Shangguan Xu asked immediately.
Ah Zheng said in embarrassment: "It's just that the reaction is too uncomfortable and unbearable, so I asked Doctor Xun for a way to relieve it. Doctor Xun said that if I want to relieve it, relying on medicine alone is useless, and the only way is to use acupuncture and moxa. So I..."
According to the rules, the token for leaving the palace must be returned after one use. Although it is not difficult for a close servant like A Zheng to obtain a token, she has always borrowed and returned it in time according to the convention when she needed to leave the palace every day.
"I understand." Shangguan Xu heard her concerns and said directly, "I'll leave the token to leave the palace with you. Get well first."
"Thank you for your grace, Madam."
——
Perhaps because she was thinking about the past, A Zheng has been particularly dependent on the people around her in recent days, and often makes some requests, such as what she wants to eat and what she wants to play.
Considering that she had just suffered severe physical and mental injuries and was still recovering, Shangguan Xu naturally wanted to take care of her in everything. As a result, the atmosphere in the entire Lizheng Hall had become much more cheerful in recent days, as if it had not been affected by the events of the previous dynasty at all.
Even the little emperor was attracted by the excitement and often asked to join them in the fun.
When news of this spread outside the palace, Su Shang naturally paid more attention to it. Later, he even went straight into the palace to have fun with them.
"Ever since Ah Zheng arrived in Chang'an four years ago, I've watched her gradually recover and become someone close and trusted by His Highness. She's been on good terms with His Highness, and I've had a lot of contact with her because of that. She's truly a woman worthy of love and respect. Now that I see her health improving in every way, I'm even happier for her."
In the garden scenery of Lizheng Hall, Su Shang and Shangguan Xu sat at the same table, hot tea was brewing on the side, the fragrance of tea filled the air, and the two talked like this.
Su Shang had frequently entered the palace since the Shangsi night four years ago, so Shangguan Xu was no longer surprised by his visit this time.
But she originally thought that because of what happened with Su Ran, he would keep his distance from her in the near future, but she didn't expect him to come anyway.
Thinking about his close relationship with Su Ran and the fact that he might be able to help Su Ran solve those difficult problems, Shangguan Xu also felt that it might be a good thing to attract his attention.
"Yes, now that she's getting better, I can finally put my mind at ease." Shangguan Xu took the teacup that Su Shang had refilled for her and smiled at him. "And now that she's feeling better, I hope her mood will improve too. I don't know why, but these days, when I see her, I always feel like she's hiding something in her eyes."
Su Shang sighed in relief, "After all, it's not completely healed. After all, it's been so many years. She must want to know clearly who she was before, where her family is, and what happened back then. With so many questions weighing on her mind, her mood must have been affected."
"Xu Bai, what do you think A Zheng's previous home was like?" Shangguan Xu raised her eyes and stared calmly at the person sitting opposite her. Although her eyes were indifferent and her tone was the same as usual, the color in her eyes was deeper.
Su Shang was obviously stumped by her question and gave a helpless smile. "This... I haven't really thought about it. Although I've known Ah Zheng for many years, she's rarely told me about her past. However, judging by her skills, I imagine her family must have a martial arts background."
Then he asked, "What's the matter? Your Highness, are you asking this because she recently remembered something? Perhaps she encountered something difficult during her investigation, and it's ambiguous and difficult to make a decision? If Your Highness finds it convenient, why not tell me about this matter and see if I can do something to help?"
Judging from his expression when he spoke, he really didn't know what had happened in A Zheng's family, and he didn't know that the person who harmed A Zheng's family was the father he had always respected.
Shangguan Xu said no more, her gaze turning to the teacup in her hand, her fingers feeling the warmth of the cup wall as she spoke, "It's not that I encountered any difficulties. It's just that seeing Ah Zheng's behavior these past few days, I suddenly had the idea to ask this question." She smiled and said, "I've been helping Ah Zheng search for her family for so many years. Now that they've found her, not only she, but even I am curious about her life story."
Su Shang nodded and said obediently, "Although I can't completely empathize with her, Your Majesty cares about her, and that means she cares about everything about her. You may say you're curious, but in fact you hope she can get what she wants soon, regain her memory, and find her family."
"By the way, where is A Zheng? Why don't I see her today?" Su Shang looked around and asked in confusion.
Shangguan Xu also looked around and said thoughtfully, "After she recovered recently, she has been practicing martial arts in her courtyard as usual. I guess now is her training time, so she hasn't come yet."
Su Shang smiled upon hearing this and said casually, "As expected, he is a martial artist. The first thing he did after his health improved was to pick up his kung fu and practice it."
Shangguan Xu raised her lips, but didn't comment. She said to Qinghe, who was waiting beside her, "Didn't Ah Zheng say she wanted to eat dumplings today? The kitchen should have almost finished making them. Go check on her and tell her it's okay to come over."
Qing He nodded in agreement, and seeing Su Shang sitting quietly beside them while they were talking, she knew that he would also eat the dumplings today. So she made up her mind and decided to say hello to the kitchen when she went to look for A Zheng this time.
After Qinghe left, Su Shang and Shangguan Xu continued to chat.
About a quarter of an hour later, palace servants came hurriedly from the corridor with quick steps.
"My Lady, something happened in the capital."
Shangguan Xu's expression froze, and he turned his gaze back from the courtyard: "What's the matter?"
The palace attendant's gaze drifted for a moment, and he glanced at Su Shang's face across from him before saying, "Mr. Su was attacked by an assassin on his way home..."
"What!" Su Shang stood up immediately after hearing that. No wonder the palace servant looked at him with something strange in his eyes. It turned out that something had happened to his father.
He asked, "How is my father? Is there any news?"
While asking, Su Shang glanced at Shangguan Xu again, and Shangguan Xu looked back indifferently.
Shangguan Xu really didn't know about this. Her plan for Su Wang had never been to take his life in broad daylight.
Seeing Shangguan Xu's doubtful look, Su Shang no longer doubted him and turned to look at the palace servant who came to report.
The palace maid replied, "It is said that at that time, Minister Su was protecting Mr. Su, so Mr. Su was not harmed."
Shangguan Xu had a strange intuition: "What exactly happened at the scene? Why did an assassin appear on Su Gong's way back home?"
The palace servant replied, "According to the news coming in from outside the palace, the assassin seemed to be seeking revenge. Before the assassination, he directly asked Lord Su to pay for the lives of his family members."
Seeking revenge, paying for one's life... Shangguan Xu finally realized what was wrong, and she stood up.
"Only one assassin?"
"yes."
"What about the assassin? Has he been caught?"
"When the news arrived, there was no mention of whether the assassin had been captured, but the assassin was severely injured. It seems that Su Zhongcheng stabbed him in the abdomen on the spot. After realizing that the situation was not good, he fled towards the outside of the city with his injuries."
A Zheng, it must be A Zheng... Even though Qing He hasn't come back yet, Shangguan Xu can conclude that the person who attempted to assassinate Su Wang in the city today was A Zheng.
Shangguan Xu's heartbeat quickened, and the rise and fall of his chest became noticeable.
Her breathing quickened and she felt dizzy, but she still said to Su Shang, "Xu Bai, after something like this happened, you should go back and take a look. Although Mr. Su is fine, he may be frightened. I think he needs you right now."
Su Shang saw that her face was pale, and looked at her worriedly, but he didn't know why she was like that. Besides, her reminder was not unreasonable, so he should go back and take a look.
Su Shang nodded and said softly, "Then I'll go back and check the situation. I'll go to the palace to see His Highness after everything is stable."
Shangguan Xu forced a smile and said yes.
But after Su Shang's figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Shangguan Xu finally couldn't help but hold his forehead and stagger.
The palace maid who came to report the news quickly supported her.
"Your Majesty..."
Shangguan Xu closed his eyes, shook his head slightly, then opened his eyes and said, "I'm fine. Qinghe went to find Azheng. Go see if Qinghe is back."
——
Shangguan Xu returned to the inner hall and sat down. Qinghe also came back from Azheng with a letter in her hand.
As Shangguan Xu read the letter, Qinghe talked about the dumplings that had just been served on the table. "The palace servants in the kitchen said that A Zheng made these dumplings herself, from mixing the filling and rolling out the dough to wrapping them. A Zheng went there early this morning, hoping to wrap the dumplings quickly."
"However, after everything was completed, she didn't let the palace maids in the kitchen tell the Empress that she had gone there, saying only that she wanted to give the Empress a surprise during dinner. The palace maids in the kitchen had originally agreed to this, but when it was actually time for dinner and she didn't show up, they told me what had happened. The letter in the Empress's hand was also the one I found in A Zheng's room a while ago."
"She placed it in a rather conspicuous place. I think she was estimating the time to hand it over to Her Majesty."
Shangguan Xu finished reading the letter, his hands drooping helplessly. "She really did go and kill Su Wang. Everything she's done these days is just a cover-up for her murderous intent. She wrote in the letter that judging by Su Wang's reluctance to let her go, her family must have known a shocking secret that could threaten Su Wang. So, from the moment Su Wang knew she was alive, he was determined to complete what he hadn't done four years ago and eliminate her completely. She was afraid that as long as she was around, Su Wang would use her to harm me."
"She didn't want to implicate me, so she took advantage of the atmosphere in Lizheng Palace these days to show outsiders that this matter had nothing to do with me. She even got Su Xubai to testify on my behalf. She also has an irreconcilable hatred with Su Wang, so she wanted to take advantage of this desperate opportunity to settle the score with Su Wang personally."
"She's so stupid. Why would she do something so dangerous at this inappropriate time just for me? Why couldn't she wait a little longer?"
Shangguan Xu recounted the past and blamed himself, "No wonder she's been so obsessed with martial arts training these past few days. No wonder she's been acting so strangely in her requests to others lately. No wonder she left behind a token to leave the palace. I thought it was all just her joy at having recovered. I'm so stupid! Why didn't I notice something was wrong with her sooner?"
"It's all my fault. I never told her what happened four years ago. Actually, she and I have the same enemy..."
Shangguan Xu closed his eyes.
Qinghe also showed a sad expression after hearing those words. She looked at the dumplings still steaming on the table and thought to herself, it turns out that Azheng had already made plans for today's events, and these few days were just saying goodbye to them.
However, Ah Zheng didn't know what was happening now. Shangguan Xu was still in front of her, so she couldn't let her Highness be too seriously affected by this. She gently comforted him, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. At least up to now, there's been no news of Ah Zheng being arrested. If she could do this, perhaps she had already arranged a retreat in advance and is hiding somewhere to wait out the storm."
Shangguan Xu sighed softly, "That's all I can hope for."
However, she was still worried because the palace maid said that the assassin was stabbed in the abdomen by Su Ran on the spot. Even if A Zheng escaped the search, what would she do if she didn't get treatment for such a serious injury?
Sure enough, at nightfall, news came from outside the palace that the assassin had been found - Jingzhao Prefecture searched for him under a cliff outside the city. By then, he had already died. Although his face could not be identified due to the scars, judging from his clothes and the wound on his abdomen, he was undoubtedly the assassin.
Shangguan Xu felt heartbroken when he heard the news.
At the same time, there was also news that not far from the assassin's body, there was a male corpse that had begun to rot. Through the account book found in his clothes, it was deduced that this person was the missing one among the three major shipowners in Jiangnan.
There was a knock on the side door of Xu's house in the middle of the night.
The wooden door opened from the inside, and Xu Qing'an looked out holding a lantern.
The visitor raised his eyelids slightly, his eyes were full of tenderness.
"A Zheng..."
Before he could finish his words, the lantern fell to the ground and went out, and Shangguan Xu was suddenly pulled into an embrace filled with the fragrance of orchids.
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