Chapter 87 Chain

Except for Ming Huashang, there were probably not many people who had an appetite at this banquet. Ming Huashang ate to her heart's content. After returning to the Duke of Zhen's Mansion, the brother and sister talked as they walked toward the courtyard. Ming Huashang asked, "Second brother, why did His Majesty want to separate Princess Yongtai and let her marry Wu Yanji?"

Ming Huachang could understand forcing the prince to marry a girl from the Wu family, but why would she do this when the princess would not inherit the throne? Ming Huazhang paused and said, "Maybe it's because she wants the Li and Wu families to merge completely into one."

In the polo match a few days ago, Prince Shao led his team to play against Prince Wei. It looked like just a game, but the falling leaves revealed autumn. The Queen saw from the tense situation on the field that the Li family was extremely dissatisfied with the Wu family and even with her.

It can't be suppressed while she is still alive, what about after she dies?

Seeing that she was getting old and weak, and her time was coming, she had to plan for her afterlife. Since ancient times, the fastest and most effective way to bring two families together and eliminate rifts was through marriage.

But if the prince is only allowed to marry a princess with the surname Wu, or if Li Chongrun is arranged to marry, and the Wu daughter is abandoned after the Li family obtains the throne, there is no need to doubt the man's cruelty in this regard. But if the Li and Wu families are allowed to marry each other's children, and the prince's daughter and niece are married to the Wu family, and even give birth to a child with the surname Wu, even if the prince ascends the throne in the future, what can he do to his son-in-law and grandson? Kill them?

Only by closely uniting the Li and Wu families, and by ensuring that the blood of future generations is intertwined, can the Wu family be preserved to the greatest extent possible. If the empress had been powerful all her life and became the first female emperor in history, but after her death her family members were slaughtered by the emperor of the new dynasty, and even she herself was deposed and her bones were crushed to dust, then what was the point of her being an emperor?

It's just a joke in history books.

She could not change the will of the people and the situation, and had to pass the throne to the Li family, but she had to ensure that the Wu family would not be liquidated after her death. Otherwise, after the Wu family was killed by the new emperor, the next step would be to discredit her, and the next step would be to refuse to recognize her throne.

The power of the Li family did not come from her, but from Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Taizong. Only the Wu family would spare no effort to protect her reputation, status, and achievements. As long as the Wu family was there, she would be there. Her protection of the Wu family was to protect her own reputation and honor after her death.

Ming Huashang sighed and said seriously: "Second brother, I don't think it's good to be a member of the royal family. When you are in a low position, you have no say in anything, and you don't even have the power to say no. When you gain power, you will gradually become the kind of person who doesn't allow others to say no. After all these fights, what do they end up with in the end?"

After Ming Huachang finished speaking, Ming Huazhang was silent for a long time. She looked up in surprise and asked, "Second brother?"

Ming Huazhang came back to his senses from his daze, smiled at her, and whispered, "Maybe, it's just because from the moment they were born, they can't escape."

Ming Huashang thought about it and sighed: "Fortunately, I am just an ordinary person. It is enough for me to have enough food and drink and my family by my side in this life."

Ming Huazhang paused and asked, "Is that all?"

"Yes, I only have a mouth and a body. What does it matter if I have a lot of delicacies and silks? I can't take them with me after I die. As long as I live in peace and reunion with my family, that's enough." Ming Huashang asked, "Second brother, what do you wish for?"

Him? Ming Huazhang thought for a long time and smiled: "It seems, no."

There are only responsibilities that have to be fulfilled, and no real desires from his heart.

"Ah?" Xianyu Ming Huashang was shocked and asked, "Second brother, you have learned both literature and martial arts so well, but you don't have any wishes? Then how did you persevere?"

Ming Huazhang looked into her clear and moist eyes, slightly dazed, and said, "Maybe it's because as a brother, I must set an example."

In a simple courtyard in the west of Chang'an, Su Yuji was also lamenting about the palace banquet with Su Xingzhi: "I used to think that those noble ladies lived a carefree life, and the princesses and the county ladies lived an unimaginable fairy-like life. I envied them for not having to work hard for a living, but today I found that there is actually nothing good about it."

Su Yuji's life was indeed restricted. She couldn't buy beautiful dresses or gorgeous jewelry at will, nor could she order servants around to make things happen. But she didn't need to look at anyone's face when spending money, nor did she have to worry about being suddenly taken away from her life and asked to marry a strange man.

Although the Su family was poor, she was loved by her grandmother and supported by her brother. She could study peacefully and go out freely. She lived a much more comfortable life than those princesses and county lords.

Su Xingzhi heard this, but he didn't feel happy. He held Su Yuji's hand and said guiltily: "I am useless and cannot provide you with the best life."

Su Yuji glared at him unhappily and patted his forehead hard: "There is no end to the enjoyment in the world. What is the best? I think our life now is very good. Don't be idle here. Go read your book. You will go to the Imperial Palace in a few days. Don't let others look down on you."

Su Xingzhi, as a brother, was ordered around by his sister like this, but he didn't take it as an offense and acted as if he was used to it. Su Xingzhi took two steps, stopped, and asked, "Yuji, what do you think of Ming Huashang?"

"A young lady who seems to be uneducated but actually has a very clear mind."

"What about Ming Huazhang?"

"A brother who is arrogant and cold, but treats Ming Huashang well." Su Yuji looked at him in surprise and asked warily, "Why are you asking them?"

Su Xingzhi seemed to hesitate for a long time and asked, "What if..."

He wanted to ask if she would still think that life in the Su family was good if he lied to her? But he met Su Yuji's clear eyes and couldn't open his mouth. Finally, he sighed and shook his head, saying, "Nothing, I'll go prepare the paperwork."

Su Yuji watched Su Xingzhi walk away, and when she lowered the curtain, her face darkened.

What does Su Xingzhi mean by this? He is too concerned about the Ming brothers and sisters. Could it be that he is interested in Ming Huashang?

·

After the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation, the grand celebration of the imperial examination came to an end. In Chang'an, people were quietly discussing the marriage between the Li and Wu families, but the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was not paying attention to the movements of the princes and princesses, and the whole mansion's attention was on Erlangjun.

Ming Huazhang went to Jingzhao Prefecture to report, and now he has officially become Shao Yin. But just as Madam Ming feared the most, Ming Huazhang encountered a difficult problem as soon as he entered Jingzhao Prefecture.

A female corpse was found outside the Pudu Temple in the suburbs of the city. If it was just a female corpse, it wouldn't be unusual. In the huge city of Chang'an, murders happened every day, but deaths were not uncommon. However, the problem was that the woman's lower legs were cut off and her tibia was missing.

This method of killing immediately reminded people of the serial murder case that caused a sensation four years ago. At that time, three women, one was a beggar, and the other was a master and servant. Their tibias were dug out and their bodies were horrible.

The master and servant were the daughter of an official. The young lady took her maid to burn incense, but she had not returned by curfew. Her father felt something was wrong and sent servants to the temple to look for her.

, and found the bodies of his daughter and maidservant in the back hills. The officials were furious and asked the court to investigate thoroughly, which caused a huge uproar that year.

Unfortunately, the government searched for the murderer for half a year but failed to catch him. As a result, the Jingzhao Yin resigned from his post. Subsequent Jingzhao Yins also investigated the case one after another, but there was no progress. As the officials of Jingzhao Prefecture were replaced one after another, the case was left unresolved and was left unsolved.

Chang'an was full of new things happening every moment, and the people gradually forgot that there was a murderer who had not yet been caught. This year, the empress moved the capital, and then there were the imperial examinations, the Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Furong Ball Game. How could the people of Chang'an remember the bloody incident four years ago?

Until a bloody body of a woman appeared in the suburbs of Beijing, lying on a busy thoroughfare, and many common people and merchants coming to Beijing saw it all.

Public opinion exploded instantly, and rumors that the serial killer had started killing again intensified in the capital. Everyone in Chang'an was in danger, and families with daughters and sisters did not dare to let the girls go out alone. Rumors spread everywhere in the streets and alleys, even involving ghosts and gods.

The Empress took this matter very seriously and ordered Jingzhao Prefecture to conduct a thorough investigation and ordered the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to follow up and supervise.

Four years ago, they laid a tight net but still failed to find the murderer. Now they have to restart the investigation under countless eyes. The latest scene was destroyed by the team entering the city, and most of the evidence and people involved four years ago were lost. Anyone with a discerning eye knows that this is a hot potato. At the very least, they will be reprimanded, and at the worst, they will lose their job. The fate of the previous Jingzhao Yin is still fresh in their minds. The new Jingzhao Yin is unwilling to get involved, so he pushes the matter to Ming Huazhang, who has just taken office.

Ming Huazhang was the Shaoyin of Jingzhao, nominally the deputy of the Jingzhao Yin, and was very powerful in Chang'an. The superiors handed this case to Ming Huazhang in the name of sharpening his skills, and no one could say anything.

When Madam Ming heard about this, she was furious and immediately went to use her connections to get Ming Huazhang out of this matter.

But Ming Huazhang stopped Madam Ming and said, "Grandmother, since my grandson has entered Jingzhao Prefecture, he should take on the responsibility of being the parent official of Chang'an. Even if Jingzhao Yin doesn't say anything, I will ask to intervene in this case. Jingzhao Yin has given me full authority to handle this case, which shows his trust in me."

Ming Huazhang had no time to care how angry Madam Ming was. He immediately threw himself into investigating the case, running around in and out of the city. After investigating the latest scene, he asked someone to retrieve the files from four years ago, and he personally led people to the crime scene four years ago.

People in the officialdom were all very sympathetic towards Ming Shaoyin. He was young and handsome, came from a noble family, and ranked second in the imperial examination. Normally, he was a child of destiny. With a little luck, he would have no problem rising to the top.

Unfortunately, he just lacked this bit of luck. He was assigned to Jingzhao Prefecture, and a murder case occurred on the third day after he took office. People sighed secretly, knowing that this new noble in Chang'an would most likely fail.

On the streets of Dongshi, Zhaocai accompanied Ming Huashang for shopping, and he was complaining all the way: "My wife, Jingzhao Yin is really too much. This is an old case from four years ago. It should be investigated by the old people in Jingzhao Prefecture. Erlang Jun has just entered Jingzhao Prefecture and was not even in Chang'an four years ago. What does it have to do with Erlang? They must be jealous of Langjun, so they deliberately pushed this case to Erlang. How shameless!"

Yes, everyone can see that Jingzhao Yin is pushing a newcomer to take the blame, but what can be done? Jingzhao Yin is Ming Huazhang's superior, and this is the rule of the officialdom. If you can't accept it, you can only leave.

Ming Huashang said, "Believe me, second brother. He chose Jingzhao Prefecture in the first place because he wanted to reform the accumulated abuses and clear up old cases. Jingzhao Yin does have bad intentions, but for second brother, this is what his heart desires."

Zhaocai was still angry: "Isn't this bullying? We are the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. We were so prosperous in the early years. It's only in the past two years that we have declined. We were actually plotted against by this group of people. It's really like a tiger in plain water being bullied by a dog."

Ming Huashang was very calm about this. The Duke of Zhenguo was once a close confidant of Crown Prince Zhang Huai. The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion had been silent for as long as the Empress was in power. Now it could only use the title of noble status to scare the people.

Everyone in the officialdom knew that the Zhenguogong Mansion had no power to support it and had long since become an empty shell. Ming Huazhang was the only member of the Ming family who had come into contact with real power in recent years. He was the undisputed hope for the Zhenguogong Mansion to rise again, so it was inevitable that he would be targeted.

This hurdle will have to be solved sooner or later. Jingzhao Prefecture handles all cases, big and small. If the murderer is caught, he is caught, and if not, he is not caught. It is actually better than a place like Yushitai, which seems to be independent but actually relies entirely on personal connections.

Zhaocai was still chattering, but Ming Huashang ignored her. She walked into the steamed bun shop and said to the shopkeeper with a smile, "Lamb liver steamed buns. The lamb liver should be cooked to medium rare, without green onions, and with more garlic."

The shopkeeper looked up at her and said with a smile, "Madam, the weather is getting colder, don't you want to add some ginger to warm yourself up?"

"Then add some. Remember to cut it into shreds. I don't like things with strong flavors." Ming Huashang looked at the shopkeeper and smiled.

"Okay." The shopkeeper responded, made the dumplings skillfully, and asked, "Do you want to eat in or take away?"

"Take it away."

The shopkeeper agreed and quickly took out a piece of oil paper to pack it. Ming Huashang handed over the copper money, and the shopkeeper looked in the change cabinet and handed her the steamed buns and the change.

Zhaocai instinctively wanted to step forward to take it, but Ming Huashang stopped him: "Let me do it."

Ming Huashang took the steamed bun, and the shopkeeper shouted auspicious words as usual, and there was no more communication. Ming Huashang walked out of the store, took a bite of the hot lamb liver steamed bun, and sighed in her heart again.

She really doesn't like lamb liver. Can we change to another flavor next time we meet?

Recently, there are rumors of serial killers in Chang'an. The Duke of Zhenguo dare not let Ming Huashang go out alone. No matter where she goes, she always has a team of guards following her. Ming Huashang came out of the canteen, and the guards rushed over and asked, "Madam, where are you going?"

Ming Huashang shook her head: "It's okay, let's go home."

The guards heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly helped Ming Huashang get on the carriage. After returning to the mansion, Ming Huashang lay on the couch like a boneless person, flipping through a book to kill time while asking the maids to leave. Zhaocai and others were used to this and quickly closed the door and left.

Ming Huashang lazily supported her chin as she ate the last bun. She had already translated the secret message on the note.

She lit a candle and burned the note that the shop owner had stuffed into her palm when delivering the steamed buns, silently reciting the new task that Xuan Xiaowei had assigned her.

Secretly investigate the serial bone-digging murder case and find the murderer as soon as possible.

——To the twins.