Although a target was set after discussion, Bianliang, as the capital, was teeming with merchants, knights-errant, peddlers, and laborers, making it like finding a needle in a haystack.
Besides Yan Liang and Bai Yutang searching for Xu Yiwei, Zhan Zhao and the other constables also kept a close eye on the streets for anyone who looked alike to the portrait, but after three days, they still had little success.
"He may have left Bianliang City."
Zhan Zhao guessed.
"Not necessarily." Bai Yutang took a sip of tea.
Yan Liang didn't speak; he stared at his palm thoughtfully.
Yan Liang and Bai Yutang couldn't find anyone on the street, while Zhan Zhao returned from patrolling the streets. The three of them sat in the courtyard to discuss the matter.
Now, only these three are among the few people who know about the Chenzhou case and have time to keep track of it. Bao Zheng is, after all, an official of the imperial court; he has to attend court every day and then handle cases after court. Gongsun, the registrar, needs to organize case files and write official documents. They simply cannot be distracted. For now, they can only wait for them to find Xu Yiwei's whereabouts.
Zhan Zhao then asked, "What are your thoughts, Brother Yan?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Liang withdrew his hand back into his sleeve, looked up at him, and said, "No one can say for sure... I think he's still in the capital."
“Assuming that the person Brother Bai met was indeed Xu Yiwei, he was extremely angry after learning that Pang Yu had lost weight, and he must have realized that I had fooled him,” Yan Liang said slowly. “Perhaps I’m overthinking it. He might be furious with me and might even come to retaliate.”
Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow: "And then?"
"I have a feeling I'll meet him around 5 PM today," Yan Liang concluded.
...A premonition?
Zhan Zhao remained silent.
Bai Yutang said bluntly, "You were calculating this just now? I admit you were quite accurate before, but you shouldn't speak carelessly about such important matters."
Yan Liang said inscrutably, "Just wait, you will definitely meet him today."
Bai Yutang chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Zhan Zhao seemed to be deep in thought. He didn't really believe in fortune telling, but Yan Liang was too confident, so much so that it would be strange if people didn't believe him.
Will he see Xu Yiwei this evening? Is Yan Liang's premonition correct? Zhan Zhao suddenly felt a little looking forward to the evening.
Seeing the smile on his lips, Bai Yutang knew what he was thinking and said speechlessly, "Zhan Xiaomao, do you really believe his nonsense? If this can be predicted by fortune telling, then all our efforts these past few days have been in vain."
Zhan Zhao coughed and said seriously, "It's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't. Perhaps Brother Yan is right."
Yan Liang chimed in, "Trust me, it's true."
"...Anyway, I won't believe it."
That's what Master Bai said.
"oh--"
Yan Liang drew out his words, his tone full of meaning.
As dusk settled in the west, it was already late afternoon. Yan Liang walked down the street carrying a fortune-telling banner, with Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao following at a distance.
"Is he... really looking for someone?"
Bai Yutang was puzzled when he saw Yan Liang buy a fox mask from a roadside mask stall and put it on.
Zhan Zhao said uncertainly, "...Brother Yan probably has his own ideas."
Yan Liang suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at the two of them. His fox mask smiled cunningly and mysteriously, then he turned and walked towards the bridge.
On the bridge, a man in black looked down at the flowing water below. Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, both with excellent eyesight, naturally noticed the scar on the man's forehead.
Bai Yutang: "..."
It really exists?
Zhan Zhao had already strode over there.
Yan Liang, wearing a mask and carrying a fortune-telling banner on his back, stopped next to Xu Yiwei.
Xu Yi lazily shifted his gaze, catching a glimpse of a gray hem of clothing, before lowering his eyes again to look at his reflection in the water. Standing next to him in the reflection was a man wearing a fox mask.
"Young master, is something troubling you?"
The person's voice came through the mask, muffled and somewhat distorted, and Xu Yiwei remained silent.
"On such a beautiful day, young master, is there nothing you wish to say?"
The fox mask persisted in its questioning.
"Shut up," Xu Yiwei said coldly. "Even if someone wanted to confide in someone, it's not your place."
"Oh……"
The fox mask sighed regretfully.
"I guess I was overthinking it."
The man in the gray robe reached out and removed his mask, his tone light and cheerful. "It seems that Young Master Xu doesn't hold a grudge against me for fooling you. It was wrong of me to presume to guess Young Master Xu's thoughts and think of him as narrow-minded."
Xu Yiwei suddenly looked up at the person next to him. The fortune teller from Donghua Town was holding a mask in one hand and a fortune-telling banner in the other, and he was smiling very kindly at him.
"Surprised? Happy? Unexpected?"
"you--!"
Xu Yiwei's face was extremely ugly.
Zhan Zhao, who had been watching from under the bridge, rushed up and blocked Yan Liang's way. He flashed his waist token in front of Xu Yiwei and said, "I am handling a case in Kaifeng Prefecture. Please come with me to the prefectural office, Young Master Xu."
Yan Liang felt it was a pity; Zhan Zhao was too fast. He was thinking of putting the bugging device on Xu Yiwei to see who the mastermind was.
Xu Yi stood frozen in place, knowing he couldn't escape.
The martial arts skills of Zhan Zhao, the Imperial Cat, far surpass his own, not to mention that Bai Yutang, the Golden-haired Rat, is also present. If the two of them join forces, he won't be able to escape even if he wanted to.
"Why?" Although he was speaking to Zhan Zhao, his eyes were fixed on Yan Liang behind Zhan Zhao.
Yan Liang smiled.
“Marquis Anle, Pang Yu,” Zhan Zhao replied briefly, then continued, “Please come with me to Kaifeng Prefecture.”
Xu Yi withdrew his gaze and said coldly, "I'll go with you."
To prevent Xu Yiwei from escaping, Zhan Zhao held Xu Yiwei's life in his hands and walked ahead.
"You just happened to be there." Bai Yutang looked at the backs of the two people in front of him.
Yan Liang shrugged. "Say what you will, this is what I calculated."
"Then why didn't you calculate it earlier?" Bai Yutang retorted.
"This matter requires the right timing, the right place, and the right people."
Yan Liang watched Xu Yiwei's retreating figure, his mischievous heart stirring within him.
After the four of them returned to Kaifeng Prefecture, they alarmed Judge Bao and Mr. Gongsun. Upon hearing the news, both of them were startled and hurriedly put down what they were doing and rushed to the dungeon.
"Guard Zhan, where did you find this person?" Mr. Gongsun asked.
Zhan Zhao glanced at Yan Liang, coughed lightly, and said, "We owe this to Brother Yan. We followed him to find Xu Yiwei on the water crossing bridge."
Mr. Gongsun looked at Yan Liang with a puzzled expression.
Bai Yutang snorted: "What he calculated—in my opinion, is just a coincidence."
Yan Liang spread his hands helplessly and said, "I earn my living through my own abilities, so why do some people never believe me?"
Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow: "Anyway, I don't believe it."
Yan Banxian said solemnly, "Sooner or later, you will admire me to the point of prostration."
Master Bai sneered, "I'll be waiting."
It doesn't matter where Xu Yiwei was found now; what matters is finding the person behind Xu Yiwei.
Outside the cell, Xu Yiwei pulled out a string of poisoned hidden weapons from his person. Inadvertently, a jade pendant fell to the ground. When Zhan Zhao bent down to pick up the jade pendant, Xu Yiwei's expression suddenly changed, and he said, "Give it to me!"
The jade pendant was thin and light, with translucent green jade shaped like a crescent moon. It felt extremely warm and smooth to the touch. A dog was carved on the front, and the word "Peace" was engraved on the back.
It must have been a gift from an elder in the family. Zhan Zhao was not annoyed by the shout, and picked up the jade and handed it to the other person.
Xu Yiwei snatched it away, glared at Yan Liang who was attracted by the commotion not far away, and before Yan Liang could even give him a smug smile, Xu Yiwei turned and went into the cell.
Ah, what a pity.
Yan Liang thought regretfully.
Judge Bao is preparing to interrogate Xu Yiwei overnight, hoping to uncover some information.
When Pang Yu was first brought back to Kaifeng Prefecture, the common people were overjoyed. But as time went on, they wondered why Bao Gong did not immediately execute Pang Yu. Rumors began to circulate that Bao Gong was colluding with Grand Tutor Pang to delay the inevitable.
Public opinion is a powerful force, and the Chenzhou case is indeed progressing slowly. Not only is Grand Tutor Pang worried about his son's safety, but many ministers in the court have also raised objections.
Aside from the emperor, Bao Gong, Grand Tutor Pang, and Empress Pang in the harem, who believed in Pang Yu, the ministers were all puzzled by Bao Gong's delay.
When Bao Zheng executed Chen Shimei, he didn't hesitate; he did it without hesitation. Is he afraid of Grand Tutor Pang now?
Some ministers suspected there was more to the Chenzhou case than met the eye, but they remained silent. Bao Zheng was a favorite of the emperor, and Grand Tutor Pang was the emperor's father-in-law; neither side could be offended, so they could only wait patiently for the truth to come to light.
Zhao Lu, the heir apparent of the Prince of Xiangyang, came to the capital for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration. The Prince of Xiangyang was seriously ill and bedridden, so as the heir apparent, Zhao Lu naturally had to attend the banquet in his father's place and present a congratulatory gift. Zhao Lu received news of Pang Yu's capture on his way to the capital, and only after arriving did he meet Xu Yiwei, learning that he had brushed past Pang Yu in Donghua Town and been tricked by Yan Liang.
Xu Yi was punished for his incompetence and was confined to his home to recuperate for three days. When he went out to clear his mind, he was caught by Yan Liang. This prompted Zhao Lu, the heir apparent of the Prince of Xiangyang, to overturn the chessboard once again upon learning of this.
Seeing Xu Yiwei being taken back to Kaifeng Prefecture, the guards stood there like wooden statues. Zhao Lu paced back and forth on the chess pieces, asking angrily, "You said there's a lame man with a fortune-telling banner outside Zhan Zhao, Jinmaoshu, and Bai Yutang in Kaifeng Prefecture?"
"yes."
"Fine...fine, fine! It seems this charlatan really does have some skill!" Zhao Lu laughed angrily. "I'll go and meet him tomorrow! As for Xu Yiwei...I hope he has some self-awareness and doesn't ruin my plans!"
The guard kept his eyes down, pretending the prince's words were just passing by. Zhao Lu wasn't even speaking to him; he was just talking to himself in his anger.
Zhao Lu was furious. Yan Liang entered the courtyard and threw the mask he was holding at Pang Yu.
Pang Yu hurriedly caught it, his eyes shining as he looked at Yan Liangshi: "Why did you capture Xu Yi?"
Yan Liang smiled and said, "Yes, I'm sure you'll be able to leave in a few days."
Pang Yu was almost moved to tears of joy. He wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes and exclaimed, "I can't wait!"
Then he started listing the things he wanted to do after he left, such as walking his big black dog, going to Wangxianlou Restaurant for a meal, and listening to his little bird sing a song...
"Whatever you want to eat, I'll take you there!" Pang Yu declared boldly. "I'll never let you spend money on me for nothing!"
Yan Liang smiled slightly: "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Author's note: I'd like to apply for a ranking... but my typing speed doesn't allow it.
And exam week is so hard, lol
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