Chapter 81: People Have Thousand Plans 12: Traveling Merchant
The Marquis of Pingyang's mansion lost two masters in a single day, leaving the entire compound shrouded in a cloud of gloom and fear, with no sunlight visible. The gates had been shut since the previous night, and visitors were forbidden. Officials from the Dali Temple were forced to enter and exit through a side door.
Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe also left the mansion through the side door.
The carriage had been prepared long ago and parked outside the gate. After the two climbed in, Chi Xiao drove it southward. Xun Shu watched the carriage pass the bustling market and then re-enter the quiet market town. He asked in surprise, "Weren't you going to get some information? Why are you here?"
"Here lives a member of the Soya tribe, who came from the Far North Snow Plains. He was the first traveling merchant to travel between the two lands to sell goods. A few years ago, I helped my master solve a theft case and helped the victim recover the treasure. The victim was this traveling merchant."
"If he's a traveling merchant, why don't you go to the market to look for him, but come here?"
"He was injured that time and subsequently handed over his business to a young member of the clan. He settled in the capital and never returned to the Snow Plains. Although he no longer trades, he's quite familiar with the trade between the two regions. We're visiting him today, perhaps we can find some clues." Li Xuanhe opened the food box, took out a piece of pastry, and placed it to Xun Shu's lips. After she took a bite, he hurriedly asked, "How is it? Is this pastry better than the ones in Chaozhou?"
Xun Shu stuffed his mouth with pastries and chewed them for a long time before swallowing them. "It's fragrant and sweet, and it's definitely better than the ones in Chaozhou."
"Then you can use more. If you want to eat anything else, let Uncle Huang make it for you."
Xun Shu shook his head and closed the lunch box. "I just had lunch, so I can't eat any more now. I might as well put it away and eat it when I'm hungry on the way back."
Li Xuanhe raised his eyebrows, thinking something else in his mind, but he still smiled and said, "It's all up to Ah Shu."
The carriage stopped at the entrance of a small alley, and Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe got off and walked inside.
The alley was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The ground was covered with uneven stones, with lush green moss growing in the cracks. The sunlight in the alley was pitifully scarce, and even the air was filled with a damp, musty smell.
It's a bit like the road west of the coffin shop.
When she was setting up shop at the market, she had to pass that road every day. On rainy days, the stones on the ground were as slippery as loaches, and if she wasn't careful, she would fall. Coincidentally, it was Li Xuanhe who walked side by side with her then, occasionally giving her a hand. And it was still Li Xuanhe who walked with her now.
It's also a kind of fate.
The two walked about a hundred steps before stopping in front of a wooden door. The door looked ordinary, but each board was exceptionally smooth, even coated with a uniform layer of tung oil, making it very different from other courtyard doors.
Li Xuanhe knocked on the courtyard door. A moment later, a little boy opened the door and, upon seeing Li Xuanhe, made way for him and welcomed him in. "Master Li, it's been a while since you've been here. Please come in."
Li Xuanhe walked through the courtyard gate and asked, "Is Brother Linghu at home today?"
"Yes. A few days ago, the master heard that the master was not ill, but had been away from the capital on business, and now he has returned safely. He was very happy. He said that after you return to the capital, you will probably come to him soon to play chess and ask for new things. That's why he has not left the house these days, waiting for you."
Li Xuanhe was overjoyed to see his old friend. His smile deepened. "That's great! I brought a friend with me today to introduce to Brother Linghu."
Perhaps hearing the voices of several people, the door opened from the inside. A man in his forties appeared from behind the door. He had deep features and a thick beard. His face was kind, but his eyes sparkled. He was overjoyed to see Li Xuanhe. He took Li Xuanhe's arm and walked around him. Seeing that he was safe and sound, he felt relieved. "I'm glad you're back. I don't have many friends in the capital, and I don't want to lose one suddenly."
Li Xuanhe waited for him to stand still, then took Xun Shu's hand and introduced her openly: "Brother Linghu, this is Xun Shu, my future wife. I'm bringing her here for you to see for the first time today. Even my master hasn't seen her yet."
"Has Qin Yuan never seen him?" This pleased Linghu Fei. Hearing this, she asked Xun Shu's name and age like an ordinary elder, then smiled and said, "Girl, I liked you the first time I saw you. You're like my own sister. If Xuan He bullies you in the future, just come to me and I'll definitely avenge you."
Xun Shuqing smiled softly, suppressing her doubts. She simply nodded in agreement without saying much. Linghu Yuan saw her expression and thought she was being shy. He pointed inside the house and said, "There are many strange and unusual things in the house. My brothers and I have collected them from all over the country. Every time Xuan He comes to visit me, he always plunders a lot. Today is our first meeting, and I haven't prepared any gifts in advance. Miss Xun, please take a look around and see if there's anything you like. Take it and play with it."
After saying this, Linghu Fei stopped chatting with Xun Shu and hurriedly pulled Li Xuanhe into the house, saying as they walked, "During the six months you've been away, my chess skills have improved. A few days ago, I found a copy of the 'Zhenlong Chess Game' and studied it for a long time, but there are a few games I just can't crack. Come and help me take a look, is there any way to crack it..."
Xun Shu followed the two of them into the house.
Everything in the room was quite ordinary, unpretentious and unadorned. There were only three large boxes on the floor, their lids already opened. Inside, they were filled with all sorts of things Xun Shu had never seen before: magnifying glass pieces, pottery figurines in bizarre costumes, and other objects whose purpose was unknown.
After the child in the courtyard had served tea to a few people, he squatted next to Xun Shu and explained everything to her. The two were not much different in age, and they chatted non-stop, laughing constantly. Elsewhere, Li Xuanhe was playing chess with Linghu Fei, but he was attracted by the laughter and would occasionally glance at Xun Shu, who was chatting happily with the child. After a while, Linghu Fei noticed his distraction and joked, "Why, Xiangwu is just a child, and you are jealous of him?"
Li Xuanhe scratched his head, showing a hint of embarrassment: "Brother, you are joking."
Linghu Fei shook her head. Seeing that he really couldn't calm down, she didn't force him. She pushed the chessboard aside and said, "Did you come here today to see me for something?"
"How does Big Brother know?"
"I've heard everything that happened at the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion yesterday. It must be in chaos right now. You still found time to come to me during this chaotic time. It must be more than just to play chess with me. Tell me, what's the matter?"
Seeing that Linghu Fei had guessed it, Li Xuanhe stopped beating around the bush. "Yesterday's murder at home involved a potent drug called 'Buwang Powder.' I heard it's from the snowy plains of the far north, and rarely sold in the capital. Big brother, you should be familiar with the traveling merchants who travel between the capital and the far north. I wonder if you've heard of anyone selling this drug in the capital recently?"
"Buwang Powder?" Linghu Fei's expression was a bit strange. He glanced at Xun Shu in the corner, then leaned forward towards Li Xuanhe and lowered his voice. "The dosage of this medicine is difficult to control. In the past, men often bought it for sexual pleasure, but because they were greedy for the effect, they took a few more doses, which made them inhumane for the rest of their lives. So a few years ago, the leaders of the various tribes in the snowfields issued a joint order, forbidding their tribesmen from making this medicine. Now, let alone the capital, even in the far north snowfields, it's hard to find this medicine."
Li Xuanhe frowned: "Could it be that someone secretly made it and then sold it in the capital?"
Linghu Fei waved his hand. "Medicinal materials are scarce in the Snow Plains, and there aren't that many good medicines. That's why we have to use this Buwang Powder. Daliang is vast and rich in resources, and there are many alternative medicines. Why use something so dangerous?" He sighed. "Actually, if this medicine is taken according to the dosage, it's really good. To be honest, I've never seen a medicine that works faster or more effectively than this. But people, the most taboo is greed, which is why so many disasters have occurred."
Linghu Fei paused, as if thinking of something, and said hurriedly, "However, many years ago, this medicine was not yet banned. When I opened a shop in the market, I brought two bottles of medicine to the capital and placed them in the shop. At that time, many people came to ask about it, all men. After hearing me say that 'it might be inhumane', most of them turned away. However, there was one person who seemed to be unconcerned and bought both bottles of medicine without hesitation.
"Before he left, I told him the dosage of this medicine in detail. He listened very carefully, and he should be fine afterward. Alas, I don't know how serious this hidden illness must be, to have left even the most skilled doctors in Daliang, so helpless that he took the risk of coming to me to buy this medicine."
Li Xuanhe was packing up his chess pieces when he paused and asked, "When did this happen? Do you remember who came to buy medicine from you?"
"It's been a while...about five or six years ago, right? Back then, you, your master Qin Yuan, and I hadn't met yet, and my shop was just a small, palm-sized room in the West Market. However, because it was small, the people who came in the past were all sorts of people. But that day, the man who came to buy medicine was dressed elegantly and spent lavishly, clearly no ordinary citizen. That's why, after he left, I became curious and wanted to know which official had this hidden illness. Later, I learned that the man was none other than Lord Qin, the governor of the Imperial Palace.
"I heard that Lord Qin also comes from a prominent family, but his family is now in decline. But no matter what, it's really pitiful for a man to have such a hidden illness..." Linghu Fei's face was full of sighs. As she spoke, she changed the subject and said, "By the way, I heard that he has several daughters, and one of them even married the son of a marquis. Have you heard of it?"
Li Xuanhe was silent for a moment: "What a coincidence, the man you are talking about is probably the father of my newly widowed sister-in-law."
"What a coincidence! Could the case at your house be related to my medicine?" Linghu Fei frowned. "I carefully instructed Lord Qin on the dosage and specifically warned that excessive use could be fatal. Could he have used this medicine to kill someone? Would it implicate me?"
Li Xuanhe was reluctant to elaborate on the case, simply reassuring him, "It's alright. Most medicines are toxic; it all depends on how they're used. Just be sure not to tell anyone else about this."
Linghu Fei nodded and took note of it.
The two chatted for a while about the past, and Li Xuanhe was surprised to find that Xun Shu had been silent for a long time. He hurriedly looked over at Xun Shu, but saw that she was staring blankly at the various items in the box, wondering what she was thinking. Linghu Fei noticed Li Xuanhe's gaze and smiled, "Miss Xun, have you found something you like?"
Xun Shu paused, breaking free from his thoughts. He glanced at the objects in front of him and casually picked up an exquisite ceramic jar. "What is this?"
Linghu Fei raised an eyebrow. "This item isn't a good gift. I stumbled upon it in a small country to the northwest. When people there die, they burn their bodies to ashes, then bury them in this jar. It's considered a burial method blessed by the gods, unlike the Daliang tradition of grinding bones and scattering ashes. I thought it was interesting, and since the jar was beautifully crafted, I bought it. It would be unlucky to give it as a gift."
What a coincidence, isn't it? Xun Shu stood up, holding the jar in his hand, and said with a smile, "I used to work as a clerk in a coffin shop, specializing in carving coffins. It matches this pottery jar quite well. Brother Linghu, please give it to me!"
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