Chapter 112
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Hai Gonggong felt uneasy in his heart. If one were to ask who the most fearsome person in the palace was, he would undoubtedly choose Ning Ziheng. In his view, this person was even scarier than the emperor.
One of the Twelve Bureaus was already considered Ning Ziheng’s stronghold. Inside the vast palace, a pitch-black throne made of mysterious iron was occupied by a solitary figure.
Hai Gonggong dared not approach too closely and directly knelt down.
“What are you doing, Chief Steward Hai?” a cold voice rang out. “Our positions are now the same. Why are you kneeling?”
“Lord, how can I not kneel in your presence? In front of you, this servant will always kneel,” Chief Steward Hai trembled as he spoke.
“Don’t joke around; get up. Chief Steward Hai, you’ve truly accomplished great deeds this time. I called you here to congratulate you.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Chief Steward Hai quickly stood up, not daring to disobey. Ning Ziheng’s mood was unpredictable, and he might get angry if Chief Steward Hai did not comply.
“However, betraying the old faction…”
Chief Steward Hai’s knees, which had just straightened, instantly bent again. With a thud, he knelt down, almost in a tearful tone, “This servant was also trying to save my own life.”
“That’s natural. Whether Wang Rong is dead or escaped, can Chief Steward Hai give me a clear answer?”
Chief Steward Hai instantly felt a chill down his spine. Indeed, it was not easy to deceive Ning Ziheng, especially when one of his own men died in the process. Others might not be aware, but he couldn’t be completely oblivious.
“Chief Steward Ning, I truly don’t know. That night, when I was taken out, I sensed something was wrong and took the opportunity to slip away. I have no idea about the subsequent events,” Chief Steward Hai urgently explained, portraying himself as extremely timid and fearful. He rambled on about his hardships, finally annoying Ning Ziheng.
“Be cautious in the future. Don’t leave the palace easily. You betrayed Wang Rong, and if he’s still alive, he will surely come back for revenge. Alright, you can go and attend to your duties now.”
Chief Steward Hai sighed deeply, his face visibly relieved. He forced a smile, muttered a couple of apologies, and quickly left.
After Chief Steward Hai departed, another figure appeared beside the ebony chair on the steps. “Master, did Du Yu die so unclearly?”
“It’s not unclear; he died very clearly. Wang Rong was the one who killed him. However… Even if it’s a dead end, why did Wang Rong take the risk of offending me to kill Du Yu and then escape? Even if he’s foolish, he shouldn’t have done that. It doesn’t seem like something he would do.” Ning Ziheng sneered as he perused the investigation records. “It’s as if there’s someone else behind all this, and Wang Rong, that fool… might already be dead.”
“Could it be Hai Wei?”
“Naturally, Hai Wei is someone who values his own life. As long as his bottom line isn’t touched, he won’t act recklessly. However… he was quite clever this time, managing to stay uninvolved in the chaos. He could be useful, but the situation is certainly not as simple as he claimed.”
“Could it be related to the previous incident at the False Blood Abyss Pavilion with the Fourth Prince? Master, didn’t you suspect the people around you, which is why you sent Du Yu to follow Wang Rong?”
A cold expression flashed in Ning Ziheng’s eyes. “Annoying! Members of the royal family never learn to behave.”
The person behind him immediately fell silent. They knew that whenever the master was in such a mood, caution was necessary to avoid the wrath.
At this moment, Chu Lishu finished his early meal outside.
He didn’t return all night, observing the changes in the situation. It wasn’t until the order for pursuit was issued that he leisurely walked back.
In this game, despite a mid-game incident involving Ning Ziheng, the outcome had already achieved his goal. Finally, all obstacles on the path to becoming a study companion in the palace were cleared.
The only uncertainty was the person named Xinyue. If Xinyue revealed too much information, it could directly overturn the entire situation. Therefore, they needed to clarify whether this person should be spared or not.
Chu Lishu instructed Lu Yi and Lu Shi to recuperate, while he focused on investigating Xinyue’s situation. He had time to do so at least until Xinyue recovered from the injuries and left the residence.
Initially, Chu Lishu thought Lin Qingyang would entrust Xinyue to Lin Qinglan. He anticipated Lin Qingyang’s personality and expected him to come seeking Chu Lishu’s company after enduring one or two days.
However, three days had passed—three whole days!
Surprisingly, the only message inquiring about Chu Lishu’s well-being came from Shuncai, along with a delivery of various medicines. Lin Qingyang was nowhere to be seen. This made Chu Lishu uneasy and quite uncomfortable.
Chu Lishu couldn’t help but inquire about Lin Qingyang’s condition, perhaps due to the severity of his injuries…
Shuncai, with the intention of helping his master, claimed that Lin Qingyang’s injuries had healed long ago.
Chu Lishu was stunned, unable to ask why the injuries had healed but Lin Qingyang hadn’t come to see him.
Another day passed, and Chu Lishu considered going to the inn where the foreign merchant caravan stayed. The inn was in the same direction as the residence. If things went smoothly, maybe he could… While Chu Lishu was contemplating, he heard troubling noises.
Lin Qingxu is currently undergoing rehabilitation training in the residence due to difficulty in walking. He happened to encounter Chu Lishu, who replaced him as a study companion in the palace and was associated with Lin Qingyang’s group. Seeing Chu Lishu, Lin Qingxu couldn’t contain his anger. Moreover, Lin Qingxu has always been aware of Lin Qingyang’s suspicious intentions towards Chu Lishu. Given the changing relationship between the two, Lin Qingxu concluded that they were probably not on good terms.
Immediately, Lin Qingxu mocked, “Oh, I have been seeing you a lot around here lately. Why aren’t you accompanying Second Brother? Aren’t you supposed to stay at the other residence frequently? You really work harder than a real married younger sister-in-law.”
Chu Lishu, now in a different situation than before, chose to ignore the provocation.
Resultantly, Lin Qingxu was not willing to give up and directly shouted, “Oh, I’ve heard. Second Brother has been quite busy lately. He brought a dancer from the Western Regions back to the other residence, enjoying the company of a beautiful woman all day long. He must have long forgotten about someone.”
Chu Lishu suddenly chuckled, “You don’t know anything, so don’t speak nonsense, lest you become a laughingstock.”
What do you know? Do you know how much your Second Brother likes me? If you saw it, you wouldn’t be saying these ridiculous things.
Xinyue is just a guest, nothing more. It’s truly a case of baseless rumors leading to unfounded conclusions.
Lin Qingxu laughed, “This matter has spread everywhere. After all, people heard from the Golden Phoenix Pavilion that only Second Brother could bring a dancer from the Western Regions home. Since it requires the consent of the dancer, it seems mutually agreed upon. Everyone is spreading the word that he intends to marry that girl. I didn’t expect my Second Brother to be so versatile, but it makes sense. Second Brother has to establish a family and career. He can’t spend all his time mingling with men. This is a good thing, don’t you think, Cousin?”
Chu Lishu’s steps paused, feeling quite uninterested. However, he couldn’t help casting a cold look at Lin Qingxu.
With a glance, he turned and walked away.
Lin Qingxu thought he had successfully provoked Chu Lishu. Feeling triumphant, he suddenly felt a pain in his knee, and he stumbled, letting out a miserable cry. After training for so long, he was back to square one.
Chu Lishu walked out of the gate and was about to board the carriage when someone called him.
A carriage had just stopped not far away, and the person calling him was Yue Chen.
Yue Chen and Huo Luo had come and wanted to invite Chu Lishu to go out for drinks and chat.
Chu Lishu originally wanted to refuse, but thinking about recent events, he knew that these two must have information from within the palace. He had no choice but to turn towards their carriage and join them.
As soon as Chu Lishu boarded the carriage, he faced Yue Chen’s ridicule, “What’s wrong with you? Your face looks terrible, full of murderous intent.”
Chu Lishu was taken aback, “I don’t have any, I just encountered some trouble before going out.”
“Oh, Lin Qingyang is in the other residence, right? If he’s with you, how could you encounter trouble in the Marquis’s residence?”
It had to be said that Yue Chen was good at talking. Chu Lishu found it amusing, but he didn’t forget himself. He looked at Yue Chen impatiently.
Yue Chen immediately put on a smiling face, knowing he couldn’t tease further. He could only be straightforward, “Alright, about Lin Qingyang bringing a dancer girl back to the other courtyard, I’ve heard about it too. It seems quite unbelievable. What’s the real story? You should know the details. It can’t be as the rumors say; there must be a reason.”
“It’s just a dancer girl and you find it worth discussing? Weren’t we supposed to talk about the recent case of tribute smuggling?” Huo Luo suddenly said impatiently.
Huo Luo, usually silent, couldn’t tolerate Yue Chen’s gossip. Not long ago, this guy had dragged him to see a Western dancer girls, eager to buy one and seemed disappointed when they didn’t make a deal. Now, hearing about Lin Qingyang bringing a dancer girl home, Yue Chen had been prattling in his ear for a long time. Seeing this chance to question Chu Lishu, did they deliberately come to him for such trivial matters?
Chu Lishu instantly understood the reason these two came to find him. He interrupted Yue Chen, who was about to speak, and said, “If you want to discuss this, I can indeed share some information. On that night, both my cousin and I were at the Golden Phoenix Pavilion. We encountered that dancer girl there, had a pleasant conversation, found each other congenial, and invited her back to the courtyard as friends. We left early and were unaware of what happened afterward.”
After listening, Yue Chen blinked, then turned to look at Huo Luo.
Huo Luo felt that Chu Lishu had explained it clearly and nodded. However, his thigh was suddenly pinched hard, causing him to startle. Since the incident, Huo Luo had been sensitive to physical contact in that area. Yue Chen seemed to notice this sensitivity and, after a long time without this kind of playful interaction, suddenly pinched him. As a result, Huo Luo felt his thigh muscles tense up.
Huo Luo glared at Yue Chen, only to see Yue Chen glaring back at him. “I really admire you. Are you here just to hold me back?”
Huo Luo was puzzled, feeling that Yue Chen was picking a fight for no reason.
Chu Lishu understood but chose not to explain, leisurely sipping his tea, and his mood improved slightly.
In fact, just now, Yue Chen wasn’t simply gossiping. He must have noticed the coincidences they were involved in, as well as the abrupt act of Lin Qingyang taking away the dancer girl. Others might not see the connection, but how could someone who had been suspicious of Chu Lishu’s identity not make the association? So, Yue Chen’s probing just now was habitual, showing off his intelligence. However, he was interrupted by Huo Luo, giving Chu Lishu the upper hand. Since Chu Lishu had disclosed everything, there was nothing more for Yue Chen to say.
Before long, the three of them arrived at a famous tavern known for its renowned Pear Blossom Wine. It wasn’t too strong, making it suitable for a casual drink during the day, and they had a limited supply each day.
As the three sat down, Huo Luo ordered three jugs and a few more to go. The waiter served the three jugs first, then went to prepare the additional ones to take away.
Yue Chen couldn’t help but say, “Your sister is still young, and you just let her drink casually?”
“What’s wrong with our martial family’s women being trained in drinking from an early age?” Huo Luo replied nonchalantly.
“You’re just spoiling her.”
Huo Luo opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn’t say the familiar words like, ‘Are you planning to marry my sister?’
On Yue Chen’s side, he had started discussing the follow-up of Chief Steward Wang’s escape incident with Chu Lishu. Chu Lishu could tell that Yue Chen deliberately came to provide him with information, and the details he shared this time were even more comprehensive than before. Chu Lishu took it seriously, and the changes in the palace were as he had anticipated. However, there was something strange – Ning Ziheng, a person known for seeking revenge and protecting his close ones, remained surprisingly quiet.
“By the way, Huo Luo and I will be entering the palace soon,” Yue Chen suddenly spoke.
Chu Lishu’s eyes subtly met Yue Chen’s, and in that shared gaze, it seemed like something had been conveyed.
“We will soon be your teachers,” Yue Chen said with a smile.
Chu Lishu raised his cup and drank the wine in it. These two could have chosen to continue living in seclusion, and the only reason for them to make this decision was to declare their allegiance to him.
Yue Chen smiled as he raised his cup, pulling Huo Luo along, “We’ll take care of each other in the palace when the time comes.”
Chu Lishu cast a deep gaze at them and finally raised his cup, clinking it with the two.
Though nothing was explicitly said, Yue Chen’s eyes flickered, seemingly suppressing some excited emotions. He suddenly downed the contents of his wine glass in one gulp.
After finishing the drink, Yue Chen brought up the topic of the dancer again.
“When I went that time, I encountered an interesting dancer. She had a moon tattoo on her back with a golden border. If you have time, how about joining me tonight?” Yue Chen suggested.
Huo Luo, who was initially a bit repulsed when he heard about the dancer, sensed something amiss upon hearing about the golden border. Being a military general, Huo Luo had a better understanding of the situation in the neighboring kingdoms. A golden border meant she was likely a royal from the Western Moon Country. Her identity couldn’t be simple. How could such a person end up as a dancer here? Could it be that the dancer Yue Chen insisted on purchasing that day had a golden border?
Huo Luo was about to inquire more when Chu Lishu spoke up, saying, “Yes, it’s the one taken away by my cousin.”
Now both Yue Chen and Huo Luo were surprised. Yue Chen laughed heartily, “You guys were quick. Can I meet her?”
Chu Lishu’s eyes flickered, “Sure, I can take you to the residence.” As he spoke, he seemed about to get up, but the arrival of the waiter interrupted them.
“Sorry, sir. I just checked, and we don’t have enough Pear Blossom White for your requested quantity. Could you please reduce the amount?” the waiter apologized.
Huo Luo wasn’t bothered and ordered two jars instead. Since they were leaving soon, there was no need to carry too much. The waiter promptly thanked them for their understanding.
Yue Chen smiled and remarked, “Has Pear Blossom White been selling so well recently? Usually, there’s plenty left around this time.”
The waiter apologized, “It’s because we had a big customer today who bought a lot at once, leaving us with insufficient stock. It’s a rare situation, and we hope the esteemed guests can understand.”
It wasn’t a big deal, and the three didn’t pay much attention to it. However, the customers in the nearby private rooms seemed to have heard the same news and those with bad temperaments started to make a fuss.
The commotion naturally attracted the attention of onlookers. As the three guests were leaving, they overheard nearby customers chatting about it.
“That’s not the fault of the shop. I witnessed it. Just a while ago, someone bought thirty casks, which is why there’s not enough now.”
“Thirty casks? Is he hosting a banquet?”
“No, I saw it. It was a young noble trying to impress a beautiful woman. She took a sip, said she liked it, and wanted to drink it every day. So, he generously bought thirty casks on the spot.”
“I saw it too. That beauty was quite stunning, and she didn’t seem to have the typical appearance of our Great Zhou Dynasty. She had a bit of that Western Regions flair, making her beauty quite unique.”
Upon hearing this conversation, the three men stopped in their tracks. Ho Luo looked at Yue Chen, who in turn glanced at Chu Lishu. Chu Lishu, with an expressionless face, said, “I suddenly remembered some matters. We’ll visit the residence another day.”
Chu Lishu ignored Yue Chen’s teasing and went straight downstairs. Yue Chen caught up with him, pulling Chu Lishu aside and asking a waiter about the whereabouts of the person who bought thirty casks. The waiter recalled and said, “Seems like he took the young lady to Bai Xiang Pavilion.”
Bai Xiang Pavilion, the largest cosmetics and perfume shop in the capital, was a favorite place for women. A gentleman taking a beautiful woman to Bai Xiang Pavilion was undoubtedly a display of affection.
Yue Chen struggled to suppress his laughter and approached Chu Lishu, asking, “Where are you going?”
Chu Lishu remained silent for a moment and then replied, “The station of the Western Moon Merchant Caravan.”
“Oh, we’re heading there too. How about making a detour to Bai Xiang Pavilion? I want to buy some cosmetics and perfume for my family. Hao Luo, do you also need to get something for your sister?” Yue Chen suggested, winking at Chu Lishu.
Hao Luo, feeling helpless, nodded in agreement.
As the three arrived at Bai Xiang Pavilion, they were greeted by a lively atmosphere. Upon entering, they overheard several women admiringly saying, “The gentleman who was just here is really nice, handsome, articulate, and he even quotes classical texts when discussing cosmetics. He made the fellow women burst into laughter.”
“Yes, as long as the young lady liked something, he bought it all. Which noble young master is this, so generous and carefree?”
“Could it be a newlywed couple on their journey, that’s why they’re so affectionate?”
“It doesn’t seem like it. That woman looks like she’s from out of town, and her hair is in a simple bun, not someone newly married.”
“It’s really enviable.”
While the women chatted, Yue Chen noticed that Chu Lishu’s face had turned completely dark. Since the two people in question were nowhere to be seen, Yue Chen stifled a laugh and casually asked the young ladies about their whereabouts.
Seeing Yue Chen, the elegant young master, inquire with such charm, the women immediately responded enthusiastically.
One of them said, “I heard that the girl wanted to eat sweet treats, and the young master next to her said he would take her to the best sweet shop to buy them, so…”
“Thank you.” Yue Chen expressed his gratitude and, by this time, had already left ahead of Chu Lishu. He quickly caught up with the two and seemed eager to witness the excitement.
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NOOOOOO NOT THIS CLIFFHANGER 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣