Chapter 52
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“Why do I only see you alone today? Where’s your cousin?” Yue Chen said with a smile.
“Young Master Yue should have heard about it. There are matters in the Marquis’s residence today, so my cousin is naturally at home,” Chu Lishu said with a gentle expression, showing no flaws in his attitude.
“Why did you come to see Mr. Cao then? As far as I know, Mr. Cao is not fond of visits from young scholars,” Yue Chen inquired with a sly smile.
Chu Lishu, aware that Yue Chen was probing, had already discussed a prepared response with Mr. Cao.
“I was entrusted to help Mr. Cao find a book.”
Yue Chen raised an eyebrow and then asked, “So, can you guess why we are visiting Mr. Cao today?”
“Of course, it’s about the recent busy matters of the two lords. However, I can’t figure out how these things are related to Mr. Cao. If it involves the Tianwu’s script then with the help of the master alone is sufficient.”
“As for the case… it was closed a few hours ago,” Yue Chen suddenly mentioned.
Chu Lishu’s expression showed a slight surprise, and he then praised, “The speed at which the two of you handled the case is indeed impressive.”
However, at this point, the straightforward Huo Luo couldn’t help but interject, “Fast? What’s so fast about it? It was forcefully closed by someone. There must be a traitor in the Grand Court!”
Chu Lishu raised an eyebrow, and then he heard Yue Chen say slowly, “Do you know? The registry you were looking into is not just one.”
Chu Lishu was momentarily stunned.
Yue Chen is exceptionally skilled at interrogating prisoners. He separately detained the madam and the subordinates responsible for delivering incense, subjecting them to rounds of severe interrogation. One of the methods used was to have them recount the information recorded in the registry that they were familiar with. After several sessions of intense questioning, they repeated the details three times, and Yue Chen meticulously compared each repetition.
“By systematically cleaning up the information in the registry and the accounts, it becomes evident that there is definitely more than one registry. However, they disclosed this information under my harsh interrogation, which may be dismissed as errors or confusion. Therefore, there is no evidence to prove the existence of a second registry. Originally, we intended to continue the investigation, but unfortunately, the madam committed suicide in prison. Meanwhile, several locations in the Chunxiang Building suddenly caught fire, and the rescue efforts failed. We could only close the case at this point.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Lishu naturally believed Yue Chen’s assessment. However, this case held no significance for him anymore, and he wouldn’t expend mental energy on it. “Young Master Yue, you might be mistaken. The registry was found by Liu Wen’er.”
Yue Chen chuckled, truly tight-lipped. However, he didn’t mind and continued, “Not long from now, including Liu Wen’er, those women will be released. Liu Wen’er’s tattoo has already been removed. They will probably return to the Chunxiang Building. However, with the madam dead, Chunxiang Building is like a castaway to the person behind the scenes.”
“That’s a good thing for them,” Chu Lishu remarked.
“Do you have any speculation about the person behind the scenes?” Yue Chen inquired.
Chu Lishu glanced up at Yue Chen and said, “Why don’t Young Master Yue go first?”
Seeing Yue Chen’s determination to engage in conversation, Chu Lishu resigned himself to the situation and patiently listened. Glancing out of the window, he realized it was time for Marquis An Nan’s residence to have dinner. He hadn’t returned all day, that person was probably growing impatient. It was a way to set boundaries, making it clear that they didn’t have to be constantly attached to each other.
While listening to Yue Chen, Chu Lishu absentmindedly reached for the braised pork on the table. It wasn’t until he tasted it that he remembered he wasn’t dining with Lin Qingyang. Why bother eating something he didn’t like?
Nevertheless, the braised pork was delicious. He thought of bringing some back for Lin Qingyang. Even if Lin Qingyang was unhappy due to his late return, this gesture might improve his mood.
“Hey, Young Master Chu, what are you thinking? Did you hear what I said?” Yue Chen noticed Chu Lishu becoming increasingly distracted and couldn’t help but speak up. However, seeing him enjoy the braised pork, Yue Chen’s eyes flashed with a hint of understanding.
He remembered that person never liked braised pork.
“Well, if Young Master Yue invites someone to dinner, he can’t let me starve while listening to him talk, can he?” Chu Lishu gathered his thoughts and went straight to the point. “You suspect the involvement of the Four Great Families behind that matter. You can only confirm it’s not your Yue family, but you can’t distinguish among the other three. With many doubts in your mind, you sought Mr. Cao’s advice, hoping he could help you figure it out.”
Both Yue Chen and Huo Luo stopped and stared at Chu Lishu.
In reality, Yue Chen hadn’t disclosed this much earlier, but Chu Lishu, with just fragments of information, had completely analyzed their intentions. The agility of his mind was truly impressive.
Yue Chen’s gaze subtly changed. This feeling was much like when he used to talk to that person before, as if you only needed to start a sentence, and that person would know what you were going to say next. Even if you couldn’t figure out how to express it yourself, he could find the most suitable way to speak and reach your heart.
Perhaps this was the ability only possessed by those who were extraordinarily intelligent.
“Cheng, Wang, Pei… all possibilities,” Yue Chen said slowly. “Young Master Chu, you’ve recently arrived in the capital and seem determined to enter the palace as a study companion. But do you truly understand the real situation in the capital?”
“I would appreciate it if Young Master Yue could enlighten me,” Chu Lishu said.
Yue Chen smiled. “Alright, then I’ll be a guiding light for you, helping you understand the true situation in the capital and giving you a foundation for your future service.”
The current political situation in the court is the most complex in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Yue Chen used his chopsticks dipped in tea to draw on the table to illustrate.
The current situation in the imperial harem follows the pattern of the struggle for succession, divided into four major factions, each with influential family support.
As mentioned earlier, the current Crown Prince is the child of the late emperor and the nephew of the current emperor. The Cheng family of Taiyuan, one of the four major families, supports the crown prince. Although, originally concubine Cheng had a maternal relationship with the current emperor, she was elevated to Empress Cheng because her son became the crown prince. She temporarily resides in the imperial palace, serving the empress dowager, a grace bestowed upon her by the emperor.
However, as a consequence, the emperor’s legitimate son and his wife’s status has changed.
The legitimate eldest son can only have the title of Crown Prince. The legitimate wife supported by the Wang family of Qinghe can only become the Imperial Noble Consort. However, her position and power are substantial, akin to that of an empress, holding the Phoenix Seal in her hands, with only a slight difference in title. With the support of the Wang family, another of the four major clans, the Crown Prince naturally becomes a strong contender in the struggle for succession. Their only weakness lies in the emperor’s lukewarm feelings towards both the mother and son.
The emperor favors the third prince, the son of concubine Pei. The third prince is supported by the Pei family of Gusu, another of the four major families. Although not the legitimate eldest son, he is highly favored and holds considerable power. The Pei family has garnered many important positions in the court in recent years, showcasing their overall strength. It’s worth noting that Lin Qingxu, who has been studying alongside Pei Jin, a member of the Pei family, at the Imperial Academy, aspires to be a study companion to the third prince.
The fourth power is concubine Mei, the daughter of Prime Minister Li. She is currently favored by the emperor and has given birth to the fourth prince. With her father being the current prime minister, and the Li family’s influence combined with the support of the Duke of Wei Guo’s residence, she holds a considerable amount of power.
Some people are optimistic about the fourth prince because they believe that the current emperor is still young and vigorous. They anticipate that by the time he abdicates, the older contenders would be too aged, making the fourth prince, who is currently only ten years old, a suitable long-term investment.
Moreover, the current emperor seems to have some discomfort with the influence of the four major families. Therefore, he shows more favor to concubine Mei and the recently entered concubine Xu.
This political landscape ensures a balance of power among the various factions in the palace, giving everyone hope for advancement without allowing any one person to rise too prominently.
You have to admit, the current emperor is quite adept at the art of ruling.
Chu Lishu listened without much change in expression because he knew even more than what was being discussed.
On the other hand, Huo Luo was somewhat surprised at Yue Chen’s patience with Chu Lishu. He was sharing a lot of information that shouldn’t be disclosed. If someone with ill intentions were to overhear, it could lead to trouble.
“So, who do you favor more?” Yue Chen asked directly.
Chu Lishu initially thought about deflecting the question but suddenly remembered something, and his expression gradually changed.
Yue Chen looked at Chu Lishu with suspicion. After a while, he heard Chu Lishu slowly say, “I think I know whose suspicion is the greatest.”
“Are you talking about the person behind the addictive substance?”
Chu Lishu looked up and said, “It should be the Pei family.”
Yue Chen was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on, “Because Lin Qingyang’s half-brother follows Pei Jin, the eldest son of the younger generation of the Pei family?”
“Isn’t this association too crude and direct?” Huo Luo felt it was a bit far-fetched.
“Lin Qingxu has been behaving well in Marquis An Nan’s residence. In a place like Chunxiang Building, he wouldn’t go there to maintain his image in Marquis An Nan’s eyes. So, how did he get in touch with the addictive substance? Without contact, how would he know how to use it to harm others?” Chu Lishu analyzed.
“But the people from the Pei family, whether or not it’s Pei Jin, wouldn’t go so far as to let Lin Qingxu, a bastard, come into contact with such things just to win him over. What if Lin Qingxu exposes them?” Huo Luo said.
“Perhaps they just let Lin Qingxu inadvertently learn about a place selling addictive substances. Pei Jin can easily distance himself from the matter; it’s quite simple,” Yue Chen stroked his chin. “The Pei family… they want to help Lin Qingxu secure the position of the legitimate son and force Marquis An Nan to align with the Third Prince!”
Marquis An Nan was neutral and not part of any faction. He held a position in the Ministry of Works and had the emperor’s trust, making him a very desirable ally. However, Marquis An Nan had been observing from the sidelines.
Although he had considered sending his children to be the prince’s study companions, he had never revealed his hopes for them to align with a particular faction at the Imperial Academy. He only urged them to study hard and excel, unlike others who immediately found their camp upon entering. After all, in the Imperial Academy, figures like Cheng Yi, Wang Tong’en, Pei Jin, and even Xu Wenze represented different factions. Being close to any of them implied an alignment with a certain prince.
When Lin Qingyang first entered, he became enamored with Xu Wenze and went to great lengths to share the same courtyard with him. In the eyes of others, he had chosen to align with the Fourth Prince, backed by the alliance between Prime Minister Li and Duke Wei Guo.
Pei Jin was perhaps the most ambitious and scheming among them. With the foresight of the Pei family, they were not willing to let Marquis An Nan slip away. After analyzing the current situation of Marquis An Nan’s residence, Pei Jin decided to support Lin Qingxu. Using Lin Qingxu’s inherent greed, they could discreetly target the legitimate son, Lin Qingyang, without him realizing it.
The legitimate son Lin Qingyang had died, and with the passing of County Princess Yawen, Lin Qingxu became the sole heir to Marquis An Nan. When Lin Qingxu, manipulated through his involvement with addictive substances, would be the only heir left, the Pei family could use the leverage they had over him to force Marquis An Nan to submit to the Pei family.
Therefore, the true orchestrators behind the death of Lin Qingyang were likely agents of the Pei family, with the aim of securing the allegiance of Marquis An Nan’s residence. This implied that even if they managed to handle Lin Qingxu, there was still a looming threat from the Pei family. It was possible that others with an interest in gaining control over Marquis An Nan’s influence were also plotting ways to use or eliminate Lin Qingyang.
Listening to their discussion, anger flashed in Huo Luo’s eyes. “It’s one thing for their older generation to be at each other’s throats, but now they’re dragging the younger generation into their schemes…”
“In recent years, how many people in the capital have died prematurely? You should be accustomed to it by now,” Yue Chen said coldly. “Consider Lin Qingyang fortunate for discovering it so early. With your wisdom by his side, he’s well-protected. Otherwise, he would have been nothing more than an innocent spirit who died without knowing why.”
As Yue Chen finished speaking, he noticed that Chu Lishu’s expression seemed to freeze, indicating that someone was getting angry.
At this moment, Chu Lishu had only one thought in mind: Lin Qingyang would not be allowed to enter the palace.
During the analysis just now, Chu Lishu also understood the mindset of Marquis An Nan. By not telling his children whom to follow, he left room for development, which meant that Marquis An Nan had the right to choose. His children, whether legitimate or not, from the main or secondary branch, were just pawns. He knew well that his two children had incompatible personalities and would not follow the same person. This effectively gave each of them the freedom to choose their own paths.
He could maintain a wait-and-see attitude until the day when the various factions showed obvious differences. At that point, he would choose one and abandon the others, regardless of who that person might be.
Therefore, for Lin Qingyang, the safest course of action was to avoid getting involved. When he… when he could control the situation, Lin Qingyang wouldn’t need to make any choices. Choosing him would be enough.
“Oh, I just remembered, could that incident also be arranged by the Pei family?” Yue Chen suddenly expressed doubt.
“What?” Chu Lishu immediately asked.
“Lin Qingyang’s former lover, the gentleman Yu Zhang, may have been intentionally exposed to addictive substances by the Pei family. Recently, he had an addiction relapse and was expelled from the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion. Normally, we should have arrested anyone addicted to fragrant addiction, but today we found out he went to see Lin Qingyang. Since we know him well, we didn’t want to directly apprehend him; if we did, it might expose Lin Qingyang’s past drug use. Besides, the case has already been closed, so we didn’t bother with it.”
After Yue Chen finished speaking, Chu Lishu immediately stood up.
The addictive substance was designed by him, but Yu Zhang had no idea of this. Even if he suspected himself of addiction, he would most likely believe that it happened carelessly when harming Lin Qingyang. With the strict surveillance outside now, how could he dare to approach Lin Qingyang? Unless… someone intentionally delivered it.
There’s more than one way to ruin a person’s life, and it doesn’t always involve killing.
“Next time, mention important matters earlier,” Chu Lishu said, then turned and walked away, leaving Yue Chen looking confused.
“Which one of the things we just discussed isn’t more important than this?” Yue Chen wondered.
Huo Luo immediately scorned, “Are you stupid? You just said that Yu Zhang was Lin Qingyang’s old lover. Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang have such an ambiguous relationship, and when rivals meet, sparks fly!”
“You…” Yue Chen chuckled at being teased, “Weren’t you the one who couldn’t accept same-sex relationships? How come you suddenly understand so much?”
Huo Luo immediately put on a proud expression, “I can draw conclusions by analogy; the principles are all the same.”
“Well, can your clever brain help me recall something?” Yue Chen laughed, “Think about whether Chu Lishu resembles someone we used to know?”
“Who? Isn’t he Marquis An Nan’s nephew? We shouldn’t have had any contact with him,” Huo Luo replied.
“Chu Lishu, Marquis An Nan’s nephew… The Chu family faced a crisis, so they moved to the capital to seek refuge with relatives. They encountered bandits, and in the end, only Chu Lishu survived. If he hadn’t brought an identifying token, after more than a decade without seeing him, who would know if he’s truly Chu Lishu.” Yue Chen had thoroughly investigated Chu Lishu’s background since their first meeting.
Huo Luo exclaimed, “You suspect his identity? Who could it be? If we’ve seen… that face of his, it’s unforgettable.”
“I’m not talking about his face, but what’s inside that skin.”
“His organs?”
“……”
On the other side, in the Flower Hall of Marquis An Nan’s residence, the atmosphere had become so still that one wouldn’t dare to breathe.
Kneeling in the center of the room was a ragged and fragile-looking man, clutching the hem of Lin Qingyang’s clothes, crying and pleading.
“Young Master Lin, I don’t ask for anything. I only hope that you, considering the times I’ve served you, will take me in and provide me with a meal.”
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