The emperor was practicing calligraphy in his study when an eunuch entered and said, “Your Majesty, a physician from Prince Su’s mansion brings news that the master there has fallen ill.”
The emperor continued writing, clearly uninterested.
“He’s old enough to get sick.”
There was even a hint of schadenfreude in his tone.
The eunuch: “…”
As long as you’re happy, Your Majesty.
If not mentioned, it would have been fine. But now that illness was brought up, the emperor felt quite displeased.
He had worked hard to ascend the throne, diligently governing day and night, often exhausting himself to the point of illness.
If he ever slackened a bit, the censors below would act like roosters injected with blood, rushing to submit memorials, some threatening to resign, others to commit suicide.
But what about his dear third elder brother?
A Prince of the Iron Cap, with hereditary privileges, doing nothing important every day—well, he himself didn’t dare ask him to do anything. He just indulged in food, drink, and entertainment. Now in his sixties, he could still compete in dragon boat races on the Xiahe River like a young man!
Why?!
After finishing a calligraphy piece with a sweat-drenched satisfaction, the emperor stepped back to admire it from left to right, clearly pleased. He waved his hand decisively, “Have this mounted.”
Another gift for the ministers!
Head eunuch Wang Zhong personally stepped forward to receive it, then ordered someone to bring warm water and towels for the emperor to wash his hands.
After washing his hands, the emperor went to the outer flower pavilion to drink tea and asked, “What illness?”
The eunuch replied, “This illness came on strangely. The two imperial physicians aren’t very sure either. They say it seems somewhat like hysteria at a glance.”
“Hysteria?” The emperor was quite surprised. “What do you mean?”
“Nightmares frequently, occasional hallucinations…” the eunuch explained.
Previously, Tian Song had worried that Prince Su’s mansion had the emperor’s spies. Facts proved that his worry was half correct.
Why only half? Because the spies weren’t the disciples, attendants, or even singers and dancers he had imagined, but two imperial physicians permanently stationed at Prince Su’s mansion.
Physicians bestowed by the late emperor.
Prince Su had always thought he had secured his mansion as tightly as a drum, never realizing that the two physicians had already switched sides.
Actually, to speak accurately, it wasn’t really switching sides.
Because the physicians belonged to the Imperial Physicians Bureau, they were originally loyal to the emperor and the court. Since the master above had changed, their hearts naturally needed to change accordingly.
Prince Su always thought of himself as the emperor’s son, but overlooked the most crucial point:
That the title “emperor” before his father’s name had already been prefixed with “deceased.”
He had the late emperor’s will to protect him, so naturally wasn’t afraid of anything. But the two physicians were different.
Physicians are still human beings, with families. Even though the late emperor’s will could ensure their lifetime prosperity, what about their descendants?
One lives in this world and must always consider things more long-term.
Thus, the matter became very simple.
Frequent nightmares—could it be that doing too much evil has brought retribution?
The emperor’s mood suddenly became very pleasant. “There must be some reason.”
The eunuch replied, “Three days ago, Tian Song visited Prince Su’s mansion. The two had a secret conversation and apparently read a letter together. They immediately burned the letter, so its content remains unknown.”
The pavilion was transparent on all four sides; any slight movement outside would be noticed by those inside, making eavesdropping impossible.
But this didn’t stump the physicians.
A person’s mouth may lie, but the body won’t.
Mood and physical condition honestly reflect in the pulse. As physicians, isn’t it normal to inquire about a patient’s experiences?
Tian Song…
The sudden closeness between these two made the emperor inevitably think of the recent investigation by Xie Yu.
Not long ago, when Tian Song went to Fuyun Temple, Xie Yu unusually went there too…
“How is Zizhi lately?”
Caught off guard by the sudden topic shift, head eunuch Wang Zhong hesitated before replying, “Presumably very well.”
Why suddenly bring up the heir apparent?
Well then.
Let them fight among themselves like dogs!
The emperor drank his tea in one gulp. “Tell them to keep watching closely, especially what Prince Su says. No need to panic.”
Since no one came to the palace for help, he would pretend not to know.
His third elder brother is getting old; it’s time to prepare for the inevitable.
The emperor stood up, stretched his limbs, feeling in a good mood, and decided to go to the study to check on the young princes’ lessons.
The older children have grown up, their minds more complicated, increasingly less endearing.
Sigh, children are better when they’re young!
Just as he was about to leave, someone came to report again, “Your Majesty, something has happened at Fuyun Temple. The daughter of former Minister of Revenue Tian Song has fallen off a cliff and is already dead.”
The emperor: “…Where?”
Wang Zhong: “…Fuyun Temple.”
Yes, you heard correctly—the same Fuyun Temple where the heir apparent is.
Several hours earlier, deep at night, at Fuyun Temple.
They had sent people in dozens of groups up the mountain to search, torches flickering heavily, as if about to be swallowed by the dense darkness at any moment, yet always stubbornly leaping back to life.
Yuanpei had already carefully questioned the monks guarding the mountain gates. No one matching Tian Shu’s appearance had entered or exited today, nor had any suspicious characters.
Besides Tian Bin’s group, there had been no carriages or horses going in or out.
The terrain where Fuyun Temple stood was perilous, with only two paths available for entry and exit. For a young lady like Tian Shu from a noble family, it would be difficult even to go down the mountain by herself, let alone cross mountains and ridges.
If she had hidden voluntarily, she was likely still on the mountain.
If she had been abducted, the gatekeepers said no carriages or horses had passed through today, meaning… she was still most likely hidden in the mountains.
Ma Bing thought the same.
“I heard that young lady Tian had trouble with her marriage arrangements. Could she have run away?”
Beside her, Xie Yu brushed aside a pine branch for her. “You know again.”
But he didn’t think Tian Shu had that kind of courage.
Frankly speaking, relying on years of case-solving intuition, he already had an ominous premonition.
By the way, how did she hear all these things?
Ma Bing saw his expression and knew what he was thinking. She smiled proudly, “So, it just shows you shouldn’t underestimate women!”
A few days ago, she had gone to listen to a lecture at the temple. During the break, several ladies came to chat with Lady Zhao, and she was forced into the “battle.”
Those ladies, after much chatter, subtly inquired about her identity. Ma Bing didn’t want to engage, so she bluntly pointed out their physical deficiencies, forcibly shifting the topic into a health discussion.
Everyone loves beauty, so the ladies cherished her like a treasure, instantly treating her as a confidante.
Ma Bing casually mentioned the Tian family, and they began chattering away, revealing all the Tian family’s situations over recent years, naturally including Tian Shu’s marriage arrangements.
Xie Yu looked at her and shook his head with a smile. “Good.”
When she doesn’t hide her feelings, her emotions are highly infectious.
Just like now, she openly showed her small pride, her eyes and brows full of joy, like a happy bird ready to fly out, making people involuntarily smile along.
Climbing mountains at night was twice as hard, needing to find someone while also watching their steps, which consumed enormous energy.
About two hours later, even the two of them, with their strong stamina, began to feel tired and leaned against a tree to rest.
Xie Yu looked at Ma Bing. “Not long ago, Tian Bin went down the mountain, leaving in a hurry.”
The nearby forest was rarely visited, with dense branches and leaves blocking the sky, but tonight the moonlight was excellent. Occasionally, a few beams of moonlight filtered through the branches, quietly falling on her.
She wore neat archery sleeves and short jacket, her hair tied high at the back, revealing her smooth forehead and bright eyes. After climbing the mountain for a while, her full cheeks had a subtle flush, like blooming roses.
Her steps were light, making no sound, like a wild deer walking in the forest, full of surging wildness and vitality, extremely beautiful.
The wild deer nodded, “Tian Shu’s nurse said that Tian Song is ill. It’s a heart ailment.”
She wiped her sweat and suddenly gave him a playful smile, “Don’t you really want to know what I wrote in my letter?”
Xie Yu, being such a clever person, must have guessed that Tian Song’s illness was caused by his letter.
But he didn’t ask like he used to, which made her feel a bit unaccustomed.
Xie Yu: “If I ask, will you tell me?”
Ma Bing: “If I tell you, will you believe me?”
Unexpectedly, Xie Yu actually nodded, “I will.”
If you say it, I really will believe.
Ma Bing was stunned.
Under the moonlight, his eyes were filled with sincerity and calmness, a kind of irresistible force.
Suddenly, Ma Bing felt a bit uneasy.
“It’s okay if you don’t say it,” Xie Yu said softly.
They say to put yourself in others’ shoes, but until the needle pricks your own body, you don’t know the pain. No matter how hard he tried, he could never fully understand her feelings or the pain she had experienced.
Therefore, he had no right to force her to do anything.
This was a stubborn and strong girl. Her steps of revenge would never stop for anyone or anything.
And the only thing he could do was help reveal the truth and protect her with all his might.
Before the incident and after.
Uncle and Tu Daren were both right. He had indeed changed a lot.
Before this, Xie Yu couldn’t even imagine that, knowing someone had committed certain crimes, he would not only not arrest them, but even… protect them from the sidelines.
This clearly violated his principles of conduct. This unprecedented contradiction had once made him hesitate, but when a person does something wrong, they should pay the price, even if the person has already passed away.
Past sins should not be covered up with the end of life.
Some people and some things must eventually be brought to light.
So he changed.
Not only did he change his long-held views on the law, but he also carefully guided her to walk along the gray edges.
Only in this way could he protect her when the incident eventually broke…
Ma Bing was about to speak when suddenly they heard a low bell sound from afar. The two immediately stood up and looked in that direction.
Someone rang the bell!
Tian Shu was found!
“Let’s go!”
They stopped talking and rushed downhill with all their might.
Going uphill is easy, going downhill is hard, but this rule didn’t apply to them. In just a few minutes, the two had already rushed back to the bell-ringing area first.
However, the news they received was bad.
Tian Shu was indeed found, but she was impaled on a branch of an old pine tree hanging off a cliff, her abdomen pierced, and already dead.
Originally thought to be missing, now it had become a murder case, and the entire Fuyun Temple’s atmosphere suddenly became tense.
The abbot quickly recited his prayer beads, calling “Amitabha Buddha” repeatedly, looking like he was about to cry.
I knew it, I knew it!
Missing and murder were entirely different levels. Xie Yu asked, “Did you confirm her identity clearly? Is it definitely her?”
The monk nodded. “I was also afraid of making a mistake, so I specifically threw down a torch. When the firelight illuminated her, I clearly saw her clothes matched. Although I only caught a glimpse of her face, she did seem to be a young woman. There shouldn’t be any mistake.”
Most importantly, Fuyun Temple had little contact with the outside world before, and there had never been any reports of missing persons. Where would so many corpses hanging around come from?!
After struggling until now, the sky was almost bright. Xie Yu asked for the direction, “Can we pull her up?”
Death was not the end; they still needed to confirm whether it was suicide or murder.
The monk looked a bit troubled. “It’s too steep. People can’t go down, and the pine branch is at least ten meters from the ground. Unless…”
Unless they used ropes to lower someone down, tie the body, and pull it up from above.
The search teams who heard the bell gradually returned. When Zhang Mama, Tian Shu’s nurse, learned the truth, she fainted without a word.
Ma Bing sighed inwardly and went over to help her recover.
She had brought a medicine bag, originally intending to save Tian Shu, but unexpectedly ended up using it on her nurse instead.
Tian Shu’s two maids were also stunned, just crying nearby, creating chaos.
Ji Fang suddenly appeared from somewhere, his eyes slightly red, sternly shouting, “Why are you crying? Go help immediately!”
Then he said to the servants left by the Tian family, “Two of you, carry Zhang Mama inside. Do you expect the doctor to do it himself?”
He had been close to Tian Bin and once regarded Tian Shu as his own sister. Now she had met with misfortune, and the servants left by the Tian family at Fuyun Temple were in chaos. He couldn’t help but step forward.
The old master was ill, the young master had left, and now the big daughter was gone… The Tian family’s servants were at a loss, so they followed his orders like imperial edicts and busied themselves accordingly.
Ma Bing and Xie Yu both looked at him, showing some rare approval.
After giving instructions, Ji Fang came to Ma Bing’s side. “Miss Ma, is there anything I can help with?”
He was completely different from his usual frivolous self, showing some reliability.
Ma Bing said, “Not for now, but later there will be a lot to do. We’ll need you to keep things under control.”
It’s chaotic now, but when they pull up Tian Shu’s body, it will be even more chaotic.
At this time, the Tian family’s servants were like headless flies, desperately needing someone to manage them.
Ji Fang readily agreed.
Xie Yu looked at him twice and unusually didn’t drive him away.
He asked the abbot to prepare strong ropes to retrieve the body after dawn.
On the other side, he ordered the entire temple to lock the mountain gates.
“From this moment until the case is solved, everyone must stay in their respective courtyards and must not enter or leave Fuyun Temple without permission.”
Upon hearing this, everyone first froze, then murmurs began.
“What does this mean?”
“Are we being placed under house arrest? Why?!”
“Just that, the Tian family’s girl is dead, and we were helping look for her. Why can’t we leave?”
Among those who came to help were many attendants of high officials and nobles, who inevitably developed some arrogance after following their masters for long.
“Even if your masters come, I will still say the same! Those who disagree, step forward now!” Xie Yu said solemnly.
His gaze swept slowly over their faces, sharp as a blade.
Those who met his gaze felt a chill and quickly looked away. In an instant, there was complete silence.
Ji Fang took a deep breath and stepped forward to ask, “May I ask Minister Xie, do you mean this is not an accident?”
This was almost the first time they had spoken without conflict.
Xie Yu didn’t answer directly, “There are many suspicious points in this case. Before the truth is revealed, everyone is a suspect.”
According to the monk who discovered the body, the place where Tian Shu fell off the cliff was extremely remote. Ordinary people couldn’t even find a path to go there.
How did she, a young lady who had just arrived at Fuyun Temple a couple of days ago, manage to get there?
And what was she doing there?
If it was an elopement, according to the Tian family, her personal belongings were untouched, and her money hadn’t decreased. She was even wearing a long dress unsuitable for walking…
All these facts couldn’t help but make people suspicious.
When the crowd heard this, someone wanted to report it to the authorities.
But upon second thought, damn it, wasn’t Xie Yu the official in charge of such matters!
The scene fell into silence for a moment.
After a while, someone couldn’t help but steal glances at Xie Yu.
In the top circles of the Great Lu, news spreads quickly. Once something happens, it won’t take long to become widely known.
Everyone in the capital knew that Tian Shu had feelings for the young marquis Xie Yu.
And everyone also knew that Xie Yu had no feelings for Tian Shu.
That wasn’t all. On the very first day they arrived at Fuyun Temple, someone had seen them arguing.
Now that Tian Shu was dead, what about the young marquis…
No one suspected Xie Yu of committing the murder himself because it simply wasn’t worth it, nor was it necessary.
But could someone have killed for him? Out of jealousy or hatred, perhaps.
After all, in matters of love and affection, there’s often little room for reason.
Thinking of this, many people suddenly felt that staying here might not be such a bad thing.
After all, they had come out for relaxation. Now there’s a big spectacle to watch. Why leave?
Some thought this but no one dared to say it aloud.
They all waited eagerly, ready to see how the young marquis would handle this case.
But completely unexpectedly, the next moment, Xie Yu said, “According to the Great Lu law, officials involved in cases related to their relatives or acquaintances must recuse themselves. The three of us had verbal conflicts with the deceased before her death. According to the law, we should recuse ourselves. Come, quickly go to Kaifeng Prefecture to report the case.”
Everyone: “…”
Can it be done like this?!
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