Chapter 1096
Chen Hui interrogates Ning Kai
Chapter 1096 Chen Hui interrogates Ning Kai
Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs
Chen Hui, his face full of anger, led his men back to the ministry. After entering the main hall, he strode to the main seat. Thinking of how Xiao Yunzi had just outmaneuvered him, he became even angrier. He suddenly waved his hand, sweeping the blue and white porcelain teacups on the rosewood table to the ground.
The crisp cracking sound was particularly jarring in the silent hall, and the contortion on his face was reflected in the tea room.
"What a fine young Yunzi, what a fine Yang Chi!"
He kicked away the broken pieces on the floor and paced back and forth in the inner room.
"Ma Fei, do you think there's anything amiss during today's trip? Yang Chi isn't faking it."
Thinking of his fruitless experience at the water park and the harsh mockery he received from Xiaoyunzi, Chen Hui's anger surged once more.
“My Lord Chen, what we can think of, our ancestors must have thought of as well. Perhaps these things were planned long ago. No matter what they are preparing in that courtyard, with Xiao Yunzi in there, we have lost the initiative. Just now, I sent someone to bring over the centurion who was escorting the imperial prison. We can interrogate him carefully and perhaps find some clues. After all, people don't go crazy for no reason. Moreover, our people have only just reported that Yang Chi returned last night on a merchant ship and was intercepted at the dock. He was sent to the palace overnight.”
Eunuch Ma had some guesses. The Emperor might have already seen Yang Chi. Since he dared to leave him in the Water Palace of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he must have received permission. He had observed closely from behind; regardless of what others said, Yang Chi's limp state wasn't meaningless, but his apparent mental instability was undeniable. Therefore, it was truly difficult for him to feign insanity under their very noses.
Eunuch Chen suddenly stopped, a ruthless glint in his eyes. What he said was true. How could a perfectly healthy person have boarded a luxury ship at the Jinling Wharf, disembarked from a merchant ship in the capital, and then something had happened on the river?
"Alright, let's investigate thoroughly and find out what kind of miracle cure is up to."
that's it,
Chen Hui regained his composure, plopped down in the armchair, and vigorously rubbed his temples. In just a few days, one thing after another had happened in the capital, and each one seemed rather strange.
Back in Jiangnan, among the officials, there's someone plotting a major case. Leaving aside whether the magistrate of Chunyang County has the ability, perhaps someone behind the scenes is devising the plan. But Marquis Luoyun has always ignored such matters. So who could it be?
Suddenly, a figure flashed through my mind: the eldest son, Li Chaosheng. Once he joins the cabinet, he'll be a junior cabinet minister. Could it be from the Li family?
"Yang Chi, Yang Chi, what exactly are you planning in Jiangnan?"
Muttering to himself
"Is it for self-preservation, to cover something up, or to contact someone with ulterior motives?"
Thinking of the matter concerning the Imperial Household Department, and considering the Emperor's unpredictable nature, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. If things went wrong, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs might not be able to escape unscathed. Right now, only the Empress Dowager has the right to "approve in red."
Soon,
Four men from the Imperial City Guard escorted Ning Kai, the garrison commander of the Jiangnan Imperial City Guard, into the ministry hall. He was dressed in a smart court robe, a long sword hanging at his waist, but his heroic bearing remained undiminished.
"Greetings, Father-in-law."
The leader was Fang Cheng, a commander of the Northern Garrison. He clasped his hands in a salute, his voice steady and powerful. This time, he had personally brought the man in. Seeing the disheveled state of the hall floor, he knew that the eunuch had already lost his temper, so he dared not say another word.
Chen Hui raised his head, glanced at the somewhat disheveled Ning Kai, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.
"You're Ning Kai, the one who escorted Yang Chi back to Beijing?"
"Yes, Your Excellency, it was indeed my responsibility."
Ning Jianshi nodded quickly.
"Alright, since you escorted him back to the capital, when did Yang Chi start going crazy after boarding the ship at Jinling Wharf?"
Chen Hui's voice suddenly rose.
"Tell the truth honestly. If you dare to utter even the slightest lie, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Ning Kai's face turned pale, and he was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and replied;
"Reporting to Your Excellency, when I received the order, I had already mobilized troops and prepared a military ship to wait at the dock. When we set off, Eunuch Yang was perfectly normal. However, after we left the Jinling area, while I was having a meal with Eunuch Yang in the cabin, he suddenly started talking nonsense and behaving erratically. There were also a group of Eunuch Yang's adopted sons in the cabin, who can testify to this."
"When we first left Jinling,"
Chen Hui squinted, thinking about the matter of changing ships.
"Where exactly is it, and why was the ship changed?"
"My lord, at the ferry crossing north of Jinling, there is a City God Temple. After my meal with Eunuch Yang, he went somewhat mad and suddenly shouted, 'A vengeful ghost is claiming lives!'"
Just then, pirate ships attacked the warships from all sides, and many of my men died. The very next day, a merchant ship passed by, and I devised a plan to secretly escort Eunuch Yang back to the capital. Unexpectedly, there were guards at the dock in the western suburbs of the capital.”
After replying, Ning Kai was somewhat uneasy. He even guessed that these martial arts practitioners were sent by the prince to kill Yang Chi, but he didn't know why. After all, the person who delivered the message to him must have been someone from the prince's residence.
"A vengeful ghost seeking death? Bandits attacking the ship,"
Chen Hui sneered. There was no way something so strange could happen; it must have been planned in advance.
"The story is quite plausible. I find it strange that a perfectly healthy person could suddenly go mad. Furthermore, no one would believe that a pirate attack on a warship was unprepared."
"Yes, sir, I also find something amiss."
Ning Kai was still hesitating whether or not to say those words.
"But Eunuch Yang is of a special status, and I dare not ask too many questions. I can only take good care of him along the way and try to get him into the capital as soon as possible."
"Take good care of her!"
Chen Hui suddenly sat up and slammed his hand on the table.
"I think you're in cahoots with some people, deliberately concealing the truth!"
"Your Excellency is wise indeed!"
Ning Kai was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. In his desperation, he remembered the people at the dock and immediately spoke up.
“Your Excellency, I am utterly loyal to the court and would never dare to lie or conceal anything. But this time, I have noticed something strange about the assassins at the western suburbs dock. These people are all skilled with knives and hidden weapons. When I fought with them, I found that their style of fighting resembled the martial arts of the Xuan Yin Sect, a major sect in Xiliang. Some of them, however, seemed to be using the unique hidden weapons of the Northern Golden Saber Sect. If I have lied in the slightest, I am willing to be punished.”
In any case, he was a skilled fighter in the Jiangnan garrison, and had seen the techniques of many different schools of martial arts; he was absolutely certain of this.
Chen Hui remained silent, staring at him for a long time. Suddenly, he stood up and paced back and forth in front of the group. The Xiliang Xuan Yin Sect—that was the Gong family's power; the Golden Saber Sect was a guest sect of the Prince Zhongshun's mansion. How could it be these people?
"Let me ask you again, along the way, did Yang Chi do anything unusual? Did he come into contact with anyone?"
Ning Kai lowered his head for a moment. Along the way, really, no one had come into contact with him, except for his godson.
"Reporting to Father-in-law, apart from eating and resting, Eunuch Yang was only served by his godson sons the entire way. He didn't say a word, and ate when fed and drank when given water. He even soiled himself when he lost control of his bladder."
"Hmph, it's obvious that this was done on purpose, feigning madness. Are there any other discoveries?"
Chen Hui felt a headache coming on. The Emperor had already met with Yang Chi and said he was insane, so he was. There was no point in making a fuss about this man anymore unless he recovered from his madness. But considering the people the old ancestor was watching, he probably couldn't test him. So, the last chance was still the trial at the Ministry of Justice, but that wasn't a place where he could have absolute authority.
Looking at the person before him again, his forehead was covered in blood. He sighed.
"Alright, get up. It's not that I'm heartless, but at this point, there are some things that even if you have evidence, you can't investigate further. Go back and stay here for now. You can go back after the case in Jiangnan is closed."
That was considered showing some leniency; upon hearing this, Ning Kai knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude.
"This humble servant thanks Eunuch Chen for saving my life,"
"Go on," and so the Imperial City Guards came and went quickly. The room fell silent again, with only Eunuch Ma carefully picking up his teacup, taking a small sip, and savoring it.
"Eunuch Chen, haste makes waste. This case has only just begun, there's no rush. Besides, it's only two days. We still need to be careful with the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, since many officials are returning and there will be many memorials to submit. We've set aside one hour for all officials in the capital, regardless of rank, to submit congratulatory memorials. Even those few officials need to write them."
Those people refer to the individuals being interrogated: the Jiangnan Provincial Treasurer, Lord Zhuang; the Inspector General, Jing Cunliang; and the two county magistrates. There are certain rules to writing congratulatory letters. The two high-ranking officials are familiar with this, but it's the first time for the two scholars. Therefore, if they truly want to take action, only this one congratulatory letter will suffice.
The sinister words gave Chen Hui a sudden inspiration. It was indeed a good idea. Congratulatory memorials were nothing more than adding Taoist prayers and auspicious omens from various regions. But within the Great Wall, especially in the capital, even if there were auspicious omens, they had already been distributed. If he saved the memorials from Jiangnan for last, and the Emperor Emeritus sent someone to read them, they would surely be selected. At that time…
"As Eunuch Ma said, experience is indeed the best teacher. Since it's a congratulatory letter, someone will read it aloud. If it happens to be one of these two, tsk tsk,"
Thinking of its brilliance, I couldn't help but smile slightly.
“What you say is quite right, sir. How to read it, and whose words to read, are all matters of great importance. If we are still not sure, didn’t those princes think that a thorough investigation should be carried out? Why not leak the information to them and make a scene? The first words to be read will be those of these two. Although it’s true that a good show is worth waiting for, the best show is the one that’s seen first.”
Ma Fei loved watching plays, and he was extremely satisfied when he occasionally listened to Kunqu Opera. Since he wanted to test the people behind those two, he needed to use some methods.
"Alright, it's settled then. Our people will be following them, right? When they deliver the congratulatory messages, they'll bring them directly to us. Once all the messages have been delivered, we'll put theirs on top. That way, there'll be plenty of excitement to watch."
With these two safeguards in place, the matter was stabilized.
In that case, even if something goes wrong, they won't be held responsible.
"Then let's wait and see,"
Just as undercurrents were swirling in the capital,
Zhang Jinyu drank some wine at the Shuiqiao Courtyard, and after getting drunk, he was escorted back to his residence by Ning Bian and the others.
That night, everyone slept soundly, though Yue and Shu were somewhat resentful, especially Shu'er, who had finally waited for the Marquis to return, only to have her good fortune ruined again.
I slept soundly all night.
Until the next day,
The sun was shining brightly, and the servants outside were busy with their tasks when Zhang Jinyu finally opened her eyes on the bed. Looking at the familiar room and bed, she came to her senses.
He rubbed his aching forehead; he really had drunk too much. He wondered if the liquor Ning Bian had brought was fake; it had such a strong aftereffect. And he'd completely forgotten what he'd said to the two of them at the end.
Just thinking,
The curtain suddenly moved.
Baozhu peeked inside, and seeing that the Marquis was awake, her face lit up with joy. She exclaimed in surprise and rushed in.
"My lord, you're finally awake! It's almost noon, so you can skip breakfast."
Muttering to herself, she came in from outside with new clothes, and even had a freshly picked magnolia blossom tucked behind her ear. Her steps were light and unsteady. She also took a bowl of tea from the table and handed it to him.
Zhang Jinyu was feeling extremely thirsty and had drunk quite a bit too much. She had no recollection of how she got back, and her temples were throbbing, indicating that she had suffered a severe headache the night before.
"Well, thank you very much, Baozhu. I was really thirsty."
He took the teacup and drank it down in one gulp. Although it moistened his mouth, it still wasn't enough. Baozhu, quick as a flash, put the clothes on the bed, went back, and brought back a pot of tea. She refilled the Marquis's teacup, and he drank three bowls of tea in a row before feeling much better.
After Baozhu put the teacup away, she asked;
"How did you get back yesterday?"
"Oh dear, my lord, you were quite drunk yesterday. You were even saying that your student was a great talent. It was Vice General Ning who carried you back with his personal guards. Afraid of disturbing Miss's rest, I took the liberty of letting you rest in the side hall."
After speaking, she took a warm handkerchief from the table behind her, washed the Marquis's face, and after wiping him clean, she picked up his clothes and helped him change.
"Yes, well done. Yesterday, I had a heart-to-heart talk with Changwen and the others, and ended up drinking a bit too much. As for Keqing, she's pregnant, so it's not convenient for her. In the future, you can make more decisions about things in the courtyard yourself."
After all, her health is precious, so it's better to be cautious. Although Baozhu is a bit gossipy, her protectiveness towards her mistress is especially appreciated by Zhang Jinyu. It seems that in the Dream of the Red Chamber, in the Ningguo Mansion, of the two maids who served her, Ruizhu lost her life in vain, while Baozhu seemed to stay until the end. Whenever she thinks of Ruizhu, she keeps her head down and doesn't like to talk, but she is always by Qin Keqing's side.
"Yes, my lord, I know. You made quite a commotion last night,"
The little girl happily agreed. At this moment, Zhang Jinyu had already recalled some of yesterday's experiences. The joint trial by the three judicial departments seemed to have already ended, and they said the trial would continue after the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet. The Emperor Emeritus wanted to cultivate Taoism; shouldn't Taoists be detached from worldly desires? Why would he need to celebrate a birthday banquet?
It's nothing more than boasting about the prosperous era. As for gifts, what should I give? After all, the Princess is going to send precious medicine; if I were to give another gift, I wouldn't be willing to give it to that old man.
After glancing at Baozhu and making his bed, a thought suddenly struck him, and he asked;
"Baozhu, may I ask you something?"
"Son-in-law, please ask, what is it?"
As Baozhu replied, she reached up and refurbished the bed.
"It's not a big deal. A few days ago, I had my servants deliver some precious medicine to the Eldest Princess. It was a gift for the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, which is the day after tomorrow. Since the Eldest Princess is sending it, we can't send the same thing here. So, where can we find a gift?"
Baozhu looked puzzled. Hadn't the Marquis already arranged the gift-giving?
"My lord, didn't you already prepare a gift? We also received a rare piece of cold jade at your residence. Its texture is icy cold, and in the sweltering summer, it is a rare treasure. Wouldn't it be good to give it as a congratulatory gift?"
Thinking of that large piece of flawless, pure white jade, how it would keep the room cool—Zhang Jinyu knew all this, and felt a pang of reluctance. The weather was getting hotter and hotter; it was impossible to give away something so precious without keeping it for oneself.
"Ahem, this jade is fine, but it lacks sentiment. People in the palace are very knowledgeable; they wouldn't even look at an ordinary piece of cold jade. Think again, what else is there?"
His eyes flickered as he recalled the piece of jade he'd dug out of the mountain. If he could make it into a bed of chilled jade, tsk tsk, how refreshing that would be!
Only the little maid Baozhu had a strange look in her eyes. She'd never heard of such a treasure in the Qin family before.
"My lord, I heard at Master Qin's house that some local officials' congratulatory gifts are not about how valuable they are, but about what auspicious omens they contain. When you went to the south of the capital, did you encounter any of these?"
Although Baozhu didn't know what auspicious omens were, she had heard Master Qin mention them before.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jinyu suddenly recalled the auspicious omens he had discussed with the Prince of Jin in Jingnan. If that was the case, wouldn't the surrender document from the White Lotus Sect be an auspicious omen? With this thought, an idea immediately formed in his mind. The surrender document had been hastily written and hastily, but the congratulatory letter could be polished.
"Wonderful, you're such a clever girl!"
Since he used these as congratulatory gifts, could it be that Prince Bei Jing and Prince Dong Ping also had the same idea? His heart tightened, and he quickly left the room.
"Ningbian, are those antiques and paintings we looted from the south still there?"
"Reporting to the Marquis, they are all in the manor's storeroom."
Ning Bian, who had been waiting outside, looked somewhat surprised. He had been contacting the Chamber of Commerce these past few days, trying to get rid of these things.
"Keep them all for now. You can personally select the most valuable gifts from them and bring a whole box of precious items with you."
Zhang Jinyu thought for a moment. Since the Emperor Emeritus was cultivating Taoism, he must be detached from worldly desires. Giving him gold, silver, or other worldly things would surely disturb his cultivation. Instead, he should offer calligraphy and paintings that suited his tastes, since the rest of these still needed to be sold for money.
"Yes, my lord, I will go and make the selections immediately. However, my lord, someone from the Prince of Jin's side has come to inform you that the three princes will be returning to the palace today to pay their respects to the Empress. Someone from the Prince of Jin's residence has come to inquire whether you, my lord, will also be going."
Ningbian's eyes held a questioning look. He was somewhat puzzled by the Prince of Jin's question: if he was going to the inner palace to pay his respects to the Empress, why bring the Marquis along?
"Of course not. Paying respects to Her Majesty is not something that can be done in a short time. I imagine the three princes will try to sound them out. I heard from the eldest prince that the gates of Chang Le Palace have been opened. I wonder who might have gone in?"
(End of this chapter)