"If you keep thinking like this, your head is going to explode." Meng Zheng patted Yan Tongshu on the shoulder. "For all your hard work, tonight, I'll treat you to something to eat."
Yan Tongshu looked at him. "Eat what?"
Meng Zheng: "Beggar's chicken."
Yan Tongshu wasn't interested. Beggar's chicken—she'd had it many times before.
Meng Zheng tempted her: "Beggar's wild chicken. I hunted it from the mountain myself. The feathers on its tail are all rainbow-colored."
He raised and lowered both eyebrows teasingly. "Never tasted that before, have you?"
Rainbow-colored feathers.
Yan Tongshu grew excited. "Could I have the feathers?"
Meng Zheng: "What do you want those for?"
Yan Tongshu: "To make a shuttlecock."
Meng Zheng nodded with a smile. "Fine. Tonight, I'll give them all to you."
Yan Tongshu immediately expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, Magistrate Meng."
After parting ways with Meng Zheng, Yan Tongshu took out Cao Jian's itinerary for that day while inside the carriage.
Cao Jian had left the house at the hour of Si (around 9-11 AM), then went to visit Prince Ming's residence.
After that, he went to Huihua Tower for lunch.
Yan Tongshu decided to retrace Cao Jian's steps to see if she could piece together all the clues.
Jinbao drove the carriage to Prince Ming's residence, but Prince Ming wasn't home at the time, and Yan Tongshu had no intention of going inside. The three of them then rode to Huihua Tower.
It was now just past noon, roughly the same time Cao Jian and Meng Yi had gone to Huihua Tower.
Yan Tongshu had Pearl wait in the carriage and walked into Huihua Tower with Jinbao.
Most of Huihua Tower's customers came at night, so there weren't many patrons at midday. Yan Tongshu had changed out of her official robes into everyday attire. The owner, seeing her richly dressed, immediately greeted her with a flattering smile: "Young master, you look unfamiliar. First time here? Would you like me to recommend some pretty girls?"
"No need."
Yan Tongshu had donned plain clothes only for convenience, not to hide her identity. She revealed who she was directly to the owner and asked: "On the days Magistrate Meng and Magistrate Cao came, which girls performed the singing and dancing?"
With an official as high as the Prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture standing before him, the owner didn't dare be negligent. He immediately led Yan Tongshu and Jinbao to the table where Cao Jian and Meng Yi had been drinking, then trotted upstairs to call down the five girls who had performed that day.
Yan Tongshu had Jinbao hand over some silver.
The owner declined repeatedly: "Oh, Prefect, when you're investigating a case, there's no reason for us to take money. We can't accept this."
Yan Tongshu said: "One thing is one thing. I can't use the excuse of an investigation to make these girls work for nothing."
These girls were all pitiful souls. They had to hand over a fixed amount of silver to the establishment every day, and if they didn't have enough, they'd be beaten.
Yan Tongshu and Jinbao sat down. The owner brought out the same spread of dishes that Cao Jian and Meng Yi had ordered.
The five girls took their positions and struck their opening poses. Behind them, a woman in red had taken her seat with a pipa in her hands. Her face was plain, and her figure average, but her hands were extraordinarily slender and beautiful. As she played, she continuously plucked the carved, phoenix-engraved pipa. The sound was gentle and lively, the strings swinging and swirling—like a spring oriole conveying affection, or like whispered intimacy shared between lovers.
The five girls had lovely faces, slender waists, and flowing skirts. From time to time, they bent backwards, performed flying leaps, did splits, and made all kinds of difficult movements.
Yan Tongshu measured the distance between the wine table and the five girls.
Indeed, at that distance, if someone spoke in a low voice, it would be hard to hear.
She had revealed her identity, so the patrons around them had tempered their noise. But on the day Cao Jian and Meng Yi were there, that hadn't been the case. With so much surrounding clamor, it would have been even harder to hear their conversation.
Yan Tongshu thought it over. Whatever Cao Jian and Meng Yi had discussed, it was certainly something they didn't want others to know. Choosing this spot was precisely to avoid being overheard, so it made sense that the singing girls couldn't hear them either.
Having confirmed what she needed to know, Yan Tongshu left with Jinbao.
Pearl hurried over and asked: "Young master, any leads?"
Yan Tongshu shook her head, then asked the owner who had come to see them off: "After Magistrate Cao left, which direction did he go?"
He ate at noon and returned to his house at the hour of Xu (around 7-9 PM).
In between, there were several hours unaccounted for. Where had Cao Jian gone?
Why was there no trace of him at all?
The owner pointed in a direction, and Yan Tongshu headed that way.
She walked along the street for a while before unexpectedly running into Zhang Jiu. "What are you doing here?"
Zhang Jiu bowed slightly. "Probably the same thing as you, Magistrate Yan—trying to walk the path Magistrate Cao walked, to see if any new clues turn up."
Yan Tongshu: "Found anything?"
Zhang Jiu pointed to the alley on the right. "A vegetable seller around here said she once saw Magistrate Cao heading into that alley. The vendors here carry their goods on shoulder poles, walking and hawking as they go, so finding witnesses is difficult. Coincidentally, if you turn right here into the alley, just past the exit is Liutai Road, where Miss Bai does her fortune-telling."
Bai Qinglan told fortunes on Liutai Road because it was on the way home from her free clinic. So not far from Liutai Road should be the Dingsheng Troupe's lodgings in the capital.
Yan Tongshu laid out her reasoning, and Zhang Jiu nodded. "Just as you surmised, Magistrate Yan. At the end of Liutai Road alley is where the Dingsheng Troupe rents a house in the capital."
Yan Tongshu asked again: "Did anyone see Magistrate Cao come out of that alley? When did he come out?"
Zhang Jiu shook his head. "As I said earlier, the stands here are run by peddlers who walk while they sell. They don't stay in one spot, and they don't pay attention to who comes and goes."
So what exactly had Cao Jian been doing during those hours?
With nothing to do, why would he stay out so long?
He returned home at the hour of Xu, past dinnertime. He didn't eat then but went straight to his study, which meant he must have already eaten. Where had he eaten?
If eating was such a big deal, how could no one have seen him?
In Yan Tongshu's view, eating was a matter bigger than heaven. And eating took time. A man like Cao Jian would surely go to a well-known place—how could no one have spotted him?
Yan Tongshu's head ached from thinking, and she screamed inwardly.
Did Cao Jian die early or something? Otherwise, how could no one have seen him eat?
Hmph!
Forget investigating. Let Cao Jian drop dead.
It wasn't like he was a good person anyway.
She grumbled to herself but still followed Cao Jian's route and turned into the alley.
When she came out of the alley, a herd of wild horses was stampeding through her mind.
She was certain Xiao Jun did it.
Yes, that's right. It must have been Xiao Jun.
No more investigating.
Yan Tongshu huffed and climbed onto the carriage, telling Jinbao to return to Kaifeng Prefecture.
That evening, Yan Tongshu arrived at the Shenwei Army camp with Pearl and Jinbao—and then she was stunned.
Meng Zheng had only said he'd treat her to beggar's chicken, but he hadn't said there'd be this much.
The feathers were piled up like a small mountain.
Meng Zheng made a grandiose gesture, as if throwing money away, and said: "Go on, they're all yours."
Yan Tongshu: "..."
She could make over a hundred shuttlecocks out of these and sell them.
Pearl and Jinbao went to help roast the wild chickens, while Yan Tongshu circled the mountain of feathers. Finally, she spotted a single rainbow-colored rooster tail feather.
She picked it out and held it up to the bonfire.
Wow.
It really was rainbow-colored.
Every angle showed a different hue, shimmering with iridescent brilliance. Truly beautiful.
Meng Zheng walked over, a smile in his eyes. "Inspector Yan has a sharp eye—this one really is a beauty."
"Naturally." Yan Tongshu was immensely pleased with herself. She picked out a few more feathers, bound them together with copper coins as the base, wrapped them tightly with red thread and scraps of cloth, and in no time, a shuttlecock was ready.
Yan Tongshu tested it with her foot. The feel was good.
She thought for a moment, then kicked the shuttlecock over to Meng Zheng. He lifted his foot to catch it, gave it a couple of kicks, and sent it back.
Yan Tongshu caught the returning shuttlecock in her hand. "You're pretty good at this."
Meng Zheng laughed heartily. "Back in the day, I was unbeatable in all of Bianjing."
Yan Tongshu didn't believe a word of it.
Give him a compliment and he gets all cocky.
Meng Zheng walked over and threw an arm around Yan Tongshu's shoulder. "Don't believe me? After we eat, we'll have a match."
Yan Tongshu snorted. "A match it is."
Before long, the beggar's chicken was done. Pearl and Jinbao used iron skewers to dig the roasted chickens out of the ground.
The outer layer of yellow mud was cracked open, revealing the wrapped chicken beneath.
The distinctive aroma of wild game chicken burst into the air.
One after another, the beggar's chickens in the courtyard were opened, filling the entire yard with a rich, smoky fragrance.
Everyone sat around the bonfire in the courtyard, warming themselves and eating chicken.
Meng Zheng tore off a drumstick and handed it to Yan Tongshu. She took it, took a bite, and the juice was rich, the meat tender. Delicious—absolutely delicious.
After a while, halfway through the drumstick, Meng Zheng brought over a jar of wine and poured a bowl for Yan Tongshu. "Here, have a taste."
Yan Tongshu tore off a chicken wing. "I don't drink."
Meng Zheng couldn't understand it. "Any real man drinks."
Yan Tongshu turned to him and flashed a grin. "Heh heh, I'm not a man."
Meng Zheng was speechless.
Meng Zheng said with a look of utter exasperation, "Just to avoid drinking, you'd say something like that. Inspector Yan, where's your pride?"
See? No one believes the truth.
Yan Tongshu shook her head with a sigh and went back to gnawing on her chicken wing.
Meng Zheng thought for a moment, poured a bowl of wine, and set it over the fire to warm. In no time, a fragrance mixing honey and flowers wafted out.
Yan Tongshu was instantly drawn in.
She craned her neck to look. "What kind of wine is that?"
Meng Zheng smiled. "Someone here doesn't drink."
Yan Tongshu: "..."
Yan Tongshu ground her teeth, her nose twitching. It smelled like rose blossoms.
The more she smelled it, the more her heart swayed.
Floral and honeyed—the wine probably tasted sweet.
Meng Zheng deliberately swirled the warmed wine in an arc, letting the scent drift right past Yan Tongshu's nose, then downed it in one gulp and proclaimed loudly, "Excellent wine!"
Yan Tongshu ground her teeth again. "I want some."
Meng Zheng was merciless. "Too late."
Yan Tongshu stared at him, puffing with indignation, then thought for a moment and smiled sweetly at Meng Zheng.
Every instinct in Meng Zheng went on alert. There was a scheme brewing.
Yan Tongshu raised one finger, holding up a "one".
Meng Zheng frowned. What's that supposed to mean?
Meng Zheng: "We agreed on one condition, and it's already been used up."
Yan Tongshu played dumb. "When was that?"
Meng Zheng let out an exasperated laugh. "Inspector Yan, surely you haven't forgotten? In the courtroom, when you had me apprehend the princess."
Yan Tongshu spread her hands. "But I never said that was my condition back then. My index finger was just itchy—I held up a 'one' and scratched it. Did I ever actually say that arresting the princess was that 'one' condition?"
Yan Tongshu said with complete shamelessness, "Now, I want to redeem that condition. I want to drink that wine you have."
Meng Zheng was so angry he smacked Yan Tongshu on the forehead. "What a fine inspector you are."
With that, he poured her a bowl and said with a laugh, "Better warmed up."
Yan Tongshu nodded and set the bowl on the warming rack. "So what kind of wine is this, really?"
Meng Zheng poured himself a bowl and set it on the rack as well. "Rose honey wine. It has the fragrance of roses and is fermented with honey. The taste is mild."
Yan Tongshu nodded.
No wonder there was a floral note and a honey note in the smell.
Soon, the wine was warmed.
Yan Tongshu eagerly picked up her bowl and took a sip. Sweet, with no hint of alcohol.
She downed it in one go and poured herself another bowl.
One warmed bowl after another, gone in an instant. Before long, half the jar was empty.
Meng Zheng couldn't help but remark to Pearl and Jinbao, "Your master's got quite the tolerance for alcohol."
Pearl tilted her head. "But this is the first time I've ever seen the young master drink."
Jinbao nodded vigorously. "First time for me too."
And you didn't stop her?
Meng Zheng's face changed drastically.
Uh-oh! This wine is sweet and hides its strength, but it has a serious kick and goes straight to the head.
He whipped his gaze toward Yan Tongshu. She kicked her legs out, stood up from her chair, and raised all five fingers to the sky. "Ultraman Tiga, transform!"
Meng Zheng: "..." What in the world is this nonsense?
A drunken Yan Tongshu bent over, slapped both hands onto Meng Zheng's shoulders, and looked down at him. "Heh heh, Inspector Meng, another jar."
Meng Zheng let out a long sigh. "Inspector Yan, you're drunk."
"Not drunk!" Yan Tongshu protested stubbornly, and the breath huffed out of her was pure alcohol, blasting into Meng Zheng's face. He turned his head away in disgust. "Let me help you rest."
Yan Tongshu shook her head, then slapped a palm right onto Meng Zheng's face, leaving his cheek red. She mumbled, "I told you, not drunk!"
Meng Zheng ground his teeth.
Yan Tongshu delivered the final blow. "Your face is so hard, it hurt my hand."
Meng Zheng was stunned.
Who hit whom here?
He shot to his feet. "You drunk mess!"
Seeing that Meng Zheng was about to lunge into full attack mode, Pearl quickly steadied Yan Tongshu, while Jinbao tugged at Meng Zheng. "Inspector Meng, my master didn't mean it—she's drunk, really drunk... Please, be generous and let it go..."
Meng Zheng took a deep breath. He wouldn't argue with a drunk.
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who! I'm Ultraman!" But right then, Yan Tongshu extended her middle finger at him. "You hit my hand, so I'm hitting back!"
"Fine! We'll settle it like men!" Meng Zheng stepped forward.
"Inspector Meng!"
Jinbao clung to him in despair, and the nearby imperial guards, seeing the situation go south, rushed over too to hold Meng Zheng back. "Boss, calm down, calm down! That's the prefect! He outranks you! Calm down!"
"Yeah, boss, if you lay a hand on Inspector Yan, you'll face the cane."
"Fine, I won't bicker with her." Meng Zheng took another deep breath, but Yan Tongshu charged at him with a wild yell. She was so drunk that breaking free from Pearl had taken real effort, and her steps were unsteady. She stumbled headlong into the soldier who'd been holding Meng Zheng, grabbed his collar, and said, "You hit me, so I'm hitting back."
The soldier: "..."
Slap.
Yan Tongshu smacked him on the shoulder. She was so drunk her strength was minimal, not much more than a pat.
The soldier paused for a moment. "Inspector Yan, you've got the wrong person."
Yan Tongshu looked up, her hazy eyes seeing nothing clearly. "Not you?"
She turned to another soldier and grabbed him. "It's you, right?"
She yanked on his collar and shook him. "Wretched Meng Zheng, I want wine. Give me wine!"
Meng Zheng couldn't watch any longer. He pulled Jinbao and the others aside, strode over to Yan Tongshu in a few big steps, hoisted her onto his shoulder, carried her into the rest room, and dumped her onto the bed with a thud.
Pearl and Jinbao hurried after him, shielding Yan Tongshu like a hen protecting her chicks, spreading their arms wide and glaring warily at Meng Zheng.
Meng Zheng stared for a moment, then resignedly brought over some water: "Wipe your young master's face. Wait until he sobers up before heading back."
Pearl and Jinbao looked at Meng Zheng with suspicion.
They hadn't forgotten how Meng Zheng had looked ready to throw a punch at their young master just moments ago.
Meng Zheng set the basin aside, soaked the cloth, pulled Pearl and Jinbao away, and carefully wiped Yan Tongshu's face while sighing with deep resentment: "Don't let your young master drink anymore. When she gets drunk, it's a deadly affair."
Seeing that Meng Zheng had no intention of getting even with Yan Tongshu, Pearl quickly took the cloth and gently helped wipe Yan Tongshu's face.
The next day, when Yan Tongshu woke up, she understood deeply the saying: getting drunk isn't scary—what's scary is having someone help you remember what you did.
Meng Zheng stood with his arms crossed, giving her a cold, sinister smile.
There was a dark bruise around his right eye, and his expression was far from friendly.
Yan Tongshu blinked: "Did you get into a fight with someone last night?"
Meng Zheng said coldly: "Me? Commander Meng is far too formidable to get into a fight. It was me, single-handedly, using my thick and hard face to assault Lord Yan's palm. And then using my rat-like eyes to strike Lord Yan's fist."
Yan Tongshu: "..."
Pearl quickly lowered her voice and gave Yan Tongshu a brief account of what happened the night before, then added: "Young master, in the middle of the night you suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. Master Meng had been taking care of you the whole time. He thought you were awake and leaned in close—that's when you punched him, yelling: 'You stinking rat! I'll vanquish you in the name of justice!'"
Yan Tongshu: "..."
Never again would she drink that much.
But still...
Yan Tongshu defended herself feebly: "You can't blame me entirely for this. That wine tasted like nothing at all, and you didn't warn me—how was I supposed to know it had such a strong kick?"
"Is that so?" Meng Zheng began cracking his knuckles. "Since Lord Yan is awake, then come on."
Yan Tongshu was confused: "Come on, what?"
Meng Zheng smiled: "Let's set aside all our official titles. Man to man, a fair duel."
Who's fair with you?
You're a military officer, she's a civil official.
Where's the fairness in that?
Yan Tongshu raised a hand: "Hold on."
Meng Zheng raised an eyebrow. Surrendering already?
Yan Tongshu turned to Pearl: "You said I mistook his identity last night?"
Pearl nodded: "It was too dark, and you were far too drunk. You mistook him twice in a row."
With Pearl's reminder, the memories of the night before all came flooding back.
But...
Darkness, mistaken identity?
Yan Tongshu lowered her gaze, thinking.
It wasn't just darkness and drunkenness that could make you mistake someone.
A person's eyes could deceive you too.
Just like turning around didn't necessarily mean you were trying to flee—it could just as well mean a sudden whim to walk backward.
"I see." Yan Tongshu suddenly understood, looking up: "Pearl, go to the Kaifeng Prefecture, find Zhang Jiu, and have him gather all members of the Dingsheng Troupe. And have all their belongings, especially the trunks, brought together in one place. I'll inspect them myself."
"Jinbao," Yan Tongshu turned to him, "after you take Pearl there, go to the Ministry of Justice and inform them that the Kaifeng Prefecture will hold a trial at the Cao residence today."
Pearl and Jinbao immediately answered solemnly: "Yes!"
Yan Tongshu rose: "I'm going home to change."
Just as Yan Tongshu was about to leave, Meng Zheng grabbed her shoulder: "Trying to run just like that?"
Yan Tongshu gave him a pleading look: "Commander Meng, the case takes priority."
Meng Zheng looked at her doubtfully: "I get the feeling you're using the case as an excuse to get away from me."
Yan Tongshu tried her best to put on a serious expression.
Meng Zheng wavered.
Seeing this, Yan Tongshu quickly said: "Well then, I'll take my leave."
"Wait," Meng Zheng spoke up.
Yan Tongshu turned around nervously.
What is it now?
Can't she just slip away for a moment?
Meng Zheng said: "You sent Pearl and Jinbao away. How are you getting home? I'll ride with you and take you."
Yan Tongshu: "Oh."
Meng Zheng picked out a horse for Yan Tongshu and took another for himself. The two rode one behind the other back to the Yan residence.
When Yan Tongshu came out after changing, Meng Zheng was still waiting at the gate.
Yan Tongshu looked at him with a wooden expression.
Is this guy waiting here because he still wants to fight her?
"Coming along," Meng Zheng tugged at the reins. "The Divine Guard has a duty to coordinate with the Kaifeng Prefecture in guarding Bianjing. So, this humble officer will accompany Lord Yan in catching the culprit."
Yan Tongshu breathed a sigh of relief.
If he wanted to watch the show, fine.
As long as he didn't want to fight her.
By the time Yan Tongshu and Meng Zheng arrived at the Meng residence, Zhang Jiu had already arrived and, following Yan Tongshu's orders, had the entire Dingsheng Troupe under guard and all their trunks gathered in one place.
Bai Qingmu, Bai Qinglan, and their senior and junior brothers and sisters all stood together.
Bai Qingmu hunched his body servilely: "Lord Yan, if I may ask, what is the meaning of this?"
He seemed worried and frightened, his expression and body language like that of the smallest of small fry.
Yan Tongshu glanced at him: "Wait a moment, and I'll explain."
She had Zhang Jiu lead the way to the troupe's courtyard, where all their trunks had been piled up.
The Dingsheng Troupe was an acrobatic troupe, so they had many props and many trunks to match.
Yan Tongshu ordered each trunk opened and inspected one by one.
Zhang Jiu followed behind her: "Only one is different."
Yan Tongshu stopped, and Zhang Jiu pointed to a particular trunk: "There's fresh paint on the inside."
Yan Tongshu nodded. After checking the remaining trunks, she asked: "Did you verify the contents?"
Zhang Jiu nodded again: "They're all the troupe's own things."
Yan Tongshu said: "That settles it."
Zhang Jiu frowned. That settles it? What did she mean?
Yan Tongshu walked over to Bai Qingmu once more, reached out to straighten his collar, and then patted him on the chest: "Troupe Master Bai, your collar is crooked. You must have dressed in a hurry. Do be mindful of your appearance next time."
Bai Qingmu bowed even lower, more servilely than before: "Yes, I will be sure to mind it next time."
Just then, the Minister of Justice and Cen Xu arrived with their people.
The Minister arrived breathless from urgency, but still eagerly asked Yan Tongshu: "Lord Yan said there would be a trial? Have you found the real culprit? Can General Xiao be released?"
Yan Tongshu nodded.
The Minister of Justice immediately let out a sigh of relief.
Being upright had its advantages, after all.
At least now, Yan Tongshu could clear Xiao Jun's name.
Cen Xu looked at Yan Tongshu with an unreadable expression, stepped to her side, and lowered his voice to ask: "Is it truly impossible for the culprit to be Xiao Jun?"
"Impossible for it to be Xiao Jun?"
The question wasn't "Is the real culprit Xiao Jun?" but rather, "Could the culprit possibly be Xiao Jun?"
Yan Tongshu was now certain: Cen Xu was the Emperor's man.
No wonder Cen Xu had helped the princess stall for time back then, and no wonder he'd sent her a victory cake.
Victory cake, victory cake—certain victory.
What he meant wasn't that she would win. His meaning was: the Emperor would surely triumph.
