Zhang Jiu took out a box of dried honeysuckle and said, "Honeysuckle is not unique. What's unique is that this honeysuckle was hidden in a secret compartment under the bed. Moreover, there are four other secret compartments under the bed, but they are all empty now."
Yan Tongshu picked up a sprig of honeysuckle, held it to her nose, and thought for a moment. "Let's go and search Wang Quan'an's room."
Immediately, the two of them led people to Wang Quan'an's room. After a thorough search, they found two secret compartments, both of which were empty.
Yan Tongshu summoned the servants in the bedroom and asked if there had been any strangers in the mansion recently. All the servants replied in the negative.
The answer was obvious. Wang Quan'an knew someone would search the mansion, so he had transferred all the important things.
Sure enough, having been in the officialdom for many years, he was much more cautious in committing crimes than Gao Shengmei and Wang Chuning.
It seemed that not many useful clues could be obtained from the Wang Mansion.
Yan Tongshu led the people away. Before leaving, Yan Tongshu found Aunt Yu. "Aunt Yu, do you recognize me?"
Yu Xiujia nodded. "You're Lord Yan from the Kaifeng Prefecture. You're known throughout Kaifeng for your impartiality and integrity."
Yan Tongshu said seriously, "In that case, if you have anything to say, no matter how long ago it was or how vague the evidence is, you can come to Kaifeng to find me. I'll definitely listen attentively."
Yu Xiujia was momentarily stunned.
...
On the way to the cemetery, Yan Tongshu was using a writing brush to sort out the details of the case.
At the beginning of Shenshi (3 p.m.), the hunter Wang Liang brought in fresh and lively partridges.
At the beginning of Xushi (7 p.m.), the cook Zhou Ping killed the partridges. She noticed that the partridges didn't seem energetic, but didn't pay much attention. After plucking the feathers and removing the internal organs of the partridges, Tantai Mingzhu immediately made soup with them.
Meanwhile, Wu Wang and Ding Xing went to Ning Yuan's courtyard to take over the guard duty.
After more than half of Xushi (8 p.m.), Tantai Mingzhu sent the partridge soup to Ning Yuan.
They stayed in the room for less than a quarter of an hour. Then Tantai Mingzhu left with the partridge soup. At the same time, there was a theft in the Earl of Yuguo's residence. Wu Wang and Ding Xing were called to Huige Courtyard for a body search, leaving Ning Yuan's courtyard empty.
Right after that, Dantai Fu climbed in through the window to steal things in Ning Yuan's room. He saw Ning Yuan lying on the bed and fled in a hurry.
After Xushi, at the beginning of Haishi (9 p.m.), the two guards returned.
After more than half of Haishi (10 p.m.), Ning Yuan died.
The two guards called out but got no response. They then called Tantai Mingzhu. They broke open the door and found Ning Yuan dead on the bed.
Based on the current clues, it was certain that the live partridges were poisoned and then Tantai Mingzhu cooked them into soup, which poisoned Ning Yuan to death.
Gelsemium elegans looks similar to honeysuckle. Currently, the only person related to gelsemium elegans or honeysuckle was Wang Quan'an.
The problem was that Wang Quan'an hadn't entered the city on the day of the incident. The symptoms of gelsemium poisoning appear quickly. When did he poison the partridges?
Did he bribe someone in the kitchen?
There were only three people in the small kitchen.
The scope of choice was too narrow. How many people would have the guts to risk capital punishment to poison someone?
Moreover, Wang Quan'an was naturally suspicious. Except for Gao Shengmei, who had crawled out of the mud with him, he hardly trusted anyone. In addition, after the Xiangguo Temple case, people like Niu Er, who took money to do things but had ulterior motives, insulted Wang Chuning. So, he was even less likely to trust others.
Also, was the theft that happened on that day really a coincidence?
Were the deaths of the two Wang sisters and Gao Shengmei also coincidences?
Why did Ning Yuan lie on the bed so peacefully after being poisoned?
As Yan Tongshu thought about these questions, her head started to ache.
After drying the paper full of words, she folded it and put it in her bosom. She shook her head and decided not to think about it anymore. She'd think again after meeting everyone.
The carriage slowly made its way towards the suburban cemetery.
An hour later, they finally arrived.
The cemetery that Wang Quan'an bought was very large. So, there were no other tombs beside the tombs of Gao Shengmei and Wang Chuning.
Gao Shengmei's tomb chamber was square, built with stone slabs on all four sides. The tomb roof was mainly made of blue bricks and painted on the outside. It was very simple yet delicate.
Wang Chuning's tomb was much more shabby. It was just a simple mound of earth, placed beside Gao Shengmei's blue - brick tomb.
Moreover, there were all kinds of tributes in front of Gao Shengmei's tombstone, while there were only a few apples in front of Wang Chuning's tomb.
There were also many bricks, stones, and timbers piled around the cemetery. Wang Quan'an was wearing a plain dark - blue short jacket, with his sleeves rolled up. Holding a brick in one hand and a trowel in the other, he was repairing the outer wall of the tomb.
Not far from him, two workers were carrying two stone sheep and placing them in front of the blue - brick tomb.
One on the left and one on the right, they were the tomb - guarding beasts.
The imperial court had specific regulations on the size of tombs, the number of blue bricks used, and the tomb - guarding beasts. Different official ranks were supposed to use tombs of corresponding specifications. It was forbidden to be extravagant in the name of burial.
The treatment Wang Quan'an gave to Gao Shengmei's tomb violated the regulations.
However, presumably, Wang Quan'an didn't care about being impeached and demoted now.
Yan Tongshu looked at Gao Shengmei's delicate tomb and then turned her gaze to Wang Quan'an. A thought flashed through her mind: "Even a scoundrel can have true feelings."
Yan Tongshu and Zhang Jiu walked up to Wang Quan'an. Yan Tongshu said, "Lord Wang."
After the death of his beloved, Wang Quan'an looked heart - broken and uninterested in the officialdom. He just nodded perfunctorily at Yan Tongshu and said, "Lord Yan, my body is dirty and I'm holding something in my hand. I'm not convenient to pay my respects. Please forgive me."
"It doesn't matter." Yan Tongshu's gaze fell on Wang Quan'an's hands. Wang Quan'an's hands had thick knuckles and large joints. Presumably, because he had been building the outer wall of the tomb with his own hands these days, his hands were covered with wounds of various sizes.
There were also two large burns on his arms.
Yan Tongshu glanced at the thatched hut set up beside.
There was a fire outside the thatched hut, and a pot was placed over the fire.
During the days when Wang Quan'an stayed in the cemetery, he didn't bring any servants. Presumably, he cooked by himself and thus burned his hands.
Yan Tongshu said, "Lord Wang, Prince Ning is dead."
Wang Quan'an stopped what he was doing with the bricks. He was stunned for a moment, then looked at Yan Tongshu, his eyes full of surprise. "You mean, Ning Yuan, the heir of the Earl of Yuguo, is dead?"
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Wang Quan'an twitched his lips and smiled. "Good riddance."
He didn't hide his disgust for Ning Yuan at all. After cursing, he started laying bricks again.
Yan Tongshu squinted her eyes and got straight to the point. "I heard that he had a conflict with you half a month before his death. What was the conflict about?"
While laying bricks, Wang Quan'an said, "I asked him to find a way to save Mei'er and Chuning, but he refused. Chuning had given herself to him, so he had to be responsible for her. Mei'er was Chuning's mother, so of course he should also save Mei'er."
Yan Tongshu asked again, "Why was there dried honeysuckle in the secret compartment in your bedroom?"
Wang Quan'an turned his head and stared at Yan Tongshu sinisterly. "You searched my bedroom?"
Yan Tongshu didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt for searching without permission. She explained frankly, "We went to the Wang Mansion to pay you a visit, but you weren't there. The Kaifeng Prefecture has a lot of official business to handle. We couldn't just go back empty - handed, so we had to conduct a search first."
"Humph." Wang Quan'an sneered coldly as he stared at Yan Tongshu. "What's wrong with having dried honeysuckle in my bedroom? Lord Yan, the current residence of my Wang family was allocated by the court after I became an official. At that time, I inherited both the land and the furniture. That bed belonged to the previous owner and had a built - in secret compartment. I've always used it as an ordinary drawer. Maybe I put the dried honeysuckle in there sometime and forgot about it."
"Is it really that simple?" Yan Tongshu didn't believe it.
Wang Quan'an had been overworked in recent days. His cheeks were sunken, and his skin was sallow. He looked as gloomy as a fierce ghost.
He didn't care whether Yan Tongshu believed him or not. Anyway, he had given an explanation.
Yan Tongshu then asked, "Why does the honeysuckle in the southeast corner of your study come back to life every year?"
Hearing this question, Wang Quan'an was in a daze for a moment. He looked at Gao Shengmei's tombstone, and his eyes gradually became obsessed. Then he put down the tools in his hand, walked step by step to Gao Shengmei's tombstone, and lifted his sleeve to wipe the tombstone again and again. "Mei'er, Mei'er... My Mei'er... Even that bitch Zhong Jinyin would come back to see me. Why don't you come back? I've been waiting here for so many days. Why don't you come back to see me?"
As Wang Quan'an spoke, tears fell from his eyes, and then he leaned against the tombstone motionless.
In front of the tombstone, there were apples, cherries, ducks, partridges, and some delicate pastries as tributes.
The wind was strong in the suburbs. He hadn't washed or groomed for days and nights, and his hair was scattered on his forehead and shoulders. Now it was in a complete mess in the wind.
Wang Quan'an seemed to be mentally unstable.
He was like a madman.
Yan Tongshu stared fixedly in Wang Quan'an's direction.
Was he really crazy or just pretending?
Yan Tongshu stepped forward and approached Wang Quan'an. He bent down and softly called out, "Lord Wang."
Wang Quan'an was sitting on the ground, leaning against the tombstone, motionless.
It seemed that whether he was really crazy or just pretending, he wouldn't say anything more.
Yan Tongshu stood up and looked at Zhang Jiu. "Let's go."
Zhang Jiu nodded.
When they returned to the Kaifeng Prefecture, it was already noon.
Yan Tongshu took Pearl and Jinbao to Tonghe Building for a meal.
The three of them were invited to the second - floor by the shopkeeper. Yan Tongshu ordered several dishes and sized up the people around.
Although Ning Yuan, the behind - the - scenes boss, was dead, Tonghe Building still ran in an orderly manner without being affected at all.
After waiting for a while, they watched the performance on the first floor. Then the waiter brought the dishes. "Braised pork elbow in fish flavor, sweet and sour fish, deep - fried small yellow croakers, and a vegetable soup. Enjoy your meal, gentlemen."
The three of them all stared at the shiny red braised pork elbow in fish flavor.
It was their favorite.
In no time, each of them had a piece, and the braised pork elbow was quickly finished.
Yan Tongshu hugged the glistening white rice and ate while enjoying the song and dance on the first floor.
At this time, there came a curse from the stairs on the second floor. "Why can't I go up to the second floor? What do you mean by the VIP area? I'm the second uncle of your Concubine Dantai. I'm a VIP among VIPs."
Dantai Fu pushed the waiter aside and limped up. He turned in the opposite direction from Yan Tongshu, so he didn't see Yan Tongshu.
Not long after, the shopkeeper rushed up.
Dantai Fu probably thought that since Ning Yuan was dead and Tantai Mingzhu was now the only person in charge of the restaurant, as her second uncle, he could act arrogantly. He shouted at the top of his voice. "Don't give me all that nonsense. Serve me good wine and delicious food, or I'll have Mingzhu fire you."
Pearl frowned when she heard this. "Where did this shameless guy come from? He actually claims to be related to Concubine Dantai."
Jinbao had food in his mouth and it was inconvenient to speak, so he just nodded and made a humming sound to show his agreement with Pearl.
Yan Tongshu shook his head. A gambling addict like Dantai Fu, who got arrogant as soon as he had a little power, would probably never change even if he were dead.
Yan Tongshu said, "Forget it. Ignore him. Let's just enjoy our meal."
Pearl nodded, but she was still unhappy.
She had met Tantai Mingzhu at the Xiangguo Temple. She had even fed medicine to Tantai Mingzhu with her own hands. She thought Tantai Mingzhu was a gentle and beautiful good - hearted person. Why did such a good person have such a hateful uncle?
Pearl thought of her mother.
In her memory, her mother was just like Tantai Mingzhu, a very gentle and beautiful good - hearted person who always smiled at her.
However, their family also had such a second uncle.
Not her second uncle, but her mother's. She called him Second Grandfather.
Second Grandfather was a rascal. He loved to drink and scold. He always took more than his share. Her father was timid. Every time they suffered a loss, he could only sulk, and it was her mother who had to comfort him.
Later, her father died. Second Grandfather led some people to drive her and her mother out of the house.
It was winter. They didn't even leave them a cotton - padded jacket.
If it weren't for Lady Yan, she and her mother might have died that winter.
Damn it.
Pearl cursed silently in her heart.
Fortunately, evil was rewarded with evil. Not long after Second Grandfather occupied the house and the land of the family, one day, after drinking too much, he got into a conflict with a hooligan and was beaten to death.
He deserved it.
Having such relatives, Pearl could empathize with Tantai Mingzhu and couldn't help feeling more sympathy for her.
Noticing Pearl's low mood, Yan Tongshu smiled and said, "After we finish eating, we'll each buy a pack of peanut cake. How about that?"
"Okay!"
Pearl's mood changed quickly. As soon as she heard about her favorite peanut cake, she immediately forgot those unpleasant things.
Jinbao made a humming sound in agreement.
The three of them finished their meal quickly. Yan Tongshu took Pearl and Jinbao downstairs.
When they reached the door, the shopkeeper was talking to someone.
It was a thin man. His cheeks were sunken, his lips were chapped and pale, and his clothes were dirty.
Behind the man was a woman, and the woman was holding a little girl about five years old.
Both the adults and the child were very thin. Their clothes were all in tatters, and their shoes were worn out.
"Shopkeeper." The man knelt down with a thud, and tears rolled down his face. "I'm begging you. Please take me in. I'm very capable of working. I can do anything. My wife and my daughter haven't had a proper meal for three days. My daughter has a fever. We desperately need money for her medical treatment. Please, please take me in. I'll do whatever you ask me to do."
As he spoke, he kowtowed desperately, thump, thump, thump.
Each thump was louder than the last.
Before long, blood was already flowing from his forehead.
The shopkeeper was also in a difficult position. "Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you. I posted that recruitment notice three days ago, and I found someone yesterday. I'm also working for someone else. The number of waiters in this restaurant is fixed. If I recruit you, I'll be punished by the owner."
Seeing that it was no use, the woman pulled the little girl down to kneel with her. She cried out miserably. "Shopkeeper, we'll work for you for free as long as you give us food. We don't eat much in a day. Just give us one meal a day. We guarantee that we'll work hard. Really... really, if it's not possible... you can just pick one of us to work. Just give a bowl of rice a day for Hong'er. Hong'er is sick. She really can't go without food..."
By the end, the woman was sobbing uncontrollably.
The little girl named Hong'er had a blank stare and a flushed face, obviously having a high fever.
They looked so pitiful. Yan Tongshu glanced at Pearl, and Pearl immediately took out some silver.
Just as the silver was poured out of the purse, Dantai Fu finished his meal and swaggered out, carrying a roasted chicken in his hand.
"Roast... chicken..."
The little girl was probably delirious from the fever and hungry. Her eyes were fixed on the roasted chicken, and she kept drooling.
The woman was stunned when she saw Dantai Fu. Then she pulled the man who was still kowtowing and said, "Husband, look... isn't that the eunuch..."
The man immediately looked over. As soon as he did, he was filled with rage. "Dantai Fu!"
When Dantai Fu saw the man, he panicked and his legs went weak. But he had eaten too much and was too full. When he couldn't run, he even let out a belch.
"Dantai Fu, I'll beat you to death!"
The man rushed at Dantai Fu desperately, straddled him, and punched him in the face with each blow. "You dog! You scoundrel! You brute should be cut into a thousand pieces and have your skin peeled off and your tendons pulled out."
"Ouch, ouch." Dantai Fu shouted, "Help! Help! My son is beating his father. Help—"
By now, the woman had also regained her senses. She rushed over and pounded and beat Dantai Fu. "Beat you to death. Beat you, you brute. You should go to hell. I'll beat you to death... beat you to death..."
The little girl was so delirious from the fever that she could only see the roasted chicken on the ground. She pounced on it, tore off the two drumsticks, stuffed them in her bosom, and then started to gnaw on the rest of the chicken frantically.
The scene was in complete chaos.
Jinbao rushed to find the patrolling constables of the Kaifeng Prefecture.
The innkeeper was also stunned by the situation. What on earth was going on?
"Come quickly and pull them apart!" he shouted in a hurry.
They couldn't cause a ruckus at the entrance of the restaurant. It would affect the business.
Two waiters ran out of the restaurant to pull the people apart, but the man and the woman were so furious that no one could stop them.
Just then, the Imperial Guards who were patrolling nearby heard the noise and rushed over. Only then were the three people separated.
"Thank goodness," the innkeeper said, clasping his hands together.
What a mess!
The leading Imperial Guard recognized Yan Tongshu and immediately saluted. "My lord Yan."
Yan Tongshu said seriously, "Take these people back to the Kaifeng Prefecture."
The soldier replied, "Yes."
Not long after they left, Jinbao brought the constables of the Kaifeng Prefecture. The Imperial Guards handed the people over to the constables and then left.
The soldier returned to Meng Zheng not far away.
Meng Zheng withdrew his gaze from the direction where Yan Tongshu had left and said in a deep and steady voice, "Get back in line."
The Imperial Guard replied, "Yes."
...
Back at the Kaifeng Prefecture, Yan Tongshu ordered someone to take the little girl to the backyard and find a doctor to have a look at her first. She was so feverish that if she didn't get medical treatment and take medicine soon, she might really become a fool.
After giving the order, Yan Tongshu told the constables to bring Dantai Fu, the man, and the woman to the courtroom.
In the courtroom of the Kaifeng Prefecture, the banging of the gavel resounded.
The three people knelt down in the court like quails.
Yan Tongshu sat upright on the high seat and asked in a deep voice, "What's the relationship between you three? Why did you fight in front of the Tonghe Building?"
Dantai Fu was so frightened that he curled up into a ball and didn't dare to answer.
The man kowtowed and said, "Your Excellency, I am Dantai Shang, a native of Yunzhou, and this Dantai Fu..."
He pointed at Dantai Fu and gritted his teeth. His voice squeezed out between his teeth. "...is my father."
Yan Tongshu asked, "Why did you fight?"
Dantai Shang sobbed and said, "Your Excellency, I am really full of grievances... I am from Yunzhou and am Dantai Fu's only biological son. When I was a child, Dantai Fu was lazy and fond of eating. Our family could barely make ends meet thanks to my mother working on the farmland and my uncle's support. Later, my uncle opened a restaurant with his cooking skills and my cousin's intelligence. The business got better and better, and the subsidies he gave to our family also increased. He even taught Dantai Fu cooking skills in person, but unfortunately, he had no talent and couldn't stand the smoke and heat in the kitchen, so he couldn't learn it.
There was no other way, so my uncle found someone to teach him the shoemaking trade. Although being a shoemaker seemed dirty, it was actually quite profitable, and the family gradually got better. Thanks to this, I was able to study for a few years, marry my wife Liu Yan, and live a stable life. Five years ago, when my wife gave birth to our daughter Hong'er, my uncle came to our house for the feast. Drunk, he didn't notice that the doors and windows were closed, and accidentally died of carbon monoxide poisoning. At that time, my cousin was young, and the prefectural yamen chose Dantai Fu to take charge of my cousin's family property.
Speaking of this, Dantai Shang sighed. "At that time, Dantai Fu repeatedly told the yamen that he would take good care of my cousin. Unexpectedly, after getting the money, he showed his true colors and became a devil. Two days later, he spent a lot of money to take in three courtesans from the Flower Second Floor as concubines, which made my mother so angry that she died. After that, I quarreled with him, and he drove my wife, daughter, and me out of the house. Not long after, my cousin was also married off as a concubine by him.
From then on, I cut off all relations with Dantai Fu and there was no more contact. But this Dantai Fu is really too much. He took my uncle's huge family fortune and indulged in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. In less than five years, he had squandered the whole family business. His concubines in the family were also sold by him, and he also owed a huge debt. He had no money to eat, and his leg was broken by the gambling house. When he was on the verge of death, he actually remembered me.
Dantai Shang stared at Dantai Fu with hatred. "He is old and his leg is disabled. He put on a pitiful look and cried in front of my house, asking me to support him. Since ancient times, being unfilial is one of the ten heinous crimes. The village elder mediated and asked me to take him home and give him two bowls of rice a day, just to repay the kindness of his raising me. I didn't want to go to jail and leave my wife and daughter unattended. Secondly, I remembered that although he was lazy, he had still raised me, so I took him home. But unexpectedly... unexpectedly!"
Dantai Shang was so angry that his teeth were grinding. "This guy's gambling addiction flared up again. He went to the gambling house to borrow money and even pressed my fingerprint while I was sound asleep, mortgaging all the family's fields and houses to the gambling house. He even mortgaged Hong'er to the gambling house."
Hearing this, Liu Yan's tears fell in a continuous stream. She cried and said, "This Dantai Fu caused trouble and then ran away without a trace. When the people from the gambling house came to our house, we only found out what he had done. Your Excellency—"
She wailed, "My Hong'er is only five years old! She is so young and doesn't understand anything. She was sold to the gambling house by her own grandfather. How could we bear it? The thugs in the gambling house are extremely evil people. With the help of the villagers, we fought desperately to escape and fled all the way to the capital.
On the way, our money was stolen by bandits. We were hungry and had nothing. Hong'er also had a fever, and we had no money to buy medicine. Such a little child had nothing but cold water in her stomach. But what about Dantai Fu? He was feasting in the Tonghe Building and even carrying a roasted chicken! We were so badly hurt by him, but he was eating a roasted chicken!"
Liu Yan cried loudly.
Dantai Shang shed tears and said hatefully, "Your Excellency, tell me, how could we not hate him and not want to beat him to death?"
Not to mention Tantai Shang and Liu Yan, even Pearl and Jinbao were so angry that they gritted their teeth. How could there be such a vicious person in the world who would even sell his own granddaughter?
Yan Tongshu also looked at Dantai Fu with disgust in his eyes.
Yan Tongshu asked, "Dantai Fu, do you admit what your son and daughter - in - law said?"
"This... this..." Dantai Fu's lips trembled, and his tone was timid. "It's more or less the same. But it's different. I didn't sell Hong'er. I gambled her away. The people in the casino tricked me. They said that Hong'er was a decent girl, and it was illegal to force a good - willed woman into prostitution. Even if I mortgaged Hong'er to them, it was just to sell her to a wealthy family as a maid. Later, when she saved enough money to redeem herself, she could still marry into a good family.
That... that... Our family was so poor, and Hong'er was just a girl. She wasted several bowls of rice every day for nothing. It was better to exchange her for some money. Besides, if Hong'er went to a wealthy family to be a maid, the food there would be better than at home. I was doing this for their own good!"
"How dare you talk nonsense!"
Tantai Shang rushed over and pinned Dantai Fu down, while Liu Yan pounced on him and bit his arm hard.
After hearing the confessions of these people, the yamen runners around also hated Dantai Fu very much. None of them stepped forward to stop the two at this moment.
Yan Tongshu pretended to be shocked. After Tantai Shang and Liu Yan had really vented their anger for a while, he then said as if just waking up from a dream, "Oh, Yamen runners, quickly pull them apart. I didn't react for a moment. Didn't you either?"
"Yes," the yamen runners stepped forward to pull the people apart.
