Chapter 164 (2/2)

Shangguan Yangyu seemed very interested in it and asked with his hand catching beard, ”What problem have you smelt?”

”In the past, Ning Que's economic situation wasn't decent, even a little poor. How could such a lad enjoy entertainment in House of Red Sleeves? Why would Mistress Jian appreciate him and other girls like him? What on earth did he aim to do in House of Red Sleeves? I think the problem lies in his relation established with House of Red Sleeves, when he shouldn't have any relations with it.”

Looking at the indifferent expression on the prefectural magistrate's face, Tie Ying became serious and then began stating another thing he was investigating, ”Soon after Censor Zhang Yiqi died, Huiyuantong Bank exchanged several notes totally worth two thousand and two hundred taels of silver.”

”The signature on the notes was Sangsang, Ning Que's handmaiden. How could he get so much money when he was noteless and his handwriting works were cheap at that time? Who gave him these money? And why? What things did he order Ning Que to do?”

Listening to the information, Shangguan Yangyu frowned a lot. After a long silence, he said, ”Leave other clues alone and just look into the note. Only if it is really illegal, you are allowed to go deeper.”

The dusk color s.h.i.+ned into Chang'an Local Government.

Standing beside the green tree in the courtyard, Shangguan Yangyu, whose face was supposed to be red under afterglow, looked steel-blue, which was very inharmonious with the surroundings. He looked at Tie Ying in front of him like looking at his enemy who had killed his father. His cold voice was uttered from his teeth, adding more coldness to the solemn atmosphere, ”The note was deposited by Fish-dragon Gang to Huiyuantong Bank. That is, the two thousand and two hundred taels of silver was given to Ning Que from Chao Xiaoshu. As to the reason, I suppose you can figure it out, if you haven't forgotten the bodies covering in the street beside Spring Breeze Pavilion at that night.”

”I won't forget that night,” Shangguan Yangyu said coldly, ”I could take the position of prefectural magistrate of Chang'an City because many high officials were knocked down at that night. As to the ident.i.ty of Chao Xiaoshu, I think there is no need for me to remind you. Ning Que took the two thousand and two hundred taels of silver, which meant that he worked for the court. In such case, you still want to keep investigating it?”

Tie Ying forcibly suppressed his shock and said, ”My lord, there are many doubtful points in this case. At Spring Breeze Pavilion that night, there was indeed a masked man beside Chao Xiaoshu, but I heard that he was a young master from Yuelun Kingdom. Whether the large amount of money comes from the rewards to it or from other sources, I think it should be carefully examined more.”

Shangguan Yangyu angrily roared, ”What else do you want to check? Do you know who Ning Que is? Even if you didn't know him in the past, but at present and in the future, who in Chang'an City doesn't know this figure? Evidence! If you have evidence, I will investigate deeper for his Majesty, imperial court and the common, even though it may sacrifice my official position. However, you don't have any proofs. What you own is just the h.e.l.l instinct and the sense of dog-like smell. If you insist it, don't blame me for dismissing you today!”

After being scolded by the lord's rebuke, Tie Ying lowered his head and kept silent.

Shangguan Yangyu, calming down a little, looked at him and dryly asked, ”Did you inform the Military Ministry of this case?”

Tie Ying raised his head and nervously explained, ”My lord has ordered me to investigate in a secret way, so I certainly don't dare to reveal it. I can promise that no one knows Chang'an Local Government has ever doubted Ning Que except my lord and me.”

”All right,” Shangguan Yangyu gently rubbed his lower beard and said, ”Erase the name of Ning Que and investigate another six suspects first.”

Tie Ying accepted the instructions and then left. After returning to his house and having supper, Shangguan Yangyu blankly sat in front of an oil lamp. Suddenly, he frowned and stared at the oil lamp and then unhappily asked, ”Why another three lamps are lit? Turn them off immediately!”

The wife of prefectural magistrate was tying shoes with strings on the other side of the room. When she heard her husband scolding, she confusedly raised her head and asked, ”My lord, you are a high official in the government now. Why are you in such a bad mood? Is there any trouble in your work today?”

Shangguan Yangyu wasn't attractive in appearance, even looked a little ugly. As for temperament, he was very insidious and mean. However, he received a lot of praise in dealing with his domestic affairs. He married his wife, who was also unattractive in appearance, when he was an average person. After he got quick and high promotion, he treated his wife as usual and never thought of marrying a concubine. They closely got along with each other, and even shared many private and secret things.

After telling his wife the daytime thing, Shangguan Yangyu frowned and said to himself, ”When I took the position in Chang'an Local Government back then, what I did first was summon Tie Ying to my staff from the Ministry of Penalty, because I know he is very experienced. As he says, he has a strong instinct to murder cases. If...Ning Que is really relative with the death of Zhang Yiqi, I don't know how to deal with it.”

Mrs. Shangguan slightly frowned and stopped her needlework. She poured a cup of hot tea for Shangguan Yangyu and then gently said, ”Since my lord governs the safety of Chang'an City and gets salary from the court, some cases still need to be investigated if necessary.”

”But there isn't any evidence, and...”

Shangguan Yangyu looked at his wife and sentimentally said with a sigh, ”I really don't dare to investigate. His Majesty appreciates him, and I heard that he has been admitted as a student of the Second floor of the Academy and a successor of a Divine Talisman Master. If there is no agreement from the court, how dare I investigate such a powerful figure?”

Mrs. Shangguan was shocked and said in confusion, ”How would such kind of figure be involved a murder case?”

Upon listening to the words, two bright light suddenly flashed across Shangguan Yangyu's ugly eyes. He gently patted the writing desk and said in a deep voice, ”Madam, you do make a point. How would such kind of figure do something like this?”

”It's inappropriate to adopt what a woman like me blindly suggests when my lord a.n.a.lyzes cases.”

Shocked by his reaction, Mrs. Shangguan quickly added, ”What if he was the murder?”

Looking at the hot tea in front of him, Shangguan Yangyu said in an unswerving expression, ”There will be no 'if', and it must be other people. Even if he is really the one...he isn't the right one, either.”

Seaweed mixed with golden sauce, four small dishes in a plate, s.h.i.+-take added with marinade, drunk shrimp decorated with flowers and chicken soup simmered with tonic medicine...listening to the dish names announced by an eunuch and looking at the extremely delicate dishes in the plates, Ning Que couldn't help raising his head to have a look at the pattern-carved pillars. Not until being flashed by the bright light of the bronze pillars, did he realize where he was and what he was doing.

Previously in the imperial study, his Majesty asked for some of Ning Que's handwritings for appreciating, but was refused by Ning Que who said the works were written for business. Ning Que thought it probably would infuriate his Majesty and made him punished. However, it was surprising that his Majesty didn't expel him though his Majesty was indeed a little angry. Instead, his Majesty led him to outside the imperial study and showed him around the garden. Finally, they arrived at a huge and quiet room and were served with substantial and delicate dishes.

What a proud experience for Ning Que to have supper with his Majesty of Tang in the palace! Later, that gentle and elegant Her Majesty even filled a bowl of soup for him in person, which was another great glory. Even though Ning Que had long been accustomed to the life and death and other terrible dangers, he couldn't helping becoming excited and nervous.

After taking a piece of iced bamboo shoot into his Majesty's mouth, her Majesty smilingly said, ”Since we are having a meal, I advise you not to keep mentioning how many times you have appreciated and admired the handwriting works of Bloom in the Opposite World. Otherwise, Ning Que needs to thank you and be modest, so how could he quietly enjoy the dishes?”

His Majesty was indeed in a good mood. He smilingly said as he was chewing the bamboo shoot, ”So let's just enjoy the meal.”

What the emperor said was an imperial edict. Ning Que held the gold-plated bowl with red lacquer and began enjoying food. Right now, however, he didn't have the mood and time to taste the food flavor. Instead, he just kept thinking of and a.n.a.lyzing what he saw today. Now, he knew that the relations.h.i.+p between his Majesty and her Majesty was, as it was said by many people, deeply attached to each other, but who was the owner of the empty seat in the opposite?

With gentle sound of hitting jades and light fragrance, the Fourth princess of Tang Dynasty Lee Yu, who was dressed a beautiful skirt and accompanied by palace maids and mammies, walked into the room. Ning Que, a little shocked, subconsciously looked at her face. In the past, he just thought the princess had a pair of pretty eyes. However, today he found her very beautiful and elegant with her delicate make-up and gorgeous skirt, thus he unintentionally showed a surprising expression.

Lee Yu felt even more amazed as she saw Ning Que sitting in the palace. She covered her lips with her hand and asked in surprise, ”Why are you here?”

Though she had slept for the whole day to refresh herself after returning to the palace from the Academy, she still felt a little tired now. Thus, she neither knew the heated discussion outside the court, nor Ning Que's visiting the palace.

His Majesty looked at them and asked in confusion, ”Little Yu, you knew him before?”

Lee Yu quickly calmed down and smiling explained, ”Father, we had already known each other when Ning Que escorted me back to Chang'an from the gra.s.sland last year. Last night, I went to watch the compet.i.tion for the entrance of Second floor in the Academy and he was the winner.”

Lee Yu's journey from the gra.s.sland to Chang'an was really very difficult and dangerous. Her team set off in the Golden tribe, pa.s.sed City of Wei and then survived in the violent battle at the entrance of North mountain road. His Majesty clearly knew what his daughter had suffered during the journey, but previously he didn't know that a soldier in border town named Ning Que once saved his daughter's life.”

Listening to Lee Yu's concise narration about last year's journey, his Majesty's eyes on Ning Que were different from before. It contained not only the pure appreciation, but also more sincere preference.

Lee Yu smilingly asked, ”Why father summons Ning Que today? I don't suppose it is about the Second floor of the Academy.”

”I have told you before that a piece of wonderful handwriting works suddenly appeared in the imperial study,” his Majesty looked at his daughter and happily said, ”You know what, the five words 'Bloom in the Opposite World' was actually written by Ning Que. Your ability to discover talents is always admired by all people. However, you fail to discover Ning Que's talent even if you are acquainted with him. From this point of view, their words can't be trusted all.”

”How could I have such kind of ability? I just want to look for talented people everywhere for father and the court.”

Under the service of maids, Lee Yu slightly pulled her skirt hemline aside and slowly sat by the desk. She looked at Ning Que opposite her and said in a seemingly smiling way, ”I know Ning Que has a gift in handwriting, but I truly have no idea he is so excellent in it. However, in my view, what he is good at most is pretend to be weak and deeply hide his actual ability, which can be equivalent to a fake pig eating a tiger. I don't know where he learns such a boring style.”

There were some deep meanings of Lee Yu's words, but Ning Que failed to figure out a suitable way to respond. Thus, he just pretended to miss the information and kept enjoying his dishes. Now that he was said to be a fake pig, he certainly would try his best to play the role well. However, he didn't find the palace banquet dignified and serious at all, when he heard the laughter of his Majesty and her Majesty and saw Lee Yu's look which made fun of him from time to time. Instead, it was more like a supper in an ordinary family. Of course, there weren't ordinary leeks and pancakes in this banquet, but the seemingly delicate dishes didn't satisfy Ning Que's appet.i.te, even for a pig's.

Fiddling with the tasteless marinade s.h.i.+-take with his chopsticks, Ning Que doubted that whether the palace cooks actually got false qualifications for cooking. Later, he began deeply missing the leftovers at the Old Brush Pen Shop in Lin 47th Street, even missing that pot of chicken soup at home which had turned sour.

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