Chapter 219: Chapter 98: Gift_3
The Lord Marshal accompanied him to Mount Wangchun, facing such a suspicious situation without any indication of his intentions. Shen Fengying tried to probe several times but couldn’t figure out his purpose, only having to stiffen his resolve and continue the investigation. Fortunately, the case couldn’t conclude with the conviction of anyone from the Palace Front Office’s Imperial Guards based solely on a pouch, so the case was temporarily suspended.
When he returned to the Patrol House, his superior berated him as soon as he arrived. Indeed, all that foolish commotion for no gain, not to mention promotion, and having offended the Palace Front Office, it was a wonder his superior didn’t take his anger out on him.
It had not been easy for Shen Fengying to gradually calm down over these days, but at the sight of the female doctor, his feeling of grievance surged once again.
He cleared his throat, pushed through the crowd, and approached the others, "What is going on here?"
"I am Doctor Lu Tong from Renxin Medical Hall." The female doctor said, "Tonight, someone broke into my medical hall and attempted murder but was subdued. As it concerns a life, I brought the assailant directly to you."
Shen Fengying’s heart skipped a beat.
The man on the ground, bound with ropes and dressed in night attire, remained silent at her words, his eyes fierce. He clearly was no good sort.
Shen Fengying walked around the man, looking at Lu Tong with suspicion, "Why isn’t he moving?"
The man didn’t even attempt to struggle, looking completely resigned to his fate.
"Fearing he might harm himself, I gave him some paralytic powder from the medical hall, leaving his limbs weak to facilitate your interrogation."
It sounded reasonable, but because of the previous blunder with the pig-headed case, Shen Fengying was cautious about taking Lu Tong’s word for it and didn’t dare to make a rash judgment. After pondering for a moment, he signaled to the Pawn Shop Soldiers, "Bring him inside."
The Pawn Shop Soldiers escorted the man on the ground into the Patrol House.
Late at night, there weren’t many people in the Patrol House as most of the soldiers were out on patrol. Shengjing was mostly peaceful, and apart from the occasional fire, the soldiers only occasionally caught a thief.
Shen Fengying entered the room and, turning around, saw the man following by Lu Tong’s side. The man was tall, in grey guard’s attire, his demeanor not that of an ordinary guard. He glanced at the man on the ground and then at the guard, asking cautiously, "Are you the one who subdued the assailant?"
The man nodded.
Shen Fengying sat down on the central chair and turned to Lu Tong, "Now, tell me what happened tonight."
Lu Tong replied, "After the medical hall closed today, my maidservant and I were resting in our room when suddenly, we heard someone knocking at the door. When I got up to open it, this man tried to attack me with a knife. Thankfully, this brave man stepped forward, caught the thief, and saved my life..."
"Hold on," Shen Fengying frowned, giving the guard another look, "It’s so late, how come this brave man happened to be here and just in time to save you?"
After speaking, he gave Lu Tong a disdainful glance; such a late hour, a man and a woman alone together, could they be up to any good?
Hearing this, the guard said, "I am Qingfeng, the commander of Lord Pei’s personal guards from the Palace Front Office. Today, Doctor Lu visited Prince Wen’s Mansion, and she left her medical box behind. The Princess Consort ordered me to return it, and just as I arrived at the medical hall, I happened to witness the criminal act."
At that, Shen Fengying sprang up as if his butt was on fire, his words coming out all flustered, "Prince’s, Prince’s Mansion? What was Doctor Lu doing at the Prince’s Mansion?"
Lu Tong answered in a mild voice, "The Princess Consort and I have formed a friendly bond; she specially invited me to participate in the young miss’s ’Baby Washing Ceremony’."
Shen Fengying felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
The last time he saw this female doctor, she was at odds with Pei Yunmeng, full of hostility. How did she become a guest of honor at the Prince’s Mansion in just over a month?
How did she manage to climb her way up to the Prince’s Mansion, advancing even faster than him, the head of the Patrol House?
Suppressing the sourness and jealousy in his heart, Shen Fengying moved toward the man on the floor and kicked him, demanding, "Speak! Who are you, and why did you try to assassinate Doctor Lu?"
The Patrol House rarely dealt with serious cases, so Shen Fengying’s interrogation technique was quite awkward, evident to both Lu Tong and Qingfeng.
A soldier at his side suggested, "Lord, why not hand it over to the Department of Criminal & Justice?"
"Hand over what, you know nothing!" Shen Fengying scolded, yet inwardly he was cautiously considering that the matter didn’t seem so simple. Lu Tong was just an ordinary female doctor; the criminal wouldn’t try to kill her for money, but to claim revenge seemed unlikely, as what sort of grudge could a doctor harbor?
With the lesson from the previous mistake in mind, Shen Fengying was particularly cautious with every case that came to him, fearing he might make a fool of himself again.
While he was deep in thought, suddenly the noise of the soldiers outside became loud. Shen Fengying, impatient, looked up, "What’s the commotion? Don’t disturb my thoughts."