Chapter 1 The Double Corpse in the Flower Bed
Two months later.
Jincheng welcomed the first snow of the twenty-eighth year of Anhe.
The snow, like goose feathers, draped the entire Prince Xian’s manor. Suddenly, a figure strode through the snow, leaving two clear footprints.
"Young Master! Young Master!" Lin Jin, holding a letter, rushed into the study.
Lu Wuxie was toasting himself by the fire, a copper basin beside him. The charcoal fire burned steadily, and he had his eyes closed, as if lost in thought.
Hearing someone call him from outside, he opened his eyes a slit. Lin Jin had already handed the letter to him.
"Where is it from?" Ever since he was acquitted in the Huanxi Building case, both the Emperor and the old Prince of the manor knew they had wronged him. While they used to impose many restrictions on his daily life, they now felt guilty and had become somewhat lenient. Since it started snowing in Jincheng, he had been like a hibernating insect, staying in the study to warm himself and not coming out.
"It's a letter from Jinzhou," Lin Jin replied.
Jinzhou?
Lu Wuxie furrowed his brows and sat up slightly, taking the letter from his hand and opening it to examine it. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
After he had read the entire content, the casual demeanor that had been on his face completely vanished.
He put away the letter and stared blankly at the falling snow outside the window for a long time. Finally, he spoke, "Lin Jin, what day is it today?"
Although Lin Jin was surprised by his master's question, he still replied respectfully, "Replying to my master, it's less than a month until Laba."
"So soon," Lu Wuxie murmured to himself. He casually put the letter into his sleeve and said, "Notify the men below to prepare travel expenses, provisions, and select a few capable subordinates. We are preparing to go to Jinzhou."
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Two days later, the snow melted.
Zhong Li, wearing a fine padded jacket and holding a letter token, stood at the entrance of the Dali Temple. Yesterday, an urgent report arrived from Jinzhou: two highly decomposed male corpses were found in an old house in Jinzhou. As the Jinzhou prefectural office lacked experienced coroners and no further clues were found in the house, Prefect Ren Zhong, fearing delays in the investigation, requested assistance from the Dali Temple to quickly solve the case.
With only a few months left until the New Year, Jincheng's security measures were particularly stringent. Lan Heng was overwhelmed, so this case naturally fell upon her.
She tightened the pack on her body, took out a string of copper coins from her pocket, and looked at the carriage parked not far away at the post station. A trip from Jincheng to Jinzhou required this string of coins, and the round trip would be two strings. The money would definitely be reimbursed by the Dali Temple, but in Zhong Li's opinion, this trip was indeed a bit extravagant. If she could save some money, she could use it to buy information from Feiyuan Pavilion...
Thinking of this, Zhong Li’s gaze fell on the old cart used for hauling goods in the corner of the post station. It looked a bit dirty, but if she was careful along the way and calculated the travel time, she could still arrive in Jinzhou on time.
Zhong Li divided the string of coins into half a string, flicked them in her hand, and hurried towards the old cart.
After some bargaining, she successfully sat in the cart, braving the fierce wind, and swaying as she prepared to leave Jincheng.
"What are you doing?" As the cart just drove out of Wenchang Street, another carriage sped over from beside her. Before Zhong Li could get a clear look, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a familiar voice sounded by her ear.
Zhong Li looked back and saw Lu Wuxie leisurely sipping red tea with a cup in his hand. A faint, warm tea aroma wafted into her nostrils, and she instantly felt the surroundings become even colder.
Lu Wuxie didn't wait for her reply, his gaze landing on her official uniform. "What, on official duty? Is this how Lan Heng treats you?"
"No," Zhong Li reacted at this moment and quickly shook her head. "The Dali Temple has provided ample travel expenses. I need to save some money."
"Get in!" Lu Wuxie signaled the coachman, and as the carriage stopped, he lifted the curtain and said to her.
"Does Young Master know where I'm going?" Zhong Li asked with a look of surprise.
"Where are you going? Wherever you go, I'll send you there," Lu Wuxie didn't give her time to consider. He personally jumped off the carriage, casually threw half a string of money to the old man driving the cart to send him back, grabbed Zhong Li's hand, and pulled her onto the carriage.
At first, Zhong Li wanted to refuse, as it would take three to four days to reach Jinzhou.
When she heard Lu Wuxie casually say, "This Young Master is also going to Jinzhou," she finally compromised and got into the carriage.
Admittedly, Lu Wuxie was someone who knew how to enjoy himself. The carriage was equipped with charcoal fire, red tea, and snacks. He even had small picture books sold along the street to pass the time.
"How did Young Master know I was going to Jinzhou?" Zhong Li asked, voicing her doubts as soon as she got in.
Lu Wuxie handed her a cup of warming red tea, his gaze sweeping over her fingertips that had turned red from the cold. He opened a small cabinet, placed a pre-warmed foot warmer on her lap, and then said, "Yesterday morning, the Jinzhou prefect sent a letter to the Dali Temple. Seeing you like this today, I guessed it."
Zhong Li nodded upon hearing this. How could she forget that Lu Wuxie was part of the Judicial Inspection Office, and he could obtain information about cases from various regions?
Lu Wuxie saw that she had already placed the foot warmer in her lap to warm herself, and his gaze showed some relief. He said, "You said just now that you wanted to save money? Save money for what?"
"Feiyuan Pavilion." Zhong Li’s face fell with worry at the mention of money. She had lost her life scrambling for money in her previous life, and after transmigrating, she was still scrambling for money. "I want to buy information from Feiyuan Pavilion."
As she spoke, her eyes held a hint of depth.
Lu Wuxie did not expect Zhong Li to give him such an answer. He lowered his gaze, looking at the handsome face in the teacup, and felt an impulse to slap the person inside.
"Why is Young Master going to Jinzhou?" Zhong Li asked after finishing the red tea in front of her, feeling much warmer.
Lu Wuxie tightened the sleeve warmer in his hand and said, "My grandfather sent a letter, hoping I would go and see him."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li recalled the Xie family's affairs from decades ago. After the Emperor quelled the internal conflict in the eighth year of Anhe, the Xie family was ostracized by the court. Xie Xu, then Minister of Works, resolutely resigned from his first-rank official position and moved back to Jinzhou with his family.
Even when Xie Yunxia had an accident, the Xie family only sent Xie Yunxi to offer condolences, and Xie Xu never appeared. Now that so much time had passed and the Xie family had cut ties with Jincheng, why would Xie Xu suddenly seek out Lu Wuxie, his grandson?
Lu Wuxie glanced at Zhong Li indifferently, as if sensing her doubts.
He lazily stirred the brazier in front of him, increasing the temperature inside the carriage, and then said, "Laba is my birth mother's birthday. He probably wants to see me because he misses my mother!"
Zhong Li heard this and thought of Xie Yunxi, who was still at Prince Xian's manor. She knew this was Lu Wuxie's perfunctory excuse. If Xie Xu truly cared about Xie Yunxia, he wouldn't have sent Xie Yunxi to Prince Xian's manor.
Since he didn't want to say it, there must be some unspeakable reason.
"Oh, right!"
After a long while, Lu Wuxie broke the silence and asked, "How was the autopsy of Wei Fu's body?"
Note: Letter token: similar to a modern letter of introduction.