Holy Bone

Chapter 2038 Old Friend from the Corpse Painting Cave, Former Grand Secretary Xun
Last night, the whereabouts of Emperor Kangheng's daughter were found.

I never expected this.

It turns out that Young Master Yiyun is Emperor Kangheng's only daughter.

Therefore, the safety of Emperor Kangheng's daughter has always been a major concern for Jin'an.

He spent the entire night contemplating the future of Emperor Kangheng's daughter, and the case of Emperor Kangheng's family had become a major concern for him.

Just as the Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue said, no one expected that Young Master Yiyun was actually Emperor Kangheng's daughter, and that she would be involved in the first major case more than a decade ago.

Since this matter involves Young Master Yiyun, Jin'an cannot simply sit idly by and do as he pleases.

With a heavy heart, he decided to go to Scholar Xun's house first in order to resolve his worries as soon as possible.

As an elderly person, I don't have the habit of staying up late. At this time, I suppose I've already gotten up, so it's not like I'm disturbing Scholar Xun.

Scholar Xun was not a poor scholar, but a member of a prominent family in the capital. His family had been officials for generations, and Scholar Xun was not the first to become an official. Therefore, the Xun family had a considerable reputation in the capital.

When the Bixie carriage arrived at Scholar Xun's house, Jin An had not yet dismounted when he heard a loud commotion. The noise was quite loud, and the argument was quite intense.

Curious, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw several carriages parked in front of the Xun residence, and then a large group of eunuchs surrounded the Xun residence, trying to get in.

However, they were all stopped at the gate by the steward of the Xun family.

No one is allowed in.

"My lords, my master is still sleeping and hasn't gotten up yet. Please leave."

"If you need anything from our master, you can leave a note, and I will show it to him when he wakes up."

"Or if you have anything to convey, you can tell me, and I will pass on your message later."

The steward, accompanied by several servants, blocked the gate completely, preventing anyone from entering, as if Scholar Xun were truly asleep and had not yet gotten up.

"I have come to see Scholar Xun more than once, twice already. Steward, you always use this excuse to fob me off. Every time I go back, you disappear without a trace. This time, I must see Scholar Xun no matter what."

"It's alright if Scholar Xun is sleeping. I can wait until he wakes up before disturbing him. I've come to the Xun residence with His Majesty's decree and I must see Scholar Xun to convey His Majesty's message in person."

As the eunuch finished speaking, he raised his voice a few decibels and said with a hint of threat, "I have come to the Xun residence with the Emperor's decree. Are you going to disobey the decree? Can't even the Xun residence be entered with the Emperor's decree?"

"what?"

Jin An let out a soft "Eh".

He felt that the eunuch's voice sounded familiar, and after searching carefully, he actually found the emperor's personal attendant among the group of eunuchs.

That is, the eunuch who often sought him out to issue imperial edicts.

Just as Jin An spotted the eunuch, the eunuch also spotted Jin An. After all, it would be difficult to hide such a high-profile and grand carriage.

The eunuch was eager to pay his respects to Scholar Xun and convey the imperial decree. When he saw Jin An, he merely nodded slightly and greeted him before continuing his conversation with the steward of the Xun residence. He insisted on paying his respects to Scholar Xun today.

However, the steward of the Xun family still refused to allow the eunuchs to enter the residence.

However, the steward's tone was not as firm as before, perhaps because defying the imperial edict had indeed had an effect.

Finally, the steward of the Xun family had no choice but to accept the offer. Seeing that he could not refuse the other party this time, and that the other party insisted on staying to pay his respects to Scholar Xun, the steward of the Xun family said with a troubled expression, "Then I will go and ask the master if he has woken up yet."

"Thank you, Steward." As expected of an eunuch serving the emperor, he discreetly slipped a money pouch into the Xun household, hoping to win over the Xun family with money and make it easier for them to let him into the residence to do business.

The steward of the Xun family also accepted the money bag discreetly.

Then, before entering the mansion to inform the master, the steward of the Xun family glanced at Jin'an's Bixie carriage and said, "Is this the commander of the Criminal Investigation Department, Lord Shenwu?"

Jin An did not respond. Instead, Fatty Li clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "It is indeed the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department who has come to the Xun residence."

"I hope the steward can help inform them that my master is investigating a case and needs to go to the Xun residence to see Scholar Xun to learn some details of the case. I hope Scholar Xun can meet with my master in his busy schedule."

Fatty Li spoke very politely and did not use harsh words against others due to his professional habits.

The steward of the Xun family glanced at the Bixie carriage, clasped his hands and said, "Then you and these gentlemen wait outside for a while. I will go in and inform them whether the master has woken up yet."

Fatty Li said, "Thank you."

Then, the steward of the Xun family left the servants to continue guarding the gates, and went into the mansion alone to report the situation.

The eunuch beside the emperor was bored and had nothing to do, so he went to the carriage of the Bixie to chat with Jin An in order to pass the time.

The emperor's eunuch asked curiously, "Marquis Shenwu, what case is your Criminal Investigation Department investigating this time? How come Scholar Xun is involved as well?"

Jin An did not get off the carriage, but remained inside and replied casually, "It's not a major case, just some old cases. Only the older generation knows the inside story, so I just asked Scholar Xun a few questions."

The emperor's eunuch's eyes flickered slightly, and after a soft exclamation, he said, "Oh? I wonder what kind of old case it is. Perhaps I can be of some help to Marquis Shenwu."

"After all, I am about the same age as Scholar Xun. If Scholar Xun knows, perhaps I can know too."

Jin An smiled politely and said, "Some cases involve confidentiality. After I have investigated the cases, I will have someone make a detailed handwritten copy of the case files for you, Your Excellency."

The emperor's eunuch feigned displeasure and said, "I have a certain degree of friendship with Marquis Shenwu. For Marquis Shenwu to say such things today is to treat me as an outsider and to show that he does not trust me at all."

Jin An smiled and said, "The case requires confidentiality, so I hope Your Excellency will understand."

Then, changing the subject, he brought up another matter, saying, "The eunuch came to the Xun residence today to pay his respects to Scholar Xun, and said that he came with an imperial decree from Emperor Kangzhao. Could it be for Emperor Kangzhao's ancestral worship ceremony?"

The emperor's eunuch gave a thumbs up and made a small compliment, saying, "Marquis Shenwu is indeed quick to solve cases. He guessed my purpose at a glance. Unlike Marquis Shenwu, whose purpose I can't figure out. The difference between people is so huge. It's really embarrassing for me to face people."

Then he sighed and said, "His Majesty has always valued Scholar Xun's abilities. As a former Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, Scholar Xun is erudite, upright, and enjoys a great reputation in the court and among the people. Therefore, His Majesty hopes to invite Scholar Xun to participate in this ancestral worship ceremony."

"But every time I come to the Xun residence, I either arrive too early, before Scholar Xun has gotten up, or I arrive too late, before Scholar Xun has gone to bed. I have never been able to see Scholar Xun."

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by Marquis Shenwu, but His Majesty has reprimanded me several times for this, saying that I can't even handle such a small matter. So His Majesty personally issued an imperial decree, hoping that after receiving His Majesty's decree, I can personally meet Scholar Xun this time and invite Scholar Xun to participate in this ancestral worship ceremony."

The emperor's eunuch, his eyes darting around, said, "If I do indeed get to see Scholar Xun later, I hope Marquis Shenwu will put in a good word for me. I will be eternally grateful." It seems Emperor Kangzhao highly values ​​Scholar Xun's good reputation in the court and among the people, and wants to use Scholar Xun's name to gain widespread praise and acclaim, ensuring the ancestral worship ceremony is a true success, well-deserved, and that he will enjoy the blessings of incense for a thousand years…

Jin'an kept this conjecture to himself and did not voice it to anyone.

When asked for help by the emperor's eunuch, he gave only vague answers, neither refusing nor agreeing.

The fact that the emperor's eunuchs could never see Scholar Xun whenever they came to the Xun residence, and that they would all die without ever getting sick, reveals a lot about the situation.

This clearly shows that Scholar Xun did not want to participate in Emperor Kangzhao's ancestral worship ceremony and did not want to contribute to Emperor Kangzhao's reputation for a prosperous era.

Among them, perhaps because of Emperor Kang Heng, Emperor Kang Heng died and Emperor Kang Zhao succeeded to the throne, there is suspicion that he took the opportunity to seize Emperor Kang Heng's foundation;

Or perhaps it was because Emperor Kangzhao's attitude towards handling all affairs of the world did not meet the requirements of Xunzi as a wise ruler.

In short, since Scholar Xun does not wish to participate in the ancestral worship ceremony, Jin'an will not force him to participate; everything will be based on Scholar Xun's personal opinion.

Next, the emperor's eunuch introduced Scholar Xun to Jin'an, hoping that Jin'an could help him persuade Scholar Xun later...

……

Inside the Xun residence.

After entering the residence, the steward of the Xun family passed through flower gardens, waterside pavilions, and terraces, and then through several small flower gardens before finally arriving at the main hall of the Xun family residence.

Outside the main hall, in the flower garden courtyard, Scholar Xun, full of energy, had gotten up early and was pruning and tending to several flowerbeds.

"You're back! Quickly, help me see how I pruned this ginkgo tree. Are the branches and crown messy?" When Scholar Xun saw the steward coming, he hurriedly beckoned for the steward to come and appreciate his work.

"Master, be careful! This ginkgo tree is so tall. You can easily delegate this kind of work to your subordinates in the future. Just tell them how to trim it," the steward hurriedly ran to the ginkgo tree, holding onto the wooden ladder and calling out anxiously.

Scholar Xun laughed and said, "Your master is in good health. How could I possibly live another thirty or forty years? This little difficulty is no challenge for me."

The steward anxiously advised, "Sir, you should be careful."

Hahaha.

Scholar Xun laughed loudly.

After laughing a few times, Scholar Xun continued pruning the branches while asking, "Have the palace eunuchs gone back?"

The steward answered in a low voice, "No."

"Hmm?" Scholar Xun paused slightly, frowning as he examined the branches before him. It was unclear whether he disliked the steward's answer or the ginkgo tree branches themselves.

The steward answered honestly, "Master, that eunuch has come with a purpose today. He said he came to the residence with His Majesty's decree. I dare not refuse too much, for fear of being accused of disobeying the decree and causing you unnecessary trouble."

"Oh, right, that eunuch handed me a money pouch again today, just like he always does."

The steward took out his money pouch, looked up at Scholar Xun on the ladder, and said, "Master, what do you think we should do? Should we see the eunuch today? After all, he came with His Majesty's decree. It might be difficult to refuse him this time. It wouldn't be good if we were to be accused of disobeying the imperial decree..."

Click!

Scholar Xun plucked away the thick branch in front of him and said, "The money pouch is still the same as before. Since it's a reward for you, just accept it."

"As for His Majesty's decree, ignore it. Just say that I caught a cold last night and am unable to see anyone. Just pass the decree on to me."

"Hmph, if I were truly afraid of Emperor Kangzhao's decree, I would have agreed long ago when he asked me to serve him as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet more than a decade ago. I wouldn't have refused outright."

When Scholar Xun spoke these words, his demeanor suddenly changed. The golden sunlight of the morning shone through the layers of ginkgo leaves, illuminating him. A unique spiritual energy emanated from him, as if he were no longer a mortal, but the spirit of the God of Literature descended to earth. The air of someone who could rule the world was involuntarily revealed between his brows.

"This……"

The steward hesitated for a moment, but when he looked up and saw the aura of a literary star emanating from the master, all his worries disappeared, and even the expression on his face became much calmer. This is the great influence of temperament on a person.

"Yes, sir."

Then the steward added, "By the way, sir, not only did the emperor's eunuch come to the Xun residence today to request an audience with you, but there was another person who also came to the Xun residence wanting to see you..."

"It's the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department, Lord Shenwu. He says there's a case he needs to discuss with you to understand some details... Master, would you like to see the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department?"

"not see……"

Just as Scholar Xun finished speaking, his cutting motion abruptly stopped. He looked down sharply at the steward and said, "You just said someone else came? Marquis Shenwu?"

The steward nodded and said, "Yes, the Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department, Marquis Shenwu."

To everyone's surprise, just as the steward nodded, Scholar Xun leaped down from the ladder, landing steadily and powerfully. He laughed heartily and said, "Marquis Shenwu has finally remembered his old friend!"

"See him! See him! See him! We must see Marquis Shenwu!"

The steward suggested in a low voice, "Sir, since you've already met with the Marquis of Shenwu, why don't you also meet with the Emperor's eunuchs? It's all the same anyway..."

Scholar Xun frowned, then immediately relaxed his gaze, waving his hand and saying, "Never mind, let's see the eunuchs too."

"This can be considered as giving Emperor Kangzhao some face. My Xun family will continue to live peacefully in Kangding Kingdom."

"Yes, sir, I'll go and bring Marquis Shenwu and the eunuch to see you right away." After saying that, the steward hurriedly left.

……

"Master Jin'an, His Majesty has sent people to see Scholar Xun several times, but they haven't been able to see him. I think it will be difficult for us to see Scholar Xun this time either," Fatty Li, sitting in the coachman's seat of the Bixie carriage outside the Xun residence, said in a low voice.

“That’s not necessarily true. After all, we’re not from the palace. Even if Scholar Xun dislikes the government, he can’t dislike us,” Jin An said with a light laugh.

Just as the two were talking, the steward hurriedly ran to the entrance of the Xun residence, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said with delight, "What a coincidence, everyone! My master woke up early this morning and has already agreed to see you."

"Marquis Shenwu, eunuch, please."

"Huh?" Fatty Li looked bewildered.

"Hahaha, I told you we're different from others." Jin An laughed as he stepped down from the Bixie carriage.