Holy Bone

Chapter 2039 The uproar caused by the Jin'an comic book in the imperial court
The Xun family mansion occupies a vast area.

Jin An and Fatty Li wandered around inside, passing through several walls, two lakeside courtyards, and three flower gardens before finally arriving at the main hall of the Xun residence.

"The Xun family can be considered a historically renowned aristocratic family, with generations of ancestors serving as officials in the imperial court, thus accumulating a vast network of connections and wealth..."

Li Pangzi feared that Jin An was new to the capital and not yet familiar with the grand history of the Xun family, so he secretly told Jin An about the background of the Xun family.

"Ah."

Jin An simply responded with a single word and did not reply further.

Since he had already seen Scholar Xun in the main hall, it was not appropriate to discuss the Xun family's affairs too much here.

"Scholar Xun, you are a very busy man. I have come to the Xun residence no less than four or five times, but each time I have failed to meet you and returned empty-handed."

"It doesn't matter if I can't see Scholar Xun. The key is that His Majesty always sends me to the Xun residence to meet Scholar Xun. If I can't see Scholar Xun and return to the palace empty-handed, I will get a scolding from His Majesty."

"Scholar Xun, look at me, I've lost a lot of weight lately. It's all because I've been thinking about you day and night, and I'm lovesick."

Upon seeing Scholar Xun waiting in the main hall, the emperor's eunuch immediately stepped forward and launched into a tirade of complaints and grievances.

After complaining for a while, the emperor's eunuch did not forget to praise him, saying, "However, from the moment I met Scholar Xun, I felt that all the suffering I had endured was worth it."

"As a former Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Scholar Xun was a literary star descended to earth. It's normal that he was so busy every day that he neglected his daily care."

"In short, after waiting for so long, I have finally met Scholar Xun. Today is definitely an auspicious day for me. I will definitely burn incense and pray for blessings when I get back. Hahaha."

"Lord Ding, your words make me feel ashamed. You are flattering me too much."

Scholar Xun clasped his hands and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, Lord Ding, I caught a cold these past few days, so I feel extremely tired every day, yawning constantly, and my glasses are constantly being polished. I feel like I can't get enough sleep every day."

"I am truly sorry for causing Lord Ding so much trouble these past few days. I am so sorry."

Wearing an overcoat, Scholar Xun apologized three times to express his remorse.

It turns out that this imperial eunuch's surname was Ding.

Upon hearing that Scholar Xun was ill, Lord Ding quickly stepped forward to support him and said with concern, "Scholar Xun, you have caught a cold. Are you feeling better? Colds are hard to cure, and if not handled properly, they can worsen. So, when I get back, I will order the imperial physician to personally examine Scholar Xun and prescribe some medicine. I hope Scholar Xun can recover soon."

"Scholar Xun is a learned and talented man of great learning in Kangding, and an important pillar of Kangding. Your good health is the good health of Kangding."

"Of course, Scholar Xun is a talent that His Majesty has always cherished. I have invited the imperial physicians to examine and prescribe medicine for Scholar Xun, and His Majesty will certainly not refuse."

The last sentence is the key point.

The eunuch Ding casually mentioned Emperor Kangzhao to show his respect for Scholar Xun.

Emperor Kangzhao summoned him to the Xun residence several times, hoping to persuade the Xun family, a prominent aristocratic clan, to participate in the ancestral worship ceremony and add further glory to Emperor Kangzhao's honor.

Scholar Xun smiled and said politely, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Ding. I just had a minor cold, and after a few days of seeing a doctor and taking medicine, I'm much better. The doctor said that with a few more days of recuperation, I'll be fully recovered."

Then he gestured for everyone to sit down and instructed the servants to serve tea and snacks.

"Lord Ding, Marquis Shenwu, please take a seat. It makes it seem as if the Xun family is not hospitable for you to stand and talk in my residence. Please sit down."

"Someone, serve tea to our guests."

Scholar Xun politely clasped his hands in greeting.

Then, Jin'an and the emperor's eunuch sat on either side of the main hall, one on the left and one on the right.

Scholar Xun sat high in the hall, then smiled and looked at Jin An, saying, "Marquis Shenwu is indeed dignified and extraordinary. I have heard of Marquis Shenwu's name more than once in the capital. Today I am finally fortunate enough to see Marquis Shenwu in person."

"In particular, I have read and read several comic books, such as 'The Legend of Marquis Shenwu in Jiangzhou: The Case of Framing After Closing the Coffin,' 'The Case of Marquis Shenwu: The Case of Eating People and Picking Up Bones,' and 'The Case of Marquis Shenwu: The Case of Tomb Robbery at Ghost Moth Mountain.' I have read them over and over again. Every time I read them, I feel very satisfied. This is how a case should be solved. The gods are brave and valiant, black and white are clearly distinguished, and justice is served."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Scholar Xun smiled and said "good" three times, then gave Jin An a thumbs-up in praise.

As for whether those three "good"s were praising Jin An's heroic performance in the Corpse Painting Cave in the underworld, or praising his valiant performance in solving cases one after another in the mortal world, only heaven, earth, and he know.

Upon hearing Scholar Xun mention his illegally reprinted comic books, Jin An smiled wryly and said, "Scholar Xun, please stop making fun of me with these comic books. Everyone knows that those comic books are privately printed and not officially recognized. They are all based on hearsay and exaggeration, and no one can tell how much is true and how much is false."

Scholar Xun blinked and said with a smile, "But why do I feel that these cases are all well-reasoned and based on evidence, and they all seem to be true?"

"There are very few works in this world that can catch my eye, which shows that these comic books are authentic."

At this moment, even the emperor's eunuch joined in the conversation with great interest, letting out a soft "Oh? I've read these comic books too."

"Of course, please don't misunderstand, I didn't knowingly break the law by deliberately buying these illegally printed comic books. Actually, some time ago, when the government in the capital was conducting a large-scale crackdown and destruction of these comic books, I happened to glance at them a few times..."

"Ahem, it was just a few glances, just a few glances."

"However, to be fair, I also think that Scholar Xun's words make some sense. Those cases don't seem to be made up randomly. Each case has a reason and evidence and is worth examining."

"Take the two comic books, 'The Case of Marquis Shenwu's Cannibalism and Bone Collection' and 'The Case of Marquis Shenwu's Tomb Robbery at Ghost Moth Mountain,' for example. Both cases took place in the capital, and many details, big and small, could not be concealed. They are all based on verifiable facts. In any case, with my connections in several government offices, many details of these two cases match many details that I have heard in the government offices."

Upon hearing the emperor's eunuch's words, Scholar Xun slapped his thigh and laughed, saying, "Marquis Shenwu, look! This shows that the eyes of the people are discerning."

"I am most interested in solving cases. Why don't you tell me more about the details of your Criminal Investigation Department's case-solving process? This will broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge, so that if I encounter a similar case in the future, I can be prepared and take proactive precautions."

When the steward of the Xun family saw his master's exaggerated movements and behavior when facing Jin An, he couldn't help but show a look of surprise and astonishment.

My master comes from a noble family and grew up in a prestigious clan. He has seen all kinds of grand occasions, so he has always been unusually calm. He can always deal with things calmly and rationally, and he never acts wildly or swaggered.

Even when Emperor Kangzhao summoned him to court several times to return to officialdom, he remained calm and composed, showing no great joy or sorrow. Unlike now.

In front of Jin An, he laughed loudly, slapped his thigh with exaggerated movements, and talked at length, a behavior completely different from his usual demeanor.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's an ordinary person.

It no longer resembles the ethereal and spiritual figure of the legendary God of Literature, who is widely believed to have descended to earth.

Not only was the steward of the Xun family muttering to himself, but even the imperial eunuch sitting opposite him had a slightly somber expression. Today, he was supposed to convey Emperor Kangzhao's decree, hoping to persuade Scholar Xun to participate in the ancestral worship ceremony held by Emperor Kangzhao, so as to add to Emperor Kangzhao's lasting glory.

However, after seeing him and Jin An, Scholar Xun kept talking to Jin An and showed great interest in him, which displeased him.

If Scholar Xun's interest is all in Jin'an, how can he proceed with Emperor Kangzhao's invitation to Scholar Xun to participate in the ancestral worship ceremony? Wouldn't he have to return empty-handed again today?

To ensure the success of today's event, the imperial eunuch deliberately tarnished Jin'an's reputation, aiming to drastically change Scholar Xun's opinion of Jin'an. He said in a nonchalant tone, "I've heard that the records of Marquis Shenwu's investigations include not only these few comic books, but also several other unique ones..."

"Oh? Unique?"

"What kind of comic book is it?"

"Lord Ding, please tell me quickly about the many strange cases solved by Marquis Shenwu. It has long piqued my interest. Let me see if I have read these comic books."

Scholar Xun, intrigued by the words of the emperor's eunuch, urged him on with great interest.

Ha ha.

The emperor's eunuch held up a finger, counting each comic book he read aloud. He spoke casually, but with a chillingly menacing tone: "For example, 'The Taoist Priest of Jin'an Solves the Mystery of the Hundred Beautiful Ladies' Painting,' 'The Taoist Priest of Jin'an Fights the Seven Headless Rain Fairy Sisters,' 'The Taoist Priest of Jin'an Reads the Spring and Autumn Annals While Riding a Peacock…'"

"These comic books are not about cases in the capital, but about cases involving Marquis Shenwu in Wuzhou Prefecture and Jiangzhou Prefecture. Moreover, these cases have one thing in common: all the criminals in them are women, and they are all about the love-hate entanglements between Marquis Shenwu and female criminals."

Scholar Xun frowned and said, "I have roughly flipped through these comic books. They are indeed about low-class female prisoners. The pictures are really unbearable to look at and should not be read."

It's not just unbearable to look at.

It was simply a twilight scene, too awful to describe.

Seeing Xun's reaction, the emperor's eunuch knew that his plan to smear Jin'an's reputation was working, so he continued to embellish the story, saying, "I also sincerely admire Marquis Shenwu's swift judgment, so I read through every comic book he wrote. However, these few comic books were really unbearable to look at, so I quickly read the first page and threw them into the fire to burn them to prevent them from being circulated and insulting to people's eyes and ears."

"Marquis Shenwu, I wonder if the case involving these comic books is true or false? Did you really have unspeakable experiences with those female prisoners, each time with rapt attention and passionate lovemaking?"

The emperor's eunuch spoke the second half of his sentence while looking at Jin'an.

They intended to mislead the public and further tarnish Jin'an's reputation.

Jin An smiled.

He smiled calmly and composedly, his smile neither warm nor cold, and said with a light laugh, "Indeed, the female prisoners in these cases are all real people who actually existed."

However, he did not explain whether the obscene content in the comic book was true.

Because there is no need to explain.

Sometimes, the innocent will prove themselves innocent.

The white man confesses.

The emperor's eunuch also smiled, but his smile was smug. He had achieved his goal of tarnishing Jin'an's reputation, and there was no need to say anything more.

Scholar Xun's body trembled, and he said in great shock, "Is the case real? Does this person really exist?"

Are these all real cases?

Just then, the tea brought by the servants of the Xun residence arrived. Jin An first thanked them, then picked up a cup of tea, took a sip of the warm tea, and said with a smile, "The other cases are not in the capital, so Scholar Xun may not have much of an impression of them. Let's talk about that comic book, 'Master Jin An Riding a Peacock and Reading the Spring and Autumn Annals'..."

"Scholar Xun, do you recall that I kept a peacock in my Five Organs Taoist Temple?"

Scholar Xun nodded and said, "That is true. I have been to the Five Organs Taoist Temple before, but unfortunately I was unlucky and did not meet Marquis Shenwu. It is a real pity."

“I did see a seven-colored peacock at the Wuzang Taoist Temple. It had a graceful figure and an ethereal temperament. It often stood on the eaves of the temple, looking into the distance with a serene, elegant, and holy expression. It was truly rare, rare, rare.”

The Peacock Buddha Mother is quite famous among the literati in the capital. Every day, she attracts a large number of scholars and writers to the Wuzang Taoist Temple to see her, depict her ethereal beauty, and create many famous poems and elegant paintings.

As a renowned scholar in the capital, Scholar Xun was naturally aware of the reputation of the Peacock Mother.

Jin An smiled and replied, "That peacock has a rather unusual origin. It actually comes from Buddhism and is a spiritual peacock that has cultivated a considerable amount of Buddhist teachings. Its name is 'Peacock Buddha Mother'. And the peacock in 'Master Jin An Riding a Peacock to Read the Spring and Autumn Annals' is her, Peacock Buddha Mother."

"Peacock Mother Buddha?" Scholar Xun was taken aback.

He chewed on the name several times, then exclaimed, "What a wonderful name! Peacock Buddha Mother, Peacock Buddha Mother, it perfectly captures Buddhism, spirituality, and the holy aura of those connected to Buddha in just four characters!"

"This is truly a rare and wonderful thing!"

Scholar Xun praised them repeatedly. After praising them, he became more interested in the other comic books and said with great enthusiasm, "Does that mean that the other comic books each have extraordinary stories?"

"Lord Shenwu, please tell me quickly, what extraordinary stories and histories do the female prisoners in the other comic books have?"

Jin An took another sip of tea and said with a smile, "Take the Rain Fairy in 'Master Jin An Fights the Seven Headless Rain Fairy Sisters' for example. There are no seven Rain Fairy sisters here, but the Rain Fairy is a real person."

"The case of Yu Xian occurred in Jiangzhou Prefecture..."

Next, Jin An recounted the whole story of his encounter with Yu Xian, as well as the arduous battle, which drew enthusiastic applause and exclamations of admiration from Scholar Xun…