Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 180 Never die in peace
He took off the fur felt, got off the sedan chair, and handed the white fox fur sleeves in his hands to the eunuch who was accompanying him. Then Wei Chao put on his cloak and walked into the Northern Pacification Office.

Although the visitor was a stranger, the captain guarding the gate knew from Wei Chao's attire that he was another eunuch from the palace. He quickly knelt on one knee and saluted, "Greetings, eunuch."

The Jinyiwei kneeling on one knee to pay respect to the eunuchs was the same as the Huangmen kneeling on both knees to pay respect to their ancestors. Therefore, Wei Chao didn't need to pay attention to him. However, Wei Chao was always humble, so he nodded and replied with a snort: "Hmm."

Before they even reached the main hall, Sun Yunhe came to greet them. "My humble servant, Sun Yunhe, is here to greet you, eunuch. May I ask your name?"

"My surname is Wei, and my given name is Chao." General Wei Chao stretched out his right hand and waved it slightly. "Stand up and speak."

"Greetings, Wei Bingbi." Sun Yunhe bowed again before standing up.

Wei Chao saw that the main seat at the end of the main hall was empty, so he asked, "Where is Tian Ergeng?"

"Tian Tongzhi accompanied Wei Changgong to the Wuzi Prison to interrogate the culprit Zhao Nanxing." Sun Yunhe was very perceptive. "I will take you there right away. Please come this way."

"Okay." Wei Chao's thoughts moved slightly, but he didn't show it on his face.

After hanging Zhao Nanxing, Tian Ergeng fell into a deep, comfortable sleep. But upon waking, his heart, like Zhao Nanxing's corpse, remained hanging in the air. It wasn't until Wei Zhongxian arrived at the Northern Pacification Office and gave him a loving smile, like a reborn father, that his heart finally settled before the corpse itself.

By the time Wei Chao arrived, Wei Zhongxian had already finished inspecting the scene. He had expressed his loyalty and said almost everything he needed to say. Meanwhile, Tian Ergeng was leading Wei Zhongxian toward the prison gate.

"Are those people at the prison door reliable?" Wei Zhongxian asked.

"The people assigned to guard Prison Wu are all my son's personal guards, and I've already informed them." Tian Ergeng was very comfortable addressing his son as "son" and "father."

"Since they're personal guards, give them some benefits," Wei Zhongxian thought for a moment and made his arrangements. "Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing both died in the Northern Pacification Division. You won't be able to claim any credit for this case. Just give them some silver to keep them quiet."

Tian Ergeng had already made similar plans, but after hearing Wei Zhongxian's instructions, he still flattered him respectfully, "Father, you have thought of everything."

Although the dungeon was dim, with only a few candles to illuminate it, and it was impossible to tell day from night, Tian Ergeng didn't care whether Wei Zhongxian could see him or not. When he spoke, his face always had an expression that said, "If it weren't for my adoptive father, I really don't know how I would cope."

As they approached the entrance of Prison Wu, Wei Zhongxian and Tian Ergeng heard a commotion.

"The Tongzhi has ordered that no one be allowed in without his consent." Even though there were eunuchs among the visitors, the flag officer guarding the Wu prison still bravely stepped forward. "If the eunuch also wishes to interrogate the imperial prisoner, please allow me to go in and report."

Sun Yunhe was about to scold him when he heard Wei Chao say, "Go ahead."

The flagman had just opened the door when he saw Wei Zhongxian and Tian Ergeng approaching, one after the other. "Sir, there's a eunuch here," the flagman said before Wei Zhongxian stepped past him and went straight to Wei Chao, saying cordially, "Wei Chao is here too! Does the Lord have any new instructions?"

"Yes." Wei Chao waved to Sun Yunhe, signaling him to leave.

Wei Chao saw clearly that Tian Ergeng had suppressed the news. The only people in the entire Northern Pacification Division who knew of Zhao Nanxing's death, besides Tian Ergeng himself, were probably the small group guarding the prison gate. He was probably not the one holding the flag, but Sun Yunhe at his side. If Sun Yunhe hadn't followed, Wei Chao might have let the flag go.

His red robe, which can only be worn by eunuchs in charge of ceremonies, is much more useful than any pass.

"I'll take my leave." Sun Yunhe didn't think much about it, thinking that this was an order that didn't need to be told to him.

After Sun Yunhe left, Wei Chao said to Tian Ergeng, "Take me to see the culprit in this case."

"Yes." Tian Ergeng's heart, which had been stuffed into his chest, jumped into his throat again.

"This is Wei Chao, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department." Wei Zhongxian introduced on the way back to the deepest part of the Wuzi Prison.

"Nephew Tian Ergeng pays his respects to his uncle." Tian Ergeng had a deep understanding of the relationships between these new and powerful eunuchs and knew that Wei Zhongxian and Wei Chao had a good relationship. Generally speaking, eunuchs of the same generation who had a good relationship would usually call each other "brothers."

Wei Chao had no habit of recognizing his oldest son, and he couldn't really call a man who looked about his own age "good boy." However, he was quite satisfied with Tian Ergeng's respectful attitude. So, seeing Tian Ergeng's anxious expression, he comforted him, "It's okay. It's already been finalized, and there won't be any changes. I'm just here to ask a few questions and see if we can just go through the motions."

"Thank you, uncle master." Tian Ergeng hurriedly thanked him.

Arriving at the prison gate, Zhao Nanxing's body still hung there, eyes wide open. But Wei Chao didn't mind. He surveyed the stiff, now softening, body and asked, "How did Zhao Nanxing die?"

"As you can see, Zhao Nanxing was hanged." Tian Ergeng reacted quickly and added, "He was hanged alive."

"He didn't resist?" Wei Chao asked again.

"No, I put a knockout drug in his wine." Tian Ergeng had already answered this question, but his face didn't show any impatience. "After my nephew hung him up, he started to struggle with the rope."

"So it can withstand scrutiny?" Wei Chao didn't want to dirty his cloak, so he didn't squat down. Instead, he stood and looked down at the fallen chair and the table full of food and wine.

Tian Ergeng pointed to the wine jug and wine glass on the table and said, "The method is very simple. There was no poison. The coroner only checked the body and found that it was hanged. I was sitting there at the time, using this stool." He pointed to the stool that fell at Zhao Nanxing's feet.

"In other words, the physical evidence is gone too?" Wei Chao understood the implication of Tian Ergeng's words.

"Yes. The dishes and food are all for one person," Tian Ergeng replied. "The problematic wine jugs and glasses have been disposed of."

"You're capable." Wei Chao nodded and turned to look at Wei Zhongxian. "Tomorrow, after the Northern Pacification Office reports Zhao Nanxing's suicide, you can bring the Inspection Bureau here to go through the motions, just like last time."

"Okay." As Wei Chao spoke, Wei Zhongxian figured out the reason. He then asked Tian Ergeng, "Can we hand over the body to the Three Law Courts?"

"Sure," Tian Ergeng replied, "Just like my son said, if we only examine the body, it's a hanged corpse. It doesn't matter which office's coroner comes to investigate."

"Have you told him about Xu Xianchun's matter?" Wei Chao asked Wei Zhongxian.

"Not yet." Wei Zhongxian shook his head. He had watched the two men fight each other and was well aware of the conflict between Tian Ergeng and Xu Xianchun.

Wei Zhongxian had originally planned to wait for Tian Ergeng to ask who would take the blame, and then use this as a token of his favor to further win over the people. But now that Wei Chao had already brought it up, he had no choice but to lie, saying, "I was just about to ask when you showed up."

The experiences of the past few days had made Wei Chao realize that Wei Zhongxian, previously known as "Wei the Fool," was far from being as honest and simple-minded as he appeared. He was wary, thinking things might not be as simple as Wei Zhongxian claimed. However, Wei Chao didn't say much, simply saying, "The ancestor meant to let Xu Xianchun handle Zhao Nanxing's affairs."

Tian Ergeng was overjoyed when he heard this. This was truly a double blessing.

He quickly knelt down and groped his way to kowtow several times in the direction of the Forbidden City: "I kowtow to the emperor for his grace, and to our ancestors for their kindness!" Then he turned his head. "Thank you, father, and thank you, uncle-master!" Wei Chao noticed that when Tian Ergeng kowtowed, his butt was always facing Zhao Nanxing's body.

After Tian Ergeng stood up, Wei Chao asked again, "What are you going to do with Xu Xianchun?"

"My nephew thinks that transferring him to Yunnan or Sichuan will be enough." Tian Ergeng wanted to kill Xu Xianchun outright, but he wouldn't say that in front of the palace eunuchs. He could just send a few trusted aides to rob and kill him on the way. No one would bother to ask.

"Transfer out?" Wei Zhongxian sneered. "My dear son, what are you talking about? What can we do about this fellow's clamor? The Western Factory will arrest him for dereliction of duty and make him disappear once the situation calms down."

"Heh!" Wei Chao chuckled. "The Lord has a reason for employing you two." Before leaving, Wei Chao gave Zhao Nanxing one last look.

The dim candlelight reflected in his lifeless old eyes, with an indescribable liveliness and weirdness.

------

Unlike Wei Zhongxian's perfunctory attitude, Cui Wensheng was very serious about the commission he had given Wei Zhongxian. However, seriousness does not mean success, and Cui Wensheng still has nothing to show for it.

Who paid Ke Yinyue's severance pay? I don't know.

On which day did Ke Yinyue leave the palace? I don’t know.

Where did Ke Yinyue go after leaving the palace? I don't know.

Where did Ke Yinyue's son and brother go? No one knows.

Just as Cui Wensheng began to suspect someone was deliberately covering up the incident, a small team sent to secretly investigate the taverns of all sizes in the capital uncovered something terrifying. Not daring to investigate further, they reported the information they had to Cui Wensheng.

"Director Cui. In August, a luxurious restaurant called Anhualou near Chaoyangmen hosted an extremely luxurious 'hundred-dish banquet'." The team leader, General Qi, wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Can't you take off your cloak before you talk?" Ever since the beating at the Western Factory, Cui Wensheng had developed a fear of the cold. Therefore, after his reinstatement, he rarely worked in the spacious main hall, but instead stayed in the cramped duty room, lighting several charcoal braziers.

"Yes."

"What's wrong with the 'hundred-dish banquet'?" Cui Wensheng took the initiative to continue the topic he had interrupted. "Who ordered it? It can't be Ke Yinyue. She doesn't have that much money."

Generally speaking, when a palace eunuch left the palace at the end of their term, they received no money at all. Their livelihood after leaving the palace depended primarily on the silver they had accumulated during their service. Even if they were rewarded with an additional sum of silver, it would not be much. No more than fifty taels. And as far as Cui Wensheng knew, a "hundred-dish banquet" would cost at least a thousand taels. Even if Ke Yinyue were sold to a brothel and squeezed to death, she would never be able to earn that much.

"Anhualou doesn't know who booked this table. The guest didn't reveal his identity. We only know that a man named Hou booked this table with a total of one thousand taels of silver notes." The flag general replied.

"His surname is Hou, Hou Guoxing?" Cui Wensheng thought. "He can't possibly have that much money."

"It's probably not Hou Guoxing. The person who booked this table is a middle-aged man with a beard." Mr. Qi shook his head. "And the person who booked the table didn't even eat."

"So what did you find out?" Cui Wensheng supported his head and made an expression that said, "Are you making fun of me?"

"The guests and the carriage," the flag chief replied. "The waiter clearly remembered that the guests were a fair-faced, beardless man and a charming woman."

"A banquet with a hundred dishes for two people? What a waste." Cui Wensheng interjected indifferently.

"Yes. It was quite wasteful. When the two left, most of the dishes were untouched, but a lot of wine had been consumed. It was as if they had come specifically to drink." General Qi continued, echoing Cui Wensheng's words. "We haven't yet found out who these two people are, but we think they are Keshi and a wealthy eunuch."

"reason?"

"Carriage." Qi Zong cleared his throat and swallowed. "Even in a brothel like Anhualou, only a handful of people could afford to spend a thousand taels on a lavish banquet. Therefore, the servants at Anhualou clearly remember the design and decoration of the luxurious carriage that brought their guests."

"Whose lantern is this?" Cui Wensheng straightened his sitting posture slightly.

"The carriage had no lanterns or other identification signs. The servant thought the direction of the carriage was strange. Generally, passengers would turn around at the next intersection after finishing their meal. But this carriage went along the avenue towards Chaoyang Gate," replied Mr. Qi.

"Leaving the city?" Cui Wensheng was perceptive. "The Military Command will definitely inspect any carriage without a lantern."

"You're right. So we went to the East City Military Command and found the officer on duty." A look of fear crossed the flag commander's face. "The officer said they did stop the carriage. But in the end, neither the Military Command nor the patrolling Jinyiwei dared to check the identities of the passengers."

"Why?" Cui Wensheng's expression grew serious. It wasn't surprising that the Military Command had been frightened, as it was a sixth-rank government office where anyone could piss on their head. But the fact that the patrolling Jinyiwei didn't dare to investigate was quite fishy.

"The Imperial Household Department. The driver showed them the Imperial Household Department badge." The flag commander said frankly, "We can't investigate any further after this."

Cui Wensheng, the "Minister of Ceremonies," frowned. "Any other information?"

The flag officer thought for a moment, nodded, and added, "The carriage left the city and returned the same day, with only a little over an hour between the two trips. Besides that, the officer mentioned another detail."

"What details?"

"When leaving the city, the officer heard a woman moaning in the carriage, but when returning to the city, there was no sound at all." The flag commander guessed: "The woman is either gone or dead."

"They're probably dead," Cui Wensheng concluded. "Ke Yinyue, Hou Guoxing, Ke Guangxian, it's like the whole family vanished into thin air. How could such a coincidence happen? Take it." Cui Wensheng pulled out the token. "Send more men out of the city to investigate. They won't be far in half an hour. Find Ke Yinyue's body."

"Yes, sir." The flag general took the token and clasped his fists to receive the order.

"This is a private mission, so I can't report any credit for it, but if you do your job well, I'll give you a commendation here." Cui Wensheng stretched out his finger and pointed at his heart.

"Thank you, Director!" Mr. Qi quickly knelt on one knee.

"Go ahead." Cui Wensheng waved his hand.

Cui Wensheng was going to ask the Imperial Household Department himself. The Imperial Household Department was a big government agency, so as long as the investigation didn't lead to Wang An, it wouldn't matter.

"August, August..." Cui Wensheng's lips curled up subtly. "If it was Wei Zhongxian who killed Ke Yinyue, that would be great."

(End of this chapter)