Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 221 The Origin of Hai Clan Martial Arts

"what?"

As Zhao Wenhua led Alu out in a hurry, they saw Yan Shifan standing with his hands behind his back, exuding an aura of invincibility, while below him stood Shen Mo, whose expression was extremely unpleasant.

He slowed his pace as he stepped forward, but still immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Shen Mo's gaze revealed a ruthless glint that contradicted his kind demeanor: "So it was Steward Zhao inside. No wonder Young Master Yan acted this way. If you find any clues about the murderer, my Shuntian Prefecture is willing to accept your guidance!"

Zhao Wenhua bowed slightly, expressionless: "This case is not under the jurisdiction of my Ministry of Justice. I am only here to make a visit. How can I offer any guidance?"

Shen Mo said coldly, "In that case, I hope Steward Zhao will not linger here and disturb the government office's investigation!"

After saying that, he led the group of clerks and yamen runners behind him and strode into the Sheng residence.

'A mere magistrate seems to have quite the confidence; Huo Tao is no longer the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, so who is his backer?'

Yan Shifan watched the group enter, frowned, and turned to Zhao Wenhua: "Have you found any clues?"

Zhao Wenhua looked around and whispered, "Brother Donglou, may I speak to you in private?"

Yan Shifan followed him to one side of the gate: "How is it?"

Zhao Wenhua said, "Something's not right. I just found an acquaintance in the government office, and he said that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is involved in this case..."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard? What does the death of a mere matchmaker have to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Yan Shifan was stunned at first, then his expression turned serious: "Could it be that Madam Sheng is a member of the Liyuan Society?"

Both of them had participated in the capture operations of "Wellwood Falcon" and "Winged Fire Serpent". Immediately connecting the dots, Zhao Wenhua also said in a deep voice: "I'm afraid it's almost certainly true!"

"So that's how it is. Shen Mo probably has the Embroidered Uniform Guard backing him up, which is why he seems so fearless!"

Yan Shifan's spirits lifted, and he rubbed his hands together, eager to get started: "Now that we've stumbled upon this case, there's absolutely no reason for us to miss out!"

They had previously joined forces with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest the traitor Lu Yuan, but that was with Lu Bing's involvement. Yan Shifan initially met Hai Yue through Lu Bing's introduction.

Lu Bing is a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard cannot be regarded as Lu Bing. This special agency of the emperor naturally has factions. If he were really Lu Bing's faction, there would be no need to fight for him. But judging from the current situation, he is most likely a figure from another faction, so we will not be polite.

Yan Shifan looked at Alu and saw him nod slightly, confirming that Zhao Wenhua's words were true. He immediately asked, "What are these people searching for?"

“I don’t know yet!”

Zhao Wenhua's eyes flickered: "According to the constable's testimony, Shen Mo was evasive, only saying that if he found anything strange, he should report it immediately, but he didn't specify what it was..."

Yan Shifan said with certainty, "It must be Madam Sheng's secret record. She arranged marriages for wealthy and powerful families and asked for a lot of detailed questions during the betrothal ceremony. She must have collected many unknown secrets of the powerful and influential. While reporting to Li Yuanshe, she also compiled them into a book and kept them to herself. This is what the Embroidered Uniform Guard asked the Shuntian Prefecture to find!"

Zhao Wenhua also had this guess and was quite tempted, but after careful consideration, he felt that he couldn't handle it. If he really took it, it would be a crime to possess a treasure. So at this moment, he whispered his advice: "Brother Donglou, I have an idea, but I don't know if I should say it!"

"Don't even mention those foolish thoughts!"

Yan Shifan glanced at him and snorted: "If it's a brilliant plan, feel free to speak up!"

Zhao Wenhua coughed lightly: "Compared to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you and I are ultimately weaker, and it will probably be difficult to capture the thief. However, since the Sheng family has hidden the secret record, the powerful figures in the capital certainly do not want it to fall into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

Yan Shifan's eyes lit up: "By leveraging the power of nobles and high-ranking officials, and confronting the Embroidered Uniform Guard, can we uncover the truth of the case?"

Zhao Wenhua nodded repeatedly: "That's right, but I don't know who should be chosen as the leader?"

"That depends on who has the closest relationship with Lady Pupil!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the two men looked up at the ebony plaque above the gate of the Sheng residence and exclaimed in unison, "Duke of Dingguo!"

……

Another day passed and the government office was closed.

When Haiyue returned home, she went to her parents' house and saw the two of them talking with an elderly woman.

Upon arrival, the two sides exchanged greetings. The old woman beamed, "Young master, you are so handsome and distinguished, truly a literary genius descended to earth! This old woman has been a matchmaker all her life, and has arranged at least a hundred or so marriages. A man like you is hard to find even with a lantern. No wonder the palace is so enthusiastic!"

Haiyue said gently, "Thank you for everything, Granny Lin." The Empress Dowager was still waiting, and the marriage could not be stopped because of the death of Lady Qiansi. Zhu Lin stepped forward and selected an older matchmaker named Lin Shi in the capital who was not so famous, but was steady, reliable, and well-regarded.

With Lin's intervention, the first step of the six rites—betrothal—and the second step—asking the name—have been completed.

Nacai is the act of proposing marriage, and Wenming is the act of asking the matchmaker to inquire about the woman's name and birth date.

The next step is the third step, which involves the man performing divination to see if the two people's birth charts are compatible. If a good omen is found, the woman's family will be notified.

In fact, as long as both parties are well-matched and their conditions are satisfactory, there is no such thing as an incompatible birth chart.

Of course, if complications arise, incompatibility of birth charts is also the best reason, unrelated to personal conditions, just bad luck, and thus does not damage the reputation of either party.

Zhu Lin plans to go to a temple in the capital tomorrow to consult a master about her birth chart, which is just a formality. The day after tomorrow, she will go to the betrothal ceremony to formally get engaged, and then prepare a date for the wedding.

The six rites may seem complicated, but as long as both parties are in love, they can go smoothly.

The matchmaker, Madam Lin, was initially a little apprehensive, worried that there might be difficulties in the palace. After all, the bride was no ordinary person; she was the adopted daughter recognized by the Empress Dowager, and the marriage of a princess was completely different from that of commoners. She was not familiar with those rules and etiquette at all. However, she found that the palace was even more enthusiastic than the palace and cooperated with her throughout the entire process.

This makes one sigh that this couple is truly a match made in heaven, and it is an honor to have acted as matchmaker for such a wonderful union.

Haihao gave the easygoing Granny Lin a generous reward, and the family saw her off. She happily took her leave.

Once back inside, the three sat down. Zhu Lin looked at her son with a smile, full of emotion: "It feels like just yesterday you were so young, and now all these years have passed. Thirteen Lang is getting married. It's wonderful!"

Haiyue sensed something was amiss with those words and quickly replied, "After my wedding, will Father and Mother leave again?"

Zhu Lin paused for a moment, then slowly said, "We are ultimately connected in some way, which could hinder your career..."

"Please, Mother, take back what you said!"

Haiyue immediately stood up: "If my career path forces my family to be separated, then I would rather give up this official position. As a son, how can I let my parents suffer all this trouble..."

These words were sincere. He had initially been somewhat resistant to his parents in this world, but after spending time with them, he gradually came to regard them as his family. If a family could be reunited and live in harmony, who would want to be all alone?

Haihao and Zhu Lin looked at each other with great satisfaction. Haihao laughed and said, "Over the years, your mother and I have traveled all over the world and made many friends. We have also broadened our horizons. It's not a bad thing. If those people hadn't been so persistent, we would still be stuck in Qionghai, which would be quite boring!"

Zhu Lin also said, "As Zhuangzi said, 'You are not a fish, how can you know the joy of fish?' You see, we are running around everywhere, but we are actually enjoying it!"

Haiyue was not, after all, bound by the outdated ideas of loyalty and filial piety of the ancients. Just as parents demand that their children follow the path they have laid out, children also, to some extent, force their parents to strictly abide by the rules of society to avoid getting into trouble. Upon hearing this, she no longer insisted, but still said, "In that case, we must also deal with Sun Weixian to relieve my parents of their worries!"

Upon hearing this, Haihao and Zhu Lin could only manage a wry smile.

Sun Weixian was a top-notch figure in the Embroidered Uniform Guard; how could he be eliminated so easily?
This kid is really too arrogant.

Haiyue did not underestimate her opponent. Compared to Li Yuanshe, who was hiding in the shadows and would be finished as soon as his identity was exposed, a Jinyiwei commander who could be personally transferred to the capital by Jiajing was a man of considerable influence in the court and was indeed difficult to deal with.

But since the other party has a grudge against his parents and is involved in the rumored hidden wealth, there is no possibility of reconciliation. A winner must be decided, even if it means life or death!

Therefore, there are some things that need to be clarified before we go on: "May I ask, Father and Mother, how did Sun Weixian determine that you knew the whereabouts of Jianwen's secret treasure?"

Haihao glanced at Zhu Lin, who nodded slightly: "Now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide it from the child anymore..."

Hai Hao said in a deep voice, "I didn't understand how this guy found us at first either."

"This man first sent his trusted subordinates to our door, deliberately trying to sabotage the business of my Yinglue Society. After several tests, I killed his subordinates. Only then did Sun Weixian personally come south, fight with me once, and reveal his intentions: he wanted to ask about the Jianwen Emperor's secret treasure!"

"Later, we left Hainan and went to other places. During that time, we fought against Sun Weixian and his experts. We then discovered that the martial arts style he trained was similar to ours. It seems that he discovered the clues from the Yinglue Society and confirmed it after fighting me personally."

Haiyue thought of her own Anchan Subduing the Dragon and her second brother's Purple Lightning and Azure Frost: "What is Father's martial arts?"

Hai Hao said, “My skills are quite diverse, but my most fundamental and proficient skill is a set of grappling techniques called ‘Azure Dragon Binding the Mountain.’ It was created by the same person as your ‘Peaceful Meditation Subduing the Dragon.’ However, the latter is a meditation exercise, while the former is a martial art he learned in his secular life. It is just right for my style. And this Sun Weixian actually knows ‘Azure Dragon Binding the Mountain’!”

Haiyue blinked: "Then where did Father's martial arts skills come from?"

"Not only you, but many people have always wondered how a scholarly family like the Hai family could produce a martial artist like me?"

Haihao looked at Zhu Lin, took his wife's hand, and laughed heartily: "They would never guess that my kung fu was taught to me by your mother!"

(End of this chapter)