Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 37 The Princess Takes Action
"Mr. Hai, please wait a moment. The princess is getting dressed!"

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Haiyue came to the backyard of the government office and waited silently.

Since his identity was revealed, the only survivor of the diplomatic mission has been properly accommodated. There are even more guards guarding him than in the front hall of the government office, for fear that this only survivor would be murdered by the Annan assassin.

Li Yuying was not polite either. After a few days, she even had a maid to serve her.

Haiyue waited outside the courtyard for a while, and when the maid came out to report, she went inside. From afar, she saw a woman in the small pavilion brewing tea with her bare hands, with an elegant posture.

When you enter the hall, you are first greeted by gentle and deep eyes, eyebrows like a crescent moon, eyes like autumn water, then a face with red lips, white teeth, and skin like cream, and finally a plain dress embroidered with elegant patterns. The whole person is like a dignified and elegant ink painting of a lady.

The last time they met, she was still a pale, frightened prisoner. The contrast now made Haiyue feel a little surprised. She saluted and said, "Princess Li."

Li Yuying bowed in return, "I was saved from imprisonment by Master Hai, and I haven't had the chance to express my gratitude yet. Now I hear that the first round of the imperial examination has concluded, and Master Hai has indeed successfully won first place. I wish you success in the imperial examinations and the highest honor!"

Haiyue smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Princess. We have been through thick and thin together, so why don't we be so distant?"

Li Yuying smiled and said, "Okay! Tea please!"

Haiyue sat down, tasted the tea, and praised it, "The water boils like fish eyes, and the tea soup is like amber. It is refreshing to drink. It is not easy to brew Wuzhishan tea to such a level of accomplishment."

Wuzhishan is the main tea producing area in Hainan. Due to its high altitude and humid climate, it is suitable for the growth of tea trees. The taste is famous for its fragrance and sweetness. However, the control of water temperature and tea soup color when brewing tea is very demanding. Now the color of the tea soup is as crystal clear as amber, which is indeed a remarkable achievement.

Li Yuying chuckled, "Tea brewing is a refined art in Annan. Those who excel in tea making are often admired by the world. I have nothing better to do at home, so I enjoy brewing tea to relieve my boredom."

Hai Yue took another sip, waiting for the tea's fragrance to spread in her mouth before she started the conversation. "My Lady, there's no need to worry about staying idle at the government office. Are you aware that Imperial Censor Wu, the inspector of Guangdong, has arrived in Qiongshan to investigate the case of the diplomatic envoys?"

"Of course I know. I'm looking forward to it. I just heard that Inspector Wu was abducted by the Li people. Has he been rescued?"

Li Yuying's eyes lit up and she asked hurriedly.

"They haven't been rescued yet, but we already have a lot of clues..."

Haiyue shook her head and carefully recounted the situation that had been sorted out so far.

Li Yuying, prettily holding her teacup, listened intently, finally letting out a long sigh of relief. "I didn't expect it to be so complicated! But if, as you say, it wasn't the murderer who found the thief Zheng Wusan, but it was the thief Zheng Wusan who escaped from the government office who took the initiative to find the murderer, then who were the three thieves looking for?"

Hai Yue asked, "My princess, do you still remember that night when you were released from prison, you said that the number of the Annan assassins far exceeded the twenty-odd people in the current envoy group?"

Li Yuying's expression changed immediately: "Young Master, what you mean is..."

"I can't just rely on guesswork. I'm just about to ask the princess for advice!"

Haiyue began to ask, "What is Mo Zhengyong's family background?"

"This beast is of humble origin and has no family background."

"Did Mo Zhengyong rise to power solely through bravery and scheming?"

"That's right! This guy is indeed brave, but he has a sinister temperament and vicious methods. I don't know how many loyal and good people he has killed. Only then was he adopted as a son by the old villain Mo and became one of the Thirteen Guardians."

"Does Mo Zhengyong have a ranking among the Thirteen Protectors?"

"Ranked third. If we talk about the trust that old thief Mo has in him, this person can be said to be number one."

"How popular is Mo Zhengyong among the Thirteen Protectors?"

"It's definitely not good. He's a latecomer. How could the other Thirteen Guardians who followed the old villain Mo in the early days accept that?"

"How many men did Mo Zhengyong have under his command when he caught up with the envoys?" "They arrived on two warships, with over a hundred men under their command, and they were incredibly ferocious."

"How many people were left after that battle?"

"My delegation's guards fought desperately, and both sides suffered heavy casualties. As for how many people are left on the Mo bandit side, I was protected and left in a small boat early on, so it's difficult to determine."

As Li Yuying answered this, she felt more and more that her previous guess was correct: "If there was still a group of thieves hiding in Qiongshan, after Zheng Wusan escaped from the government office, he would certainly seek refuge with his companions. But why were they killed?"

Hai Yue said, "After the Annan envoys' incident, for the princess, this case should be reported to the emperor, so that the emperor of the Ming Dynasty can know how arrogant the traitors of the foreign vassal states are. They dared to let assassins impersonate envoys and play tricks on the suzerain state. So the next step is to escort Mo Zhengyong and his group to the capital to be interrogated by the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple and punished according to the law, right?"

Li Yuying nodded.

Hai Yue continued, "But for the traitorous Mo family, their goal was to prevent the Li family's delegation from successfully seeking aid, but now they are provoking the Ming court. It would be best if this matter could be put to rest and end in Hainan. It would be best if Mo Zhengyong and his group, who are imprisoned in the cell, could die here!"

"what!"

Li Yuying suddenly realized what was happening and couldn't help but groan. "Seeing that the plan had failed, in order to cover up this deception against your country, those thieves killed Zheng Wu and three others. Then they kidnapped Inspector Wu and forced him to the government office, hoping to silence him and eliminate the evidence? How could they possibly do that?"

"cannot!"

Hai Yue shook her head. "But sometimes, it's too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost. Who cares so much? If that's the motive, the person who gave the order was quite decisive. So I suspect there's more than one of Mo Dengyong's 'Thirteen Guardians' here. Mo Zhengyong disguised himself as an envoy and entered the government office, while another one supported him from outside! But from what the princess just said, Mo Zhengyong came from a humble background, was promoted through meritorious service, and doesn't get along with the other adopted sons. Could it be that he has other talented people under his command?"

"I don't know."

Li Yuying's eyes flickered slightly, and she whispered, "Sir, are you trying to find the base of those thieves?"

"Yes!"

Haiyue stood up and bowed: "I hope the princess can lend me a helping hand!"

When they realized the identity of the murderer and returned to the civil unrest and disputes in Annan, it was no longer a question of whether to save Wu Lin or not, but to nip the problem in the bud and solve the future troubles.

After all, it was Hai Yue who exposed and captured Mo Zhengyong, which created a deep hatred for him. Hai was a native of Qionshan, and the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. If he was retaliated against, it would be too late to regret.

So Haiyue's purpose on this trip was to ask Princess Fanglian to take action.

Of course, the people who know the characteristics of the Annamites best are the Annamites.

As for Li Yuying staying in the government office and sending people to pass messages back and forth, she would miss the opportunity. It would be most convenient for her to follow the action and identify Annan's whereabouts!
"it is good!"

Li Yuying pursed her lips and slowly stood up: "This is my Annan's business, there is no reason to retreat, I will go with you!"

Having said that, when Li Yuying changed her clothes, put on a veil, and followed Hai Yue out of the government office gate, she still paused, and a trace of fear that she could not bear to look back appeared between her brows.

These days, she never left the backyard of the government office, but she felt at ease and slept soundly at night instead of being woken up by nightmares.

It's more than just a nightmare. If Haiyue hadn't appeared, who knows what kind of disaster I would have encountered...

It was precisely the same person standing beside him, majestically saying, "Princess, please look, the guards are here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, accompanied by the sound of fairly orderly footsteps, a group of fast-moving constables hurried to the door and lined up, and the government official Shao Jing came in person.

In the alley opposite, there was a group of brave Li warriors. The young man leading them was lean and capable, with a sparkling look in his eyes.

Haiyue exchanged glances with both sides, then reached out to take the spear: "Let's go! Catch the thief! Capture the murderer!"

(End of this chapter)