Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 91: It’s still worth listening to Yan Song’s teachings (Part )
"It's truly against human ethics!!"

"No wonder Zhao Chen wanted to commit suicide. I originally thought he had an affair with the Marquis' wife, but I didn't expect it to be so much more shocking!"

"His suicide must have been forced by Marquis Wu Ding!"

Yan Shifan was shocked and ecstatic. The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed to him. He kept looking at Haiyue.

Haiyue did not respond, nor was she excited.

In fact, he had had similar speculations as early as when he asked his servant Jinyan. After all, what haven't people in later generations seen?

He kept silent at the time because he had no evidence and did not want to overly stimulate the Marquis of Wuding. Now that his evidence was verified, he began to think about the various information Hai Rui and Lin Daqin had helped him to find out in the Imperial College after Guo Xun retreated.

Since we want to investigate the real cause of Zhao Qilang's death, the Zhao family is the focus of attention.

Guo Xun had married three wives, and he claimed that all three of them were from prominent families. Zhao was the third one, and she was born in Hejian Prefecture in northern Zhili. Her father, Zhao Xuan, was a Jinshi in the 23rd year of Chenghua, and served as a deputy censor of the Shanxi Censorate, a fifth-rank local official. His career was not smooth.

The Zhao family moved to Hejian during the Hongwu period, and their families had been farming and studying for generations until Zhao Xuan passed the imperial examination and became an official. They were a typical local gentry family, and it would be a stretch to call them a prominent family.

After all, a true scholarly family would not marry their daughters to nobles.

Of course, the Zhao family must have benefited greatly from marrying their daughter to Guo Xun, a powerful and top nobleman, as his second wife. Naturally, their reputation among the literati declined and they were despised by others. However, for the Marquis' wife personally, the situation was different.

Zhao was born in the seventh year of Hongzhi and is already 37 years old this year. However, she has a reputation for being virtuous and kind to the outside world, and she also holds the power of the marquis's mansion. She manages the household well and has a sense of propriety. Zhao Chen's servant Jinyan also proved that Zhao Chen's money and treatment were provided by this sister. The status of this marquis' wife can be roughly judged from various reputations.

"Even though this woman is extremely beautiful, she's not young anymore. To be able to hold Guo Xun so tightly, it's clear that her methods are quite advanced..."

"If Zhao Chen is really her illegitimate child, isn't this a very careless thing to do?"

Just as she was thinking this, Haiyue's sleeve was tugged by Yan Shifan, and then there was an urgent voice saying goodbye: "My dear, we will take these calligraphy and paintings with us. Once this case is over, we will definitely rescue you from the world of prostitution!"

"Thank you, sir."

After exiting the Jade Hall and turning into a small alley, Yan Shifan stretched his neck to look around, making sure there was no one around. He couldn't wait to share this with Haiyue, "I really didn't expect this. The Marquis's wife is thirty-seven, and Zhao Qilang is twenty-three! So, Zhao gave birth to a son when she was fourteen? She wasn't married to Guo Xun at that time, so Zhao Chen is definitely not Guo Xun's child! Haha! That old coward Guo Xun married such a lady from a wealthy family, and now he raises her son, born by his adulterer, as his own brother! Hahaha!"

"Laugh softly."

Hai Yue thought to herself, are you really that excited? There are many examples of this in later generations, such as the daughter in "The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful" being mistaken for the younger sister, and...

Yan Shifan found it extremely novel. As an only son, he could never have imagined such a trick. The big families were really good at it!

The key point was that when he looked in the direction of Wuding Hou's Mansion again, his eyes revealed undisguised contempt.

Guo Xun, you are so arrogant! Come on, slap me!

Not only did you marry a lady from a wealthy family who had given birth to a child, but you also raised a son for her. You never expected that!
Hai Yue waited for him to stop laughing, then said in a deep voice, "Donglou, we don't have any evidence right now. We only have the speculation of a brothel girl and a few calligraphy and paintings. It's hard to even determine their authenticity!"

Yan Shifan waved his hand. "Why do we need evidence? Zhao Qilang's death was clearly coerced by Guo Xun. He must have discovered the background of this 'brother-in-law' and didn't want to make it public, so he threatened him with the Marquis' wife's safety. Zhao Qilang committed suicide out of hatred! As for why he slandered Gui Deyu... Didn't Gui Ge Lao report Guo Xun a few months ago? That's his motive! Hehe! As long as this matter gets out, Guo Xun will definitely become a laughing stock and his influence will be greatly reduced!"

Among the noble families, things that go against human ethics are very common. Adultery, wife-stealing, wife-sharing, and master-servant disorder are all common, and everyone is used to it. However, raising the illegitimate child of the other party and the adulterer as a brother-in-law and showing off to the outside world on a daily basis is unprecedented. Once the news spreads, Guo Xun will indeed become a laughing stock.

Killing people is not a big deal for nobles, but once their reputation is ruined, it is really ruined and difficult to reverse.

Hai Yue was not as excited as him and began to ask for details: "How many years has Zhao Qilang been in Beijing?"

Yan Shifan said, "About three years, but I don't know if he was raised in the Marquis's Mansion earlier. He's a famous figure in the capital, and it's only been in these three years. Zhao Qilang is twenty-three this year, and he came of age three years ago. It's most likely that he came to the Marquis' Mansion at that time!"

Hai Yue said, "If this man is really the Zhao family's illegitimate son, and he was raised in the family's Hejian Mansion since childhood, why would they bring him to the capital? You should know that the Marquis's wife is a good steward of the household and runs the mansion strictly. She always keeps her word within the mansion. She is definitely not an ordinary person..."

"It's true that the Marquis' wife is a remarkable person, but Shisanlang, you can't think that those people are as honest and upright as we are!"

Yan Shifan laughed and said, "You know, when one person achieves enlightenment, everyone around him will prosper. What did Zhao ask for by becoming that old woman's concubine? Now that she's in control of the Marquis's mansion, how could she not take her son over and let him enjoy this power? Otherwise, wouldn't this wealth and splendor be wasted?"

"You don't sound like a positive person..."

Haiyue complained in her heart.

He discovered that Yan Shifan had a problem: although he was smart, he was very emotional.

Deeply resentful of Guo Xun, he was eager to see the scandal unfold at the Marquis of Wuding's mansion. Once he'd uncovered a clue, he'd eagerly embrace it. Hai Yue had no choice but to pour cold water on him: "The Marquis' wife is no ordinary woman. She should know this is serious. Guo Xun, with her dominance, would never accept such deception. And who told Zhao Qilang the truth about her life?"

Yan Shifan didn't take it seriously. "Walls have ears, and there must be someone outside the window. Perhaps Zhao accidentally let something slip, and Zhao Qilang heard it? Or perhaps her personal maid secretly revealed it to this 'young master'?"

Hai Yue said, "Three months ago, Zhao Qilang began to lose control of his emotions, suspecting he had learned something about his past. Yun Shao of Jade Hall had noticed something, and the servant Jin Yan seemed to have some suspicions as well. Could it be that the lady of the Marquis' Mansion was completely unaware? She allowed her illegitimate son to lose his temper like this?"

Yan Shifan was a little impatient: "Shisanlang, if you keep fussing over everything, there will be no end to it!"

Haiyue showed no impatience at all: "Donglou, could you please repeat your father's teachings from last night?"

On the way here, Yan Shifan mentioned the advice from last night's conversation, hoping to establish a detached image for his father, so that it would be easier for him to become his apprentice in the future and fully devote himself to his father and son's teaching. At this time, he repeated: "Haste makes waste, and the small loses the big. A full bow is easy to break, and when things are exhausted, there is danger!"

Haiyue looked at him.

Yan Shifan fell silent. After a while, he finally came out of his excitement and said dejectedly, "Shisanlang is teaching me that I lost my composure!"

Hai Yue said, "That was your father's teaching. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been able to avoid being impulsive..."

Yan Shifan smiled again, feeling respected. When he was a follower before, no one cared about his feelings. "Then we need to find evidence now and verify Zhao Qilang's background. He shouldn't have only come to the Jade Hall, right? Is there any other young lady? How about we all go and ask them all?"

"I think you just want to visit brothels? If all those young ladies wanted to become good women, would you help them on behalf of Yan Song?"

Hai Yue shook her head secretly, led the hungry Yan Shifan out of the alley, and looked in the direction of Biyu Hall.

"Young Master! Two Young Masters!"

Sure enough, they saw Xiaochuan standing on tiptoe looking for someone. When he noticed them, he hurried over and asked, "Did you forget about Xiaochuan?"

Yan Shifan really had forgotten. Haiyue smiled and said, "How could I have forgotten you? I still need Xiaochuan's help!"

Xiaochuan patted his chest and said, "Master Hai, just give me your orders!"

Hai Yue said, "Let me give you an example. If there's a powerful person and rumors begin to spread in the marketplace that are unfavorable to him, and he wants to dispel the rumors as quickly as possible, who should he seek help from? Are there such people in the marketplace of the capital?"

Xiaochuan understood immediately: "Yes! The Yaozi Troupe is in this kind of business. The leader, Han Yaozi, is best at spreading news through storytelling and puppetry!"

Yan Shifan raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Is it the acrobatic troupe on the overpass?"

Xiaochuan smiled and said, "That's him! Has Master Yan seen him?"

"I've seen it! The craftsmanship is truly amazing!"

Seeing Hai Yue didn't know, Yan Shifan explained, "That Han Yaozi was a Tianqiao acrobat, proficient in ventriloquism and puppetry. It's said he was once an entertainer at Prince Ning's mansion. He came to the capital after Prince Ning was stripped of his fiefdom."

Haiyue raised her eyebrows: "That's incredible!"

The rebellion of Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao sounds like it happened a long time ago, but it actually happened in the 14th year of Zhengde, just over ten years ago. At that time, Wuzong executed Zhu Chenhao in Tongzhou, and the Ning Wang's fiefdom was eliminated. Naturally, the Ning Wang's Mansion also disappeared, and the servants in the mansion had to fend for themselves.

This isn't a particularly big stain. After all, he's a musician, so what else can he do? But it's definitely not something worth publicizing.

Now Yan Shifan, the son of an official, actually knew that the other party was once an actor in the Ning Wang Mansion. This shows that this person's background is almost known to everyone, and it is not easy for him to still stand firm in the capital.

Hai Yue pondered for a moment and continued, "How does Brother Yan compare to him?"

Xiaochuan's reputation is very popular in the Jade Hall, but it is not known in other places, especially in such large-scale underworld associations.

"When it comes to spies in the capital, my brother is indeed far inferior to Han Yaozi..."

Xiaochuan was full of confidence: "But my brother can kill him!"

"very good!"

Haiyue had an idea in mind: "Let's go! Let's go meet the 'King of the Harriers' who control the channels of public opinion in the capital!"

(End of this chapter)