Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Miss Ye, please have a seat," Bai Qianfan said as he led us into a delicate private room on the second floor.
I glanced at the spot he indicated, and to my surprise, it was a long, elegant couch. I couldn't help but feel a bit indignant. After all, we weren't that familiar; for a man to ask me to talk while lying on a bed seemed rather rude. Even in modern times, this wouldn't be acceptable!
Bai Qianfan clearly sensed my thoughts. He smiled calmly and explained, "You may not know, but the incense made by Wuchenzi has remarkable effects in healing and warding off evil. He has ways to expedite the healing process for your injuries. However, this means you will have to stay here for a while; given your current condition, it’s really not suitable for you to sit for too long."
After pondering for a moment, he continued, "Since you are not like ordinary women, I assumed you wouldn’t mind such customs, which is why I took the liberty of inviting you here. I do have matters I wish to discuss with you. Given our age difference, it would not be inappropriate for you to regard me as an elder. I mean no harm and hope you won’t take offense."
At this point, it would be overly sensitive of me to insist on formality, so I allowed him to assist me as I gently leaned back against the cushions of the elegant couch.
What I thought was that this was ancient times; if it were modern day, he was only in his thirties and not even twenty years older than me—what's the big deal about that age difference? However, this person before me exuded a gentle and respectful demeanor. I believed he truly had something important to discuss with me. In fact, I was quite curious about what he wanted.
At that moment, incense had already been lit in the room. The fragrant smoke curled gracefully from an exquisite incense burner placed on a distant table, rising in delicate wisps. The scent was faint and barely detectable. Yet within moments of its burning, I felt an overwhelming sense of relaxation wash over me, as if my entire body’s energy was being stirred and my vitality gradually replenished.
Bai Qianfan sat quietly at a nearby chair sipping tea without saying a word. Time passed without my noticing until someone from Yongzhou Prefecture delivered a stack of documents to him. He continued sipping his tea while slowly lowering his head to read them. After more than half an hour had passed, he finally lifted his gaze; by then, I was nearly asleep.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"It feels... quite magical," I heard my voice reply lazily.
Bai Qianfan smiled slightly and raised the documents in his hand. "The robbery case has some answers now; would you like to know?"
"So soon?!"
"Miss Ye, everything you've said is correct; every detail is incredibly precise and admirable. Therefore, the first layer has been peeled away."
"The first layer?"
Bai Qianfan chuckled softly, set down his teacup, and handed me the documents. The contents were chaotic and seemed to involve several unrelated matters. As I skimmed through them, I found myself somewhat confused.
"Do you know about Xingqu?"
I shook my head in confusion.
"Buddhist Scriptures say: If a disciple of the Buddha cannot eat the five pungent vegetables—garlic, leeks, onions, and Xingqu." As he spoke, he gestured and explained the shape of this "Xingqu."
At that moment, I was completely baffled. After a while, wasn't that just an onion?
Wasn't the onion introduced to our country in the 0th century? It seems not only chili peppers have crossed over, but onions have too!
However, Bai Qianfan's focus was clearly not on how onions had crossed over; he wanted to discuss the robbery we had just witnessed.
"This thing called Xingqu looks round, but it actually grows in layers. To peel it open and see what’s inside is not an easy task. Often, after peeling one layer, there’s still another layer beneath it, as if you can never reach the core. Just like the cases we hold in our hands."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Lord Bai, actually, cabbage is also layered!"
"But with Xingqu, you can't see what's inside without peeling off the outer layer. And when you peel Xingqu, you might hurt yourself." He pointed to his eyes. "You might end up crying."
Thinking about it, he was right. Cutting onions is an unpleasant task, on par with peeling yam—one makes you choke and cry, while the other makes you itch and scratch your head. I suddenly realized that for someone like me who only had theoretical knowledge without practical experience, completely solving a case was still a rather unfamiliar territory. Perhaps true investigators often find their eyes unwittingly filled with tears as they peel away the layers of an onion and gradually uncover the causes and effects within.
So then, does the heart ache too?
I looked up at Bai Qianfan, who was as calm as still water. Is this person before me like that? What about Teacher Zhang? And Nie Qiuyuan?
How could this be? Just because of a metaphor, I suddenly felt that my once-proud field of expertise had become strange to me?
"Miss Ye," he continued, "this case is not about robbery but revenge killing; I believe so too. Therefore, I instructed the County Constable of Wannian County to investigate those who had grievances with the deceased."
Seeing that I was listening intently, Bai Qianfan continued: "As a result, we found that recently there had been a serious conflict between the deceased and Wang Er, the boss of a silk shop across the street. When officials searched Wang Er's home, they indeed found the murder weapon you had previously guessed: scissors and a iron shovel, both stained with fresh blood."
These were all expected developments; there was nothing surprising about them. Since he mentioned onions, however, it seemed things shouldn't be this simple.
“Murderer has been found. After being taken to the county office for questioning, he revealed the source of his hatred.”
It turned out that both silk shops had their supply channels connected to the Underworld! As Bai Qianfan slowly unraveled the details, I finally understood what was going on.
It was now the year 67 AD, and Li Shimin had just ascended to the throne. Luo Yi had rebelled in the north, while the Turkic Tribe took advantage of the chaos to march south, intending to seize Chang'an in one fell swoop. The twenty-eight-year-old Li Shimin managed to stabilize a situation where he was besieged on all sides, which was already astonishing enough; at this point, he couldn't even focus on rectifying the domestic economy. Thus, the economic situation in the Tang Dynasty could only be described as disastrous.
Currently, within the Tang Dynasty, it was still akin to the End of the Sui Dynasty, with gangs running rampant and profiting from the chaos. They controlled most transportation businesses and monopolized prices on essential goods, leaving the common people in distress. Recently, a prominent merchant in Chang'an had been murdered; he was a straightforward businessman, and his death significantly impacted the economy, further exacerbating the turmoil.
Wang Er's hatred for Zhang Laosan stemmed from a struggle between two gangs over supply channels. To push Wang Er's silk shop out of business, Zhang Laosan exploited the conflict between gangs, cutting off Wang Er's financial lifeline and forcing his wife to commit suicide by jumping into a well.
This truly constituted a deep-seated grudge; no wonder killing him wasn't enough—there was also a desire to sever both of his arms for revenge.
Ah, in an instant, what seemed like an ordinary robbery case escalated to such heights?
“Miss Ye, this is actually why I invited you here today,” Bai Qianfan continued peeling back layers of information.
“Have you ever heard of Du Ruhui, Lord Du?”
Ah, Du Ruhui? I had not just heard of him; his name resonated like thunder!
Comment 0 Comment Count