Mo Sang – CH 091

Chapter 91. An Accident

Gu Jin, riding in a palanquin, went to see the physician once. Hearing the imperial physician say his pulse was stable and he was definitely alright, he finally felt a little relieved. Leaving the palace gates, he rubbed his forehead vigorously, his heart pounding with urges to smash things and curse.

Ah Yue had gone out with her twice. The first time, Gu Jin heard she was hurling insults like a shrew; the second time, Ah Yue was truly drunk!

This was the first time Ah Yue had ever been drunk in her life. She rarely drank; her previous so-called drunkenness was nothing more than having had a couple of extra drinks!

Sensing Gu Jin’s volatile temper, everyone from Qing-Feng to the middle-aged eunuch carrying the palanquin held their breath.

Gu Jin returned to Ming’an Palace, his breathing unsteady. He sat on the couch in the side hall, rubbing his face vigorously, forcefully suppressing the urge to smash things and curse.

“I will talk about it tomorrow. I will talk about it when Ah Yue wakes up. It’s not too late to talk about this tomorrow!”

He was in a rage and should not make any decisions.

……………………

The next day, after the morning court session, Gu Jin gestured to Gu Xi, and they entered Ming’an Palace together.

Before speaking, Gu Jin saw Princess Ninghe standing anxiously in the side hall’s corridor.

“Have the effects of the alcohol worn off? Does your head hurt?” Gu Xi had seen Princess Ninghe earlier and called out with concern from afar.

“I am fine now,” Princess Ninghe answered Gu Xi, lifting her skirt and hurrying forward, but looking at Gu Jin cautiously. “I did not drink much yesterday; I was just a little tired, so I fell asleep.”

“Not only were you drunk, but you also started talking nonsense.” Gu Jin frowned.

“Really, I did not.” Princess Ninghe’s voice was even softer.

“What did you drink yesterday? You never like to drink,” Gu Xi asked, trying to change the subject.

“They said it’s peach blossom wine from Qingfeng Pavilion, like honey water. I thought it was probably just a soup that tasted like wine,” Princess Ninghe said, her voice short and guilty.

As she drank, even though she was already quite dizzy, she found the peach blossom wine increasingly delicious.

“Oh!” Gu Xi raised an eyebrow, exclaiming, “Qingfeng Pavilion’s peach blossom wine is indeed like honey water, but it has a strong aftereffect. Did Lady Li not see you drinking it?”

“Lady Li gave it to me. She probably does not know; she definitely does not know. She does not like peach blossom wine; she drinks Jade Soul,” Ninghe carefully covered for Li Sangrou while glancing at Gu Jin.

“She definitely knows. She loves peach blossom wine too.

Do not worry, getting drunk is fine. I’ve been drunk before, and my brother has been drunk too. It’s nothing.

Does your head still hurt? Are you still feeling unwell?” Gu Xi gently patted Gu Jin.

“My head does not hurt, and I do not feel unwell.” Princess Ninghe glanced at Gu Jin again.

“Look how scared you’ve made Ah Yue,” Gu Xi looked directly at Gu Jin and said bluntly.

“Going out drinking for the first time, and you got so drunk…”

“It’s just the first time, that’s why you were like that. You will know better next time; at least you know your limits, right? You definitely will not get this drunk again, right?” Gu Xi explained for Ninghe.

Princess Ninghe quickly nodded.

“Sigh.” Gu Jin frowned and sighed.

“Then Ah Yue, you should not drink anymore, and you should not go out so much.” Gu Xi turned around and winked at Princess Ninghe.

“Alright, I will not go out anymore, and I will not talk to Lady Li anymore,” Princess Ninghe quickly added to Gu Xi’s words.

“It’s not that I do not want you to go out or that I do not want you to go out with Lady Li. Sigh!” Gu Jin sighed again.

“Look at you! Your face has not been sunny since we came in.

Look how scared you’ve made Ah Yue! Ah Yue is always obedient. If you think something’s wrong, just tell her. When has Ah Yue ever disobeyed?” Gu Xi complained to Gu Jin.

“It’s not because of Ah Yue,” Gu Jin sighed again. “Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this anymore.

You’ve been drunk once, which is good. As your Third Brother said, at least you know your limits.

Remember, drink responsibly, and do everything else responsibly.

Do not get so drunk that you end up unconscious like yesterday. Alcohol is bad for your health and can easily lead to trouble.” Gu Jin looked at Princess Ninghe and solemnly instructed her.

Princess Ninghe nodded repeatedly.

“You were only drinking yesterday. You probably do not even remember any of the excitement at the literary gathering, do you?” Gu Jin wanted to sigh again, but he held back and smiled.

“I remember, I remember everything!” Princess Ninghe chuckled, eager to prove she’d been quite lucid yesterday.

“Yesterday, we invited Minister Zhou to comment on the banquet.

Seventh Young Master said that since Minister Zhou’s beloved concubine died, Minister Zhou has not written any good poems or lyrics, and even his ability to critique poetry and prose has declined considerably. He said we really should not have invited him yesterday.

Seventh Young Master also said that these were not his words, but those of his Third Brother.

Seventh Young Master instructed us not to tell anyone, and especially not to say it was his Third Brother, or his Third Brother would beat him again.”

Princess Ninghe spoke quickly, laughing as she spoke.

Gu Xi raised an eyebrow, while Gu Jin was somewhat stunned. What was all this talk about? What did she mean by “beloved concubine”?

“And also, Eleventh Master Tian said that Eldest Master Ma, Hanlin Academician Ma’s eldest grandson, is actually quite short. He says Eldest Master Ma looks tall only because his shoes have such high soles!”

Princess Ninghe gestured with her thumb and forefinger to show just how high.

“Hei Ma said Eleventh Master Tian was talking nonsense, saying that with such high soles, one would be on stilts, and that stilts are difficult, something nobles like him certainly could not do.

Eleventh Master Tian and Hei Ma started arguing, and they made a bet. Eleventh Master Tian said he would steal a pair of Eldest Master Ma’s shoes. If the soles were less than three inches, he would do ten frog jumps outside Donghua Gate.

If they were more than three inches, Hei Ma would also do ten jumps.

I bet on Hei Ma, and Lady Li bet on Eleventh Master Tian.”

Princess Ninghe became increasingly enthusiastic, her eyes sparkling.

Gu Jin stared in disbelief, while Gu Xi could not hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

“You drank too much yesterday; you should not have gotten up so early today. Go back and rest. I will have the imperial physician check your pulse again later.” Gu Xi quickly patted Princess Ninghe, suppressing a laugh as he gestured for her to go back and rest.

“Alright, then I will go back first. Third Brother,” Princess Ninghe happily agreed, turning around and gently tugging at Gu Xi, asking in a low voice, “Do you know what a slingshot is?”

“Yes, how do you know that?” Gu Xi raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Yesterday, Lady Li hit butterflies with small stones, and she was very accurate. She said I could find a slingshot to practice with, saying it’s very easy. Could you have someone find one for me?” Princess Ninghe looked eager to try it out.

Gu Xi raised his eyebrows high, pushing Princess Ninghe towards the door while whispering, “Let me see if I can find one. That thing is hard to find. If I do, I will have Zhihe deliver it to you and teach you how to use it.”

“Alright!” Princess Ninghe’s voice rose at the end, sounding extremely cheerful.

Gu Xi stood under the eaves, watching Princess Ninghe walk away, then turned back.

“I really need to think carefully about whether it’s appropriate for Ah Yue to go out with Boss Li,” Gu Jin said wearily, rubbing his temples.

“What’s inappropriate about it? Ah Yue is so happy. I’ve never seen her this happy in all these years. It’s nothing serious, just a little too much wine. It’s not a big mistake,” Gu Xi firmly objected.

Ah Yue’s eyes sparkled with such joy; he had only seen that look when she was very young.

Gu Jin fell silent, then sighed softly after a long pause. “You need to think about it. Ah Yue is so happy because of that carefree joy.”

Gu Xi raised an eyebrow. Gu Jin leaned back and looked at Gu Xi. “Fine, if you think it’s suitable, then it’s suitable. But if Ah Yue wants to be carefree, then we have to do our best to move forward.

Second Brother’s marriage cannot be entirely left to them. I still think that Young Lady Shen is the most suitable for the Empress position. She’s smart enough. We need to push her into a suitable position. The Marquis of Yongping’s faction needs someone smart enough to lead it so that it appears to be on equal footing with you.”

“You arrange this personally. Make sure Shen He understands perfectly well that it’s most beneficial for the Shen family to have Young Lady Shen as Empress. Have them persuade Worthy Consort Shen, no matter what methods they use.”

“Alright!” Gu Xi agreed readily.

“Young Lady Shen…” Gu Jin looked at Gu Xi but stopped mid-sentence.

“What’s wrong with Young Lady Shen?” Gu Xi waited a moment, seeing Gu Jin just staring at him without speaking, and could not help but ask.

“Nothing.” Gu Jin sighed almost imperceptibly. “Go see Boss Li and tell her that Ah Yue is different from her; Ah Yue is just an ordinary woman. Tell her that I asked you to remind her of this.”

“Alright,” Gu Xi answered readily.

Watching Gu Xi leave the palace, Gu Jin sighed.

The eldest daughter of the Shen family did not want to marry the second son, but rather his younger brother.

Presumably, the eldest daughter had already persuaded the Empress Shen that if they were mutually in love, they could be together. Unfortunately, her affections were unrequited.

It would be more beneficial for them and for the overall situation if the eldest daughter married the second son.

……………………

From the New Year until the fourth month, Nanny Nie and Zou Wang, this pair of partners, became increasingly busy.

The two of them quickly took over the management of the four prefectures and sixteen counties from Jianle City to Wuwei Prefecture and then from Wuwei Prefecture to Yangzhou and from Yangzhou back to Jianle City.

In just two or three months, Zou Wang’s demeanor had changed drastically. He was now humble yet confident and had even bought two servants to accompany him. His behavior in and out of merchant guilds and yamens was always measured and appropriate.

Nanny Nie, however, changed in a different way.

She had lost a lot of weight but looked much younger. The cart was still the same, but now it was pulled by two large blue mules, almost as tall as horses. The mules pulled the cart, and when they were not walking, they were either trotting or galloping.

Nanny Nie herself walked at a trot, creating a gust of wind as she passed.

There was no other way; she was too busy.

……………………

Just a few days into the fourth month, Li Sangrou received the first top-priority urgent message from Shunfeng Express.

The letter was from Zou Wang.

The manager of the delivery station in Linhuan County, Suzhou, Sister Qi, had died a violent death. He had just arrived in Linhuan County and already felt he probably could not handle the matter.

After reading the letter, Li Sangrou immediately instructed Hei Ma to go back and pack some clothes and provisions, and sent Jin Mao to invite Lu Hepeng. They selected eight horses and set off immediately for Linhuan County.

The journey from Jianle City to Linhuan was over 600 li. Li Sangrou received the letter at dusk, and the group hurried along. Upon reaching Bozhou, they unloaded their eight horses, replaced them with eight stronger ones, and continued their journey at a rapid pace.

As dawn broke, Li Sangrou and her group of four arrived at the post station in Fuli Prefecture, Suzhou.

Zou Wang was not at the post station. The four quickly washed up, changed into clean clothes, ate something, and headed straight for Linhuan County.

Before the riders arrived in Linhuan County, Li Sangrou and her companions had already reached the post station.

The temporary post station groom, who had just removed the door panels and was sweeping the floor, saw Hei Ma and hurriedly put down his broom. Before even getting close, he pointed towards Sister Qi’s house. “Manager Zou is watching over things at Sister Qi’s house. Master Ma, please go and see! Alas, it’s truly pitiful.”

Hei Ma and Jin Mao handed the horse to the groom. Hei Ma ran ahead, leading the group towards Sister Qi’s house.

Sister Qi’s house was not close to the delivery station; the surrounding area was remote and dirty.

A white cloth hung above Sister Qi’s door, and the pale lanterns still glowed with candlelight. A servant dressed in plain clothes was burning paper money at the door. Seeing Hei Ma, he called out, “Master! Master Ma is here! Master Ma is here!”

Zou Wang rushed out of the courtyard gate.

“Boss, Master Mao, Master Ma, Master Lu,” Zou Wang greeted them quickly and then looked at Li Sangrou. He opened his mouth to speak, but choked up. “Boss… let’s go inside first.” Li Sangrou strode into the courtyard.

The courtyard was dilapidated yet clean. A jujube tree stood by the east wing entrance, its leaves a vibrant green, laden with small jujubes.

In the dilapidated main house, the two doors had been removed. In the center lay a finely crafted black-lacquered coffin. On the altar before the coffin, white candles burned, and fresh flowers and fruit were offered.

Before the coffin, on a large, thick, soft cushion, sat a thin, frail little girl of about six or seven, dressed in mourning clothes, sitting motionless.

Li Sangrou entered, first squatting beside her, calling her name, reaching out to touch her, and picking her up, but the girl seemed oblivious.

Tears welled up in Li Sangrou’s eyes. She gently put the little girl down and gestured to Jin Mao. “Come here, talk to her.”

Li Sangrou lit incense, then came out and looked at Zou Wang. “What happened?”

“I received the letter around noon the day before yesterday, saying that the delivery shop in Linhuan was closed.

As luck would have it, I was in Fuli Prefecture at the time. I rushed over and found the place, but no one was home. I asked the neighbors, and they said that the day before, Sister Qi had taken her daughter to the shop at dawn and had not returned.

I was terrified when I heard that.

There were not many letters from Linhuan County, maybe ten or eight a day, at most a dozen or twenty, and not many were sent out.

Sister Qi had initially told me that she did not hire anyone to deliver the mail. In the morning, she would collect the morning and evening newspapers at the shop, then send them out. Afterward, she would have her daughter, Guo’er, watch the shop while she delivered all the mail within the city.

If there was mail from outside the city, she would close the shop early in the afternoon and take Guo’er to deliver it.

There were not many letters from outside the city, and they did not come every day.

I rushed to the shop next door to ask. They said that Sister Qi had closed her shop around noon that day and had even spoken to Aunt Liu, who sold roast chicken next door, asking her to save half a roast chicken for her when she returned. She left and never came back.

I immediately went to the post station and checked the mail from that day. There was only one letter from outside the city, addressed to Master Wang’s family in Huanshui Town. I immediately headed to Huanshui Town, but before I even entered, I heard that there had been a dead body outside the town.”

Zou Wang’s throat tightened, and after a long pause, he continued, “It was Sister Qi; her life was tragic. I did not see Guo’er then; Sister Qi had taken Guo’er with her when she left the city. I quickly searched for her, and Guo’er was behind an old locust tree not far from Sister Qi, with Sister Qi’s mail satchel covering her head.

When I found her, she was like this. I carried her back, and she’s been like this ever since.

She probably saw how Sister Qi died; she was terrified and lost her mind.”

“Did you report it to the authorities?” Li Sangrou asked coldly.

“Yes, I did. I went through a few roundabout ways, cultivated some connections with the county grain clerk, and gave him ten taels of silver. The county grain clerk took me to see Magistrate Luo.

Magistrate Luo’s meaning was that Sister Qi, a woman with her daughter, running around all day, was bound to die a violent death sooner or later.” Zou Wang’s report was direct and clear.

“Magistrate Luo is a man of strict moral principles and utterly despises women showing their faces in public,” Lu Hepeng added.

He had already thoroughly researched the backgrounds and personalities of officials of all ranks along the Shunfeng Express route.

“Bai Liangshu said the same thing. I found Sister Qi and brought Guo’er back, but I did not dare to collect Sister Qi’s body first; I submitted the complaint first.

Magistrate Luo did not go to the scene; he only sent a minor yamen runner and the butcher from the east end of the county to take a look. I went with them, but they only glanced at it from afar and left.

So I collected Sister Qi’s body and brought her back first.”

“Open the coffin; I want to see it.” Li Sangrou took a deep breath and gestured to Hei Ma.

“I suppose the Boss will want to see it; the coffin has not been nailed shut yet,” Zou Wang said, hurrying Hei Ma inside.

Jin Mao shielded Guo’er’s eyes, while Zou Wang and Hei Ma, one in front and one behind, pushed open the heavy coffin lid. Li Sangrou, standing on a stool, peered into the coffin.

Inside the coffin, Sister Qi’s face was unrecognizable, almost unrecognizable.

Li Sangrou leaned halfway inside, carefully lifting the burial shroud that covered her, examining the horrific injuries on Sister Qi’s body.

She had been beaten to death, and before her death, she had been wantonly violated.

“I will definitely get justice for you, right now, in the next few days. Wait a moment; after you’ve seen it all, then you can go to your death.

I will raise Guo’er for you, do not worry,” Li Sangrou said gently, stroking Sister Qi’s face.