TRBDM -Chapter 156 Digging Rat Holes?

Jiang Yuelin entered the palace and went straight to Qingfeng Hall.

“Greetings, Tenth Prince,” Jiang Yuelin said, bowing.

“Rise, Lord Jiang,” Zhao Jingheng replied.

This was effectively the first formal meeting between Jiang Yuelin and Zhao Jingheng.

They had glimpsed each other at court banquets before, but had never exchanged words.

Since Zhao Jingheng went to the Imperial Academy, the chances of meeting court officials were almost nonexistent, let alone becoming acquainted with the Junior Secretary of the Court of Justice.

The two studied each other quietly, and Jiang Yuelin was the first to speak. “Tenth Prince, the Emperor has ordered me to thoroughly investigate the poisoning at Qingfeng Hall. I would like to meet with Eunuch Jianxi.”

Zhao Jingheng nodded.

“Send someone to show Lord Jiang the way.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

They proceeded toward the rear courtyard.

The palace maids and eunuchs assigned to Qingfeng Hall by the Imperial Household Department had already been thoroughly investigated by the palace guards.

Every one of these ten people had powerful backers.

The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, the Noble Consort, even Taihe Hall had eyes here.

What had once been the tightly sealed Qingfeng Hall now had leaks in every direction.

If the poisoning case were investigated internally by the Imperial Household Department, it would inevitably lead nowhere. They could simply pick a scapegoat, and the matter would be considered settled.

Fortunately, with the Junior Secretary of the Court of Justice present, Zhao Jingheng did not have to personally conduct the investigation, saving himself a lot of trouble.

However, the hall was full of spies, and one had to be extremely careful in both words and actions.

Wei Qing, the leader of the four palace guards, told Zhao Jingheng, “Your Highness, if there’s anything urgent, instruct us directly. All food that enters and clothing worn will be inspected by us. Please rest assured.”

But Zhao Jingheng’s tightly wound nerves did not relax even for a moment at Wei Qing’s words.

From the moment he stepped through the palace gates, a peaceful sleep had been impossible.

Now he was in the tiger’s den, with enemies at every turn, every step treacherous.

But at this moment, he had no time to think of anything else. He had to avenge Jianxi.

The only person who had stayed by his side these past three years was Jianxi.

He had many little quirks, and Zhao Jingheng had never trusted him.

But at some point, Jianxi had become Zhao Jingheng’s most loyal servant.

Thus, no matter how many spies were around, Zhao Jingheng was determined to find the one who had poisoned Qingfeng Hall.

Jiang Yuelin arrived at Jianxi’s room and asked several questions.

Jianxi could not speak, but he could write.

One reason he had been selected to serve Zhao Jingheng was that he was literate. After all, the Imperial Academy was where members of the royal family and nobility studied, and a eunuch who couldn’t read would be ridiculed.

Jiang Yuelin didn’t ask many questions, but each one hit the mark.

Jianxi said that the food tasted the same as usual; when he ate, he didn’t notice anything unusual. Within less than half an incense stick’s time, the poison took effect and he collapsed.

The poison was colorless and tasteless. The records listed around ten possibilities. Jiang Yuelin needed to compare them one by one to identify the source.

“Are the leftovers from that day still there?”

“Yes.”

The Imperial Household Department had originally wanted to take everything away, but Zhao Jingheng stopped them, allowing only half to be removed. The remaining half was in the small kitchen of Qingfeng Hall.

“Tenth Prince, I need to take the remaining food back to the Court of Justice to test for poison.”

“Very well, go ahead.”

Jiang Yuelin had the food sealed and then went to the imperial kitchen with his team.

There were only two possible stages where the poison could have been administered: during meal preparation or while transporting the food.

All the servants who had come into contact with the food that day were detained by the Imperial Household Department and interrogated repeatedly.

When Jiang Yuelin arrived, the director of the Imperial Household Department, Xu Yue, greeted him with a smile and led him into the imperial kitchen.

“Lord Jiang, please come in.”

“I want to see everyone responsible for purchasing, cleaning, cooking, and delivering the meals on the day of the incident. Not a single one can be missing.”

Xu Yue’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered. “All of them are detained in the prison. I’ll take you there.”

Jiang Yueling’s sharp gaze swept over Xu Yue as he followed him into the prison.

At Qingfeng Hall, Zhao Jingheng had been sitting in Jianxi’s room for a while and was just about to leave when Jianxi stopped him.

“What is it?”

Jianxi pulled out eighteen taels of silver from his bedding and wrote on a piece of paper: “Your Highness, did you dig into my mouse hole?”

“…” Zhao Jingheng was at a complete loss.

“Your Highness, did you think I was dead, so you went after my mouse hole?” Jianxi felt a little wronged. He was tough; a mere poison could never take his life.

Really, Your Highness could have waited a couple of days—at least until he had completely passed—before touching his mouse hole.

Besides, even if he had truly died, the eighteen taels would still have been left for His Highness. Whether it was taken a day earlier or a day later, the result would be the same.

Why was His Highness in such a hurry?

Zhao Jingheng watched Jianxi frown and purse his lips, clearly showing his thoughts, and he guessed exactly what was on his mind.

“Jianxi.”

“Hm?”

“Go check the mouse hole.”

Zhao Jingheng dropped the words and walked out directly.

Puzzled, Jianxi went to the mouse hole and lowered his head to look inside. There was a navy-blue bundle, plump and stuffed—the very bundle he had personally put in, containing the silver.

He reached out for the bundle. It was heavy. Opening it, he saw exactly the eighteen taels of silver he had hidden.

So…

The silver on his bed had been a gift from Tenth Your Highness!

Jianxi smacked his head hard. Ugh, he had misunderstood His Highness.

The penny-pinching Jianxi realized, for the first time, that even this little quirk of his could be so embarrassing.

At dusk, Xie Lan and Xie Yu left the Dong residence.

“Fourth Brother, are we going to the dessert shop today?”

Xie Yu shook his head. “Big Sister said she’s making fermented rice dumplings today. Let’s just go back home.”

Xie Lan remained silent.

These days, he had been observing Boss Qin’s dessert shop.

The shop usually stayed closed and only opened when Xie Yu finished school.

Every time Xie Yu bought dessert, the shop would close immediately afterward.

The Princess had set up her dessert shop in the bustling market, disguised as an ordinary shopkeeper, just so she could speak a few words with her son.

Today, she was probably still waiting for Xie Yu.

Xie Lan said, “I feel like drinking honey yuzu water today. Should we go to Boss Qin’s to get some?”

Hearing that Xie Lan wanted it, Xie Yu immediately nodded. “Sure, let’s go.”

From afar, Xie Lan saw the green flag of Boss Qin’s dessert shop fluttering in the wind. The Princess’s stunning face was hidden in the shadows; if one didn’t look carefully, they wouldn’t notice her at all.

As Xie Yu approached, the Princess immediately stood up, her smile reaching deep into her heart.

She was patient and gentle, her gaze always on Xie Yu’s face.

When Xie Yu carried the desserts away, she would keep watching his back, filled with reluctance, attachment, and sorrow.

After the Xie family’s carriage left, Xie Lan glanced back. The green flag that had been hanging outside was quickly taken down, and the shop door slammed shut.

“Third Brother, the honey lemon water is a bit sour today; I’m afraid it won’t suit your taste,” Xie Yu said after taking a sip.

Through his visits over the past days, Xie Lan had realized that every dessert in the shop was brewed according to Xie Yu’s taste.

Take this jar of honey yuzu water, for example. There should have been more honey, so the sweetness would cover the sourness. But clearly, Boss Qin’s recipe emphasized the sour flavor.

“Sour? Then I won’t drink it. You have it.”

Xie Yu had originally planned to save his stomach for the fermented rice dumplings back at the Xie residence, but the honey yuzu water was too delicious, and he couldn’t resist finishing it all.

After drinking, he sighed deeply: “Third Brother, I may never be able to leave Boss Qin.”