Chapter 84: Succession Struggle

The Si Li Jian's sealed old case, the vicious killer, the heir of Prince Jing's mansion. Clues intertwine one by one, yet they don't make the truth's puzzle clearer, but rather more blurred. Does the heir have a problem or not? Why did the tragic case of the Wu family's extermination occur, and why was the killer so malicious towards the Wu family's main wife? Who exactly is the killer? After investigating all night, they didn't get an answer, but rather more questions. The Inner Prison's case file library was silent, the oil lamp flame was straight, as if the air no longer circulated.

It wasn't until the lamp wick gave a 'pa' sound and burst a small spark that Xi Feng whispered, "Sir, let's not touch this case for now. Let's wait until Master Jin Zhu comes back." Chen Ji, sitting opposite the table, gave a hum and smiled, saying, "This indeed is not a case we can touch. You and I should just treat it as a ghostly matter and not pursue it further."

As soon as he finished speaking, the oil lamp flame on the table flickered, and a cold wind surged up from the depths of the Inner Prison. Chen Ji felt an icy current surge from the deeper layers of the Inner Prison, just like last time. As long as he stayed in this Inner Prison long enough, the icy current would naturally come looking for him. Xi Feng felt the cold wind, immediately stood up alertly, drew his knife, and looked coldly towards where the cold wind came from. "Sir, did you feel that gust of yin wind just now?" Chen Ji was amused. "I thought you really didn't believe there were ghosts in this world." Xi Feng was a little embarrassed for a moment. "Everyone says there are. Although I've never seen them, I always have doubts in my heart. Since there are even immortals in this world, what if there really are ghosts?"

This time it was Chen Ji's turn to be startled for a while. "Are there really immortals? Have you seen one?" Xi Feng whispered, "Xu Shu, the Deputy Director of our Da Ning Dynasty's Qin Tian Jian, is a reincarnated immortal!"

"Eh..." Chen Ji was surprised. He had heard this name. Earlier, during the Double Ninth Festival, when the Buddha Bodhisattva was patrolling in front of Taiping Medical Hall, the master once mentioned this Xu Shu. It was said that he was Xu Ge Lao, Xu Gong's only son. After accidentally dying, Xu Ge Lao looked at the complete version of Qing Shan. He spent a fortune inviting the abbot of Yuan Jue Temple to mold a physical body for him with the Seven Treasures Lotus Lamp, allowing him to live another life. How, in Xi Feng's mouth, had the other party become a reincarnated immortal? Chen Ji asked doubtfully, "I remember he's Xu Ge Lao's son, right? How did he become an immortal?" Xi Feng thought for a moment and said, "I don't know how he became an immortal, but this is what Master Wu Xiu personally told Master Jin Zhu. Many people in the Si Li Jian heard it. Master Wu Xiu wouldn't talk nonsense."

"Wu Xiu?""He's a Grand Eunuch in our Si Li Jian who holds a brush. He now serves at the Emperor's side and is a big figure in the Inner Court, covering half the sky. Let's go, sir. It's getting late. I'll see you back." Chen Ji thought for a bit and said, "Trouble you, Xi Feng, to avoid me for a while. I want to use the Inner Prison's brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to write a letter to a friend." Xi Feng said, "Okay, sir. I'll wait for you outside."

Chen Ji picked up a brush from the table, deliberated his phrasing, and wrote a letter on a piece of paper. After the handwriting dried, he folded the letter and put it into his sleeve. After leaving the Inner Prison, Xi Feng helped Chen Ji onto the carriage. He didn't know how long the carriage swayed before it dropped him off at the roadside of the East Market. The carriage slowly left, and Chen Ji gently took off the black cloth over his eyes. His thin figure turned to look at the back of the carriage. Chen Ji walked back for a long time, confirming that no one was following him, and then found a small beggar lying by the roadside. He squatted beside the beggar and gently called out. The small beggar opened his eyes. Seeing the masked Chen Ji, he immediately shrank into a corner in fear. "Don't grab me." Chen Ji extended his hand, opened his palm, revealing twenty coins in his palm. The small beggar immediately reached out to grab them, but then saw Chen Ji close his hand again and withdraw it. He took a letter from inside his sleeve and handed it to the small beggar. "Tomorrow, deliver this letter to Taiping Medical Hall. Tomorrow evening, I will give you ten coins. Remember, Taiping Medical Hall." The small beggar hurriedly nodded. "Okay, sir. I'll send it as soon as the sky breaks."

Sporadic small snowflakes floated in the sky again, lightly falling on Chen Ji's hair. The small beggar suddenly said, "Sir, give me one coin first. I'll buy some cake to eat. Otherwise, I can't hold on." In the dim night, Chen Ji threw down two coins, turned around, put both hands into his sleeves, and walked towards the west.

Early in the morning, An Xi Street was already bustling. Liang Mao Er, wearing a padded jacket, walked sleepily to the medical hall door, just in time to see Wang Fu's strong servants carrying buckets of salt and sprinkling handfuls on the flagstone road covered with accumulated snow. He was puzzled. Yesterday, Wang Fu only swept the snow in front of his own door. Why was he willing to sprinkle salt that cost thirty wen per jin on the entire street today? Not only that, the strong servants also carried baskets and distributed handfuls of red Yan Men dates to each household, which was particularly festive. Someone inside the medical hall said curiously, "What's going on?" Liang Mao Er turned his head to look and saw Chen Ji and Liu Qu Xing also dressed and at the door. At this time, Xi Bing carried a basket and passed by the door of Taiping Medical Hall. She smiled, squinted, and came forward. "Chen Ji, lift up the hem of your clothes pocket. I'll pour you some more dates." Chen Ji smiled and lifted the hem of his clothes. The girl Xi Bing actually poured half a basket into his pocketed clothes hem in one breath. Liu Qu Xing suddenly felt sour. "Girl Xi Bing, why are you so good to Chen Ji? Pour me some too." Xi Bing rolled her eyes at him. "This is for all of you. If you want to eat, go grab from Chen Ji. I'm leaving. There are still many homes to distribute to!"

Chen Ji looked at the back of the girl Xi Bing and said doubtfully, "Does Wang Fu have a big happy event?" Liu Qu Xing thought for a moment. "Perhaps the Prince is coming back? The neighbors on An Xi Street are all saying that usually when the Prince is here, Wang Fu can be generous. When the Prince is not here, Wang Fu becomes a bit stingy." As he was speaking, he saw those strong servants again taking out bamboo brooms, sweeping the long street clean, as if it hadn't snowed. A sound of climbing the wall came from the backyard. The County Princess shouted, "Who took the ladder away? Help, help, move the ladder over." Liu Qu Xing hurriedly went to the back to welcome her. "I'm coming, I'm coming." Chen Ji turned his head to look and saw the County Princess climb down the ladder, stand under the courtyard wall, untie the small pouch hanging from her waist, take out a piece of broken silver, and hand it to Liu Qu Xing. "Buy six cages of meat buns and four cages of vegetarian buns. Yesterday, I saw Big Brother Mao Er eat four cages alone and wasn't full. Buy some more today." Liang Mao Er smiled honestly. "The County Princess truly has a Bodhisattva's heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dirty small beggar, ragged all over, held a letter and wanted to rush into the medical hall. Liang Mao Er quickly grabbed the back of his neck. "What are you doing?" The small beggar hurriedly said, "Someone told me to deliver a letter here. There's a reward for delivering it." Chen Ji took the letter paper and opened it to read. "Heir my brother, letter received and understood... Give the heir's letter?"

"Give mine?" The heir took the letter in surprise, only looked at it for two eyes, and his expression dimmed. Chen Ji carefully observed the heir's expression and asked curiously, "Heir, who wrote the letter? You seem not too happy?" The heir sighed. "It's Zhang Ping, Wang Quan, Wang Wu, and Li Bo, who drank wine with us before. They... they have something to leave Luo City for. We can't drink wine together anymore."

Chen Ji suddenly felt that the heir seemed not to know that these four people were already dead. The letter was written by Chen Ji. He had searched everywhere, wonderful, taste, book house, and looked at the complete version of Qing Shan. He wrote this letter wanting to see the heir's reaction when he saw a letter written by people who were already dead. If the heir knew these four people were already dead, then no matter how true his continuous acting was, there would always be some doubt in his eyes. But the heir's first reaction was no doubt, only sadness. Speaking of which, even Bai Li had come over. After seeing the letter, he showed contempt on his face. "These people are shameless to leave as soon as they see us. Brother, why are you sad?" The heir said softly, "After all, we were friends for a while!"

Chen Ji suddenly felt that the heir should have no problem. First point, the previous night, when Jin Zhu led the Jie Fan Guard to surround Hong Yi Alley, the Jing Chao Military Intelligence Department had clearly received news in advance. Even Jin Fang's old madam and the girl Yan Er had run away. The heir, however, still foolishly threw himself into the net. This was originally not normal. Second point, the heir was in Dong Lin Academy. If the other party truly had ambition and courage, he should have endured his heart to make friends with scholars, not go to the tavern under the mountain every day to make friends with Jiang Hu people.

Wait... Chen Ji suddenly felt that he might have been thinking in the wrong direction all along. The heir going to Hong Yi Alley's Jin Fang was not necessarily something he wanted to do himself, but those four Jiang Hu people, clearly knowing that Jin Zhu was going to surround Jin Fang, deliberately led the heir over. If the heir was caught and sent to the Inner Prison, who in Wang Fu could possibly benefit from this? Naturally, it would be Jing Fei and Yun Fei. Prince Jing obviously still had the ability to procreate. If the mansion no longer had a son, he would naturally have to find a way to have another child and continue the family line. At that time, the one to inherit the title of Prince Jing would be the offspring of Jing Fei and Yun Fei. And in this Prince Jing mansion, who would get the news in advance that Jin Fang was about to be surrounded?

Yun Fei!

A trace of chill suddenly rose in Chen Ji's heart. Yun Fei. If the whole thing was Yun Fei searching for the wonderful, taste, book house, and looking at the complete version of Qing Shan, surrounding and seizing the heir, planning to send the heir into the Inner Prison with one hand, and then sending people to kill the four Jiang Hu people to silence them, many things seemed to make sense. He had previously heard of ancient people seizing heirs with such ruthlessness, but only treated them as fictional stories, never having personally experienced it. And now, he truly felt the cruelty of Wang Fu seizing the heir.

Not right, not right. Chen Ji turned his head and laughed at his wild thoughts again. He had to remember that Bai Li was also in Jin Fang the previous night. Bai Li was Yun Fei's own daughter. Even if the other party wanted to seize the heir, they wouldn't involve their own daughter. Moreover... If the heir was caught and sent to the Inner Prison, what would happen if the entire Wang Fu was implicated? Chen Ji gave up this guess.

Bai Li came over and, seeing him as if deep in thought, asked doubtfully, "What are you thinking about? I see you're not in a good mood!" Chen Ji laughed, "Nothing, I'm in a very good mood, particularly good." As he spoke, Liang Mao Er carried high steaming cages, steaming white heat, and trotted back to the medical hall. "Chen Ji, County Princess, it's time to eat buns." Chen Ji smiled in response, "Coming." He looked at the heir, and then at Bai Li. As long as the heir wasn't a person with extremely deep city planning and a vicious mind, then it was fine.