The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 21 Huang Cuier

"Wang Yuanlang?"

Shen Lang asked, "What is this person's position?"

Li Zhong spat and said angrily, "He's just a sixth-rank clerk on duty in the Ministry of Justice!"

"With just a little power, how dare they bully the Prince's mansion?"

"This vile creature is no better than a ravenous beast, utterly devoid of conscience..."

The old steward became more and more agitated as he spoke, and he couldn't stop cursing.

It was clear he was really angry; his fingers were trembling as he spoke.

"Sixth rank?"

Shen Lang frowned, feeling increasingly uneasy.

In Kyoto, a sixth-rank official is considered a nobody; one blow with a brick could kill a whole group of them.

Who gave a mere sixth-rank official the audacity to treat a prince's widow like this?

When I was in Lin'an County, I often heard people say that Yan Song was the leader of the court officials.

This person was deeply favored by the emperor, wielded immense power, openly sold official positions and accepted bribes, and was almost able to control the entire government!

Now that we've arrived in Yujing, we realize that the rumors circulating in the countryside were far too conservative!

Even if there were other hidden reasons, it is a fact that a minor official of the sixth rank who was affiliated with Yan's faction did not take the Prince's Mansion seriously.

You can see the big picture from small details; you can recognize your owner from a dog.

One can imagine how arrogant Yan Song must have been!

Upon learning that the Ministry of Justice had no personal grudges with the Prince of Jing'an's Mansion and was not taking the opportunity to retaliate, Shen Lang's heart sank slightly.

Outlaws and mysterious assassins have now drawn in the Yan faction...

The waters of the Jing'an Prince's Mansion were far more murky than he had imagined.

This matter is full of doubts and the clues are complicated, making it difficult to sort out the situation in a short time.

Shen Lang put the matter aside for the time being and stopped thinking about it.

Given the current situation, the best solution is to apprehend the flower thief as quickly as possible and respond to any eventuality with a steadfast approach.

When the wind stops, the water becomes still.

Then you can see everything underwater.

......

A while later.

Manager Li finished his tirade.

"Lord Shen, please excuse my poor appearance."

After venting his emotions, he calmed down considerably and bowed to Shen Lang.

"The princess is pure and kind, and treats everyone very well. I really can't bear to see her suffer this injustice."

Shen Lang smiled and said, "The princess is always magnanimous and won't take it to heart. You're overthinking it."

Li Zhong shook his head and sighed again.

"By the way, has Steward Li seen my parrot?"

"Your Excellency, the princess went out to visit friends, and Yingge insisted on going with her. We couldn't stop her."

Shen Lang chuckled and said, "It's alright, it will go home on its own when it's time."

"Be extra vigilant around the manor these next few days, and don't let the thieves disguise themselves as servants and sneak in again."

Li Zhong nodded repeatedly: "The princess ordered this old servant to organize the servants into groups of ten, to supervise each other, and to report daily. This old servant is making the arrangements."

Shen Lang praised, "This method is excellent. The princess is truly intelligent."

After giving a few more instructions, the guards at the gate hurriedly came in to report.

"Lord Shen, you have a colleague visiting!"

Shen Lang was stunned for a moment before realizing that there must be news from Liu Baichuan's side, and immediately said:

"Bring him in!"

Before long, the guards led Liu Baichuan to the outer courtyard flower hall.

Liu Baichuan, dressed in casual clothes, stroked his small mustache and looked at the respectful maid serving tea, teasingly saying:

"I never imagined that Lord Shen would live such a carefree life in the Prince's residence; it's truly enviable!"

From the moment he entered the gate, he noticed that the servants in the Prince's mansion seemed to treat Shen Lang with unusual respect.

As a result, his colleague also received preferential treatment.

He had visited many other mansions of powerful and wealthy people, but the servants there all acted as if they had their heads on the ground.

I heard that he was a captain without any rank, and he didn't even have a place to sit, let alone tea.

Shen Lang was quite surprised to receive such treatment after only working at the Jing'an Prince's Mansion for one day.

He couldn't help but believe his guess even more: Shen Lang was no ordinary person; he either had a powerful background or great abilities.

Otherwise, given Princess Jing'an's notoriously fiery nature, she would never have done this.

Shen Lang waved his hand: "Brother Liu is joking. When you're on duty, there's no such thing as a leisurely or comfortable life."

"Brother Liu, have you already gathered any information on your trip?"

Liu Baichuan nodded slightly and looked at the maids standing beside him.

Shen Lang waved his hand: "You guys go and rest first."

"Yes, Lord Shen." The maids curtsied and stepped aside.

Seeing that no one was around, Liu Baichuan straightened his expression, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to Shen Lang.

"This is a copy of the crime scene, along with some clues given by the people who handled the case at the time. Please keep it safe, Brother Shen."

Shen Lang took it, glanced at it, and nodded his thanks: "Very detailed, Brother Liu, thank you for your trouble."

"Did the authorities get involved?"

Liu Baichuan stroked his beard and laughed, "Don't worry, how could I possibly make a mistake in such a small matter?"

"Using a calculated approach, they subtly extracted information from the unsuspecting by engaging in banter and joking around, without the other side even realizing it."

"That's excellent."

Shen Lang folded the paper and put it in his pocket, then stood up and said, "Brother Liu, please forgive me, the situation is urgent, I must depart now."

"Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll invite Brother Liu to Huanghuafang for drinks and music."

"Huanghuafang...the Jiaofangsi?"

Liu Baichuan leaned back, pointing both index fingers at Shen Lang with a playful tone, and joked:

"Excellent, excellent."

"I never imagined that Brother Shen was also a person of this kind."

"I await Brother Shen's triumphant return!"

Shen Lang was amused by his posture and burst into laughter:

"Then it's settled!"

The two walked out of the Prince's mansion side by side. Before parting, Liu Baichuan patted Shen Lang on the shoulder and solemnly said:

"Brother Shen, please be careful."

Shen Lang clasped his hands in a fist salute to him, then mounted his horse and rode away.

......

Huang Cuier was an ordinary village girl.

She usually worked as a maid in the Yong'an Marquis's mansion. She was not sold into servitude; she had a contract for living expenses.

The monthly salary is 300 coins, and there is a half-day off each month.

The accident happened at her home, in a desolate area outside Xuanwu Gate, right next to an illegal brick kiln.

This was the main slum area of ​​the outer city, reeking of foul odors and frequently plagued by outbreaks of disease.

Less than two miles further west lies the government-established mass burial ground, Louzeyuan.

Legend has it that eunuchs and palace maids who committed serious crimes in the palace and were executed by slow slicing were all buried here.

Local legend has it that the place is filled with resentment, and phosphorescent lights often flicker at night, giving it an eerie atmosphere.

Therefore, anyone with some ability moved out.

Those who still live here are all poor people who are old, weak, sick, or disabled.

Following the address provided by Liu Baichuan, Shen Lang quickly found Huang Cuier's home.

A mud-brick hut with collapsed walls and a leaky roof, without walls or a courtyard, overgrown with weeds and broken tiles.

"The poorer you are, the more miserable you become. What's the logic behind this?"

Looking at the desolate scene around him, Shen Lang recalled the description of Huang Cuier's tragic condition on the piece of paper Liu Baichuan had given him, and sighed deeply.

He tied up the horse and knocked on the cracked wooden door.

Is anyone home?

A short while later, a thin, wrinkled old woman with white hair opened the door and coughed.

Who are you?

The old man sized him up, his eyes filled with wariness.

Shen Lang revealed his waist badge: "I am a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, here to investigate the murder of Huang Cuier."