Chapter 148: Gao Xi Is Sincerely Convinced, First Entry into the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion
Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Gao Xi Is Sincerely Convinced, First Entry into the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion
"This subordinate, Gao Xi, pays my respects, Your Excellency!" After entering, Gao Xi first bowed respectfully to Wei Yue, then clasped his hands in a salute toward Pei Shaoqing. "Greetings, Lord of Pingyang."
Pei Shaoqing gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment.
"At ease." Wei Yue waved his hand and asked, getting straight to the point, "Hundred Households Commander Gao, what have you come to report?"
"In reply, Your Excellency, this subordinate has come about a murder that occurred in the city a few days ago." Gao Xi first stated his purpose, then explained in detail, "The deceased was a servant from Prince Qi’s Mansion, and it appears he was silenced. Since the matter concerns Prince Qi’s Mansion, we dared not be negligent and have investigated with all our strength, but we’ve made no progress. Therefore, we wish to request the use of the Dharma Mirror."
"It was a servant from Prince Qi’s Mansion who died, not the King of Qi himself. What need is there for the Dharma Mirror? If Hundred Households Commander Gao trusts me, I can lend you a hand," Pei Shaoqing immediately stood up and said with an air of complete confidence.
He didn’t know what the Dharma Mirror was, but he didn’t dare reveal his ignorance. From Gao Xi’s words, however, he understood that this Dharma Mirror was some kind of treasure that helped solve cases.
’In that case, he absolutely has to stop them from using it. If the investigation leads to Liu Yuheng, isn’t that the same as it leading to me?’
Gao Xi’s brow furrowed at these words, and he felt a prickle of annoyance. Pei Shaoqing was clearly positioning himself as the more capable man.
However, due to Pei Shaoqing’s status, he didn’t dare let his feelings show. Besides, he was more than happy to offload this troublesome case and was secretly hoping to see Pei Shaoqing make a fool of himself.
He seized the opportunity. "Your Excellency, my own abilities are lacking, and I’m struggling to solve this case. The Lord of Pingyang, however, seems to believe it’s an easy matter. Why not put him in charge? My Yong’an County Hundred Households will offer our full cooperation to the Lord of Pingyang."
’Hmph! If you think you’re so great, then you can handle it.’
’Let’s see you make a fool of yourself when you can’t solve it.’
With his many years of experience, he believed that no matter how capable Pei Shaoqing was, this case was unsolvable.
"Yunzhi, what do you think?" Wei Yue looked at Pei Shaoqing with great interest. Although this worthy nephew of his had achieved great things, he had never personally witnessed his abilities. This time, it would happen right under his nose.
Hearing that name, Gao Xi raised an eyebrow.
Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly, as if everything was under his control. "Uncle Wei, I’d like to give it a try."
’If I’m in charge, then no matter where the investigation leads, it will never lead back to me.’
’Uncle?’
Gao Xi swallowed hard. ’Fuck!’
He regretted pushing the case onto Pei Shaoqing.
’Although Pei Shaoqing holds the same rank, he’s stationed in Tongzhou. If he fails to solve the case and flies into a rage out of humiliation, he might take it out on me. With his connection to ’Uncle Wei,’ wouldn’t it be simple to make life difficult for me?’
In his many years of service, he knew that these young masters from powerful families had never experienced failure or setbacks, and thus were the least capable of handling them.
The moment they failed, they would shift the blame and take it out on those around them, trying to erase any trace of their own failure.
Don’t ask him why he knew this so well.
This was the Capital City! He had seen too much of it.
’So even though the case is Pei Shaoqing’s now, I still have to do my best to help him solve it. And what’s more, if the case had been solved originally, the primary credit would have been mine. But now, even if *I* solve it, Pei Shaoqing will get all the credit!’
’Fuck!’
A storm of curses raged in Gao Xi’s heart.
"Good. In that case, we’ll let Yunzhi take charge. Hundred Households Commander Gao, you will assist him in the investigation," Wei Yue said with a faint smile.
Gao Xi managed a smile that was uglier than a grimace and answered bitterly, "Yes, Your Excellency."
"This nephew will absolutely not disappoint you, Uncle!" Pei Shaoqing declared firmly. Then he turned to Gao Xi with a smile. "I’m afraid I’ll be troubling you now, Hundred Households Commander Gao."
"It’s no trouble," Gao Xi replied with a smile.
’It’s my damn life that’s the trouble!’
Pei Shaoqing took his leave of Wei Yue. "Then this nephew will be on his way to get the details of the case from Hundred Households Commander Gao."
"Mm, I’ll be waiting for your good news." Wei Yue nodded with a grin, adding a word of caution, "This is the Capital City, not Tongzhou. Be mindful of the impact of your investigation."
"Yes," Pei Shaoqing answered respectfully.
After leaving, he said to Gao Xi, "Hundred Households Commander Gao, tell me the details of the case’s progress so far."
"Yes. We found one thousand two hundred taels of silver in the deceased’s home..." Gao Xi slowly began his account.
By the time they walked out of the Northern Military Governor’s Office, he had finished his explanation. Pei Shaoqing stopped on the street, pondered for a moment, and said with a serious expression, "In my official opinion, the killer is either a local or someone from out of town."
Gao Xi: "..."
"What a profound insight, Lord of Pingyang!" he said, clasping his fist.
After a moment of thought, Pei Shaoqing offered another conclusion: "If it wasn’t a suicide, it must have been a homicide."
"Truly, Lord of Pingyang, every word is a pearl of wisdom, cutting right to the core. You’ve opened my eyes!" Gao Xi exclaimed, his eyes wide with feigned shock and admiration.
Pei Shaoqing added, "The killer is a person."
"That’s what our analysis concluded as well! The Lord of Pingyang is a true master detective!" Listening to him spout increasingly absurd nonsense with a straight face, Gao Xi was finding it hard to keep up the act.
’I was wrong!’
’I was so ridiculously wrong.’
’After all these years serving in the Capital City, how could I still have illusions about these so-called reformed dandies? To think that Pei Shaoqing actually had some real ability...’
’Turns out he’s just another brat coasting on his family’s influence!’
’Except he’s even better at it than the others, managing to get His Majesty to grant him a title. I have to be even more careful with someone like him.’
Fortunately, Pei Shaoqing had no intention of torturing Gao Xi further; he had already completed the obedience test.
He had confirmed that Gao Xi was a smart bureaucrat, not the stiff, technically-minded type who only knew how to bury his head in solving cases.
’That makes the next part much easier.’
Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly and said something seemingly nonsensical to Gao Xi. "It’s surprising that a man as clever as you, Commander Gao, would actually want to catch the real killer."
Gao Xi froze, a look of surprise in his eyes.
’I was wrong again.’
He suddenly understood that Pei Shaoqing had said those ridiculous things just to test him.
"Does the Lord of Pingyang mean we should just find some random person to take the fall?" Gao Xi asked tentatively in a low voice.
"Nonsense! How could you have such an absurd idea?" Pei Shaoqing’s expression turned stern as he rebuked him.
Gao Xi was frightened and quickly admitted his mistake, "Please forgive me, Lord of Pingyang. It was a slip of the tongue, I had no such intention..."
"How can we just ’randomly’ find someone to take the fall? We must ’seriously’ find someone to take the fall! The year-end evaluations are coming up. What if we just pick someone randomly and the South Town finds out?" Pei Shaoqing said irritably.
Gao Xi’s voice died in his throat. After a moment of stunned confusion, he actually felt that Pei Shaoqing was making perfect sense.
’But that’s easier said than done.’
He said in a low voice, "The Lord of Pingyang may not know, but Prince Qi himself is paying close attention to this case. He suspects it’s a conspiracy against him and frequently sends people to check on the progress. So it won’t be so easy to find an unlucky soul to take the blame."
’At first, I wanted to investigate the case properly.’
’Catch the killer, win Prince Qi’s favor.’
’But it turned out to be a dead end!’
’But with Prince Qi watching so closely, I didn’t dare pull the old scapegoat trick. That’s why I had to suck it up and come to the Northern Military Governor’s Office to borrow that Magical Treasure.’
"With a quick calculation, I’ve already determined the true culprit’s identity," Pei Shaoqing said. He already had a fall guy picked out.
Gao Xi blurted out, "Who is it?"
"Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed." Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly and patted his shoulder. "Just wait for my order to make the arrest."
With that, he strode away without looking back.
Watching Pei Shaoqing’s departing figure, Gao Xi couldn’t help but sigh. ’This guy really is skilled.’
’A talent for dirty tricks is still a talent. And using that talent to get yourself ennobled? That’s a talent of a whole other level!’
...
After parting ways with Gao Xi, Pei Shaoqing went to the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion.
He told the gatekeeper he was there to visit Jiang Yuechan.
Although Jiang Xiaoyun was curious about why he was looking for his fourth sister, since the man wasn’t there to see him, he didn’t overstep his bounds. Besides, if he wanted to know the reason for the visit, he could just ask his fourth sister later. She had always been honest and never lied.
When Jiang Yuechan learned that Young Master Pei had asked for her by name, her heart trembled. She recalled their brief, boundary-crossing intimacy at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and her heart began to race. She was afraid of what he might do, but even more afraid that he wouldn’t.
And so, Pei Shaoqing was able to meet with Jiang Yuechan without any trouble.
"Please forgive me for arriving unannounced and imposing on you, Fourth Miss Jiang," Pei Shaoqing said with graceful courtesy.
He hadn’t called her "madam" for a long time.
’It’s a deliberate choice. Make her forget she’s a widow, and it weakens her resolve to stay chaste for her dead husband.’
’It implies she’s available for marriage again.’
’That she can openly and honorably find a new man.’
The moment Jiang Yuechan saw Pei Shaoqing, she felt a phantom itch on the soles of her feet. Feigning calmness, she nodded and asked, "I wonder for what matter the Lord of Pingyang has come to see me?"
"I must ask Fourth Miss Jiang to dismiss her attendants. This matter cannot be overheard," Pei Shaoqing said with a serious expression.
Hearing this request, Jiang Yuechan’s delicate fists clenched. She glanced around. "All of you, leave us."
"Yes, miss." The maids obediently departed.
Jiang Yuechan forced a calm expression and gave Pei Shaoqing a slight smile. "The Lord of Pingyang can speak freely now."
But Pei Shaoqing said nothing, merely staring at her.
Today, Jiang Yuechan was wearing a pink and white cross-collar Ruqun. It gave her less of the charm of a young matron and more of a young maiden’s spirited air. And yet, her figure was exceptionally curvaceous, and every frown and smile was utterly captivating.
"Lord of Pingyang, you are being rather rude." Flustered by his stare, Jiang Yuechan shot him an annoyed and bashful glare.
Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly and took her small hand from the table. "Then do you like it when I’m rude?"
"You... let me go," Jiang Yuechan said shyly.
It was clearly a refusal, but Pei Shaoqing took it as a signal and forcefully pulled her into his arms.
’Seducing a married woman is simple. Once you’ve made eye contact, test the waters. If she doesn’t push you away, you go for it.’
"Aiya, don’t be like this." Jiang Yuechan had been sitting, with a table between them. If she had truly been unwilling, she wouldn’t have been pulled over at all. But while her mouth protested, her body moved around the table to sit in Pei Shaoqing’s lap. Then, with a look of aggrieved, shy helplessness, she chided, "The Lord of Pingyang is truly audacious in his lechery."
’Playing the whore while trying to look like a saint.’
’Crude, but true.’
"Isn’t this what you like about me? At the Drunken Immortal Pavilion a few days ago, you seemed quite happy to be touched by this young master." Pei Shaoqing held her now boneless-seeming, delicate body, his hand roaming over her through the fabric of her dress.
"Who was happy to be touched by you? I was just afraid you’d be embarrassed if I exposed you." Jiang Yuechan stubbornly refused to admit it, but her body, which had thirsted for three years, was already reacting, subconsciously pushing her chest out to meet Pei Shaoqing’s touch.
Pei Shaoqing kissed her earlobe, her face, her neck, and her collarbone. Listening to her both murmur "no, no" and moan melodiously, he suddenly said, "Although you and Tang Zhi were not officially engaged, everyone knew about it. The Jiang Family’s cancellation of the marriage was a great humiliation for the Tang Family. Tang Zhi must harbor a deep grudge. I want to help you, Yuechan, by getting rid of him."
’Tang Zhi was the scapegoat he had chosen.’