Chapter 691: Seditious Poetry
Chapter 691: Chapter 691: Seditious Poetry
Princess Fuyun sighed slightly in her heart.
She didn’t know what these people were doing here, but they stubbornly ruined the mood.
Beside her, the Ninth Princess gloated, "Could it be that the Dingbei Marquis Mansion has gotten into some big trouble?"
Brother Ximen hurriedly asked, "Why does the Princess say so?"
The Ninth Princess prolonged her voice and said, "You, being an outsider, wouldn’t know. This Ranxiang Inn is owned by the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. The people of the Capital Governor Mansion might not know, but how could those from the Five Cities Military Department not know? Who would dare stir up trouble at such a major place?"
Brother Ximen sighed in relief.
Princess Fuyun glared at the Ninth Princess angrily.
On the upper floor, Marquis Gu appeared, shielding Qin Yuan behind him, and asked the clerk below, "What are you here for?"
The clerk hastily stopped, cupped his hands, and said, "I didn’t know the Marquis was here. Apologies for the offense. I’m here on official business, so if I’ve offended in any way, I ask for the Marquis’s understanding."
Shen Changle quickly squeezed in and said with a smile, "The officer might not know, but Ranxiang Inn is owned by the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. Today, the mansion invited Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang to give a lecture. Prince Qi and the two princesses are here, surrounded by scholars and noblewomen who came out of admiration."
The clerk’s arrogance diminished significantly: "We came here because..."
Shen Changle winked and whispered, "No need to hurry. I know about this. I’ve arranged for someone to keep an eye on the person you’re looking for. It was Sixth Master from the mansion who spotted it and reported the matter."
The clerk sighed in relief, his murderous aura dissipating, replaced by a warm smile: "I see, then..."
Shen Changle smiled and said, "The group seems to be people who’ve seen blood in the martial world, so be careful not to alarm them. If it involves Prince Qi and the others, we couldn’t afford the blame even if we had several heads."
The clerk nodded, "Indeed! Since you were already on guard, it should’ve been said outright."
Shen Changle said, "The officer might want to first greet Prince Qi, and say that something valuable was stolen and you’re here to retrieve it. We’ve arranged people to watch the perimeter and point them out to you. You just need to take people and apprehend them."
The clerk immediately agreed, "Good plan."
So the clerk led his men over to Prince Qi’s side, knelt and bowed to Prince Qi and the two princesses, and repeated what Shen Changle had taught him.
Prince Qi said, "In that case, be quick. This place is filled with scholars and noblewomen; do not disturb them."
The lead clerk immediately responded, "I shall go search at once. The item is large, easy to find, and won’t delay for long."
Prince Qi nodded and said nothing more.
The Ninth Princess sneered, "A bunch of pure-minded scholars here, and such a thing occurs, dirtying the ground before Ranxiang Inn."
The clerk didn’t know what to say, only sweat poured from his forehead.
Prince Qi smiled, "It’s only one or two thieves, but there are many people here. It’s hard to search them all with us present. The victim couldn’t raise a fuss and search bodies, so they reported it to the government."
The Ninth Princess snorted and refrained from further mockery.
The clerk then withdrew and announced loudly, "The government is handling a case here. Someone reported a theft of an important item. We’re here to search, so please stay where you are."
Complaints resounded around them.
Wang Zichuan frowned, "This doesn’t seem right."
The person beside him was somewhat anxious, "Brother, how can we let them search us?"
They all had knives and fire lighters hidden on them. How could anything good come from a search?
Wang Zichuan kept his eyes on the clerk and his men as they searched, and softly said, "Don’t rush."
"Should we act now?"
Wang Zichuan shook his head, "Hold steady. It seems they’re not searching thoroughly."
The people beside him calmed down and curiously asked, "What exactly was stolen?"
Wang Zichuan frowned.
Someone nearby said, "That’s bad. Could this search be a disguise, and they’re really here to catch us?"
Wang Zichuan looked towards the direction of the Ninth Princess and others and met Brother Ximen’s gaze.
Brother Ximen slightly shook his head, gestured with his hand by his ear, raising his pinky and middle finger.
Wang Zichuan then said, "It should be alright. They wouldn’t dare deceive the Imperial Family. Perhaps it’s really a search. That item is hard to hide, and they’re searching very carelessly, not even searching the womenfolk."
The others then sighed in relief.
The clerk and others searched quickly, and it wasn’t long before they reached their group.
Wang Zichuan plastered a smile on his face, "Officer, we’re just visitors from out of town here to see the lanterns. We’re leaving the capital tomorrow. How could we have stolen anything? Who lost something important during this great festival?"
The clerk stared at him fixedly and coldly said, "Others don’t have so much to say, but you do. Could it be a guilty conscience?"
"You!" Several of the men beside him got angry.
Wang Zichuan quickly hissed to remind them not to act rashly, then lowered his stance even more, simpering, "Where’s that coming from, Officer? I’m just a scholar. How could I do such petty thievery and ruin my future?"
The clerk called over several soldiers, "Come watch these people. They look suspicious."
A large space promptly opened up around Wang Zichuan and the others.
The soldiers didn’t approach, but they drew their sabers and pointed them at the group, very cautiously.
Wang Zichuan chuckled bitterly, "Officer, feel free to search us. We’re just out-of-town visitors here for the lantern festival. With the Empress Dowager’s birthday today, who would be senseless enough to steal?"
The soldiers said nothing as the government officials surrounded them.
The clerk said, "You say you’re here from out of town, but words aren’t proof. Show me your road permits."
Wang Zichuan inwardly cursed himself for speaking too much, arousing the clerk’s suspicion. Hastily, he signaled to his companions, "Quickly, get your road permits out for the officer. Let’s not delay."
The group dispelled their impulse to fight to the last and hurriedly pulled out their road permits from their pockets, handing them to the clerk.
The clerk unfolded them, checked their appearances one by one, asked their names, and then said, "Fair enough, we’re looking for you. Don’t think that because you’re from out of town, no one knows the wrongs you’ve done. On the Empress Dowager’s birthday, instead of just enjoying the lanterns, you went writing rebellious poetry on people’s poetry walls."
"What?" Wang Zichuan was stunned.
"What’s the point in explaining? It was you, Wang Zichuan, who wrote the rebellious poem, and someone reported it." A government official leader standing aside coldly pointed at him, "You thought just because there are many scholars here, no one would know who wrote the rebellious poem? The Capital City is a place of great talent, unlike small towns like yours. Every corner today is filled with people from the Five Cities Military Department and Patrol Camp; even if you fart, there’s no place to hide."
"Rebellious poem?" Wang Zichuan immediately wailed, "It’s not true, officer, there’s no rebellious poem."
"Whether it’s true or not, come with us to the government office first. A few days in jail will straighten you out."
The clerk gave the order.
The group was immediately tied up and thrown to the ground.