The Director of the Bureau of Review and Prosecution in the Ministry of Justice?
Could it be that Old General Li was paving the way for her?
Ji Yunshu smiled faintly. “General Li’s words are too generous. The position of Director of the Bureau of Review and Prosecution in the Ministry of Justice has always been filled through rigorous examinations and layer upon layer of selection. There are countless intelligent people in this world, and moreover, there are always people beyond people, mountains beyond mountains. I have neither the knowledge nor the background qualifications—I’m simply not qualified for such a position.”
“People naturally strive upward. Even falling peach blossoms compete to drift into the river, let alone people. Furthermore, you are exceptional at investigating cases. That scandal in my Li family two years ago was thoroughly investigated thanks to your efforts. If you cannot assume the position of Director of the Bureau of Review and Prosecution, then who can?”
A scandal?
He must be referring to the matter of Madam Jiang burying the corpse!
So Old General Li wasn’t some doddering old fool who paid no attention to worldly affairs after retiring from service—he was clearly sharp as a tack.
Ji Yunshu had never even considered the position of Director of Criminal Investigation. If she could go to some small county town and become a minor coroner, that would be ideal.
She could only respond politely once more.
“I’m grateful for General Li’s appreciation, but I’m accustomed to a leisurely life and have no desire to enter officialdom. Rather, I envy how the General, after dominating the battlefield for so many years, was ultimately able to return to the countryside—that should be the life all people aspire to.”
“I had intended to recommend you, but since you’re unwilling, then forget it.” After speaking, he picked up the teapot and poured a cup into the teacup in front of Ji Yunshu. “The weather is cold—warm yourself.”
After all this circling around, he still hadn’t mentioned the Linjing Case.
Ji Yunshu swore this old fellow was absolutely the most exasperating person she’d encountered.
And next—
She drank a full five cups of tea!
Old General Li seemed to have gotten himself drunk, squinting his already small eyes slightly.
He chuckled in a deep voice. “This old man has lived so long, yet I’ve never seen anyone as patient as you.”
“Hmm?”
“That Qin Shiyu fellow is born unable to tell lies. As soon as he arrived at the residence, he wanted to pry information from this old man, opening and closing his mouth talking about events from fourteen years ago. Seeing his appearance, all smiles and flattery, this old man got annoyed and just dismissed him casually. But you’re different. An entire pot of tea has passed, yet I haven’t heard you mention it once. Instead, this old man has said so much, and you’ve deflected it all back at me.”
His tone was full of mockery toward Qin Shiyu, yet he elevated Ji Yunshu to another level.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to bring it up, nor that she wasn’t anxious!
It was just that this old man was too stubborn. With him, haste makes waste!
But fortunately, Ji Yunshu had outlasted him.
This old fellow had actually brought it up himself.
So—
“Since the General has broached the subject, then I have no reason not to ask.” She paused, carefully observing General Li’s expression before continuing. “Fourteen years ago, Duke Yuguo went to Qingzhou to see you. After returning to the capital, the Duke Yuguo’s residence met with disaster. I’ve also heard from Madam Jiang that when Duke Yuguo met with you, you seemed to have discussed troop movements. Could this be related to the Linjing Case I’m investigating?”
Straight to the point.
After all, it was getting late—no more circling around.
Old General Li leaned back against that folding screen like a drunk, and remained silent for a long time!
He looked exactly like an old mountain hermit sitting leisurely as the sun set in the west.
Ji Yunshu had thought he’d fallen asleep and that today she probably wouldn’t be able to find anything out.
Who would have known—
Old General Li suddenly heaved a sigh.
He said heavily, “This old man and Duke Yuguo were close friends. When the previous emperor was alive, Duke Yuguo was enfeoffed as Prince Ning, while the current emperor was merely the Eighth Prince without any real power. Factional struggles within the imperial family have never ceased. Prince Ning had no taste for power struggles, so he yielded the position of Crown Prince to the Eighth Prince. After the previous emperor passed away, the Eighth Prince ascended the throne with the reign title Qizhen. Not long after, the emperor enfeoffed Prince Ning as Duke Yuguo, keeping him stationed in the capital. Though he was granted a title, his real power was stripped away—like keeping a defanged tiger by one’s side.”
Ji Yunshu understood all of this.
Emperor Qizhen’s four sons were only granted titles but no land, and their residences were all established in the capital, thus blocking any thoughts they might have of recruiting soldiers and horses.
If they left the capital, they had to send someone back every three days to report their whereabouts.
So the current emperor didn’t just keep one toothless tiger by his side, but several!
Ji Yunshu listened patiently, watching the faint white steam rising from her teacup.
Old General Li continued, “As the saying goes, with each new emperor comes new ministers. This old man served three dynasties and grew somewhat weary of it, so I resigned from office and returned to Qingzhou. For over ten years now, I’ve been free and content, except for having a useless son and a useless grandson. If this old man’s body wasn’t still relatively robust, able to sit in this world for some time longer, they would have died long ago.”
He slapped his thigh!
Though his words were angry, his demeanor remained that of calm drunkenness.
“Speaking of that son of mine, he’s a worthless beast. With an official position hanging on him, he just idles about doing nothing. As for that boy Zhao’er, he was alright when he was young, but the older he got, the more useless he became—addicted to gambling, turned into a little beast. I should have killed that little beast when he was still in swaddling clothes if I’d known. He’s truly a menace. And also…”
He rambled on and on.
Poor Ji Yunshu—just when he’d finally gotten to Duke Yuguo’s matter, he’d circled back around to his son and grandson again.
Today, she’d probably drink her fill of tea.
She might as well treat this as sitting in a teahouse, listening to a storyteller tell tales.
After Old General Li had gone through all his sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters once over, he finally returned to the main topic.
“Away from the court and the battlefield, my heart grew idle, but I still couldn’t let go of matters in the capital. In the years after leaving the capital, Duke Yuguo did come to Qingzhou to see this old man a few times, always to play chess and discuss literature and such. But then one day fourteen years ago, he suddenly came to visit and asked this old man about the cavalry in Qingzhou. He only mentioned it briefly, and this old man didn’t detect anything unusual. But after he returned to the capital, disaster struck. The Duke Yuguo’s residence caught fire, the main gates were tightly closed, and all the guards in the residence were transferred away. There must be something not simple about it, but who can predict natural disasters and man-made calamities?”
He sighed heavily.
Ji Yunshu asked, “Duke Yuguo only inquired about the General’s troops? Nothing else?”
He waved his hand!
And shook his head!
“Nothing, nothing at all. That old fellow died without any warning. This old man also wishes I could dig him up from the ground and ask him what exactly happened.”
After speaking, he struggled to prop himself up, turned around, walked to the other side of the screen, and slowly sat down.
His voice weakened.
“It’s already quite late. You should return, sir. What you want to know, this old man has already told you.”
What?
Already told her?
How was this any different from saying nothing at all?