Cui Liang heard footsteps and turned his head, smiling, “The Chancellor has arrived!”
Pei Yan’s gaze lingered on Cui Liang’s hand. Cui Liang hastily removed his hand from the back of Jiang Ci’s neck, his smile becoming awkward and flustered.
Jiang Ci glanced sideways at Pei Yan before silently walking towards the house. Cui Liang quickly called out to her, tossing her the medicine bottle, “Remember to apply it three times a day.”
Pei Yan walked over with a smile, “What happened to Miss Jiang’s neck?”
Jiang Ci stopped in her tracks and turned around, her cheeks puffed out in anger, “Last night, I was startled by a drunken wild cat and twisted it. Thank you for your concern, Chancellor.” Midway through her words, she remembered Pei Yan’s unseemly behavior when drunk the night before. Her gaze took on a pitying look, her voice gradually lowering. She unconsciously shook her head, entered the room, and gently closed the door.
Last night, Pei Yan had only been concerned with preventing the Star Moon Sect Leader from taking the opportunity to silence anyone, and thinking that Jiang Ci was half-dead and unlikely to reveal secrets, he had kept her by his side. He hadn’t expected to lose control due to drunkenness and now felt some regret. However, his face remained smiling as he turned to Cui Liang, “Ziming, I need your help this time.”
Cui Liang was taken aback, “Chancellor, do you want me to help investigate the fire scene?”
“Exactly. I’ve just come from the palace. His Majesty has ordered me to lead this investigation. The Huan Kingdom’s envoy, Jin Youlang, was trapped in the fire and didn’t escape. For the sake of relations between our two countries, we must investigate this case thoroughly.” Pei Yan said sincerely.
Cui Liang lowered his head, “Chancellor, I cannot disobey my master’s dying wish. Although he taught me the art of solving injustices, he forbade me from serving the criminal justice system. This—”
Pei Yan said, “I know you have your difficulties, but this incident is no small matter. It’s not an ordinary criminal case; it concerns the common people of both countries. One misstep could reignite the flames of war. If your master were still alive, he wouldn’t blame you for this.”
Cui Liang remained silent. Pei Yan continued, “The entire Ministry of Justice is filled with Prince Zhuang’s people. You know how deep those waters run. Even with the most famous coroners and forensic experts in the country, I can’t feel at ease. Ziming, just help me this once. Consider it as serving the state and the people.” He clasped his hands and bowed.
Cui Liang quickly caught Pei Yan’s hands, hesitating, “Chancellor, it’s not that I’m unwilling to help, but my master’s last wish—”
Jiang Ci sat in the room for a moment before remembering she had porridge simmering on the stove and hurried out. Seeing her emerge, Cui Liang smiled, “Does it still hurt?”
Pei Yan suddenly said, “Miss Jiang, go disguise yourself as a servant boy and come with me to the Envoy’s Residence. Then we’ll go meet some people.”
Jiang Ci was startled, then realized that the “big crab” probably wanted to take her to identify the officials who hadn’t attended the birthday banquet last night. She went back into the room, thickened her eyebrows, reapplied the fake mole that Granny Su had helped her with last night, and came out dressed as a servant boy.
Cui Liang noticed her black headscarf was slightly askew, covering half her face, and smiled, “Little Ci, come here.”
Jiang Ci ran to his side. Cui Liang adjusted her headscarf properly, hesitated for a moment, then turned to say, “Chancellor, let me come with you.”
Pei Yan said happily, “Ziming truly understands the greater good.”
The three of them, along with the Changfeng Guards, hurried to the Envoy’s Residence. The newly appointed Imperial City Guard Commander Jiang Yuan, the Minister of Justice, the Chief Censor, and various coroners and forensic experts had already arrived. Lei Yuan, the Huan Kingdom’s Deputy Envoy who had narrowly escaped death, was sitting in a large chair at the entrance, drinking calming tea.
Seeing Pei Yan arrive, Minister of Justice Qin Yang came forward, “Chancellor.”
Jiang Yuan also came to pay his respects to Pei Yan. Pei Yan looked at him carefully for a few moments. The man was very young, only in his early twenties, with handsome features and a spirited demeanor, truly befitting a scion of a noble family.
Although Jiang Yuan was being scrutinized by Pei Yan’s sharp gaze, he remained composed, “Chancellor, I’ve just completed the handover with Commander Fan. The area outside the fire scene is still guarded by the original personnel, and no one has entered the site.”
Pei Yan nodded and turned to Minister of Justice Qin Yang, “Let’s begin.”
The coroners and forensic experts from the Ministry of Justice led the way, with Cui Liang and Jiang Ci closely following Pei Yan. The Minister of Justice, the Chief Censor, and the Huan Kingdom’s Deputy Envoy brought up the rear as they entered the now unrecognizable Envoy’s Residence, starting from the stable where the fire was first discovered.
Everyone endured the residual heat and acrid smell of the fire scene as they carefully walked through the area. The coroners and forensic experts examined each body one by one. Cui Liang stood to the side, observing closely, occasionally putting on deerskin gloves to examine the bodies and fire traces, but saying nothing. The officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, seeing that he was brought by Chancellor Pei, didn’t raise any objections despite not knowing his exact background.
This was Jiang Ci’s first time seeing such a devastating fire scene and so many bodies. She felt uneasy, her legs weakening. Seeing Pei Yan and Cui Liang remain calm and composed, she secretly admired them but still couldn’t control her fear, her face gradually turning pale.
Just as she was feeling most uncomfortable, she suddenly heard Pei Yan’s voice, “Among the people currently at the fire scene, two did not attend yesterday’s birthday banquet. Listen carefully and see if it’s that person.”
Jiang Ci noticed that others showed no reaction. Pei Yan’s lips barely moved, and she realized he was using the “Sound Binding” technique to instruct her. She quickly nodded slightly.
The Vice Minister of Justice behind Minister Qin Yang seemed to have a cold or was struggling with the acrid smell of the fire scene, coughing repeatedly.
Pei Yan turned to look at him, “Is Vice Minister Chen ill?”
Vice Minister Chen, already anxious about missing Madam Rong’s birthday celebration due to sudden illness yesterday, quickly replied, “Yes, I suddenly felt dizzy yesterday and couldn’t walk. This morning I woke up with a cold and cough. I couldn’t attend the birthday celebration for your esteemed mother, Chancellor. Please—”
Pei Yan waved his hand and continued to focus on watching the coroners conduct their meticulous examination.
By the time the fire scene investigation was complete and all the bodies had been removed, it was already noon.
Everyone gathered around a badly burned body that had been carried out from the main hall. Pei Yan turned to the Huan Kingdom’s Deputy Envoy Lei Yuan and asked, “Deputy Envoy Lei, can you identify if this is His Excellency Jin Youlang?”
Lei Yuan’s face was grim. After a moment’s thought, he was about to shake his head when one of his attendants softly said, “His Excellency Jin had a distinctive feature.”
“Oh? Please elaborate.”
“Two years ago, His Excellency Jin fell from a horse and broke his right tibia. It took half a year to fully recover. His Excellency mentioned this to your country’s Minister of Rites during a casual conversation. I remember it clearly.”
The coroners from the Ministry of Justice all crouched down to examine the body. After a moment, one of them looked up and said, “This person did indeed have a fractured right tibia before death.” However, Cui Liang gently shook his head and lifted the deceased’s right foot for a closer look.
Lei Yuan let out an angry snort and cupped his hands, saying, “Chancellor Pei, our envoy delegation carried a heavy responsibility, traveling thousands of miles to your country for peace talks. Who would have thought that before our important mission could be completed, His Excellency the Envoy would meet with such a tragic fate, dying in a foreign land? What’s more surprising is that this incident occurred in your country’s official guesthouse. It’s truly inconceivable. This matter is of great importance, and someone as astute as Chancellor Pei surely understands the implications. I need not say more, I only implore Chancellor Pei to uphold justice, investigate this case thoroughly, and give His Excellency Jin justice, as well as an explanation to our country!”
Hearing Lei Yuan speak in a neither humble nor overbearing manner, with implicit threats and a vague distrust towards their side, Pei Yan quickly responded, “Of course. Please be patient, Deputy Envoy Lei. As I am personally overseeing this investigation, I will certainly get to the bottom of this, seek justice for the deceased, and demonstrate our sincerity towards the peace talks.”
Lei Yuan had just sent news of the fire back to his country and, without instructions from above, dared not act rashly. Moreover, he had always held a certain reverence for Pei Yan. He said nothing more, merely following the group out of the fire scene with a cold expression.
Pei Yan ordered Jiang Yuan to keep the fire scene tightly sealed but noticed Cui Liang going back in. Shortly after, Cui Liang came out with some items wrapped in cloth. Pei Yan asked, “Ziming, have you found something?”
Cui Liang smiled slightly, “I’ll need to examine it further when we return.”
Hong Xin, the chief coroner from the Ministry of Justice, felt disgruntled but dared not say anything, only letting out a light snort.
Pei Yan said, “That’s all for today. The Ministry of Justice should draft a detailed investigation report. How many days will it take to get results?”
Chief Coroner Hong Xin thought for a moment and replied, “Identifying the remaining bodies and analyzing the fire scene traces will take at least five days.”
Pei Yan nodded, “Very well, we’ll draw conclusions based on the Ministry of Justice’s investigation results in five days.” He turned to Lei Yuan and asked, “Deputy Envoy Lei, do you have any objections?”
Lei Yuan said coldly, “I don’t care about the other bodies, but His Excellency Jin was of noble birth, a royal relative of our country. His remains are not to be casually handled by your country’s Ministry of Justice.”
“Of course. Our Ministry of Rites will immediately send people to place His Excellency Jin in a coffin for peace. All funeral arrangements will be carried out according to the protocols of both countries.”
Lei Yuan snorted lightly but said nothing more.
Pei Yan continued, “There’s one more matter that requires Deputy Envoy Lei’s full cooperation.”
Lei Yuan said, “Please speak, Chancellor Pei.”
“Since there were no people from our country in the Envoy’s Residence, the judicial department needs to question those from your side who escaped the fire in detail about the circumstances. Deputy Envoy Lei, what do you think—”
Lei Yuan knew this step was unavoidable. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Questioning is fine, but I must be present.”
The group hurried back to the Ministry of Justice. In the main hall, the coroners questioned each person from the Huan Kingdom’s envoy delegation who had escaped the fire, gathering detailed information about the night’s events. A scribe recorded everything while Pei Yan, Lei Yuan, and others sat to the side, listening carefully.
By the time the questioning was complete, it was already late afternoon. The coroners and forensic experts went to examine the bodies and organize the records, while Lei Yuan left with the Huan Kingdom’s people. Pei Yan discussed matters with the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate for over two more hours, only leaving the government office as dusk began to fall.
Seeing Cui Liang standing in front of the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, gazing at the large black character “Officials Must Be Cautious” on the horizontal plaque, Pei Yan walked to his side and smiled, “Thank you for your hard work, Ziming.”
Cui Liang shook his head. Suddenly, they heard a rumbling sound. Turning around, they saw Jiang Ci still holding the two large cloth bundles behind them. Cui Liang smiled, “Are you hungry?”
Jiang Ci had been starving for a long time, but since early morning, Pei Yan and the others had been too busy to eat. As a “servant boy,” she didn’t feel it was appropriate to bring up the matter.
Seeing that Pei Yan hadn’t slept all night or eaten all day yet still looked energetic, she couldn’t help but say, “Chancellor, aren’t you tired or hungry?”
Pei Yan replied, “There’s no time to think about that.” He walked towards the exit.
Jiang Ci followed behind him, trying to hold back but finally muttering, “Being an official is so hard, it’s pitiful!”
Pei Yan’s steps faltered for a moment. He smiled and led the two out of the Ministry of Justice.
They returned to the Chancellor’s mansion as night was falling. Pei Yan, having observed Cui Liang’s actions during the day, knew he must have made some discoveries and went directly to the West Garden.
Cui Liang said, “Chancellor, please wait a moment. I need to examine something.”
Pei Yan nodded, “Take your time, Ziming.”
As they were speaking, An Cheng entered, bowed, and said, “Chancellor, the investigations are complete.”
“Speak.”
“There were twelve people who didn’t attend the birthday banquet last night. The list and reasons for their absence are here.”
Pei Yan took it and looked, then laughed coldly, “Five were ill, four took sudden leave, and three whereabouts unknown. It’s as if they planned it.”
“Chancellor, what do you think—”
“Xiao Wuxia must be one of these twelve. If he was behind the fire at the Envoy’s Residence last night, for such a major event, he would certainly act personally. As for the others, I suspect they’re meant to confuse our focus. Investigate them thoroughly.”
“Yes, sir.”
As An Cheng left to carry out his orders, Pei Yan stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, deep in thought.
While lost in thought, he smelled an enticing aroma. Turning around, he saw Jiang Ci coming out of the kitchen with steaming hot dishes, smiling, “Chancellor, will you eat here in the West Garden or return to your Shen Garden?”
Tempted by the aroma, Pei Yan stepped into the room. He glanced at the dishes on the table and sat down without a word.
Cui Liang was also drawn out of the side room by the smell. He washed his hands thoroughly and sat down, smiling, “Little Ci, you’re quite quick.”
Both men picked up their bowls and chopsticks, not bothering with formalities, and began eating rapidly. Cui Liang naturally praised Jiang Ci’s culinary skills, while Pei Yan only glanced at her a few times without speaking.
Jiang Ci sat to the side, happy to see them eating with gusto. She couldn’t help but pick up some food with her chopsticks and place it in Cui Liang’s bowl, smiling, “Brother Cui, eat more. Don’t get sick from hunger. I never imagined you officials had such a pitiful life.”
Pei Yan choked slightly. Jiang Ci hesitated for a moment but still poured him a cup of tea. She then ran out and soon returned with a small plate.
Cui Liang saw what looked like pickled vegetables on the plate. He tried some with his chopsticks and praised, “This tastes good. What is it?”
“Winter vegetable roots. I saw the kitchen maids throwing them away when I went to get vegetables from the main kitchen, so I brought them back.”
Pei Yan had just picked up a piece of food, ready to taste it, when he heard Jiang Ci mention it was “winter vegetable root,” and he set it down. Jiang Ci coldly remarked, “Your Excellency, you have a delicate constitution and are accustomed to the delicacies of the Shenyuan. I shouldn’t have allowed you to dine here in the Western Garden and risk you looking down on our mountain fare.”
Cui Liang quickly interjected, “Xiao Ci, you’re mistaken. The Young Lord is not so delicate. During the Battle of Chengjun, in freezing temperatures, the Young Lord personally led ten thousand men to lure the enemy. For two days, the Long Wind Cavalry marched without seeing any sign of life, and with no provisions, the Young Lord endured alongside his soldiers, surviving on blood and grass.”
Seeing Jiang Ci still glaring at him, Pei Yan finally took a bite of the winter vegetable root. He found it to be unexpectedly delicious with a tangy, sweet, and crisp flavor, something he had never tasted before. He continued to eat several more pieces and smiled, “Miss Jiang, you should teach the chefs at Shenyuan how to prepare this dish; it’s quite refreshing.”
Jiang Ci smiled with satisfaction and did not say more.
Cui Liang then said, “Xiao Ci, join us for a meal.”
“I already ate in the kitchen earlier,” Jiang Ci replied.
Pei Yan had initially thought she was merely observing the etiquette of serving and would wait until he finished before eating, but he was surprised to find she had already eaten. He couldn’t help but shoot her a disapproving glance.
Jiang Ci glared back and said, “I was hungry. If there’s food, why shouldn’t I eat?”
Pei Yan, restrained by Cui Liang’s presence, chose not to comment further. His mind soon drifted to other matters, and by the time he finished, he realized he had an unusually good appetite, having cleared the table along with Cui Liang.
Jiang Ci cleared the dishes and poured tea for the two men. Cui Liang blew on the floating tea leaves, pondered for a moment, and said, “Your Excellency, the fire at the envoy’s residence seems quite suspicious.”