Seeing Zhou Ziqin speak this way, she could only say: “I think… that’s unlikely. After all, how would Princess Tongchang know about such a painting in Brother Zhang Er’s home?”
“Besides, even if there is such a painting, what does it matter? The painting was done by the late emperor, not by Brother Zhang Er, right?” Zhou Ziqin righteously slapped the table as he stood up. “This won’t do! I must go find Wang Yun to reason with him!”
Huang Zixia nearly prostrated herself before his leaping logic: “What does this have to do with Wang Yun?”
“Wang Yun oversees the Defense Bureau! How can he not stand up for Brother Zhang Er when the Court of Justice is troubling his subordinates? Moreover, it’s just a lost painting, and it’s from his own home, not the Court of Justice’s. Under which law can the Court of Justice force Brother Zhang Er to find it? And by what authority can the Defense Bureau make Brother Zhang Er wait until he finds it before reporting for duty?”
Huang Zixia gave him a helpless glance: “When officials investigate cases, whether noble or commoner, everyone must cooperate. This painting of Brother Zhang Er’s might truly be connected to the case, so even if the Court of Justice demands he search for it immediately, it’s reasonable.”
Zhou Ziqin sprawled on the table with a powerless expression: “I know… I just feel it’s unfair to Brother Zhang Er! He finally got into the capital’s Defense Bureau, and we haven’t even gone to Duanrui Hall to show off to that arrogant old medicine-drying fellow, yet now he’s caught up in this mess? Brother Zhang Er, maybe you need to go burn some incense at a temple – why does it seem like you’re having such bad luck lately…”
Before he finished speaking, Huang Zixia had already given him a fierce glare. He caught sight of the tears that had been welling up in Dicui’s eyes rolling down again, and quickly raised his hand to slap himself, saying nothing more.
Huang Zixia stood up: “Alright, let’s go look at that cabinet where you keep your paintings.”
Zhang Xingying hurriedly said: “Okay.”
Several people stood up and entered the inner hall, following the stairs up to the second floor.
The cabinet holding the paintings was right by the stairway, with a rusty lock hanging on it. Zhang Xingying opened the cabinet beside it, which was filled with various jumbled items – wooden boxes, cricket cages, long-stemmed pipes, and other such things.
Zhang Xingying took out a key from inside the long-stemmed pipe and opened the cabinet for them to see.
Inside were quite a few items: several bolts of cloth, over two strings of cash, and some scattered medicinal herbs below. On top sat a long wooden box for storing scrolls, but it was now empty.
Zhang Xingying pointed at the wooden box and said: “When the Court of Justice people came, I opened the cabinet and it was just like this.”
Looking at these neatly arranged items, Huang Zixia asked: “When was the painting stolen? Were any other items missing?”
“I don’t know. After I showed it to you all that day, I put it away and haven’t opened this cabinet since. Nothing else in the cabinet is missing, even the box was covered properly – just the painting is gone.”
Huang Zixia frowned, sighed, and gestured for him to lock the cabinet before saying: “Brother Zhang Er, I understand now.”
Zhang Xingying stared at her in bewilderment, asking: “What? You already know where my painting went?”
“I think perhaps this afternoon, or tomorrow, it will return on its own.” Her gaze fell on Dicui, seeing her avoiding her look with a rigid expression. She continued softly, “I think, Brother Zhang Er, you’re such a good person that you would even bring home and help a woman who fainted on the mountain. You have an honest nature and don’t dwell on the past of those close to you. You’re sincere with everyone, so surely those around you must appreciate your goodness. Heaven will also favor you and let that painting return quickly – otherwise, the person who stole the painting might lose their most precious possession while also suffering the condemnation of their conscience.”
Zhang Xingying was puzzled, only asking: “You mean I don’t need to search, the painting will return on its own?”
“Yes, I think it will.”
As Huang Zixia spoke, she turned to go downstairs, only saying: “Let’s leave the painting matter for now. I have other questions to ask you.”
Zhou Ziqin grew anxious and quickly asked: “Chonggu, what about Brother Zhang Er’s trouble? What about the Court of Justice? Should you or I go speak to Wang Yun at the capital’s Defense Bureau? Are you going to just watch Brother Zhang Er be troubled like this, having to go back to Duanrui Hall to be exploited and oppressed?”
Huang Zixia didn’t even look at him, only saying: “Ziqin, this painting is just one reason for our visit. I have more important questions to ask Brother Zhang Er. Take out your notebook first and record carefully.”
“Alright…” Zhou Ziqin immediately obediently took out brush and ink from the saddlebag.
“Brother Zhang Er, currently I have three cases related to the Princess’s mansion.”
Huang Zixia got straight to the point, sitting across from him, paying no attention to his uneasy expression as she said: “The first case is at Jianfu Temple, where the Princess’s mansion eunuch Wei Ximin was burned to death. At that time, Brother Zhang Er, you were in the temple, and when the candle exploded and burned Wei Ximin, you were right next to him.”
Zhang Xingying tightened his jaw and managed a nod.
“The second case was at the Defense Bureau’s horse grounds, during that game of kickball. Prince Consort Wei Baoheng fell from his horse and was injured, while you were on the field, competing with him.”
Zhang Xingying nodded again, without speaking.
“The third case is Leper Sun’s death. His time of death, according to calculations, was around noon, and at that time, you were in Daning Ward – just happened to be seen by some old women in a corner.”
Zhou Ziqin, who had been writing furiously, finally stopped his brush and looked at Zhang Xingying in disbelief.
Zhang Xingying opened and closed his mouth, then finally said: “I… I don’t know why it’s such a coincidence… When I went to Daning Ward, I didn’t… do anything! I heard people in the capital joking that Leper Sun had locked himself in an iron bucket, so I went to look at Leper Sun’s house…”
“You braved the blazing noon sun, crossing the entire Chang’an city from west to east, just to see Leper Sun’s predicament?” Huang Zixia coldly questioned.
Zhang Xingying was clearly confused by her cold demeanor, not expecting Huang Zixia to suddenly interrogate him like this. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said: “At the time… I was carrying a knife.”
Zhou Ziqin was at a loss, holding his brush while still dazed. Huang Zixia glanced at him, and he quickly lowered his head, rapidly writing down what Zhang Xingying had said.
“I was planning to kill Leper Sun, but when I got there at noon, I found his home was indeed sealed tight, really like an iron bucket. I had no way to get in… so, I couldn’t do anything and came back.”
“Why did you go looking for Leper Sun?”
“Because, at Jianfu Temple, during that chaos… when Dicui’s veil was knocked off in the crowd, I was protecting her, and we were pushed against the wall. I raised both hands to shield her in my arms, the two of us staying there… But, at that moment, Leper Sun, he was actually at Jianfu Temple too, and was even pushed by the crowd to our side…” Zhang Xingying mumbled, his eyes dancing with a flame never seen before. At this moment, this consistently honest and generous man revealed the hatred hidden deep in his heart, showing them that even the most quiet and reserved person has moments when they want to strangle their enemy at all costs.
Dicui’s hands were tightly clenched into fists, pressed against her chest as she breathed heavily. She had shed too many tears, her eyes already swollen and red. Now she could only forcefully close them, using all her strength to suppress her sobs.
“Leper Sun… saw Adi, saw her in my arms…” Zhang Xingying’s chest heaved rapidly, almost unable to continue speaking due to his anger, “The way he looked at Adi was like a poisonous snake… He looked at us and suddenly smiled, so smug… He said, he said…”
Zhang Xingying finally couldn’t continue. He lowered his head, clenching his jaw, the lines of his face almost grotesque.
“He said, ‘Even the Leper Lord’s worn-out shoes, someone picks them up to wear.'”
Dicui’s voice was extremely low and hoarse, but she finally spoke it out.
Her bloodshot eyes were bulging as if Leper Sun was standing right in front of her, and she wanted nothing more than to pounce on him and flay him alive piece by piece before she would be satisfied.
Huang Zixia felt a burning heat rise to her forehead, making her whole body feel like it was on fire in this hot weather, wishing she had been at Jianfu Temple at that time to grab Leper Sun and grind him into the mud.
Zhou Ziqin threw his brush onto the table beside her, cursing under his breath: “Bastard! Let me tear him to pieces!”
Huang Zixia took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the anger in her heart, and softly reminded Zhou Ziqin: “Ziqin, keep recording properly, don’t get distracted.”
Zhou Ziqin picked up his brush glumly, saying: “Chonggu, I really admire you, being able to contain yourself like this.”
“When investigating a case, the worst thing is to put yourself in it. An outsider sees things clearly – only by stepping back can you see the full situation.” As she spoke, she turned to Zhang Xingying and Dicui, saying, “Both of you, stay calm. This Leper Sun… was certainly a beast, but Brother Zhang Er, how did you react at the time?”
Zhang Xingying said through gritted teeth: “At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to beat him to death! But unfortunately, the temple was in chaos, and in the crushing crowd, I couldn’t possibly squeeze through to reach him. I could only watch helplessly as he left with that smug smile!”
Huang Zixia turned to ask Dicui: “When Brother Zhang Er was so enraged, did you notice?”
Dicui slowly shook her head, pressing hard against her throbbing temples as she struggled to speak: “At that time… I felt like I was dead, couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear anything, what Brother Zhang Er did… I barely noticed. Later, Brother Zhang Er supported me all the way home… I don’t even know how I got back…”
“However at that time, Brother Zhang Er, you already knew Adi’s true identity and knew what had happened to her. Moreover, you knew that her misfortune was not only because of Leper Sun but also because of Wei Ximin, isn’t that right?”
Faced with Huang Zixia’s questioning, Zhang Xingying was stunned for a moment, finding it difficult to speak.
Zhou Ziqin then said: “Last time Brother Zhang Er told me he didn’t know about Dicui’s situation before, or that the Princess’s mansion was involved.”
“Brother Zhang Er was lying, wasn’t he?” Huang Zixia stood up and took out the Court of Justice’s documents from the small box on the Fusha, pulled out one sheet, and showed it to them.
“Brother Zhang Er, you told Ziqin at the time that when Wei Ximin was burned to death, you didn’t know it was Wei Ximin, and you didn’t see how Wei Ximin caught fire – is that right?”
Zhang Xingying silently nodded, not speaking.
“But unfortunately, the Court of Justice people just happened to discover a minor matter in the Princess’s mansion – several days before the Jianfu Temple incident, the Princess’s regular medicine pills were running low, and the medicinal ingredients she needed were coincidentally out of stock at the Imperial Medical Academy. So, being the most capable eunuch on the Princess’s side, Wei Ximin personally went to several major pharmacies in the capital to find that ingredient for the Princess – and when he returned to the mansion afterward, he told others that among all the pharmacies in the capital now, Duanrui Hall could be considered the best, with its vast medicine-drying yard and the workers turning the medicinal ingredients, truly a sight that other establishments couldn’t match.”
Zhang Xingying sat there motionless, his eyes fixed on the stone table, not moving at all.
“The head eunuch of Princess Tongchang’s mansion personally came to the drying yard to find medicine and watched you turning the ingredients – how could you not remember? How could you not inquire, or have others voluntarily tell you, who he was in the Princess’s mansion?”
Zhou Ziqin looked at Zhang Xingying in shock, his face wrinkled like a dried date: “Brother Zhang Er, with such an honest appearance… you would deceive me?”
“Not just that.” Huang Zixia stared unwaveringly at Zhang Xingying and continued, “Brother Zhang Er, you also knew early on that Wei Ximin was one of the primary culprits who caused Dicui such misery, didn’t you?”