Chapter 9: The Imperial Scribe Eunuch

The Hall of the Jinyiwei

Before Shen Que had even stepped into the hall, he saw Yi Anlu sitting high in the center.

With the Emperor currently away on an imperial tour, the capital was a place where "in the absence of tigers, monkeys claim to be kings." Without the suppression of the Emperor and his direct superiors, Yi Anlu had become increasingly arrogant.

Upon seeing Shen Que enter, he did not even lift an eyelid.

A flash of disgust crossed Shen Que's eyes, but he quickly lowered his gaze to conceal his emotions.

"Eunuch Yi," Shen Que said indifferently.

Yi Anlu lifted his eyelids slightly and said with a half-smile, "Commander Shen is truly a busy man, making us wait so long."

Shen Que stated, "The case of the corpses at the Marquis of Yonglin's manor has had a terrible impact; it must be solved before His Majesty returns." These words had been sent from the palace by Yi Anlu's men that morning, unchanged word for word, which felt somewhat mocking.

Yi Anlu tilted his chin slightly. His pale, beardless face was different from Shen Que's pallor, possessing an inexplicable sense of sinisterness.

Yi Anlu gave a light snort and said, "Commander Shen is single-mindedly devoted to public duty; I imagine His Majesty and the Grand Princess must be very gratified." Seeing Shen Que's expression darken slightly, a hint of pleasure flickered in his eyes.

Yi Anlu was currently the Chief Writing Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonies, directly overseeing the Eastern Depot. Since the Jinyiwei were required to follow the orders of the Eastern Depot, he and Shen Que were technically in a superior-subordinate relationship. However, not only did Shen Que dislike Yi Anlu, but Yi Anlu also loathed Shen Que.

The reason was simple: Shen Que was the foster son of the Head Eunuch, Huang Ze, and Huang Ze happened to be the one who held authority over Yi Anlu.

Furthermore, the current Director of the Eastern Depot, Xia Jinchen, was also someone promoted by Huang Ze. This meant that Yi Anlu's influence within the Eastern Depot was almost entirely being sidelined by Huang Ze.

"Lord Shen has been busy all day; I presume you have made some findings?" Yi Anlu asked.

As if failing to hear the sarcasm, Shen Que replied coldly, "The deceased, Zhao Tian, was a man from Mianzhou in Shu. A month ago, he suddenly arrived in the capital carrying a large sum of silver. He resided in a manor in Yu Alley in the southern part of the city, a property originally under the name of the steward for the second daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Yonglin."

"During this past month, Zhao Tian frequently frequented various entertainment districts, brothels, and gambling dens throughout the capital, squandering his wealth. It has been difficult to determine who targeted him."

Hearing this, Yi Anlu raised an eyebrow. "Is Lord Shen suggesting he was murdered for his wealth?"

Shen Que shook his head. "No. I suspect Zhao Tian's death is related to his sudden arrival from Shu to the capital. Furthermore, his body was hung at the main gate of the Marquis of Yonglin's manor, a matter that is likely connected to the household as well. The most significant recent event in Shu was the embezzlement case of Feng Yuting, the Assistant Prefect of Baoning Prefecture. I recall... the evidence against Feng Yuting was provided by someone surnamed Zhao."

Yi Anlu's face instantly darkened, and he said coldly, "What does that have to do with the Marquis of Yonglin's manor?"

Shen Que lowered his eyes. "That is a question for the Marquis of Yonglin himself. Shu is a thousand miles away from the capital. Until Feng Yuting and the relevant files and witnesses arrive in the capital, how can I answer you, Eunuch Yi?"

Yi Anlu stared at Shen Que and said coldly, "Since you do not know, Lord Shen should be more cautious and avoid making baseless accusations. Since Zhao Tian had just arrived in the capital, he likely had no enemies here; perhaps this case is not that complicated. What do you say, Lord Shen?"

"Eunuch Yi is correct."

Yi Anlu smiled with satisfaction, stood up, and lightly patted Shen Que's shoulder. "You receive your salary from the imperial court to share the Emperor's burdens. Do not let His Majesty encounter such an unlucky matter the moment he returns. Lord Shen, you should resolve this matter as soon as possible."

"Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch."

Shen Que turned and watched Yi Anlu exit, then reached up to disdainfully brush off his shoulder where he had been patted.

A Thousandhu of the Jinyiwei entered from outside and whispered, "Does that old fox Yi Anlu really think he's the Marquis of Yonglin's son-in-law? He's acting like every little thing is a life-or-death matter."

The fact that the Marquis of Yonglin had secretly married his concubine's daughter to Yi Anlu was naturally something the Jinyiwei, who specialized in intelligence, could not miss. He had originally been mocking the Marquis in his heart, but now it seemed this connection had its uses.

Shen Que glanced at him but did not answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Where is the person I told you to watch?"

"That Chu Lunge left Mantingfang and returned to Willow Alley; we have men guarding him," the Thousandhu said. "My Lord, Mantingfang is so crowded; why are you focusing solely on him?"

Shen Que lowered his gaze and said thoughtfully, "This man is not simple."

The Thousandhu laughed. "Of course he isn't. He is the personal disciple of Master Tianwen, the man known as the world's foremost polymath. It is said that Master Tianwen has only ever taken four disciples. The most famous is Cui Mingzhou, the eldest legitimate son of the Qinghe Cui clan, followed by this Lord Lingguang. Though the identities of the other two remain mysterious, they certainly wouldn't be simple figures."

"However, this Chu Lunge has been traveling in Xiliang for the past year and only recently entered Jinquan Pass from Xiliang. When Zhao Tian arrived from Shu, he was still in Fengxiang Prefecture."

Shen Que shook his head. "That is not what I meant."

"Then, regarding Chu Lunge..."

Shen Que said, "Have the men withdraw. Continue investigating those who have recently entered or left the capital, with a focus on anyone connected to Shu."

The Thousandhu nodded in agreement.

A Jinyiwei Xiaqi entered quickly and reported, "My Lord, a messenger from the Princess's Manor has arrived. They request your presence."

Hearing this, the Thousandhu looked at Shen Que with a hint of sympathy. He waved the Xiaqi away before sighing, "I told you we should be cautious regarding Mantingfang. See? Princess Nanjing has come to cause trouble."

Unmoved, Shen Que said calmly, "Take your men and continue the investigation. I will return for a moment."

"Yes, My Lord."

At the fifth watch, even the prosperous capital entered a state of true tranquility.

On a dark and windy night, it is the perfect time for murder and arson.

The light in the silent inn was dim. In the front hall, the night watchman had fallen into a deep sleep behind the counter.

In the guest's backyard, only the faint lanterns along the corridor swayed gently in the wind.

A wisp of light smoke drifted through a hole in the window, silently dispersing throughout the room.

A thin blade slid noiselessly through the crack in the door, skillfully disengaging the internal bolt.

The door was pushed open from the outside, and two men in black entered. They immediately spotted a round-faced young girl sleeping soundly on a soft couch in the side hall.

The two exchanged a glance. One walked toward the girl on the couch, while the other hurried toward the inner chamber.

The light in the inner chamber was still on. Under the dim, yellowish glow, a slender figure could be vaguely seen behind the half-drawn bed curtains.

A flash of satisfaction crossed the man's eyes as he stepped forward to pull back the curtain.

"Mm..." A muffled sound suddenly came from outside. The man's hand froze on the curtain, and he whispered, "What is it?"

*Thud!* He did not receive an answer from his companion; instead, a louder commotion erupted outside.

Realizing things were going wrong, the man decided to finish what he started. He drew his blade and lunged toward the person behind the curtain.

However, before his blade could even touch the curtain, an unprecedented, sharp pain erupted in his abdomen. He looked toward the curtain in shock, meeting a pair of cold, clear eyes through the thin gauze.

In the next instant, the sharp pain in his abdomen turned into a twisting agony that felt as if his heart and liver were being torn out.

He saw that the dagger piercing his abdomen was held by a slender, fair hand. The hand was beautiful, yet it was not weak.

Holding the dagger, the hand slowly twisted it.

As the blade churned within his abdomen, blood surged from the wound and from his mouth. He could not utter a single word, only collapsing heavily to the ground.