After hearing the news, the officials from Jingzhao Yin Mansion surrounded the scene, but they couldn't stop the buzz around them. They are all ordinary people in the capital struggling to make ends meet. They are used to peace and quiet. How can they see such tragic events as someone dying on the street?
Suddenly, there were sounds of fear, crying, and indignant grievances. Even the governor Xu You could not comfort him.
Fang Zilan's face was ashen and she looked at Yang Zhiqing's body without saying a word. After stopping for a long time, she slowly knelt down and reached out to close his eyes.
"Master Fang!" Xu Youtong's voice was a little flustered, but he still managed to keep his face calm, walked to Fang Zilan and said: "It's not appropriate to stay here for a long time, it's better to send Master Yang away as soon as possible."
"I understand." Fang Zilan stood up and waved, and Cao Hong and Zheng Yan covered Yang Zhiqing with a white cloth and carried him out in an upright manner.
The officials of Jingzhao Yin Mansion cooperated to block the people's sight. Fang Zilan walked up to everyone and said loudly: "I am Fang Zilan, the Duke of Yue Kingdom. Please be quiet."
After her words fell, the noisy crowd gradually became quiet, so she continued: "The case happened suddenly now, and it will take time to find out the truth. Please be patient, don't panic, and don't take the opportunity to cause trouble by spreading rumors. , to avoid getting into trouble.”
She paused as she spoke and took a deep breath, "After the case is investigated, I will give you an explanation."
The crowd of onlookers seemed to be relieved. Xu Youtong took the opportunity to quickly direct the government officials to evacuate, and the storm finally subsided.
After the people dispersed, Fang Zilan still stood there, and Xu You saluted: "Master Fang, Master Yang's body must be temporarily under the custody of Jingzhao Yin Mansion, as well as the blood letter in your hand..."
He didn't say anything further, and Fang Zilan handed him the blood letter casually, "This was not written by Mr. Yang."
"This..." Xu Youtong looked embarrassed, "If Mr. Fang has any clues, please let me know."
Fang Zilan said quietly: "This case and the assassination of Lord Wu Sheng were both committed by the same person."
After saying this, she explained without waiting for Xu Youtong to ask: "The killing methods are exactly the same, and even the wounds left are the same. It should be the work of a charlatan killer."
Xu Youtong glanced at the bloody book in his hand and quickly reacted, "Master Fang, you mean that someone paid to kill Master Wu Sheng, and then killed Master Yang Zhiqing to divert attention so that he could get away with it?"
Fang Zilan was noncommittal, "What the truth is, this is Mr. Xu's business."
Xu Youtong stared blankly at the retreating figure, always feeling that she knew something and seemed to be closer to the truth than him.
Fang Zilan felt cold all over. After returning home, she covered herself with the quilt and fell asleep before she felt warmer. After she woke up, she saw Awan sitting next to her with a frown on her face, and murmured in a low voice: "It's not autumn yet, why are you so afraid of the cold? Could it be that the toxicity has become stronger again..."
"Awan." Fang Zilan called her in a low voice, and she came back to her senses, "What's wrong?"
"Ask for leave for me." Fang Zilan was wrapped in a quilt and huddled in the corner of the bed, with indescribable vulnerability in her eyes.
"Ask for leave?" Awan was stunned for a moment, "I heard about Mr. Yang. Please forgive me and accept the change."
It was a simple sentence, but she said it extremely stiffly.
Fang Zilan felt a little sad when she heard this. She lowered her eyes and said nothing, but tightened the quilt around her body, making her whole body look like a rice dumpling.
Awan felt strange and reached out to touch Fang Zilan's forehead. The temperature was normal and the condition didn't look like he had poisonous hair. What's going on?
Fang Zilan avoided Awan's inquisitive gaze and said softly: "I'm tired and want to sleep for a while."
Awan nodded and said nothing more. For several days in a row, Fang Zilan slept and slept, with very little waking time in between. She did nothing but eat and drink medicine.
That day, after Zi Lan finished drinking the medicine, she was about to go back to sleep when she saw Mo Han coming in a hurry, "Sister Lan, His Majesty has summoned you to the palace for an audience."
"If you don't see me, just say I'm sick." Fang Zilan turned her back and fell asleep.
Mo Han looked through the screen at the figure who was obviously escaping, and raised his voice and said, "Teacher Wen is outside, Sister Lan, you can't hide it."
Hearing this, Fang Zilan sat up angrily, "Didn't His Majesty announce the call? What are Wen Ya doing here?"
Although she said this, she still changed her clothes and walked out. She took the tea from Mo Han and drank it all. Her previous looseness and fatigue were gone and she felt much more energetic.
Seeing this, Mo Han felt much relieved and raised his hand in a gesture of invitation. Fang Zilan pursed her lips, but still walked out.
However, there was no Wen Ya in the courtyard, only the servant standing with his hands hanging down. Fang Zilan gritted her teeth and glanced back at Mo Han, only to see him smiling contentedly. He also shrugged innocently.
Fang Zilan followed the eunuch into the palace as if she was resigned to her fate. Li Shengxuan's expression in the royal study was so tense that she couldn't help but beat her heart--could something happen again?
When Li Shengxuan saw Fang Zilan, his face looked a little relaxed, and he asked her about her physical condition with concern, which made her confused, so she had to bite the bullet and answer.
After turning to the main topic, Li Shengxuan suddenly asked: "Do you know why I transferred Wu Sheng to the Ministry of Punishment to revise the law?"
Fang Zilan pursed her lips and was about to speak when she heard Li Shengxuan say: "Partly because he has ideas, and partly because he is Mr. Su Heng's disciple."
A trace of astonishment flashed in Fang Zilan's eyes, and Li Shengxuan sighed and said: "Even with me behind his back, Zhuge Yu's reform of officialdom is still hindered, and he still needs a respected elder in the court to stand by his side to support him. Zhuge Yu Sir, you want to avoid suspicion. My original intention was to invite Mr. Su Heng to return to Beijing to take up a post. However, due to the late emperor’s wishes and the fact that Mr. Su Heng was quite disheartened when he was demoted, it would be inappropriate to invite Mr. Su Heng back rashly. Therefore, I I would like to take Wu Sheng as an opportunity to show Mr. Su Heng and the people of the world my determination to govern the world, and it will not be too late to invite him back."
"But now Mr. Wu Sheng..." Fang Zilan's voice was almost inaudible. She did not expect that Li Shengxuan had such intentions behind Wu Sheng's transfer to the Criminal Department. It seems that Wu Sheng's death was not necessarily caused only by her.
"I ordered people to check and found that Wu Sheng is Mr. Su Heng's only disciple in the capital." Li Shengxuan looked complicated, "I must give an explanation to Mr. Su Heng and everyone in the world. Do you understand?"
Fang Zilan was dazed for a moment and asked subconsciously: "How is Your Majesty going to explain this?"
Li Shengxuan remained silent, while Fang Zilan clenched her hands in her sleeves into fists and gritted her teeth: "Then who can give an explanation to Mr. Yang Zhiqing and his family?"
Although she had been living in confusion these past few days, she still listened to Xiao Xuan'er's words to some extent. She knew that there were rumors in the capital that Yang Zhiqing had not been promoted for many years and was jealous of Wu Sheng being transferred to the Ministry of Justice, so he paid for the murder. Later, when clues in the letters were exposed, in order not to drag down the family, he committed suicide in front of the Yin Mansion in Jingzhao.
After the incident spread, everyone in the capital reviled Yang Zhiqing. People clamored and threw stones in front of his house every day, disturbing the whole family.
It seems that everyone has lost their memory. No one remembers that Yang Zhiqing was a parent officer who had guarded the smog-infested southeast for eight years. He also received a Ten Thousand People Umbrella when he left office.
They only remembered that Yang Zhiqing was jealous and murderous, cruel and petty, and was not worthy of being an official at all.
As for Wu Sheng, he became the most innocent victim and was infinitely beautified. Mr. Su Heng's protégé is so talented and has a good character... Everyone who knows him or not is full of praise and regret, as if his absence is a huge loss to the imperial court.
When a person dies, he can only be guided by others. Can't he even keep his reputation after death?
