Princess Yongping walked out of the garden, watching Xu Yin leave in his splendid attire, and asked, "Where is Master going?"
The attendant replied, "General Liang returned to the capital the day before yesterday, and Master went to welco him back."
A layer of frost imdiately glazed over Yongping’s eyes: "It’s the Liang Family again!"
The maid glanced at her expression and echoed, "Yes, Miss Liang has been dead for six years now. When can this bond finally be cut off?
"The world knows Master is a man of deep affection and righteousness, naturally he’s not one to distance himself from the Liang Family.
"The Liang Family should know better and stop clinging to the kindness of the past to bind Master. Where does this leave the Princess?"
Yongping took a few steps forward, staring at the courtyard gate, and said, "All these years, he’s been the one running to the Liang Family. When have the Liang family mbers ever co to him? This only proves that Liang Ning holds an unshakable place in his heart!"
The maid’s flattery hit the wrong mark, and she bowed her head, not daring to speak further.
Yongping withdrew her gaze, turned to the other direction, and said, "Go to the Prince Manor."
...
The banquet was set in the Liang Family’s villa within the South City Gate, a courtyard with four entries and a side yard. Because it’s seldom inhabited, most of the courtyards were used as banquet halls and guest rooms, as well as having two gardens of different sizes.
When Xu Yin arrived, Liang Zhi and Cheng Chili were already drinking tea in the garden pavilion. As soon as he saw him, Cheng Chili greeted, "The Assistant Minister has indeed arrived. I said Shaoyuan had slighted you earlier, surely you wouldn’t co! But Shaoyuan said you’d definitely co because you’re magnanimous! And indeed it’s true!"
Xu Yin smiled as he sat down, looking at them, "Is it just the three of us today?"
Liang Zhi said, "I did want to invite more people, but thinking about how we’re all a bunch of rough n and you’re not familiar with them, I just didn’t call them. Keep it quiet, have dinner and chat, what do you think?"
Xu Yin said, "Others can be excused, but how could Ming Zhi not be invited? Last ti I agreed with him to have a good talk."
Liang Zhi glanced at Cheng Chili, "Well, let’s call our fifth brother. And have him bring along their family’s Huxiang chef, that chef makes excellent spring-water fish."
Cheng Chili nodded, "Just right, I heard Vice Minister Xu’s ancestral ho is also Tanzhou, perfectly suits your taste!"
...
Pei Zhan received the invitation from Liang Zhi and the others while he was on his way to the National History Institute to seek Gu Xiu.
The Ministry of Rites happened to be going to the National History Institute today to retrieve books, and Gu Xiu had sent word to Pei Zhan early in the morning.
Since returning from Baihe Temple, Pei Zhan had been lost in his thoughts these past two days. After hearing the invitation, he was silent for a while before agreeing.
Upon arriving at the National History Institute, Gu Xiu t him at the door and handed him the record books that had been prepared:
"These items must not be borrowed out, General, please study them here. I still need to guide the officials from the Ministry of Rites to retrieve the scriptures, so I won’t be accompanying you."
Pei Zhan thanked him deeply, took the three thick record books, and walked to a secluded corner to review them.
All three record books docunted the treasures that Dayue Country had presented to the forr emperors. Pei Zhan skipped over the silks, precious stones, and jade vessels and focused on the weapons.
For the sake of tracing the inventory, each weapon was illustrated. Pei Zhan took out the dagger and searched one by one for the totems on the dagger.
The royal family of Dayue bore the surna Duan. Originally nomadic people from the North, they later ca to admire Central Plains culture, inviting many Han teachers, thus adopting Han script, attire, and even referencing Han court systems. Dayue originally had long and cumberso surnas, which they changed to the simpler Han family nas.
As he neared the second record book’s end, the dagger’s totem stood out prominently!
The tribute to which it belonged occupied over ten pages and mainly consisted of exquisite weapons! Moreover, the dagger in Pei Zhan’s hand was indeed among them!
In other words, the dagger used by the murderer on the capital city streets was actually sourced from palace tributes?
Pei Zhan’s brows knitted tightly.
After pondering for a mont, he took the record book and found Gu Xiu again.
"Grand Tutor, can you reveal to the junior the whereabouts of these tributes?"
All these treasures recorded in the record books were tributes from Dayue Country to the forr dynasty’s emperors. Palace items, especially those that entered the Imperial Treasury, were ticulously recorded, even down to sothing as small as a packet of embroidery needles.
Therefore, if these ledgers still exist, then the dagger’s whereabouts should be attainable!
Gu Xiu thought for a mont, navigated past three shelves, and in the near corner, found a few record books.
After brushing off the dust from the top, he said, "These all remained in the Imperial Treasury back then, there should be what you are looking for."
Pei Zhan quickly expressed his gratitude.
Gu Xiu watched him browse through them and comnted, "The totem you’re looking for belonged to the last generation of King Yi, the son of the previous King of Dayue, implying they shared the sa grandfather.
"If I rember correctly, the na was Duan Huai. He had talent, but regrettably was too steeped in romance to manage state affairs effectively.
"Back then, his grandfather intended to establish him as a grandson of the emperor, but lacking strategy compared to his uncle, even with Central Plains emperor’s backing, failed to inherit power, ultimately dying tragically in court struggles. The throne finally went to his cousin.
"I have seen his personally painted scrolls, indeed remarkable. They still circulate within Great Zhou today, considered rare treasures on the market."
Pei Zhan’s eyes fixed on a certain page, then looked up, "This records that all the weapons, once tribute from Prince Yi Mansion, were bestowed away. I counted, and there are thirteen weapons in total, bestowed upon nine individuals.
"Does the Grand Tutor know the fate of these nine individuals?"
The nine who received the thirteen weapons were naturally officials in the forr regi’s court, not naless individuals. If one seeks them out, they can likely be found, just uncertain if they survived the regi transition.
Gu Xiu glanced at the ledger, then penned two nas on a blank sheet beside it, "These were two historians from the forr dynasty, now retained as officials in our court. No one is more inford about their forr colleagues, nor anyone more familiar with them. Whatever fate befell the people you seek, they’re certain to know!"
Pei Zhan accepted the note and imdiately bowed in thanks, "Many thanks, Grand Tutor!"
It’s easier now that clues can be found!
The record listed the na of the dagger as "Cold Spring." The Cold Spring dagger was granted by the previous emperor to a military officer nad Shen Yi. No one in the Great Zhou’s civil and military ranks bears this na, indicating this Shen Yi is either lost in obscurity or t a different end.
As an officer from the prior dynasty, possessing so hidden power to kill isn’t too surprising.
So, the murderer who committed the cri in Baiyu Lane, could it be soone with the surna Shen?
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