Chapter 150: Chapter 79: Marshal Captures the Culprit_4
Across from him, the Deputy Commander of the Palace Front Office, Xiao Zhufeng, spoke in a deep voice, "The Departnt of Criminal & Justice has seen to everything, His Majesty is conducting a thorough investigation of the imperial examinations this ti, and with a group from the Ministry of Rites implicated, it’s the perfect opportunity for our people to step in. Do you have any doubts?"
The case regarding the tribute examinations had progressed more smoothly than anyone had anticipated.
On the surface, it was about examination fraud, but in reality, the Emperor was using this as an opportunity to thoroughly investigate the recent trends of power brokering, accepting bribes, and selling of official titles within the court. With various factions involved, the Assistant Minister of Rites was part of the Crown Prince’s faction, and with the Crown Prince and Third Prince currently engaged in both overt and covert struggles, how could the Third Prince miss this chance? Consequently, all involved would not be let off easily.
For them, it was a windfall, but Pei Yunng didn’t appear the least bit relieved.
Pei Yunng put down the docunt he was holding, looked at the candle on the desk, and chuckled, "Don’t you think this is all too coincidental?"
"Where is the coincidence?"
"During the tribute examinations, a scholar committed suicide in his cell, causing a commotion that conveniently spread outside the court. In a short span of ti, aside from the Privy Council not to ntion, the Departnt of Military Affairs, Departnt of Criminal & Justice, and all three offices received the news. The implicated officials from the Ministry of Rites were investigated, the governnt officer from the Trial Court caused a scene at the dead scholar’s ho, provoking conflict between the scholars and the Imperial Court; following that, scholars blocked sedan chairs, the Imperial Censor submitted a petition to the court, and the Trial Court was investigated..."
He picked up the candleholder on the desk, gazed at the flickering fla, and a deep aning flashed across his eyes.
"A scholar’s death, no matter how sensational, should not have escalated to this extent. Each step seems as if soone is fanning the flas from behind. Otherwise, from the outset when a life was lost at the Tribute Court, the Ministry of Rites should have been able to suppress the incident."
Xiao Zhufeng frowned, "Do you suspect the Third Prince is behind this?"
Pei Yunng shook his head, "The Third Prince is arrogant by nature; he wouldn’t entrust his safety to a commoner."
Just then, Duan Xiaoyan ca in with an embroidered robe and interjected upon hearing their conversation, "Then we really have to thank the wife of the Minister of Imperial Treasury. If it wasn’t for her mistakenly thinking the person who was poisoned was her precious son, and making a scene at the entrance of the Tribute Court with the chief examiner, and then on a whim calling her brother-in-law who works for the Departnt of Military Affairs, there wouldn’t have been a chance for the Tribute Court to cover up the incident, let alone the subsequent series of dramatic events."
He spoke casually, but Pei Yunng’s expression changed subtly.
After a mont of thought, he glanced at Duan Xiaoyan and asked, "What do you know about the dead scholar?"
Duan Xiaoyan, who enjoyed keeping track of these trivial matters, imdiately launched into a torrent of words, "Are you talking about Scholar Wu? He was quite pitiful, living only with his mother, earning his living by killing fish at the fishmonger’s in West Street. I heard he was originally a candidate for the top scholar..."
He was going on and on, spitting as he spoke, when suddenly Pei Yunng cut him off.
"West Street?"
"Yes, West Street." Duan Xiaoyan replied, "What about West Street?"
It was Xiao Zhufeng who appeared to realize sothing, looking at Pei Yunng, "The Benevolent Heart dical Hall, where that female doctor practices, is on West Street."
Duan Xiaoyan was taken aback, "What does this have to do with Doctor Lu?"
Pei Yunng didn’t speak.
Instantly, the tangle of clueless threads seed to have found its end, and everything that was blurry began to co into focus.
The deceased scholar, Scholar Wu, was the reader who killed fish at the West Street fishmonger.
The wife of the Minister of Imperial Treasury, Lady Dong, who had escalated the Tribute Court suicide case, had previously asked Lu Tong to treat her son’s lung disease.
The Judicial Commissioner, Fan Zhenglian, who was locked up in prison, had Lu Tong visit the Fan Mansion to diagnose his wife not long ago.
Every connected node conveniently and just happened to feature the shadow of Lu Tong.
In the candleholder, the fla gently swayed, casting elongated shadows of those present. The young man watched quietly for a long while, then suddenly chuckled.
"So that’s how it is."
She had circled around such a wide berth for this.
Whatever "Xianxian
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