Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Ever since I cracked the case at Ningyuan Marquis Manor (see Yu Chaolan Investigates 1 and 2),
my name had spread throughout the capital almost overnight.
Even the case of the stolen Night-Luminous Pearl from the Empress Dowager’s palace found its way to me.
Fortunately, I lived up to the task.
With a simple little trick, I found the Night-Luminous Pearl.
Her elderly ladyship, the Empress Dowager, thought quite highly of me.
She wanted His Majesty to make an exception and grant me the post of sixth-rank Assistant Minister of Dali Temple,
so I could investigate cases and apprehend criminals in an official capacity, bringing justice to the people.
Who would have thought those civil officials in court would all submit memorials opposing it?
“Female officials have always served within the palace. How can a mere woman interfere in the affairs of Dali Temple?”
“Dali Temple is a vital seat of criminal justice, a place thick with baleful energy. Only strong, masculine men can preside over it! Women are yin by nature. If one enters Dali Temple, she may offend the fortune of the dynasty and bring harm to the state!”
“Back then, Wang Ping’an of the Duke Protector Mansion became a general despite being a woman only because circumstances forced it!”
“If Dali Temple has a female official now, won’t every woman under heaven start following her example?”
His Majesty was so harried by their clamor that his head ached.
And so my official appointment came to nothing.
That day,
Yuan Nanshan had been invited to the outskirts of the capital as a guest.
Sitting in the carriage, he flicked his folding fan open and shut as he said,
“I still can’t figure out how you found the Night-Luminous Pearl.”
I said modestly,
“Those of us who wander the jianghu telling fortunes naturally have some skill in reading faces and expressions.”
Yuan Nanshan rolled his eyes.
“Don’t brush me off. I just want to know why the Night-Luminous Pearl was in the jewelry box in the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber.”
He gestured as he spoke.
“A pearl that big-palace servants searched the place dozens of times. There’s no way they wouldn’t have found it!”
“How exactly did you do it?”
I smiled faintly and said,
“A jianghu trick, that’s all. If I reveal the secret, how is this student supposed to earn a living in the future?”
Just as we were nearing our destination,
a dark cloud suddenly drifted over, shrouding the sky above us.
I reined in my smile and slowly said,
“My lord, just now, this student cast a divination for today’s journey.”
“The hexagram shows-Kun (Earth)… unfavorable for travel…”
When Yuan Nanshan said his teacher had invited him to a villa for a small drink and specifically asked him to bring me along,
I had already felt something was amiss.
Sure enough, the moment we entered the estate, I noticed burly guards posted everywhere.
This was clearly no ordinary visit.
Yuan Nanshan’s expression sharpened, and he could not help growing tense.
Just then, a woman approached us from the front.
She was rather tall, with elegant brows and fine features, seemingly in her twenties.
A precious sword hung at her waist.
Several fierce-looking guards followed behind her.
Her entire person radiated an indescribable air of killing intent.
Astonishment flashed in Yuan Nanshan’s eyes. He cupped his hands and said,
“General Wang… why are you here?”
So this was the only female general of our dynasty-the Guardian General, Wang Ping’an.
Her face was cold as she cupped her fist to Yuan Nanshan.
“Brother Yuan, I borrowed another person’s name to invite you here because there is an extremely important matter I must entrust to you.”
After saying so, she glanced at me.
Then she led us into the main hall.
Inside were four young women dressed in luxurious clothes, all as beautiful as flowers.
The moment they saw us enter, they cried out, “Save us!”
One of them
was none other than County Lady Qixia, whom I had met just a month ago.
Once he recognized the identities of the women,
Yuan Nanshan sucked in a breath and said in a low voice,
“General Wang, what is the meaning of this?”
“This…”
Wasn’t this kidnapping?!
Wang Ping’an swept a cool gaze over the room and said, word by word,
“Three days ago, my only younger sister, Wang Ning’er… hanged herself.”
“There was no warning, and no suicide note… All we know is that on that day, she went to a poetry gathering at the Grand Tutor’s Mansion and met these four noble young ladies.”
Her tone was very calm.
But I could hear the restraint and hatred buried deep within it.
At those words, the four noble ladies hurried to explain.
“Sister Wang, you’ve truly misunderstood. We told you earlier-we really don’t know why Ning’er would take things so hard. This has nothing to do with us!”
“That’s right, Sister Wang. The dead cannot come back to life. What use is there in taking your anger out on us? Please let us go home at once!”
“You may be the Guardian General, but I am also the legitimate daughter of the Censor-in-Chief! What crime is it to abduct the female members of officials’ families?!”
“Lord Yuan, please take me home. My father will be worried!”
Cold sweat streamed down Yuan Nanshan’s forehead. He cupped his hands to Wang Ping’an and said,
“General, I have also heard something of your sister’s matter.”
“If you still have doubts about the cause of her death, Dali Temple will naturally investigate it thoroughly. Why go to such lengths?”
These four noble ladies all came from extraordinary backgrounds.
Even the lowest-ranking of their fathers was a high official of the second rank.
To offend all of them
was no different from making an enemy of the entire civil bureaucracy at court.