Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 15 Man-Eating and Ghost-Eating
Zhang Xun's mind exploded like fireworks, suddenly illuminating many corners he had never noticed before.

The Zhang family's current glory is due to the bond between the father, Zhang Ran, and His Majesty, who grew up together in their youth; the Zhou family is a renowned legal family, and they are former officials of the previous dynasty. Even though they once produced many talented and dazzling individuals, they are now a thing of the past.

An empress could be a commoner woman whom the emperor had discarded after his usefulness was over, but a crown princess must be a carefully selected right-hand woman.

Why choose the Zhou family of Zhang Zhou?

"My Ruoqing deserves the best man in my heart."

Zhang Xun clenched his fists, feeling utterly powerless. At first, he found it absurd; it wasn't just a windfall, it was like gold falling from the sky. But looking at the graceful, kind, and gentle A-mei, he realized that nothing was impossible.

Han Ze breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that Zhang Xun understood his implied meaning.

He didn't want to fight in front of Zhou Zhao, lest he anger her...

"Dawn Garden is the private garden of a wealthy merchant surnamed Cao. Most of the people who go there are rich playboys with plenty of money. For ordinary people, it's just for drinking tea and listening to music, which is quite elegant. But if someone introduces you, there's much more to do..."

"At Haitang Tower, everyone goes there for Haitang, and Haitang is Zhang Ruoqing."

As Han Ze spoke, he shrank his neck... Seeing Zhang Xun looking as if struck by lightning, about to raise his fist to meet him, he hurriedly waved his hand, "It's not what you think. We didn't do anything shady. It was just a group of people who admire Zhang Ruoqing having drinks together."

“That’s a small banquet. I’ve only been there once, about three months ago. It was Huo Ting, the nephew of Grand Commandant Huo, who introduced me to it.”

Zhou Zhao frowned, and when she saw Han Ze peeking at her, she raised her phoenix eyes and looked back at him.

When Han Ze realized she had noticed, he hurriedly turned his head away. Although Zhang Ruoqing was the most beautiful woman, it was mostly hype, and she was as gentle and mild-mannered as his mother, not his type at all.

To be honest, if we only look at appearances, he likes someone like Zhou Zhao.

But Zhou Zhao would make him lose face.

“I don’t usually mess with respectable people. I’m not the same kind of person as Zhang Ruoqing. We’re talking about serious matters. With Huo Ting acting as a middleman, he asked me to commission Master Wu to carve a statue of the Queen Mother of the West… to be presented as a gift for the Empress’s birthday.”

“My father is in charge of the Imperial Household Department. I may not be good at anything else, but I am an expert in all things related to eating, drinking and having fun. No one in the entire city of Chang'an knows better than me how to handle this matter.”

“She didn’t have any good jade, and she didn’t know any masters… I’m not a fool to let someone get something for nothing. So I made her write an IOU.”

As Han Ze spoke, he rummaged around on his person and finally pulled out a crumpled piece of silk from his sleeve pocket, which he honestly presented to Zhou Zhao. "Sister Zhao, although I am older than you, you are still my sister! Everything I said is true, and the IOU is still here!"

Zhou Zhao took it and looked at it, and sure enough, he saw Zhang Ruoqing's seal on it.

She looked at it and handed the silk to Zhang Xun, who was craning his neck. "Take a look and see if it's your sister's handwriting?"

Zhang Xun hurriedly took it, glanced at it, and then dejectedly let go, his voice a little hoarse, "Yes."

Han Ze breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him admit it. "I won't lie to Sister Zhao! Huo Ting was there too, he can vouch for me."

"Oh, right," Han Ze racked his brains for a moment, then continued, "Huo Ting also told me not to worry about Zhang Ruoqing defaulting on her debts. Even if she can't pay, someone else will pay for her. Cao Ben of Fuxiao Garden has spent a fortune on her." The room fell silent.

Although Han Ze's words were somewhat subtle, the people present were not stupid. How could they not understand that he was saying that Zhang Ruoqing, in order to take over Chang Le Palace and create a good reputation, used her beauty to ensnare eight hundred fish who would risk their lives for her?

Could it be that the fish in the net turned on their owner, thus triggering the feud?
Seeing that he was getting carried away and had forgotten her earlier question, Zhou Zhao reminded him again, "Why did Zhang Ruoqing bring those wooden plaques to see you? You said she was both repaying money and spending money, what does that mean?"

Upon hearing this, Han Ze suddenly became somewhat awkward.

“I also went to the banquet yesterday. Zhang Ruoqing found me and said she wanted me to come to Wujin Lane tonight so she could return the money to me. She also needs me to do her another favor, which only requires a little persuasion, and she will give me another sum of money.”

You're a bastard if you don't make money!

Although his family is wealthy, who would complain about having too much money! To get money just by talking—where in the world is there such a good thing?
"She said her time in the capital was short, and her mother rarely went out, never taking her out to socialize. She didn't know the likes and dislikes of many people in Chang'an, nor did she know who was related to whom by marriage or what past grievances they might have..."

"She also said that her mother was anxious to arrange a marriage for her, and she wanted to inquire about people in the capital!"

As Han Ze spoke, he scratched his head and said, "I'm not bragging, but I really know a lot of people."

Those upright gentlemen don't talk behind people's backs, but these spoiled young masters talk about everything and everything! They may not know many words in the classics, but they all know all the spicy gossip and secrets!

"I really don't know anything about wooden signs. I'll just have her write down who she wants to know about beforehand, and I'll talk to her about it later."

Han Ze poured out his grievances like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, and then let out a long sigh of relief.

God knows he was too embarrassed to say it, but he was actually going out this door last night to get the money, otherwise he would have brought the IOU with him.

But then he suddenly remembered that last night was June 15th, the anniversary of Zhou Yan's death. Zhou Zhao would definitely go to Wujin Lane on that day, and he immediately felt apprehensive.

Zhou Zhao glanced at Han Ze, as if she could see right through his thoughts, but she didn't dwell on the past. Instead, she asked, "Do you know who Zhang Ruoqing has a grudge against? Or has anything unusual happened to her?"

Zhou Zhao paused for a moment, "It's possible that someone died, or that it's related to ghosts, monsters, cannibals... or something like that."

"How could she eat people? Zhang Ruoqing is a beauty, not a demon. How could she eat people?" Han Ze exclaimed, his eyes wide open.

Although he didn't think Zhang Ruoqing was a gentle and kind person, she just liked to have fun, right? If men can have fun, women can too, it's not a big deal! Playing with people is one thing, but eating people is another!

A thought suddenly struck Zhou Zhao, and she quickly looked at Han Ze, "What did you just say? Say it again?"

Han Ze felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but take a few steps back, distancing himself from Zhou Zhao. He weakly repeated, "Zhang Ruoqing is a beauty, not a demon..."

Zhou Zhao suddenly realized, "That's right, for the murderer seeking revenge, Zhang Ruoqing is the real ghost... so it's not about eating people, it's about eating ghosts!"

(End of this chapter)