Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 212 New Preview
When Zhou Zhao woke up, the east was already turning white.

She groggily reached out and touched the bamboo slips she had been holding, only to find them had rolled to the side of her pillow.

The last time these bamboo slips were warm was when they first returned to Chang'an, when the Zhaixing Tower collapsed, and there has been no further movement since.

The moment her fingertips touched the bamboo slip, Zhou Zhao suddenly woke up and sat up. With lightning speed, she unfolded the bamboo slip.

The letter to my deceased wife shines brightly like the sun and moon, hanging high on the long ribbon. I met her on the righteous path on New Year's Day, and again under the orchid moon. The reeds are lush and green, the pear trees are lush and white, and my heart is suddenly filled with a sense of peace. The Imperial Censor's Northern Army wields double blades, and I risk my life to pluck stars from the perilous tower. Cui Zi rebelled against Qi and murdered Duke Zhuang, and the blood-soaked city is shrouded in mist as the north wind blows…

The words at the beginning of the bamboo slip began to burn as if on fire. Zhou Zhao did not hesitate and firmly memorized the last two sentences.

The words burned away one by one, along with the tears that fell like rain between the lines.

Before Zhou Zhao could think, a streak of blood suddenly spurted from the bamboo slip. She hurriedly reached out to touch it, but couldn't get any red on her hand. Zhou Zhao rubbed it vigorously again, and saw that the last character "风" (wind) was burned away completely. The bloodstain on the bamboo slip gradually faded until it disappeared completely.

"Cui Zi rebelled in Qi and murdered Duke Zhuang; blood mist shrouded the lost city, and the north wind blew..."

Zhou Zhao murmured, gripping the bamboo slips even tighter.

She couldn't think about the meaning of those two sentences; her mind was filled with the shocking image of blood red.

Did Su Changying cough up blood when he wrote "Letter to My Deceased Wife"?

Was he assassinated? Or was he suffering from a serious illness?

Or perhaps... the "Letter to My Deceased Wife" wasn't something Su Changying did by chance, but rather a blood sacrifice ritual to foretell her death and give her a chance at rebirth?

The bright red bloodstains overlapped with the bloodstains left by Zhou Yan back then, reminding Zhou Zhao of the blood sacrifice of the Six Heavenly Books and the pool of blood in Tianying Mountain.

She didn't know, and had no way of verifying it.

Zhou Zhao took a deep breath, rolled over, and stood barefoot on the ground. The chill of late autumn instantly sobered her up.

"Cui Zi rebelled against Qi and murdered Duke Zhuang of Qi. Blood mist shrouded the city and the north wind blew. Cui Zi's name was Zhu. He was a minister of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period. He lured and killed his ruler, Duke Zhuang of Qi. He was a traitor."

What does that mean? Zhou Zhao's mind raced; it meant that her next death would be betrayal and brutal murder by those around her.

Zhou Zhao immediately thought of how, because of Dai Changming's death, she and Su Changying both suspected there was a mole within the Court of Justice. So who was the mole? Were they about to take action against her?
What is the Blood Mist of the Lost City? She had been in Chang'an for so long and had never heard of this place.

Based on the two previous death predictions, this place is very likely to be her final resting place, just like the Star-Picking Tower.

“The north wind blows…” Zhou Zhao murmured repeatedly, wondering if the north wind meant her death was imminent.

As Zhou Zhao thought this, a raging fire burned in his heart.

What heavenly law did Zhou Zhao violate that caused her to die young again and again?
"Miss, are you getting up? Shall I go in?"

Hearing Chu Yi's soft call at the door, Zhou Zhao crumpled up the bamboo slip, wrapped it up, placed it beside his pillow, and then went to open the door.

Chu Yi, holding a copper basin, looked down and saw Zhou Zhao's bare feet, exclaiming in surprise, "Why isn't Miss wearing shoes and socks? It's been frosty these past two days. Although it hasn't rained, once the north wind starts blowing, you should change into a thick robe. The eldest young lady went to the Han residence to see the dogs yesterday and brought back some fine furs."

I brought it to the young lady last night, but she returned late, so I didn't tell you."

Listening to Chu Yi's rambling, Zhou Zhao thought of Han Xincheng and her face instantly darkened. She couldn't die. If she died, and Zhou Wan went to the Dai Kingdom, who in the entire household would be a match for that vixen?
Zhou Buhai and Zhou Xuan, after being drained of their life force, hung their bodies on the wall and were still quite pleased with themselves!

After quickly finishing her toilette, Zhou Zhao searched for a rope in her dressing case, hung the little fish that Su Changying had given her around her neck, and tucked it into her clothes.

"The Court of Justice is having mutton soup with flatbread today, so I won't be having breakfast at home. Please let my sisters know."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he leaped into the air, flipped over the wall, and landed lightly in the alley outside the wall.

A blue carriage was already waiting in the alley. Standing to the side, you could clearly see a small wooden sign hanging on it with the character "Zhou" written on it.

Zhou Zhao walked over without ceremony, reached out and knocked on the carriage wall. "Zhou Cheng'an, what are you doing squatting here for me?"

Zhou Cheng'an peeked out somewhat awkwardly, his face flushed as he glanced at Zhou Zhao and whispered to him, "You...you should call me elder brother. Father wants you to come with me to the Court of Justice; he has some things he wants me to convey to you."

Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered, and she boarded the carriage and sat down. She turned towards Zhou Cheng'an and said, "Father, do you mean we should never see each other again? The Zhou mansion is so small, you could have come on foot. Why didn't you just tell me directly instead of having to tell me?"

Having been in Chang'an for so long, Zhou Cheng'an still felt somewhat intimidated by Zhou Zhao.

He secretly glanced at Zhou Zhao and saw that although she had a sharp tongue, she wasn't angry on the surface, which made him slightly relieved.

"When Father heard about the false case involving Court Clerk Li Mu, he told us to be careful at the Court of Justice these days. We've lost face this time, and if we become the ones who stick our necks out, we'll probably be reprimanded. We're new here, so it's best to listen to Master."

As Zhou Cheng'an spoke, his gaze toward Zhou Zhao was exceptionally complex.

He and Zhou Zhao entered the Court of Justice on the same day. He is still doing odd jobs and has to write down the notes on the side of the documents he has read. He only dares to put them on the document after his master has seen them.

While secretly pleased with himself for signing his name, he was also anxious, fearing that he had consulted the wrong classic text or written the wrong regulations.

Zhou Zhao had long since distinguished himself and was unstoppable.

She is now like a greatsword, sweeping across both courtyards.

Compared to Zhou Zhao, he sometimes felt like he wasn't a normal person.

"Is that all? I've always been steady and reliable in taking on and solving cases, even beating people up on my days off. You could say I'm as steady as an old dog. I do want to listen to my master, but what does he say most often? 'Another jar, or we won't leave until we're drunk!'"

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then glanced at Zhou Cheng'an but didn't expose him.

These were clearly words that Zhou Buhai had specifically instructed Zhou Cheng'an to be cautious and not to make any rash moves. Zhou Buhai had already told her this kind of thing countless times.

Even if Zhou Zhao were a spy, she couldn't keep a low profile, let alone in the Court of Justice, which was her battlefield.

"Your master..." Zhou Zhao wanted to ask how Zhou Cheng'an's master treated him, but when she remembered that Zhou Buhai had specially chosen him for Zhou Cheng'an, she couldn't help but lose interest. She remembered that Zhou Cheng'an had helped Zhou Xuan carry her dowry before, and added, "Father has been the Minister of Justice for so many years, what he said is not wrong."

Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Zhou Cheng'an's face lit up with joy. He then handed Zhou Zhao a small food box, somewhat embarrassed, saying, "I made these sugar cakes myself."

Zhou Zhao was taken aback, glanced at Zhou Cheng'an suspiciously, opened the food box, and saw a round little white rabbit inside with red dots around its eyes, looking very lifelike. "You can make this?"

She had always maintained a "live and let live" attitude towards Zhou Cheng'an, and didn't interact with him much in the Court of Justice. Naturally, she didn't know that this grown man could make pastries.