Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 361 Eliminating Suspects

Jingyi spoke with a relaxed air.

He walked to the window, looked out, saw the stars in the night sky, and then looked at the black cat's tail sticking up from the rockery in the courtyard. He couldn't help but take a greedy sniff.

"I feel better than ever before, and I even want to stab myself with a knife to see if it's an illusion."

As Zhou Zhao listened, he exchanged a glance with Su Changying, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

She thought that perhaps this was the meaning of being an official of the Court of Judicial Review.

To give new life to those who are trapped in despair under the mountain.

"What about the matter I asked you to investigate?" Su Changying asked, pulling Jing Yi back from her wandering thoughts.

“I used to be an official under Li Huaishan, so I know the family backgrounds and preferences of his colleagues in the court. It is my duty to maintain social relationships. After you gave me the instructions, I checked it carefully again.”

When it came to business, Jingyi turned around.

Zhou Zhaotong and Su Changying helped him, so he had no reason not to care about his benefactors.

"Han Shaofu's father, Han Yu, came from a prestigious family and was the most outstanding young master in Chang'an when he was young. His family had arranged a marriage for him with a girl surnamed Zhao, who came from a scholarly family. However, one time when Han Yu was riding out for a spring outing, he was spotted by Miss Pei, who came from a military family."

Miss Pei was indeed fierce; she immediately seized the man by force, abducting him and returning three days later. Han Yu broke off his engagement with Miss Zhao and immediately married Miss Pei.

This matter caused quite a stir back then. Miss Pei was arrogant and domineering, and Han Yu was a romantic and talented man. It was originally thought that they would not have a good ending.

What happened later surprised everyone. Han Yu turned over a new leaf, and only Miss Pei remained in the inner quarters. The two of them had only one son, Han Jiushang. He was called Jiushang because he was the ninth child in his clan.

The Han family has maintained a stable position from the previous dynasty to the present. When Han Jiushang was young, he was always surrounded by his retainers.

Han Yu doted on Han Jiushang. He practically grew up on his father's shoulders, spending most of his time with Han Yu, learning appraisal skills at the Imperial Treasury. He never disappeared from public view for extended periods.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying exchanged a glance.

It seems Han Jiushang wasn't lying; he wasn't the young master who had a past connection with Gong Ling.

"The current prime minister is born out of wedlock. His mother died in childbirth, and he was raised by his grandmother in his hometown. He was not with his father and stepmother when they were sent to other posts."

Therefore, he was not close to his parents and brothers, but had a close relationship with his cousins ​​who grew up together.

"I've already inquired with the people at the academy about the matter you asked me to verify. Back when the 'Ladder to Heaven' incident occurred, the Prime Minister did indeed engage in a heated debate with the scholars at the academy. Moreover, he caused quite a stir at the time by discussing immortality with his contemporaries."

The previous dynasty established an academy in Chang'an, where scholars from all schools of thought could discuss their doctrines. It was common for them to argue heatedly and even fight.

"Don't let the Prime Minister's current composure fool you; back then, he was a wild and unruly man. The previous emperor, Mu Changsheng, wouldn't tolerate any dissent and had him arrested and imprisoned. He almost lost his head, but his mentor protected him, and coincidentally, an uprising broke out, so the emperor had no time to attend to him, which is how he managed to survive."

Zhou Zhao listened with a sigh in his heart. Perhaps it was because of this that when His Majesty raised an army, Prime Minister Chen joined his ranks without hesitation, changing his lord.

Su Changying frowned as she listened. "That makes sense, as Xu Yun said. Prime Minister Chen isn't that young master either."

Zhou Zhao nodded, his heart pounding. With Han Shaofu and Prime Minister Chen eliminated, only Marquis of Huaiyang and Grand Commandant Huo remained.

Jingyi's expression remained unchanged as he continued to speak of the next person, the Marquis of Huaiyang.

"The father of the Marquis of Huaiyang, Zhao Lingqiao, married Jiang Si, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, who was of equal social standing, according to his parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words."

However, Zhao Lingqiao already had a sweetheart, Jiang Shu, the half-sister of the Jiang family. When Jiang Si married into the family, she brought Jiang Shu with her as a concubine. Jiang Shu was shrewd and domineering, enjoying the emperor's exclusive favor and even giving birth to Zhao Lingqiao's eldest son before Jiang Si. When the Marquis of Huaiyang was five or six years old, Jiang Shu took him back to his maternal grandparents' home to visit relatives, and they did not return home for a year or two.

I inquired with three elderly men released from the Marquis of Huaiyang's residence, and their accounts matched perfectly; there was no mistake.

Zhou Zhao recalled what the Marquis of Huaiyang had said to Zhao Yizhou earlier.

He said your grandparents were a mismatched couple.

That’s what it meant.

As she thought about it, her fingers trembled slightly. She exchanged a glance with Su Changying. It seemed that the Marquis of Huaiyang was indeed a prime suspect.

"And what about Commander Huo?"

Jingyi's mouth was a little dry from talking. He walked to the stove, picked up the tea he hadn't finished earlier from the small table, drank it all in one gulp, and then wiped it haphazardly with his sleeve.

"Grand Commandant Huo was the legitimate son of his family. He had four brothers in total. His eldest brother was born out of wedlock, his second brother was born of the same mother as him, and his younger brother was born to a concubine. You may not know his second brother, but you should know his son, Huo Ting."

The Huo family suffered a tragedy in their early years when their father was beheaded. Afterwards, the entire family, including children and relatives, left Chang'an and returned to their ancestral home, where they lived a low-key life ever since.

He did not return to public view until he was fourteen years old.

He rose to fame at the age of fourteen and quickly rose to prominence, becoming a general who guarded a region, a truly legendary figure.

I did as you suggested and made a special inquiry. Grand Commandant Huo's mother also passed away early. Because of the deep mourning, the four Huo brothers lived alone in a hut built near the ancestral graves for three years.

Therefore, I searched through several people, but I couldn't find out whether Commander Huo had left alone at that time.

Jingyi spoke with a look of guilt on her face.

Commander Huo and the others are all quite old. The events of their childhood are too far removed from the present day, and many of them are now lost and the details are unclear.

In particular, the Huo family was not like the Marquis of Huaiyang who had lived in Chang'an for a long time, nor was it like the Chen family where only one person had attained enlightenment. Even the chickens raised by the neighbors claimed to be members of the Chen clan. With so many people, it was easy to find out secrets.

The Huo family is much smaller than the Chen family, and most of the elders are still in their hometown. The elders who are still by Huo Taiwei's side are all confidants and would never reveal information about their master's family to outsiders.

"I will continue to investigate, and if I have any new information, I will come here to inform you."

Zhou Zhao nodded, "Thank you!"

Jingyi grinned, "What's the big deal? I've been in the Court of Justice for several years, and I bear the mark of the Court of Justice. I'm too curious about secrets. I can't sleep if I don't understand them."

Speaking of which, I used to help Li Huaishan investigate the mistresses and children kept by high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital. If you want to hear about dirty secrets, I know quite a bit about them.”

Zhou Zhao's lips twitched. "There's really no need for that."

She has perfectly good hearing and doesn't want to hear any of that.

She thought to herself, and exchanged a glance with Su Changying. Judging from the current situation, could the murderer be between the Marquis of Huaiyang and Grand Commandant Huo?
"Dong dong dong..."

A sudden knock at the door interrupted Zhou Zhao's thoughts; Chu Yi had already opened the courtyard gate upon hearing the knock.

"General, Lord Zhou, there's a case! Someone has been murdered!"