Proud Feather

Chapter 101 Night Summoning
Jinghui stared blankly at the blackened wall.

Since he confessed, he has been free from torture, but no one cares anymore.

Life in prison was unbearable. He was in agony every day, fearing both that the real culprit would be caught and he would be punished, and that the truth would never be found and he would be locked up in this stinking prison for the rest of his life.

Alas, may Buddha protect him and let him escape this calamity! If he survives, he will become a true monk and dedicate his life to serving Buddha!

During his prayers, the prison door slammed open, but Jinghui didn't budge. Prisoners came and went, but it was none of his business anyway.

Unexpectedly, the jailer's shout came right outside his own cell door: "Monk! Someone wants to see you!"

Jinghui was dazed for a moment, then slowly climbed up from the haystack and pointed to herself: "Me?"

The jailer, too lazy to answer, dragged him out of the cell and into the torture chamber, pulling him by his chains.

When he saw the person sitting at the table, he became excited: "Princess!"

After so many days, he finally got what he had been waiting for!
Before Chu Ling could say a word, the jailers had already pinned him to the torture bench and bound him tightly.

Jinghui hurriedly said, "Princess, please ask me whatever you want. I will confess the truth without any torture!"

Even the hardest bone becomes worthless once it's been opened. Right now, Jinghui only hopes to save her life.

"Jinghui," Chu Ling said slowly, "I have a few questions for you."

“Yes!” Jinghui hurriedly replied, “Princess, please ask whatever you want, I will answer whatever you have to say.”

"Are you sure this medicine came from your hands? Could someone else have come from the border region and used this formula?"

Jinghui shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum: "Impossible! This is my secret recipe, and everyone who knew about it is already dead!"

Chu Ling sneered inwardly. He was probably referring to the old monk who had taken him in but was poisoned.

"What if something unexpected happens?"

"No! Even if someone uses them to mix, it's impossible for it to be exactly the same."

“That’s strange,” Chu Ling said. “How come someone said they found the same medicine in a shop, saying it was prepared by a boss from the southern border.”

“It’s fake! It’s definitely fake!” Jinghui said without hesitation. “I gave all my medicine to the abbot; it didn’t leak out.”

"The abbot is dead."

"Then... ask the manager of Xianju!"

"The shopkeeper ran away!"

“This…” Jinghui was speechless.

Chu Ling stared at him: "How can you prove that those medicines are yours and not someone else's? Since they are unique, there must be a way to tell, right?"

Jinghui remembered something: "Ah..."

Shen Shi.

The sun was gradually setting in the west, and the alley was quiet.

After applying the medicine, Fang Wu lay on the couch, listening to his wife's rambling beside him.

"Tell me what you've done! The Crown Prince is gone, and you said you couldn't stay in the capital anymore and had to leave as soon as possible. Then suddenly you didn't leave, saying you'd found a new way, to use your connections with Jiang Shijun to do things for the princess. Fine, at least you have a plan. But it's only been a few days, and you... you hit the Crown Princess! Where will we have a place in the capital now?"

"Alright!" Fang Wu was preoccupied with his own problems and couldn't stand listening to any of this. He impatiently interrupted her, "I know what to do, stop nagging!"

Madam Fang opened her mouth, wanting to say something but knowing her husband's temper, she finally sighed and said, "I'll go see if the medicine is ready."

After everyone left, Fang Wu finally had a moment of peace and could think things through. But before he could even come up with a solution, Madam Fang Wu rushed in in a panic.

"Boss, boss!"

"What is it now?" Fang Wu was incredibly annoyed and was about to yell when something was suddenly shoved into his hand. Fang Wu's wife whispered, "I went to the kitchen to check the medicine, and this thing was suddenly thrown in from outside. Take a look..."

Fang Wu took a look and found it to be a small bamboo tube, about the thickness of a finger. He fumbled around for a bit and pulled out a strip of cloth with a few tiny words written on it.

Fang Wu's pupils dilated instantly.

……

Chu Xiaojiu squatted by the roadside, gazing longingly at the tall mansion gate.

After a while, Yang Yu finally came out. He quickly went to greet him, his face full of anticipation: "How was it?"

Yang Yu shrugged: "After searching for a long time, his page finally remembered that the young mistress had burned it."

"..." Chu Xiaojiu was extremely disappointed. "It's such a waste to burn such beautiful calligraphy."

Yang Yu didn't hesitate, took out the list and continued looking at it: "Let's go, to the next one! I refuse to believe we can't find one."

Chu Xiaojiu encouraged herself, "That's right! I refuse to believe it..."

Upon arriving at the next residence, the young master they were to visit was not there. Just as Chu Xiaojiu was about to take her leave, Yang Yu pondered for a moment and then asked the steward, "Is your fifth young lady here? May I see her?"

The other party exclaimed in surprise: "Young Master Yang..."

In Xiangguo, the separation of men and women wasn't as strict, and it was common for young women to show their faces in public. However, since Young Master Yang was the preferred son-in-law for many families, he avoided the young ladies to prevent attracting unwanted attention.

The steward quickly went to report, and soon a round-faced girl came over with a fan in hand and a smile: "Oh! It really is Brother Yang! What brings you here today, taking the initiative to come to me? If I tell you this when I go out tomorrow, I'm afraid all the young ladies in the city will be green with envy!"

"Sister Qian Wu," Yang Yu bowed to her, "To tell you the truth, I originally wanted to find Qian San, but he wasn't here. And since this matter is urgent, I have no choice but to ask you for help!"

After hearing his explanation, Miss Qian asked in surprise, "It's not difficult, but if you want my help, you should at least give me a reason, right? It's not good to be so vague."

Yang Yu said, "It's not appropriate to say it outright right now; we'll have to wait a couple of days. Sister Qian Wu, please have a kind heart and help me with this; I will be eternally grateful."

Chu Xiaojiu also bowed: "Miss Qian Wu, please! This is really important, extremely important!"

Miss Qian looked at him, then at Yang Yu, and smiled, "Alright, since even Young Master Jiu has come to ask for your help, it must be really important."

Before leaving the room, she muttered to herself, "The rumors do have some truth to them..."

Rumors? What rumors? The two overheard it, but unfortunately they had no time to investigate. After a while, Miss Qian returned with a colorful note with a poem written on it.

The two were overjoyed and repeatedly expressed their gratitude. Once they left the Qian residence, they breathed a sigh of relief. With this initial success, the rest would be much easier.

"Let's go! To the next one!" Chu Xiaojiu clenched her fist.

……

At the hour of You (5-7 PM), it gradually got dark.

A figure crept out of the alley next to the East Palace, limping, and quickly disappeared into the night.
-
Inside the museum, Chu Ling sat quietly, watching the sun gradually set and the light dim.

One eunuch after another came in and out, reporting the news to her. She would either nod or say she would inquire further.

Finally, a message was delivered, and she stood up.

"Go to the Ministry of Justice and summon Minister Lin to the palace to see the Emperor, bringing witnesses and evidence."

"Go to the Censorate and summon Vice Minister Zhang for a face-to-face interrogation."

"Go to the Hall of State Affairs and summon all the ministers to the palace as witnesses."

With that, she walked to the door.

"Prepare the carriage for the Funing Palace!"

coming.