Proud Feather

Chapter 111 Success
Gao Mian didn't go to sleep until dawn, fully clothed, without even going home, and slept in the duty room.

The arrests went smoothly that night. Lin Wenyu said that everyone was staying at home, and even those who went out to banquets and parties were caught.

Fearing further trouble, he interrogated the suspects throughout the night, only being urged to rest by his subordinates as dawn approached.

—Ever since the emperor handed the case over to the three judicial departments, Gao Mian hasn't had a good night's sleep for a month. Today, even though the case has been initially solved, he still can't sleep soundly.

When Gao Mian was awakened from his sleep, it was already broad daylight outside. He hurriedly asked the attendant beside him, "What time is it?"

The attendant replied, "At 9:00 AM, sir, wouldn't you like to sleep a little longer? It's just right to get up at noon."

He went to bed at dawn, which was more than two hours ago. Although he was tired, he really couldn't fall asleep.

Gao Mian got up and quickly washed up, then asked, "How's the case going? Any news from the palace?"

"No, everything is fine! The judges and judges are taking turns hearing the cases, and the process is proceeding in an orderly manner."

Gao Mian felt a little relieved and went out to do his work.

Chu Ling waited at the Bowen Hall for half an hour before Jiang Shijun arrived.

"Greetings, Princess." He looked haggard, his once plump body now thinner, a testament to the hardships he had endured.

Chu Ling asked, "Mr. Jiang, haven't you rested?"

Jiang Shijun replied, "I slept for a while, and thinking that the princess must be waiting for news, I came in to report first."

Chu Ling nodded and asked Zheng Qiu to bring over some medicinal food: "You've all been working so hard lately, you must be very tired. Qiu Niang has prepared some chicken soup, that should help you through this!"

"Thank you, Princess." Jiang Shijun was moved to tears, drank the chicken soup in one gulp, and began to report.

His first words were to reassure the princess: "Things are going very smoothly. We've uncovered Fang Wu's informant and are investigating him thoroughly. The Dali Temple has also arrested their people. I'm sure Lord Gao will come over once he's finished with his interrogations."

Chu Ling felt a little more at ease: "That's very good."

Jiang Shijun continued, "Your Majesty and I have investigated Fang Wu's network of connections and discovered something interesting. Fang Wu was taken in by the Crown Prince a few years ago by chance, but we have found that this may not have been a coincidence, but rather something deliberately orchestrated..."

After hearing this, Chu Ling frowned: "So, Fang Wu was someone else's spy planted next to my elder brother long ago."

Jiang Shijun nodded: "There is a clue that I haven't told anyone, and I plan to investigate it secretly myself. Fang Wu's relationship with Wenxianju is actually a relationship with the Wei family. I want to investigate whether the person who planted him has any connection with the Wei family."

Chu Ling agreed with his caution, and after thinking for a moment, added a clue: "Send someone to a place to check if there is a family with the surname Fang there..."

She recounted how she met Fang Wu in a remote county in her previous life, and carefully instructed him: "Remember, only you should know about this. Don't tell anyone, not even Zhu Shan or Gao Mian."

Jiang Shijun respectfully agreed.

After he left, Chu Ling sent someone to the Imperial City Guard to inquire about the matter.

Xue Wang was quick to respond and sent a captain to report.

This constable was also an acquaintance; he was the one who handled the arrest of Jinghui and the search of Xianju.

He said, "Princess, please wait a moment. Fang Wu and Manager Cai have both confessed. It turns out that when Fang Wu was a minor official in his early years, he was addicted to gambling and someone had a handle against him. Later, by chance, he entered the Eastern Palace. He wanted to turn over a new leaf and do his job well, but then someone used his past actions to blackmail him... At first, it was just a small matter of tipping off others, but it got bigger and bigger, and he couldn't get out of it."

"Then Manager Cai confessed as well. He used to be a traveling merchant who lost a lot of money. He went to the Western Regions hoping to make a comeback, but unfortunately, he encountered bandits on the way. He was saved from the brink of death, and to repay the debt, he came to the capital to run a restaurant for the bandit..."

"Who is their master? Have you found out?"

"They themselves aren't entirely sure, but we've found some clues," the head constable replied with a smile. "Don't worry, Princess, no one can withstand the tortures of the Imperial City Guard; it's only a matter of time."

Chu Ling snorted: "If you can't endure it, you might as well just die." The constable, remembering the abbot of Dahuai Temple who had been silenced last time, awkwardly touched his nose.

"Where is Minister Lin? Is he also imprisoned in your Imperial City Guard?"

The constable replied, "He's locked up! But he's a scholar-official, and the magistrate said we can't use torture..."

Chu Ling understood this. The laws of Xiangguo stipulated that unless there was direct evidence proving Lin Wenyu's treason, he wouldn't even have to die.

Of course, if someone is sentenced to exile, there are ways to kill them on the way, like Zhu Fan's father.

It's a bit of a shame that they couldn't get Lin Wenyu to talk without using torture.

"Princess, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. The department is busy and short-staffed," the head constable said with a forced smile.

Chu Ling waved her hand, not making things difficult for him.

So the constable bowed and prepared to slip away.

“Sir,” Zheng Qiu called out to him.

The head constable stopped and rubbed his hands together, saying, "I dare not address you as 'sir,' I am just a servant... Is there anything else, Princess?"

"It's nothing." Zheng Qiu smiled and handed over a box of pastries. "The princess said that everyone has been working very hard lately, so she asked me to prepare some food. These pastries contain ginseng, angelica, and other medicinal herbs, which can help replenish your energy. Please take them and have some!"

The constable held it in his hand, the smell of medicine filling the air. Ginseng and angelica were both precious medicinal herbs... He had mixed feelings, and bowed his head to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your grace, Princess."

At noon, Gao Mian finally arrived.

He was already thin, but now his eyes are sunken, making him look much worse than the fat Jiang Shijun.

Thinking about how she had been exploiting him lately, Chu Ling felt a pang of guilt: "Lord Gao, you haven't been asleep, have you?"

Gao Mian gave the same answer as Jiang Shijun: "I slept for a while this morning, but there are still too many things to finish."

Chu Ling then said, "Once the case is closed, I'll ask you for a few days off so you can get some rest."

"Thank you, Princess." Gao Mian quickly expressed his gratitude and then got down to business, "The people Minister Lin mentioned yesterday have all been successfully apprehended. After interrogation, they..."

Chu Ling frowned more and more as she listened, and asked, "They knew nothing about the whole thing and didn't escape?"

Gao Mian shook his head: "No."

He thought for a moment: "Does the princess feel something is wrong? The abbot of Dahuai Temple died just a step too late, and Zhu Fan's death was also perfectly timed. The mastermind should be very well-informed."

“That’s right.” Chu Ling actually knew why. “I have a bad feeling.”

Everything went too smoothly! Yesterday morning she was restricted everywhere, but by evening she had pinned Lin Wenyu down and killed him in one go, and things went strangely smoothly. From the Imperial City Guard to the Dali Temple, there was not a single obstacle.

After discussing for a while, Gao Mian finally said, "Let's wait and see! No matter what tricks they pull, can it get any harder than before? With so many people, I'm confident I can get some information out of them!"

Chu Ling thought about it and agreed, then waved for him to leave the palace—Zheng Qiu hadn't forgotten to bring him some medicinal food as well.

Her mind was a bit of a mess. She kept having the same dream from last night, so she asked Zheng Qiu, "What is Father Emperor doing now?"

Zheng Qiu sent someone to inquire, and they returned to report: "His Majesty did not attend to state affairs today, but is resting in the Funing Palace, where Consort Shu is also present."

Happy Labor Day! I'm a little late with today's update, I'll try to make it up tomorrow.