Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 57: It's a woman, accusing each other

The person who came was none other than King Wu Chengsi of Wei. Murong Huan had been deeply impressed by this man since the last time they met at the Dali Temple.

When Wu Chengsi walked towards the banquet, he looked at Murong Huan with some surprise.

They really look alike!
Arriving with Wu Chengsi was the Jinwu Guard General Qiu Shenji.

An hour ago, after Qiu left Princess Taiping's mansion, she immediately found her father Qiu Shenji and told him that Xiao Muchen had brought Murong Huan to Princess Taiping's mansion to attend a banquet.

"Father, didn't you say that if I sent her portrait to the Guo family, you'd be able to make her disappear from this world? Why is she still with Xiao Zhongcheng and even appeared at this banquet, as a prostitute... She's not only hooking up with Lu Ling, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, but she's even hooking up with Xiao Zhongcheng of the Censorate. Her actions are becoming increasingly treacherous. I'm afraid that if we keep her, she'll eventually find out about us, bringing endless trouble!"

Hearing his daughter's worried accusations, Qiu Shenji grew increasingly angry and uneasy. "Do you think I didn't come up with a plan? I originally wanted to pin the deaths of those two slaves on this girl. I had everything planned out, but I didn't expect this girl to be so quick-witted and pointed out the person who dumped the bodies on the spot."

Hearing this, Mrs. Qiu was also shocked. She immediately understood her father's intention of asking her to send Murong Huan's portrait to the Guo family, and she couldn't help but feel scared.

At this point, Qiu Shenji also became impatient. The King of Wei had always told him to keep this matter secret and not to tell even his own daughter a word.

"Okay, go back now! I'll take care of her issues. Also, you must not reveal a single word of what I just said to anyone."

"well!"

After Qiu left, he immediately informed Wu Chengsi about Xiao Muchen's attendance at the banquet.

"It seems that Guo Hongba's disappearance yesterday must be related to Xiao Muchen. There must be something strange about his attendance at the banquet at Princess Taiping's residence this time! Your Highness, do you think we should..."

Having said this, he realized that Wu Chengsi was extremely unhappy, and his expression suddenly turned cold.

"So, Xiao Muchen has already found out about the Guo family, and is it possible that he has found out about me from Guo Hongba?"

Qiu Shenji was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and said, "It's my fault, Your Majesty. Otherwise, we would have killed her and Xiao Muchen immediately to prevent any future trouble!"

"Oh, they're at Princess Taiping's Peony Banquet right now. This banquet has gathered most of the nobles and sons of the Divine Capital Luoyang, and perhaps some civil officials from the imperial court. How are you going to kill them?" Wu Chengsi sneered, "Are you going to kill them in front of everyone?"

"What should I do?"

"No matter what Xiao Muchen decides to do, Guo Hongba must not be allowed to appear alive before Princess Taiping. And I heard that the wife of the Guo family was captured by the Dali Temple. The people in the Dali Temple are no fools either. I'm afraid that this wife Guo has already revealed what her husband did."

"But that lady is a lunatic!"

"Crazy talk is scary!"

……

Qiu Shenji came back to his senses and found that there was complete silence all around him, with countless eyes cast towards him and the King of Wei.

Some were disdainful, some were afraid, and some were deep in thought. Everyone's expressions were truly wonderful.

In particular, there was even naked contempt and disdain in Princess Taiping's eyes: one was the cruel official Qiu Shenji who killed her second brother Li Xian, and the other was Wu Chengsi, the cousin of her ex-husband Xue Shao.

The arrival of these two people did not make her feel happy at all, but instead aroused resentment and hatred in her heart.

However, because of the favoritism and protection of her mother Wu Zhao, she still had to continue to make friends with the Wu family members on the surface.

Taiping smiled and said, "So it's my cousin. You hold the position of Left Prime Minister and are very busy with government affairs. Yet, you have the leisure and elegance to come to my banquet today. I remember that you don't like this kind of thing, but King Liang does!"

Just as the King of Liang was mentioned, a man's voice was heard at the banquet, laughing loudly, "Your Highness, are you talking about me?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man dressed elegantly with a purple python jade belt walking into the banquet hall surrounded by a group of servants.

This person was none other than King Wu Sansi of Liang. After the empress ascended the throne, she promoted and rewarded many of Wu's descendants. When Wu Chengsi won the throne of King Wei and the throne of Left Prime Minister, his cousin Wu Sansi, who was from the same clan, also won the crown of King Liang and the throne of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

But unlike Wu Chengsi, who was aggressive and wanted to become the crown prince, Wu Sansi, although he loved power, was not keen on the position of crown prince. He even had some achievements in literary attainments and often exchanged poems with some literati and scholars.

"Prince Liang is here too! My two cousins ​​seem to be free today, and they've all come to my peony banquet. Are they here for official business?"

Hearing the sarcasm in Taiping's tone, Wu Sansi smiled.

"How could that be? Today we won't discuss official business, but rather poetry, books, and other elegant pursuits." He then turned to Wu Chengsi and said, "Cousin, isn't that right?" Wu Chengsi also smiled and said, "Indeed! Since this is the Peony Festival, we're here for elegant pursuits!" He then looked at the assembled guests, most of whom were young and talented. "This truly is a gathering of talented individuals, young and old alike. It speaks volumes of the grandeur of the Lanting Pavilion in the past!"

"Don't pay any attention to me, everyone. Wang Bo's Tengwang Pavilion Preface is famous enough to be passed down through the ages. Today, I also want to witness this moment that will be recorded in history!"

"Please feel free to share your good poems and sentences. I will appreciate them with you all!"

"Yes, Lord Zuo Xiang!"

The guests began to raise their glasses and drink together.

Wu Chengsi, who had just picked up the teacup, turned his gaze to Murong Huan and said, "Young lady, I remember we've met somewhere before. Do you have any impression of us?"

Murong Huan replied, "Yes! We have indeed seen it!"

Wu Chengsi seemed to be surprised by her admission. He was stunned for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Oh? Where have you seen that before?"

"Dali Temple! Su Silang!"

"So you admitted that you disguised yourself as a man and went to the Dali Temple to investigate a case? Mr. Su Si, is that right?"

"Su Silang? Is he the Su Silang who was said to be able to draw the appearance of a skeleton in its lifetime and helped the Dali Temple solve the case of the corpse in the well?"

"I heard that he's involved in a case that the Dali Temple is currently handling!"

"She is actually a young lady?"

There was a sudden burst of sighs at the banquet. The young ladies who had just laughed at Murong Huan were dumbfounded. Even Cui Shi was so surprised that he stared at Murong Huan again.

"Yes, I admit it!" Murong Huan replied, then asked, "However, may I ask, Lord Left Prime Minister, is there any law that says a woman cannot disguise herself as a man to assist the Dali Temple in investigating a case?"

"Yes, it's just a woman disguised as a man, it's not a serious crime. Why would Lord Zuo Xiang bring this up?"

"Disguising as a man isn't a serious crime, but if she disguises herself as a man and disturbs the Great Zhou, that would be a grave sin!"

Wu Chengsi's sudden, stern words startled everyone present. Even Princess Taiping couldn't help but laugh, "Cousin, why do you say that? She's just a young lady who can investigate cases. No matter how capable she is, she has nothing to do with the country, right?"

Wu Chengsi seemed to realize he had slipped up, but he still insisted, "Your Highness, you may not know this little girl has only been in Luoyang for a few days, and a lot of things have happened in the city. I'm afraid she might do something unexpected as a man."

After he finished speaking, Taiping couldn't help but laugh.

"My cousin, you're really worrying too much. A lot of things happen in Luoyang City every day. It's impossible that every incident is related to this young lady. I don't know why my cousin would be so wary and afraid of a young lady."

Princess Taiping also had some doubts.

Wu Chengsi laughed again and said, "That's not the case! It's just that recently, the Censor Guo Hongba disappeared. I heard that on the day he disappeared, Xiao Zhongcheng and Su Silang, also known as this young lady, went to the Guo residence together. Could Censor Guo's disappearance be related to you two?"

After saying that, Wu Chengsi turned his gaze to Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen.

The guests were shocked.

The implication of this statement was clearly that they were accusing the two of detaining Guo Hongba without permission.

Then, the surroundings became quiet again, and everyone's eyes fell on Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen again.

"Does King Wei know why Censor Guo disappeared?" Xiao Muchen asked.

The smile on Wu Chengsi's face quickly froze. He certainly knew why Guo Hongba disappeared. Because he knew it, when he learned that Xiao Muchen had come to Princess Taiping's peony flower party, he rushed over to see what he was up to.

Seeing the suppressed anger on Wu Chengsi's face that seemed ready to burst out at any moment, Xiao Muchen turned to Princess Taiping and said calmly, "Your Highness, please watch the puppet show I have prepared for you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a flute sounded, and the curtain on the stage suddenly opened. Amidst the interlaced lights and shadows, the shadow of a puppet fluttered in the air. At the same time, a human voice was heard saying, "The story begins with a rebellion in Bozhou and a woman from the Xie family who was forced to jump into the river by bandits..."

(End of this chapter)