Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 152 The Death of Zhou Cheng
Zhu Zhanji granted Jia Chuan permission to go to Zhangde after completing his mission in Kaifeng. Jia Chuan originally thought that Hou Tai would find an opportunity to speak to Zhu Zhanji after returning to the capital, and Zhu Zhanji would agree to it as a reward.

Upon hearing Zhu Youxun's words, Jia Chuan immediately understood. Hou Tai must have said it, but Zhu Zhanji's agreement to let him go to Zhangde was clearly not just to fulfill Jia Chuan's wish, but because he already knew what would happen next. Every move of this silly deer was under Zhu Zhanji's watchful eye.

In other words, Zhu Zhanji was going to use subtle means to establish the authority of the regional princes.

Seeing that Jia Chuan had reacted, Zhu Youxun immediately continued, "The Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Han have always been on good terms. Although this letter was supposedly delivered to the Prince of Zhao, who can say for sure who it was meant for? I'm just giving you a good opportunity to make a name for yourselves. Right now, everyone knows that the Emperor and the Prince of Han are on the verge of conflict. If you report this matter, you'll naturally get the credit. As for me, I won't compete with you. The Prince of Zhou harbors ill intentions; it's not appropriate for him to remain on the throne, is it? Don't be fooled by his many women in the harem; he has no children. What about the Prince of Zhou's throne..."

“If I remember correctly, the King of Zhou is your elder brother,” Jia Chuan said calmly.

"So what? He committed such a heinous act..."

"You mean, there is no kinship in the royal family?" Jia Chuan asked.

Zhu Youxun was taken aback.

"Are you full? If not, you can eat again when you get back. Now, get back to work." Jia Chuan put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, "Flip the table!"

After saying that, Jia Chuan stood up and stepped aside. Gao Yuntian and Chen Mo stood up and, without saying a word, overturned the table. The freshly served dishes, still steaming, splashed all over the floor, and the warm wine cups shattered, filling the air with the aroma of wine...

Zhu Youxun was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the food on his body. Smelling the wine, his heart started racing. He looked at Jia Chuan in confusion.

Jia Chuan explained earnestly, “In my eyes, the Emperor not only cherishes his people, but also takes great care of the imperial family. Yet you say that there is no kinship in the royal family! In a fit of anger, I lost control of my emotions and overturned the table.”

“That, that was clearly what you said.”

"Beat him up!" Jia Chuan shouted in a deep voice.

Gao Yuntian kicked Zhu Youxun to the ground.

Zhu Youxun also had attendants, who reacted quickly, rushing into the room in an instant. Chen Mo drew his embroidered spring knife, and the group retreated.

Zhu Youxun, who had fallen to the ground, was terrified. A hypothetical question suddenly popped into his mind: if he really died here today, who would speak up for him?

It seems not. His brother only cooperated with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and even took the initiative to list a bunch of crimes against him.

In his panic, Zhu Youxun didn't forget to ask why. But what benefits had the King of Zhou promised that afternoon? He could double the amount.

Gao Yuntian kicked Zhu Youxun in the hip and elbow, making him howl in pain. Jia Chuan asked in a deep voice, "Where did you get that drug that can cause hallucinations?"

Zhu Youxun immediately fell silent. He was scared just now, but now he was terrified.

Throughout the process, Zhu Youxun didn't give much thought to this step. At the time, he only thought that the angrier the Embroidered Uniform Guards were, the more unlucky his elder brother Zhu Youdun would be. Moreover, this step was originally unnecessary. He had tried the effects of the powder and suddenly became playful, thinking that he would let the people brought by the Embroidered Uniform Guards try it as well. Perhaps they would see him as a magical person and maybe become more obedient.

Who would have thought that those hallucinations were caused by the effects of the drug?
But the young man wondered what crime the emperor would commit if he found out. Zhu Youxun was terrified, trembling uncontrollably. He wanted the title of Prince of Zhou, but he never expected to be demoted to a commoner again, or even lose his life.

Seeing that Zhu Youxun could only tremble and not speak, Gao Yuntian raised his leg to kick him again. Zhu Youxun hurriedly said, "I, I don't know what you're talking about." In his fear, Zhu Youxun could only pretend to be stupid. As long as he didn't admit it, that would be fine.

"Let him know what pain is."

……

The screams emanating from the small courtyard were not enough to reach Zhu Youdun's courtyard. He could only stand in the nearby corridor, braving the cold wind, and endure the wails in the cold night.

……

When Jia Chuan led his team back to the inn, it was already past midnight.

Zhu Youxun was badly injured and even more frightened, but he remained stubborn and refused to admit what medicine he had used.

If you don't admit it, you might still have a way to live; if you do, you'll only face death. Zhu Youxun couldn't understand other things, but he understood this principle.

Jia Chuan didn't seem disappointed. His purpose today was to vent Old Zheng's anger. This was only the first day. He would continue for several more days. If he confessed on the first day, there would be no reason to take action later. Wouldn't that be boring?

Chen Mo was still a little worried, after all, Zhu Youxun was still holding the title of Prince of Runan at the moment, and if he made a move like this, he was afraid that it would cause trouble for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Jia Chuan said that Zhu Youxun had no choice but to accept this loss, even if he didn't want to. He might have accused Zhu Youxun of being the one to complain in other matters, but he would never say a word about this and would even make his attendants keep their mouths shut.

Gao Yuntian concluded: "He has something to hide. Even if he's in pain tonight, he'll be thinking about how to shut us up. Why would he take the initiative to complain?"

Chen Mo thought about it. Zhu Youxun had a drug that could cause hallucinations. Just having it was enough to get him crippled again. If he participated in the drug production, his life would be in danger. It was indeed impossible for him to take the initiative to report it.

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief, but then became worried again. This kind of thing would not be a small matter in any dynasty. He wondered how many lives would be involved in the end. In order to save their own lives, these people would probably try to kill Jia Chuan first.

……

Who would have thought that the first to die would be none other than Zhou Cheng, the ambassador of the Herbal Medicine Bureau?

The next morning, Jia Chuan was woken up by a push. Shunzi said that someone from the herb-gathering bureau had come and said that Zhou Cheng was dead.

Jia Chuan sat on the bed and shook his head repeatedly. Zhu Youxun won at the starting line entirely because of his birth, but he didn't know how to cherish it. With such a brain, he still wanted to be a prince. Jia Chuan really couldn't understand it.

The group sat in the hall having breakfast. Jia Chuan slowly sat down. Gao Yuntian wondered why Jia Chuan wasn't in a hurry to examine the body.

In Gao Yuntian's view, some people like reading, some like political intrigue, some like flowers and plants, and some like autopsies. They are all the kind of people who are so engrossed in their hobbies that they forget to eat and sleep. In Gao Yuntian's eyes, Jia Chuan probably likes corpses more than food.

Chen Mo looked at Jia Chuan and said, "I have already ordered someone to inform the Kaifeng Prefecture that they don't need to deal with this case. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will find out the truth on their own. They are eager to stay out of the way. This case will definitely involve the Prince's Mansion. The Prince's Mansion is quite sensible. They sent someone to say early on that they will definitely cooperate fully."

Jia Chuan was convinced that Zhou Cheng's death was related to Zhu Youxun, so he wasn't in a hurry. Zhu Youxun hadn't figured out why he was being beaten, which made him react in such a way, leaving Jia Chuan both amused and exasperated.

……

After the meal, Jia Chuan led a few people to the herb-gathering bureau. They didn't even ride horses. It wasn't that Jia Chuan had eaten too much and wanted to digest, but rather that Old Zheng had heard they were going to do an autopsy and insisted on going along.

Actually, after Old Zheng's fever subsided, he was fine. However, the people around him still treated him as a patient. He had been lying in bed all day yesterday, which he couldn't bear. So he thought he should come out with Jia Chuan to get some fresh air. Jia Chuan felt that Old Zheng should also get some fresh air. The herb-gathering bureau wasn't far from the inn, so it would be good for Old Zheng to get some exercise.

Gao Yuntian asked worriedly, "Aren't you afraid he'll get cold again?"

Jia Chuan said, "Before he met me, he had never experienced such a warm winter. What is this bit of cold wind? And with the Imperial Guards surrounding us, even the cold wind has to dodge around you."

The group left the inn chatting and laughing, but poor Qu Yang, the chief secretary of the Zhou Prince's Mansion, was the one who suffered.

Wangfu Changshi Qu Yang arrived at the inn early. The death of the ambassador of the Herbalism Bureau was no small matter. If it were 'death from illness,' that would be one thing, but a sudden death in one's fifties was not impossible. However, the news Qu Yang received indicated that Zhou Cheng's death was not peaceful. Although the person sent by the court to the Herbalism Bureau was of low rank, the prince said that this person was the most crucial, even more crucial than the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Therefore, Qu Yang arrived at the inn early; this matter could not be kept secret. Qu Yang had also heard of Jia Chuan and knew that Zhu Youdun's words were not a joke. This prince had been immersed in folk operas and plays for decades, but he was not blind to them, which was gratifying to Qu Yang. However, regardless of the final verdict on Zhou Cheng's death, the prince would at least be charged with lax governance. Could he still hold onto his throne?

Qu Yang arrived in a sedan chair, but now he could only nervously accompany Jia Chuan and the others as they braved the cold wind.

……

There were many yamen runners standing at the entrance of the herb collection bureau, and passersby hurried past by hugging the opposite wall.

Although the Kaifeng Prefecture is not responsible for investigating the case, its personnel are still required to go there.

Jia Chuan was unwilling to exchange pleasantries with officials, which is when Chen Mo came in handy.

Jia Chuan had visited the herb-gathering bureau just the day before yesterday. He had only passed through three courtyards and looked at the drying yard, and he already felt that the herb-gathering bureau was very large. But when he came back today, he realized that what he saw that day was only a small part of the herb-gathering bureau.

Ambassador Zhou Cheng is dead, but the deputy envoy is still alive. Right now, Deputy Envoy Zhao Dewen is leading Gao Yuntian, Jia Chuan, and Old Zheng to the scene of the crime. Qu Yang hesitated for a long time before deciding to wait in the front yard with the government officials.

As for leaders, they just need to wait for reports; they don't know anything about the business.

On the way, Jia Chuan asked about the discovery of the body, and Zhao Dewen quickly gave a brief account.

These past two days, Zhou Cheng has been resting at the herb-gathering bureau, where he is being served by servants. Last night, Zhou Cheng went to bed early. In this situation, he usually gets up before dawn, and the servants rest on the couch outside his bedroom so that they can attend to him if he gets thirsty in the middle of the night.

This morning, the servants peeked out as soon as they got up, and that one glance made them scream in terror, and they ran out of the yard like madmen...

"Who came to the herb-gathering bureau last night?" Jia Chuan asked.

Zhao Dewen gave a long "hmm" before saying, "Ambassador Zhou usually doesn't inform us about his work. The herb collection bureau is a large place with many miscellaneous tasks. There are four deputy envoys. We all do our own thing. Every day at 9:00 AM, we gather in the front courtyard to report some important matters to Ambassador Zhou. If we are not busy, we meet once every other day."

"That means you don't know who came to see Zhou Cheng, or who Zhou Cheng met."

Zhao Dewen glanced at Gao Yuntian. He wondered why the Imperial Guards hadn't spoken, but this young man in ordinary clothes was the one asking questions.

Gao Yuntian said impatiently, "Answer whatever you're asked!"

Zhao Dewen quickly replied, "I really don't know."

Jia Chuan then asked, "How many gates does the herb-gathering bureau have?"

"Wow, there are so many! The main gate, the back gate, the south gate, the north gate, and several side gates..."

"Are they guarding them day and night?"

"Not entirely. Some of the side gates are only locked to people from the herb-gathering bureau, and they are only opened when needed, so they don't need anyone to guard them."

"Have the servants been attending to Zhou Cheng all along?" Jia Chuan asked again.

Zhao Dewen wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I don't know. I saw that the servant was quite frightened, so I didn't think to ask about it."

"Where is the servant now?"

"It's in the side room of Ambassador Zhou's courtyard."

"Take me to see him first."

……

Unfortunately, Jia Chuan and his men arrived too late. The servant was curled up, his arms outstretched, his five fingers spread out like eagle claws, lying on the floor of the side room. The room was so cold that it felt like there was no human presence.

Old Zheng was the first to run forward and squat down to examine the body.

Gao Yuntian stood calmly inside the room, mimicking Jia Chuan's manner as he looked around, glanced at the corpse, snorted, and left the side room, saying as he walked, "Is there any need to look? The face is all bluish-black, it must have died from poisoning."

Old Zheng looked up at the door and said, "Prepare some vinegar and white cloth."

Jia Chuan then squatted down, and Old Zheng handed him a pair of coarse cloth gloves. After putting them on, Jia Chuan asked, "Have you washed them?"

"Just wear it for now."

Jia Chuan pried open the servant's mouth, brought it close, and smelled it. Old Zheng, holding a silver needle, asked in bewilderment, "You can test for poison with your nose?"

As Jia Chuan leaned closer, a strange, bitter almond-like odor filled his nostrils. He didn't hear what Old Zheng had said, but instead blurted out in surprise, "There's cyanide here already?"

"What the heck turned into mist?"

Jia Chuan carefully examined the deceased's face. The deceased's lips were cherry red. He pried open the deceased's eyes and saw pinpoint pupils in the corneas. Then he looked at the deceased's limbs and saw obvious signs of spasms.

"Corpse spasm!"

"What?" Old Zheng asked, frowning.

"In the instant before death, the muscles immediately stiffen, contract, and quickly become rigid, fixing the limbs in the dying position. He must have been struggling to breathe and tried to grab the throat, but he stopped breathing before he could grab it. What kind of poison works so quickly?"

As they were talking, Old Zheng tried to test for poison with a silver needle but failed. He wasn't surprised at all, because Jia Chuan had already told him that the silver needle could only detect a very limited number of poisons. So he first asked someone to prepare a handkerchief and vinegar. He originally had vinegar in his trunk, but he had used it all up during his month-long stay in Xian County and forgot to replenish it.

Old Zheng put away the silver needles and said in a low voice, "Be careful, there are other people outside the door."

A case of corpse convulsions that Jia Chuan had seen in his previous life flashed through his mind: a woman died of a brain hemorrhage while taking a bath. When her body was found, she was still sitting in the bathtub, one hand tightly gripping a sponge, and the other hand half-raised to her face.

Jia Chuan knew that many causes of death could present with cadaveric convulsions, and poisoning was not the only explanation.

Jia Chuan suddenly stood up and said, "Leave him here for now, send someone to keep an eye on him, and go check Zhou Cheng."

Old Zheng, carrying his toolbox, followed Jia Chuan.

……

Zhou Cheng's corpse looked far more gruesome than the servants had imagined, and there was vomit around him.

(End of this chapter)