Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou returned to the carriage, and Shao Qingge also told the servants to continue their journey. The group stayed overnight at a post station along the way and arrived in Jiangzhou the next morning.
Jiangzhou is located on the border between Great Qi State and Zhao State. Due to the harmonious relationship between Qi and Zhao in recent years, merchants come and go in an endless stream, and the streets are bustling. Although it cannot compare with the prosperity of the capital, it is still very lively and peaceful, and the people's faces are full of smiles.
On the surface, this is a land rich in resources, but Yu Hanjiang knows that the situation in Jiangzhou is complex, like a calm sea with undercurrents. If he is not careful, he, the Perfect of Jiangzhou, might lose his head here.
Shao Qingge decided to settle down at the inn first. When they parted, Yu Hanjiang whispered to him, "Be careful at the inn. Also, you should change out of those fancy clothes. It's always better to keep a low profile and not flaunt your wealth."
"I know." Shao Qingge walked to the carriage and joked, "I'll take my leave now, Madam, take care."
The word "Madam" was emphasized.
"..." Xiao Lou didn't want to talk to him.
Shao Qingge stayed at the largest inn in Jiangzhou, Fu'an Inn, while Yu Hanjiang took Xiao Lou to the Perfect of Jiangzhou.
The government had already received the imperial court's notification and was waiting for the new prefect to take office.
Yu Hanjiang entered the government office, took out the imperial appointment document, and went through the handover procedures with the official in charge. The official smiled and said, "Lord Yu, you are new here. If there is anything you are not familiar with, you can ask the clerk. He has been in Jiangzhou for decades and assisted the previous prefect. He knows the situation in Jiangzhou very well. If you want to see him, I can invite him over."
Yu Hanjiang nodded and said, "Alright, then please ask the clerk to come over. I'll wait for him in the study."
The prefect's residence was located behind the government office, in a large courtyard house. Guest rooms and a study were on the east side, bedrooms for the prefect and his family were on the north side, servants' quarters were on the west side, and the kitchen was on the south side. The entire courtyard was exquisitely decorated, with artificial hills and water features, and lush greenery; it was almost comparable to a small park.
Xiao Lou really liked this place, and after arriving home, she put her luggage in the bedroom.
Yu Hanjiang was waiting for his advisor in his study. This advisor was supposed to be the person who provided the key clues. Yu Hanjiang had specially invited his advisor to his home for a meeting so that they could talk privately.
After packing his luggage, Xiao Lou asked Pinger, Yun Cang, and Steward Yao to buy some daily necessities, while he turned and went to the courtyard. He saw a refined-looking scholar walking towards the study, who must be the clerk. Curious, Xiao Lou followed behind him.
Yu Hanjiang opened the door to the study. The clerk entered the room and, upon seeing him, immediately bowed and said, "My lord!"
Their eyes met, and Yu Hanjiang said knowingly, "So it's you...Master Mo?" He looked around and lowered his voice, "Don't worry, the servants have been sent away, there's no one else in this courtyard."
Mo Xuemin chuckled, "I heard the new prefect's surname is Yu, and I guessed it was Captain Yu right away." He noticed Yu Hanjiang was alone and asked in surprise, " Where's Professor Xiao? Isn't he with you?"
Yu Hanjiang handed him a cup of tea and said, "Old Mo, sit down and let's talk."
Mo Xuemin sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip of tea.
Just then, a gentle voice came from behind: "Husband, is the advisor here?"
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
Mo Xuemin turned around and saw Xiao Lou, dressed in women's clothing, calling Yu Hanjiang "husband." He spat out a mouthful of tea onto the ground with a "pfft."
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he stared at Xiao Lou in disbelief: "Who is this...?"
Yu Hanjiang calmly introduced, "This is my wife, Xiao Lou."
Xiao Lou met Lao Mo's wide eyes and smiled, saying, "Greetings, Master."
Mo Xuemin: "......"
After seeing the laughing CEO Shao yesterday, Xiao Lou has figured it out—rather than letting his teammates speculate wildly, he should take the initiative to admit that he and Yu Hanjiang are playing the role of "husband and wife." As long as the two of them act as if nothing is wrong, their teammates won't overthink it.
It's just a role-playing game anyway, arranged by Red Heart A, so there's nothing he can do about it!
Seeing Xiao Lou's smiling and calm expression, Lao Mo quickly wiped his mouth and chuckled dryly, "Well... cough cough, Professor Xiao's women's clothing... cough cough cough, it looks quite good." He was really at a loss for words and didn't know what to say.
Xiao Lou said, " Guardian made this arrangement so that it would be convenient for Captain Yu and me to act together. We came from Kyoto, and I also have the identity of being a descendant of Coroner, which allows me to perform autopsies."
Mo Xuemin said knowingly, " Coroner... an ancient Forensic Doctor, right? That does fit Professor Xiao's profession quite well! By the way, I've been assigned the role of a clerk and have received a bunch of files."
Xiao Lou walked over and sat down next to Yu Hanjiang, asking Lao Mo, "Have you found anyone else?"
Mo Xuemin was still not used to seeing him in women's clothing, so she quickly looked away and said to Yu Hanjiang, "I searched for two days in Jiangzhou and only found Long Sen working as a guard in the Prince's Mansion. I couldn't find Xiao Qu, Xiao Ye, Liu Qiao, or CEO Shao."
Yu Hanjiang said, " Shao Qingge is the eldest son of a wealthy family in Qingcheng. We met him on the way yesterday. He also came to Jiangzhou with us and is currently staying at the Fu'an Inn."
Old Mo remarked with a sigh, "It seems that even if CEO Shao came to ancient times, he would still be a wealthy man!"
Xiao Lou asked curiously, "What's the situation with those files?"
Mo Xuemin said: "Regarding the case records of Jiangzhou in recent years, I saw yesterday..."
After carefully reviewing the cases, I found that most were trivial family matters. However, three young women had disappeared three years ago, their whereabouts unknown, making it a cold case. I wonder if this case is related to the current one.
Yu Hanjiang nodded and asked, "What about the Prince's residence? How much do you know about it?"
Mo Xuemin cleared his throat and said, " The Eighth Prince who lives in the Zhenjiang Prince's Mansion is the younger brother of the Former Emperor and the current Emperor's eighth uncle. This idle prince does not care about politics, but he is quite fond of beautiful women. He has married four wives, each of whom is very beautiful. He has one son and four daughters. Currently, all four daughters live in the Prince's Mansion and none of them are married."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "The prince will be holding his fortieth birthday banquet in a few days. Everyone in Jiangzhou knows about this. In addition, Long Sen is a guard in the prince's mansion. I guess the case is very likely to happen in the prince's mansion."
Yu Hanjiang said, "You guessed right. His Majesty sent me to pay a visit to the Eighth Prince, and CEO Shao also received a mission to attend the Eighth Prince's birthday banquet. Something is bound to happen on the day of the banquet, so we need to find out about the situation at the Prince's residence in advance."
With four wives, one son, and four daughters, such a complex family relationship could very well lead to a family tragedy.
Yu Hanjiang said, "Tell me in detail what you know about the four ladies and young ladies."
Clearly, Lao Mo was assigned the role of advisor to serve as an "information guide" for the team, as he could provide a wealth of clues about Jiangzhou.
Mo Xuemin, being experienced, quickly adapted to his new identity after changing into ancient costume. After spending two days in Jiangzhou and getting a general idea of the Prince's Mansion, he said, "The eldest young master Qi Fenghua and the eldest young lady Qi Yiyao are both born to Madam Yun. Qi Fenghua is currently serving in the military, fighting against Yan State on the western front with General Who Conquers the West. He hasn't been home for three years."
"The young lady is betrothed to the eldest son of the Lin family, the wealthiest family in the area. However, rumors circulate that the eldest son of the Lin family is a womanizer who frequents brothels and has close relationships with famous courtesans. The wedding date is set for next month. The Lin family attaches great importance to this marriage. They just sent the betrothal gifts yesterday, and the people are saying that they sent several boxes of gold alone."
Yu Hanjiang took out paper and pen and quickly drew a diagram of the interpersonal relationships within the Prince's Mansion.
Mo Xuemin continued, " The Second Miss is named Qi Yi'an. She is the legitimate daughter of the Queen Consort and has been bestowed the title of ' Princess Shuan ' by the Emperor. The Queen Consort has passed away, and the Princess is engaged to the Second Prince of Zhao State. Qi State and Zhao State have been using a policy of marriage alliance for many years. The Emperor personally arranged the marriage of Princess Shuan to the neighboring country. Everyone in Jiangzhou knows about this, and it is said that the wedding will be held at the end of the year."
Xiao Lou stroked his chin and said, "Have you seen this princess before?"
Mo Xuemin said, "No. But I've heard from the people that Princess Shuan is beautiful and dignified. She was well-read from a young age and was also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She was a great talent. She grew up with His Majesty and had the best relationship with him. She was also the most favored in the palace."
Yu Hanjiang frowned and asked, "Are there any rumors about the death of her mother, the legitimate princess?"
Mo Xuemin shook his head: "It is said that the princess was in poor health. She had not conceived a child for three years after marrying the prince, so the prince married Madam Yun. After Madam Yun gave birth to her eldest son and eldest daughter, the princess finally became pregnant. Unfortunately, she was too weak and died not long after giving birth to her legitimate daughter, Qi Yi'an."
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance. On the surface, it seemed that the princess had indeed died of illness, but this Madam Yun had given birth to two children in a row, yet she was still a "concubine." If she was not satisfied, it was possible that she would kill the legitimate princess.
Yu Hanjiang asked, "What's the situation with the other two ladies?"
Mo Xuemin continued, "The prince is fond of beautiful women. After his wife passed away, with no one to restrain him, he took two concubines in succession, namely Madam Qing and Madam Han. Madam Qing gave birth to the third daughter, Qi Yiru. This girl is willful and capricious, likes to wear men's clothing, has learned martial arts, and often rides her horse recklessly through the streets, injuring many civilians. Madam Han is currently the most favored. The fourth daughter, Fourth Miss, is her daughter. This fourth daughter is the most low-key, always wearing a veil when she goes out, and no one has ever seen her. It is said that she is studying medicine at Herbal Hut outside the city."
With so many names and such complicated relationships, Xiao Lou was having a headache just listening to it.
But Yu Hanjiang was a professional Criminal Police Officer; he had seen all sorts of complex networks of relationships. To organize his memories, he quickly drew a relationship diagram of the Prince's Mansion on paper.
Qi Fenghua is on the front lines; Qi Yiyao is betrothed to the eldest son of the Lin family; the mother of this brother and sister is the eldest daughter, Madam Yun.
Qi Yi'an, the legitimate daughter, Princess Shuan, is engaged to the second prince of a neighboring country. Her mother, the legitimate queen, has passed away.
Qi Yiru, a spoiled and willful Third Miss who is skilled in martial arts, is the daughter of Madam Qing.
Fourth Miss, a low-key, masked young lady with medical skills, whose mother is Madam Han, the prince's most beloved concubine.
Xiao Lou glanced at the relationship chart compiled by Captain Yu, and thoughtfully stroked his chin: "So it seems that the three ladies are now on equal footing, while the position of the prince's principal wife is still vacant?"
Mo Xuemin said, "Yes, and the prince is still very young. People in ancient times married young, and the prince is only in his forties now. These three wives will definitely be jealous of each other."
Yu Hanjiang frowned and looked at Xiao Lou: "Could this case be a power struggle within the family?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "Possibly. The four girls are about the same age. If we follow the typical pattern of power struggles within a family, with the four sisters born to different mothers and the legitimate queen already deceased, the three wives are bound to be scheming against each other, and the four sisters' relationship won't be very harmonious."
"When is the Prince's birthday banquet?" Yu Hanjiang asked Old Mo, looking up at him.
"The fifteenth of this month, which is three days from now," Mo Xuemin said.
"Tomorrow, we'll go to the Prince's residence again in person. Firstly, to pay our respects to the Prince as His Majesty instructed, and secondly, to..."
" Long Sen from the Prince's Mansion answered the call. He works as a guard there and should be able to get other clues," Yu Hanjiang said decisively.
"And today?" Xiao Lou looked at him. "Do you want to change into casual clothes and scout out the environment in Jiangzhou?"
"That's right, let's also look for other teammates," Yu Hanjiang said.
Yu Hanjiang changed out of his official robes, put on some casual clothes, and went out to Jiangzhou for a stroll with his wife and his advisor.
In Secret Room World, everyone's identity is connected to reality. Lao Mo is also a team guide in reality. Yu Hanjiang speculated that Liu Qiao was probably a medicine boy or apothecary, so he went to the nearby pharmacies and clinics, but did not find any trace of her.
Xiao Lou said, "Xiao Liu may have come to Jiangzhou from another place, just like Young Master Shao."
Yu Hanjiang agreed, saying, "For example, the apprentice of a famous doctor who travels around might still be on her way to Jiangzhou, otherwise she wouldn't have been so quiet these past two days."
Upon hearing this, Mo Xuemin suddenly paused and said, "If everyone's identities are related to reality, then Teacher Qu is a dance teacher, so could she be a dancer at Tianxiang Tower?"
Xiao Lou looked at Lao Mo with a puzzled expression: " Is Tianxiang Tower... a brothel?"
Mo Xuemin coughed and said, "It's not exactly a brothel. This is the largest dance hall in Jiangzhou, where many talented women gather. It's said that the dancers and singers here sell their art but not their bodies. Young men from wealthy families often come here to seek pleasure."
Yu Hanjiang frowned: "Let's go take a look, maybe we can find Qu Wanyue."
Before meeting them, Mo Xuemin was unaware of their identities and their corresponding realities. He only saw Long Sen, who was working as a guard in the Prince's Palace, and never considered going to a place like Tianxiang Tower, a place for drinking and carousing, to find someone.
Hearing Yu Hanjiang say this, he suddenly realized and said, " Tianxiang Tower is only open after dark. Let's go after dinner."
***
As night fell, most of Jiangzhou's urban area was plunged into darkness, but one street in the east of the city was brightly lit.
The street was filled with lanterns of all shapes and sizes, and guests came and went in an endless stream; the lively nightlife of the ancients was just beginning.
At the end of the street, there is a three-story building with a sign that reads " Tianxiang Tower ". This is the busiest building on the street, with its doors wide open and countless guests hurrying toward Tianxiang Tower.
Yu Hanjiang and his two companions followed the crowd.
After the three entered the house, they found a table and sat down. Xiao Lou noticed a familiar figure sitting next to him, with his peach blossom eyes narrowed and a folding fan in his hand, striking a "playboy" pose.
Yu Hanjiang also saw him and whispered, "Young Master Shao, you're in quite a mood, you've actually come here too?"
Shao Qingge shamelessly sat down and said with a smile, "My servant told me that there is a performance by the most famous dancers of Tianxiang Tower tonight. My persona is that of a playboy who frequents brothels, so of course I have to come and join in the fun."
Xiao Lou admires him for being able to make "being lustful" sound so respectable.
Shao Qingge and Lao Mo nodded to each other in greeting, then Shao Qingge joked, "But Lord Yu, you have a virtuous wife at home, yet you take her to brothels and drink with courtesans. Isn't that inappropriate?"
Old Mo almost spat out his tea again.
Xiao Lou glanced at Shao Qingge, but didn't want to pay him any attention.
Just then, a middle-aged woman dressed in brightly colored clothes stepped forward and said with a smile, "Welcome everyone to Tianxiang Tower. Next, our top performer, Miss Ye, will sing and play a song for you!"
Amidst enthusiastic applause, a slender woman, dressed in a pale yellow gauze dress and carrying a pipa, slowly walked onto the stage in the center. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her long, ink-black hair cascaded down her back, adorned with a pearl hairpin that shone brightly in the light, highlighting her delicate and beautiful face.
Shao Qingge was leisurely drinking tea, but the moment he met those eyes, he spat out a mouthful of tea all over the table.
Xiao Lou: "..."
Yu Hanjiang: "......"
Mo Xuemin looked embarrassed: "This, this top performer, Miss Ye, looks just like Ye Qi!"
Shao Qingge choked on his tea, coughing violently while covering his face with his fan and laughing incessantly: "Haha, cough cough cough... Miss Ye, the top courtesan of Tianxiang Tower, hahaha..."
Xiao Lou sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation, while Yu Hanjiang looked serious.
Ye Qi on stage glanced at them, looking utterly dejected.