prynovel Chapter 57 is just one layer away.
Chapter 57 is just one layer away.
Xu Jingde frowned at Shen Lang and said in a deep voice, "You suspect that the book on external divination is related to Princess Yongchun?"
Shen Lang nodded: "Princess Yongchun is His Majesty's younger sister from the same mother, of legitimate blood, and also blessed by the imperial destiny."
"The fortune that the fortune teller stole probably came from Princess Yongchun."
"I've found some clues..."
As he spoke, he gave a general description of the bamboo forest and stone steps that the orange cat had mentioned.
"This place is where the fortune teller is hiding. There are many mountains and temples outside the city, and it would be too tedious to search them one by one. If we start with Princess Yongchun, we can save a lot of time."
Xu Jingde pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head:
"Now that things have come to this, you shouldn't get involved in this mess anymore."
"This matter has once again affected the reputations of both the Qingliu faction and the royal family. The situation has changed. Even if you manage to capture that fortune teller... you'll likely only be working for someone else's benefit!"
Shen Lang smiled and said, "Does Lord Xu mean that the Qingliu faction will cooperate with the Yan faction to suppress this matter?"
Xu Jingde nodded: "The factional strife in the court may seem irreconcilable, but at its core, it all boils down to nothing more than self-interest."
"They unite when there is mutual benefit and separate when there is mutual harm, just like the factional strife between Niu and Li, where they sometimes joined hands."
"The royal family needs to save face, the upright officials need to preserve their reputation, as for the Yan faction..."
Xu Jingde narrowed his eyes slightly: "Yan's faction must be colluding with the real culprit behind the scenes."
"Under such circumstances, even if you catch the flower thief, it won't change the outcome; it will only put you in greater danger."
He paused slightly at this point, his tone becoming increasingly serious.
"This matter concerns the fate of the nation. Although they dare not conceal it from His Majesty, they can join forces to persuade him..."
Shen Lang interrupted, "Lord Xu, I understand what you mean."
"I went through countless hardships to find witnesses and physical evidence, risking my life to capture the unlicensed fortune teller."
"If they take the truth I uncovered and try to curry favor with the Emperor..."
"Wouldn't that make me look like a clown?"
Xu Jingde was taken aback: "What is a clown?"
Shen Lang waved his hand: "That's not important."
"Rest assured, Lord Xu, I have already considered this matter."
"Master of Fate, I must capture her, but capturing her doesn't mean I will hand her over."
At this point, Shen Lang's eyes flashed: "Your Majesty cannot rest assured."
"Otherwise, I would be the one who feels uneasy."
Xu Jingde's pupils suddenly contracted, and he said in astonishment:
"You plan to detain that fortune teller without authorization, only releasing a few clues to provoke His Majesty into a thorough investigation?!"
"That's right," Shen Lang nodded with a smile, "The situation is changing, so the plan naturally needs to be adjusted as well."
"If we hand over the fortune teller, then as Lord Xu said, someone will use this to gain credit and take the opportunity to persuade His Majesty to suppress the matter and handle it privately."
"This case will most likely still be classified as the work of a ghost."
"But what if the fortune teller escaped, leaving only some clues..."
"If His Majesty's resentment is still there, how could he possibly be in the mood to put on this show with them!"
Emperor Jiajing was cold-hearted by nature, and the fate of the royal family was the foundation of his position. In matters of this matter, everything else was insignificant.
What do mere reputations of the Qing Dynasty and the royal family matter?
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingde pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he spoke rapidly:
"His Majesty will not let those associated with the unregistered fortune tellers go unpunished, but because there are clear leads, he will not implicate the innocent or cause turmoil in the court."
"Killing two birds with one stone, brilliant, brilliant indeed!"
"Young friend, you are so young yet your mind is so meticulous; I truly admire your skill!"
Xu Jingde sighed, his face full of regret, and shook his head repeatedly.
He had served as an official for decades, yet he lacked the insightful understanding of Shen Lang, a young man just entering officialdom.
For a moment, he even began to doubt whether he was already old!
"Does Lord Xu think this is appropriate?"
Xu Jingde snapped out of his thoughts and nodded slightly, saying, "It's worth a try."
After saying that, he looked up and sized Shen Lang up and down.
"Lu Yu always obeys the emperor's orders, but you, as his subordinate, not only do not share the emperor's burdens, but also actively add to His Majesty's troubles."
"You little captain, you're truly an anomaly!"
Shen Lang smiled and remained silent. He didn't care about Jia Jing's feelings; he only cared about whether he had completed his duties and whether he could fulfill his promises.
He promised Huang Cuier's grandmother that he would seek justice for Huang Cuier.
He promised Chen Ruowei that he wouldn't let her die in silence.
He had promised Princess Jing'an and Princess Changning that he would protect the Prince's residence.
Therefore, a flower thief must be a flower thief.
Everyone connected to the flower thief must die!
Once his mind was clear, Xu Jingde's tense spirit relaxed considerably, and his expression softened.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Princess Yongchun's residence is located in Zhengde Ward, which is only a wall away from the palace. The fortune teller would definitely not be hiding here."
"As for what you said about outside the city..."
"I have heard that Princess Yongchun has become obsessed with vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting in recent years, and often goes to temples for quiet meditation."
"But the princess is low-key, and her husband is also a man of few words, rarely interacting with the court, so there isn't much information about her."
"I'll have to check to find out exactly which mountain and which temple it is."
Shen Lang added, "Those who have had close contact with the princess in recent years also need to be investigated."
"If we can find out the real culprit's identity, our chances of winning will increase by 30%."
Xu Jingde pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is not difficult. We will have a result within half a day. At that time, I will send someone to the Jing'an Prince's Mansion to inform you."
Shen Lang nodded happily: "Then I will await Lord Xu's good news."
After saying that, he added a reminder: "Now that we are getting closer and closer to the truth, Lord Xu must be extra careful. If the murderer notices, he may fight to the death."
Xu Jingde waved his hand: "Don't worry, I've been an official for decades, how could I leave any mistakes in such a small matter?"
"Lord Xu is wise and meticulous; I have been too talkative."
Shen Lang exchanged a few polite words, then got up to take his leave and returned to the Jing'an Prince's Mansion.
His original plan was to act swiftly and find the mysterious fortune teller as quickly as possible.
But now the situation has changed, and it has even involved the Emperor's younger sister and the Qingliu Group.
Under these circumstances, the plan also needs to be adjusted, and we should not act rashly.
Make thorough preparations before launching a swift and decisive attack!
The fortune teller saw that he had caught the orange cat, which meant that the flower thief already knew about it.
The reason they remained unmoved was that they couldn't guess he was catching the orange cat to investigate a case; they would only assume that the orange cat was stupid and accidentally messed up.
After all, the fortune teller intervened to cover up the secrets of heaven, and the hundreds of people in the Three Departments worked for almost a month without finding a single clue.
They wouldn't even consider a mere captain a threat.
But the situation is different now. Xu Jingde's move has officially touched the core of the case.
He was just one step away from the truth; he could vaguely see the murderer, and the murderer could naturally see him in return.
Although Lord Xu was very confident, the matter was of great importance, and no amount of caution was too much.
Especially for the Jing'an Prince's Mansion, it is essential to have a backup plan.