Chapter 1: Confrontation 3
Zhou Zhenzhen frowned, sighed in disappointment, and then immediately comforted herself: No matter what the reason is, Chengjue will definitely choose me to enter the Dali Temple! It doesn't matter if it's one day earlier or later!
But when no one from the Dali Temple came three days later, her self-comfort was no longer effective. She felt like there was a little mouse in her heart, scratching her with its sharp little claws, making her unable to sleep or eat, and her head was smoking.
Just as Zhou Zhenzhen was sitting at the door of the Manyue Teahouse, banging her head against the wall with a dull look in her eyes, a familiar person suddenly appeared on the street. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating, so she reached out and pinched her face. Hiss... it hurt.
Meng Fan was embarrassed by Zhou Zhenzhen's scheme last time, and he was originally sullen, but when he saw Zhou Zhenzhen pinching her own face until it turned red, he couldn't help laughing: "Miss Zhou, our Master Cheng would like to ask you to go to the Dali Temple."
Zhou Zhenzhen's eyes were still a little confused. She was originally confident about something, but after three days of struggling, she became worried about gains and losses. Just when she thought there was no hope, there was a sudden turn of events. This ups and downs in emotions really made her... want to punch someone with her fists!
Zhou Zhenzhen said something to Wang Da, and walked out happily, leaving Wang Da looking at the door, his face messy even without wind: "She really went to the Dali Temple..."
Since Emperor Gaozu, the Dali Temple was merged with the Six Gates to investigate major criminal cases. After the two ministries became one, the Dali Temple also expanded. Zhou Zhenzhen followed Meng Fan around the corridor for a long time before stopping outside the single room where Cheng Jue usually worked.
Meng Fan knocked three times and pushed the door open. The room was not big, and with the files piled everywhere, it looked even more cramped. Cheng Jue was reading something at the desk, his eyelashes drooping, one hand supporting his chin, and the other hand occasionally turning pages.
"Sir, Miss Zhou is here." Meng Fan said and went out.
Cheng Jue stopped flipping the pages of the book, raised his finger and pointed to the side: "Sit anywhere!"
Zhou Zhenzhen thanked him and finally found a chair that was not weighed down by files. She sat upright with her back straight and her hands on her knees.
Cheng Jue flipped through the booklet in his hand page by page, looking unhurried, but it made Zhou Zhenzhen feel nervous, like a blunt knife cutting flesh. She dug her knees with her hands and took a deep breath to steady herself.
When Cheng Jue finally turned to the last page, he suddenly raised his eyes, and his gaze met Zhou Zhenzhen's. Zhou Zhenzhen immediately straightened her back as if she had been caught doing something bad.
Cheng Jue curled his lips and walked over. Zhou Zhenzhen quickly stood up.
"All the regulations of the Dali Temple are written on it, and there is a detailed map at the end. I need you to understand the Dali Temple in the shortest possible time."
Zhou Zhenzhen's eyes lit up and she reached out to take it, but Cheng Jue's hand was raised, leaving her no chance to reach it.
Cheng Jue was tall and slender, and Zhou Zhenzhen was only as tall as his chest. With her arms still raised high, she subconsciously jumped up a bit, but he raised the hand holding the book even higher, and with his other hand he directly clasped her head and pushed it down, and she could not jump up anymore.
When Zhou Zhenzhen realized that his hand was still on her head, her heart beat faster.
"How did you figure out the clues that night in Yanliufang?" Cheng Jue was completely unaware of her abnormality. He took his hand off her head and sat on the chair.
Cheng Jue wanted to hear her explanation. If her explanation was not convincing, she would not be able to enter the Dali Temple.
Although Cheng Jue was sitting, his aura was not diminished at all, which made Zhou Zhenzhen so nervous that her palms became wet. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"Lin Qian's analysis is actually very reasonable. I said that Yuechu died at 2:02 pm that night, which is a bit strange. But in addition to the time, there is actually another suspicious point in the whole room, which is the makeup remover oil on the dressing table. The oil means that Yuechu used it, and coupled with the neatly folded pajamas, the time of death can be determined to be before the bath. But Miss Yuechu has a serious obsession with cleanliness. She has extremely high requirements for the cleanliness of all things. The jewelry she took off is neatly stacked in the jewelry box, and the rouge is placed in order by color depth. It doesn't make sense that the used oil should not be covered.
"If we ignore the fact that the medicated oil was used, then the time of death at 2:45 in the morning can be explained. Well... For example, Gu Qing, the young master of Tianhong Bank, came to Yuechu for an affair. After he left, Yuechu had to take a bath due to her mysophobia. She asked Cui'er to boil water for a bath. Cui'er's jealousy reached its peak and she strangled her to death... At this time, Yuechu's makeup had been removed long before, so the medicated oil would not have been used.
"The medicinal oil made the time of Miss Yuechu's death uncertain. If Cui'er really had the brains to do this, she would not let the news of her admiration for Gu Qing spread, so I guess this thing was opened by someone else. I haven't interrogated Cui'er and Gu Qing yet, this is just a guess, but since Lord Cheng didn't let us go, he won't allow it in the future, so..."
"So you went to ask Meng Fan?"
Zhou Zhenzhen nodded: "Lord Meng is kind and told me everything."
Cheng Jue asked Meng Fan to open the lid in order to confuse people and blur the time of the victim's death. This was a test from the beginning. Lin Qian and the others might have thought of this, but Cheng Jue's image outside was too serious and earnest. This was a murder case, so how could Cheng Jue use this case just for a test?
As it turns out, he is.
In this assessment, Cheng Jue didn't want to choose someone with a clear mind or good analytical skills. He needed someone who would not hesitate to speak the truth.
Zhou Zhenzhen asked Meng Fan to clarify the matter. It was a tricky move, but it was also courageous.
"Then why is it Meng Fan?"
"It's understandable that Master Cheng was calm and composed in the face of such a difficult case. After all, you have seen many storms and waves, and you are also introverted. But it's very suspicious that Master Meng was also steady throughout the whole process. After all, he was the one who couldn't help asking me questions even when I was laughing and humming a song. So I think that this case was solved a long time ago, and Master Cheng just asked someone to add some difficult clues to test us."
When she was sitting upright, she was still a quiet girl, but once she analyzed the case fluently, she became very excited. Cheng Jue watched her lips opening and closing, and somehow remembered the blood-stained appearance of her lips in the lone building in Yanliufang that night. A faint smile finally appeared in his eyes: "The last question, how did you pry open Meng Fan's mouth?"
Zhou Zhenzhen reached her hand to her neck and pulled out the hanging chain. The bottom of the silver chain was decorated with a square silver piece, and the hollowed-out part in the middle of the silver piece was decorated with a round silver piece, and the middle of the round silver piece was hollowed out again. It was layered and made in an exquisite and complicated way.
Cheng Jue narrowed his eyes slightly: "Do you know hypnosis?"
"A little bit." Zhou Zhenzhen replied modestly, "I once worshipped a Westerner as my teacher in a small town in the southwest, and learned a little bit. It's still possible to hypnotize someone as impetuous as Lord Meng to ask a question."
Meng Fan, who was standing guard outside the door, felt an itch in his nose and sneezed: "Who is thinking about me?"
Cheng Jue looked at Zhou Zhenzhen in the room, feeling like he had found a treasure, but he kept all his emotions hidden in his heart, not showing them on his face. He handed her the booklet, glanced at her, and changed the subject, saying, "You must have had a hard time waiting these few days, right?"
Zhou Zhenzhen's secret was exposed and she immediately felt embarrassed.
"You are taking advantage of others and being clever." Cheng Jue's voice suddenly turned cold. Zhou Zhenzhen didn't dare to raise her head after hearing these two words. After all, she was young. He just said a few words, but she couldn't stand it. Wait, she was young...
Cheng Jue asked, "How old are you?"
"Less than twenty."
"How big is it?"
"…Sixteen, almost seventeen in lunar years."
Cheng Jue frowned, then relaxed his brows.
Zhou Zhenzhen saw his face gradually getting better, and the stone in her heart was lifted. As expected, playing tricks in front of Cheng Jue would only bring shame upon herself, and she would not make mistakes if she told the truth.
However, Zhou Zhenzhen had no idea of the true psychological activities of the adult man in front of her.
——The first female official of the Dali Temple is only sixteen years old, much younger than the female director of the Ministry of Justice...
That's enough, we've overpowered them.
After this day, even though Zhou Zhenzhen officially entered the Dali Temple, she did not have a formal official position.
Cheng Jue said that there was no vacant position in the Dali Temple at present, so he asked her to follow Shao Cheng Meng Fan first, and he would arrange for her within three to five days.
Meng Fan had just turned 22, and he had been the third place winner in the imperial examination the year before. He had only been employed at the Dali Temple for three days when Cheng Jue said that if he hadn't talked too much, he would have been the champion.
Most of the colleagues in the Dali Temple followed the temperament of the boss Cheng Jue, and they didn't talk much. Meng Fan had no one to talk to all day. Now that Zhou Zhenzhen came, his mouth finally had a place to be put to good use.
He took Zhou Zhenzhen to walk around the Dali Temple for half a day, and his lips were almost worn thin.
"Oh, by the way, you are not from Chang'an, right? Where are you going to live in the future? If you have nowhere to live, I can help you find a yard. I guarantee it will be good, cheap and in a good location."
Zhou Zhenzhen shook her head and said, "No need. I still live in the backyard of the Manyue Teahouse. I'm used to it and can eat and drink for free. Let me tell you, the cakes made by my boss are really amazing..."
When it comes to food, Zhou Zhenzhen's eyes sparkle, and she says with a smile, "I'll come to the Dali Temple tomorrow morning and bring some for Lord Meng."
"That's great." Meng Fan smiled. The two of them had already gone around a circle and returned to the starting point. Looking forward, they could see Cheng Jue's silhouette through the window lattice.
"Master Cheng is so busy." Zhou Zhenzhen sighed and changed the subject to ask, "Master Meng, does Master Cheng like to eat cakes?"
"Maybe..." Meng Fan's face looked a little strange, and he responded vaguely, then said, "Come on, I'll take you to meet other colleagues."
Before the Dali Temple closed, Zhou Zhenzhen returned to the Manyue Teahouse. She and Wang Da discussed continuing to live in the backyard, and she would pay some money every month. Wang Da muttered, "Why are you still refusing to leave, you damn girl?" But he turned around and grinned.
That day, Zhou Zhenzhen helped Wang Da in the teahouse until evening before returning to the backyard.
The yard was not big. Wang Da and his wife lived in the east wing. Wang Dasao went back to her parents' home a few days ago, and Zhou Zhenzhen lived in the west wing. After closing the doors and windows and lying on the bed, Zhou Zhenzhen stared at the ceiling and curved her eyes: "I finally entered the Dali Temple."
That satisfying night, Zhou Zhenzhen had that dream for the umpteenth time.
A rainy night in front of the City God Temple.
The fire swayed in the wind, making the man's voice drift: "This world is not just black and white, there is also gray in between. Solving cases and finding the truth is to make black fade to white, and gray gradually turn to white. Justice does not lie in the world, but in the hearts of people."
…
The fire is extinguished and the wind stops.
Zhou Zhenzhen opened her eyes and heard a drizzle outside the window.
A night of rain in Chang'an washed away so much dirt and dust.
After cleaning up, she took a paper bag, put a few pieces of white cake in it, wrapped it in her arms, turned her back to Wang Da and ran out the door.
Cheng Jue returned to the Dali Temple after the morning court session. On the desk were piled high with files, neatly stacked on one side, and on the other side was a paper bag containing a few pieces of white cakes, which had already cooled down.
After being so busy all morning, he had forgotten whether he had had breakfast.
He always forgot these unnecessary little things, but when he smelled the fragrance of the white cake, his stomach growled twice, so he must have not eaten it.
Cheng Jue pinched a small piece of white cake and put it in his mouth. Although it was cold, it was sweet and sticky and very delicious.
Someone knocked on the door three times, and Meng Fan came in holding Xinyi's files: "The white cake Zhou Zhenzhen brought is really delicious. I guess Master Cheng will like it too."
The last bite of white cake got stuck in his throat. Cheng Juesheng swallowed it and said "Oh" as if nothing had happened: "So she brought it."
"Yes, I gave you two pieces, and brought the rest here."
Cheng Jue narrowed his eyes and said nothing more. When Meng Fan put away his things and prepared to go out, he spoke again: "Go and call Zhou Zhenzhen over. You don't need to bring her with you today."
"knew. "
Meng Fan was very sad that the alliance was about to break up just one day after it was formed.
Zhou Zhenzhen arrived very quickly. She hadn't had time to make the official uniform for the Dali Temple yet, so she was still wearing her own clothes, a light yellow floral dress, and a crooked bun on her head. A few strands of hair were braided into small strands and hung down, swaying with her movements.
"Master Cheng, do you have something to ask me?"
Cheng Jue stared at her and nodded: "Yes, there is something."
He pulled out a file from the bottom layer, tapped the table with his fingertips, and said, "Come and take a look!"
From the moment Zhou Zhenzhen saw the truth about Yuechu's case, she had actually been mentally prepared. It was true that she was chosen to be the finalist to solve the case, but the case she was solving was not Yuechu's case, but a case that she herself found difficult to solve.
Either the case is far-reaching or extremely complicated.
Even though she had already made up her mind, she was still startled the moment she opened the file, and her black and white eyes were full of shock: "Jin..."
Cheng Jue raised his hand to interrupt her: "You have to know the extent of this matter. If the case cannot be solved, dying to atone for the crime is a light punishment. Think it over. If you want to stay, you must be prepared. If you want to leave, I will not force you."
Zhou Zhenzhen was only shocked for a moment, then nodded solemnly: "I want to stay with Master Cheng."
Cheng Jue subconsciously said "hmm".
His eyes swept over the crumpled paper bag thrown on the ground, and he spoke naturally: "Just now when Meng Fan came in, I saw him covering his mouth. He probably had a toothache after eating something sweet."
Zhou Zhenzhen was a little stunned. This was the first time Cheng Jue chatted with her.
"Does Lord Meng have a toothache? But he didn't say anything when he was eating the white cake..." Moreover, he ate it very happily.
"He thinks this disease is common among girls and is afraid that if he tells others about it, they will laugh at him. No one else in the Dali Temple knows about this except me."
"Oh, then I won't bring him any tomorrow." Zhou Zhenzhen felt guilty thinking of how Meng Fan ate three at a time with a big smile on his face today.
Afraid that she would think he would dislike it, he forced himself to eat it. What a nice person!
Cheng Jue sat there motionless, frowning and thinking seriously: If the white cake had not been shared with Meng Fan, he would have been full today.
Zhou Zhenzhen read the file until the afternoon before coming out.
The rain has stopped and a cluster of peach blossoms has bloomed right at the base of the wall.
She took a deep sniff and in addition to the scent of flowers, she also smelled the scent of blood.
The first page of the file appeared in front of her eyes: Princess Jintai Song Sanyue died in the attic of her own palace, and the cause of death was unknown.
I'm afraid that things are about to change in Chang'an City.
