Chapter 4 Don't Cry, Zhenzhen 2
Zhou Zhenzhen took a long breath and felt a chill in her heart.
Cheng Jue turned around and walked out slowly. The glazed screen could block the gaze and the blood.
"If Song Siyue was lying, then how did she not reveal any flaws when I hypnotized her..." Zhou Zhenzhen murmured in a low voice, holding the silver chain tightly, which made her palm hurt.
Zhou Zhenzhen had never failed before, and the opponent was a little girl who looked so innocent and harmless. Zhou Zhenzhen did not expect that the skills she was proud of would fail like this and bring trouble to the whole case.
Seeing the little girl with her head down and a sad face, Cheng Jue didn't say much. He just took her to a shop selling sweets after leaving Princess Jintai's mansion.
The shop was about to close, and only a few candies were left.
Cheng Jue thought for a moment and ordered, "Wrap them all up."
Meng Fan held the candy box in his hand, followed Cheng Jue, and sent Zhou Zhenzhen back to the Manyue Teahouse.
"Take it and eat it!" Cheng Jue called Zhou Zhenzhen and handed the box to her.
Zhou Zhenzhen opened her confused eyes, and Cheng Jue added two more sentences: "It's not too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost. You have hit a wall now, if you cheer up, you can turn the situation around. If you indulge in the minor setbacks in the past and delay the investigation in the future, it is not suitable for you to stay in the Dali Temple any longer."
"grown ups……"
"Think carefully about what I said. This..." He pointed at the box in her arms with his chin, "It was originally for you."
Zhou Zhenzhen returned to the backyard like a wandering soul, holding the things in her arms. The candy melted in her mouth, and the sweet fragrance spread on the tip of her tongue, making her heart less bitter.
Cheng Jue was a man of insight, and he had a good grasp of her weak spot since she left the palace and said those words, and he tried to hit her with his words.
Since she was willing to give up everything to stay in Dali Temple and stay with him, she would not be defeated by a small setback.
The next day, Zhou Zhenzhen got up early, as if she had died overnight and come back to life again.
When Wang Da arrived at the kitchen, he saw that the firewood had been neatly stacked, the water in the pot had been heated, and the noodles on the table had been fermented.
The curtain was lifted, and Zhou Zhenzhen came in humming a tune, carrying a large winnowing basket. The tea leaves had been sifted to remove broken leaves and dregs, and she carefully put them into an iron box.
"The sun hasn't even risen from the west yet. Why are you up so early, little devil?"
"You scold me for sleeping in, and you blame me for being diligent. Boss, why are you so hard to serve?" She pursed her lips and complained. Before Wang Da raised his hand to pat her, she jumped away with great tact and hurried out, "There are guests outside."
"Stinky girl!" Wang cursed, kneading the dough in the basin, rolling it into long strips and cutting it into even small pieces. He was about to take the red bean paste out of the pot to mix it with the stuffing when he heard the noise coming from far away. The second son of the Li family lifted the curtain and said, "I wonder how you can run a business here? You haven't even come to give me a bowl of tea!"
"Zhenzhen is not outside?"
"No, hurry up, I'm waiting here!"
Wang responded with a big laugh, and swiftly walked to the lobby with the tea in his hand. As expected, Zhou Zhenzhen was nowhere to be found. The smock she usually wore when working was thrown aside, and no one knew where she had gone.
Li Er took a sip of tea and lowered his voice, "Where were we talking about? Oh, right, the Xuanji Pavilion. After all, this is the number one weapon pavilion in Dayu, and it has been highly valued by several emperors. Now, someone like Huo Chi has appeared, daring to murder the Crown Princess. I think the Huo family is finished!"
As soon as he said this, Wang Da already knew where Zhou Zhenzhen had gone.
Overnight, the news that the current crown princess, Princess Jintai Song Sanyue, had died spread throughout Chang'an City, and even the date, time, and method of her death were spread in detail. For a time, the people of Chang'an City were talking about "Xuanji Pavilion Young Master Huo Chi, who admired the princess but could not get her, cruelly killed the princess."
Zhou Zhenzhen didn't even have time to change into her official uniform and ran quickly to the Dali Temple.
Cheng Jue did not attend the morning court today, but was summoned to the palace by Emperor Xuanhe before dawn. When he came out of the palace and returned to the government office, he locked himself in the room and refused to see anyone.
"Hey, hey, hey, Lord Cheng's face looks really ugly. Whoever goes over to him at this time will be in trouble. You'd better be honest." Meng Fan stopped Zhou Zhenzhen who was about to break in, but the latter didn't appreciate it at all. She was not as strong as Meng Fan, so she bit him, making him roar with his teeth bared.
The door opened with a bang. Cheng Jue's entire body was cold, like a finely carved ice sculpture. He shouted in a low voice, "What are you doing?"
Zhou Zhenzhen let go of her mouth, but Cheng Jue grabbed her by the collar and pulled her into the house. The door slammed shut again, almost hitting Meng Fan in the face.
"We are both subordinates, so why am I just like someone who was picked up?"
As soon as Cheng Jue let go, Zhou Zhenzhen grabbed his arm and asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, are you going to confiscate Xuanji Pavilion?"
Cheng Jue nodded: "Your Majesty does have this intention. Xuanji Pavilion is still far from the capital, and this matter is of great importance. Someone from the Dali Temple must go with us. However, I have managed to buy one day and will set off early tomorrow morning."
The Princess Jintai case had not been leaked for a whole month, but now it has become known to everyone overnight.
As long as anything related to the princess is found in Xuanji Pavilion, it can be used as evidence to kill Huo Chi and punish Xuanji Pavilion, so as to quickly bring peace to the world.
This strategy attacks people's hearts and is sharper than any murderous knife.
"Put on a complete show. Since the person behind the scenes has already set up the trap, then there must be things that many people want to see in the Xuanji Pavilion." Zhou Zhenzhen let go of her hand dejectedly. She reshaped herself overnight, but was beaten by the desperate and powerless waves when she woke up. The clay sculpture's face was blurred, and only the body was left struggling to support herself.
Cheng Jue felt a sudden pain in his heart, and when she was about to drop her hand, he grabbed it and said in a completely cold tone, "Want to get out of Dali Temple?"
Zhou Zhenzhen's mouth twitched. As the saying goes, one trick can conquer the world. As soon as he said this, it was like he was strangling her neck, making it difficult for her to move.
She took a deep breath, straightened her bent back, and shook her head.
"Many parties are fighting for this case, and it's all about people's hearts. Now the people of the world, the court officials, the royal family, everyone is forcing the Dali Temple to make a decision as soon as possible and kill Huo Chi to end the case. But the more they do so, the more it shows that there are many hidden secrets in this case. As the Minister of the Dali Temple, it is my duty to investigate the case and restore order to this world. I will never give up until the last moment. Even if I become an enemy of the whole world, I don't care."
Zhou Zhenzhen's emotions were surging and her blood was boiling.
This is the person she wants to follow in her life, her belief, her god.
He never let her down.
Zhou Zhenzhen felt ashamed of the thought of retreating just now. She raised her head and regained her proper appearance: "I am willing to follow you to investigate this case. No matter how rough the road ahead is, I will follow you."
Cheng Jue looked into her eyes, wondering how much hardship this petite girl had gone through to develop such a tough character and to be able to say such heart-shaking words. He could not see her hesitation at all, so he gave her all his trust.
He leaned down, put his lips to her ear and whispered.
"Sir..." Meng Fan knocked on the door three times as usual and pushed it open. He saw Zhou Zhenzhen standing there with a red face, Cheng Jue leaning beside her, with his face resting on her neck. It was an extremely intimate posture, and even their hands were clasped together.
Meng Fan was stunned for a moment, and the two people on the other side were also stunned.
The three of them looked at each other, and Cheng Jue was the first to regain his usual calm demeanor. He straightened up, let go of his hand, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"The Minister of Justice, Mr. Zheng, wants to see you outside."
Cheng Jue nodded and looked at Zhou Zhenzhen: "You come too." He walked out, Zhou Zhenzhen covered her red face, lowered her head and followed him. Meng Fan frowned and looked at the sky, looked at the empty room in an instant, and had some understanding, but also a little uncomfortable.
Obviously... he was the one who got close to Zhou Zhenzhen first.
Emperor Xuanhe issued an imperial decree, ordering the Dali Temple to take the lead and the Ministry of Justice to assist in finding out the truth about Princess Jintai's death.
Mr. Zheng came here to discuss things with Cheng Jue, and he was accompanied by a long-faced, very pretty lady. She had a simple bun with a hairpin inserted diagonally. The hairpin was not gorgeous, but the top had two plum blossoms staggered and blooming, which was quite elegant. Zhou Zhenzhen guessed that the other party was probably the one mentioned by Meng Fan, the one who was scolded away by Cheng Jue.
Sure enough, when she saw Cheng Jue coming in, her face turned pale and she spoke haltingly: "Hello, Cheng... Mr. Cheng."
Cheng Jue responded calmly and sat down to talk with Lord Zheng. Zhou Zhenzhen was relieved to see the woman in charge. It seemed that she was really scared, which made Zhou Zhenzhen curious about what Cheng Jue had done to her.
Zhou Zhenzhen put away her curiosity and went out when she saw that there was nothing for her to do. The sunlight shone through the old locust tree in the yard and sprinkled on half of Zhou Zhenzhen's face, making her feel warm.
She walked to the prison. This was her first time here since Huo Chi was put in prison. Cheng Jue had ordered that besides him, only she, Zhou Zhenzhen, could see Huo Chi. So, the journey was smooth, but when she saw that the handsome and tough man before had become so thin that his cheekbones were prominent and he looked listless in just a few days, she felt a tightness in her chest and paused before walking in.
He is different from Cui'er. Cui'er felt that Gu Qing was something she once had but could not keep forever, while Huo Chi realized his feelings for Song Sanyue only afterward.
If he had seen through the true heart of the noble lady earlier and stayed with her, this tragedy probably would not have happened.
Sometimes, realizing something too late is more painful than not getting it in the first place.
But the regret pills in this world only exist in people's imagination. No one can live again, and no one can turn back the years.
"I'm not afraid of death, I'm just afraid of dragging down my family. Xuanji Pavilion has been loyally serving Dayu for a hundred years, and there are hundreds of thousands of followers. If they die because of my fault, then I, Huo Chi, will be the eternal sinner of Xuanji Pavilion." Huo Chi's face was stretched to the extreme. He stood up and knelt in front of her, his voice trembling slightly, "Lord Zhou, save Xuanji Pavilion."
Zhou Zhenzhen hurriedly pulled him up, but couldn't move him at all, so she could only squat down and look him in the eye: "Don't worry, Master Cheng and I both believe in you."
There was a warden patrolling outside the prison gate. She moved closer and said, "Master Cheng has just discussed with the Minister of Justice, Master Zheng, that Master Cheng will personally lead people to search the Xuanji Pavilion, and they will set out before dawn tomorrow. No matter what harm is found in the Xuanji Pavilion, Master Cheng will pretend that it is not there. As long as you survive this search, you have a chance of survival."
Huo Chi gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.
Zhou Zhenzhen left the prison, leaving footprints on the brick floor. She stared at the cell opposite and stepped forward.
The sky turned gloomy in the afternoon. Dark clouds blocked the warm sun, and the sky was dyed like layers of ink. At dusk, it was already darker than usual.
The Dali Temple closed early, and everyone went home before the rainstorm arrived. The warden of the Tianlao also changed shifts early. However, at 2:00 pm, heavy rain came down, beating people's hearts like beads that had broken off the string.
Huo Chi stood up straight and watched the raindrops splashing through the small skylight.
On that day a month ago, it was also such a heavy rain that blocked his way to Chang'an City.
He was lost in sorrow, and suddenly the pain on his neck woke him up. He grabbed the rope in front of his throat and pulled it out. But the person behind him strangled him desperately. Under the gloomy candlelight, the shadows on the ground were waking up, wishing to swallow him up.
The instinct of survival made Huo Chi burst with strength, and he let out a roar like a trapped beast, and he dragged the person behind him forward with his lower body. Suddenly, he was hit in the knee pit, and his leg was so numb that he knelt down uncontrollably. The man took advantage of the situation and raised one leg to press down on his shoulder, pressing him down tightly. The man combined the strength of his two hands, and he seemed to hear the sound of the rope buckling into his flesh.
His head was numb. In his blurry vision, he saw a stunningly beautiful face. A hand as white as jade was holding a bamboo dragonfly. He smiled and asked, "Master Huo, where do I press this to make it fly?"
He raised his hand with difficulty and just as he touched one side of the bamboo helicopter's wing, the rope around his neck suddenly tightened, abruptly severing his fantasy.
Suddenly, there was a whoosh sound, and the shackles on his neck loosened. Huo Chi rolled on the ground, gasping for air. Looking back, the man in the prison officer's uniform pulled out the arrow that had pierced his chest. The arrow stabbed at Huo Chi, and there was another whoosh sound, and the arrow hit his wrist. The severe pain twisted his face. Huo Chi reacted and immediately got up and kicked the man in the chest.
The man dug his fingers into the ground, still unwilling to give up and wanted to come again. The cell door opposite was opened, and a man in ragged clothes with a dirty face came out with a crossbow, stepped on the man's back and said, "I have seen many assassins, and you are the most dedicated among them."
Huo Chi was startled when he heard the voice: "Master Cheng?"
"It's me." Cheng Jue said in a deep voice. The killer under his feet closed his eyes, knowing that his mission had been exposed, and his mouth bulged.
Seeing this, Huo Chi shouted, "He wants to commit suicide!"
Cheng Jue did not stop him. The killer bit the poison between his teeth and died instantly.
"If he dies, we won't be able to find the person who sent him."
"That may not be the case." Cheng Jue bent down, his nostrils moving, and in addition to the smell of blood, there was also a lingering fragrance. His lips curled up, and Zhou Zhenzhen, who was outside the door, came at this moment. Seeing that Cheng Jue and Huo Chi were safe and sound, she finally felt relieved.
"Zhou Zhenzhen."
"I am here."
"Go find the guard commander who is staying in the government office, Mr. Bo, and follow me to Princess Changping's mansion."
"yes!"
What Cheng Jue whispered to Zhou Zhenzhen was a lethal move that would put one in a desperate situation and allow one to survive.
Since the person behind the scenes wanted to find evidence in Xuanji Pavilion to frame Huo Chi and let Huo Chi take the blame for the case, if he knew that this trip was doomed to fail, that person would definitely strike first and act before Cheng Jue arrived at Xuanji Pavilion.
If Huo Chi "hanged himself" at this time, everyone would think that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and it would not matter whether there was evidence of his guilt from Xuanji Pavilion or not.
There is a traitor in the Dali Temple, and he knows something about Huo Chi, so that person must be in the prison. Zhou Zhenzhen came to see Huo Chi first and mentioned this matter.
The weather is stormy, night has arrived early, the government office is empty, and the murder has happened today with the best timing, location, and people.
Cheng Jue ordered his men to change shifts in advance, and took advantage of the chaos to enter the cell opposite Huo Chi. At this time, no one would notice that there was an extra person there, and everything was just as he thought.
After the snow lotus turns into medicine, the person who takes it will have a faint fragrance on his body, the same as the one that the hired killer accidentally got on his body.
Cheng Jue held the golden order, and no one dared to stop him in Princess Changping's mansion. He walked at a great speed, and those who rushed to report the news could not walk as fast as him. When he stood outside the princess' bedroom door, Wei Wuji came from the corridor and shouted angrily: "Cheng Jue! In the middle of the night, you led troops into the mansion of Princess Dayu, what do you want to do? Do you want to rebel?"
