Chapter 137: Suicide or Murder?

That was quite straightforward, and it also gave them a faint misconception.

"How do you know that the corpse of that Chu person was not arranged by my eldest brother?"

He was still rather impatient.

The moment His Highness the Third Prince was provoked, his true colors were immediately exposed.

It seemed he had come precisely to question this matter.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid the most urgent task right now is to deal with the post house manager. Everything here was arranged by you."

"You!"

His Highness the Third Prince instantly grew somewhat angry.

However, the strategist behind him was reminding him not to act rashly out of emotion.

Their most pressing matter now was to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the post house manager's death.

The Emperor had already been made suspicious at the time.

Now, another incident like this had occurred.

How could he not be suspicious?

Within a single week, two homicide cases had taken place right beneath the feet of Luojing.

The Sovereign would undoubtedly lay the blame.

Not daring to show the slightest negligence, they had to handle the matter swiftly; a single moment of carelessness would inevitably result in the military authority in their hands being reclaimed.

The group of them hurried away once more.

This left Young Master Zhu standing off to the side, somewhat at a loss.

He had worn an expression of utter shock ever since listening to those matters earlier, and even by the time the imperial prince hurriedly departed, he still hadn't recovered his wits.

"Why did you know there was still a connection between the two? And when he suddenly paid you a visit, how could you have so many counter-strategies prepared?"

Young Master Zhu was genuinely astonished, asking several questions in a row.

Having spent many years roaming about Luojing previously, he had never been able to maintain such swift control.

Yet Han Qing had arrived for less than a few months, and yet understood so much.

Furthermore, he had already grasped many various affairs.

"When they rushed over just now, they didn't bring many men under their command, only a few strategists. They certainly weren't going to punish me; at most, they merely wanted to come and question the reason," Han Qing said calmly, having deduced some clues by observing the other party's emotions and the number of people trailing behind.

He was not someone who acted recklessly.

"But how could you be certain that they would leave immediately because of the post house affair?"

"This post house was originally under the personal jurisdiction of the imperial prince. Although His Highness the Third Prince appears to spend his days idling in the imperial palace, seemingly unconcerned with worldly affairs, the management of these intermediate matters has long since been entrusted to him."

If something went wrong in his territory, once the Sovereign laid the blame, it would definitely be unforgivable.

Before, it had merely been an insignificant Chu person, so he certainly wouldn't have been afraid, as that was done merely to drive a wedge of distrust between the Sovereign and His Highness Prince Huai.

However, his own backyard was on fire now.

If he didn't panic now, he wouldn't even have the opportunity left.

"So that's how it is."

Young Master Zhu nodded in belated realization.

"Then are we going to the post house to take a look?"

"No need. Someone will deliver the truth to us personally."

Han Qing smiled mysteriously.

When two opposing forces fought, the one who benefited might well be a third party.

"Didn't you say earlier that you found a rather good plot of land? Take me over to have a look."

Young Master Zhu nodded.

It was somewhat close to where they were staying.

The neighboring families were all imperial relatives and veteran marquises.

"A noodle shop can be opened in a place like this. After all, I've made inquiries and found that noodle shops operated independently in Luojing are truly few and far between. The main reason is that ordinary commoners won't spend a few taels of silver just for a bowl of noodles."

That was quite normal.

If they were the slightest bit careless here, they might easily fall into someone else's trap.

"The location you chose is extremely suitable. The prices can be raised even higher, but the renovation of this place must be done on a grand and impressive scale," Han Qing said thoughtfully.

To attract more people from the vicinity to patronize the establishment, they had to do something with great fanfare.

It would be best to leave behind some breathtaking tales here,

or perhaps invite a few literary scholars to pen a few lines of calligraphy.

That would certainly attract customers.

"Good."

Since the plot of land had already been decided upon,

it would be much easier for them to make arrangements in the future.

Upon returning to the estate,

sure enough, they saw two high-ranking officials already seated in the courtyard.

How had Lord Cao come here as well?

"It's quite lively at my place today. His Highness the Third Prince just left this morning, and what kind of wind has blown the two of you over this afternoon?" Han Qing remarked out of the blue.

"You've been quite leisurely these past few days. The two of us spend our days sorting through case files. Leaving aside the mountain of past troubles left unhandled, just the few cases discovered recently alone are enough to make me feel it's utterly absurd."

Lord Gao was simple-minded.

Whenever he had any puzzlement, he would just blurt it out directly.

If Han Qing hadn't caught on immediately, misunderstandings might even have arisen.

"What is it?"

Hearing them speak in a disjointed manner, Han Qing prompted.

"Do you know about the post house manager's affair?"

"I heard he committed suicide in the post house, and didn't he fall straight down a cliff?" Han Qing nodded.

"But members of this person's family keep insisting that he was coerced and murdered. Yet we need to close the case as soon as possible; once his claims are established, the Sovereign will definitely hold us accountable for dereliction of duty."

Lord Gao was also entirely baffled.

If someone had truly framed him, they should have been able to track down some suspicious individuals.

Yet up to now,

they hadn't obtained a single clue,

and had even made the situation increasingly complicated.

"Then what use is it for you to come and find me?" Han Qing shook his head.

"You reminded me a few times before, which made solving cases much easier for me. I was wondering if you might have discovered clues different from ours?"

"No, but after His Highness the Third Prince came to my place, said a few words, and heard about this case, his expression turned abnormal when he left."

With that casual remark, Lord Gao instantly understood.

Whether it was murder could not be determined just yet, but once an imperial prince was entangled in this, his reputation could no longer be preserved.

Therefore, they needed to tread carefully from now on.

"I recall you are the Junior Vice Minister of Works. You wouldn't be interested in criminal cases too, would you?" Han Qing asked abruptly, turning to Lord Cao beside him.

The other party shook his head.

"No, I've already finished reading the two books I borrowed last time. I wonder if your estate has any others?"

"Indeed. Go find a few in the study yourself."

These two officials were truly interesting.

Half an hour later,

the courtyard regained its tranquility,

becoming even more comfortable than before.

He went to concoct several kinds of soup bases himself, preparing for the future opening of the noodle shop.

There were spicy, numbing-spicy, and pickled cabbage flavors.

Their color, aroma, and taste were peerless.

They would likely become a massive hit in Luojing.