Chapter 25: Something's Off!

  A long line of vehicles had not yet passed by, and the gentle breeze had already spread a strong medicinal scent. In the front carriage, a government official sat upright, wearing an official hat, a light brown changshan (a type of traditional Chinese garment), white socks, and a pair of round-toed shoes with a longevity pattern. He appeared to be around 40 years old, with thin and long eyebrows, extremely spirited eyes, a large mouth that seemed to smile in all directions, and a double chin that revealed a hint of good fortune. However, his two eight-shaped whiskers added a few degrees of dignity to him, making the slightly stout middle-aged man's figure not appear clumsy.

  He was looking around, when he suddenly saw Xia Jie. He was startled and quickly turned his head away, covering his face with his sleeve and pretending to cough, hoping to avoid Xia Jie's line of sight. However, because he had caught a whiff of the medicinal scent, Xia Jie had already glanced in his direction. If this person had remained calm and stayed seated, Xia Jie might not have recognized him, for although Xia Jie had seen his portrait before, it was not the same as actually interacting with him. The information was forcibly memorized, and unless he deliberately thought about it, it would be difficult to recall at will.

  But this man's guilty appearance caught Xia Jiu's attention, and in the instant he hastily covered his face with his sleeve, his appearance had already been seen by Xia Jiu. After a brief comparison with the portraits drawn by Zhang Thirteen, Xia Jiu remembered his identity: "Shengchuntang Pharmacy" owner Geng Xin Geng!

  "There's something strange!"

  Xia Xun's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately smiled and walked up to him: "Geng Yuanwai, long time no see."

  As soon as Xia Xun came forward, Che Baishi hastily reined in the mule. The official had no choice but to pretend he had just seen Xia Xun and exclaimed with a mixture of surprise and delight: "Young Master Yang! Oh dear, what a coincidence! Haha, it's been some time since we last met, Young Master Yang! Where are you headed?" As he spoke, he jumped down from the carriage and welcomed him with a smile.

  Xia Xun's doubts in his heart suddenly increased: "It can't be that lucky, right? I just wanted to investigate the mastermind behind the assassin, and suddenly found the culprit? However... this person's behavior is so abnormal, it's as if he has 'I have a guilty conscience' written on his face. He is my second suspect, since we met here, might as well probe his true intentions."

  Xia Fu couldn't help but laugh and said, "No wonder they say it's a coincidence. Brother was just thinking of visiting Gong Yuanwai at his residence, and here he is, dusty from traveling - where did you come back from?"

  This sentence is not a problem at all, but Geng Yuanwai's face suddenly turned bright red as if he was furious, and Xia Zhen was taken aback. However, seeing Geng Yuanwai hesitate for a moment, his anger slowly subsided, and he replied solemnly: "Oh, I...I went to Jinan Prefecture to purchase some medicinal materials, and I've been busy for over ten days. I just returned to the city, and it's really a coincidence that we met here..."

  "Leaving for Jinan Prefecture in over ten days?"

  A strange glint flashed in Xia's eyes, and he smiled as he said: "That's odd. A few days ago, I wasn't at the mansion, but when I got back, I saw Gongge's visiting card, so I thought I'd go to his place to pay my respects... The date on the invitation was... let me think... Ah yes, it was nine days ago. No mistake about it, nine days ago Gongge invited me over for a drink, but how did he end up going to Jinan more than ten days ago?"

  "Really?"

  Geng Yunwai's face had just returned to normal, but with this, it suddenly turned bright red again, luckily his face was red and not purple, or else Xia Jian would have suspected that Geng Yunwai had practiced the Huashan School's ultimate skill: Purple Mist Divine Art.

  Xia Xun felt even more puzzled: what was wrong with this Geng employee? If he had been caught lying, he should be flustered and at a loss for words. Otherwise, he should have pretended to be calm and composed. But why did he change his expression twice, both times looking embarrassed and ashamed? Xia Xun couldn't help but ask again: "Geng brother, what's wrong?"

  "Oh..."

  Geng Yun lowered his head, took a deep breath, and slowly raised it again. The extremely embarrassed and angry look in his eyes had already disappeared, and he forced out a laugh: "Right, right, right, it was nine days ago. Look at my memory, I had planned to go to Jinan to purchase medicinal materials more than ten days ago. Originally, I didn't think I would have to leave so urgently, so I left a note for you, Young Master, inviting you over for a drink. Who knew that as soon as the invitation was sent out, I received news that there was a large pharmaceutical merchant in Jinan who had a batch of medicinal materials that he urgently wanted to sell off cheaply? For my own benefit, I hastily left... Ha ha, ha ha..."

  He was smiling, but the smile revealed a sense of helpless anger. He tried to suppress it, but his body kept trembling. Looking at his somewhat nervous smile and movements, Xia Jiu's confusion deepened. He suddenly smiled slightly, grasped Geng Yun's arm, and said with pleasure: "So that's how it is! Since that's the case, I have nothing to do today, so why don't I go to your mansion to disturb you for a bit?"

  "This... this..."

  "What's wrong, aren't outsiders welcome here?"

  "How could it be," Geng Yun's face twitched slightly as he forced a smile and said: "Young master, please..."

  "Let's go." Xia Hui turned his head and glanced at Peng Ziqi with a smile.

  Peng Ziqi didn't say a word, she just turned her head away. Xia Yu discovered that her attitude had changed again in an instant, becoming as bad as when they first met. Her eyes clearly held a hint of undisguised disgust and contempt. It was strange, what was wrong with this girl? Hadn't even reached menopause yet, but already so moody?

  The Sun Mansion is located on South Main Street, Liu Er Hutong. The mansion is quite large, with a pharmacy in front and the residence of the Ben family behind it.

  They arrived at the Sun Mansion, and Gong Yunwai instructed the servants to unload the carriage and move the various medicinal materials into the store. The shopkeeper and apprentices also came out to help after hearing the news. Gong Yunwai accompanied Xia Liu inside, and as they entered the main hall, two old men sat on chairs along the walls on either side. An elderly man with a head of white hair stood up from his seat on the left, smiled, and bowed deeply: "Sir has returned."

  He took another look at Xia Jie, a hint of weirdness flashing in his eyes, and also gave a courtesy: "Ah ha, Mr. Yang has also arrived."

  The old man on the right looked somewhat eccentric, sitting with his hair disheveled near the eaves of the house, with sunlight shining down on him. When he saw the owner of the shop enter, he still sat there nonchalantly, holding a small teapot in his hand and slowly sipping tea, glancing at Xia Chuo with a cold hostility in his eyes.

  Geng Yun hastily stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the old man, saying: "Father, I'm back."

  It turned out that this person was the father of Geng Yuanwai. Xia Zhen gazed at him and saw that the old man had a seven-part resemblance to Geng Yuanwai, only much older and thinner. He didn't wear his hair in a bun, and his loose hair covered his cheeks, which was considered disheveled and impolite according to the customs of the time. Yet, the master of Sun's Medicine Shop appeared like this, which was somewhat strange. However, judging from the reactions of others in the shop, they seemed to be used to it.

  The old man glanced at the employee with a cold eye and said, "You are now an official outside, not a miscellaneous worker in Shengchun Hall. Shengchun Hall has been selling medicinal materials for so many years, as long as it is an old customer transaction, send a good cashier to check, can't even sell fake medicine? Do you need to personally run errands for this kind of thing, and go for more than ten days?"

  Geng Yun's face twitched slightly at the mention of "over ten days", and he glanced at Xia Liu, seeing that she didn't seem to notice, so he forced a smile and said: "Yes, yes, actually it hasn't been many days, children are still young, they should be diligent in their work."

  The old man slapped his hands heavily on the armrest and scolded, "Diligent? The head of the family goes to do small chores, this is called diligent? When you have nothing to do, accompany your wife more often. You've been married for so many years, but I haven't seen you have any children. Every day, all you know how to do is hang out with a group of rascals! Those who associate with each other for profit will drift apart when the profit ends; those who associate with each other for power will become enemies when the power falls; those who associate with each other for beauty will lose love when the flowers fall; only those who associate with each other for virtue will remain friends even in old age. Be careful when making friends, don't bring some unscrupulous 'dog-meat' friends into your home..."

  "Huh? This old man speaks in a set of phrases, looks like he has some knowledge after all."

  His furious pounding on the chair grew louder, his hair slightly disheveled to the side, faintly revealing a tattoo-like mark on his cheek that was unclear. Xia Jiu's heart skipped a beat, Geng father... Could he be an ex-convict? If so, his strange appearance with scattered hair would have a reasonable explanation. Next to her, Peng Ziqi heard the old man scolding and couldn't help but cough twice, her coughs carrying a hint of schadenfreude. Xia Jiu gave her a sideways glance, and Peng Ziqi immediately raised her chin.

  Geng's face turned red and white as he hastily replied, "Yes, yes, Father is right, I'll take your advice. I'll go with Young Master Yang to the back for a bit, then come back to talk to you." He quickly pulled Xia Liu and left, while Geng's father heavily grumbled behind them, muttering in a low voice, "Good-for-nothing! Good-for-nothing! Bringing shame to our ancestral family!"

  Peng Ziqi stood by, silent for a moment, and also let out a soft sigh.

  The small study is located inside the flower hall, which is a separate suite outside. Generally, the inner courtyard of a large family's guest house has this kind of building layout, where people can rest temporarily during banquets, and the owner can write letters, handle accounts, or compose poetry with guests. Therefore, there is a desk and four treasures in the study, and next to it is a bed without a screen.

  After the two sat down in the study, a servant immediately brought in tea. This servant looked to be over 40 years old, with a wispy beard and a thin, gaunt face. However, when he walked, he limped noticeably, as if one of his legs was crippled.

  "Is this really Kai Shantang? Can such a person be retained in the government office and still serve in the inner palace serving tea and water?"

  Xia Liu looked at the servant with curiosity, only to hear Geng Yuanwai say: "Dai Yin, go and instruct the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous feast, Master wants to have a drink with Young Master Yang."

  "Yes, sir!" The house servant called Dahu looked deeply at Xia Xun and then dragged his lame leg out step by step.

  "There's something strange!"

  Xia Xun had lost count of how many times he thought something was off, ever since he met Geng Yuanwai on the road. From Geng Yuanwai to Zuo Tangyi, Geng Gong, and even the family servant Dahu, every single member of this family seemed to have an air of eeriness about them. What exactly was going on?

  Xia Yu was lost in thought, but couldn't guess the key point. He used a tea lid to gently stir the tea foam for a while, then suddenly raised his head and said to Geng Yuanwai, "Brother Geng has been away from Qingzhou these days, I suppose you don't know about the assassination attempt on me at home?"

  Geng Yun was taken aback for a moment, then exclaimed in shock: "What? You were stabbed by someone? Who is so bold and daring as to enter the residence of a high-ranking official and stab the master?"

  Xia Yu finished speaking and stared at him intently, seeing his expression, she was taken aback.

  Since he saw the Sun Mansion (as mentioned earlier, Geng Xin joined the Sun family and changed his surname to Sun, so the shop sign and mansion of the Sun family still had the surname Sun, and Geng's formal title should also be Sun Gengxin), everyone seemed strange, Xia Zhen's suspicion in his heart grew deeper, and he instinctively felt that Geng Xin was highly suspicious, so he went straight to the point to probe.

  The incident of him being stabbed two days ago was a play he directed and performed himself. If Geng Yuwai was indeed the mastermind behind the scenes, he would not have taken credit for Zhang Shisan's murder. He should only feel puzzled about this case. So his expression should only be surprised but not panicked, and this surprise is already expected in his heart. Even if he had a deep city, he could pretend to be surprised on his face, but his eyes would not shrink slightly due to the surprise. This subtle change from psychology to physiology may not be enough to determine whether Geng Yuwai is the real culprit behind the scenes, but it can provide considerable help for Xia Jiu's judgment.

  But Xia Yu was disappointed, and Geng Yun's expression was indeed the reaction that a person who had just heard of this matter should have. Could it be that the assassination had nothing to do with him? No, not necessarily. Suppose he was indeed the real culprit behind the scenes, before acting to avoid suspicion, openly went to Jinan, rested for a night on the way, planned the Yunhe Town murder case, and then continued on his way. In Jinan, he made a big show of himself for many days, and now he has just rushed back to Qingzhou. During this period, this person was very cautious, avoiding suspicion, and never inquired about the situation in Qingzhou after Yang Wenxuan was assassinated. So he was indeed "completely unaware", and his suspicion could not be eliminated.

  Xia Yu's mind was racing as he spoke, "Yes, I don't know what offense my younger brother has committed, but somehow an assassin managed to sneak into the mansion in broad daylight. Fortunately, my loyal guard Zhang Shi San saved me from harm, and the assassin killed him instead. Seeing that the people in the mansion had been alerted, the assassin fled in a hurry."

  "Gongsun Zan was shocked and asked, 'Is this really true? In broad daylight, under the clear sky, someone dared to enter the mansion and attempt an assassination. This assassin... has a huge amount of audacity! Brother, are you injured? Was there any loss of property in the mansion?"

  Xia Liu looked at him and couldn't see any flaws, so he shook his head and said: "I didn't get hurt, the guards and servants in the mansion were very alert, the assassin escaped in a hurry and didn't cause any property damage. Let's not talk about this depressing thing. Tomorrow is the birthday of King Qi, and we, the scholars of Qingzhou, will all go to pay our respects. I don't know if Brother Geng has made preparations?"

  Geng Yun Wai Dao: "It's exactly for the King of Qi's birthday that my foolish brother rushed back, and I've already prepared a gift to congratulate the King. Has my virtuous younger brother made preparations yet?"

  Xia Fu Dao: "Younger brother..."

  "Is the old man back?"

  Just as Xia Yu was about to speak, a clear and melodious woman's voice came from outside, followed by the sound of the door opening. A fragrant scent wafted in, accompanied by the rustling of silk and the tinkling of jade pendants. A beautiful and alluring woman walked in, wearing a pale yellow robe and a light red skirt. She held a feather fan in her hand and had a slender figure, as if she were a beauty from a painting.

  "Ah, madam." Geng Yun immediately stood up, a strange expression floating on his face.

  Xia Xian listened to their conversation and realized that the woman was indeed Sun Xuelian, the wife of Geng Yun's friend, so he quickly stood up and paid his respects: "Wenxuan has seen you, sister-in-law."

  "Ah, Master Yang is also here, Master is being too polite." The beautiful woman smiled and used her fan to support herself, her Luo shirt slipped down, revealing a jade bangle on her wrist that matched the snowy whiteness of her slender arm, stunningly beautiful.

  Xia Jiang borrowed the strength of that fan's virtual support to stand up straight, and saw that Mrs. Sun was looking into her own eyes, with a wave of ripples in her eyes, wanting to speak but still shy, and in her heart "thud" once: "Something is strange..."

  Do you feel something is off?

  This family is really strange, isn't it?

  This chapter has a lot of information, right?

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