CHAPTER 622: CHAPTER 405: MISSING_2

The two sat down at the table, and Sun Zhen inquired, "I heard that Lady Xieliang is acquainted with Liu Sheren, a newly transferred official in the Eastern Palace?"

Ran Yan paused for a moment and said, "Indeed, in Suzhou, Liu Sheren took good care of my Ran family and was on good terms with my father."

Sun Zhen nodded, "I just learned today that Liu Sheren has been missing for several days."

"Missing?" Ran Yan was full of surprise, thinking about the recent events at the Eastern Palace, and she began to worry. Initially, she and Liu Pinrang were merely using each other, but truth be told, no matter how cunning Liu Pinrang was, he had treated her well. If her many secrets fell into the hands of others, she wouldn’t have it as easy as she does now.

Liu Pinrang was worldly and slick, having likely done his fair share of dark deeds, but he came from humble beginnings. In his dealings with common folk, he was indeed remarkably diligent, which earned him the populace’s support during his tenure in Suzhou. Ran Yan had no ill feelings towards him.

She couldn’t help but ask further, "Doesn’t the Eastern Palace conduct roll calls every day? How could no one notice his disappearance?"

"You may not be aware, but the Crown Prince has been frolicking and feasting, and it has been over a month since he last saw the courtiers. Because of this, the Eastern Palace has been rather lax; roll calls are sporadic. It wasn’t until the Crown Prince’s retainer died that during today’s thorough inspection, it was noted that the belongings in his residence hadn’t been touched for at least two or three days."

Li Chengqian lived such a dissolute life, perhaps disheartened by knowing that Li Shimin had once summoned his close courtiers at night to discuss his possible deposition!

Liu Pinrang arrived with mixed feelings.

"Since Liu Sheren took up his post in Chang’an, I’ve only met him twice, as he belongs to the Eastern Palace and it’s not appropriate to be too close." Ran Yan spoke frankly.

"Does Lady Xieliang know of any people close to him? Even servants or the like?" Sun Zhen had already asked Liu Pinrang’s colleagues, who mentioned that he had servants but were unaware of how many.

"He only had two servants with him. Have they disappeared as well?" Ran Yan asked.

Liu Pinrang was prepared for the worst when he was reassigned to Chang’an, which is why he left his family behind in Suzhou, planning to bring them to the capital once the situation stabilized. Moreover, with real estate in Chang’an being exorbitantly expensive and Liu not being a corrupt official exploiting his people, the modest sum he earned in Suzhou—with a family to support—was hardly enough to buy a house in the eastern part of the city, thus he stayed in temporary lodging with just two servants.

"Indeed, there’s no trace of them," Sun Zhen sighed.

Ran Yan quietly analyzed the situation: If the assassin was indeed the Crown Prince, Liu Pinrang, known for his smooth dealings and unlike the forthright minister Zhang Xuanzhu, would certainly have known how to ingratiate himself with the Crown Prince and likely would not have suffered a brutal end.

"Does Junior Minister Sun still remember the woman’s clothes floating in the river in Qujiang last summer?" Ran Yan said.

Sun Zhen nodded, "That was one of the Eastern Palace’s eunuchs, named An Xin."

Ran Yan immediately said, "Has Junior Minister Sun considered that this murder also occurred in Qujiang? According to my master, there were about a dozen masked men. Considering the close proximity of the taverns and wine shops, how did they manage to go unnoticed, coming and leaving without a trace?"

Sun Zhen immediately understood her implication, "Are you suggesting that the assassin had a refuge here?"

"That possibility should still exist, right?" Ran Yan countered.

Sun Zhen’s expression grew solemn, and he deeply bowed to Ran Yan, then suddenly stood and called out, "Guards!"

"Present!" A soldier saluted, ready for orders.

Sun Zhen walked over, handed him something, and whispered a few words; the man acknowledged and hurried off.

After the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Xiao Song finished inspecting the surroundings and saw Ran Yan and Sun Zhen under a tree, then walked over.

"Assistant Minister Xiao, have you found anything?" Sun Zhen asked.

"These men seemed to be assassins, retreating in a very disciplined manner; there was also no obvious evidence left at the scene. However, I led people in the direction they escaped towards, and found traces that disappeared near a cluster of buildings to the south, prompting me to suspect that there was an assassin’s hideout in that area," Xiao Song said.

Sun Zhen nodded, "Assistant Minister Xiao and Lady Xieliang think alike, both arriving at the same conclusion."

Xiao Song looked at Ran Yan, and they smiled at each other.

Ran Yan said, "About that eunuch who died in Qujiang last summer... What exactly happened?"

At the time, Ran Yan had only glimpsed the scene from a distance, enough to guess the general circumstances.

Understanding Ran Yan well, Sun Zhen did not think her inquiry overly curious and explained, "At the time, it was Doctor Liu who examined the body. He said that An Xin had been strangled before being thrown into the water, stating there was no mud or similar material in the respiratory tract, no signs of struggle in the water, and no signs of torture or many post-mortem injuries on the body."

Apparently, Liu Qingsong had also examined the body! However, performing an autopsy on a eunuch’s corpse likely faced little opposition.

"I need to excuse myself for a moment," Sun Zhen said.

"Please, go ahead," Xiao Song responded.

Watching Sun Zhen leave, Ran Yan turned to Xiao Song and said, "My lord, Liu Sheren is missing."

Xiao Song appeared quite calm, "Now even if the roof of the Eastern Palace collapses, I wouldn’t be surprised. Don’t worry though, Liu Pinrang is different from others; coming from a humble background, he climbed his way up experiencing much more than any official from a noble family and knows well how to protect himself. Otherwise, we would be hearing about his death instead of his disappearance."

Ran Yan nodded in agreement and sighed, "The sooner he is found, the better."

"I’ll send someone to escort you home first. Liu Pinrang doesn’t know many people in Chang’an. If he manages to find a way to send a message, it will most likely come to our mansion. Go back and wait, and instruct the guards at home to strengthen their vigilance," Xiao Song instructed.(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)