CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 100: I HAVE ENOUGH MERITS TO TRADE FOR THEIR LIVES

"Did Your Majesty agree?" Tang Xiaobai asked.

"A post-mortem is a reasonable request, why wouldn’t His Majesty agree?" Tang Ziqian replied.

The Emperor ordered the Imperial Censorate and the Capital Prefecture to take over the case and then let him return.

After all, he was a meritorious general; not to mention there was no evidence of guilt yet, even if there was, it was not enough to detain Tang Ziqian over a beggar.

But Tang Xiaobai felt it shouldn’t be so simple, so she frowned in deep thought.

"Though His Majesty has issued the decree, it will take some days to reach us, I’m afraid delay may bring changes," Zhou Xun said.

"How many days will it take?" Tang Jiaojiao anxiously asked, "Does my brother have to bear the infamous name of a murderer all this while?"

Zhou Xun hesitated slightly and said, "Actually, we can’t be sure if Jia San’s cause of death is different, and the autopsy might solidify the Eldest Young Master’s crime."

"It would be better if it did," Tang Ziqian said slowly and smilingly, "If Jia San wasn’t killed by me, it would be a pity instead; better it be me, so that even if I am demoted a few ranks, let the entire Capital City see that whoever offends Tang Ziqian, I have enough merits to exchange for their lives."

The words left everyone in the room stunned.

Then Zhou Xun clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "The Eldest Young Master is truly spirited!"

...

After the discussion ended in the main hall, Tang Jiaojiao followed Tang Ziqian step by step, holding his sleeve corner, completely devoid of her usual dominance as a young lady, and complained coyly, "Big Brother earned his merits with his life, why lose them so lightly?"

"Why risk your life for them?" Tang Ziqian said with a helpless smile, "Besides, how old is your brother? There are still decades ahead of me, who knows how many more merits await me? Once gained, they must be used, or else should they not overshadow the ruler?"

Tang Xiaobai sighed deeply when she heard that.

Tang Ziqian glanced at her.

Tang Xiaobai said worriedly, "If I wish to grow up and marry someone like my brother, would I end up staying single?"

Tang Ziqian was about to laugh when he suddenly felt an unusual gaze upon him.

Turning his head, he found the Crown Prince looking at him.

Perhaps because he was standing in the shadow of the wall, his eyes seemed deep, cold, and critically sharp.

Critical?

Tang Ziqian raised his brows slightly and, taking his sister’s soft little hand, smiled gently, "Whoever one is, they must be worthy of our Xiaobai; otherwise, wouldn’t it be fine if I supported you for life?" Saying this, he glanced provocatively at Li Mu.

Having been with his little sister for less than a year and already daring to criticize him?

Li Mu lowered his eyes and followed behind Miss Tang. When the three siblings parted ways, he spoke softly, "The Eldest Young Master occupies four or five positions in the Eight Deliberations. The current situation will naturally be balanced. Even if convicted, it would only be minor punishment serving as a warning."

The Eight Deliberations are a noble’s special pardon. Tang Ziqian, being of noble birth with military accomplishments, did not need to be tragically defiant; it was merely to make the young lady’s heart ache.

Tang Xiaobai stopped in her tracks, pondered for a while, and said, "These are obvious things; how could the person who set this up not foresee them? And if they set such a trap, how could it end so abruptly?"

Li Mu was silent for a moment, then said, "Unless someone refuses to be controlled and doesn’t want to weigh the scales, the Eldest Young Master would always come out whole from diverse evaluations."

Who would refuse control and refuse to weigh things?

Tang Xiaobai and he stared at each other for a long time until she saw a gleam in his eyes, and she too found the answer within herself—

...

The twelfth year of Taixing, the twentieth day of the first month.

The ancient statue at Le You Temple cried tears of blood.

The next day, over a hundred students from the Imperial College presented a petition at the Palace gates, demanding severe punishment for the murderer Tang Ziqian to uphold justice and comfort the wronged souls.

...

As night fell and the crowd dispersed, the Capital City became quiet again.

Yao He, biting half a piece of barbari bread, arrived at the mortuary door to see Xue Shaoqin sitting on the steps the same way he had two nights ago, staring at the ground in a daze.

"What are you thinking?" Yao He asked casually, though he had a hint of an idea in his heart.

Xue Shaoqin looked up at him and asked, "Did you know about the Imperial College students?"

Yao He nodded and sneered, "They studied so much they turned stupid, offering themselves as tools for others."

Xue Shaoqin shook his head, "They don’t know the truth; it’s not their fault..."

"If they don’t understand, can’t they keep quiet?"

Xue Shaoqin was silent for a while and suddenly murmured, "There are nine positions in the heavens, nine domains on the earth, and three stars in the sky..."

"What nonsense are you muttering?" Yao He frowned.

Xue Shaoqin looked at him seriously and said, "The Ling Xian says, ’Emotions and innate nature vary greatly—’"

"Speak human!" Yao He dug his ear.

Xue Shaoqin paused and said, "Everything has its law; only sages can control the universe; I first lost my way, which led the students’ senses to be blind and chaos to arise."

Yao He was silent for a long time before bursting into laughter, "Why are you so good at finding trouble for yourself?"

Xue Shaoqin said, "I know I have no particular talent, but if I can’t even uphold order and law, wouldn’t that make me both foolish and wicked?"

Yao He looked at him for a while, shook his head, and laughed, "I don’t care, but isn’t your Xue Family influential? Disturb one hair and the whole body moves. How about... I guard the place for you tonight, and you go back to discuss with Xue Tenth Son?"

Xue Shaoqin had already made up his mind, thanked him, and hurriedly left.

Yao He sat in the spot Xue Shaoqin had just vacated, listening to the faint sounds around him as he slowly finished the half piece of barbari bread.

After he finished eating, he stood up, brushed the crumbs off his clothes, and swaggered into the mortuary.

About a quarter of an hour later, a blaze suddenly erupted from the mortuary entrance—

...

At this time, in the main room of the Xue Family’s eldest branch, Xue Shaojian’s room.

Xue Shaoqin had just sat down and barely said a few words when suddenly his eyelids twitched violently. He instinctively paused.

"What is it?" Xue Shaojian asked.

Xue Shaoqin was about to shake his head when they heard hurried footsteps outside, followed by a servant’s voice, "Sixth Son, Tenth Son, the Wannian County Office is on fire!"

"Bang!" Xue Shaoqin dashed to the door and urgently asked, "What about the people? Where’s Ah He?"

...

Taixing, the twelfth year, the night of the twenty-first of the first month.

A fire broke out in the mortuary behind the Wannian County Office, consuming thirteen bodies.

The next morning, Wannian County Captain Xue Shaoqin submitted a report stating that in the case of Tang Ziqian’s murder accusation, the deceased Jia San’s body had been found poisoned—

"But with the bodies burned, is it any use for Xue Shaoqin to report now?" Tang Xiaobai asked worriedly.

"Of course, it’s useful—" Tang Ziqian was sitting under a tree in the courtyard, leisurely wiping the knife he always carried. His actions were calm, his eyes gentle, like caressing a precious flute, "Moreover, we have another line to investigate, did you forget the person Ah Yuan found?"

Tang Xiaobai was momentarily stunned, "Wasn’t the person Ah Yuan found taken away by a masked man?"

Tang Ziqian’s actions paused.

He had forgotten; Xiaobai didn’t know the identity of the masked man yet...

"Can we find out that person’s identity this way?" The little girl’s round eyes were full of admiration.

"Um... yes..." Tang Ziqian coughed lightly and changed the topic, "Where’s Jiaojiao?"

Tang Xiaobai shook her head, "I just visited my sister’s room; she wasn’t there. I thought she came to find you."

Tang Ziqian’s expression tightened, "Go check where the young lady is!"