What would a gambler who was short of money do?
Why did Manager Huang suddenly set up a stage for Fuzi a few days ago to help him sing after he kicked him out last year?
“This person named Huang must have discovered and known something,” Liu Yuan said. “For people like him, if they can’t get any benefit from Fuzi, how can they inexplicably set up a stage for him?”
Bai Zhu furrowed his brows, “So what did he actually discover? What does he intend to do by deliberately helping him?”
“He was a desperate gambler in need of money. Such people might resort to blackmail for money,” Liu Yuan thought for a moment and said, “There have been many cases like this in the past.”
Speaking of this, Liu Yuan couldn’t help but say, “In the cases I’ve handled, most of those who attempted to blackmail for money through secret means were silenced by the other party!”
Bai Zhu glanced at Liu Yuan.
Liu Yuan spread his hand, pointed at Manger Huang who was covered to death, and said, “Am I wrong?”
Bai Zhu: “…”
It was… quite right.
No one believed a blackmailer who claimed to stop after receiving money. The best person to keep secrets was always a dead person. The first reaction of the blackmailed person when facing the threat of such people was naturally to silence them.
“So the question still turns to Fuzi, what secret is hidden behind him being an orphan, and who is Manager Huang running to threaten?” Bai Zhu said.
Lin Fei nodded, looked around, and went downstairs.
After Bai Zhu and Liu Yuan watched the corpse of Manager Huang for a while and made sure that there were no more clues about the murderer, the two of them followed downstairs and walked to the door of the Changshou Theater Troupe. They only saw Zhao You but not Lin Fei.
“Where is Lin Shaoqing?” Bai Zhu asked Zhao You.
Zhao You pointed in the direction of Zhuquefang and said, “Jìngyún Hóu Fūrén sent someone to see him. She said it was urgent, so Lin Shaoqing asked for leave and left.” After that, he waved the leave note in his hand.
Bai Zhu: “…”
Liu Yuan: “…”
Lin Shaoqing quite abided by the rules!
But now that Lin Shaoqing was gone, there was only one thing they had to do today.
“Go to the inn outside the city and ask if Fuzi can read, and see if there are any clues at the inn.” Bai Zhu looked at the sun that was almost climbing over his head and held the file above his head to cover the sun. He said, “It’s almost noon, let’s eat outside at the snack shop!”
Did he dare to brave the sun and go to Dali Temple just to eat Master Sun’s terrible lunch? If it was Master Wen who came to do it, he would be happy to make this trip.
Master Sun, who was crossing his legs behind the counter, suddenly sneezed for no reason.
When the few servants who were frowning at the dishes on the table saw this, their expressions immediately changed, and they all looked at the sneezing Master Sun angrily: “Sun Dingren, how can you ask people to eat like this?”
Master Sun heard this, looked embarrassed, but still said bravely: “It’s just a sneeze, what does it matter? I’m not sick!”
This sentence made several guards immediately change their expressions. Some people rolled up their sleeves and pointed directly at Master Sun’s nose and said: “Say it again and try it!”
Looking at the other party’s big and thick look, Master Sun shrank, a little scared after all. But at this time, faced with such a situation, it was really hard to get off the stage.
While the two sides were in a stalemate, Ji Caimai came over and when he saw this situation, he immediately went out and smoothed things over.
“Okay! Just stop saying a few words! Next time when Master Wen makes breakfast, come and get an extra portion!” Ji Caimai said to the rich and powerful guard.
The guard’s expression softened a little, and he looked at Ji Cai and said, “That’s just to buy Master Tong Wen’s face for Ji Cai!” After saying that, he cut out Master Sun’s eyes fiercely and left.
After the officer left, Ji Caimai looked at Master Sun, who looked frightened, and said calmly: “Be careful next time!”
Master Sun couldn’t help but be startled after hearing this sentence: He thought Ji Caimai was going to reprimand him. Who knew he could be so kind and cheerful?
After Ji Caimai told him to “be careful”, he lowered his head and looked at the dishes that Master Sun put on the table. His eyes scanned the dishes one by one. After a moment of pause, Ji Caimai turned around and left the public kitchen with his hands behind his back. He went back to his room, took out a book, made a few notes on it, and placed the book under the inkstone.
The weather was getting hotter.
Wen Mingtang poured out the prepared lime water, wrapped the Nicandra1 seeds in gauze, placed them in cooled boiling water, and began to rub them.
Ah Bing and Tangyuan looked at her movements curiously and began to look forward to the snack called “Bing Fen” 2that they would be able to eat soon.
When the kneading was almost done, she slowly poured the prepared lime water along the edge. After stirring evenly, Wen Mingtang put the bowl with Nicandra seeds powder aside, half-lying down on the rattan recliner, waving a fan in her hand while chatting with Ah Bing and Tangyuan.
“The wealth in the palace belongs to your Majesty and the Empress, not us.” Wen Mingtang said, “Everyone works the same way. Not only are there many rules, but there are also a lot of intrigues.”
When she became the eight-year-old girl, the child staggered down while holding the clothes she had washed for the nobleman, and fell into the laundry pool, and then… then she came. The moment she opened her eyes, she felt as if her whole body was filled with lead. As she sank, her survival instinct allowed her to swim to the shore and save her life.
Ji Caimai and the others were careful not to mention the Wen family’s affairs, so as not to irritate her. However, the two young children, A Bing and Tangyuan, seemed to have some vague understanding but didn’t know much about it.
“I entered the palace with a zú jiě,3” Wen Mingtang closed her eyes, recalling the memories of the original owner’s childhood. “She was a year older than me and loved being playful at home. She secretly dyed her lips with vivid lipstick and was scolded by my shěnniáng4. On regular days, she could cry for half a day if she tripped over a stone or hurt her foot while walking on the road. She was incredibly beautiful, even though we were still young back then, I could already imagine how she would grow up in the future.”
She was like a peony flower nurtured in the gentle and prosperous village. However, before she could fully bloom, she was thrust into the harsh world of the palace. But perhaps, given the Wen family’s circumstances, if she had grown up and entered the entertainment quarters, she would have faced even more trials and tribulations.
But peonies are just peonies, how can they withstand the hardships of Yeting? After Wen Mingtang came back from swimming in the water, she developed a high fever and was bullied overtly and covertly by the maids of Yeting. It was only when she finally stood firm because she saved Zhao Sishan’s life that she remembered the peony-like figure of her zú jiě.
When she started asking around, the name sign of the zú jiě had already been withdrawn.
In the palace, there was only one situation where the name sign would be removed, and that was if the people were gone.
It was not that Wen Mingtang never thought of asking about the specific situation, she even begged Zhao Sishan. Zhao Sishan only tried it briefly and was scolded. From this, the two of them understood: that they should not inquire about the zú jiě’s affairs.
Thinking that the peony-like girl might have withered in the unknown darkness, Wen Mingtang was not without regret.
But…she herself was behind bars, and there was really very little she could do.
It was important to survive first!
After hearing what happened to Sister Wen Mingtang, Ah Bing and Tangyuan turned pale: they ran in and out of Dali Temple every day, and the biggest villains they encountered were Master Sun and Master Wang. Unexpectedly, such a thing still existed, which was really scary.
Wen Mingtang looked at their pale faces, smiled, and rubbed their heads to comfort them, then stood up and said, “It’s time to eat Bing Fen!”
Translating one chapter one day at a time 
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