Sūdān Shēng!

Seeing Fù Fùmǎ exclaim without thinking, Wei Fu looked solemn: I didn’t expect that the Sūdān Shēng who died a few years ago was related to Cháoān Gōngzhǔ!

Seeing Wei Fu and Lin Fei’s faces change, as if afraid that they would not believe it, Fù Fùmǎ also told a lot of old things: “The one I saw was him. He was with those young men, too…” At this point, Fù Fùmǎ looked embarrassed, coughed lightly, paused, and still said, “He was also different from me. He didn’t respect Chao’an much. The arrogant look and squinting eyes made Chao’an like him very much!”

At this point, Fù Fùmǎ coughed again and said, “He…he also scolded me, saying that if it were me, I would have divorced her long ago and would not have stayed in this mansion to suffer this humiliation.”

Since he had said it, Fù Fùmǎ simply continued, “I was naturally dissatisfied in my heart. My family was defeated, and if we really divorced, I was afraid that even eating would be a problem. How could I live? Besides, he was Chao’an’s lover, and his arrogant look was really unpleasant. At that time, I thought that with Chao’an’s temper, he might not be able to hold on for long. Sure enough, one night, he and Chao’an seemed to have a dispute. I heard from the people in the mansion that there was a loud noise inside. Not long after, the man left in a hurry. Chao’an was not seen the next day, but I heard from the maid beside her that Chao’an was injured on her face and hands. Her face looked very ugly during those days. For half a month, there was not even a smile on her face! That person didn’t return since that day.”

Hearing this, Wei Fu hurriedly asked: “When exactly did this happen?”

It seemed that the people from the Dali Temple were going to ask about the specific date. Fù Fùmǎ thought seriously for a while and said, “I remember that it happened a few days after my birthday, so it should be two days after the seventh day of the sixth lunar month five years ago, which should be the ninth day.”

“Two days after the seventh day of the sixth lunar month five years ago, it should be the ninth day.” As soon as these words came out, Wei Fu’s heart skipped a beat: the Goguryeo envoy came at that time, and Sūdān’s case happened on the tenth day of June of that year. He was found dead in the inn on the morning of the tenth day.

Therefore, on the night when Sudan Sheng argued with Cháoān Gōngzhǔ, he died shortly after returning to the inn!

Could this be a coincidence? Wei Fu did not believe in such a coincidence. Cháoān Gōngzhǔ was very likely related to the death of Sudan Sheng.

After Fù Fùmǎ left, Wei Fu asked Lin Fei, “Shaoqing Lin, do you want to bring Cháoān Gōngzhǔ back for questioning?”

According to Fùmǎ’s confession, Cháoān Gōngzhǔ was already the biggest suspect in Sūdān Shēng’s death, and the Dali Temple could certainly bring her back and detain her.

Lin Fei thought about it, shook his head, and said, “Wait a minute.” At this point, Lin Fei frowned slightly, “I think Sudan’s behavior is a bit strange. I want to check this Sudan first.”

As he spoke, Lin Fei lowered his head and looked at the portrait in his hand again: the person in the portrait had an arrogant look in his eyes. If that kind of arrogance was not so obvious, how could the portrait clerk of the Dali Temple at that time have drawn this look so carefully?

The arrogant look in the portrait matched the words of Fù Fùmǎ, “arrogant” and “arrogant because of his talent”. Together with Fù Fùmǎ’s words, Sūdān Shēng advised Fù Fùmǎ Ma to “don’t be humiliated after the divorce”, which seemed to be what such an arrogant person would say.

Whether it was the painting, or the description from Fù Fùmǎ’s mouth, or his behavior, all confirmed his “arrogance”. How could such an arrogant person become the lover of Cháoān Gōngzhǔ? Could it be that he really “really liked” her as Fù Fùmǎ said?

Lin Fei shook his head: If there was no totem of the Moro religion, it would not be impossible. But now, with the totem of the Moro religion, compared to “really liking” her, what Sūdān Shēng did seemed to be deliberately getting close to Cháoān Gōngzhǔ!

This Sūdān Shēng…

“Before he came to Chang’an, he was a well-known local talent. Because he was arrogant and did things in a high-profile manner, many local people knew him. If he really wanted to do something, it would be very difficult to hide it from so many people.” The clerk who recorded the case was called in to recall the situation back then. “After coming to Chang’an, he was still so arrogant. He competed with others in poetry and talent and discussed articles and political views. Some people scolded him for being arrogant, but many people thought that with such talent, it was okay to be a little arrogant, and even believed that he would be among the top three that year.”

Later… there was no more to follow; Sūdān Shēng had passed away.

“His family came to Chang’an to inquire about the matter. They were anxious and angry. At first, they almost caused a scene in the Dali Temple. They were determined to seek an explanation for the death of the Sūdān. After that…” The clerk spread his hands here, looking helpless. He glanced in the direction of the imperial city and subconsciously lowered his voice. “I heard that it was from the Late Emperor… Anyway, the case was sealed for no apparent reason.”

This file remained sealed for five years until the new Emperor ascended the throne when Lin Shaoqing took it out of the warehouse.

“His family members returned like this later?” Lin Fei asked the clerk, “Did they say anything?”

There was not much recorded in the case files about this case, not even about the situation of Sūdān Shēng himself, let alone his family.

The clerk shook his head and said helplessly: “Our Dali Temple… let alone a powerful clan like his.”

No matter how sad the Sūdān’s clan was, they knew they could not disobey the Emperor’s orders, so they had to go back.

“Because the rest of Sūdān’s generation had already left their studies and turned to business, with Sūdān’s death, it would likely take at least ten or eight years for this local powerful clan to start cultivating its younger generation again,” the clerk said. He paused suddenly and then continued, “I’ve heard that although he was a bit arrogant, he truly had great talent. At that time, many people actually appreciated him.”

As for who it was… the clerk shook his head and said, “I don’t know. I think it was probably the examiner or invigilator of that year!”

However, the imperial examinations were held every few years. Although it was a pity that a talented person died, there were always new people.

These officials would not do anything for a student who had no relatives or friends. At most, they would just express regret and emotion!

“Oh, by the way, I met Sūdān Shēng’s parents two years ago,” the clerk said here, his face flushed, and his tone unconsciously carried a few traces of regret. “Because of recording the case, I actually dealt with Sūdān Shēng’s parents and Sūdān Shēng’s sister. His sister was very cute and smart. To be honest, she was really likable.”

But that was all. The girl came to Beijing because of her brother’s death, but he couldn’t do anything. The case was hastily concluded, and their family left Beijing suddenly, so this unrequited love had to be interrupted.
And that was two years ago.

“Because of her, I have some impression of Sūdān Shēng’s parents. When I met them on Chang’an Street two years ago, I was a little happy, thinking that we could continue our past relationship, but I never expected…” The clerk said sadly, “I heard that her sister was arranged to marry a merchant by the clan not long after her brother died. By chance, the merchant came to Chang’an to do business, and she got pregnant, but she had a difficult delivery. Sūdān Shēng’s parents came to Beijing for their daughter’s affairs.”

“In just a few years, Sūdān Shēng’s father and mother lost a pair of children. Their hair turned white. I was very sad to see them. Now when I think of that Miss Su, I still feel a little sad!”

Seeing the melancholy look of the clerk in front of him, Wei Fu exchanged glances with Lin Fei but did not interrupt his melancholy and walked aside.

This past event was indeed a bit “regrettable”, but by some strange coincidence, the clerk who recorded so many cases remembered Sūdān Shēng’s father and mother, and let them know the situation of his family.

“The current situation of Sūdān Shēng’s father and mother is very bad,” Lin Fei said, “It all started with the death of Sūdān Shēng.”

If Sūdān Shēng had not died, his family would have been in a very different situation.

(End of this chapter)

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