Chapter 14: The Death of Zhou Jiulang
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Seeing Ashu’s expression of surprise, joy, and anxiousness, Murong Huan nodded, “It’s me!”
“A Huan, does it hurt?” Ashu’s eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Murong Huan with both deep concern and helplessness.
Murong Huan tried to prop himself up on the couch with his right arm, but the pain forced him back down.
“Don’t move, don’t move. I applied medicine to you last night; it should heal soon!”
While in Peach Blossom Village, she hadn’t learned much, but she had learned from that master how to identify and distinguish medicinal herbs. Though she lacked Murong Huan’s skill in healing hearts, she was more than capable of treating simple wounds.
“Where did I go last night? What did I do?” Murong Huan asked, though in truth, he was asking the other soul inhabiting this body.
Ashu held back tears and whispered, “Actually, Ashu doesn’t know either. She left in a hurry, came back in a rush, didn’t even bring Ashu along. Ashu doesn’t know what she did, and when she returned, she was already injured.”
Murong Huan pondered for a moment, then said, “No one can know about this.”
“I know, I know. A Huan, don’t worry. Though Ashu is foolish, she knows what to say and what not to say.”
“Who said you’re foolish?” Murong Huan wiped away her tears of grievance. “Ashu is clever and adorable!”
“Really? Thank you, A Huan. Thank you for never despising me.”
Ashu’s tears turned to smiles.
“Did she call you foolish?” Murong Huan asked again. “What else did she say?”
Ashu recalled what Li Linghuan said last night, urging Murong Huan to study at the Imperial Academy.
“A Huan, do you like studying?” she suddenly asked.
Murong Huan thought for a moment and replied, “Not dislike it, I suppose. When I was very young, my father taught me to read — the Thousand Character Classic, the Book of Songs, the Book of Rites — often telling me stories of Confucius. When I was in Peach Blossom Village, my master taught me to read too, but that was about the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi, as well as mathematics, astronomy, and calendar calculations. I only learned a little.”
“Then do you want to go to the Imperial Academy like Second Lord did? I heard that once you enter and pass the exams, you can become an official, receive a salary from the court, and have money. Life will get better and better.”
Murong Huan looked at Ashu curiously. “Was it her who asked you to persuade me to study at the Imperial Academy?”
Ashu lowered her head.
“If I don’t go, will she hit you?”
“Maybe just a couple of slaps...” Ashu whispered, then looked up with a smile. “But it’s okay, A Huan is gentle. It doesn’t hurt. I can endure it. If A Huan doesn’t want to go, then don’t go!”
Murong Huan fell silent. After a moment, he said, “It’s not that I don’t want to go, but how to go—that’s the problem.”
“And it seems someone died again last night!”
“Died?” Ashu thought she meant Second Lord Su and hurried to explain, “No, no, he’s not dead yet. He just looks a bit... twisted mouth, crooked eyes, having convulsions!”
After saying this, Ashu even made a face with rolling eyes and a stuck-out tongue.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Su Sanlang, the third son of Lord Su. Last night, it’s said he got up during the night and suddenly saw a ghostly shadow passing by, so he got scared and had convulsions!”
Ashu glanced at Murong Huan with some embarrassment.
“You mean it was me—no, her—who scared Su Sanlang into convulsions?”
Ashu nodded, “Probably... yes!”
...
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Qin Shi watched over Su Sanlang all night and found that not only had his condition not improved, it seemed to have worsened. He was no longer frenzied or trembling, but like a soulless corpse, lying on the couch motionless, unresponsive no matter how much she called.
Could this be a sign he was about to die?
Qin Shi cried, wanting to find another doctor, when Su Qing returned to the residence in panic, gulping down several cups of tea to calm his nerves.
“What’s wrong? Did you manage to get an imperial physician from the palace to see Sanlang?” Qin Shi asked.
Su Qing was still gasping, images of a desolate mansion with bodies scattered about flashing in his mind. Before death, their lips seemed to curl into lecherous, excited smiles. The scene had been terrifyingly strange.
After steadying himself, Su Qing said in a hoarse, low voice, “Zhou Jiulang is dead. Early this morning, when he went out and passed by Wenrou Lane, he saw Deputy Minister Lu Ling from the Court of Justice and several officers inspecting a few corpses. Those corpses were Zhou Jiulang and two young lords from the Hou and Guo families.”
With a clatter, Qin Shi’s tea cup slipped from her hands to the floor, and she looked at Su Qing in disbelief.
“What did you say? Zhou Jiulang is dead? How... how did he die?”
Su Qing’s lips trembled; he hesitated before finally saying, “According to the coroner’s examination, it was... sudden death from excessive excitement!”
“Some say he met a lustful ghost and was drained of his essence and vitality!”
Qin Shi’s face turned pale, and she suddenly glanced toward her son lying half-dead on the couch.
...
News of Zhou Jiulang’s death spread like wildfire throughout Luoyang, casting a somber shadow over the Wang family, who had been feeling a mix of emotions.
“Dead? How did he just die?”
“I heard he spent the whole night indulging in pleasures with a courtesan at the Spring Fragrance House in Wenrou Lane. After leaving, he encountered a lustful ghost and overdid it, dying suddenly from excitement—now he’s a lustful ghost himself...”
The steward who reported the news couldn’t help smirking, not to mention Lady Liu, who heard the news.
“Zhou Jiulang is dead? Aying, did you hear that? Zhou Jiulang is dead!”
Lady Liu nearly burst out laughing.
If her daughter were married to such a man, what future would she have?
She had been worrying about how to kill that beast to protect her daughter from such a low and vile creature. Unexpectedly, he died so quickly.
Wang Xueying blinked, still in shock.
Her grandmother had just been about to take her to meet Zhou Jiulang, but early this morning they received news that he was dead.
Is it true?
Who could have killed him?
For some reason, when she heard of his death, a flash of the young woman who had come to the Wang family to treat her illness crossed her mind.
Is she alright now? Is this related to her?
...
Zhou Jiulang’s death caused an uproar across Luoyang, spawning countless rumors and many versions of the story: some said he died after spending a night of passion with a courtesan; others said he was drained of his spirit by a lustful ghost; yet another, more bizarre yet convincing version claimed that because his father Zhou Xing had killed so many people, Zhou Jiulang attracted countless vengeful spirits seeking revenge at night.
The only two who doubted these stories were Wuling Yue and Xiao Muchen, who had seen Li Linghuan last night.
Wuling Yue, harboring suspicion, came to a grand mansion hidden in Shangshan Lane, where he found a silver-haired man wearing a half-white jade mask sitting at the head, sipping tea. He bowed respectfully and asked, “Has the Grand Chamberlain heard the latest rumor in the Divine Capital?”
Xiao Muchen put down his teacup and looked up.
“There are many rumors in the Divine Capital; fresh stories happen almost every day. Which one do you mean?”
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“The death of Zhou Jiulang, son of Minister Zhou Xing. I find this matter suspicious, perhaps... related to the black-clad masked youth we saw last night. Has the Grand Chamberlain captured him?”
“None!” Xiao Muchen replied decisively, then straightened his posture and looked at Wuling Yue. “Our Imperial Guard is the eyes and ears of the Sage, overseeing all officials and secretly arresting the disloyal, unjust, and corrupt. That is our duty. The death of a minor enforcer is no concern of ours. Isn’t the Court of Justice handling this case?”
Wuling Yue had nothing to say and respectfully replied, “Understood! I shall take my leave.”
After confirming Wuling Yue had gone far, Xuan Yu approached Xiao Muchen and said, “Young lord, I suspect this Wuling Yue was sent by Prince Wei to monitor you.”
Wuling Yue was the daughter of Wu Chengsi, Prince Wei. Since the empress’s ascension, the Wu clan’s influence had gradually encroached upon the court. Wu Chengsi, nephew to the empress, was not only titled Prince Wei but also served as Left Prime Minister at the Wenchang Platform.
The Wenchang Platform was the Secretariat, renamed after the empress’s ascension. Traditionally, the Tang Dynasty practiced a multi-prime minister system, with high officials of the Secretariat, Chancellery, and Central Secretariat serving as chancellors. But now, Wu Chengsi clearly sought to dominate all three departments alone. Having assisted the empress in eliminating rivals, his rise in rank was accompanied by growing ambition; he had already convened his faction to beseech the empress with tears to appoint him crown prince.
His reasoning was: “The gods do not favor the unworthy; clans do not honor non-family members. Since the Wu clan is imperial, the throne should not pass to the Li descendants.”
His audacity was almost laughable.
Xiao Muchen smiled coldly at the thought.
“No matter. Let her watch if she will. I suspect this is not just Prince Wei’s wish.”
Xuan Yu’s eyes narrowed. “Could it be the Sage’s will?”
Xiao Muchen gave no answer and instead changed the topic. “Anything unusual at the Su family last night?”
“According to a spy who overheard a doctor from Xiushan Lane, the Su family’s main branch has a young lord who fell ill with hysteria after fright. While delirious, he mentioned Zhou Jiulang’s name... saying it wasn’t his doing, but Zhou Jiulang’s idea...”
Upon hearing this last part, a flicker of interest appeared in Xiao Muchen’s eyes.
“Seems the Su family is indeed hiding something.”
Though the Imperial Guard had planted spies to monitor many court ministers, the Su family’s influence was so minimal it was previously ignored. Now, it was time for a thorough investigation.
“Keep watching!”
“Understood!”
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Muchen asked, “What about that young girl? How is she after returning to the Su family?”
“You mean Su Minghe’s daughter?”
Xiao Muchen nodded.
Though the masked youth who broke into his residence last night covered himself so thoroughly that only his eyes were visible, Xiao Muchen immediately recognized her as Su Minghe’s daughter, whom he had met two days ago at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
“I don’t know! She seems to be disregarded by the Su family. After returning, like a fish entering water, she caused a ripple of disturbance but then made no further waves.”
Xiao Muchen looked up at Xuan Yu in surprise, making Xuan Yu a bit embarrassed, and said, “Good literary style, but is this the answer I wanted?”
“Yes, my lord, I will send someone to keep an eye on her immediately!”
But why watch a little girl? Is this fitting for the Grand Chamberlain of the Imperial Guard?