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墨書 Inktalez
This is already the third case of a death lawsuit occurring at the old residence of the Xie family in the southern part of the city. Discussions are rampant in the streets, casting a shadow over the entire city of Luoyang. The business at the Rouge shop has significantly declined, and Xing Ruyi, feeling bored, packed some snacks into a cloth bag and went to find Li Siniang for drinks and conversation.
The tavern, on the other hand, was busier than usual, but the conversations were all about the Xie family.
Li Siniang chose a jug of the best Peach Blossom Wine and brought some tea and snacks to place on the table. She instructed the bell to keep an eye on the shop while she sat across from Xing Ruyi. The first thing she asked was, "Do you believe in haunted houses and fox demons?"
"Haunded house?" Xing Ruyi spat out a sunflower seed, raising her eyebrows.
"Everyone in Luoyang is saying that the old Xie residence is a haunted house, which is why there have been so many death lawsuits cropping up. We ordinary folks hear about it and feel scared, but we ultimately treat it as ghost stories. However, Chang Tai and Shengzi have been running around quite a bit lately."
Xing Ruyi shrugged it off and replied casually, "Brother Chang and Shengzi are officials at the Government Office; when there's a case, they naturally have to handle it. As for this haunted house, I don't think it's credible. I've heard that the Xie residence has been standing here for over a hundred years, and only recently has it started causing a stir. Most likely, someone is stirring trouble."
"Whether it's someone causing trouble or real ghosts haunting it, I just feel that this matter isn't as simple as it seems. Chang Tai is straightforward, and Shengzi is carefree; I'm worried that if there really is something behind this house, they might get innocently caught up in it." Li Siniang furrowed her brows tightly. "Do you know who the new master is?"
"Could it be someone from the Xie family?" Xing Ruyi paused her snacking and looked up at Li Siniang, who nodded gently.
The former master had returned home to observe mourning for three years due to his mother's death, so the court appointed a new official to take his place temporarily. It was clear without needing to ask too much that this was due to the former master offending someone in court and being forcibly removed under some pretext. As for this newcomer, he was said to be quite young, just over twenty years old, and appeared to have connections.
Xing Ruyi had never paid much attention to court matters; discussions about official appointments in the capital were mostly what she overheard from gossiping Madam Sisters in her shop. Naturally, they talked more about this promising young master who was about to take office rather than about the one returning home. It was said that this new master was unmarried yet handsome, resembling Pan An—a true talented scholar.
Xing Ruyi had no interest in this handsome scholar; however, if he truly was from the Xie family, then as Li Siniang had just mentioned, the frequent deaths at the Xie residence would seem far more complicated. Whether the descendants of the Xie family lived or died did not concern her much, but since it involved Chang Tai and Shengzi, she could not just stand by idly. Li Siniang knew of her friendship with Chang Tai and Shengzi and thus deliberately reminded her.
Having figured out these matters, Xing Ruyi lost her leisurely mood for snacking. She clasped her hands on the table and looked into Li Siniang's eyes. "Can you tell me more about what's going on with the Xie residence?"
"I knew you would care." Li Siniang smiled and poured a cup of Peach Blossom Wine, placing it in front of Xing Ruyi. "I saw Chang Tai and Shengzi yesterday afternoon. They had just returned from the righteous village. Both looked rather unwell and had lost quite a bit of weight. It seems this case is quite difficult to handle. Shengzi suggested that Chang Tai go to the Rouge shop to look for you, but Chang Tai refused. I suspect it's because he is concerned about your Young Master Yin, and he also doesn't want to involve you in this matter. I know your capabilities, and so do Chang Tai and Shengzi. I think Shengzi mentioned you because he believes there is something suspicious about this case and that you could help. I shouldn't meddle, but after thinking it over all night, I feel this matter should still be brought to your attention."
"You don't need to explain, I understand your intentions. You know I have a close relationship with those two. If something were to happen to them and you knew the details but didn't tell me, I would end up resenting you." Xing Ruyi took a light sip of wine. "I've heard the customers in the shop mention the new official, but I don't know much about the Xie family's old residence. You have people coming and going here, so your information must be the most reliable. So instead of just explaining things vaguely, please tell me directly."
"Oh you!" Li Siniang glanced at Xing Ruyi helplessly. "The new official's name is Xie Xuan, courtesy name Hanyu. He is the top scholar from our Golden Tang Dynasty's last imperial examination. His great-grandfather was the first owner of this Xie family residence, who was also the grand scholar Xie Jue from the previous dynasty. As for the origins of this residence, they are no longer traceable; it seems it was originally a wealthy family's courtyard that Xie Jue bought and completely rebuilt after tearing it down. However, shortly after moving in, rumors began that the Xie family was haunted, with sounds of silk and bamboo music often heard at night, mixed with the mournful poetry recitations of young women. The Xie family initially thought it was just their servants playing tricks and investigated for a long time, but before they could uncover the truth about the haunting, one of the concubines and Xie Jue himself died under mysterious circumstances. Reports say their deaths were very strange; on the seventh day of Night of the Returning Souls, there were even more disturbances."
"What happened?" Xing Ruyi pressed for more details.
Li Siniang shook her head. "It's unclear; after all, at that time, the Xie family was considered a significant minister in court, and matters within such a prominent family couldn't possibly be fully disclosed by their servants. All we know is that the Xie family was anxious and invited the most famous Daoist and monk at that time to suppress it but to no avail. Afterward, two theories emerged: one was that after this incident, the Xie family lost heart and had no desire for court struggles, so they moved away entirely; the other theory suggests that due to the chaotic political situation at that time, the Xie family had hidden motives and feared being discovered by the emperor, thus using the haunting as an excuse to escape. As for what really happened, after a hundred years of changes in dynasties, it's likely no one knows anymore. However, one thing can be confirmed."
"What is it?"
"Before Xie Xuan, indeed no one from the Xie family held an official position."
"How can you be sure whether someone did or didn't? Besides, Si Niang, you just said that with changes in dynasties and political turmoil like that faced by families such as the Xies, they would be afraid to stick their heads out too far. This clearly shows that they are sensible; otherwise, they might end up losing their ancestral foundations due to a single misstep. I'm just curious why this old residence of the Xie family still belongs to them after all this time. Don't you find it strange? There have been many wars over these past hundred years."
"Well, it's not like it has always belonged to the Xies; it's just that since this residence became haunted, even if someone took advantage of the chaos to occupy it, they wouldn't stay long before moving out again. For example, that person who recently died under mysterious circumstances is one such case." Li Siniang lightly twirled her wine glass with her fingers. "Similar incidents have occurred before; however, as you know well enough about how things work in government offices—it's always better to avoid trouble than seek it out—so they cover up what they can and gloss over what they can't. The reason these recent cases have come to light is all because of this new official named Xie. Even after a hundred years, their land deeds and property contracts still exist; do you think anyone in government would dare neglect this?"
"That's true; when ordinary people die, it's merely a trivial matter; if there's a haunting in their home, it's often dismissed as nonsense. But when it involves officials—even if it's just a pet gone missing—the entire city goes on high alert! Especially since someone has died on their own land during their tenure; if Lord Xie doesn't investigate thoroughly now, he would only invite criticism upon himself. It's just unfortunate for Brother Chang and Shengzi; these days they probably can't even sleep soundly."
"You still have time for jokes here! If I were you, I'd hurry over to the righteous village for a look. I've heard that the previous coroner has been sent back to his hometown by his former lord." Li Siniang poked Xing Ruyi gently. "Although Chang Tai is diligent, he ultimately has a martial disposition; while Shengzi is clever enough, he's not skilled at handling such matters nor does he take them seriously. I've heard that Lord Xie will arrive in Luoyang tomorrow afternoon; if by then Chang Tai and his team haven't come up with any results yet, they might find themselves facing consequences from this new lord."
"What kind of nonsense is this?" Xing Ruyi found herself both amused and exasperated by Li Siniang's words. Just as she was about to tease her back with a few remarks, she noticed Shengzi dragging a disheveled young woman past them. Behind her followed several others who appeared to be neighbors discussing how this woman had murdered her husband and disposed of his body. The woman simply bit her lip tightly and occasionally replied with three simple words: "I didn't do it!"
Xing Ruyi was just about to call Shengzi over to ask a question when Li Siniang subtly tugged at her hand and lowered her voice, saying, "This woman is the main suspect in the murder case. Her husband was killed, reportedly burned to death by High Heat. By the way, they occupy a part of the Xie family's house, but not the whole thing—just a side courtyard near the entrance that was originally meant for servants. It's also one of the better-preserved rooms. Look at Shengzi; he probably hasn't had a proper rest in three or four days. Bringing this woman back now likely means there's been some progress in the case. What started as a haunting has turned into a murder of her own husband; this case certainly has its twists."
Xing Ruyi had initially only been concerned about Chang Tai and Shengzi's safety, but after hearing Li Siniang's words, she became greatly intrigued by the case itself. Moreover, the existing rumors of hauntings in the Xie family’s old residence made Xing Ruyi feel that there was something even more interesting going on.
Seeing Shengzi dragging the young woman toward the Yamen, Xing Ruyi stood up and followed them.
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