"Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?" Jiang Zhe’s voice rose a few notches in shock.
His task was to implicate Duan Rong and link it to Zhu He, but all of this hinged on Li Shensi having died from poisoning! This point was adamantly asserted by Ge Rusong and others during their meeting at Qingling Peak, and they were quite confident about it.
Influenced by this, Jiang Zhe almost took it as a fact, but being proven wrong in public left him momentarily at a loss.
The old man snorted disdainfully, gave Jiang Zhe a contemptuous glance, and said, "My job here is done. Farewell!"
After speaking, the old man mounted his black iron box and strode away.
"You..." Jiang Zhe watched the old man’s departing figure, his breath caught in frustration.
But he quickly calmed down. This Pharmacist Guo was personally selected by Sun Fugai, the Elder of the Medicine Pavilion, so there could be no mistake. It was clear the corpse was indeed not poisoned.
Jiang Zhe glanced at the wooden box not far away, his eyes flickering. Suddenly, he turned to Ge Hengtai and asked in a deep voice, "Lord Ge, can you confirm this body is Li Shensi’s?"
Ge Hengtai had also heard what the Pharmacist Guo had said, and his face was not looking good. Hearing Jiang Zhe’s question, he immediately cupped his hands and replied, "Reporting to you, Sir, I stationed trusted men to guard here day and night. This is indeed the body of Li Shensi!"
"This..." Jiang Zhe turned his head again to look at the pile of decomposed flesh in the wooden box, and instantly fell into a mess of confusion...
"If it is Li Shensi’s body, why did the examination find it poison-free?"
At this moment, Jiang Zhe truly didn’t know what to make of it.
If Li Shensi hadn’t been poisoned, not only would this case become difficult to judge, but even Ge Rusong and others’ challenge in the Elder Hall now seemed laughable.
Could it be that they were wrong from the very beginning?!
Duan Rong was sitting in a window seat on the second floor of a teahouse.
From there, he could see the entrance of the Secretariat.
Duan Rong sipped his clear tea, occasionally glancing at the entrance of the Secretariat opposite.
Before long, a tall figure stepped out of the Secretariat’s gate, stretching lazily beside a tall stone lion before walking slowly down the steps.
It was none other than the Imperial Secretariat Envoy, Zhu Peng.
Seeing Zhu Peng emerge, Duan Rong smiled slightly, placed a piece of Broken Silver on the table, and then went downstairs.
He had come here specifically to wait for Zhu Peng.
He anticipated that this guy would definitely not work diligently in the government office, and would leave after checking in.
Zhu Peng walked down the stone steps, where a small official from the Secretariat led his horse over from the side gate. Mounting it, Zhu Peng waved to the official, half-closing his eyes while leisurely riding along the street.
As Zhu Peng reached the shaded corner of the street, a person suddenly appeared from behind a large tree, startling Zhu Peng. But upon closer inspection, it was Duan Rong.
On his horse, holding the reins, Zhu Peng laughed, "Aren’t you staying at my seventh uncle’s villa? How did you suddenly appear here?"
Since Duan Rong had been staying at Zhu Zhengfu’s villa, Zhu Peng hadn’t visited him once. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Duan Rong, as their interactions had always been pleasant.
He just didn’t want to step into Zhu Zhengfu’s house again!
Duan Rong stood there under the tree, hands behind his back, smiling calmly, "Of course, I’m here waiting for you."
"Waiting for me?"
"Yes. Staying at that villa is boring; I miss your cool pavilion. Can you invite me for a meal there?"
Zhu Peng glanced at the cloudy sky; with each autumn rain came a chill. In this late autumn weather, the chill was gradually setting in, and he had long stopped the waterwheel in front of the cool pavilion.
If anyone else made such a request, he’d definitely think they were being unreasonable. But since it was Duan Rong, no matter how illogical it seemed, he dared not refute. The names of the Star Gatherer and Thunder God were renowned.
Zhu Peng said, "In this weather, you want to eat at the cool pavilion?"
"Yes!" Duan Rong affirmed, "The cool pavilion is peaceful."
The cool pavilion, adjacent to the pond, offered a broad view of the surroundings. Duan Rong valued its environment.
"Alright!" Zhu Peng realized Duan Rong wasn’t joking and promptly agreed.
Zhu Peng dismounted and pulled the horse to Duan Rong, saying, "You get on, take my horse."
Not standing on ceremony, Duan Rong mounted Zhu Peng’s horse.
Seated on the horse, with Zhu Peng personally leading, they turned into an alley along the street, heading toward Zhu Peng’s residence.
Back at the residence, Zhu Peng ordered the kitchen to prepare dishes, personally warmed a pot of yellow wine, and brought a plate of sliced beef and peanuts to the cool pavilion.
The waterwheel was still; absent was the sound of water, adding to the silence. Withered lotus leaves floated in the pond...
The two drank yellow wine while admiring the autumn landscape of the garden.
Hot dishes were quickly served. Duan Rong picked up a piece of steamed fish, its flesh tender and fresh, drank a mouthful of yellow wine, and suddenly looked at Zhu Peng, saying, "Ask someone to bring Zhu Cheng here."
Zhu Peng paused, "Why?"
Duan Rong said, "What, if you call him, he won’t come?"
Zhu Peng replied, "Not that. But that guy should be pretty busy lately. If I call him to drink, he definitely won’t come."
Duan Rong said, "Just tell him it’s urgent, that he must come."
Zhu Peng gave Duan Rong a look and suddenly felt he was serious. He knew Duan Rong never joked, nor would he invite them to drink for no reason.