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Chapter 9 The Palace Maid

  The gate and inner courtyard of the Ministry of War were all hung with white silk and plain white banners, in mourning for the deceased Prince Zonghao.

  Their Minister of Works, Zong Chuke, has been in mourning for a month. An old man losing his son, white-haired people sending off black-haired ones - this is the sympathy of Chang'an's people towards this minister.

  The interior of the mourning hall was also dimly lit, Zong Chuke stood opposite the memorial tablet, slowly turning his prayer beads with one hand.

  "Adult."

  Zong Chuke heard the sound and slowly opened his eyes.

  A servant cautiously emerged from behind the curtain and said in a low voice, "The monk responsible for Master's super-degree has been found. How would you like to arrange it, sir?"

  Zong Chuke's eyes gazed at the spirit tablet of Zong Huo in front of him, and after a long time, he opened his mouth: "Let the master live in the mansion tonight, tomorrow Huo'er will be gone for thirty days. Let the master perform rituals in Huo'er's courtyard to bless him to ascend to extreme bliss..."

  It looks like a kind father's grief over the loss of his child, and even the servants do not dare to linger in this gloomy hall. "I understand, I'll go make arrangements."

  In the mourning hall, only Zong Chuke was left alone. He faced the memorial tablet of his relatives and the dark light around him, as if he could really touch the underworld with just one hand.

  Until a maid came in with dishes and said, "Sir, it's time for dinner."

  Zong Chuke looked at the food on the floor and said to the maid: "Close the door, no one is allowed to come in."

  The maid had long been accustomed to Zong Chuke's strange temper over the past month, nodded and immediately went out to close the door of the spiritual hall.

  Zong Chuke and others waited until there was no sound around them before slowly bending down and picking up the food at their feet with one hand.

  He took a glance and, because he was in mourning, ordered only vegetarian dishes and clear water, without touching any meat or fish.

  Zong Chuke walked up to the front of the Lingtai and stretched out his hand to turn the candelabra on the left side.

  Suddenly, a low voice was heard, and on the left side, a dark black door opened.

  Zong Chuke gazed quietly for a while, then carried the dishes and walked into the secret door.

  Inside the dark gate was a long stone staircase, and at first glance, it was unclear where it led to. Zong Chuke walked down along the stone stairs until he saw a lantern shining brightly at the end.

  Zong Chuke stepped forward and pushed open the slightly ajar door.

  All he saw was a figure inside, who quickly flipped over and jumped up, calling out in disbelief: "Dad?"

  Zong Chuke walked in with an expressionless face. Under the light of the candle flame, he saw a young man standing by the bed, his complexion pale.

  Zong Huo Yi knelt down as soon as he saw Zong Chu Ke and said with a trembling voice: "Father!"

  Zong Chuke walked over to the table and put down the dishes in his hand, saying lightly: "Let's eat."

  Zong Huo rushed over as soon as he heard the words, and when he saw the clear porridge and small dishes on the table, his face turned even paler, and he felt a wave of nausea.

  At the time when Zong Huo was bowing his head and vomiting, Zong Chuke stared at him coldly.

  He didn't realize until he finished vomiting that his father was staring at him, and he suddenly looked even more miserable: "Dad, if I eat any more of this, I'll die!"

  Living in this dark and dismal place for a month, with hardly any decent food to eat, would drive anyone mad.

  "Are you forgetting? You're already a dead man?"

  Zhong Zong personally ordered the execution of Zong Ho, which is a fact known to everyone in Chang'an.

  Zong Huo knelt down again: "Dad, I know I was wrong, I won't dare to do it again next time. Dad, please save me?"

  In the dungeon of the palace a month ago, Zong Huo also begged Zong Chuke in the same way.

  Zong Chuke looked at him: "In that case, how many times have you said it?"

  It's not just the palace prison, for twenty years, every time Zong Huo gets into trouble, he will cry and confess in front of Zong Chuke, asking him to help clean up the mess.

  He thought that as long as he cried and complained like this every time, no matter how big the thing was, his father would be able to help him get away with it, even if it was a murder.

  Unfortunately, Zong Chuke was only a Minister of War and not the Emperor Zhongzong. Even Yongtai Princess, who was the biological daughter of Emperor Zhongzong, was put to death by Empress Wu Zetian for committing a crime.

  The emperor's daughter cannot escape punishment, let alone a mere Zhong Huo.

  Zong Huo knelt down and hugged Zong Chuke's legs, crying bitterly for a long time. He had just narrowly escaped death, how could he bear to spend the rest of his life underground?

  Zong Chu Ke seemed to have been annoyed by Zong Huo's crying, he lifted his foot and kicked Zong Huo to the ground, shouting: "Do you know how much effort I put in to save your life from the palace? Just one month and you're already wailing away. Would you rather be a headless ghost in the underworld right now?"

  Zong Hu's whole body trembled: "Dad, son knows he was wrong, please send me out of Chang'an, son promises that for the rest of his life he will be obedient and not cause any more trouble."

  Zong Huo's greatest wish was to leave Chang'an, to leave this place behind. As long as he didn't have to eat bran and drink vegetable soup anymore, even if it meant begging like a beggar at this moment, it didn't matter.

  Zong Chuke couldn't help but understand his thoughts: "Send you away from Chang'an? You say it lightly, you're already a dead man. Do you really think you can stay or leave as you please, just like when you were alive?"

  Zong Huo knelt on the ground motionless, as if his soul had already left his body.

  "Dad, either you see me off or I'll die here. I, your son, can't get through a single day like this."

  Zong Chuke's face turned purple with rage, "You dare to threaten me, you ungrateful son?"

  Zong's face lit up with a hint of relief and delight: "Father, I dare not be unfilial, nor do you want our Zong family to become extinct because of this?"

  Zong Huo was the only son of Zong Chuke, so his life and death were tied to half of Zong Chuke's and the Zong Manor's fate. When Zhong Zhong insisted on executing Zong Huo back then, it was already equivalent to cutting off half of Zong Chuke's life.

  Zong Chuke's whole body was trembling with rage, but Zong Huo knew that none of this would change anything, just like he knew that no matter how much trouble he got into, his father would always use all his might to protect him.

  "I'll find a way to send you out of Chang'an. Before that, you must stay here honestly." Zong Chuke said with an extremely cold expression.

  Zong Huo kowtowed deeply on the ground: "Thank you, Father..."

  ——

  "Recently because of Hu Shang's case, the four major city gates of Chang'an have been under martial law. It is not possible to leave the city at this time." Xing Zuoyou, the chief clerk of the Dali Temple, said to Pei Tan.

  Hu merchants were people who came and went to the Western Regions, Persia and other places for business. Due to Emperor Zhongzong's ascension to the throne, many Hu merchants flocked into Chang'an, so the Chang'an Jiedushi strictly checked the identities of Hu merchants to prevent any opportunists from taking advantage of the situation.

  Pei Tan had the people of Dali Temple investigate the recent events at the gates of Chang'an, and the result was that for nearly a month now, anyone who wants to leave Chang'an must have a permit from an official of the second rank or higher.

  "Does this mean that it's not so easy for Zong Ho to leave Chang'an?"

  At least until the day of execution, Chang'an City was still under martial law. A cautious person like Zong Chuke would not take risks with his own son's life at this time.

  After Zhu Bo left, Pei Xian walked in.

  Pei Tan said slowly: "If Zong Ho is still hiding in Chang'an, the place he is waiting for can only be the Shangshu Mansion."

  No one else would have dared to hide him except his own father, Zong Chuke, who would take the risk.

  Pei Xian said: "Since that's the case, why doesn't the young master bring people to search the Shangshu mansion? As long as Zong and Huo are still there, they will naturally be unable to escape."

  Pei Tan shook his head: "Don't mention that Zong Chuke is currently a first-class Shangshu, the Dali Temple has no right to search without an imperial edict. Even if there is an imperial decree, it must be remembered that at this stage, the emperor only gave a secret decree."

  Secret order. It means secretly investigating without making it public, and any open and high-profile move is against the intention of the central government.

  "Is it possible that Zong and Huo will be allowed to roam free outside the law?"

  Pei Tan slowly closed the case file in his hand and said after a long time, "Of course not. Since Your Majesty has already issued an edict to investigate this case, it means that there is hope to bring this matter to light. As long as Zong Ho is still in Chang'an, he will inevitably reveal his tracks. We just need to be patient and wait."

  Pei County paused for a moment and said: "Everything will be done according to your instructions, young master."

  The scroll in Pei Tan's hand was actually the case of Jing Shi's exile five years ago, which was archived in the Dali Temple.

  Pei Tan had someone retrieve the case file from the archives early in the morning and saw the entire process from trial to sentencing that year.

  At that time, the case was also in the Dali Temple, but at that time, the Dali Temple did not actually try the case because the case was actually personally tried by the Empress. The Dali Temple actually just went through the motions and then closed the case.

  After reading through the case files, Pei Tan's only thought was that Jing Shi had no chance of making a plea of innocence back then, and even if she did, it would have been blocked by the imperial court at the time.

  "Sir, what are you thinking about?" asked Pei Xian.

  "I wonder, a ten-year-old girl who was exiled with her family and lived in the palace with shame, what kind of strong heart she must have had."

  "Is the young master referring to that Miss Jing? She entered the palace five years ago and is only about fifteen this year, isn't she?"

  It was just today that Jing Wanyu was only just coming of age, and five years ago it was even more unimaginable.

  Pei Tan's eyes narrowed: "Even among men, it is rare to have such tact at the age of ten."

  In comparison, the only son of the Shangshu Mansion, Zong He, before he recklessly rode his horse and killed someone, was already a notorious playboy in Chang'an Street, indulging in all kinds of vices, and relying on his father's influence as a favorite of Empress Wei.

  If a delicate woman has such a strong and upright character, it can only be said that her father, Jing Shi Jing Zhe, must have been a man of iron-like integrity to have raised such a daughter.

  In this case, it seems that the truth is shrouded in mystery and there may be more confusion than facts.

  A Taoist priest in a long robe is holding a feather duster and murmuring to himself in the courtyard, while on one side is the weeping wet nurse of Rong Hua, and there is not a single sign of life throughout the entire mansion.

  "The person who died on Chang'an Street was just an ordinary citizen, how can he be compared to the prince? Your Majesty actually let the prince atone for that citizen's death, have you considered the merits of my family for generations?"

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