The unlikely culprit

The more Xiao Jinyi thought about it, the angrier he became. He had nearly become a weapon in someone else's hands. But his interest in the mastermind was growing, too. Who had created that place in Qiuyuan Alley and laid the groundwork in advance to make Jiang Bin their scapegoat?

He would never figure it out on his own. Xiao Jinyi sent Mo Yu to find Shen Shixu's address, intending to seek advice from the expert investigator.

Shen Shixu was so good at solving cases that he might identify the true culprit just from hearing what had happened!

At that moment, Shen Shixu was sitting beneath the osmanthus tree in his rented courtyard, sipping wine and admiring the bright moon. Just as he was enjoying himself, a dark figure suddenly vaulted over the wall.

Shen Shixu jumped in fright and nearly toppled out of his chair. Seeing how badly he had startled him, Xiao Jinyi felt rather guilty.

"Are you all right? There's been a new development in the case. Jiang Bin isn't the real culprit. I came to ask what you thought, but the gate was shut, so I climbed over the wall. I didn't expect to frighten you."

Shen Shixu had thought an intruder had broken in. Once he recognized Xiao Jinyi, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine. But what do you mean, Jiang Bin isn't the real culprit? What happened?" Shen Shixu was puzzled by his words.

Xiao Jinyi told Shen Shixu everything that had happened when he went to arrest Jiang Bin, as well as how he had already had Jiang Bin's associates investigated and found none of them suspicious.

After hearing Xiao Jinyi's account, Shen Shixu had a new idea. "I think you've been looking in the wrong direction. Is it possible someone deliberately arranged for Jiang Bin to buy that house?"

"You also need to have someone investigate the lover he used to keep there.

"And although that Underground Palace wasn't particularly large, it couldn't have been dug overnight. The timeline doesn't add up, either.

"Jiang Bin bought the house a year ago, but Qiao Ying has been missing for two years. Who owned the house two years ago?"

"Besides, the little beggar said the house belonged to Big Gold Tooth. Thinking it over, there are still questions everywhere in this case. We need to dig deeper. Find the lover Jiang Bin kept there, investigate Big Gold Tooth, and find out who owned the house before Jiang Bin."

Listening to Shen Shixu lay everything out so clearly, Xiao Jinyi knew he had come to the right person.

"All right. I'll have Mo Yu investigate right away. We should have results by tomorrow morning. Get some rest. I'll come back tomorrow."

Shen Shixu nodded. After leaving, Xiao Jinyi instructed Mo Yu to investigate everything Shen Shixu had mentioned.

Mo Yu had not expected to lose his night's sleep as well. But thinking of his time off tomorrow and the extra pay he would receive this month, he gritted his teeth and went to investigate.

Still, he refused to suffer alone. He dragged along his good friend Bai He, another of Xiao Jinyi's trusted aides, and they split up to pursue the leads.

The generous salaries at Prince Jing's Residence were not so easily earned, nor was being one of Xiao Jinyi's trusted aides an easy job. Once the residence's Black and White Fiends took action, their ability spoke for itself.

The next morning, before Shen Shixu had even woken, Xiao Jinyi arrived at his courtyard with the information Mo Yu and Bai He had spent the night uncovering.

Seeing that Shen Shixu was still asleep, Xiao Jinyi did not rush to wake him. Instead, he sat where Shen Shixu had sat the night before and lowered his head over their findings, deep in thought.

He wanted to see whether he could draw any useful conclusions himself.

When Shen Shixu woke, changed, and came out to wash, he caught sight of Xiao Jinyi's tall, straight back.

"Your Highness, why are you here so early? Have you finished investigating everything?"

Xiao Jinyi gave a quiet hum of assent and handed him the papers. Forgetting about washing, Shen Shixu began reading at once.

The lover Jiang Bin had kept had vanished from everyone's sight shortly after leaving him. The investigation had confirmed that this person was dead, murdered to ensure their silence. Big Gold Tooth had indeed owned the house, but that had been two years ago.

Bai He had hauled Big Gold Tooth out of bed in the middle of the night and questioned him personally. He learned that someone else had hired Big Gold Tooth to buy the house on their behalf. It had been registered in his name, but the money had not been his at all.

Even his sale of the house to Jiang Bin a year ago had been carried out on the instructions of the person who had paid him to buy it.

They had also identified the person who had hired Big Gold Tooth to purchase the house: Jiang Hu.

And Jiang Hu was a man in the service of Jiang Bin's father, Jiang Xingbang.

After learning Jiang Hu's identity from Xiao Jinyi, Shen Shixu turned his suspicions toward Jiang Xingbang.

It was not that Shen Shixu looked down on Jiang Hu. But however much favor a servant enjoyed with his master, and however generous his rewards, he could never have enough money to finance such a large excavation beneath the house.

The girls' clothing, daily necessities, and cosmetics were another considerable expense. Then there were all the people hired to work there. Jiang Hu could have worked another twenty years and still not afforded their wages alone.

That was why Shen Shixu suspected Jiang Xingbang, who was connected to Jiang Hu and possessed both the wealth and the means. Yet in everyone else's eyes, he was the least likely suspect.

Besides being the Princess Royal's husband, Jiang Xingbang was also the Minister of Personnel. Great Qian had no rule barring imperial sons-in-law from holding office. Moreover, when Emperor Wu'an had ascended the throne years ago, Jiang Xingbang had risked his life to save the crown prince. As a result, he held a high position at court.

He had been unwell lately, however, and had not attended court for more than half a month. He was now recuperating at a hot-spring estate outside the city.

Everyone knew Jiang Xingbang as a gentle, good-tempered man. He loved his wife and son, had never taken a concubine, and never visited pleasure establishments.

Every day, he either attended court, handled affairs at the Ministry of Personnel, or returned home to keep the Princess Royal company. Apart from his poor health, which frequently required him to rest and recuperate, he had no other faults.

"Your Highness, let's visit the estate where Lord Jiang is recuperating later. We'll conceal our identities and go in secret."

For the first time, Xiao Jinyi did not want to believe Shen Shixu. If things truly were as Shen Shixu suspected, he feared Princess Kangning would not be able to bear it.

"All right. Go wash and have breakfast, then we'll set out." Xiao Jinyi was not someone who let personal feelings interfere with his duties. He would not abandon the investigation out of concern for Princess Kangning. If Jiang Xingbang really was responsible, as Shen Shixu suspected,

then discovering the truth would be good for Princess Kangning, too. After all, no one could sleep peacefully with such a terrifying person beside them.

After eating the breakfast Xiaoshi had prepared, Xiao Jinyi changed into the clothes Shen Shixu provided. Disguised as two scholars out on a spring excursion, they headed toward the estate where Jiang Xingbang was staying.

Rather than going straight up and knocking, they slipped over the wall, just as before.

Because they arrived unannounced, they actually managed to catch Jiang Xingbang out.