The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 18 Flying Clouds White

"Brother Shen, what do you mean by that?"

"The enemy is in the dark, while we are in the light. If they fail, we can try a second or third time."

"But if we make just one mistake, it will all be over."

"This is too passive."

Liu Baichuan fell into deep thought, and after a moment, he suddenly looked up:

"Brother Shen, you wouldn't be thinking of investigating the flower thief's case yourself, would you?"

Shen Lang smiled and nodded: "That's right, that's exactly what I was thinking."

Liu Baichuan suddenly realized that Shen Lang must have already planned this when he asked him for the files yesterday.

"Brother Shen is truly... bold and decisive!" Liu Baichuan said with admiration, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.

Shen Lang said, "These three groups of thieves may not be all of them; there may be more to come."

"The reason these people dare to be so brazen is simply because there's a womanizer taking the blame for them."

"Such a rare opportunity—those people have been coveting the Prince's mansion for a long time, how could they possibly let it slip by?"

"The Prince's mansion will not have peace until the flower thief is brought to justice."

"That makes sense..."

Liu Baichuan frowned, stroked his mustache, and slowly said:

"But Brother Shen, you may not know this, but after the daughter of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies was brutally murdered, the court and the public were shocked, and the noblewomen of the capital were all in danger."

"His Majesty was furious and ordered the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a joint trial, with a deadline of one month to conclude the case."

"Such serious cases, especially those involving ghosts, are beyond our ability to intervene."

"The Commander has handed this matter over to the Northern Garrison Office. You have a past relationship with Lord Zhang Xian, so you might as well go and ask him about the progress of the case."

"The one-month deadline was a death sentence, and seven days have already passed. The adults are far more anxious than we are."

Liu Baichuan patted Shen Lang's arm and said earnestly, "Brother Shen, don't act rashly, wait a little longer."

Shen Lang shook his head: "I'm afraid it's not that easy."

He found the file strange when he saw it yesterday; the language was ambiguous, full of speculation, and lacked evidence.

He didn't know if ghosts existed in this world, but the three departments working together produced such an unprofessional file; it was impossible to say there wasn't something fishy going on.

Shen Lang didn't understand the factional infighting in the imperial court, nor did he bother to study it.

He only wanted to protect the Jing'an Prince's Mansion and complete his duties.

He never places his hopes on others.

Therefore, he chose to take the initiative.

Liu Baichuan sighed and said carefully, "A joint trial by the three judicial departments involves a wide range of issues."

"If the case cannot be solved within the time limit, His Majesty will hold the three departments accountable, and they will inevitably pass the buck to each other."

"Brother Shen's unauthorized intervention may put the Embroidered Uniform Guard in a passive position."

"If the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review seize on this matter, they can easily frame the Embroidered Uniform Guard for mismanagement and leaking case information."

"At that time, even the garrison commander might not be able to protect you."

Shen Lang smiled and said, "Wouldn't it be enough if I just found out the real culprit?"

Seeing his expression, Liu Baichuan stopped trying to persuade him and instead said:

"Since Brother Shen has made up his mind, he must already have a plan."

"Please tell me, I will definitely help if I can."

Shen Lang cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother Liu, I would like to visit the place where those young ladies were murdered."

"If possible, I would also like to examine their bodies myself."

"Does Brother Liu have any ideas?"

Liu Baichuan's brows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, he said:

"Going to the scene of the crime to investigate is not difficult. I'll find out the exact location and sneak over there."

"But examining the body..."

Liu Baichuan looked troubled: "The first five have all been buried. Now, only the beloved daughter of Xu Jingde, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, remains in the mansion."

"Lord Xu has been refusing visitors for many days and will not see anyone. I'm afraid this route is blocked."

"As for those girls... they are all pitiful people, let's not disturb their peace."

"Brother Shen, what do you think?"

Shen Lang chuckled and said, "Brother Liu, what are you thinking? When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; they should be buried in the ground for peace. Why would I do something like digging up a grave or exhuming a corpse?"

"That's good."

Liu Baichuan breathed a sigh of relief and teased with a smile, "On your first day on the job, you dare to set rules for your boss."

"I'm really afraid that you don't even care about these taboo things."

Although they had only known each other for a short time, he could clearly sense that Shen Lang possessed an extraordinary sharpness.

Humility and politeness are merely appearances; true character lies in being unconventional and independent.

"I wonder what kind of background Brother Shen has. He is so arrogant and unruly, yet he has managed to live peacefully until now..." Liu Baichuan muttered to himself.

Shen Lang said, "In that case, Brother Liu, please help me find out about the location of the crime."

"I'll think of a way with Lord Xu of the Court of State Ceremonial."

"Brother Liu, thank you for your trouble."

Liu Baichuan replied, "Brother Shen, there's no need to be so polite. Leave this matter to me."

"I will go to the Jing'an Prince's Mansion to inform you as soon as I have any news!"

Shen Lang instructed, "Try to keep a low profile as much as possible, don't let too many people know, and don't leave any records at the government office."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Liu Baichuan nodded, got up and went to the inner hall. After searching for a while, he returned with a bronze plaque and handed it to Shen Lang.

"Brother Shen, although it is a case handled privately, having the Embroidered Uniform Guard badge will still provide some convenience."

"If Commander Zhou asks about it later, don't say I gave it to you!"

"He confiscated your badge because he's waiting for you to fail in your duties so he can punish you immediately!"

Shen Lang clasped his hands in a fist salute and said with a smile, "Brother Liu is very righteous, thank you very much."

The two discussed the details a bit more before parting ways.

......

Half an hour later.

Shen Lang returned to the Prince's Mansion.

Just as he was about to meet Princess Jing'an, the steward Li Zhong quickly came to greet him.

"Lord Shen, you left in such a hurry that even though I rushed as fast as I could, I couldn't catch up with you."

Shen Lang stopped in his tracks: "Did the old steward want to see me about something?"

"Seeing that you are busy all day long, the princess has prepared a fine horse for you to use for transportation."

"I was busy this morning and forgot to mention this matter. I hope you will not take offense, sir."

Shen Lang waved his hand: "It's alright."

Li Zhong bowed and gestured with his right hand: "This way, please. This old servant will show you around."

Horses are expensive in Kyoto; even ordinary ones cost forty or fifty taels of silver. Shen Lang's monthly salary is only two taels of silver, so he really can't afford one in the short term.

Donkey carts are prohibited in many parts of the inner city, so having a horse would certainly make things much easier.

"Princess Changning is very kind."

Shen Lang readily agreed and followed Li Zhong to the West Garden Stable.

"Flying Cloud White?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Shen Lang's eyes.

Not far away, a white horse stood quietly, grazing on its fodder at a leisurely pace.

This horse is magnificent, tall and slender, entirely snow-white and spotless, except for its mane and tail, which are pure black. It is exceptionally handsome.

Li Zhong smiled and said, "That's right, it's Fei Yunbai, the first-class Imperial Guard!"

Shen Lang was delighted at the sight of the prey and quickly stepped forward to examine it closely.