Daishan Turns The Wind Chapter 29

The Perfumer Case (10)

After observing for one night, the General’s Estate had no other movements besides sending the coffin away for burial. When they later learned that General Yang Yi, having lost his son, could not attend the birthday banquet, both Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

On the day of the Emperor’s birthday, the entire city celebrated. Sun Zhengmo excitedly burst through the door and immediately started berating Feng Yuluo.

“What do you mean, ‘if we had planned to offer incense to the Emperor and Empress from the beginning, we wouldn’t have needed to find Eunuch Xu and Chief Steward Liu, we wouldn’t have been forced to investigate this case, the incense business wouldn’t have been transferred to the Ministry of Rites, and I wouldn’t have lost over 200,000 taels’?”

Sun Zhengmo put her hands on her hips, her voice deep with indignation: “If I hadn’t gone through all those detours to get to know these people, would I have been qualified to offer incense to the Emperor and Empress on the day of the birthday celebration?”

The two men were momentarily stunned by the barrage of complaints.

Shan Wuzhou understood the situation, raised an eyebrow, and discreetly moved to the side.

Strictly speaking, the main reason they were forced to investigate was that their interference had attracted attention from various parties.

Feng Yuluo didn’t hesitate, cupping his hands in a bow: “My mistake, Boss Sun. You are a person of great magnanimity, please forgive this junior for being old and ignorant. I apologize!”

Sun Zhengmo was furious: “Go sweep the floor!”

Feng Yuluo replied with an “Aye” and went to sweep.

Sun Zhengmo muttered under her breath, “I was so angry yesterday that I tossed and turned. I had to get up and figure this out before I could sleep.”

Feng Yuluo swept near Shan Wuzhou and, seeing him gloating, swept the floor heavily several times.

He mimicked Sun Zhengmo’s tone: “You also said that if we had inquired about Boss Sun’s past earlier, we wouldn’t have had to investigate everywhere and still find nothing. Well, if we hadn’t…”

Shan Wuzhou’s beautiful eyes glanced over, watching Feng Yuluo stumble over his words.

Hadn’t what? If they hadn’t investigated everywhere without results, who would have thought to inquire about Boss Sun’s past?

Feng Yuluo continued, “And if we had inquired about Boss Sun’s past earlier, would we have been able to…”

He stumbled again.

Would they have been able to easily uncover the truth when the case later occurred?

They actually would have. Knowing the past events would have allowed them to clarify the relationships between everyone involved in the later case, understand the cause and effect, and at least deduce eighty percent of the truth.

They certainly wouldn’t have made such wild guesses, constantly speculating, overturning, starting over, and overturning again.

Boss Sun had been kept awake half the night by that one sentence, but at least she vented her anger today.

Feng Yuluo, blocked by the accusation and then by the truth, could only rely on time to dilute his sorrow.

His liver ached from the frustration. He sternly said, “Move aside, I need to sweep.”

Shan Wuzhou watched him, arms crossed. He reached out, bent his knuckles, and gently rubbed Feng Yuluo’s chin.

“…”

The most talented disciple of Feng Mountain, third in swordsmanship and second in lightness skill, was now behind the counter in the blink of an eye. Amidst the grinding of teeth, he happily took out an incense stick and lit it.

The scent of gardenia was pleasant.

This little scene dispelled the tense atmosphere of the early morning.

It was the Emperor’s birthday, and many people on the streets had the day off and were out enjoying themselves. Boss Sun offered triple wages and instructed the assistants to continue packing the spices.

She estimated that people from the palace would arrive in two days.

Feng Yuluo calculated that he could make up the wages that were deducted that day. His gloom vanished, and he busied himself cheerfully.

Shan Wuzhou stood by the doorway, watching the soldiers patrolling the streets.

Suddenly, he frowned. It seemed like a good thing that General Yang Yi couldn’t attend the birthday celebration, but what if he caused trouble outside and suddenly forced his way into the palace? What then?

The assistants carefully carried over the spices.

The spices intended for the noble ladies in the inner palace—concubines, princesses, and county mistresses—were carefully wrapped in different oil papers according to their purpose: sleep aid, light fragrance, clothing fumigation, or as gifts. They had to ensure that the corner of the front side had characters printed on it, that the wrapping was secure, and only then could they be placed into the custom-made boxes that Boss Sun had paid a hefty price for.

Each box was beautiful and luxurious.

Sending them in this way appeared noble and respectable, allowing Boss Sun to charge exorbitant prices.

Sun Zhengmo was calculating how to earn back the over 200,000 taels she had invested.

Seeing Shan Wuzhou deep in thought by the door, she called him, telling him not to worry and to go buy some fruits and sweet drinks.

The person who should have been the most worried and anxious, aside from scolding Feng Yuluo that morning, was cheerful the rest of the time, radiating the joy of impending wealth and fortune.

Was she not planning to make a move today?

Shan Wuzhou hesitated, then went to buy melons.

Feng Yuluo observed Sun Zhengmo’s expression, feeling uneasy himself. Did they plan to take revenge or not? When would they act, and how? Why did they seem both nervous and completely inactive?

Because he didn’t know the specific plan, he was somewhat paranoid. His hands were busy non-stop, and his mind was racing. When a piece of melon was offered to his mouth, he instinctively took a bite.

It was only when the sweet juice soaked his tongue that he looked up abruptly. Shan Wuzhou was watching him with a relaxed air.

That wasn’t the main issue. The crucial thing was that there were others at the table—a yard full of assistants, plus the maids Sun Zhengmo had called in to help—seven or eight people all staring at him.

Feng Yuluo choked, but he couldn’t ruin the spices, so he swallowed the melon, enduring the discomfort.

The scene was dead silent, but everyone’s eyes were buzzing with curiosity.

They looked back and forth.

Feng Yuluo had lived for nearly nine hundred years, and this was the first time he had been speechless in front of a crowd. He really wanted to throw this brat into the sky!

But Shan Wuzhou’s expression was completely natural, as if he were simply showing filial respect to his Grandmaster.

This left Feng Yuluo unable to voice his frustration.

It wasn’t until the closest assistant suddenly realized: “He’s so kind. He knows we can’t use our hands because we’re working, so he’s feeding us.”

The others chimed in: “Oh, oh, oh.”

Then, one by one, they opened their mouths: “Ah.”

Shan Wuzhou: “…”

Sun Zhengmo lowered her head, suppressing a laugh.

Feng Yuluo’s first reaction was that they were finished. This shrewd Boss Sun must have noticed something was wrong. Just as he was about to offer an explanation, he saw the three maids beside her also lowering their heads, suppressing their laughter.

“…”

What were these people thinking? The assistants were waiting for melon, why were the maids laughing?

What was even more despairing was that the smile was somewhat familiar. He suddenly remembered Zhao Zisheng; on the day they parted, when Shan Wuzhou was mentioned, she had the same knowing smile.

Was this… some kind of shared understanding?

He was utterly speechless, so helpless that he almost wished he had this shared understanding too.

If he had that talent, he would have noticed Shan Wuzhou’s strangeness long ago, and wouldn’t have rushed in so foolishly.

Sun Zhengmo told everyone to take a break and eat melon and drink water themselves, not daring to actually let Shan Wuzhou feed them.

Shan Wuzhou took in everyone’s reactions, savoring them, while also deeply examining the stirring in his own heart—what exactly did this mean?

He casually picked up the cup of sweet drink and offered it. Feng Yuluo turned his head to dodge, giving him a warning look.

“Grandmaster’s flustered little eyes are quite interesting,” Shan Wuzhou smiled. “What, does it not taste good? I carefully selected it.”

The other assistants were already drinking and said it was delicious. It was made with camellia paste, honey, milk, and coconut water, paired with a hint of bamboo—sweet and refreshing. They urged Old Feng to try it quickly.

Shan Wuzhou’s eyes curved in a smile as he offered the cup forward again.

Half the people thought this display of brotherhood was wonderful, while the other half were still stifling laughter.

Feng Yuluo’s head felt as big as a watermelon. He reached out with his wrist to take it: “I’ll do it myself.”

A shadow fell over him. Shan Wuzhou leaned close to his ear, his tone intimate but full of threat: “Grandmaster, do you want me to pinch your chin and pour the sweet drink down your throat in front of all these people?”

“…”

This brat was defying heaven itself. Feng Yuluo was about to slam the table and stand up when he suddenly saw the calm and indifferent look in Shan Wuzhou’s eyes, as if he truly just wanted to feed him a sweet drink.

But why was there a deep, underlying despair reflected in the depths of the eyes that mirrored his own?

He paused slightly, lowered his head, and took a sip of the sweet drink. It was sweet, sweet to the point of bitterness.

“Is it good?”

He vaguely heard Shan Wuzhou ask softly. He nodded unconsciously: “It’s good.”

Shan Wuzhou placed the bamboo cup aside, sat down, and began packing the spices, wrapping the pressed spice cakes in paper and placing them in the boxes.

His expression was normal.

The others had eaten their melon, drunk their water, and had their laugh. They came back to continue packing. For a time, the only atmosphere was one of busy work, punctuated by the occasional clink of boxes.

Everyone else was unburdened, leaving Feng Yuluo in a state of internal chaos.

What did this count as?

He felt a little frustrated.

He thought of that troublesome Heavenly Mandate. Oh, this counted as a tribulation. When the tribulation was small, it made him worry constantly. Now that the tribulation had grown up, it knew how to actively cause him grief.

…That brat.

The Emperor’s birthday passed without incident. People from the palace arrived. Eunuch Xu was beaming, saying that the Dragon Yu Incense had greatly pleased the Emperor, and the rewards were generous.

Eunuch Xu said that Chief Steward Liu had praised Boss Sun’s perfumery skills extensively to the Empress. The Empress was delighted and issued an imperial decree that the Sui’an Perfumery would henceforth be one of the suppliers of incense to the inner palace.

Sun Zhengmo and Eunuch Xu exchanged compliments and expressions of gratitude. She also prepared two large gifts separately for Eunuch Xu and Chief Steward Liu.

When the Sui’an Perfumery offended the Great General, Chief Steward Liu was already prepared to take the money and then eventually betray them. Now that the Emperor and Empress were happy, he was the primary person credited for the recommendation.

That’s why he was the Chief Steward, after all.

For now, her first wish—to make money—was fulfilled.

Her second wish was to rescue Fu Qingmu. The happiness of the Emperor and Empress also contributed to this, but since there was no immediate action, she likely planned to wait until after the revenge was complete.

After the Sui’an Perfumery made money, Boss Sun distributed bonuses to the assistants and gave them half a year of early New Year’s leave, settling everyone before they left.

Only Feng Yuluo, Shan Wuzhou, and herself remained to look after the shop.

She explained that the assistants were ordinary people with families to support and could not be dragged into this. But they were different; if the plan failed, the two of them could run and also draw the attention away from her.

“???”

Boss Sun was an eccentric, being overly honest in places where she shouldn’t be! Since she was like this, would she dare to share the revenge plan?

Sun Zhengmo righteously refused.

The two men had their own private speculations. They were often wrong, and now they had adopted a devil-may-care attitude. What was the big deal if they guessed wrong again? They had already lost all face anyway.

If they happened to guess correctly, they might salvage a little dignity.

Feng Yuluo guessed that she intended to poison Yang Yi with incense.

The incense products were offered not only to the Emperor and Empress but also to the Crown Prince, Eunuch Xu, Chief Steward Liu, Minister Zhu, and now a batch was sent to the inner palace. Everyone received some, so Yang Yi might not suspect that his portion was poisoned.

Shan Wuzhou guessed that Boss Sun might have manipulated the incense in other ways, such as using better or more expensive incense powder, or perhaps the incense burner had a hidden meaning.

The Emperor was already looking for ways to eliminate this thorn in his side. The Dragon Yu Incense was seen as the ultimate symbol of imperial supremacy. If Yang Yi used the same or even better incense, it would be an act of usurpation. Repeatedly touching the Emperor’s reverse scale would lead to a predictable downfall.

Feng Yuluo was astonished. Starting from the same point, how was Shan Wuzhou’s speculation so much more thrilling?

Shan Wuzhou offered a faint smile. Boss Sun had once mentioned that she was afraid someone would compare the Dragon Yu Incense with the Phoenix Incense. That comment gave him the idea.

Also, he had read a few more storybooks.

Feng Yuluo pressed him: “What storybooks?”

He wanted to broaden his horizons with storybooks that could aid in solving cases.

Shan Wuzhou’s expression became unnatural again. He casually brushed it off, saying he found them at a street stall. He certainly couldn’t say that he saw them at his martial aunt Feng Lingyun’s place—storybooks about unconventional romance.

Until the dust settled, everything was just speculation.

Another day passed, and chaos erupted in the Imperial Palace. The Empress suddenly began speaking incoherently, smashing many objects. Before she fainted, she claimed someone was cursing her, that someone wanted to curse the imperial family.

Panic spread.

In the afternoon, the Crown Prince also suffered an episode. He grabbed a sword and hacked at tables and chairs, ran to the imperial garden and chopped down many flowers and plants, muttering nonsense, his face turning purple.

After examination by the imperial physicians and guards, it was determined that the fumigation incense in the Empress’s and Crown Prince’s sleeping quarters was problematic.

Eunuch Xu and Chief Steward Liu were arrested. They had delivered the incense, boasting that it aided sleep and prolonged life.

During interrogation and torture, a pile of straw dolls, silver needles, fate talismans, paper charms, and incense ash were found. Everyone’s expression changed. This was sorcery, exactly like what the Prince of Dong’an’s heir used five years ago.

The Emperor was furious and ordered an investigation. It was discovered that this batch of spices originally came from the Sui’an Perfumery, and Boss Sun Zhengmo had bribed many people to get the spices into the palace.

When the Imperial Guards were about to arrest her at the Sui’an Perfumery, Fu Qingmu stepped forward, holding the crying and frightened little princess, stating that those incense products were problematic and did not come from the Sui’an Perfumery.

After inspection by the inner palace attendants and head palace maids, it was found that Sui’an’s incense products had the characters “Sui’an” printed on the inner wrapping paper, hidden in the corner—a precaution in case of emergency.

However, the incense products delivered to the Empress’s and Crown Prince’s sleeping quarters did not have the “Sui’an” characters.

This indicated that the incense had been swapped. The sorcery was aimed at the Empress and the Crown Prince, and intended to frame the Sui’an Perfumery.

The Emperor glanced at her and ordered the investigation to continue.

When the Crown Prince woke up, his consciousness was unclear. He kept shouting Yang Yi’s name, claiming General Yang wanted to kill him and that everyone around him was placed there by Yang Yi.

The Emperor’s face was terrifyingly grim. Yang Yi had people near the Crown Prince? Five years ago, the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor incited the Crown Prince. Five years later, someone still dared to subtly influence the Crown Prince.

Upon investigation, the Crown Prince’s most trusted confidant was the Minister of Rites.

And Minister of Rites Zhu Quan had secret dealings with Yang Yi. The Sui’an Perfumery, when falsely accused, had helped Zhu Quan investigate the escaped assassin.

Now it was clear that the investigation was not for the Crown Prince.

It could only have been for Yang Yi.

Yang Yi had previously suffered an assassination attempt, the Crown Prince had turned against him, and the Emperor harbored murderous intent. Therefore, it seemed he was preparing to strike first.

News came from the Judicial Office: Eunuch Xu, unable to withstand the torture, confessed. He brought up the case from five years ago, admitting that he created the sorcery and delivered it to the Prince of Dong’an’s Estate, where a bribed servant hid it in the heir’s bedroom.

Eunuch Xu was also found to have private correspondence with Yang Yi.

With the sudden arrests and inspections, many things that hadn’t been destroyed were uncovered.

Hearing the news, Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou looked thoughtful, taking Sun Zhengmo to the roof of the General’s Estate.

They had guessed wrong, but that wasn’t important; it was all part of the process.

They hadn’t expected that the “sorcery” case from back then was orchestrated by Yang Yi, Zhu Quan, and Eunuch Xu.

Feng Yuluo looked at Sun Zhengmo: “Boss Sun, you are not being honest. You didn’t tell us about this person.”

The Prince of Dong’an’s Estate was dragged into the mess, and the Crown Prince was implicated by the Grand Tutor. Yang Yi proved his loyalty, thereby retaining his military power.

After the Grand Tutor left, Zhu Quan was promoted to Minister of Rites, becoming someone the Crown Prince valued and relied upon.

In fact, this was also a contingency plan left by Yang Yi.

On one hand, he needed someone to monitor the Crown Prince and speak on his behalf in the future.

On the other hand, every time Zhu Quan criticized the Great General, it was a signal that the Great General had poor connections in court, which would reassure the Emperor.

Eunuch Xu was the provider of the “sorcery” and served as Yang Yi’s spy in the inner palace.

And Yang Yi, after the Empress and Crown Prince fell ill, also went mad. He spoke incoherently and started hacking and killing indiscriminately.

Some people thought he was cursed too, but the Emperor believed he suffered from the sorcery’s backlash.

The distinction was huge. The Emperor’s opinion carried the most weight, and Yang Yi fell from grace.

So, their original plan was: knowing the Crown Prince’s movements, Fu Qingmu would lead people to assassinate Yang Yi. This would make Yang Yi nervous, alert him to the capital, and confirm that the Crown Prince had broken ties with him, prompting him to mobilize confidants to discuss contingency plans.

Sun Zhengmo sought out Eunuch Xu, establishing a relationship through the incense supply business. As long as the spices entered the inner palace and the Empress and Crown Prince fell ill, Eunuch Xu would be implicated.

Further investigation would reveal his knowledge of sorcery, that he had cursed the imperial family back then, causing the Empress’s premature birth, bringing up the problematic nature of the old case, and leading the trail back to Yang Yi.

The Emperor would then realize that Yang Yi had formed a faction, infiltrated the court and inner palace, and even planted people near the Crown Prince.

Since Yang Yi had been assassinated, he would naturally be wary. With both the Emperor and the Crown Prince wanting to eliminate him, he would resort to sorcery, hoping to strike first.

This was intended to provoke the Emperor’s wrath.

However, later, due to the matter of the body hider, Yang Yi intervened, and the incense supply business was transferred to the Ministry of Rites.

Incense used by the Ministry of Rites was for grand occasions. It was difficult to cause trouble for everyone, and it would be hard to link it to sorcery.

They had to adjust the plan to offer incense on the Emperor’s birthday.

The Emperor and Empress were pleased, securing the contract for inner palace incense, and then they would act once the spices reached the inner palace.

This meant they had to take a detour.

All because of the interference of Shan Wuzhou and Feng Yuluo.

But if they hadn’t intervened, Fu Qingmu might have died.

The necessary detours had to be taken, and the effort required could not be spared.

Sun Zhengmo crossed her arms, surveying the chaotic General’s Estate and the Imperial Guards rushing to make arrests on the street. She pondered for a moment: “I am the boss. Why should I tell you what I’m going to do?”

“…”

Heartless. She was the same everywhere.

Feng Yuluo said, “This isn’t within the scope of our work. What’s wrong with chatting for a bit?”

Sun Zhengmo scoffed: “I’m planning to take down and kill the Great General of the Nation and the Minister of Rites. This is such a huge matter, and you expect me to tell everyone? Do I have a death wish?”

She leisurely straightened up, stretching out her hand languidly: “Secrecy is key to success. If you truly want to accomplish something, you must guard your tongue.”

As her voice faded, Feng Yuluo smelled the scent of tuberose. His vision went black, and he was immediately embraced and fell into a deep abyss several feet down.

He had no time to worry about Shan Wuzhou’s little actions. He thought, Sun Zhengmo’s Illusory Thought Realm has arrived.

But Yang Yi was a man of war and slaughter. His malevolence was heavier than that of all nine murderers in the first case combined. Could Sun Zhengmo withstand it?