In other words, Mu Le bid farewell to Yuanan. He felt discomfort in his chest, his breath wasn't smooth, and it felt like there was a lump in his chest. He fell down again, feeling uneasy all over. The young boy didn't understand that he was heartbroken over a girl, he just thought he was sick. He felt so sick that he furrowed his eyebrows, lowered his head, and lost his soul as he entered the broken temple where he lived with Nigu.
Nigu had been waiting for him for a long time. He rushed to greet Mu Le, asking, "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Mu Le didn't speak and he laid down in the grass.
Nigu said, "Don't be lazy; there's a big deal tonight. Come with me!"
Mu Le, grabbed by Nigu, didn't know how to refuse and was in a daze.
He was facing a murderous disaster!
Two days later, a few days before Empress Wu's birthday, a massive rainstorm hit Luoyang City.
A lightning bolt struck, causing the imperial library's beam to collapse into a corner.
It was raining heavily.
The on-duty eunuchs didn't dare to neglect their duties and trotted through the imperial library.
The person in charge, a middle-aged eunuch named Li Cheng, whispered to the little eunuch next to him, "What did I tell you? Check it carefully early and ensure everything is in order. Is the window broken? Let me tell you, if we lose something, we can't afford to lose our heads!"
They were busy until dawn, sorting out books and pictures against the list.
A little eunuch reported, "Reporting to Gonggong, most of the books and pictures are well preserved. However, six paintings and calligraphy from the Jin Dynasty have water damage and need repair."
Li Cheng asked, "Which six are they?"
The little eunuch presented him with a list.
Li Cheng calmed down a little, saying, "Fortunately, it's not the paintings that the masters love. There's time for repair."
The little eunuch hesitated and then said, "Gonggong, it seems there's a painting missing."
Li Cheng inquired, "Which one?"
"That one..."
Li Cheng understood instantly, shocked, and quickly went through the scrolls he had sorted out, becoming more and more impatient.
The painting had indeed disappeared!
The painting, which was kept in a copper cabinet to protect it from water and dust, was gone!
Li Cheng exclaimed, "How is it possible? How could it be?"
The eunuchs were extremely frightened, looking at each other, racking their brains for ideas.
Li Cheng calmed down a little, lowered his face, and ordered everyone, "Listen, no one is allowed to spread this matter!"
The little eunuch was about to cry, saying, "Gonggong, the painting is gone, but we can't hide it."
Li Cheng's fingers trembled, and he pointed outside, "Go, go and invite Zhao Lanzhi!"
Zhao Lanzhi, the head constable of Luoyang County government, received the news and rushed to the palace quickly, following an eunuch straight to the imperial library.
When Li Cheng saw him, he seemed to settle down, closed the doors and windows, turned around, and walked in front of Zhao Lanzhi. He wanted to say something and suddenly knelt down.
Zhao Lanzhi put down the teacup and hurriedly stopped him, "What is Gonggong doing? If you have anything to say, please say it, if you kneel like this isn't this killing me?"
Li Cheng was helped up by Zhao Lanzhi, "Lanzhi, in three days is the Empress' birthday. If you don't save me this time, I'm afraid my life will really be hard to protect!"
Zhao Lanzhi pondered a little, knowing that the matter was not small, "What is going on, Gonggong, please explain slowly."
Li Cheng said, "Yesterday, the Imperial library was hit by heavy rain. We sorted out the scrolls and books overnight, but found that one of the most important paintings registeredwas missing."
"Which one?"
"Lan Zhi, you must have seen that work when you visited the Empress, it's called 'The Picture Below the Banana Tree.' It's her favorite, one she often browses."
Zhao Lanzhi thought for a while, and there was indeed some impression in his head: "A man and a woman reading a book under a banana tree?"
Li Cheng nodded, "Exactly."
"Then I have a slight impression."
Li Cheng turned around and said with difficulty, "That is the favorite painting. The scroll was a bit worn out, so we had it here to repair it to hang it on the day of the Empress' birthday. But...but, after the heavy rain, it actually disappeared!"
Zhao Lanzhi was not surprised. He knew how many people's disasters it would mean to lose the beloved painting of the Empress.
Li Cheng turned to look at him, "I dare not speak out, but there is no way, so I have to turn to you, Lanzhi! If you refuse to help, not only me, but the lives of dozens of eunuchs in the imperial library will be gone!"
Zhao Lanzhi pondered for a long time, "Don't panic, Gonggong, there are no more than two possibilities for the loss of property, external thieves or internal thieves. The Imperial library is heavily guarded, no one can enter or exit without permission. So has Gonggong investigated all the eunuchs, servants, and any others who entered?"
Li Cheng said, "After the incident, I immediately asked and searched, and no suspicious people were found. Besides, if there is really an internal thief, then they will not be able to hide the connection. What Gonggong said is extremely true; those who stay in the palace will never dare to steal this painting. However, recently, have any eunuchs from the imperial library recently taken leave of the palace?"
Li Cheng: "None"
A timid eunuch cautiously reminded, "Gonggong, what about Cao Yi?"
Li Cheng, recalling, quickly informed Zhao Lanzhi, "Indeed, one person took leave five days ago. He was responsible for repairing furniture here and has been with me since childhood. He said his parents came to Luoyang from their hometown, cried, and requested to go out and meet them. I granted him leave." He turned to the little eunuch, "Hey, when did he say he would be back?"
The little eunuch counted, "Gonggong, he was supposed to return yesterday."
Li Cheng was dumbfounded.
Zhao Lanzhi, had an idea, said, "The loss of this scroll may be related to this person. Li Gonggong, let me help you find the eunuch who took leave and hasn't returned. Do you have a portrait of him?"
Li Cheng quickly found one, "He is plump, without a beard."
With this significant matter at hand, Zhao Lanzhi put aside his current tasks, refraining from involving subordinates, and personally searched for the whereabouts of the eunuch Cao Yi. Unfortunately, there was no news the entire day.
As night fell, Zhao Lanzhi returned to the county government. The gravedigger, Lao Yang, was walking in drunkenly with a jug in his hand, nearly colliding with Zhao Lanzhi.
Lao Yang apologized, "Oops, Constable Zhao, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"Drunk again?" Zhao Lanzhi asked.
Lao Yang chuckled, "It's good to be drunk. After getting drunk, looking at dead bodies isn't as unpleasant."
Smiling, Zhao Lanzhi helped him up and was about to leave, when he suddenly thought, if news of the living Cao Yi couldn't be found, could he be dead? So, he asked, "Lao Yang, have you received any peculiar salted fish recently?"
Shaking his head, Lao Yang replied, "Nothing too peculiar. But yesterday morning, I did receive a pickled salted fish."
Unsure, Zhao Lanzhi asked, "I don't understand."
Wide-eyed, Lao Yang explained, "It's a corpse, a castrated corpse!"
"Take me to see!" requested Zhao Lanzhi.
In the mortuary, Lao Yang led Zhao Lanzhi to the so-called pickled salted fish. Comparing the face with the portrait, it was indeed Cao Yi. Zhao Lanzhi thought, Li Gonggong, I've found Cao Yi for you, but he's dead! Turning to Lao Yang, he asked, "What have you found?"
"He was killed, knife wounds in two places. One in the abdomen with no blood, the other in the throat with little blood," reported Lao Yang.
Monitoring the situation, Zhao Lanzhi pondered, "Who is the murderer? Did they take anything valuable from him?"
Lao Yang revealed, "The murderer was caught on the spot. They're currently locked up in the cell."
Zhao Lanzhi was momentarily stunned.
~Thank You for Reading, Please Comment Below~
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