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

Chapter 56 The Old Ancestor of the Golden Clan Makes a Great Contribution

When the orange cat saw that familiar crimson light flash in Shen Lang's eyes again, its heart tightened instinctively. It sat upright on the ground, paws held high, and answered obediently:

"About two weeks ago, on a bright and sunny morning, I was taking a nap when I suddenly felt dizzy."

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself here, with an extremely ugly, insidious, and vicious woman standing before me...

Although orange cats are not very intelligent, they have one advantage: they are obedient.

Shen Lang asked it to explain in more detail, and it recounted everything in great detail.

Shen Lang closed his eyes slightly, his thoughts racing.

He filtered out the cat's hidden agenda and insults, and quickly found a key piece of information.

"Every time we meet, she seems to be in a rush, using extremely concise language, which makes it difficult for you to understand?"

The orange cat nodded obediently.

Shen Lang frowned slightly and asked again, "Was there anything unusual about her speech?"

The orange cat sat on all fours, tilted its head, thought for a moment, and then said:

"Every time she appears, her form becomes more ethereal after ten breaths, and she occasionally flickers. I find it quite strange."

Shen Lang's gaze sharpened, and he said in a deep voice, "Why didn't you say so before?"

The orange cat wiggled its rear end and said matter-of-factly, "You didn't even ask!"

Shen Lang was speechless. It was his oversight; dealing with this guy required some skill.

"Go on, whether you think it's normal or strange, don't leave anything out."

After speaking, Shen Lang paused, then said in a gentler tone, "Put your heart into it. If you can help me find clues, this will be considered your redemption."

"Once this matter is settled, I'll find a way to send you home."

"real?!"

"I can go home now?!"

The orange cat excitedly lay down on the ground and rolled around, but then suddenly stopped, its amber eyes revealing a hint of confusion.

A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Lang's eyes, and he asked in a daze, "What kind of good food has the princess given you that makes you not even want to go home?"

The orange cat purred, rolled over, and stood up. After a moment of struggle, it said, "I've decided! I'm going home!"

Shen Lang nodded: "Then do your best."

The orange cat huddled its four chubby paws together, its face serious, and asked, "Where were we?"

Shen Lang warned, "After ten breaths, her figure began to become ethereal and flickering."

The orange cat frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "She spoke the most and lingered the longest when she first asked me to take action."

"After about twenty breaths, she started to flicker very intensely, and her whole body became transparent, as if she would disappear at any moment."

"Hmm... she became transparent. Yes, I can see a large bamboo grove behind her through her."

"Tall and densely packed."

"Behind the bamboo... the fog was very thick, and you could only vaguely see a narrow, winding path."

"I don't know how to describe it..."

It stretched out its short, chubby front paws and gestured wildly: "Exactly, there are many levels, both horizontal and vertical!"

"Bamboo forest, thick fog, winding steps?"

Shen Lang frowned slightly. Although the orange cat didn't express itself very clearly, the information it provided was already sufficient.

No wonder he's gained nothing these past few days; it turns out this woman isn't even in Yujing City!

"Her condition is very unstable, which is why she has become transparent and shimmering, just like the wisp of energy I caught that day, which was somewhat weak."

"She must be injured."

"And that bamboo grove was where she hid and recuperated."

"In a mountain on the outskirts of the city?"

Thinking of this, Shen Lang's eyes flickered slightly; he had indeed not considered this direction before.

Because Yujing City was heavily guarded, it was by no means an easy thing to get in from the outside.

If this happens too often, even a mysterious fortune teller will inevitably leave traces.

However, the murderer seemed to think that placing the fortune teller in the imperial city, under the watchful eye of the Imperial Observatory, was even more dangerous.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense that if you are discovered entering the city, you can still escape, but if you are discovered privately raising a fortune teller, you will definitely die.

"I've told you everything I know. Have I done anything to help you?"

The orange cat tilted its head back, looking at Shen Lang with pleading eyes.

Shen Lang snapped out of his thoughts and suddenly reached out to scratch its chin: "Well done."

"I mean what I say. Once this case is closed, you can go home!"

The orange cat comfortably squinted its eyes, then suddenly realized what was happening, dodged to the side, and hissed, "Don't touch me!"

"I am a spirit cat, a spirit cat!"

"How dare you scratch my chin!"

Shen Lang smiled, said nothing more, walked out of the garden, and found one of the princess's maids.

"Please tell the Princess that I have other matters to attend to and will not be having lunch at the Prince's residence. I will come to pay my respects to the Princess after I have finished my work."

After giving his instructions, he strode away and headed to Xu Jingde's residence.

......

The founder of the Gold Gang made a great contribution, providing an important clue.

Then, things will be much easier from here on out.

All we need to do is have Xu Jingde find out the location of that mountain, then he can go there and bring the mysterious fortune teller to justice.

Once we catch her, everything will come to light.

"Young friend, you've come at the perfect time! I was just about to send someone to look for you!"

Upon seeing Shen Lang, Xu Jingde strode over to greet him.

"Greetings, Lord Xu," Shen Lang cupped his hands in greeting. "Is there any news regarding the tassel pendant?"

Xu Jingde nodded slightly, then dismissed his attendants and said in a deep voice, "This gold-threaded coral tassel is not from the harem, but comes from..."

"Princess Yongchun's Residence!"

"Princess Yongchun...His Majesty's younger sister?"

"Exactly!" Xu Jingde's expression was extremely serious.

"Princess Yongchun is His Majesty's younger sister, and they have a very deep relationship."

"Furthermore... her husband is the second son of Zou Nanpu, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and Vice Minister of Rites!"

Seemingly worried that Shen Lang wouldn't be able to match the names, Xu Jingde explained further:

"Zou Nanpu was a leader of the literati and a representative figure of the Qingliu faction."

Shen Lang nodded and said, "I know him."

Xu Jingde frowned: "If the murderer is indeed Princess Yongchun's lover, then this case will not only be a royal scandal, but will also affect the reputation of the Qingliu faction."

Shen Lang's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "In Lord Xu's opinion, if the murderer did indeed have an affair with Princess Yongchun, how should this case be judged?"

Xu Jingde slowly exhaled and said, "Let it go gently, suppress it without making a move, and secretly give the main culprit a cup of poisoned wine. That will settle the matter."

Shen Lang raised an eyebrow: "If they don't even conduct a trial, doesn't that mean the murderer won't even have a formal charge?"

Xu Jingde's face was ashen, and the veins on his temples bulged, but he still nodded slowly.

Shen Lang smiled and said, "I cannot accept this answer."

Xu Jingde suddenly looked up at him.

Shen Lang's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked again, "Lord Xu, could you tell me about Princess Yongchun's situation?"

"Where does she live, and what are her hobbies?"