Chapter 28: The Storyteller’s Revelation

Jing Zhe gazed at the desolate street. The north of the city was clearly not going to open for business today. They could only leave. “Alright,” she said.

The three of them headed toward the east side of the city.

It took them about half an hour to get there, and by the time they arrived, the area had already returned to normal business, probably because the shops in the north and west were still closed, so everyone had flocked here, making it quite crowded.

Xie Zhizhi looked at the lines in front of every shop and suggested, “Let’s sit at a teahouse for now and wait until the crowds thin out before we go shopping.”

After all, in their eyes, they hadn’t eaten yet.

“Big Sister is right.” Jing Lan pointed to a three-story, classical teahouse. “Xiangming Pavilion looks good. Let’s have breakfast first. Big Sister must be hungry.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Let’s find a teahouse that has storytellers,” Xie Zhizhi said, wanting to hear any new, unknown information.

In ancient times, storytelling was one of the few ways to circulate information.

Jing Lan kept an eye on the crowd while heading toward Xiangming Pavilion. “Most teahouses have storytellers. The first floor of Xiangming Pavilion has one.”

Xie Zhizhi followed, aware that the original owner of the body rarely came to the east side because it was too far from the General’s Mansion. Jing Zhe followed closely behind her, the caution of hidden guards ingrained in them.

Jing Lan led the way, quickly moving through the crowd to Xiangming Pavilion.

The main hall on the first floor was packed, and only one table by the edge was still available. Jing Lan swiftly slid in to secure the seats.

As soon as they sat down, the waiter brought the menu. Xie Zhizhi looked at the variety of snacks listed, and her stomach growled again.

“Bird’s nest with golden threads, sugar-steamed cheese…”

The waiter, overhearing that the guest had ordered more than thirty items, was enthusiastic. He smiled warmly, noting, “The elder lady looks like she’s quite wealthy, despite her plain clothes and patched holes. It’s always surprising how people are not what they seem. The tea and snacks will be served soon. Our storyteller is preparing to take the stage.”

Jing Lan waved the waiter away.

A moment later, there was a sudden burst of heated discussion from the neighboring table.

Since their table was close, Xie Zhizhi overheard the conversation.

“Did you hear? The Emperor passed away last night, and everything in the Empress’s palace disappeared overnight! Isn’t that spooky?”

The people at the table then realized their voices had risen too loud and leaned in closer to avoid others hearing.

Jing Zhe and Jing Lan exchanged shocked looks, their mouths opening in surprise. They stared at Xie Zhizhi in silent questioning: “Dead? The dog emperor is really dead?”

They still hadn’t figured out if the emperor had plotted against the general.

But the fact remained—his actions had led to the destruction of the General’s Mansion and the attempt to kill the young miss!

They had no sympathy for him.

Xie Zhizhi nodded with a faint, unreadable smile on her lips. “It seems so.”

Jing Lan seemed thoughtful and asked, “But how did everything in the Empress’s palace disappear?”

Xie Zhizhi narrowed her eyes, smiling faintly. “You’re so smart, why don’t you guess?”

The two exchanged a glance and shook their heads silently.

“I don’t know.”

At that moment, the storyteller walked out onto the stage, and their discussion came to a halt.

The storyteller jumped right into the topic, with an exaggerated, tense expression. “Have you heard? Something earth-shattering happened last night! You won’t believe it!”

His tone immediately caught the audience’s attention, and everyone stopped eating, looking toward the stage with wide ears.

Xie Zhizhi and the others looked up. She quickly appraised the storyteller—a young man with delicate features, scholarly elegance in his eyes, but his voice had the flair of a street vendor trying to sell goods.

He started, “Last night, a hundred imperial guards mysteriously died during a raid on the General’s Mansion! Most of the wealth disappeared without a trace! The officials from the Imperial History Office were moving valuables, and they all vanished as well! The people present watched as everything seemingly disappeared into thin air, the wind blowing around their necks, so frightened they ran for their lives!”

The storyteller’s tone, with its dramatic highs and lows, made the story incredibly enticing and shocking, as though the flood on the streets was nothing compared to what had happened at the royal palace.

Xie Zhizhi didn’t expect anyone in this era would dare to openly talk about these events, but the next words from the storyteller made her even more surprised.

The storyteller flipped his fan open and sighed, continuing, “And then, a strange fire broke out in the royal palace! The Emperor passed away. Once again, everything in the Empress’s palace mysteriously disappeared, leaving only a large bed. The guards at the door said… they didn’t see any thieves coming or going. So, who could have moved everything?”

The audience gasped. Though there were rumors that the Emperor had fallen ill this morning, this additional shocking information was truly unexpected!

The palace was heavily guarded. How could something disappear without anyone noticing?

Little did they know, the person who knew the truth was sitting right there.

The large hall fell silent, the storyteller’s eerie tone adding a chilling atmosphere, making everyone anxious to hear more.

He continued, “This matter still has no conclusion. How could so many things have disappeared? Did someone move them? Were the guards blind? If it wasn’t a person, what could have moved all these precious items? Do you want to know?”

“Yes!” Some in the crowd, intrigued, eagerly shouted.

“Sigh, disasters have struck the capital. Could they be related to what’s happening in the royal palace?” The storyteller sighed dramatically, leaving everyone wondering. Then he switched gears. “That’s all for today’s story. If you want to know more, come back tomorrow. We’ll be waiting for you at Xiangming Pavilion.”

The crowd was left with a thirst for more, unable to discern whether the story was true or not, but it certainly sounded intriguing.

Many people were lost in thought, eager to leave and find out the truth.

To learn more, they erupted into applause: “Clap clap clap!”

Xie Zhizhi was puzzled. Surely, talking about these matters in this era would lead to beheading, wouldn’t it?

However, Jing Lan leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Big Sister, this teahouse belongs to the Third Prince.”

Oh?

So that’s how it is.

No wonder the storyteller didn’t mention the Empress Dowager at all.