Chapter 742

"What did you say?"

Kong Shangzhao stood up abruptly upon hearing this, his face deathly pale.

"This is..." Shopkeeper Qian hesitated for a moment, asking in a low voice.

Fatty Lin shook his head and said: "This is my brother, and also the son of Shopkeeper Kong."

"Oh."

Shopkeeper Qian understood immediately, looked around, and lowered his voice: "This matter, it happened just two days ago, and it really poked a hole in the sky! The entire Jinan Prefecture was alarmed."

As he spoke, he looked at everyone, "I also heard it from hearsay; that morning, the servant responsible for sweeping the ancestral hall just pushed open the door, and the Duke Yansheng was lying in the ancestral hall, already stone cold."

"And this little brother's father was also lying next to him; although he wasn't dead, he couldn't be woken up no matter what..."

"At that time, the entire Kong Mansion exploded! You all know that the Duke Yansheng's mansion is the bloodline of Confucius, with a noble status; how could this matter be covered up? They immediately wanted to carry out a private execution, but for some reason, they brought the person to Jinan Prefecture for interrogation."

Hearing this, Kong Shangzhao's body swayed violently, his face pale, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails almost embedded into his flesh.

Li Yan pressed his shoulder calmly, then asked in a deep voice: "The person was also unconscious in the ancestral hall; if the murderer had run away early, didn't anyone find any suspicious points?"

"Suspicious points?"

Shopkeeper Qian sighed, "Not just that, there are plenty!"

"First, the Kong family has many high-level guards, and the ancestral hall is a place heavily guarded at night; let alone a person, even a mouse would find it hard to slip in. How did the murderer get in? How did they kill the person? And how did they retreat unscathed? The constables of Jinan Prefecture investigated for a whole day and didn't find a trace of external intrusion..."

"Second, Master Kong was perfectly fine, why did he fall into a coma? The coroner also checked; he wasn't poisoned, nor did he suffer any external injuries; it's really evil!"

"Third, and this is the point the Kong family is making the most noise about, everyone says that Shopkeeper Kong had a feud with the Duke Yansheng's grandson, and therefore harbored evil intentions to harm people; but if he really had the guts, would he have been forced to give up his shop?"

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Qian shook his head: "Anyway, this matter is too big and involves too much; the Prefect's Yamen doesn't dare to judge it arbitrarily. The various branches of the Kong family are arguing like enemies, all saying they want to get to the bottom of it."

"I heard the Prefect is overwhelmed and can only order Shopkeeper Kong to be kept under strict guard."

Hearing the words "strict guard" and "heavy dungeon," Kong Shangzhao could no longer suppress the congestion and grief in his chest; he stood up from the chair abruptly and blurted out: "My father cannot be the murderer! I must go see him! Release my father!"

Li Yan suddenly increased the force on his hand, pressing him down, "Calm down! That is the Jinan Prefecture Yamen; rashly breaking into the prison will only harm your father and yourself! This matter is absolutely not simple; we must discuss it at length!"

The people next to him also hurriedly persuaded him, finally letting Kong Shangzhao calm down.

After all, he was a young man with little experience; he could remain calm and analyze other complex situations, but when it came to himself, he was somewhat unable to control himself.

Seeing them like this, Shopkeeper Qian didn't make a fuss, but after taking Fatty Lin out, he whispered: "Young Master Lin, you must be careful; there are many oddities behind this matter, and the situation in Jiangzhe is not good either."

"Don't worry, Old Qian, I know."

Fatty Lin comforted him, then rubbed his face and turned to enter the room.

Everyone's eyes turned to Li Yan; after all, when encountering this matter, he still had to make the decision.

Li Yan pondered: "This matter sounds like there are many problems; the Kong family can execute private punishments, but Shopkeeper Kong was sent to Jinan; there is probably a reason for family infighting, so we must not act rashly."

"You stay here first, and Old Sha and I will go to Great Ming Lake to scout."

……………

The summer rain had just stopped, and the evening Great Ming Lake was steaming with misty water vapor.

The air, which was unbearably damp and stuffy during the day, was now moistened by the water, revealing a few traces of coolness.

When Li Yan and Sha Lifei stepped out of the Yuelai Inn, the sky was already dark, but the entire lakeside was far noisier than during the day.

"Whoa! It's quite lively after the rain!"

Sha Lifei was only wearing a coarse cloth short jacket, revealing his sturdy chest, breathing in the damp air slightly scented with lotus.

As he said, Jinan Prefecture, which had shrunk because of the rain during the day, seemed to have woken up.

On the streets around the lake, pedestrians were like weaving, shoulder to shoulder.

Lanterns were lit one after another; there were long-lasting gauze lanterns hung by officials at street corners and pavilions, windproof paper lanterns hung by shops under their eaves, and "wind-killing" lanterns carried by peddlers walking through the streets.

Like stars, they gathered into a brilliant long dragon, reflected on the lake surface, flowing with light and color.

Under the willow shade by the lake and along the lake embankment, various stalls had long been set up.

Sellers of seasonal fruits had lotus pods, water chestnuts, and green-skinned crisp melons piled like mountains. The shouts of sellers of jelly, eight-treasure porridge, and tofu pudding rose one after another. Storytelling stalls, puppet shows, juggling, and magic tricks each circled their own territory, with gongs, drums, and cymbals ringing non-stop, drawing circles of people to stop and cheer.

There were even pleasure boats lit with lamps, their bows and sterns hung with colorful lanterns, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments faintly coming from the water surface, drawing tourists on the shore to crane their necks and watch.

And unlike other places, Jinan City had a flourishing literary atmosphere; whether it was shops or houses along the way, couplets were hung at the doors, and no two were the same, occasionally drawing scholars in groups of three or five to comment.

Of course, this was what ordinary people saw.

In Li Yan's eyes, those figures who seemed to be leaning casually under willow trees, crouching at river piers, or moving at the edges of lantern light, had condensed breath and sharp eyes, clearly being dark sentries or Jianghu spies lurking at the wharf.

It was not surprising; with the status of Jinan City's wharf, there must be many people in the Jianghu.

"Is that the building?"

After walking for about half an hour, Sha Lifei pointed ahead.

They saw a magnificent pavilion built by the water, with the brightest lights by the lakeside.

The building was two stories high, with flying eaves and bucket arches, painted with vermilion and gold, and a row of large red lanterns hung under the eaves, with the three gold-painted characters "Yanbo Pavilion" written on them, which were particularly eye-catching even on the brightly lit lakeside.

Its size far exceeded the surrounding buildings; no wonder it was the most famous money-burning cave in Jinan City.

In front of the building, there was a constant stream of traffic, with luxuriously decorated carriages and sedan chairs parked all along the way.

Officials, gentry, and merchants in brocade and fine clothes, and scholars holding folding fans who looked romantic, walked in one after another, welcomed by beautiful and charming women of various styles.

In the air, a sweet and greasy scent of rouge and powder floated, out of place with the fresh fragrance of lotus leaves by the lake.

Li Yan nodded slightly, and the two mixed into the crowd to approach.

Just as they reached the door, a wave of heat mixed with warm fragrance, wine, and sweat rushed toward them.

The turtle-headed man greeting guests at the door had sharp eyes; seeing that although the two were not wearing top-tier luxury, they had an extraordinary temperament, he greeted them with a warm yet restrained smile: "Two masters, is this your first time at our Yanbo Pavilion? Do you have any familiar girls? Should I introduce some to you?"

Sha Lifei waved his hand boldly: "Cut the crap, find a quiet and elegant seat for the master, and bring the good wine and food first! I heard your 'Dengzhou Old Burn' is not bad?"

"Got it! Two masters, please go upstairs!"

The turtle-headed man diligently led them to the second floor.

As soon as they climbed the stairs, the scene inside Yanbo Pavilion was even more astonishing.

Compared to the noise and congestion of the lobby downstairs, the layout of the second floor was much more open and elegant.

In the center was a spacious hall with woven flower carpets, decorated with antique calligraphy, paintings, and mahogany furniture.

It was not the time for the main hall performance, but in the corners, there were still a few high-quality geishas holding pipa or guzheng, plucking and twisting lightly, playing elegant music.

The entire space was cleverly divided into numerous elegant rooms and private boxes by carved wooden partitions and light gauze curtains more than half a person high.

Through the half-covered gauze curtains, the shadows of lamps danced, and one could vaguely see people toasting and shadows moving inside.

Whether talking loudly or whispering, everything was hidden in the music of silk and bamboo.

The waiters, carrying gold-lacquered trays full of wine and food, shuttled through the passages between the private boxes.

Their movements were agile, their steps light, and they were all well-trained.

The turtle-headed man led the two to an elegant seat by the window.

This location was excellent; on one side, one could enjoy the night view of Great Ming Lake with its dim lights, and on the other, one could overlook most of the scenery inside the building. The elegant seat was already set up with soft cushions and low tables, and mugwort incense was lit to repel mosquitoes.

"Two masters, please sit for a moment; the wine and food will be here soon." The turtle-headed man bowed and retreated.

Sha Lifei sat down comfortably, picked up the warm towel on the table, and wiped his face: "Finally, I can catch my breath! Brother Yan, what should we do next? Who should we meet?"