Shen Li picked up a piece of black cloth on the table and stroked it carefully in her hand. "Hanyue, have you found out the origin of this cloth? Which silk shops in the capital city sell it?"
"This kind of cloth is very common in the capital. Baofeng, Shunxing and Qinglong Silk Shops all have it. But because it's black, not many people buy it. Among them, Baofeng Silk Shop has sold the most, while Shunxing the least."
"Can we find out the records of those who bought this cloth in the silk shops?"
Hanyue nodded. "It may take a few days to find out."
"Okay. Let me know as soon as you get the information. Also, have there been any news from the Fourth Prince's Mansion and the Prince Li's Mansion these days?" Shen Li thought for a while and asked.
"The Fourth Prince's Mansion is the same as before. There's no news. However, there is news from the Prince Li's Mansion. The heir of the Prince Li was injured outside three days ago and was carried back to the mansion."
Shen Li was slightly silent for a moment and then asked, "Three days ago? When exactly three days ago? In the evening?"
Hanyue shook her head. "It was in the first half of the day three days ago. When the heir of the Prince Li was out on business and on his way back to the capital, he was assassinated by some black - clothed men in the suburbs and got injured."
Shen Li left the table and walked around the chair. She remembered that three days ago when she and Xuan Yuanjue went to the Fourth Prince's Mansion, he didn't look like a man who was injured.
"Did our people see him injured?"
Hanyue shook her head again. "It's probably true that he was assassinated by the black - clothed men. Our people found the bodies of more than a dozen black - clothed men in the suburbs. But our people only saw the servants of the Prince Li's Mansion carry him into the carriage. Then the Prince Li's Mansion announced that the heir was injured in the assassination."
"The Prince Li even went to the palace to see the emperor and got an imperial order. He led the imperial guards to search all the inns, shops, dilapidated temples and other places in the capital, saying that he wanted to find the few black - clothed men who had escaped."
"Hehe!" Shen Li chuckled. "He is very cunning! The black - clothed men are real, but his injury is probably fake! This matter is really interesting. The person who is really injured tries to keep it a secret, while he, who is not injured, can't wait to tell the whole world that he is injured."
"Miss, should we also send people to track those black - clothed men?" After staying with Shen Li for a while, Hanyue was already familiar with her way of handling things and knew that she would never let go of any clues.
"Send a few people to investigate. But they came prepared and have an organized plan. It may not be easy to find them. Don't have too high hopes."
Seeing that Shen Li had no more questions, Hanyue retreated to do what Shen Li had told her.
"Miss! Do you suspect something? Is the heir of the Prince Li also a suspect?" Jiaoyue was lively and active, but straightforward. She couldn't figure out these power - related matters. Seeing that Shen Li was not thinking, she asked.
"We have too few clues. There are still some things I can't figure out now! But one day, the truth of these things will come to light! As for Xuan Yuanjue, he is not just a suspect. He is an important character in these things! Without him, these plays would be much less wonderful!"
Jiaoyue looked at Shen Li doubtfully, not knowing what she meant. Did she hate the heir of the Prince Li? But it didn't seem so.
In her heart, although she thought that the heir of the Prince Li sometimes bullied her miss, he was still a good person. At least he was better than the Fourth Prince that her miss had been infatuated with before.
She just couldn't see what was good about the Fourth Prince that could make her miss so infatuated. Fortunately, her miss had come to her senses.
Now her miss was already sixteen years old. It was almost time for her to be betrothed. This matter should be put on the agenda earlier.
But now the master and the mistress were not in the capital. It would be good if the Second Mistress and the Second Master didn't cause trouble. How could they plan carefully for her miss's marriage? Then what should they do about her miss's marriage?
Could they let the eldest young master, a man, take care of it?
Jiaoyue silently shook her head in her heart. It seemed that she had to pay more attention on weekdays. When she met a good person, she should keep an eye out for her miss.
Today, the Shen Mansion was destined to be in turmoil.
In the afternoon, when there was still some time before dinner, a maid came in and said, "Eldest Miss, the steward of Wenxing Estate is here. He wants to see you."
"Wenxing Estate?" Shen Li hesitated for a moment and then said, "Let him in."
Then, a man in his forties in a gray cloth robe came in with his head down. "Your humble servant, Xie Yuan, pays respects to the eldest miss!"
Shen Li was sitting on the main seat in the hall. She glanced at him and then looked away. "Get up. What do you want to report today?"
The man named Xie Yuan said nervously, "I'm here to talk about the Second Young Master."
"The Second Young Master?" Shen Li repeated and then remembered. "Is it the Second Brother Zhang from my uncle's family?"
"Yes, eldest miss. It's Young Master Shen Zhang."
Shen Li nodded to show that she had an impression of him. "Did something inappropriate happen to him on the estate that made you come today?"
Hearing this, Xie Yuan shook his head. "No! No! No! It's not the Second Young Master who sent me here. It's me... I saw that the Second Young Master was seriously injured. I was afraid that something dangerous would happen to him, so I came here on my own."
Before entering the door, Xie Yuan had repeatedly told himself in his heart to pay attention to his address when talking to the master. But in his eagerness, he forgot to call himself "your humble servant" and just said "I".
But Shen Li didn't pay attention to this. Hearing Xie Yuan say "seriously injured", she asked anxiously, "What's wrong with Second Brother? How did he get injured? And so seriously?"
Xie Yuan didn't hide anything and told the whole story clearly, "A few days ago, the house where the Second Young Master lived was old. The beam was eaten by worms and broke in the middle of the night. The house collapsed. The Second Young Master's leg was crushed under it and he fainted. I found two local doctors from the nearby estates. They both said that his bone was injured and it was very serious."
"Moreover, the Second Young Master was in a coma for a whole day and night. The two doctors said that his injury was too serious for them to treat. They only prescribed two packs of herbal medicine, but it had no effect on the Second Young Master. I was worried about the Second Young Master's health, so I wanted to come to the mansion to report and let the master and the mistress think of a way. But Concubine Su and the Second Young Master were afraid of causing trouble to the mansion and repeatedly stopped me from coming."
"I sneaked out last night in the middle of the night. I drove the mule - cart from the estate and came to the mansion. Concubine Su and the Second Young Master don't know about it."
After listening to his words, Shen Li showed a look of pity on her face. "Second Brother is really. When he got injured, he should have come to the mansion to let us know. At least we could have sent a doctor to see him. There is a shortage of medical resources on the estate. When will his body get better?"
She then turned to Xie Yuan standing below and said, "You did a good job in this matter! Go to the accounting room later and get a reward of ten taels of silver."