The Imperial Coroner Season 2

Chapter 16: Home-style Tofu (Part Sixteen)

Leng Yue nibbled on a steamed bun as she ducked into the alley adjacent to Qingxiang Tower. By the time she reached the innermost household at the end of the alley, she had just finished the last bite.

Standing at the doorway, Leng Yue finally understood why Zhang Lao Wu had said his home was easily recognizable.

Outside the weathered wooden door, porcelain pieces of various sizes were neatly stacked against the base of the courtyard walls on both sides. Last night's heavy rain had filled several porcelain bowls placed at the top of the piles to the brim. Sunlight reflected off the accumulated water, making the already moss-covered and dust-laden porcelain appear translucent.

Leng Yue's knowledge of porcelain was limited to everyday cups, plates, and bowls used for daily living. Even so, she could tell that these discarded pieces outside the door could be considered beauties among porcelain ware.

If only one or two pieces of such quality were placed under the eaves outside the door, the resident might be someone like her who didn't recognize their value. But with such a large collection piled up, the person living inside was almost certainly a master among connoisseurs.

Leng Yue raised her hand to knock. The door was opened by a dark-skinned, sturdy middle-aged man whose eyes fell upon Leng Yue before he grinned warmly. "You must be Madam Jing?"

Leng Yue subtly shifted the sheathless sword behind her back. "Yes."

"I'm Xu Qing. My master woke up early and has been waiting for you in the main hall!" Xu Qing said, then turned his head and shouted toward the main hall, "Master, Madam Jing is here!"

The courtyard was small, and with Xu Qing's clear, loud shout, Leng Yue suspected even the household at the other end of the alley could hear it perfectly.

Xu Qing invited Leng Yue into the courtyard but stopped there, showing no intention of inviting her inside. Since he didn't invite her further, Leng Yue didn't move, standing with him in the small courtyard that appeared increasingly cramped due to the various porcelain pieces stored in the open. After a moment, Zhang Lao Wu emerged slowly from the house, leaning on a cane.

"Madam..."

Leng Yue nodded and cupped her hands in greeting. "Master Zhang, I apologize for disturbing you so early in the morning."

"Madam, you're too kind, too kind..."

Zhang Lao Wu's steps seemed even more difficult than yesterday. Leng Yue found it hard to watch and was about to step forward to support him when Xu Qing beat her to it.

Watching Xu Qing carefully help Zhang Lao Wu over the threshold, Leng Yue imperceptibly furrowed her brow.

Compared to yesterday at the kiln, Zhang Lao Wu seemed somewhat...

Wrong.

Before Leng Yue could pinpoint what was wrong, Zhang Lao Wu had slowly approached.

"Madam, this is a humble home, and the interior is quite messy..." Supported by Xu Qing, Zhang Lao Wu looked apologetically toward the stone table under the locust tree in the courtyard. "Would you mind sitting out here in the courtyard? It's brighter here than inside, making it easier to examine items without misjudging them."

Leng Yue was taken aback.

Items?

What items?

Seeing Leng Yue's confusion, Zhang Lao Wu looked at her empty hands except for the sword she was holding and also appeared puzzled. "Didn't you say you had several valuable items... and asked me to summon my disciple as well?"

Leng Yue really wanted to slap her own forehead.

With all the interference from her second sister and Jing Yi, she only remembered the purpose of meeting Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing but had completely forgotten about this matter.

She had originally thought that since Jing Yi enjoyed playing with such scholarly items, his residence must have many pieces that could fool even experts. She planned to borrow a few from him, but where could she borrow them now...Leng Yue was inwardly scratching like a cat at a post when a familiar voice sounded from the courtyard gate behind her.

"Yes, yes... several precious artifacts indeed. I appreciate your hard work, masters!"

Leng Yue turned her head in astonishment, nearly straining her neck.

There stood Jing Yi in flowing white robes, beaming as he carried a blue-and-white porcelain soup tureen. Inside were several plates, stacked with a bowl, and within the bowl rested a spoon. He entered with a clatter of porcelain.

Where the tureen and plates came from, Leng Yue didn't know, but she clearly remembered that bowl and spoon - they were the very set Jing Yi had used earlier at Qingxiang Lou to eat bean curd pudding.

A large black porcelain bowl with a chip on the rim - no mistake about it.

What was he doing bringing these things here?

Under the stunned gazes of Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing, Jing Yi carefully placed the gleaming porcelain set on the stone table. He let out a theatrical sigh before assuming an elegant smile and speaking modestly, "These are the artifacts. My third brother spent tens of thousands of taels to acquire them from a western antique dealer, claiming they're ancient pieces. He gave them to my wife as a wedding gift, but she hasn't been able to discern what makes them special. She's been puzzled for days, and I don't know much about these things either... I'd appreciate your expert opinion."

As he spoke, Jing Yi reached out and affectionately stroked the edge of the soup tureen.

Zhang Lao Wu looked at Xu Qing, Xu Qing looked at Zhang Lao Wu, while Leng Yue sighed inwardly and lifted her eyes to the sky.

Among all creatures that fly in the sky, run on land, or swim in water - only her husband could possibly pull off something like this...

But for now, there was no choice but to play along with his charade.

Steeling herself, Leng Yue offered a charming smile. "We'd be grateful if you could examine them carefully for us."

After a long moment of exchanging looks, Zhang Lao Wu finally gritted his teeth and uttered a rather unconfident "Alright." Supported by Xu Qing, he slowly sat on the stone stool, picked up the black porcelain bowl that had held steaming bean curd pudding just moments before, and began examining it carefully through squinted eyes.

Leng Yue's heart pounded fiercely.

If the old master detected the scent of bean curd pudding...

She stole a glance at Jing Yi standing beside her. Not only was he completely unruffled, he was watching the master and apprentice with intense concentration as they seriously handled the bowl and dishes.

Just as Leng Yue began to wonder if she was the one who couldn't recognize true value, Zhang Lao Wu slowly spoke.

"Fourth Young Master, Madam..." Zhang Lao Wu carefully set down the bowl and bowed slightly to Jing Yi and Leng Yue, speaking in measured tones. "These artifacts acquired by Third Young Master are indeed from the west, and they are indeed ancient pieces..."

Leng Yue's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Turning to look at Jing Yi, she saw he could no longer maintain his composure - his eyes had taken on a rather dumbfounded expression.

How could these makeshift tableware items he'd brought from Qingxiang Lou's kitchen possibly be western antiques?

No sooner had Zhang Lao Wu finished speaking than Xu Qing could contain himself no longer. He thumped the soup tureen onto the stone table. "Master, you said yourself that Young Master Jing and Madam Jing are kind-hearted people with bodhisattva-like compassion. There's no need to beat around the bush with them... If you can't bring yourself to say it, I will!"Zhang Lao Wu shook his head with a sigh, but Xu Qing already spoke seriously, "Young Master, Madam, my master's words aren't meant to deceive you, but they don't mean what you think either. These items did indeed come from the west—but from the Tong Family Porcelain Shop in the western part of the city. The bottom of this soup tureen even bears the Tong family merchant mark. If you call them old items, well, they are—judging by their appearance, they've probably been used in the kitchen for over ten or twenty years. Forget tens of thousands of taels of silver—even trading tens of thousands of taels of eggplants for these few trinkets would be a huge loss!"

Jing Yi's mouth twitched slightly.

He had, after all, carefully selected them from the back kitchen—could they really be this terrible...

Leng Yue bit the tip of her tongue to keep from bursting out laughing.

An expert was truly an expert.

Seeing the stiff expressions on Jing Yi and Leng Yue's faces, Zhang Lao Wu hurriedly coughed a few dry coughs and scolded Xu Qing in a low voice, "Enough..."

Xu Qing stiffened his neck, "Master, I'm only telling the truth. Don't you always say that if a person isn't honest, their sons will be darker than charcoal ash and their daughters uglier than unglazed pottery... My wife is pregnant right now, I can't spout nonsense!"

Jing Yi couldn't help covering his mouth as he coughed twice.

Zhang Lao Wu looked somewhat embarrassed, shooting Xu Qing a glare before grabbing his cane and tapping it on the ground. Just as the cane touched the floor, somehow Zhang Lao Wu's hand suddenly loosened, and the wooden cane fell with a "clang." Zhang Lao Wu clutched his arm tightly, his face instantly turning ashen.

"Master..."

Xu Qing's expression also changed, and he hurried over to support him. Jing Yi frowned slightly, while Leng Yue's mind suddenly became clear. Her brow relaxed as she said, "Master Zhang, are you feeling unwell somewhere? I know a bit of medicine and can examine you."

Xu Qing's face lit up with joy, but before he could utter a "good," Zhang Lao Wu was already shaking his head repeatedly, "It's nothing serious, nothing serious... just an old ailment, it's fine..."

Before Zhang Lao Wu finished speaking, Leng Yue had already stepped forward. She placed her sword on the stone table and, without another word, grabbed Zhang Lao Wu's wrist, deftly rolling up his sleeve to reveal a bony, horrifically red and swollen arm.

Jing Yi's heart sank, and he silently drew a sharp breath.

Zhang Lao Wu smiled awkwardly, "It's nothing, nothing... I'm old and useless now. I fell... just a fall..."

Leng Yue didn't respond, pursing her lips slightly. Her warm, soft fingers carefully traced along Zhang Lao Wu's bruised forearm to his elbow, which was swollen like a steamed bun. Her leaf-shaped brows furrowed lightly as she said quietly, "This might hurt a little. Please bear with it."

Zhang Lao Wu had just frozen in surprise when he heard a "crack" from his own joint. Before he could even feel the pain, it had already subsided.

Leng Yue carefully set Zhang Lao Wu's arm down and gently pulled his sleeve back into place before speaking to Xu Qing, who was staring dumbfounded, "Don't move it recklessly. Use Jishan Hall's signature bruise liniment morning and night, and it should be fine in ten days to half a month."

"Ah... yes!"

Zhang Lao Wu shook his head with a bitter smile, "Such a minor issue, troubling Madam Jing..."

"Minor issue?" Leng Yue's expression turned stern, her voice cooling, "If this 'minor issue' had been neglected for another day or two, this arm of yours would have been ruined. This is a blunt force injury—caused by something like a club or stick. It happened around dusk yesterday. Who did it? You tell us yourself."When Zhang Lao Wu walked out, something felt off. It wasn't until he anxiously reached for his crutch that I remembered: yesterday in the porcelain kiln, he had used his right hand to hold the crutch, but today he had switched to his left.

Using a crutch is like using chopsticks - whichever hand you're accustomed to, you stick with it. Unless your dominant hand becomes truly inconvenient, you wouldn't casually switch.

Zhang Lao Wu stared dumbfounded at Leng Yue, whose dignified composure seemed unlike any teenage girl - indeed, unlike any woman. Finally, he managed to stammer out from his throat, "N-nothing's wrong..."

While gazing at Leng Yue as if witnessing a Bodhisattva descending to earth, Xu Qing leaned close to Zhang Lao Wu's ear and whispered, "Master, this lady is truly remarkable... Why don't you speak up? Perhaps she could..."

Before Xu Qing could finish, Zhang Lao Wu shot him a glare. "None of your business!"

As Xu Qing shrank back from the scolding, Jing Yi drifted over lightly, his gentle, amiable smile still playing around his eyes. A slender, pale finger pointed directly at his own nose. "Then, what about me? Is it any of my business?"

Zhang Lao Wu choked slightly, waving his hands with an awkward laugh. "Fourth Young Master... my apprentice comes from the countryside, unfamiliar with capital etiquette. This is just a commoner's petty dispute, how could I trouble the officials of the Dali Temple..."

Though Zhang Lao Wu's words were somewhat roundabout, Leng Yue understood perfectly well.

To put it plainly, it came down to four words: None of your business.

Indeed, such matters truly fell outside the Dali Temple's jurisdiction.

Leng Yue squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, her heroic aura intensifying. "He can't intervene, but I can."

Seeing both Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing stunned into silence, Leng Yue reached for her waist. Before her fingers could touch her belt, she suddenly remembered she had rushed out in such haste that she hadn't brought any tokens with her.

Just as Leng Yue realized this, Jing Yi already stood tall and proud, holding up a gleaming token for all to see.

In Jing Yi's hand, the gold-lacquered token with red tassels bore a large seal character.

Kitchen.

All three stared blankly at the token for a long moment before Jing Yi seemed to realize something was amiss...

"Wrong one, wrong one! This is the Imperial Kitchen's token... This one! No... this is the Crown Prince Manor's, not this one either, this is the Imperial Study's, this is Prince An's residence..."

"..."

Under the gaze of six eyes, Jing Yi rummaged through his clothes with a clatter of various tokens before finally, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, produced a slender black-lacquered waist token. He held up the side carved with the character "Justice" before Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing, exhaling in accomplishment.

"This belongs to my wife."

Leng Yue sighed in resignation.

Though this wasn't the token she had intended to produce, it was still better than the Imperial Kitchen token.

Seeing Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing still completely bewildered, Leng Yue snatched the token from Jing Yi's hand. Straightening her back, she announced in an official tone, "I am Leng Yue, Chief Constable of the Arrest Squad serving in the Ministry of Justice. By order of Prince An, I hold discretionary authority to act as circumstances require."

As Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing exchanged astonished looks, still processing this information, they heard Jing Yi declare with sincere admiration.

"My wife is absolutely right."