Chapter 227 - 225: Suspects (Second Update)

Chapter 227: Chapter 225: Suspects (Second Update)

Because she didn’t know what it was, she didn’t dare to rashly try it with her mouth.

Zhou Qi had run a clinic for many years and was a native of this world, so he certainly knew more than she did.

Zhao Jingming hurriedly asked, "Mr. Zhou, do you know what this is?"

"I do."

Xu Jing nodded and said, "He said this is Cold Food Powder."

Cold Food Powder!

Zhao Jingming and Zhao Shao Hua were both shocked. Although they had never seen this thing before, they had heard about it!

Zhao Jingming couldn’t help but say, "Isn’t this stuff banned by the court?!"

Zhao Shao Hua frowned slightly, "During the previous dynasty, it was popular among the nobility to take Cold Food Powder. It is said that this thing is made with five minerals and some herbs. After taking it, one feels hot all over and as if floating in the clouds, so it’s easy to become addicted. However, taking too much Cold Food Powder can be harmful to the body, causing bloating and heaviness in the limbs.

It is said that during the late stage of the previous dynasty, when chaos began, many nobles were so indulged in taking Cold Food Powder that they were entirely incapable of going to the battlefield. Many civilian generals took the opportunity to start uprisings, leading to increasingly severe turmoil in the country.

So after the establishment of Great Chu, it was explicitly forbidden to take Cold Food Powder."

Zhao Jingming said, "I thought after that incident a few years ago, this stuff had disappeared entirely in Great Chu..."

"Some people are just like that; the more others prohibit something, the more they want to try it."

Seeing Xu Jing’s inquisitive look, Zhao Shao Hua said, "Many offspring of noble families are secretly using Cold Food Powder. A few years ago, the number of people secretly using it in the Western Capital increased, including some high-ranking courtiers. The Holy Emperor was greatly annoyed and secretly ordered an investigation, severely punishing a few ministers who took Cold Food Powder, which slightly curbed the trend. But there was no way to make Cold Food Powder disappear completely in Great Chu.

I’ve heard that now there are still people using Cold Food Powder; they are just doing it more covertly than before. Could it be that He Anming is one of them?"

Xu Jing, however, shook her head and said, "I’m not sure either. These powders were found on the bedboard in the room where He Anming died. However, according to what that girl in Gui Xiang House said yesterday, although He Anming rented the room, he would often use it to entertain others, possibly friends of his, so these powders could also belong to other previous guests of that room.

Even if these powders were indeed left by He Anming, I’m not sure if it has anything to do with this case. We still need more clues. Let’s head to the Imperial College now."

They soon arrived at the Imperial College. Zhao Jingming seemed to have informed his nephew in advance. As soon as they entered, a young man dressed in a blue and white robe with a black headwrap excitedly ran over, "Sister Xi! Sixth Brother! You’re here!"

The young man’s features resembled Zhao Jingming’s somewhat, with fair skin, looking only about fifteen or sixteen years old.

In front of his own younger brother, Zhao Jingming finally showed some steadiness, gesturing to the young man and saying to Xu Jing, "He’s Zhao Jing’an, the youngest son of my third uncle. Although he’s born in our Zhao family, he has a scholarly mind. My mother often says our family of military generals might produce a top scholar."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jing’an immediately smiled and bowed to Xu Jing, "You must be Miss Xu? Sixth Brother often mentions you. Miss Xu, please don’t take my Sixth Brother’s words back with you. How can my achievements compare with the future husband of Miss Xu?"

Indeed a scholarly type, Zhao Jing’an’s build was quite different from other Zhao family sons, appearing especially small and thin.

Perhaps because of this, the Zhao family indulged him in the path of civil service.

After speaking, Zhao Jing’an straightened up and said, "Sixth Brother has already told me why you’re here. Let’s go, I’ll take you to see the two places where the crime happened."

As they walked, he explained the situation of the case to them.

"As you probably know, at the Imperial College, students are divided into classes of Outer Students, Inner Residence Students, and Upper Residence Students, with the worst-performing students concentrated among the Outer Students. Zhang Zhengbo and Cai Yuanlang are Outer Students, I’m an Upper Residence Student, so I’m not familiar with them.

But due to their case, I heard quite a bit of gossip about them. It’s said that the three students who recently died were not easy boys to manage, often skipping classes and indulging in wine and women. The teachers at the Imperial College could do nothing with them. If it wasn’t for them being forcibly confined to the Imperial College, they’d be even harder to control.

They would sneak out of the dormitory at night all the time..."

Zhao Shao Hua raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did they sneak out to do? The main gate of the Imperial College is guarded by guards; they can’t get out, right?"

A flush suddenly swept across Zhao Jing’an’s fair face. He glanced awkwardly at Zhao Shao Hua and Xu Jing, and quietly said, "I only heard that they sneak out to meet someone privately..."

A secret meeting?

Zhao Jingming opened his mouth in surprise, "Aren’t there no women at the Imperial College?"

Because the Imperial College is full of young, energetic male students, everyone, including servants at the Imperial College, is male. Except for a few female cooks and maids in the kitchen, one can’t find a permanent female there.

It’s said that to avoid distracting the students, the female cooks and maids hired for the kitchen were chosen for their plain looks.

Xu Jing’s eyes darkened slightly, and she suddenly said, "They are cut sleeves."

Zhao Jing’an couldn’t help but look at Xu Jing in surprise, coughed, and nodded, "Yes, many people say that the students who passed away were targeting some fair-looking classmates with lesser backgrounds, coercing them into secret meetings by night during times when they couldn’t leave the Imperial College, and frequenting brothels during holidays.

Speaking of it, they were friends originally, so no wonder they are birds of a feather."

Zhao Jingming was shocked beyond measure. Do the students at the Imperial College play around like this? He couldn’t help but frown and ask, "Didn’t the students they coerced ever think of resisting?"

"How could they dare."

Zhao Jing’an sighed softly and said, "Moreover, such matters can’t be discussed openly. Even if those students were in pain, they wouldn’t dare tell anyone. The Ministry of Justice once tried to find the students who had been coerced, or the students who were supposed to meet the deceased on the night of their death, to inquire about the situation, but no one stepped forward.

In the end, it was only by questioning the victim’s servant that the Ministry of Justice learned who was supposed to meet with them that night. But it’s said that nothing was extracted from those two by the Ministry of Justice. They both claimed that when they arrived at the location, Zhang Zhengbo and Cai Yuanlang were already nowhere to be seen."

Xu Jing said solemnly, "This implies that the two deceased went to the crime scene location on their own, and the crime scene was a relatively secluded place in the Imperial College, which the patrolling guards typically wouldn’t go to."

Zhao Jing’an nodded and said, "That’s also the conclusion drawn by the Ministry of Justice."

Zhao Shao Hua couldn’t help but frown tightly, "Did the Ministry of Justice say who the two students were supposed to meet with them that day?"

As Jing’an mentioned, such a thing is disgusting, and if others found out, how could they stay at the Imperial College?

Zhao Jing’an paused, then said, "They know, but it wasn’t the people from the Ministry of Justice who said it. They were directly taken as suspects by the Ministry of Justice, so everyone guessed it."