Chapter 8, Accident

The common people of Nanjing always live in peace and contentment, busy with their daily livelihoods. Occasionally, there may be minor disputes or arguments, but they are usually resolved with just a few words, rarely escalating to physical confrontations. They are far less narrow-minded than those high-ranking officials and nobles, who are quick to seek revenge for even the slightest grievances

People immediately felt a sense of assurance, as the sound of galloping hooves approached rapidly, the clanging of knee guards and stirrups ringing out. The newcomers were all imposing figures, clad in bright armor.

The people around have been completely stunned, their eyes wide open as if they were made of clay or wood, hardly able to believe what is happening before them

He enunciated clearly, yet placed emphasis on the word 'coincidence'.

After a long while, a piercing scream was finally heard

Although the vendor nearby was afraid, he was even more concerned about being implicated himself, and he did not hesitate to expose it.

Yang Yan's attendants and the bearers of the sedan chair fell over in disarray, and as the sedan chair was about to hit the ground, it slid sideways and overturned. In an attempt to stand up and protect their master, they fell again.

Someone has died

Xiao Yue slightly nodded, and the soldiers immediately untied the bindings. The woman, with an air of arrogance, glared and was about to speak again when, unexpectedly, a long knife was drawn across her neck

This morning, as an old man staggering with a cart full of tung oil passed by, he accidentally knocked over a can, spilling it onto the street. He then sat down on the pavement and cried for a while. After being comforted by the crowd, he finally acknowledged his misfortune and left.

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and was about to clean up the aftermath, when Xiao Yue coldly shouted: "Someone, seal off the street!"

The crowd was astonished

There is a great reward for capturing the murderer

The man selling bamboo let out a low growl, "You are talking nonsense," and charged over like a fierce beast, only to be immediately seized by the legs—Yang Yan's bearers, in their urgency, simply slid over from the ground, grabbing his legs with all their might.

He shook his head and said, "It's nothing, this is truly an accidental coincidence"

The official sedan approached gracefully, and the noble person inside seemed to be shouting loudly—although the crowd parted and dispersed, it still appeared crowded and slow. What have the common people under the emperor's feet not seen? Such a minor official is truly not worth mentioning

Why is it so slow

The officer at the forefront was unexpectedly the very person who had stopped her for inspection and questioning on the way to the secret meeting that night

The unknown oily substance, smooth and shiny, mixed with egg liquid that is yellow and white, feels extremely slippery to the touch

The young woman in a delicate green sleeve dress, with her snow-white wrists gently relaxed, stood by the street corner, coldly observing all of this while holding a few pieces of silver jewelry and small trinkets along with a bag of candied fruits

The cries were filled with terror, shattering the silence, and the street instantly turned into a boiling pot of porridge, with everyone rushing to escape

The rough shouts were chasing right behind me

Seal off the entire street and thoroughly check the identity of every individual

This woman said indignantly that she came to the Yuexiang Building by the street to watch a play—today, with Master Qin helping her junior brother take the stage, it was truly a rare opportunity worth a fortune. Who would have thought that a group of courtesans would dare to snatch her seat, laughing and making a racket, while proudly carrying baskets, claiming they had eggs from the Western Region's Luohua chicken, which were said to be the best for nourishing and beautifying the skin. Unable to contain her anger, she threw the eggs all over the street.

No... it has nothing to do with me!

The whisper devoid of warmth, the utterly pitch-black eyes, instantly left her frozen in place, silencing any trace of noise.

When an egg falls to the ground, the egg white is inherently slippery, but for some reason, as soon as people take a step forward, they immediately feel their footing become unstable and, in a dizzying spin, they fall hard to the ground, with cries of distress echoing continuously

When she clearly heard the words "road closure," her heart suddenly jolted

Without further thought, she turned and quickly ran towards the corner intersection

Master, Master! Oh dear, please save him!

I just saw it clearly; it was when you swung the bamboo in your hand, that it struck this esteemed person...

He pointed at a person from a distance and shouted angrily

I also slipped and, for some reason, lost my grip... I didn't kill anyone! I didn't kill anyone!

As Xiao Yue played with the exquisite hilt in his hand, he listened to her disordered narration, and with the additional comments from the witnesses, his gaze grew even more profound

The sedan chair rolled over several times before finally coming to a stop. The unfortunate Yang Yan crawled out from the chair, his official hat fallen to the ground, his clothes in disarray, and several strands of his beard broken, looking quite disheveled. He was a serious man with an elongated face, and he usually took great pride in his beautiful beard. Now, in a state of urgency and anger, he shouted: "Who is so bold as to disregard the law?"

The long street, paved with elongated blue stones, has endured the ravages of time, suffered the erosion of war, witnessed the rise and fall of fortunes, and has been polished to a smooth and delicate finish by the footsteps of the townspeople.

Sir, I report to you that the deceased is Yang Yan, the chief officer of the Ministry of Justice

In the early morning, someone accidentally spilled tung oil; Yang Yan's sedan chair happened to pass by; a group of common women were making a commotion, and eggs were scattered all over the street; the bamboo seller slipped and lost his grip—this all sounds like an accident, and no one can be blamed for it

Is there anything inappropriate, adult?

What are you! A brothel girl who rides on a thousand and crushes ten thousand, yet you dare to compete with me for a seat? Don't you look in the mirror to see what kind of lewd and cheap material you are! You still want to eat Lu Hua eggs to nourish your body, I tell you to eat, I tell you to eat!

His voice was deep, and he immediately inquired about the situation just now. At this moment, a group of women on the second floor was also captured by the soldiers

Some vendors cursed, while others attempted to wipe it away, but the more they wiped, the slicker it became. As the morning market got underway and business became busy, no one remembered it—if anyone did, they were only thinking about going to the teahouse in the evening to ask for some plant ash to sprinkle on it, perhaps it could be cleaned up.

As his desperate cries echoed, a sharp whistle sounded from the other end of the long street, and the sound of galloping horses grew ever closer

In the next moment, elliptical objects suddenly fell like hail, striking people's heads and instantly creating a scene of yellow and white. The unexpected onslaught from the sky caused a cacophony of wails and cries among the crowd

In the crowd, a young girl in a long dress with emerald sleeves is gazing at the palanquin, her eyes cold and indifferent, as if watching a performance of someone on the verge of death

That sharp and caustic voice began to shout from a distance

Yang Yan, who was standing nearby, approached with a mournful expression and said, "May I ask, esteemed sir, you are ... ... "

The porter, burdened with goods, was left with his body and cargo in disarray, and his furious roar echoed through the streets

He saw it very clearly; it was that strong man selling bamboo who, with a single swing of his hand, sent that piece of bamboo flying through the air, piercing Yang Yan's chest.

Several individuals rushed over, pinning the person down, stacking on top of one another like a game of human Jenga. The man selling bamboo let out a muffled, tragic cry

One of Yang Yan's attendants stumbled and moved forward with great difficulty, taking a breath, and his entire heart sank to the bottom—he was already out of breath

Many stalls were knocked over, porcelain shattered on the ground, and some people even fell into a "pile of ingots". The streets were filled with people and objects as if swept by a whirlwind, resulting in utter chaos

It is a person from the Wucheng Bingmashi

An accident

Say

With the sharp and piercing shouts, countless eggs fell like a torrential rain, hitting everyone who was watching the commotion, and the street was instantly filled with a cacophony of noise

Commander of the Eastern City Army, Xiao Yue

He pondered deeply, his gaze flickering as he slightly squinted his eyes and murmured: "When tung flower oil meets egg liquid..."

The man selling bamboo trembled all over, his body felt weak, and his lips quivered incessantly like a drum. He shouted almost frantically: "It wasn't me who caused this!"

What do you intend to do? My husband is the city gate official

Who is the bastard throwing eggs around

You actually dared to kill an official appointed by the court

Before he could finish his words, his eyes widened, and all expressions froze at that moment—a sharp bamboo shoot pierced through his chest!

Did he discover something?

The sound of a horse's neigh brought Herod to a halt. The leader, merely in his early twenties, possessed a striking appearance, with a tall and slender figure. The depths of his dark eyes revealed a sharp and cold brilliance, casting a frigid gaze over the scene. Everyone felt a sharp pang in their hearts and instinctively lowered their heads.

The sedan chair bearers and the accompanying attendants were also covered in egg whites, their eyes so glued shut that they could hardly open them, looking particularly ridiculous. Just as they were about to erupt in anger, they heard the shrill noise of the women on the second floor above them grow even louder

A look of astonishment seemed to rise on his face, and he let out two choking sounds from his throat, yet he could not utter a word. The grotesque wound on his chest began to spurt a mist of blood, and he collapsed, his whole body limp and stiff.

Capture the murderer

The sedan chair bearers lazily surveyed their surroundings, while the attendants ahead, adorned with black and gold official insignia, pondered whether to have sesame cakes or steamed buns today—suddenly, he heard what seemed to be a woman's quarrel from above, and he tilted his head slightly, squinting to see what was happening.

A soldier stepped forward to report, nearly stumbling to the ground. The man narrowed his eyes, dismounted without hesitation, and leaned down to observe the unusual situation on the street