Chapter 116 Human Life: The Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion allowed its servants to commit murder, treating human life with utter contempt. ...

Hot sweat dripped from his tense chin. Xiao Qiyu suddenly slumped over, all his previous patience and restraint crumbling at the sound of that word "husband".

“I didn’t hear you,” he said, his voice hoarse, a crimson tide churning in his dark eyes, his words hot and fierce, “Say it again.”

Cui Ying nearly fainted from fright. Her swollen red lips spilled out broken sobs, her eyes were red-rimmed, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Finally, with a sob in her voice, she tremblingly uttered those two words again: "Husband... Husband..."

The veins on Xiao Qiyu's arms bulged, and his hands gripped her slender waist with extreme force. His thin lips deliberately pressed against Cui Ying's most sensitive earlobe, and his hot breath filled her ear: "Keep yelling, louder."

"Xiao Qiyu, you bastard!"

His mind was in a complete fog, and Cui Ying was incoherent. His fingertips dug deep into the muscles of his shoulder, leaving bright red marks.

Xiao Qiyu was scolded and scratched, but instead of getting angry, he chuckled softly, which was utterly wicked.

He opened his mouth and bit her already red earlobe, his canine teeth pressing down slightly, deliberately pressing against her small earlobe, his voice low and breathy: "Yes, I am a bastard, not only a bastard, but also a beast."

The last word suddenly became ruthless.

Cui Ying saw stars.

She was breathing heavily, her consciousness fading, and her bright red tongue unconsciously protruded from her lips.

Xiao Qiyu's eyes darkened, and he suddenly bent down and took that tempting soft red spot into his mouth, sucking and entwining it forcefully, swallowing all her sobs and gasps.

The room was filled with the frenzied flickering of the dragon-shaped lamps, magnifying the figures of the two people to the extreme and projecting them onto the wall. The light and shadow were chaotic and swaying, making it impossible to distinguish one another. Only their rapid breathing remained, and the room was filled with the vibrant atmosphere of spring.

...

The next day, the morning light was brilliant.

The soft spring sunlight slowly filtered through the crimson window screen, and a gentle breeze followed, dispelling the cloying smell that filled the room. Only a jumble of clothes could be seen piled up on the floor under the bed.

Cui Ying woke up with a strong, aching pain in her lower abdomen.

She lifted her heavy eyelids, her gaze first falling on the familiar fish-and-lotus-leaf pattern above her head, then slowly moving downwards—

The quilt was piled haphazardly around her waist, revealing two slender, white legs. Her original clothes were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a large, snow-white undergarment, extremely loose in size, clearly worn by a man, with the neckline revealing a large portion of her shoulders, which were covered with red marks of varying shades.

Looking at the red marks, Cui Ying felt her blood rush to her head. Recalling the events of last night, her face flushed bright red.

At this moment, Cuijin tiptoed in, her eyes lowered, deliberately avoiding looking at the bed, and said softly, "The hot water is ready. Shall I help you bathe and change, Miss?"

Despite the discomfort of just waking up, Cui Ying responded weakly, "Okay."

She was immediately startled when she heard the sound.

This...this...this...this sound is so mute, and it's coming from her mouth?

Just how loudly did she scream last night?

Realizing this, Cui Ying immediately understood that everyone else in Qiyun Pavilion must have heard everything clearly, and even the grasshoppers in the bushes probably knew that the two of them had done it three times last night.

Cui Ying was immediately unable to get up. She closed her eyes and collapsed back into bed.

Cui Jin didn't press the matter further. She smiled and said softly, "The hot water is getting cold. Please get up quickly, Miss."

Cui Ying then gave a weak "hmm" and handed over her hand.

As she stood up, the collar of her undergarment slipped down her shoulders, revealing more skin and more marks.

Cui Jin caught a glimpse of this by chance, gasped slightly, and said nothing.

Cui Ying couldn't stand it anymore.

With just the slightest movement, her bones ached as if they had been disassembled and reassembled, especially her lower abdomen. The indescribable aching and dragging sensation made it difficult for her to walk. Every step she took was accompanied by tingling pain. Although it didn't require medication as in the past, it was still a clear reminder of what her body had gone through the previous night.

"Where did that guy go?" Cui Ying gritted her teeth and said, her morning grumpiness mixed with unspeakable shame, her resentment almost gathering into a dark cloud.

Cui Jin said, "Miss, the young master went to the Ministry of War early this morning. Before he left, he specifically instructed that he would come back to have lunch with you at noon."

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying was slightly taken aback, and the small flames burning above her head instantly went out in large numbers.

This was the first time Xiao Qiyu had specifically stated that he would come back to have dinner with her. Just like every loving couple, even if the husband has something to do, he will make time to come home and be with his wife.

Even before she stepped into the bathtub, a strange, warm, water-like emotion washed over Cui Ying, leaving her somewhat bewildered.

"What's the point of having someone accompany me to dinner?" Cui Ying muttered fiercely. "It's quieter eating alone. Why is he being so dramatic with me?"

Even so, her face involuntarily flushed, and even the tips of her ears turned a light pink.

Cui Ying lowered her head and pretended to tie the overly long sash of her undergarment.

Cui Jin smiled and said, "What you say is true, but if the young master insists on coming back, you can't just lock him out, can you?"

Cui Ying thought for a moment and nodded seriously: "Then I'll reluctantly agree to let him have this meal with me."

Cui Jin smiled without saying a word and helped her walk towards the bathtub.

A white mist swirled above the bathtub, the steam mingling with the sweet fragrance of flower petals, creating a warm and moist atmosphere.

Just as Cui Ying lifted her leg, preparing to step into the edge of the bathtub, she felt a sudden surge of warm, slippery liquid. She gasped sharply, her whole body instantly freezing in place, her cheeks flushing red, and even her toes curling up involuntarily.

Cui Jin was startled and quickly asked with concern, "What's wrong, Miss? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, nothing, really nothing!" Cui Ying hurriedly shook her head, her voice slightly tense due to her guilty conscience, her teeth clenched tightly as she tried to remain calm.

Ignoring the aches and pains all over her body, and fearing that Cui Jin would see those unsightly things, she almost used both hands and feet to sink herself into the warm water, letting the water and flower petals completely cover her body.

The hot water enveloped my sore body, and after a brief shiver, my muscles and bones relaxed completely, feeling incredibly comfortable and wonderful.

While enjoying the sensation, Cui Ying tried to resist recalling the sticky feeling from before, silently cursing Xiao Qiyu two hundred times in her heart.

Cui Jin held a soft cotton towel and gently wiped Cui Ying's arms and back. Then she took a rhinoceros horn comb and gently combed her beautiful hair.

The steamy air made people drowsy.

Just as Cui Ying relaxed and was about to take another nap, a strand of her hair was suddenly pulled out, causing her to groan softly in pain, and her sleepiness vanished instantly.

In a panic, Cui Jin was about to kneel down: "This servant deserves to die! I hurt you, Miss."

Cui Ying stretched out her wet, fragrant arm and took Cui Jin's arm, saying, "It's nothing, don't keep talking about life and death. You're rarely this restless. What's wrong with you today?"

Cui Jin frowned, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice and saying, "Does Miss still remember the person who threw a tantrum outside the Marquis's mansion a few days ago?"

Cui Ying remained languid, not even lifting her eyelashes: "I remember, Xiao Yuncheng's uncle. What, is he causing trouble again?"

Cui Jin shook her head, her expression becoming even more solemn, and her voice lowered even further: "I'm not here to cause trouble, Miss, he... he's dead."

"Dead?" Cui Ying's eyes widened as she turned to look at Cui Jin, splashing water as she did so. "How did she die?"

Cui Jin said, "I don't know the specifics. I only know that the body was found in a slum. It was covered in external injuries, with several broken bones and the flesh gnawed by insects. It looked like he had been dead for several days. What's more, the body was only discovered yesterday, and this morning, his daughter filed a lawsuit with the Jingzhao Prefecture, saying that the servants of the Marquis's mansion beat him in the street, which caused him to die suddenly from his injuries."

Cui Jin bit her lip: "Now the rumors are spreading like wildfire, saying that the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion allowed its servants to commit violence and disregard human life."

Cui Ying listened silently, her expression unchanged, but her eyes turned cold.

The scene from that day flashed through her mind. She carefully recalled it and confirmed that she had instructed the servants to just scare him and not to use excessive force. The servants had indeed held back at the time. Although the man was shouting when he was dragged away, he was full of energy and would not have died from it.

A chill ran down my spine.

A sharp glint flashed in Cui Ying's eyes as he muttered to himself, "It seems someone is using this as a pretext to kill, trying to pin this life on the Marquis's mansion."

After a brief pause, she said decisively, "I'm not washing anymore. Prepare to dress and do my hair. I'm going back to the Duke's mansion."

...

Cui Ying hurriedly returned to the Duke of Wei's mansion, only to realize that her father was still on duty at the Censorate. She then served the Princess in the Fushou Hall until evening, when Cui Yan returned from his shift and she was finally able to see her.

On their way back to Jixiu Pavilion together, Cui Ying told Cui Yan the whole story about Xiao Yuncheng's uncle's death and the rumors circulating outside.

After listening, Cui Yan did not immediately express his opinion, but pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "If you ask who might be the mastermind behind this, there are too many suspects. Qi Lang's martial arts examination is imminent. Based on his skills and strategies displayed in the provincial examination, he is a strong contender for the top spot and has a bright future. But at this critical juncture, the Marquis's mansion has been smeared with a reputation for disregarding human life. If this is confirmed, the Marquis's mansion's reputation will be damaged, which will inevitably affect Qi Lang's career and reputation. This is clearly a case of Xiang Zhuang dancing with a sword, with his intentions directed at Liu Bang."

Cui Ying's heart tightened upon hearing this, and she turned away immediately, saying, "I'll find out who the murderer is right now!"

"Stop! Stop! Come back here!" Cui Yan stepped forward to stop her, his expression one of utter exasperation, as if he were facing the young Cui Ying from years ago, who was still climbing on the roof and tearing off tiles. "Do you think this is child's play? Investigating cases and catching criminals is the duty of the Jingzhao Prefecture. How can you, a woman confined to the inner quarters, possibly investigate? Acting rashly will only alert the enemy and lead you into their trap!"

Cui Ying lowered her head, her face downcast, and her delicate embroidered shoes kicked a small pebble at her feet.

"Then what should we do?" she muttered. "Are we just going to sit here and wait to die? The imperial examination is about to begin in a few days. Are we just going to watch Xiao Qiyu suffer?"

Looking at his daughter's aggrieved expression, Cui Yan's expression gradually changed from helplessness to speechless dismay. He couldn't be fierce or say anything, so he could only snort and squeeze out a sentence: "No matter how the Jingzhao Prefecture handles this case, the final case file will have to be reviewed by the Censorate. I will take care of it myself, so you don't need to worry about it."

Cui Ying nodded vigorously, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling. Her previous pitiful look vanished, and she readily gave a curtsy, her voice becoming obedient: "Then thank you for your trouble, Father!"

Seeing her change of expression so quickly, Cui Yan was both amused and annoyed. He pointed at her and said, "You little devil, you were just waiting for me to say that, weren't you?"

Cui Ying just smiled and didn't say anything.

Looking at his daughter's bright and cheerful smile, Cui Yan was at a loss and shook his head helplessly: "They say that a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup. I didn't believe it before, but look at yourself now. You can't even see your parents anymore. All you think about is your husband."

"I didn't!" Cui Ying's eyes widened instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and she retorted, "He and I are just living together for convenience!"

Just then, a maid stepped forward and reported, "Master, the young master has arrived. He is currently waiting in the outer hall and says he has come specifically to see the young lady."

Cui Yan sighed and looked at his daughter with a headache: "Speak of the devil and he appears. I've figured it out. You two are like a dog and a bone. The moment there's the slightest disturbance on your side, he immediately catches the scent and comes looking for you."

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Author's Note: Little Jade: *Woofs* as a sign of politeness