Chapter 57 The Fragrance of Mother-of-Pearl (20) The Truth Comes to Light.

Now, Liang Zuyue, a country bumpkin who had never dealt with the government or been questioned by officials before, was so frightened that his legs went weak. He immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "This humble subject did not know that this item was originally intended as a tribute to the Imperial Concubine, nor did he know the Imperial Concubine's birth date and zodiac sign. I only added this picture of Chang'e in the Moon Palace for aesthetic purposes! I beg Your Honor to investigate!"

The constable sneered coldly, "You say you didn't know anything? Who can say for sure? Only heaven, earth, and you know. I think you not only want to use this evil painting to curse the Imperial Concubine, but also to frame Lord Wang for a serious crime of disrespect, killing two birds with one stone. You're really good at scheming! Now come with me to the yamen to confess your crimes!"

Having said that, he took out shackles to restrain the man. Liang Zuyue was at his wit's end when Cuiying ran in from behind the curtain and knelt down before the yamen runner. "Sir, sir, let's talk this out. Why are you arresting people? My husband really didn't know that the box was meant for the Imperial Concubine. Please forgive him, sir!"

As she spoke, she kowtowed to the ground. The bailiff looked at her and slowly straightened his back. “The goods haven’t been delivered to the palace yet, so this matter can be considered minor or major. The important thing is that you almost caused Lord Wang to lose his head. Lord Wang is furious at home right now! If you two want to be safe, you must think carefully about how to appease Lord Wang’s anger first.”

As he spoke, he turned and sat down in a chair, coldly watching the two of them panic and become anxious.

After a moment, Liang Zuyue rolled his eyes, moved forward and knelt down in front of him. "I will go and apologize to Lord Wang. I will bring all the money in my house to make amends. I think Lord Wang will be able to calm down?"

The constable sighed, seemingly with a heavy heart, "As an official appointed by the imperial court, why would Lord Wang covet a few taels of silver from you? Besides, Lord Wang is already angry with you right now, wouldn't you just be adding fuel to the fire if you went there?"

Upon hearing this, Cuiying didn't think much of it and hurriedly kowtowed behind him, saying, "Then I'll go, I'll go and beg Lord Wang!"

The constable just frowned and didn't speak. After a while, he nodded slightly. "I think you can give it a try. Lord Wang has always been most compassionate towards the elderly, weak, women and children. Maybe if you play the victim, Lord Wang will see that you are a weak woman and won't hold it against you."

Liang Zuyue looked up, his gaze shifting back and forth across Yu Qi's face. Just like now, his gaze was also lingering on Yu Qi's face, flickering with what seemed like both tears and a sense of evasion.

He said, "That day, Cuiying went to Wang Shanfeng's residence with that constable surnamed Sun. She was only sent home in the middle of the night. I asked her how things were at the Wang family's, but she wouldn't say anything, she just kept crying. The next day she fell ill and became even more reluctant to speak. I was so worried at home that I had to call a doctor for her. The doctor said she had caught a cold. I thought she would get better after taking some medicine. She just caught a cold, and she would get better after taking some medicine. It's clearly a minor illness!"

He had been intently watching the group, but suddenly his gaze became unfocused. "But on the fourth day, she suddenly banged her head against something and died right in front of me—" he said, slowly raising his trembling hands and looking around. "It was like that then, my hands were covered in blood—"

“That wasn’t blood, it was just pomegranate juice mixed with mulberry juice,” Jiu Li interrupted him softly. “Do you really think she just caught a slight cold that night?”

He lowered his hand, as if catching a glimmer of hope in her words, and smiled faintly, "Perhaps she has some serious illness I don't know about, and she was afraid of burdening me, so—"

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Qi interrupted him coldly, "She didn't have any serious illness. She committed suicide simply because she was raped by Wang Shanfeng. Actually, you know, even before she went to the Wang family, you had some expectations, but you didn't stop her. You thought that by sacrificing herself once, you could resolve your crisis. It was actually a worthwhile deal."

Liang Zuyue suddenly mustered all his strength and shook his head frantically, "No, I don't know, I don't know! I didn't think of anything—"

Jiuli glared at him fiercely, "You clearly thought of that! But you dare not admit it, you dare not admit that you are weak and selfish, otherwise you wouldn't have driven yourself to this crazy state after Cuiying's death! That day you were hosting a banquet at the Lu family, and you saw Tang Chengguan holding this box from upstairs, which brought up your old wound again. So you made an excuse to leave the Lu family, chased after Tang Chengguan and demanded that he give you the box. He refused, so you killed him, didn't you?!"

Liang Zuyue sat on the ground in silence, her eyes darting around. She slowly looked up, and An Luo calmly looked at her face. "I didn't mean to kill him. I just wanted to buy back the box. He probably thought it was strange that someone would not want the bracelet inside but wanted the box that contained the things. He thought the box was very valuable, so he asked for eight taels of silver."

"You didn't agree? You wanted to take his money, so you killed someone?" Zhang Da asked.

"I agreed, but I didn't have the money on me at the time. I told him to come with me to the lotus house in Daliu Village to get it. Unexpectedly, once we got there, he raised the price again." He frowned, his expression one of disgust, and the image of Tang Chengguan involuntarily came to mind—

As soon as he entered the room and turned on the lamp, Tang Chengguan tucked his bundle under his arm and darted around the room with his shifty eyes. He secretly pondered that although the room was simple, the tea utensils used were quite exquisite. Moreover, the man's clothes were not bad, and he was a guest from the brothel, so he must be quite wealthy. Asking him for eight taels of silver earlier was too little, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed so readily.

Immediately filled with regret, he sat down at the table, grinning as he took out the box and placed it on it. "My lord," he said, "look at the craftsmanship of this box. I'm not bragging, but you probably couldn't find another one like it even if you searched the whole city! It may be small, but it's a fine piece. Size doesn't matter. It's a small piece of jade, isn't it? But it's still better than those big, silly stones! I'm a straightforward person, so without further ado, my lord, give me fifteen taels of silver, and I'll leave it here for you!"

Liang Zuyue poured a cup of tea on the long table, sat down and chuckled, "I think you don't understand. All I want is this box, not what's inside."

“I know, and you know what, the bracelet inside, though of good quality, is still an ordinary item. This box is the real treasure!” Tang Chengguan tapped the box with one finger, watching his expression. Seeing that he remained silent, he slowly put the box back into his bundle. “In that case, I think you, sir, are not destined for this box. I will find it another destined owner.”

Having said that, he pretended to leave, his heart pounding as he walked to the door. Finally, he heard Liang Zuyue call out, "Come back!" He then turned around and went back inside with a grin, thinking, "I can tell at a glance that you, sir, are a man of great knowledge and experience. How could you not recognize my good stuff?"

Looking at his greedy face, Liang Zuyue suddenly thought of Wang Shanfeng. Years had passed, but he still couldn't forget Wang Shanfeng's thin face. When Cuiying came to his house, it was probably the same situation. The more she humbled herself and yielded, the more Wang Shanfeng took advantage of her and threatened her, finally achieving his shameless goal.

He suppressed a surge of disgust, turned his face to Tang Chengguan and smiled, "You sit down, I'll go weigh the silver for you."

Tang Chengguan was a restless and agitated person. Taking advantage of the early nightfall and the cool air, he walked to the door with his hands behind his back to enjoy the breeze. By the moonlight, he saw that the room next door looked like a kitchen, with several jars of wine on the shelf. He then thought that he hadn't had a meal or drink since he had been running around all afternoon, so he might as well take advantage of the fact that this official was easy to talk to and ask him for a meal and drinks.

So when Liang Zuyue called out, he happily walked back into the house and said, "I am so lucky to have met such a generous and easy-going guest as you, sir. You see, I have been busy all day and haven't even had a meal. If it is convenient for you, sir, to treat me to a meal would be a great blessing."

Liang Zuyue smiled and placed the silver on the table. "It's nothing to reward you with a meal, but it's getting late, and my cook has already gone home. You'll have to cook for yourself."

To save money on food and drinks, Tang Chengguan readily agreed and rushed to the kitchen. Upon seeing a large quantity of meat, wine, and vegetables, he realized it was the perfect opportunity to have a free feast. Overjoyed, he cooked several dishes and served them to Liang Zuyue, where they ate, drank, and chatted for half a day.

Later, after getting drunk, he took the money with his bundle and said goodbye with profuse thanks. As he walked past the lotus pond, Liang Zuyue saw his figure swaying in the moonlight, about to fall but unable to. This made him feel irritable and furious, so he ran over and shoved him hard!

“I didn’t expect this scoundrel to be unable to swim. He thrashed around in the water for a while and then stopped moving. Later, I dragged his body ashore. I originally wanted to find a place to dig a hole and bury him, but I thought that wasn’t a good idea, so before dawn, I carried him to the river and threw him in. When I got back, I collected his things, tidied up the house, and then went to sleep until dawn.” Liang Zuyue said, laughing calmly twice.

Seeing that he showed no remorse, Jiuli thought to herself that he had probably vented his resentment towards Wang Shanfeng on Tang Chengguan. This man was strange; since he was going to kill someone, why didn't he just kill Wang Shanfeng instead of two related people?

Then he asked, "Then why did you kill Lu Yan'er?"

Speaking of Lu Yan'er, it all started with this box. It was because Liang Zuyue left without saying goodbye on the evening of the tenth day. Lu Yan'er was afraid that he would be suspicious because she had spent too much time with Shen Zhi. So, after thinking about it, she went to the Shili Bridge family the next day. She originally wanted to explain a few words to him, but she heard from the servants that he had not returned all night and was probably sleeping by the lotus pond. So she went to Daliu Village instead.

Coincidentally, Liang Zuyue was on his way home at that time, and the two missed each other on the way. When Lu Yan'er arrived at He's house, she did not see Liang Zuyue. There was only an old woman who had been hired by the village to tidy up the house for him, who was busy in the kitchen.

Lu Yan'er came over upon hearing the noise and stood in front of the door, asking, "Where is your master?"

"Master just went home," the old woman replied, muttering to herself, "Look at the mess in the kitchen, did Master have guests last night? Did he have to cook for himself?"

Lu Yan'er heard this but didn't take it seriously. She came in with a smile and glanced at the messy stove. "Don't clean up yet. Make me a bowl of tea. I've been running around in the hot sun twice and I'm dying of thirst."

She had slept here before, and the old woman recognized her, so she asked her to wait in the main room. Lu Yan'er went into the main room and wandered around the bedroom. She saw something under the pillow, took it out and immediately recognized it as the box that the seller had brought yesterday. When she opened it, there it was, indeed, the red agate bracelet that she had first taken a liking to.

Looking at the translucent red bracelet, she thought back to yesterday when she made a scene in the courtyard. He didn't come downstairs or say a word. She thought he was just being stingy and pretending to be deaf and dumb upstairs. She never expected him to be so thoughtful and secretly buy the bracelet for her.

He wasn't actually one of the wealthiest men among her customers, and he was usually a man of few words. But if you really had to pick him up, he was a reliable person. His business wasn't big, but it was stable. He had a house and servants, and his wife had died young, leaving him with no children. For her, he was the most comfortable person to live in.

She suddenly felt a ray of light shining down into her gloomy future, and she happily put away the trinket. She went to the outer room and said to the old woman who brought in tea, "I'm going back now. If the master comes over, just tell him I've been here." Before leaving, she felt she had taken on an extra responsibility, so she smiled and added, "Remember to lock the door when you leave. The master isn't here, so come and visit often."

Returning to Quzhong by boat, she found the river street unusually lively. Her heart was heavy with joy, and she had no time to concern herself with such trivial matters. She hurried back to put the box in the trunk and sat down to carefully consider her relationship with Liang Zuyue.

After sitting for a short while, she gradually calmed down. He had never shown any intention of marrying her. Was he buying this bracelet for her simply to thank her for secretly helping him with business in the past, or did he really have the other intention she was thinking? She was still a little unsure, so she decided to wait until he came to test him.

Unexpectedly, Liang Zuyue did not come that day. The next day, the afternoon of the 12th, Lu Yan'er went to Luo's courtyard to leave. At the banquet, she heard Miss Tang say that the man who sold things that day had fallen into the river and drowned while drunk, and that his death was somewhat suspicious. Suddenly, she had a thought and remembered the box at home and the old woman in the lotus house who had muttered something unintentionally.

She couldn't help but ponder it carefully. It was almost dark when the seller left that day. If Liang Zuyue had caught him buying things, it would have been delayed for a while, and then he would have had to go home. Otherwise, how could he see those things clearly in the dark, and who would he sell them to? It was highly likely that the last person he dealt with was Liang Zuyue—

If this man's death is related to Liang Zuyue, then so be it. Even if he didn't intend to marry her before, he should start making plans now. Thinking of this, she felt no fear, but rather a smile appeared on her face as she continued to exchange toasts with those at the table.

She was still a little unsure, but the next morning Liang Zuyue came to her house. She had just started her own household when she heard her maid coming upstairs. She quickly sat down at her dressing table and combed her long hair. When he came in, the two of them smiled at each other and sat on the couch. When her maid brought tea up, she whispered, "Go do your work. You don't need to come up unless I call you."

The maid assumed they were up to some shady business so early in the morning, so she closed the door and went out.

The door creaked shut, and Lu Yan'er grinned, teasing, "Why did you come here so early in the morning? This has never happened before. Did you miss me?"

Upon hearing her tone, Liang Zuyue guessed that she had indeed taken the item. He smiled and said, "I heard you went to my lotus house the other day? I lost something, so I came to ask if you had seen it."

She twisted a strand of her hair and scolded him, "I know what you're talking about. I thought you bought it especially for me, so I took it. What, was I just being presumptuous?"

He found her coquettish manner nauseating for a moment, but still smiled and said, "You can take anything else, but that one thing is a bit important to me. Give it to me first, and I'll buy you another piece of jewelry another day."

"You're so boring. It's like I'm using this to blackmail you. Do you think I'm that kind of person?" Lu Yan'er tossed a strand of hair behind her shoulder, chuckled, and walked over to him, sitting down next to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "Since this is so important to you, you think you can just give me a piece of jewelry to get rid of me?"

She said she wasn't threatening him, but her tone clearly indicated she had seen something and was about to make a huge demand on him. For some reason, he suddenly felt extremely angry. As an ordinary citizen, he was already being threatened and oppressed by the government, but now he had to be coerced by a petty thief and a prostitute. It seemed like he was destined to never get ahead in this life.

His heart ached, but he still smiled. "Then what do you want?"

She raised her head and smiled sweetly, "I don't want anything else, I just want the title of Mrs. Liang from you, okay?"

"Mrs. Liang?" He was silent for a moment, then hugged her gently and said, "Even if you didn't say it, I had already made this plan in my heart."

"Really?" She stared at him intently for a while, still somewhat skeptical. "I'll leave that thing with me for now. I'll give it back to you once you've kept your word. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

He became increasingly certain that she knew something, and his gaze calmed down. "Okay, I'll go back and prepare."

Upon hearing this, she was overjoyed and immediately drifted into a blissful dream of having no worries about food or clothing.

Liang Zuyue chuckled softly as he spoke, “That night, I climbed into her bedroom from behind the kitchen in the Lu family's house. She wasn't asleep yet, and she looked at me with surprise, not fear. I told her that I had knocked on the front door for a while but no one answered, so I figured the servants must be fast asleep, and I had to climb up through the window. She asked me what I was doing there, and I gave her some banknotes, saying that using anything else as a betrothal gift would be meaningless, so I had to use my entire fortune to give her the dowry. This foolish woman, upon hearing that I was bringing her betrothal money, happily accepted the banknotes and kept busy calculating how much silver she had. Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, I intended to stab her in the back with the dagger I had brought, but I discovered that the dagger had fallen out of my sight. So I picked up a handkerchief from her shelf and strangled her to death.”

He finished speaking in one breath, but Zhang Da couldn't stand his nonchalant attitude and kicked him in the knee in anger. "Two lives, and you think they're nothing?! Just for a box, what do you want that box for? I don't think you're going to use that box as evidence to sue Lord Wang. You don't have the guts!"

He took a kick, glared at Zhang Da, who retaliated with a fierce stare. His gaze slowly became blank again. "I don't know what I need that box for. I don't know. I just see it and it reminds me of Cuiying. Cuiying died for it. I can't let it fall into someone else's hands—"

Seeing that he had said everything he needed to say, and that Du Zhong had also recorded it all, the four of them had no time to listen to his madness anymore. They carried lanterns and walked out of the prison cell, giving a few instructions to the yamen runners on duty. Zhang Da also followed the three of them out of the yamen.

Just then, the night watchman passed by. It was only the second watch of the night, not too late for a summer night. Zhang Da said, "You must be a little hungry after a whole night of running around. Why don't you come to my house for a late-night snack? My wife's cooking is just as good as those restaurant owners."

Du Zhong perked up at the news and nodded before Yu Qi could agree, "Great! I've known you for so long but I've never been a guest at Brother Zhang's house!" Hearing Yu Qi cough, he then looked at his expression and said, "I was just worried it was too far."

Zhang Da pointed in the opposite direction they were heading home, saying, "It's not far ahead. I wouldn't dare invite you if it were too far, in case it's too tiring for you to walk so late at night."

Jiuli had spent half the day wandering around under the scorching sun, and then went back for a nap at noon. Now she was full of energy and wanted to take a leisurely stroll in the cool night breeze. Besides, she was quite hungry, so she ate a late-night snack outside and didn't need to bother Yuqing and the others when she got back.

So she turned and shook Yu Qi's arm, pleading, "Come on, come on, I won't be able to sleep anyway if I go back now."

Although Yu Qi did not deny it outright, he said, "Look at you with your hair all over the place, aren't you afraid of scaring people at night?"

She quickly pulled out a hairpin, casually tied a lock of her black hair behind her head, and blinked rapidly while tilting her head to show him. Yu Qi had no choice but to nod and follow Zhang Da in that direction. There were only the four of them on the street, accompanied by a clear moon, two silk lanterns, and a cool breeze on their faces—how relaxing!

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Author's note: Thank you for reading.