Chapter 31 Cooperation

"Why?"

When walking out of the chrysanthemum garden and heading towards Yuansongju, Cui Fufeng suddenly asked.

No other words were needed, they all knew what this meant.

Ling Tianshui didn't answer, but just looked at the clouds in the sky in front of him.

Chang'an is bathed in the fragrance of flowers and willows, and even the color of the sky appears delicate and bright, in stark contrast to the glaring blue of the northwestern desert.

"Then you..." He didn't answer Cui Fufeng's question, but instead asked him, "Why did the next generation of the Boling Cui family, the most aristocratic family in the Tang Dynasty, come here?"

"Of course it's because I have such a bad reputation that few people in the world would be willing to marry me." Cui Fufeng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the tender blue sky above the palace with him. His voice was a little hollow in the wind. "Besides, the county lady once risked her life to save me. I am grateful for your kindness and I want to help her solve her problem."

Seeing him remain silent, Cui Fufeng was silent for a moment, then continued, "Furthermore, in my opinion, the county lord's backyard is probably more than just these two incidents. There will probably be many conflicts in the future. A man should focus on his career. Since I have become the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, why not come and take a look at these two cases related to the Changhua Palace?"

Ling Tianshui sneered, "Master Cui is truly devoted to his duties, and has made great sacrifices."

"I dare not. I am only doing my job. I wonder why you are here, General Ling, who serves under the command of the King of Linhuai?"

"The northwest is too cold. I need to find a warm place to recuperate for the winter." Seeing that he persisted in asking, Ling Tianshui finally said, "I just happened to choose this place, that's all."

Cui Fufeng knew that if he refused to answer, no one in the world could force him.

Therefore, in the end, he only said: "No matter why you came, I hope that after your affairs are settled, you can leave as soon as possible and do not... harm the Lingling County Princess."

Ling Tianshui glanced at him meaningfully: "How can anyone believe in your ambition when you say something like that, Cui Shaoqing?"

Cui Fufeng lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Ling Tianshui pointed at his own face and asked, "Does it look alike?"

"No, the eyes seem wider apart, and the brows aren't as sharp..." Cui Fufeng studied it for a moment and shook his head. "It has nothing to do with appearance."

It was the fierce momentum he displayed in the bloody battles on the battlefield that made him like a sword drawn from its sheath, so sharp that it was impossible to hide.

Seeing that he didn't think so, Ling Tianshui let it go and said, "Let's go to the charity cemetery. Now that we're here, we can't just eat and drink for free and do nothing, and let her down."

Ling Tianshui is indeed an honest person who is willing to work hard.

After Qian Deng was ready, he walked to the door and saw someone coming over with a large box and handing it to Ling Tianshui.

Ling Tianshui opened the box and took a look, frowning slightly.

Qiandeng leaned over to take a look. The box was made of old elm wood, and inside it were neatly arranged various small knives, tweezers, clips, scissors, as well as small cleaning rods, small wires, spoons, and small bowls that were of unknown use. They were all made of fine copper, polished and cared for until they were bright and clean, looking like a set of tableware for children to play with.

Qiandeng glanced at Ling Tianshui's hands. He was tall and strong, and his palms were much broader than those of ordinary people. Because he had been fighting on the battlefield for a long time, his hands were rough and strong, with many calluses. It was a bit awkward for him to hold this set of delicate tools.

Seeing her examining her tools, Ling Tianshui remained calm, closed the box, threw it onto the carriage, and gestured to Qiandeng, "Let's go."

The carriage of the Changhua Palace was finally repaired, but the two men were too big, especially Ling Tianshui, who refused to retract his long legs that had nowhere to go, so Qian Deng, who was sitting inside, had to shrink his body and think about how to persuade Aunt Yingluo to take some more money from the palace to buy a bigger car.

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard Cui Fufeng speak and asked Ling Tianshui, "Brother Ling, you're new here. Since the county lady asked you to participate in the case, do you know the specific situation of Jin Tang and Meng Lanxi?"

Ling Tianshui took the file next to him and looked at it, then said, "I've heard of the name Jin Tang. He seems to be the youngest son of the richest man in Chang'an?"

"Exactly," Cui Fufeng introduced. "Jin Tang has been pampered by his family since he was young, and he's also been flattered and admired by his many followers. As a result, he's developed a spoiled and willful personality, and sometimes speaks impulsively. However, his nature isn't bad. I heard that when Yu Guangling's parents sought help from his family when they were in dire straits, it was he who spoke up for them."

"And then, thinking he could control him, he even brought Yu Guangling in to help him run for the election?" Ling Tianshui said in a light tone, not without sarcasm. "So, when he found out that Yu Guangling was selected, Jin Tang should have hated him more than anyone else, right?"

"Indeed, Jin Tang was the most likely suspect in Yu Guangling's death. However, Zheng Junshan's death completely overturned this possibility." Cui Fufeng recounted the details of Zheng Junshan's death to him, adding, "If the murderer was Jin Tang, Zheng Junshan wouldn't have been able to use this as a pretext for blackmail, and he certainly wouldn't have died at the hands of the real murderer."

Ling Tianshui pondered for a moment and asked, "Who was with Zheng Junshan when he revealed the truth to Shangluo?"

Qian Deng recalled, "Shangluo told me that when he was talking to Zheng Junshan, there was no one else around. But I remember he went out with the other students from the Imperial College that day. So the murderer is most likely one of the students, who then attacked in the academy and was able to escape in time."

Ling Tianshui flipped through the case file on Zheng Junshan and asked, "So, the county lord is convinced that Meng Lanxi is not the real murderer?"

"I just hope..." Qian Deng thought of Madam Meng, who passed away in the storm, and also thought of his own mother, who died in an unforeseen disaster. With a sad expression, he said, "The truth of this case can be revealed, so that the deceased can rest in peace in the afterlife."

Ling Tianshui looked up at her, his eyes looking particularly dark under his thick black eyelashes, and he looked at her silently.

Since he was born, Qiandeng had never been scrutinized so unscrupulously. He couldn't help but feel a slight tremor of shame and anger in his heart, and glared back fiercely.

He didn't take it seriously, raised an eyebrow, and said in a deep voice, "Although this case is related to the County Master, I suggest you stay calm and distance yourself. It's best to view the case from an outsider's perspective and not have any preconceived expectations of anyone involved in the case. Otherwise, once you have preconceived expectations in your mind, it will greatly affect your judgment and analytical abilities, causing you to be deceived by yourself and unable to find the truth."

Although Qian Deng didn't like his attitude, he thought what he said made sense, so he turned his head away and said, "I'll try my best."

Cui Fufeng said, "In my opinion, the county lady knows each of the candidates for fiancé, which is not necessarily a bad thing."

Qian Deng thought about it and asked Ling Tianshui, "Speaking of which, you should be familiar with Meng Lanxi's family situation, right? Judging from Madam Meng's speech and behavior, she must have been a stunningly beautiful woman in her time. How is it that now she is an orphan and a widow, living alone in a shabby alley with her son, with so few people from her family visiting?"

Surprised, Ling Tianshui shook his head. "Not familiar with her. I only met her when I was young. I only heard a few things about her later experiences from others."

"When Meng Lanxi was selected, I visited the Meng family and had contact with Mrs. Meng." Seeing that she wanted to find out more, Cui Fufeng briefly told her about Meng Lanxi's family affairs.

"Meng Lanxi's grandfather died young, leaving no one in the family sympathetic to the orphan and widowed mother. Father Meng became independent early, transporting tea cakes to the northwest. Mrs. Meng, originally from central Sichuan, was displaced by war and married Father Meng during their difficult times. She returned to Xiangzhou with him and soon gave birth to Meng Lanxi. However, as fate would have it, when Meng Lanxi was five, her family was struck by a mountain flood, killing both her grandmother and father. They had originally lived with her cousin's uncle for a while, but due to... some conflicts, her cousin's aunt found them a house away and they stopped seeing each other much longer."

Ling Tianshui pursed his lips tightly, his face gloomy, and said nothing.