Chapter 40: Penglai Immortal

Yan Penglai smiled, but remained silent. "The county lady is extremely intelligent. I'm sure there's no need for Penglai to say more. She already has a plan in mind."

Qian Deng nodded slightly and asked again, "You said last time that Shi Jingning was not blessed with much fortune. So, in your opinion, what is Yang Huaijiang's fate like?"

"I only saw him briefly the day before yesterday, and he had injuries on his face, so I didn't get a close look. But I've heard that the descendants of the Hongnong Yang family have their own auspicious signs, so there's more to it than just looking at the face."

"Oh? What auspicious sign?"

"The Yang family's physiognomy is said to be very well hidden." Yan Penglai, being in the Imperial Divination Bureau, naturally knew more than others. "Some of us ordinary people have longer big toes, some have longer second toes, but I heard that the middle toes of the Hongnong Yang family are significantly longer than the other toes. This is why they are said to have a long and prosperous physiognomy."

"Can a longer middle toe also be considered an auspicious sign?" Qiandeng subconsciously raised his hand and gently stroked the scar on his eyebrow, not taking it seriously.

It's just a common practice among the aristocratic families to show off their superiority.

She probed, hoping he, favored by the Emperor and Empress and a frequent visitor to the palace, might be able to discern things she didn't. "So, what about Yang Huaijiang's physiognomy and horoscope? He was recommended to the Inner Palace Bureau so hastily, and his name was quickly compiled and sent here. Could it be that someone in the palace has high hopes for him?"

Yan Penglai pondered for a while.

In the wind and snow, his expression was calm, like an immortal from Penglai. "The winter solstice is approaching, and all the royal relatives have come to the palace to celebrate. Then, Her Majesty the Empress summoned the Si Tiantai to compare the birth charts. The match was between the county lady and Yang Huaijiang, the fourth branch of the Hongnong Yang family in Guozhou."

This means that the person who recommended Yang Huaijiang was not only a royal relative, but also someone he was close to and trusted.

Seeing Qiandeng deep in thought, Yan Penglai sighed lightly. Even though he knew he shouldn't, he still said one more thing: "County Lady, before the storm in the court, all the friendship is actually unimportant."

Qiandeng looked up in surprise, as if trying to see something from his expression.

"I'm chatting with the county lady. The plum blossoms haven't been picked yet, so I'm afraid it'll be hard to collect them." Yan Penglai had already stood up, a look of slight annoyance on his face. "The worldly disturbances are not conducive to cultivation. The county lady, please do as you please."

Qian Deng knew what he meant. What he said to her today actually went against his way of dealing with the world, and made him, who had always been detached from the mundane, involved in the trivialities of the court.

She stood up to thank him, but his face was hidden behind the plum branches. The plum blossoms covered by the broken snow were a hazy pink, immersing him in the melting snow on the flowers and trees.

For a moment, he watched her departing figure, his eyes rippled. But soon, like the wind on the water, he withdrew his hand that had subconsciously wanted to stop her, and lowered his gaze to her.

There were slight ripples on the water surface, and everything returned to normal.

Back in the front yard, Qiandeng immediately asked Cui Fufeng to come over, and the two met.

Cui Fufeng pondered, "So, Yan Penglai agrees with us. Ever since Shi Jingning's death, all these strange things in the backyard must have been man-made?"

"Well, I originally thought he would be the most experienced and interested in this kind of weird and supernatural things, but I didn't expect him to reject the theory of wronged spirits without hesitation." Qian Deng said thoughtfully, "This man's temperament is really cold to a certain extent."

But if she was to be cold, he had to point out her last sentence, which made her feel uneasy to this day.

Seeing her hesitation, Cui Fufeng asked, "What's wrong? Does Yan Penglai have anything else to say?"

Qian Deng pondered for a moment, then finally said, "I thought that when the palace decided on my husband's choice, because of my appearance, they would first consult the Si Tian Tai or Tai Bu Shu to confirm the man's horoscope. So I asked Yan Penglai who recommended Yang Huaijiang."

Cui Fufeng raised his eyebrows slightly, and said thoughtfully, "These days are the Winter Solstice holidays, so the government offices shouldn't be taking the initiative to take on any work. It's very likely that the emperor and empress had to order it so quickly to compile the list. Therefore, the person who recommended Yang Huaijiang must be a member of the imperial family."

Qiandeng nodded, and her mind inevitably flashed back to what Xue Xiyang had reminded her about, that people from the Prince's Mansion had contact with Yang Huaijiang.

So, is the person who recommended Yang Huaijiang the one closest to the emperor and empress?

Remembering the last time she went to the Prince's Mansion to ask for an audience but was rejected, she couldn't help but hesitate and asked Cui Fufeng, "Master Cui, do you think that the Changhua Palace, or rather, I, the Princess of Lingling County, have any influence in the court?"

Hearing her ask this, Cui Fufeng's expression couldn't help but darken a little as he looked at her.

"Your only connection to the imperial court is probably with the Crown Prince. After all, the deaths of your father and grandfather, as well as your relationship with the Crown Prince, are known to everyone in the court," Cui Fufeng said. But after a long pause, he finally shook his head. "But the Crown Prince's position seems secure at the moment. He's the only son the Empress has, and the other concubines' sons are all young. How could there be a power struggle, let alone involving you?"

"Yes, I believe I have nothing to do with the struggle for power in the court. My father and grandfather all rose to prominence through military service, and the Changhua Palace no longer has any political capital. I am so focused on mourning because I dare not get involved. After all, it would be unwise for me to become involved in any way."

She had no desire to get involved in the power struggle. The only person related to her was the crown prince, but the crown prince did not seem to be in any trouble now. So, which force might be against her and push Yang Huaijiang to the top?

Unable to reach a conclusion, they could only put it aside for the time being and face the case before them.

Qiandeng took the white paper on the desk and spread it out. Together with Cui Fufeng, they went through everything that had happened in the palace recently from beginning to end, and organized the records in the order of occurrence.

Yang Huaijiang enters the backyard - the gentlemen have a conflict with him - Yang Huaijiang goes to the kitchen to boil a drug - Shi Jingning disfigures him - Yang Huaijiang escapes and is discovered by the gardener Lao Wei - a fire breaks out in the kitchen - Yang Huaijiang returns to Gutengzhai - Madam Dingxiang understands the whole story and takes care of him - a bloody handprint that is resembling Shi Jingning's appears on the rockery - a ghost sets fire to the bed - Yang Huaijiang moves out of the backyard.

"Yan Penglai said that gods and ghosts are nonsense, but the devil is born in the human heart. My view on this case is the same as his." Qiandeng first pointed his finger at the "blood handprint" and then at the "ghost shadow". "The cause, key point, and destination of all this are all on Yang Huaijiang."

"At this point, Yang Huaijiang's suspicion of murdering Shi Jingning has surfaced, and the bloody handprint could only have been made by someone in the backyard." Cui Fufeng flipped through the files, pondering, "Could it be that someone in the backyard knew about this before us, so they forged Shi Jingning's handprint and tormented Yang Huaijiang, causing him to become insane and see ghosts in broad daylight, leading to a trance and setting fire to Gu Teng Zhai?"

"After all, it's a bloody handprint imprinted in the snow, so the palm lines and fingerprints can't be discerned. If the person wore a leather glove—like the kind Ling Tianshui used during the autopsy—then wearing another glove underneath should be able to adjust the size of the palm print. By paying attention to the curvature of the palm, you can also create a blank space in the palm concave. Shi Jingning specializes in pastry making at the Fine Cuisine Agency, so his hands are very nimble and free of calluses, making them perfect for creating a handprint with a leather glove." Qian Deng was already considering who among the group in the backyard might have been the culprit behind the fake handprint. "There's one thing: his left index finger is raised... Whoever knew about Shi Jingning's injury might have created this bloody handprint."

"Shangluo..." Cui Fufeng seemed to be lost in thought. "Given his personality, it's not impossible for him to pull such a prank."

"Even Shi Jingning's brothers and sisters-in-law know this..." Qian Deng thought about Huaining's crying to him, and wondered whether her hatred for Yang Huaijiang would make her press the bloody fingerprint to vent her anger.

"But no matter what you do, it's always for your own reasons. Why did the other party press this bloody handprint?"

Qian Deng said, "It's not that there are no results. At least Yang Huaijiang is now suspicious and can no longer stay in the backyard..."

Before he finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard, and Liuli's voice came from outside, surprised and happy: "County Master, the cousin...he's in trouble again!"

As soon as he heard her surprised tone, Qiandeng knew that Yang Huaijiang must be in trouble again.