Chapter 84: Capture

After Qiandeng, Ji Linyou and Mingjiu left, Yan Penglai also said goodbye to Cui Fufeng.

Xue Xiyang smiled charmingly, his eyes blooming like flowers. "It's such a pity that Mr. Yan was dismissed from his post and left the capital. I will definitely speak well of you to the county lady if I have the chance. But I think you have made such a big mistake, your chances of returning are slim."

Yan Penglai lowered his eyes, the corners of his beautiful lips slightly raised, and he turned and left without saying a word.

Jin Tang never knew how to hide his feelings. He was delighted to have lost a competitor. After waving at Cui Fufeng's back, he sat down by the bed and asked Cui Fufeng, "How is your injury, Cui Shaoqing?"

Cui Fufeng smiled and said, "It's okay. Actually, the wound is not serious. It's just that I had a fever before, and the county lady is a little worried."

Jin Tang recalled the way the county lady had fed him medicine just now, and felt a little awkward: "He's seriously injured, right? The county lady even fed Cui Shaoqing the medicine herself."

"The wound was close to my arm, and it was a little numb and itchy, so I couldn't hold the bowl for a while, and I made a fool of myself in front of the county lady." Cui Fufeng smiled slightly, stroking his shoulder and said calmly, "I heard that the numbness and itching in the wound is promoting blood circulation and tissue regeneration. No wonder the county lady, despite her fatigue, went to ask Doctor Liao for medicine on my behalf that night after I was injured. The medicine is really effective, and the wound healed quickly."

After hearing what he said, Jin Tang felt a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't figure out what was going on.

Xue Xiyang, a sensitive person, had already spoken sourly: "As expected of Cui Shaoqing, we have all been injured before, but to receive such care from the county lady, asking for medicine and personally feeding it, only Cui Shaoqing is the only one."

Cui Fufeng smiled lightly, calm and composed: "After all, my injury is different, so the county lady is particularly concerned about me."

Xue Xiyang looked at Cui Fufeng, who was leaning on the pillow with a smile on his face. He then looked at the medicine bowl that Qian Deng had held and the head of the bed where he had sat. He brushed his clothes and stood up. "With the county lady taking care of him personally, I believe that Cui Shaoqing will be well in two days. I will not disturb you any more."

After he left, Jin Tang finally came to his senses and understood the uncomfortable feeling in his heart - what else could this sour feeling that filled his heart be!

He didn't even remember his father's advice to be kind to others in the county lord's backyard, especially to curry favor with Cui Shaoqing. He left angrily, saying, "Since you're fine, Cui Shaoqing should take good care of yourself."

Only Cui Fufeng was left looking at the rustling bamboo shadows in the courtyard, and the smile on his face faded.

After a long while, he finally murmured, "Am I the only one not considered in your choice of son-in-law?"

Following Yan Penglai's instructions, Qiandeng rushed to Huayan Nunnery.

Unexpectedly, when they went there, they met Ling Tianshui and Liu Anlu, the left secretary of the East Palace, who were searching for traces at the scene.

Seeing them coming, Liu Anlu hurried over to greet them: "Last time, Ling Sijie solved the secret room of the Princess's Mansion in one fell swoop. The brothers were all very impressed. Today, I specially invited Ling Sijie to drink a drink to express our gratitude, and also to come over to see the situation near the secret passage."

Ling Tianshui nodded to Qian Deng: "It just so happens that the Northern Court's Imperial Guards have been free these days."

Qiandeng asked: "Have you found anything?"

He pointed at Huayan Temple and said, "I followed the trail all the way here. It seems that this place is not far from Princess Gao's residence and is at the exit of the secret passage. I'm afraid there is something wrong with this nunnery."

Ji Linyou slapped his thigh and exclaimed in admiration, "Just now, when Yan Penglai said goodbye to the county lady, he also revealed the connection between Huayan Temple and the princess's mansion!"

Liu Anlu was overjoyed: "What are we waiting for? Go in and search!"

The guards from the Eastern Palace kicked the door open and rushed in. Several nuns who were sweeping the front hall were startled and rushed over to stop them. Some of them shouted that it was a Buddhist holy place and no one was allowed to enter without armor, while others were ready to run to the back to inform the abbot.

Ji Linyou grabbed the nun who was about to report the incident and rushed into the temple's backyard with his men. He first pinned down the abbot in the meditation room and demanded, "Where is the Princess Changyi?"

He asked without any evidence. The head nun tried to feign ignorance and refuse, but Ji Linyou immediately said, "Don't deny it. The little nun outside has already confessed!"

The host collapsed to the ground in fear. "The princess... she said she'd found the princess's former servant, and she'd disguised herself and left the city an hour ago..."

"From which gate did you leave?"

"It's... Chunmingmen."

A group of people rode their horses at full speed, heading east along Chunming Gate.

As soon as they left the outskirts of the city, they followed the wheel tracks and asked passers-by, and soon found the trace of Princess Changyi's carriage. Shortly after leaving the city, it deviated from the official road and turned into the wild land nearby.

Traces of a carriage could be vaguely seen in the barren bushes.

Liu Anlu dismounted and led his men to investigate, somewhat puzzled: "Is this the Changyi Princess's carriage? But she ran away over an hour ago, so why is she still here?"

When they got close to the carriage, he and the soldiers around him suddenly stopped.

Qian Deng knew something was wrong, so he immediately rode forward and surrounded the carriage with Ling Tianshui and the others.

A man dressed as a coachman fell beside the wheel, already dead.

The door of the carriage was ajar, and a trickle of blood was dripping along the gap of the carriage, and the smell of blood filled the air.

The soldier pushed open the car door and saw that the interior of the car was splattered with blood and turned into a large area of ​​red.

A female corpse was lying face down on the carriage seat, with blood all over her body. The blood had soaked the carriage, making her look like she was lying in a sea of ​​blood.

Ling Tianshui frowned slightly, stepped onto the carriage, turned the body over, revealing the deceased's pale and distorted face.

Although her fleeing attire was simple, she could be recognized at a glance as being Princess Xiao Fuyu of Changyi.

This proud daughter of heaven, admired by everyone in the capital, died tragically in the wilderness. Everyone was extremely shocked.

Only Ling Tianshui frowned slightly, then immediately went to check her wound. His voice was as deep and cold as ever: "The victim was stabbed in the neck. The killer's strike was steady and accurate, severing the blood vessels in her neck, causing blood to splatter and causing her to die instantly from exsanguination."

Qiandeng looked at the horrific scene in front of him and listened to his words, and immediately thought of Shi Jingning whose throat was cut in Jianfu Temple.

Liu Anlu asked: "He's so skilled, is he a robber?"

"It's hard to say at the moment. Let's report it to the court first."

The East Palace guards ran to notify the judicial office. Qian Deng avoided the others and whispered to Ling Tianshui, "I'm afraid the attackers weren't robbers, but assassins?"

Ling Tianshui nodded, his eyes sweeping across the scene inside the carriage. "They're clearly skilled at killing, but not at plundering. Although they did rummage around and looted some items after the killing, many of the usual hiding places showed no signs of being thoroughly searched."

"So, do you feel familiar with the traces left by this murderer?"

Ling Tianshui naturally knew what she was referring to. He raised his eyes and pointed to a knife mark on the wall of the carriage. This was the mark left by the other party's knife when he rushed into the carriage after killing the coachman and Princess Changyi dodged in panic.

"The murderer used a one-handed knife. The cuts were long and thin, with only the tip being sharp but short and rounded. The blade was three times thicker than usual, and the edge narrowed rapidly. However, the murderer's method of killing with this type of knife was very skilled."

Qian Deng ignored the blood and looked down at the knife marks: "What kind of knife is this?"

Ling Tianshui's voice was low but clear. "Following the Fengtian Rebellion last year, to celebrate the great victory, the imperial court replaced the equipment of the Forbidden Palace guards. The most obvious change was the addition of a bronze auspicious tiger ornament to the tip of the scabbard. While the addition of the tiger was imposing, it took up space inside the blade. Therefore, the tip of the standard sword for the palace guards was changed to a blunt, rounded shape, without a sharp point."