Chapter Thirty-Five: Killing is More Entertaining Than Dancing

"Never seen it before?"

Song Yiqiu's eyes were cold.

"It's good that she hasn't seen it before. Qingzhu, bring some things that Granny has 'seen' so she can remember them!"

A smile, completely different from her usual docile demeanor, appeared on Qingzhu's face as she replied:

"Miss, everything is ready!"

She turned around and picked up a tray, on which were placed terrifying instruments of torture such as finger crushers, silver needles, whips, and branding irons.

Granny Qian was so frightened that she screamed:

"You...you're not crazy, are you? You're just pretending to be crazy?"

Song Yiqiu leaned down, getting close to her, feigning innocence:

"Oh no, the nanny found out? What should we do?"

His eyes suddenly turned fierce.

"Then the only option is... to silence them. After all, only the dead can keep secrets."

As the red-hot branding iron drew ever closer, Granny Qian's mental defenses completely crumbled, and she cried out, begging for mercy:

"I'll talk! I'll talk! I know the young lady, I recognize that jade pendant, it's...it's the old lady's personal possession!"

Song Yiqiu picked up a slender silver needle and held it up in front of her eyes:

"Tell me! How exactly did my grandmother die?"

Granny Qian was so frightened that tears streamed down her face, and she trembled like a leaf.

"This... I really didn't know, Miss. I wasn't there when the old lady had her accident."

"All I know is... that jade pendant was the old lady's most cherished possession. I never saw it again after the old lady's accident. Later, when the second young lady came to the manor, the madam gave it to her... I really don't know anything else! I really don't know anything!"

Song Yiqiu showed no mercy, piercing the acupoints on her arm with the silver needles in her hand without hesitation.

ah!

Granny Qian let out a bloodcurdling scream, the excruciating pain nearly causing her to faint. She cried out in agony:

"No! No! I'll tell you, I remember now. I really don't know anything about the old lady's death, but I remember... not long before the old lady died, it seems... it seems she left you, Miss, a thick dowry list!"

dowry?

Song Yiqiu paused.

In her previous life, she had never heard of this matter.

Seeing her blank expression, Granny Qian hurriedly said:

"Yes! It's true! The dowry... the dowry along with the list of items was all secretly kept by the madam and locked in the storeroom!"

"Madam also said... when the second young lady gets married, it will... will be used as part of the second young lady's dowry. Once, when I was delivering something, I saw with my own eyes that in that box, besides the jewelry and land deeds, there seemed to be... there was also a handwritten letter from the old madam herself!"

"I don't know if it's related to the old lady's death... This is all I know. Even if you kill me, Miss, I can't say anything else!"

Bai Mei slammed her fist against the wall in anger.

"Damn it! That old vile woman actually wants to steal the dowry that the old lady left for you, Miss. How despicable!"

Song Yiqiu's eyes were gloomy.

The Song family's household affairs had always been firmly managed by her mother. After Song Sangyu returned home, her mother intentionally had her learn to manage the household. The key to the storeroom was always in her mother's hands, and she never knew that this dowry existed.

If we don't regain control of the housekeeper, it will be difficult to obtain the handwritten note that might contain clues.

Granny Qian was still wailing and begging for mercy:

"Miss...Miss...please spare this old servant...this old servant really did nothing..."

Song Yiqiu looked at her coldly.

Didn't do anything? In her previous life, on the night she was locked in the woodshed and died, wasn't it this 'doing nothing' Granny Qian who stood guard at the door to prevent anyone from approaching?

She didn't look at it again, but simply gave Bai Mei a brief instruction:

"Bai Mei, be cleaner."

"yes!"

Bai Mei responded, her hand swift and decisive as she drew her knife, then skillfully extracted the corpse-dissolving liquid...

Just then, a male voice, tinged with laughter, suddenly came from the shadows in the corner:

"General Song's killing spree... was more entertaining than his dancing."

Song Yiqiu's heart skipped a beat, and she turned around abruptly.

Suddenly, Xiao Yongjing appeared there silently, leaning lazily against the wall, watching everything with great interest.

Almost instinctively, Song Yiqiu swung her hand back at him, but the Crown Prince easily grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

A sharp, masculine aura instantly enveloped her.

Song Yiqiu was both shocked and furious. Without hesitation, she raised her other hand and slapped the Crown Prince's infuriating face with all her might.

He broke free from his grip, took a step back, and sneered:

"If Your Highness is so bored, why not investigate how your own mother died?"

The prince turned his head to the side after being hit. He touched his numb cheek with the tip of his tongue and licked away the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth. Instead of being angry, his eyes became even more excited.

He chuckled softly:

"Hmm~ That's powerful."

The next second, he made another move, this time even faster, grabbing Song Yiqiu's other wrist and pulling her back into his control.

Upon seeing this, Bai Mei was about to rush forward, but at that moment, seven or eight masked guards in black silently appeared on the walls around the dark room, each with their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Song Yiqiu immediately spoke up to stop it:

"Bai Mei! Don't move!"

The Crown Prince looked down at Song Yiqiu, who was struggling in his arms, and laughed heartily:

"What's wrong? Weren't you full of energy just now?"

Song Yiqiu forced herself to calm down and stared at him coldly:

"Does Your Highness intend to report me to His Majesty?"

The crown prince chuckled softly and whispered sweetly in her ear:

Do I... look like such a boring person?

Song Yiqiu gritted her teeth:

"Those who have something to do won't climb into the courtyard of an unmarried noblewoman!"

The crown prince laughed even more gleefully, his fingers caressing her wrist in an intimate way:

“I have no interest in ordinary noble ladies. But you are… General Song!”

His tone was tender, like that of a lover.

Song Yiqiu suppressed her nausea and said coldly:

"open!"

The prince seemed to have teased him enough, and readily let go of his hand, waving it casually.

The guards on the wall vanished without a trace in an instant, just as they had when they arrived, as if they had never been there at all.

He rubbed his still slightly swollen cheeks, his gaze fixed intently on Song Yiqiu:

"Song Yiqiu, you know... more than I imagined. Are you interested... in cooperating with me?"

Song Yiqiu frowned, looking at him warily:

"Me? I am but a mere warrior, I am afraid I do not have the ability to assist His Highness the Crown Prince."

The crown prince suddenly leaned closer and deliberately spoke to test the waters:

“My mother’s death…is related to your grandmother, Shen Zhaohua.”

Song Yiqiu frowned even more. Did he just say it so easily?

He refused outright:

"I have no interest in cooperating with Your Highness. As for the cause of my grandmother's death, Your Highness need not concern yourself with that. We shall keep to ourselves."

The crown prince touched his still-burning cheeks, his tone laced with threat:

"Your river water... has probably already invaded my well."

Song Yiqiu looked at him as if he were a lunatic:

"Your Highness, please return. I will handle my family matters myself."

The crown prince stared at her for a long time. This woman really was impervious to both soft and hard approaches!

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and smiled:

"Good, very good. Song Yiqiu, you really have backbone."

Song Yiqiu met his gaze without backing down:

"Take care, and don't bother seeing me off."

The prince gave her a deep look, then turned and left the dark room silently.

Silence returned to the dark room. Song Yiqiu stood there, her palms slightly sweaty.