Chapter 64 Dumb Slave

Being in a brothel with a murder scene right next door, Ming Huashang thought she would not be able to sleep, but facts proved that she was overthinking.

She soon fell asleep like a dead pig, and had no dreams all night until dawn. When she closed her eyes, birds were chirping outside the window. Ming Huashang was in a trance and couldn't tell whether she was in Zhongnan Mountain or in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.

"Are you awake?"

A cold voice came from behind the screen. I don't know if it was because he was afraid of waking her up or because he was tired after staying up all night. His voice was a little hoarse, and the tail end of the voice seemed to swirl, touching people's hearts.

Ming Huashang came back to his senses in an instant, remembering that this was Tianxianglou, and they were still investigating the case! Ming Huashang sat up quickly: "Second brother..."

She rolled on the pillow all night, her hair was rubbed into a mess, and the hair on top of her head stood up like a cat with its fur frizzed out. Ming Huashang had no idea what she looked like, so she rubbed her face quietly, praying that there were no saliva marks on it.

Ming Huazhang sat outside the screen and slowly poured a cup of tea: "Come and have a cup of tea when you wake up to refresh yourself. I will be out soon and won't be able to watch you. You'd better stay awake and don't fall asleep again."

Ming Huachang's confused mind finally cleared up. Should she say that her second brother really understood her? She did have the intention of going back to sleep just now.

Ming Huashang slept with her clothes on yesterday. She quickly straightened her clothes, walked out from behind the screen, and asked, "Second brother, where are you going?"

Out of courtesy, Ming Huazhang had been facing away from the bed when Ming Huachang was sleeping, and had not looked inside. He looked up when he heard the voice, and saw Ming Huachang's fuzzy, messy hair.

It seems that I should have let her hair dry completely before going to bed last night. Ming Huazhang smiled unconsciously. I had never noticed before that her hair was so densely curled.

Ming Huazhang felt a sense of disappointment in her heart. She had always been like a child who had never grown up, but now her hair had grown so long.

Ming Huazhang collected his thoughts and said, "No one came last night, as expected. It seems that we can't rely on shortcuts to catch the murderer. I plan to go to Yizhuang to check Zhang Ziyun's body. I can't be back until noon at the earliest. I can't accompany you this morning. You try your best to find Jiang Ling and Ren Yao. If not, blow the signal to ask Xie Jichuan to come out. Don't act alone."

Ming Huashang agreed. No wonder Ming Huazhang had prepared a disguise, but his face was different from yesterday. Ming Huashang asked, "Second brother, is Yizhuang in danger?"

Ming Huazhang chuckled: "How dangerous can it be in a place where dead people are kept? Don't worry, I have a plan."

The Yizhuang was a place where corpses were stored. It was built in a remote place in the suburbs and guarded by the government. It was not difficult to into such a place, but it was also difficult to hide. Since Ming Huazhang said he had a plan, Ming Huashang felt relieved and earnestly instructed: "Second brother, you have to be careful."

"You should be careful." Ming Huazhang stood up, unable to hold back, and reached out to touch the particularly stubborn and lovely hair on her head, saying, "I'm leaving first. If you're tired, stay in the room, but don't fall asleep; if you want to go out to look for evidence, ask someone to accompany you."

Ming Huashang nodded and watched Ming Huazhang open the window. His figure was as light and nimble as a swan. After a few rises and falls, he disappeared in the dim morning light.

Ming Huashang leaned against the window and looked out for a long time, until he could no longer find Ming Huazhang. The climate in Chang'an was different from that in Luoyang, and it was quite chilly in the early morning. Ming Huashang rubbed his arms and looked at the empty streets, feeling a little lost.

Qinlou and Chuguan are different from ordinary business places. They are quiet during the day and become busy at night. Ming Huachang woke up at a relatively early time. Ordinary neighbors may have started a busy day, but for Pingkangfang, this time is too early. Looking around, no one is walking around. Many flower buildings are silent, as if they are still asleep.

Tianxiang Tower was also very quiet, not even a single person was talking. Ming Huashang was bored and just stared at the birds on the tree. Ming Huazhang would not be back until noon, what was she going to do in such a long time?

She sighed softly, touched her stomach, and felt hungry.

Ming Huashang herself couldn't help feeling embarrassed. She ate and then fell asleep, and when she woke up she wanted to eat again. She must be the reincarnation of a pig.

After Ming Huashang complained in her heart, she still followed her heart and packed up her clothes, planning to go out to buy food. However, when she sat in front of the dressing table, she was shocked.

She just spoke to Ming Huazhang in such a dignified manner? Oh my god, no wonder Ming Huazhang smiled!

Ming Huachang's hair is naturally slightly curly, which is not noticeable when it grows longer. But if she goes to bed without taking care of it right after washing, like last night, her hair will become as curly as it is today.

Ming Huashang struggled with the problem for a long time before finally getting herself dressed to her satisfaction and leaving the house feeling satisfied.

Ming Huashang's steps quickened at the thought of going to buy something to eat. She skipped towards the stairs. When she turned the corner, she suddenly saw a dark shadow and was startled.

Ming Huashang took a step back, and her hand involuntarily pressed on the dagger: "Who is it?"

The shadow inside didn't say anything, but turned and ran. Ming Huashang hurriedly chased after him, taking two steps at a time and grabbing his shoulder: "Stop, why are you running?"

The two of them were fighting on the stairs, and the noise startled the madam upstairs. The madam, with her loose hair, peeked from the third floor and saw Ming Huashang fighting with a dark figure. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Silly slave, you are so bold that you don't even mop the floor properly and disturb the distinguished guest?"

Ming Huashang paused when she heard the madam's voice, and her hand loosened. The person in front of her took the opportunity to break free, babbling and gesticulating.

He turned out to be dumb, no wonder he didn't speak after seeing her. Ming Huashang now had the heart to take a closer look at the person in front of him. He was short and thick, with rough and deformed fingers, and it was obvious that he was used to doing heavy work. His facial features were quite regular, but his eyes were timid and shrinking, and his shoulders were habitually hunched inward. He was only in his thirties, but he looked like he was in his forties or fifties.

The madam ran over with one foot deep and one foot shallow. She was so anxious that she almost sprained her ankle on the stairs. She cried out in pain. Ming Huashang saw it and said, "Madam, please go slowly. Repair the stairs another day. Otherwise, Tianxianglou is so magnificent, but the girl and the madam sprained their ankles on the stairs. It would be a joke if it got out."

The madam smiled awkwardly, pulled Ming Huashang's arm, and said flatteringly, "You're right. Why did you get up so early today?"

Ming Huashang showed off her own personality, looked up at people with her nose raised, and said proudly: "Why should I report to you about what I am going to do?"

The madam said she didn't dare. She glared at the dumb slave and said, "Get out of here. Look at your ugly face. Don't pollute the noble's eyes."

The dumb slave was a little anxious when he saw the madam almost fell down, but when the madam scolded him, he lowered his head and seemed to accept it. The dumb slave turned around and was about to leave. Ming Huashang said, "Wait a minute," and said in a long tone, "Madam, you and this dumb slave, don't you have any relationship? Are you deliberately protecting him? and you just let him go?"

"No way." The madam smiled apologetically, her expression a little stiff, "You are joking, my lord. He is just a servant, how can I look up to him? You have just arrived in Chang'an and don't know Pingkangfang. In our line of work, the girls won't get up until the sun is at noon. I thought he was free in the morning, so I asked him to clean the lobby and wipe the seats when there were few people. Just now, he should have been cleaning the stairs. Don't you think so?"

The madam said the last words to the dumb slave, who half-closed his eyes, not knowing whether he understood or not, and only nodded. The madam smiled charmingly at Ming Huashang again: "Sir, he is a rough man, and he would not dare to peek at you even if he had a hundred thousand guts. Please be magnanimous and forgive him this time."

Ming Huashang didn't think that the mute slave was peeking at her, but it was hard to say whether he was peeking at the murder scene. Ming Huashang knew their purpose and couldn't make a move before the situation became clear. So she didn't continue to act up and pretended to be arrogant and said, "Even if you don't dare. Get out of the way. I have to go buy food for the prince."

The madam hurriedly agreed and moved aside. When Ming Huachang went downstairs, she took the opportunity to pick up her clothes and glanced over. She saw the madam scolding the dumb slave and then told him to clean the floor with a frown and cold eyes.

Ming Huashang stepped into the bright and magnificent lobby, thinking deeply. If she remembered correctly, it was the bar that was given to Zhang Ziyun by the mute slave before his death?

Could it be that Zhang Ziyun's death was also related to Mu Nu? Otherwise, why would Mu Nu sneak up to the scene?

Ming Huashang walked through the lobby and into the morning light, pondering her thoughts. She was originally worried about the murder case, but her attention was soon diverted by the novel and magnificent scenery of Chang'an.

This was her first time to really go shopping in Chang'an, and she was full of novelty, especially the food in Chang'an. As for Ming Huazhang's warning not to let her go out alone... when it comes to food, even the king of heaven would be useless, and she had long forgotten Ming Huazhang's words.

Pingkangfang is in a really good location, with East Market just across the street. Ming Huachang ate as he walked along the way, and reluctantly returned when he could not eat anymore. He also brought some for Jiangling, Renyao, and Xie Jichuan.

Yesterday, Brother Xie was the only one living alone. Although Ming Huashang felt that Xie Jichuan didn't need it, she still brought some food to comfort him.

When Ming Huachang returned, she bumped into the mute slave scrubbing the stage. However, he seemed distracted. He stared at the seal on the second floor of the east building, holding the rag in his hand, without moving for a long time.

Ming Huashang did not conceal her footsteps. When the dumb slave turned around and saw her, he quickly lowered his head and continued washing the floor silently, as if he was very afraid of her.

Ming Huashang, upholding the character of a pampered maid with high aspirations, walked past with her head held high and chest puffed out without even glancing at him. She walked up to the second floor on the west side and knocked on the door of Guanghan Yueyuan: "My dear, are you awake?"

Soon, the door opened, revealing a face that looked hopeless and listless. Jiang Ling was seriously sleep deprived and had no energy to do anything, but when he saw the paper bag in Ming Huashang's hand, he suddenly woke up: "What is this?"

Ming Huashang shook the things in her hands and said with a smile, "I bought you some food. Let's talk inside."

Jiang Ling scanned the figures in the lobby, reluctantly maintaining his princely airs, and nodded modestly. As soon as the door closed, his domineering and noble airs were shattered to pieces, and he asked eagerly, "What did you buy?"

Ming Huashang put the bags on the table and said as she sorted them out: "I'm not familiar with Chang'an, so I don't know which stalls have good food. I bought this while walking around the East Market. Don't worry, I've tried them all and I guarantee they taste good."

Jiang Ling had already sat across from the table, his eyes sparkling like a dog waiting to be fed. Ming Huashang brought out the porridge and put it away, glaring at Jiang Ling: "And Sister Ren, go wake her up."

Jiang Ling reluctantly got up, walked to the bed, and called out, "Tomboy, wake up and eat."

Ren Yao stared at her for half the night, and just as she fell asleep, her temples began to throb. She didn't know what kind of bug was buzzing in her ears, and Ren Yao turned around impatiently, but the bug was still chasing her. Ren Yao couldn't bear it any longer, so she grabbed the bug's throat and slapped it to the ground.

Ming Huashang was arranging tea and snacks when suddenly there was a loud bang behind her. Jiang Ling uttered "ah" weakly and then stopped abruptly. Then there were sounds of struggling and howling.

Ming Huashang turned around woodenly, only to see Ren Yao sitting astride the bed with a murderous look on his face, while Jiang Ling below him had his mouth covered, twisting and struggling desperately.

Ming Huashang blinked, unsure if she could see what was coming next: "Um, are you guys still going to eat?"

Jiang Ling and Ren Yao sat at the table, both with blank expressions. Ming Huashang looked around and felt embarrassed for them: "I bought the porridge from the East Market. I heard that it was boiled overnight with bones, and it won't taste good if it's left to cool. Can we talk while we eat?"

Ren Yao didn't even look at Jiang Ling, he picked up the spoon and drank the porridge. Jiang Ling snorted coldly, picked up a ring cake, and bit it off with a snap.

He heard the sound of his teeth gnashing and chewing, as if he was gnawing on someone's bones. Ming Huashang's lips twitched, and he continued to smile and said, "How was the surveillance last night? What did you gain?"

As Ming Huazhang said, Ren Yao said dejectedly, "Nothing was gained. No one approached the scene on the second floor last night."

Ming Huachang had expected this and was not disappointed. She asked, "Is anyone going out?"

Ren Yao thought for a moment and said, "I woke up in the middle of the night. The madam went out to get up for the night and stayed out for a long time before returning."

"Shancha has gone out too." Jiang Ling said, "She walked on the stairs for a long time. I don't know what she was doing there."

It was actually the two of them? Ming Huashang was surprised and asked hurriedly, "Where is Yuqiong?"

Ren Yao sighed: "I was staring at her, but she didn't go out. She didn't open the door all night."

This result was unexpected. The most suspicious person did not go out, but two people who were not suspected came into view. Could it be that they had wrongly accused someone?

Ming Huashang was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Maybe, we need to add one more person."

"who?"

"Dumb slave." Ming Huashang said, "I ran into him at the second floor staircase entrance when I was going downstairs at 11:00 am today."

"Him?" Jiang Ling raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. "Now that you mention it, I remember that I saw that she was very sleepy in the morning, so I let her go to sleep first, and I continued to watch. I did see a servant sweeping the hall, but I didn't pay much attention to it, and I didn't notice when he went upstairs."

"So now there are three suspicious people." Ming Huashang dipped her fingers in the tea and gestured on the table, "The madam, the dumb slave, and Shancha."

"Cha?" Jiang Ling was incredulous. "She hurt her leg, and she was dancing that day, so she couldn't have committed a crime. Maybe she just got up last night to go to the bathroom, but her legs were not good, so she walked slowly on the stairs."

"But we can't ignore her because of this." Ming Huashang, who had the best relationship with Shancha, was surprisingly cold at the moment. She didn't dispel her suspicion of Shancha at all because of her pity. Ming Huashang said: "And Yuqiong, I always feel that there are too many coincidences about her."

Ren Yao said, "No one approached Fengqing Siyuan last night. Isn't it too arbitrary to label these people as suspected murderers just because they went out?"

Ming Huashang shook her head slowly, "No, what's important is to see how they react. Whether they entered the house or not is secondary. There are many ways to kill people, but the psychology after killing people is similar. Things that were thought to be in the past are brought up again. Whoever can't sit still can't get away from it. Many people saw Zhang Ziyun making trouble at 12:00 p.m. the night before. It can be confirmed that Zhang Ziyun was still alive before 12:00 p.m. That means that Zhang Ziyun died between 12:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. the day before. The people who had contact with Fengqing Siyuan between 12:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. the night before, overlapped with the people who went out last night. The person who meets both conditions is very likely to be the murderer."

Ming Huachang's thoughts were clear, and Ren Yao couldn't help but follow her thoughts: "The day before yesterday, at 11:00 p.m., the madam asked the mute slave to bring wine to Zhang Ziyun, Shancha was preparing for a dance, and Yuqiong was called to the second floor to entertain guests; at 11:00 p.m., Shancha went back to her room to rest, and the madam was the first to discover that Zhang Ziyun was dead, while Yuqiong was still entertaining guests. The people who went out were the madam, the mute slave, and Shancha. The only people who overlapped were the madam and the mute slave."

Ren Yao said, incredulously: "It turned out to be them?"

"No matter how impossible it seems, facts will prove everything," Ming Huashang said. "And I heard from Shancha that the wine given to Zhang Ziyun that day was designated by the madam and then carried upstairs by dumb slaves."

Jiang Ling asked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm wondering if we've been confused by our own thinking while staring at the secret room." Ming Huashang said slowly, "Perhaps we should discard the fancy exterior and return to the essence. No matter how complicated the secret room is, its purpose is nothing more than two, to kill people and steal paintings. From Zhang Ziyun's perspective, he just killed his good friend Wei Tan and stole the Daming Palace Map requested by the Empress. The court spies are looking for him, both openly and secretly. At this time, he must be like a frightened bird, extremely vigilant, and it is impossible for him to be ambushed without resisting. But no movement was heard outside, so I suspect that after the hour of Xu yesterday, Zhang Ziyun was confused or simply poisoned to death."

Ren Yao tried to sort out Ming Huachang's thoughts: "You mean, the secret room is indeed a secret room, and Zhang Ziyun was the only one who died?"

"That's the only explanation," Ming Huashang said. "Otherwise, even if the enemy and I were so much more powerful, Zhang Ziyun would have fought back with all his might. At the very least, he could have destroyed the painting. There was no reason for him to surrender, unless he had already lost consciousness."

Jiang Ling asked: "So you think there is something in the wine?"

"Yes." Ming Huashang said, "It's possible that the madam put the drug in the wine in advance and asked the dumb slaves to carry it up, or it's possible that the dumb slaves put the drug in during transportation. Another point is that it was the madam who opened the door, so it's not ruled out that she was the thief crying thief."

Jiang Ling thought about it and found that his idea made sense, but he still felt that something was wrong. Ming Huashang also felt uncomfortable, as if she had overlooked a very important point.

Ming Huachang was getting more and more confused and said, "We don't know the condition of the body yet, so we can only guess. When my second brother comes back and brings back the confirmed cause of death, the portrait of the murderer will be clearer. You guys continue to watch upstairs, I'll go and bring breakfast to Brother Xie."

Jiang Ling then remembered that there was another person: "Don't worry about him, he is from a noble family and will not treat me unfairly."

"That's different." Ming Huashang said, "He doesn't get tired of eating because he can take care of himself. I'm going to deliver the meal to show my appreciation. I'm leaving first."

Ren Yao stood up when he saw this: "I'll go with you."

"No need." Ming Huashang stopped Ren Yao, "Sister Ren, I slept well last night, so I can handle this kind of trivial matter. On the contrary, you have been on guard for half the night and urgently need to catch up on sleep. You should go and rest quickly. You should be fully refreshed so that you can complete the task well next time."

Ren Yao thought it was just a meal delivery, so there was no danger, so he didn't insist. Ming Huashang walked out of Tianxianglou holding the paper bag. She thought she had to find a secluded place to whistle and catch Xie Jichuan. She was going to a secluded place, but suddenly, she froze and hid behind the wall.

Ming Huashang carefully poked her head out to look, and in front of her, there seemed to be the brothel owner and the dumb slaves.

The madam was swearing and grumbling, but the dumb slave was still enduring in silence. Ming Huashang mustered up the courage to stretch out his ears and listen attentively to what the madam said.

The madam was very excited, as if to say: "...you are such a loser, what did I tell you, how much did you put in?"

Medicine? What medicine?

Ming Huashang leaned forward and listened harder. The dumb slave babbled something and gestured. The madam's expression eased a little and she said, "Are you sure it was the dream powder you put in?"

Ming Huachang was so absorbed in eavesdropping that she didn't notice the paper bag in her hand hit the wall, making a muffled sound. Ming Huachang immediately retracted her body and kept praying that the person in front of her didn't hear it. However, the madam's hearing was surprisingly good. She turned around and glanced at the corner of the wall cautiously: "Who is it?"

Ming Huashang held her breath, tried to lighten her steps, and carefully retreated. The madam had been in the entertainment industry for so many years that she felt something was wrong, and strode towards them: "Who is behind?"

The footsteps of the madam were getting closer and closer. Ming Huashang felt desperate. Just when she was about to make an excuse to get away with it, a pair of cold hands suddenly reached out from behind and covered her lips.

Ming Huashang's eyes widened. Someone behind her whispered in her ear, "Don't say anything. Follow me."

There was a faint bitter smell on him, and it was only then that Ming Huashang realized that when Xie Jichuan was not smiling, his voice was so cold and emotionless.