Chapter 83: People Have Thousand Plans 14: Bu Wang San

Li Xuanhe was holding the hot fried cake that had just come out of the pan. When he turned around, he did not see Xun Shu. He was startled and was about to shout, but then he remembered that the secret guards had been watching him in a hidden place. Their lack of warning meant that Xun Shu had not gone far or was in danger.

Li Xuanhe breathed a sigh of relief and scanned the surroundings. Finally, he saw Xun Shu, who was standing between him and the crowd that was rushing like a river.

She was thin and petite, her face entirely obscured by a raccoon mask. She stood in the crowd, jostled here and there, yet she stared stubbornly in one direction, her thoughts unsettled. Li Xuanhe, peering at her from across the crowd, felt she looked innocent and pitiful, as if abandoned by someone, drawing a special pity.

Li Xuanhe, holding the fried cake, struggled through the crowd, came behind her to block the flow of people, and asked softly, "Ah Shu, did you see anything?"

Xun Shu turned his head and looked at him steadily: "Third brother, I think I saw Fang Yan."

Fang Yan? The Chaozhou County Magistrate? That nerd? Why did he end up in the capital?

Li Xuanhe was considerably taller than Xun Shu, and could see farther than she could. His gaze swept past the dense crowd of people, extending to the end of the road, but he saw no suspicious individuals.

"You and I have just left Chaozhou for over a month. Fang Yan saw you off when you left, but he didn't mention his plans to come to the capital. You must have seen it wrong, didn't you?"

Xun Shu's initial confidence gradually turned to hesitation. "That man was wearing a mask, so I certainly didn't see his face. But I did see the face of the girl beside him. It was undoubtedly County Magistrate Zhao's daughter, Zhao Jingrong. I read her face and read her fortune at the Zhao residence, and I estimate she's only been here for a few months... Why didn't she recuperate in Chaozhou? Why did she come all the way here?"

"County Magistrate Zhao and his wife are both gone, and she has no relatives in Chaozhou anymore. Perhaps she wants to leave Chaozhou and escape this sad place," Li Xuanhe promised. "Don't worry, I'll send people to the capital to investigate, and I'll also send a message to the people in Chaozhou to have them investigate the funeral clothing store and Zhao Jingrong's case."

-

The moon was high above the willows, the stars were gleaming, it was the perfect time to release water lanterns. Young men and women, clutching delicate water lanterns, walked together, laughing and playing. Li Xuanhe and Xun Shu followed the crowds, weaving through the bustling streets. At the end, a hundred steps further, they reached the place where the water lanterns were released.

A variety of lanterns float on the water, drifting with the current and gradually spreading into the depths, shattering the reflections of the moon and stars on the lake surface and illuminating the boundless darkness. The candlelight in the lanterns sways with the waves, and as the candlelight flickers, the poems carrying wishes on the lantern walls seem to be infused with divine power, worthy of being read by the gods.

The waterfront was crowded with people. Li Xuanhe took Xun Shu to an empty spot and handed the water lantern that Chi Xiao had handed to her: "Ashu, you can write your wishes on it."

Xun Shu lowered his head to look at the lotus-shaped water lantern in his hand. It was about half an arm's length, with layers of lotus petals on the outer layer, and the tips were dyed a light lotus color. A hexagonal exquisite tower stood at the position of the lotus heart. The tower had clever girls painted on three sides, and the other three sides were blank to carry wishes.

Xun Shu thought for a moment, then took the pen from Chi Xiao. He hesitated as he was about to write: "My handwriting isn't very good, and it would be a waste to write on it."

Li Xuanhe showed a few big white teeth: "I can help you write."

Xun Shu made a face, ran a few steps away holding the lantern, avoiding his sight, then turned his back and wrote carefully, fearing that he would see what he was writing.

The three sides are blank, and you can make three wishes. The first wish is that Jiang Zheng is safe, and she can find him as soon as possible and take him back to Chaozhou. The second wish is that she can get rid of the people who are pursuing Si Tiange as soon as possible and live the rest of her life in peace and stability. As for the third wish -

Xun Shu looked at Li Xuanhe not far away.

He was writing on the lantern with his head down, very seriously. His eyes and brows were particularly gentle and handsome in the candlelight. He seemed to sense Xun Shu's gaze, and the moment he raised his head, he caught Xun Shu's eye. Then he raised an eyebrow and smiled brightly: "Ah Shu, have you finished writing? Is your wish related to me?"

Xun Shu ignored him, lowered his head, picked up the pen, and carefully wrote down his last wish, stroke by stroke.

"Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe will be together forever."

Xun Shu put down her pen and blew on the wet ink. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Li Xuanhe standing next to her. She was startled and said, "Why are you walking without making any sound?"

"I wanted to peek at your wish, but I didn't expect you to find out." Li Xuanhe said righteously. It was obviously a sneaky thing, but he said it calmly.

Xun Shu hid the lantern behind him and muttered quietly, "It won't work if someone sees it."

"How can a god be so stingy?"

The two of them, laughing and joking, approached the water's edge and gently placed the two lanterns on the surface, watching them sway and spin away. As they spun, Xun Shu seemed to catch sight of the last twelve words she had written. Just as he was about to cover Li Xuanhe's eyes to prevent him from seeing, he suddenly realized that her handwriting, so elegant, was definitely not hers.

It was obvious that Li Xuanhe and she made the same wish.

Li Xuanhe didn't seem to notice her absentmindedness. When he saw the water lantern blend into the other lights and could no longer be seen, he gently patted the top of her head and said, "What are you daydreaming about? Let's go home."

Xun Shu quickly followed his steps and said slowly, "I have a feeling that your wish will come true."

Li Xuanhe was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Yours too, will definitely come true."

-

Early the next morning, Li Xuanhe took Xun Shu to the Qin family.

Several generations of the Qin family had held titles, but unlike the Pingyang Marquisate which was hereditary, the Qin family's titles were downgraded, and by the time of Master Qin's generation, not even the empty name was left, only a little glory of their ancestors, which they could still brag about to their neighbors.

When the two arrived, Master Qin personally came to the front yard to welcome them in. After they sat down in the main hall and had tea, Master Qin looked nervous, but he forced himself to appear calm and said, "I wonder what brings you here?"

Li Xuanhe didn't exchange pleasantries with him. "I'm visiting you today in my capacity as the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple. I'm here to discuss two cases that occurred at the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion yesterday."

Li Xuanhe's words were rather vague, but Master Qin was visibly fidgeting. He leaned forward, feigning confusion, and asked anxiously, "But what happened to the girls?"

Li Xuanhe's smile remained undimmed, but his eyes pierced the man pretending to be stupid across from him like sharp blades. "I have an old acquaintance in the capital, a traveling merchant from the snowy plains of the far north. He once opened a shop in the West Market, selling goods from his hometown. But a few years ago, something unexpected happened to the shop. All the goods were stolen, and people kept coming to cause trouble, forcing him to transfer the business to someone else. After that, he disappeared to live out his days in peace, no longer a traveling merchant. I wonder if Lord Qin knows of such a person?"

Li Xuanhe didn't say his name or describe his appearance, nor did he mention the name of his shop or the goods he sold. He only said that he had been robbed. But Master Qin seemed to know who he was talking about immediately, as if these old cases were somehow related to him.

Master Qin swallowed and smiled rather palely, "West Market gathers merchants from all over the world. How can I possibly know them all? Besides, how is this matter related to the case at Pingyang Marquis' Mansion?"

Li Xuanhe toyed with the teacup on the table and continued casually, "People from the Dali Temple discovered a medicine called 'Buwangsan' in the tea drunk by the Prince of Pingyang before his death. This medicine is produced in the snowy plains of the far north, the hometown of this traveling merchant. After disappearing from sight, this traveling merchant did not leave the capital, but instead lived in seclusion. Because of what happened back then, we became friends. I went to see him yesterday to inquire about this medicine and learned that it is now banned. Even a few years ago, because the dosage was difficult to control, he did not want to harm anyone, so he only brought two bottles to the capital to sell. Coincidentally, these two bottles of medicine were eventually purchased by you, Lord Qin. Lord Qin, is this true?"

Beads of sweat had already oozed from Master Qin's forehead. He took out a handkerchief and wiped it carelessly, then stuttered, "I can't quite remember..."

Li Xuanhe looked at him with a smile. "It doesn't matter if Lord Qin can't remember clearly. It's good that the peddler can remember clearly. If what the peddler said is true, then the two bottles of medicine you bought a few years ago are the only 'Buwang Powder' in the capital. I wonder where this medicine is now?"

Master Qin laughed dryly and said, "It's been so many years, he should have used it long ago... Isn't the purpose of buying the medicine to use it?"

Li Xuanhe sighed and feigned regret. "That's such a shame. If those two bottles of medicine were still in your possession, it would prove that this matter has nothing to do with you or the Qin family. But since you can't produce them now, we can't rule out the possibility that your Qin family poisoned you." He suppressed any unnecessary expression on his face, stared at the person opposite him, and said calmly, "Since Lord Qin refuses to cooperate, I can only search the entire Pingyang Marquis Mansion. This medicine is precious and hard to find in the capital. If this bottle of medicine is found in the courtyard of a young lady in the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, it will be sufficient to prove that the person who possessed it is a murderer with ulterior motives. However, searching the Pingyang Marquis Mansion is a large-scale operation and cannot be concealed. If we find something we shouldn't, I will be unable to cover it up even if I want to. Lord Qin, please think carefully."

Li Xuanhe seemingly recounted a few insignificant past events, kindly explaining the pros and cons to the Qin family and giving Mr. Qin the freedom to choose. In reality, however, every word he spoke completely blocked Mr. Qin's escape route, interspersed with almost naked threats. How could Mr. Qin be his match? After a moment's silence, he sighed deeply and gave up.

"Sir, I did not lie completely. I did use the medicine, but only half of it."

Master Qin waved to the butler beside him, who hurried away. A moment later, he returned with a small wooden box, which he handed to Master Qin. Master Qin opened the box and took out a thumb-sized porcelain bottle, handing it to Li Xuanhe. "This is the 'Bu Wang San' that I bought from a peddler in the West Market a few years ago. I originally had two bottles, but one was used shortly after purchase. This one has been kept in my residence ever since and has never been opened."

Li Xuanhe looked at the bottle of medicine carefully.

The wax seal on the bottle hadn't been opened, and the branding was intact, proving Master Qin hadn't lied. He handed the bottle to Chi Xiao, who was standing nearby, and said, "I'll take this medicine with me for now. If I can confirm it's not related to this case, I'll return it to you in its original form."

Although Mr. Qin was reluctant, he didn't dare to say much.

Xun Shu had been listening quietly nearby, and suddenly asked curiously, "Master Qin, you said you used another bottle of medicine a few years ago, but did you use it yourself?"

Master Qin frowned and was about to scold him when he heard Li Xuanhe say, "Ah Shu, how can you, a girl, ask such a blunt question? What if you scare Master Qin?"

Master Qin felt a faint sense of unease at these words, but he ultimately sided with him and rebuked the questioner. He was about to say something to lighten the mood and demonstrate his magnanimity when Li Xuanhe added, "You should ask, was that other bottle of medicine given to Qin Huixin, the eldest daughter of the Qin family, to help her scheme against the Marquis of Pingyang, ultimately securing her position as his wife?"