Conclusion

Mu Qing remained silent in prison for several days, prepared for severe torture, but apart from Zhong Linlan's inquiry, no one else came to ask him anything.

As night deepened, she lay on her straw mat, gazing at the moonlight filtering through the iron bars on the wall, lost in thought, when she heard the iron gate creak open not far away.

Having slept too much during the day, she wasn't sleepy to begin with, and the sound made her even more alert. She turned to look outside the wooden fence.

The wall lamps in the corridor emitted a dim light as the night watchman came over and used a key to unlock the chains on the bars.

Mu Qing quickly stood up, only to see that after the jailer opened the door, he turned around and walked out, and a person wearing a black cloak came in instead.

As she watched the figure walk through the bars and into her cell, Mu Qing felt her chaotic heart sink deeper and deeper.

As the person approached, she took off her hood and turned her face away before their eyes met, softly calling out, "Your Highness."

When Xiao Yu stepped into this prison, he felt as if he were sleepwalking. He saw the man in front of him with his raven hair tied up, wearing rough gray clothes, and covered in bits of grass. He couldn't help but reach out and touch him.

Mu Qing took a step back, unsure of what to say. The young prince had come here, so he must already know. She had nothing to explain, and even if she did, she didn't know how.

But then Xiao Yu said sadly, "You left without saying anything, is it because... I'm not clean?"

Mu Qing glanced at him, utterly bewildered.

She knew that some men had one wife and multiple concubines, and that they could share their affections with many women. She guessed that the young prince might also be deeply in love with the real Miss Lu in places she couldn't see.

But hearing the trembling in his voice, and sensing that he was in a bad mood, Mu Qing didn't think much of it and said, "No, I'm not clean, I... I've killed people."

She opened her palm, which was no longer stained with blood, but still felt sticky and metallic with blood. She shook it as she showed it.

Xiao Yu grasped her hand. "Was it this hand that killed him? Or this one?"

His long fingers slipped between hers, interlocking with hers.

"Your Highness!" Mu Qing's mind went blank. He instinctively felt that he shouldn't have done this, and forcefully pulled his hand back.

As if there were shattered jars in front of her, she didn't want to glue them back together, but only wanted to clean them up, and her words were somewhat resolute.

"You shouldn't have come here. Go back."

Xiao Yu stared at her for a while, then didn't press the matter further and turned to leave.

He felt a dull pain in his chest, and he raised his hand to cover it from inside his black feather cloak. He walked slowly, and seemed to be doing nothing wrong.

His health had never been good, and the doctors he consulted all said he wouldn't live long.

When he heard that Miss Lu had lived alone in the mountains for many years, he thought that she was able to enjoy herself, so he would marry her and not worry that she would suffer in her remaining days, even if he died young.

I would meet with her whenever I had a chance, because I knew I wouldn't have much time left to spend with her, and I was just trying to make up for it in advance.

So, he didn't really like it that much to begin with, but...

Qi Sheng, who was standing not far away, put a hood on him and walked with him outside. Just as they reached the outside of the prison and were about to breathe a sigh of relief, the prince coughed lightly and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Once the iron gate was closed, Mu Qing had no idea what was happening outside. She sat back down on the straw mat, thinking that this confused relationship was finally over.

She lay in a daze until the next day, when she was summoned to court.

Zhong Linlan was still listening to the trial. In addition, there was another person, the old woman Man Da Niang who was with the musician.

Mu Qing listened incredulously as she heard her point at her and say, "Yes, it's her! She's my daughter. She used to perform at Yiyeju, which attracted some people's attention. Later, when we moved to Wutong Lane, even more people came to bully us. A few days ago, I went to ask relatives and friends for help, and when I came back, I found that my daughter was missing, so I quickly came to report it to the police. Miss, are you alright?"

As she spoke, tears streaming down her face, Aunt Man claimed that her daughter was ill and had been severely frightened, which would leave her unable to speak for several days. She also said that she never dressed her daughter in coarse clothes, which must have been changed by the people who kidnapped her.

Subsequently, during the interrogation, she rambled on and on, producing a bunch of witnesses to prove that the scholar named Song Baixuan had long harbored ill intentions and had tried to harm people time and time again.

There are clues to prove that Song Baixuan once murdered a beggar, and the person who died in the same room with him was the godfather of one of the little beggars.

Although Prefect Liu was surprised that the musician named Lu Xier in the courtroom resembled the Third Madam, the case made sense. The woman had accidentally killed someone while resisting the police, and injuries had been found on her body beforehand. So he slammed the gavel and released her.

When Mu Qing stood up using Lu Xi'er's name, her feet felt light and unsteady.

Aunt Man was still performing. I helped her up, and then we heard a commotion outside the hall. A group of people walked in, all of them tall and strong, with gleaming armor. The leader was imposing, with a white face and a long beard, and had the air of a scholar-general.

Someone nearby shouted, "Chief Secretary of the Grand Commander!"

Mu Qing watched as the crowd gathered to greet him, blinking several times in surprise before confirming that he wasn't seeing things.

The Grand Commander's Chief Secretary walked in, and upon seeing her, he immediately stopped and said, "I feel like I've seen this woman somewhere before."

Prefect Liu quickly summarized his closing statement.

Mu Qing ignored him, his heart filled with turmoil. How could the strategist in the stronghold be alive and enjoy such a status?

The inspector Qian, who had come to testify, rebuked her: "What a bold woman! How dare you look directly at the Chief Secretary without any respect!"

Mu Qing stared at the Grand Commander's Chief Secretary in front of him, who then pretended to pat his head and said, "Ah, I remember now."

"Prefect Liu, this woman is clearly a remnant of Thunderclap Village, the ringleader of the Jiang family massacre." He shouted at Prefect Liu, "Take her away immediately!"

Prefect Liu was shocked and exclaimed, "This...how is this possible?"

Zhong Linlan interjected, "Sir, you must be mistaken. She is from the capital and only arrived in Weizhou a little over two months ago. Her household registration and travel permit are all in order."

The case had just been heard in the courtroom, and Prefect Liu nodded in approval.

But then an old official said, "Forgive my bluntness, but what the Chief Secretary says is true. This woman is quite similar to the portrait in the wanted poster from five years ago. You gentlemen have not been in Weizhou for very long, so you may not know much about this. But I recognized her the first time I saw her in court."

Prefect Liu scolded, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

The old official said, "Out of caution, I thought that if I could find the case files, I would be more convincing, but the relevant case files were lost due to the thief a few days ago, so I didn't dare to say anything."

Zhong Linlan said, "When I first arrived in Weizhou, those files were still in good condition. I went through them one by one to investigate the case. As for her appearance, this woman does resemble the person in the file. However, if she were really the ringleader of the Jiang family's massacre and robbery, why would she need to make a living by performing?"

"This..." the old official stammered, "It's probably just a coincidence that they look alike."

Prefect Liu was confused. He looked at Mu Qing and wondered how this woman resembled both the Third Madam and the ringleader of the major case. Was the Creator so lazy? Since he had learned in advance that the young prince of the Prince of Qing's mansion wanted to protect this woman, he had to suppress his surprise and look at the Grand Commandant's Chief Secretary.

The Grand Commander's Chief Secretary's face was solemn, his long eyebrows lowered. "Making a living by performing arts?"

He met Mu Qing's gaze, noticing her wide-open almond-shaped eyes, and asked, "Are you really from the capital?"

Seeing his imposing manner, Aunt Man forced herself to say, "Yes. My daughter has been ill for a long time. She was frightened and can't speak. She really can't speak. Please, sir, understand."

Mu Qing pursed her lips, trying her best to remain silent, when she heard the Grand Commander's Chief Secretary say, "Is that so?"

He seemed to be asking a question, but Zhong Linlan asked him instead: "Speaking of the Jiang family's massacre and robbery, I also have some questions for you, Chief Secretary. According to your nephew Jiang Likun, before this case occurred, you cut off all ties with the Jiang family for some reason, and only after the case occurred did you take good care of your nephew."

The Grand Commander's Chief Secretary said coldly, "My sister married into the Jiang family, but her husband favored his concubines over her, and she died in despair before she was thirty. As her elder brother, I have no good feelings towards the Jiang family and of course I don't want to associate with them. However, since the Jiang family members are all dead, only my sister's son is left. He is not very capable, so I should help take care of him, shouldn't I?"

Zhong Linlan nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, sir. But I have another question. Your ancestors were not a prominent family, and your position was not high before the Jiang family was wiped out. Why were you able to provide your nephew with a considerable amount of money after the Jiang family was wiped out, allowing him to squander it?"

"What do you mean!" the Grand Commander's Chief Secretary roared. "I've been fighting bandits for so many years, do you think I've been doing it all for nothing?"

He suddenly lost his composure, and seeing the shifty eyes of those around him, he became even more imposing, "Imperial Censor Zhong, if you want to frame me, just say so!"

Zhong Linlan bowed and apologized, saying that he had no such intention.

This interruption made everyone forget their previous suspicions about Mu Qing and busy themselves with calming the anger of the Grand Commander's Chief Secretary.

As Mu Qing walked out of the government office, she still felt it was unreal. The sunlight in the sky was dazzling, and the stone brick ground under her feet was solid. Only her past thoughts seemed too far removed from reality.

Aunt Man took her arm and led her outside. She took out a gauze scarf, put it on her, and whispered to her, "Miss, I heard that when you first entered the Lu family, you saved Master Lu and his wife. They remember your kindness and asked me to help you. You can pretend to be my young lady and come back to Wutong Lane with me to rest for a while before deciding whether to stay or leave."

Mu Qing was grateful and thanked him.

When she learned that the musician Lu was actually the real Miss Lu, she felt guilty and was torn by conflicting emotions.

The Grand Commander's Chief Secretary claimed to have suffered injustice and been forced to join the Liangshan bandits when he first entered the stronghold. He became sworn brothers with her father and served as the stronghold's military advisor. Later, due to the amnesty, he went to negotiate with her father, faked his death to escape, and became a high-ranking official in the bandit suppression campaign. Yet, he showed no remorse whatsoever and even came to accuse her.

She was in a daze as she followed Aunt Man back to Wutong Lane, remaining almost silent the entire way.

Aunt Man looked at her, secretly amazed. She had thought that since the fake young lady dared to impersonate someone, she must be shameless and ruthless. But she was stunned by what she saw in the hall.

Having abandoned her previous schemes, Aunt Man tidied up the house and helped her settle in before returning to the Lu residence near nightfall.

Mu Qing closed the courtyard gate, turned around and looked at the courtyard that he still didn't recognize after spending most of the day. He had no intention of resting at all. He sat down in the house, looked at the moon outside the window, and remembered that last night when he was in prison, the same moon was in the sky.

In just a few days, nothing else changed much, but her situation was completely transformed.

Mu Qing was lying on the table, sorting out the recent changes and things she had seen and heard, when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Someone outside carried a sedan chair to invite her, but it was Inspector Qian who knocked on the door. He had just arrested Mu Qing and imprisoned her a few days ago. At this moment, he greeted her with a smile and said, "Musician Lu, the Prefect invites you to play the zither."

Mu Qing couldn't play the piano and immediately wanted to run away, but seeing that Inspector Qian wasn't wearing civilian clothes and was still fully armed, with people behind him, she didn't dare to make a move and shook her head.

"It doesn't matter if you can't speak, you just need to move your hands." Seeing Mu Qing standing stiffly, Inspector Qian warned, "Young lady, your zither skills are quite famous in the city. There are many people waiting to listen to you at this banquet. The Prince and the Grand Commander's Chief Secretary are also here. You should not refuse under any circumstances. Men, help Lu Qinshi into the sedan chair."

*

As dusk settles and colorful banners flutter in the evening lights, the city's elite gather in the restaurant, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

Prefect Liu was pouring wine with his head down when he casually mentioned music. Someone quickly brought up the name of a musician named Lu Xi'er, and Inspector Qian immediately stood up, patted his chest, and guaranteed that he would go and invite musician Lu over soon.

Others might not know the rumors, but Prefect Liu did. The fact that the young prince and the musician did have dealings was enough to show that the young prince had personally met with the musician in private regarding the case he was involved in.

He glanced at the young prince and saw that he looked gloomy. He couldn't help but feel annoyed for his slip of the tongue.

Most of the people in the room were officials, and they were still exchanging pleasantries and flattering each other.

"Since Lord Zhang is here on behalf of Grand Secretary Zhen, it must be that good things are about to happen, and he is about to become Grand Secretary Zhen's grandson-in-law?"

Seeing Zhang Conghuai nod in agreement, everyone raised their glasses to congratulate him.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and everyone turned to look. They saw Inspector Qian and a woman wearing a white veil walk in.

"She is Lu Qinshi. I met her before when I was at Yiyeju."

Someone in the room spoke up, introducing the woman to the Grand Commander's Chief Secretary who had asked a few questions earlier. The Grand Commander's Chief Secretary nodded and looked at the woman who had entered with interest. "You weren't wearing a veil in court during the day, so why are you covering your face here now?"

The person who introduced them said, "That's strange. Lu Qinshi always appears masked. Why did you see her in court, sir?"

Prefect Liu briefly recounted the case from the daytime, then casually passed the question to Zhong Linlan: "Imperial Censor Zhong was also present at the time and knows the case best. He can prove that Lu Qinshi acted out of desperation and is therefore innocent."

Zhong Linlan looked at the person who entered and said casually, "He is innocent. However, Master Lu has come but did not bring his zither. Is it because his injuries have not yet healed and he cannot play, so he has come to apologize?"

When Mu Qing entered the room and learned that Zhang Conghuai was present, she became very nervous. Seeing Zhong Linlan and the young prince sitting next to each other, she felt even more embarrassed.

Hearing Zhong Linlan's words of help, she immediately nodded, but then Qian Xunjian said, "No, no, no, I was too hasty."

He turned around and called someone over, instructing them to find a decent zither.

The young prince glanced around and said, "Since you didn't bring your zither, forget it and go back."

Prefect Liu quickly chimed in, "Yes, let's go back. It's not the instrument we're used to playing, so it sounds off."

“Prefect Liu probably doesn’t listen to the zither on a regular basis,” the Grand Commander’s Chief Secretary said with a smile. “A skilled zither player can produce wonderful music even with an ordinary zither.”

With such differing opinions, the others present, observing the expressions on the other's faces, fell silent for a moment.

Zhang Conghuai spoke up, "Didn't you come to Weizhou specifically to celebrate the Prince's wedding? Why are you contradicting the Prince on such a trivial matter?"

The Grand Commander's Chief Secretary's expression changed slightly. He exchanged a glance with Zhang Conghuai, raised his cup, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, I am a rough man. I just wanted to indulge in some refined pursuits. I have absolutely no intention of offending you."

After clinking glasses and drinking to ease the tension, he instructed Inspector Qian to escort Mu Qing back.