Chapter 54 Chapter 53 No Way to Defend Yourself
Chang Jiao had no way of arguing. He had really just made a random guess, but who would have thought it would be right? Facing Mo Yu's scrutinizing gaze, Chang Jiao turned his head away, avoiding the other's gaze.
Seeing that he was getting a little annoyed, Mo Yu didn't continue. Instead, he took his hand and found a chair to sit down. His voice was a little serious: "Now that we know that this was done by the son of the Minister of Rites, what are you going to do next?"
Seeing Mo Yu's serious tone, Chang Jiao also took it seriously. He was always meticulous in his approach to cases. He clasped his hands together, his gaze deep, as if deep in thought. He then removed his hands and placed them on Mo Yu's shoulders, shaking them briefly. Then, somewhat embarrassedly, he said, "The most important thing in our investigation is evidence. Although we now know the person behind this may be the Minister of Rites, Gao Yan, this is just your personal observation. That alone is not enough to settle this case."
Mo Yu was somewhat bewildered by his slightly apologetic tone. This case had nothing to do with him, and whether or not it was handled wouldn't matter to him. So why did this Lord Chang sound as if he was being unfair to him? The next moment, Mo Yu understood the meaning of "a weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken—with ulterior motives."
"The most crucial and urgent point of this case now is to find the missing Miss Rui Niang. As long as we can find Miss Rui Niang, the case will be solved." Chang Jiao swung his hand down from high in the air. He looked high-spirited, as if the case had been settled.
Mo Yu probably guessed where Chang Jiao's guilt came from. He took advantage of Chang Jiao's inattention and turned to leave, but Chang Jiao would never give him the chance. Chang Jiao stretched out his dark, strong arm and stopped Mo Yu in his tracks.
Mo Yu didn't want to look back at him, but Chang Jiao had no intention of letting him go so easily. He only heard a hint of respect and worship in Chang Jiao's tone: "Since you are able to become the emperor's guard, you must be a person with extraordinary abilities. I have admired your abilities for a long time. I believe that such a small matter as finding a girl will not take much effort for you. If this case can be solved smoothly, then His Majesty will be very pleased..."
Chang Jiao didn't finish his words, but Mo Yu naturally understood what he meant. He felt a little disdainful. If he wanted to please His Majesty, he could just get something from Yue Zun. Why bother looking for a girl in this huge capital?
By the way, speaking of Yue Zun, although I don't know why he would care about such a small case, if this case is successfully solved and Yue Zun becomes fond of His Majesty, then they, his subordinates, can also enjoy a good life for a while, right? But what if this case is suddenly solved and Yue Zun refuses to show up in the capital? Mo Yu hesitated, and at this moment, a crisp female voice rang out.
"Where are we going to investigate today?" The woman's voice was full of excitement and anticipation. Mo Yu looked in the direction of the voice. He felt that the voice sounded familiar. This woman seemed to be the one who followed Yue Zun last night.
The woman was wearing a light blue dress today, with a pure white veil covering her face. Her hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin. She looked completely different from the black dress she wore last night.
Mo Yu's gaze lingered on her for only a moment, then he looked in the direction she had come from, but he didn't see the figure he was expecting. Hua Ling knew what he was looking at, and the woman said proudly, "Don't look. My young master isn't here today. He doesn't have time to play little games like this with you guys every day."
Hua Ling said this without feeling guilty, but the reality was that Gu Shiyan hadn't woken up yet, and she absolutely didn't dare disturb him. However, she was extremely looking forward to the subsequent development of the case. So she left a few words for the servants in the mansion, so that when Gu Shiyan woke up, he would know what she was doing.
After everything was ready, she arrived at the yamen alone. She was now quite familiar with the capital, and it took her no time to find the yamen. As she walked, she saw many officers and soldiers in yamen uniforms hurrying along the streets. She thought she was late, and her pace quickened.
Fortunately, when she arrived at the yamen, she met Mo Yu and Chang Jiao, so her trip was not in vain.
Mo Yu was a little disappointed when he heard Hua Ling's words, but then he thought that such a small case should not be a big deal in Yue Zun's eyes, so it was normal for him not to be interested. However, the woman in front of him was Yue Zun's maid. Last night, she seemed to be very close to Yue Zun. If he could establish a good relationship with her, Yue Zun would feel much more at ease.
As soon as this thought came to mind, Mo Yu felt in his heart that he was definitely the material for becoming the top scholar, so much so that his gaze towards Hua Ling was burning. Fortunately, there was a mask covering it, so Hua Ling did not have to face such a gaze directly.
"We're going to look for someone today. Are you interested?" Mo Yu's tone was much more attentive, and Chang Jiao, standing by, silently took all of this to heart. Although he didn't know the identity of the woman before him, he knew that this man must hold a high position in the Shadow Dragon Guard. It's said that a third-rank official is a prime minister's official, and those serving the emperor are even more so. And yet such a man was so respectful to a young girl, so she must not offend him.
Before Hua Ling could answer, Chang Jiao handed her a cup of tea with great tact and said considerately, "Miss, you've been traveling all the way. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea and rest for a while?"
Mo Yu rolled his eyes at him. Why was everyone trying to steal his credit these days? But then he thought carefully. It seemed like no one had revealed the identity of Yue Zun last night. No one else in the capital, besides them, should know about the affair between Yue Zun and His Majesty. This thought reassured him, and he followed his acquaintance's lead, saying, "Yes, young lady, please sit down and rest for a while. We can discuss the case later."
Although Hua Ling was eager to get to the bottom of the case, she wasn't tired after all the walking, but she was certainly thirsty. So, she followed the two's lead and sat down on a nearby chair. She took the teacup Chang handed her, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp, acting like a heroic female warrior.
She slammed the teacup onto the table, startling Mo Yu and Chang Jiao. Luckily, the cup was made of a sturdy material, so the tea didn't fall to the floor. Hua Ling's tone was a little anxious: "The tea has been drunk. Why don't you two tell me where we're going to investigate this case today?"
Mo Yu sighed that Hua Ling's arrival gave him a helper so that he wouldn't have to act alone, but he was also a little worried. What if the task of finding someone was too boring and scared people away?
Chang Jiao had no such concerns. Seeing Hua Ling's expectant look, he said, "Today we are going to search for Miss Rui Niang in the capital. If we can find her, this case will be closed."
Hua Ling became even more excited upon hearing this. Under Gu Shiyan's influence, she had also developed a strong interest in dialogue books, with her favorite being those about detective cases. Now that she could handle this case herself, she was still a little excited.
Before Chang Jiao could finish his words, she excitedly pulled Mo Yu out, wanting to solve the case as soon as possible.
But reality dealt her a heavy blow. No matter how hard she and Mo Yu searched, they could find no trace of Rui Niang. It was already past noon, and beads of sweat hung on both of their foreheads. Hua Ling was even more dejected, no longer as excited as she had been at the beginning.
"We have searched the Minister of Rites' Mansion carefully twice, but why can't we find any trace of Miss Rui Niang?" Hua Ling complained.
Mo Yu was also somewhat puzzled. The Minister of Rites' residence had been thoroughly searched, and he had investigated it, but there were no secret passages or anything like that. "If it's not in the capital, then they might have taken it to a manor house on the outskirts of the capital. There are so many of them, and some of them might belong to the rich and powerful..." Mo Yu's tone was hesitant. This project was too large for him and Hua Ling alone.
Hua Ling seemed to have thought of something, her face lit up with joy. She put her hands on her hips and said proudly, "I know a technique that can help me find Miss Rui Niang. All I need is her handkerchief."
"Then why didn't you say it just now?" To Hua Ling's surprise, Mo Yu not only did not praise her, but also complained.
A rare trace of guilt appeared on Hua Ling's face: "Don't I just want to experience the feeling of investigating a case?" In fact, she had forgotten this technique. When Gu Shiyan was practicing it, she insisted on pestering him to teach her. After she learned it, she had no chance to use it, so she forgot it over time. If it weren't for Mo Yu, she would not have remembered it.
With this technique, the case became much simpler. They immediately went to the brothel and asked Man Niang for a handkerchief that Rui Niang always carried with her. It was a pale pink handkerchief, embroidered with many flowers that girls often liked.
Although Man Niang was a little confused about what they wanted Rui Niang's handkerchief for, Hua Ling saved them that night and the two of them came to investigate a case. After just a brief thought, she handed the handkerchief to Hua Ling.
Hua Ling thanked him and left. She found a place where there was no one and injected her internal energy into the handkerchief. The corners of her mouth kept moving, as if she was silently reciting some mantra.
After about an incense stick of time, Hua Ling stopped moving her hands, and then the handkerchief in her hand turned into a thin white thread and flew quickly into the distance.
"Hurry up and catch up." Seeing Mo Yu standing there in a daze, Hua Ling quickly reminded him.
As for why the line was white, Hua Ling said she didn't want to disturb the people, but in reality, it was because her cultivation wasn't strong enough. She simply said this because she didn't want to be laughed at by Mo Yu.
Since this technique can become a secret technique in Yunliang Qianchi, it naturally will not be easily seen by others. Only the user of the technique and those who are allowed by it can see it. If it were Gu Shiyan who performed it, the line would be an even more conspicuous deep red.
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