6. Probing
Have you thought it through?
It was Chen Shi (7-9 AM), just after breakfast.
Pianzhu had been thinking about how she hadn't checked on the hosta and bougainvillea plants in front of the yard for several days, so she hurriedly ran over after cleaning up the dishes.
Hua Yao sat by the window, and lately she had been reading books about supernatural events.
She didn't need to search for these books; dozens could be found in the courtyard, which saved her a lot of trouble.
She gently turned the page, and when she saw the two crooked, rough edges, her pupils suddenly contracted.
These are marks from being torn!
Her breathing became slightly erratic, and her scalp tingled...
Why were these two pages torn out?
Why is it that among all the books in Miss Hua's courtyard, this particular type of record shows signs of being thoroughly read?
The real Hua Er Guniang is now missing, and there is no news of any women suffering misfortune in the capital.
Could it be that Miss Hua Er, like her, time-traveled?
And the missing content on these two pages might be the key to the entire storyline?
She closed the notebook and looked at the title on the cover: "Encountering the Reversal of Fortune".
Ze, could it be the Great Ze Dynasty?
Hua Yao's mind was in turmoil, with countless thoughts swirling within her.
The only person we can find a breakthrough with right now is Zhang Mianshan. I met with Zhang Mianshan a few days ago, and he didn't seem to realize she was an imposter.
If she goes directly to him, will she be exposed because she doesn't know some of the secrets between the two of them?
Hua Yao was unusually impatient; the pages of the book were crumpled between her fingers, leaving shallow creases.
"Whoosh... thud!"
An arrow whistled through the air, grazed the wind, and with a "thud," embedded itself in the window frame beside her.
Hua Yao was startled by the sudden noise, her mind in turmoil. Her face paled, and she hurriedly looked to the side. The fletching of the arrow was still trembling slightly.
Her heart stopped for a moment, and she suddenly looked up in the direction the arrow had come from, only to see a corner of her clothes disappear over the courtyard wall.
Getting up and approaching, Hua Yao noticed a piece of paper tied to the arrow. The arrowhead was deeply embedded in the wood, and she pulled it out with force.
After reading the contents of the paper, her eyes narrowed.
Looking up at the moon gate to the front courtyard, she didn't see Pianzhu. She quickly grabbed a blank piece of paper, hastily wrote a few words, and placed it on the round table...
...
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Yulufang on East Street.
"Go back first, you don't need to follow me." Hua Yao instructed the servant, then turned and walked into the shop.
"Boss, I want some lotus flower pastries, and some special pastries, with less sugar..." Hua Yao said loudly.
"Alright, alright, please feel free to make any requests, young lady." The shopkeeper grinned from ear to ear.
When she reached the counter, Hua Yao pretended to look at the pastries. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the servant outside the door. Seeing him turn and leave, she said to the shopkeeper, "Take a few items and wrap them up for me. I'll come back to pick them up later."
After leaving through the back door of Yulufang, she went to the cloth shop. When she came out again, she had changed into a light purple dress and was wearing a veil.
She turned into two narrow alleys, bypassed the noisy tea stalls, and finally stopped at the entrance of Linyun Tower.
As soon as she entered, the shopkeeper glanced at her and leaned forward to ask, "Are you Miss Hua the Second?"
Hua Yao glanced at him and nodded indifferently.
"Please follow me, young lady." The innkeeper led the way, and he almost didn't recognize the second young lady of the Hua family in her disguise.
Indeed, daughters of officials like her had a terrible reputation from childhood. Later, the gossip subsided, leading people to believe she had become more obedient. But recently, I heard rumors that she eloped and was caught. If she's recognized, there's bound to be trouble.
Hua Yao was led to the leftmost room on the second floor, which did not have a room number.
"Please, young lady." The shopkeeper said and went downstairs.
Hua Yao hesitated, looking around. But since she was already here, she hadn't considered backing down when she decided to come.
She reached out and knocked on the door.
There was no sound inside.
"Knock, knock, knock..." Another knock on the door. "Excuse me, is anyone home?"
There was still no sound.
Just as she turned to leave, the door opened behind her.
She turned around and saw a man who looked somewhat familiar; he was a guard of Duke Jin.
"Please, Second Miss." Qin Yan, expressionless, stepped aside to make way and gestured for her to proceed.
Hua Yao pondered for a moment, then stepped inside.
After she entered, Qin Yan closed the door and stood guard outside with his sword.
Hua Yao looked around. The room was luxurious yet simple, and a painting of plum blossoms hidden in snow hung on the wall, which was quite elegant.
The room was completely silent, while the noise of the street seemed to drift in faintly through layers of barriers.
Looking up, one can see the silhouette of a man on the plain silk surface of the carved sandalwood screen.
He was standing, seemingly painting; he was extremely tall with straight shoulders and back.
After a moment, the shadow did not move, but the voice came first, deep and slow, "The one I am looking for is the Second Miss Hua of the Prime Minister's Mansion."
He paused slightly, then subtly traced a line on the paper with his pen. "You, is that right?"
Hua Yao's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched.
These words sounded ordinary, but to her, every word was a test.
The shadow behind the screen tilted its head, as if waiting for her response.
She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm, even with a hint of anger, "Since Duke Jin knows my identity and has threatened me with arrows, is this how you treat your guests, playing tricks behind the screen?"
The moment the words were spoken, the figure behind the screen moved.
Cui Xun slowly and deliberately made his way out.
The first thing you see is a purple brocade robe, embroidered with dark patterns, which shimmers with a subtle luster as she moves.
His features were deep-set, with sharp, defined lines on his brow bone and nose, and a clean, defined jawline. His eyes, in particular, seemed calm and collected when they looked at him, yet they always gave him a sharp, unsettling gaze.
He stopped a few steps away from Hua Yao, his tall figure almost engulfing her.
The two locked eyes.
Cui Xun shifted his gaze and sat down at the table beside him. He picked up an armor-piercing arrow and examined it in his hand. "Using an arrow as a signal is indeed an extraordinary method. But if I, Cui, were to rashly come to your door, it seems that no one would benefit."
His gaze returned to her face, and he smiled faintly, "As for how to treat guests... that depends on whether the person is a true guest or a fake one."
Meeting his gaze, Hua Yao smiled slightly, "The Duke already has the answer in his heart, why ask such a question?"
Cui Xun chuckled, "If Miss Hua is truly open and honest, why fear a question?"
A slight sneer appeared on Hua Yao's lips beneath her veil, but her eyes held an innocent and aggrieved look. "Perhaps it's because my reputation is somewhat poor that the Duke, like everyone else, has some prejudice against me. If that's the case, then I suppose my trip here has been unnecessary."
Cui Xun looked at Hua Yao, whose eyes were clear and bright but who was spouting nonsense, and almost burst out laughing.
That's all.
He stopped beating around the bush and directly took out two silver needles.
“Both of these silver needles came from the Prime Minister’s residence. You used one of them in this building that day,” he pointed to one of them, “and this one was found on the frightened horse.”
"Just because it came from the Prime Minister's residence, does that mean it was my doing? The Duke is too easily fooled."
Cui Xun glanced at her. "What's your hurry?" Seeing that she was still standing, he gestured for her to sit down opposite him.
Watching Hua Yao's movements, Cui Xun sighed inwardly. She looked so delicate, yet her temperament was so impetuous.
Seeing that she was seated, he finally spoke, "The case of the startled horse is not enough to alarm you, young lady."
"However, the strychnine on this silver needle comes from your maternal grandfather's ancestral home in Tuozhou. Coincidentally, the villains captured at Linyun Tower that day also insisted that they were ordered by the Prime Minister's residence. I can only trouble you, Second Miss."
Hua Yao frowned slightly. Tuozhou?
How cunning is this person? He's trying to scam her again.
Fortunately, I had asked Pianzhu a lot of questions beforehand, otherwise I would have been exposed.
“My maternal grandfather’s family is in Luozhou. As for Tuozhou, which the Duke mentioned, I’m afraid I don’t know about it.”
“Oh, right, it’s Luozhou.” Cui Xunxiang suddenly remembered.
He glanced at her, and saw her continue, "Furthermore, what connection does this villain have with the case of the startled horse? He was arrested first, and the case of the startled horse came later. Since he was arrested, how could he know about what's happening outside?" Hua Yao analyzed point by point, "Besides, he has a grudge against me. He holds a grudge against me, so naturally he'll try to bite me back."
Cui Xun remained noncommittal. "This was done by his accomplices. As for how he found out, it was naturally because I leaked the information. However, none of that matters... What the Second Miss should be most worried about now is the safety of the Prime Minister's residence."
His tone shifted, his voice deepening, "Do you know why Xiao Hu was arrested?"
Seeing her confusion, Cui Xun continued, "Treason."
Hua Yao was horrified. If it were just the case of the startled horse, it wouldn't be worth mentioning. But if it was related to treason, not only her, but the entire Prime Minister's mansion would lose their heads.
Hua Yao retorted sarcastically, "Since you know he's an accomplice, why didn't you arrest him along with them?"
"It's no fun to catch everyone in one fell swoop."
“It’s not interesting,” Hua Yao said, her gaze fixed on him, “because we haven’t caught the big fish yet.”
Cui Xun raised his eyes, the usual calculation in them fading slightly, replaced by genuine surprise. He didn't reply immediately, but instead chuckled lightly, "The Prime Minister's residence is not a friend to me. Now that we have both witnesses and evidence, whether or not this charge of treason is established is up to me."
A barely audible sneer escaped Hua Yao's throat. "Is the Duke going to show favoritism?"
“It’s not a matter of favoritism,” Cui Xun said, his eyelashes slightly lowered. “I just came here to see Miss Hua.”
He summoned her here, it's definitely not as simple as just determining guilt or innocence. If he had evidence, why would he bother with this?
She spoke calmly, "Just tell me, what do you want?"
Cui Xun laughed out loud, then got up and walked to the window, his back to her. "Everyone says that Prime Minister Hua loves his daughter dearly, especially this second daughter, whom he dotes on. As long as the second daughter can persuade your father to come under my control, any issues like a runaway horse or treason will naturally have nothing to do with the Prime Minister's mansion."
Hua Yao slammed her hand on the table and roared, "In this great nation under the clear sky, whether the Prime Minister's residence is guilty or not, and how to judge it, should be determined by the law, not by you alone."
Cui Xun closed his eyes and turned around leisurely. As if annoyed by her noise, he put his index finger to his lips and made a 'shh' gesture.
"Second Miss, please be careful with your words. How can I, Cui, determine the guilt of the Prime Minister's residence? Didn't I just hand over this decision to you, Second Miss?"
Despicable! Shameless! Hua Yao clenched her fists. No wonder Pian Zhu said he was arrogant and ruthless. If this person were in modern times, she would definitely post him online to avoid being offended.
Hua Yao forced herself to calm down. She analyzed the jumbled information in her mind…
If what Cui Xun said is true, strychnine comes from Luozhou. And Grandmother mentioned before that Miss Hua's father is currently in Luozhou. The villains also insist that the Prime Minister's mansion ordered them.
Could it be that the Prime Minister's residence is really colluding with the enemy?
Seriously? She just transmigrated here, and her entire family is already going to be executed?
No, no, no, that's not right.
If the Prime Minister's residence is found to be colluding with the enemy, and Cui Xun already has evidence, as he said, both witnesses and physical evidence are available, then why doesn't he go directly to the Prime Minister's residence to arrest the person?
That only proves one thing.
No matter how much nonsense is spread, things that are not yet settled cannot become established facts.
"Has the Second Miss thought it through?" Cui Xun's voice sounded like a death knell in her ears.
After figuring it out, Hua Yao felt relieved, but pretended to compromise on the surface.
She removed her veil, took a few steps, and deliberately moved closer to him so that he could see more clearly that she was "truly afraid."
Her voice was soft and low, "Whenever my father returns to the manor, I will try to persuade him. However, my father is proud and aloof and never associates with the court. I can only do my best. If it fails, I beg the Duke to be magnanimous and not to ruin the Prime Minister's manor."
"if……"
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now." Hua Yao interrupted Cui Xun, gave him a slight bow, and looked as aggrieved as could be.
Seeing her drastic change, Cui Xun tried to discern a flaw in her expression. Before he could see clearly, she turned to leave.
Just as Hua Yao was about to turn around, almost as she began to move, she saw an arrow shot in from outside the window.
The arrow came straight at them...
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