Chapter 47 Does he know the dead girl and have a grudge against her?
Elegant room on the second floor.
Lu Qian was toasting and chatting happily with several sons of officials.
When they heard that a cousin had come to the Duke of Jin's mansion, everyone was very curious.
"What does the young master's cousin look like? Is she pretty?" The person who spoke was a little drunk and spoke frivolously.
The young man lazily sitting on the couch sneered, fiddling with the white jade wine glass between his slender fingers, and said lightly: "Why, are you interested in that girl?"
The meaning of this statement was unclear and others didn't know how to respond.
As the atmosphere grew tense, the young man spoke again, "Appearance is secondary. That girl is too shrewd. Anyone who sets his sights on her would be courting disaster."
Hearing this, the others looked at each other in confusion.
All the noble ladies from aristocratic and official families pay much attention to their reputation. To be able to make such an evaluation by the young master, it seems that the cousin of the Duke of Jin’s Mansion is not only of poor character, but also difficult to get along with.
The curiosity in their hearts disappeared in an instant.
Lu Qian took a sip of wine, glanced at the children of officials in front of him, and curled his thin lips slightly.
From what my grandmother said, she wanted to pick a man from the noble families in Kyoto to be the husband of the dead girl.
She had offended him, yet she still expected to marry peacefully. It was impossible. He was just not going along with the girl's wishes! Once her reputation for bad behavior and bad temper spread, how many families in Kyoto would dare to marry her?
When he thought of this, Lu Qian felt much better.
Knock knock knock——
There was a knock on the door of the elegant room.
The room was filled with the sound of talking and laughing. No one paid any attention to the noise at the door, and no one went to open it.
Two breaths later, there was a loud bang.
Everyone turned their heads in shock and looked towards the door. When their sight met the figure in black robe slowly approaching, they were all horrified and panicked.
Except for Lu Qian who was sitting steadily on the soft couch, the other sons of officials hurriedly stood up and knelt.
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
The light in the elegant room was dim.
Lu Qian's eyes were gloomy as he stared at the imposing figure in the black robe, then he stood up lazily and saluted.
"His Highness and the young master have something to discuss, so please step aside, gentlemen." Xuanfeng said meticulously.
This group of officials' sons fled the elegant room as if relieved, leaving Lu Qian alone to face His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
The door closed again and the room was silent.
Xiao Mingyi lifted his robe and sat down on the crescent stool with his sword. Xuanfeng and others stood quietly behind him.
Lu Qian was not panicked at all, and his attitude remained casual and relaxed.
"I wonder why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is looking for me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt an inexplicable oppressive coldness piercing towards him along with that deep gaze.
Xiao Mingyi frowned slightly and silently looked at the young man opposite him.
The Duke of Jin has only one son, and he has spoiled him to be lawless. He spends all day hanging out in bars with his bad friends. How disgraceful!
Lu Qian read the hint of contempt in the other person's eyes and felt extremely unhappy. But he was the prince and could not be beaten, let alone provoked.
"Yes, there is one thing."
Xiao Mingyi tapped his fingers on the table, his voice sinking slightly. "I heard that the young master took a portrait to Jingzhao Prefecture a few days ago to report a crime. I wonder if the woman in the portrait has been found?"
The pair of light-colored auspicious phoenix eyes glanced casually at the people opposite him, his eyelids drooped, and he pondered for a moment.
The prince came to Jinzun Tower to find him in person just to ask about this matter?
Could it be that he knows the dead girl and has a grudge against her?
That's impossible. The dead girl is from Huaizhou. She has only been in Kyoto for a few days and has not even left the Duke of Jin's Mansion.
"That girl is very cunning. There has been no news from Jingzhao Prefecture." Lu Qian's eyes turned, "Has the woman in the portrait also offended His Highness?"
Xiao Mingyi did not answer the question directly. He just took out the scroll he carried with him and slowly unfolded it. The lively and charming girl in green came to life on the paper.
"Is she the person the young master is looking for?"
Lu Qian lowered his eyes and recognized the girl in the portrait as Song Lingyi.
"No." He denied subconsciously.
Whether the prince was motivated by revenge or some other motive, Lu Qian had no reason to acknowledge the painting. Firstly, he hadn't yet settled his score with the dead girl; secondly, the prince clearly looked down on him. If he had the guts, he could investigate it himself; he had no comment.
What if the prince finds out in the future that the girl in the portrait is the cousin of the Duke of Jin?
Based on a single portrait, if he says yes, it is yes; if he says no, it is no.
Moreover, with the Duke of Jin's Mansion acting as guarantor, the Crown Prince would have to weigh the pros and cons before mobilizing anyone.
Xiao Mingyi raised his chin slightly, his deep and captivating gaze wandering over Lu Qian's face for a few times. He clearly didn't believe what he said, and continued to probe: "Young Master, could you tell me how that girl offended you?"
The fact that I went to Hexianlou to gamble and got drunk must never be revealed to anyone.
Lu Qian still looked nonchalant, his expression unchanged as he said, "I left the city a while ago and met that girl on the way. She thought I was handsome and elegant, and she insisted on following me."
“…” Xuanfeng frowned.
How can someone be so narcissistic and boast about himself without blushing or getting nervous?
"I am the young master of the Duke of Jin's mansion, how could I possibly look down on a commoner? I rejected her immediately. But I didn't know that she was so vicious that she not only stole my money but also wanted to do something bad to me..."
Lu Qian talked nonsense with great emotion, completely ignoring the reactions of the people opposite him.
Seeing that he could not get any useful information, Xiao Mingyi put away the portrait and prepared to take his men away.
Whether Lu Qian's words were true or not, it didn't matter anymore. He really didn't want to waste his time with a playboy. As long as Ah Li was still in Dayuan, it was only a matter of time before he found her.
But Lu Qian started to play tricks at this time, and changed the subject: "Didn't Jingzhao Prefecture find anyone? There is a bandit camp over in Jiuhua Mountain. I guess she must be from the bandit camp."
"I heard that group of bandits are extremely vicious. Maybe the person the prince is looking for is also in the village."
Xiao Mingyi stood still, looking back at him with a cold and complicated expression.
Jiuhua Mountain was not far from Yunhe Ferry, but he had never heard of bandits on the mountain. If Lu Qian was right, the person he hadn't found for so long might have been abducted by bandits.
Several people then left the elegant room.
The black lacquered flat-top carriage drove onto the deserted street, and Xuanfeng rode his horse to the window.
"Your Highness, don't worry. Miss Ali is very smart and nothing will happen to her."
The carriage was dark, and Xiao Mingyi's features could not be seen clearly. His voice was indistinguishable from emotion. "Immediately send someone to Jiuhua Mountain to investigate. If you find any clues, report back immediately."
Xuanfeng replied "yes", and then gestured to another accompanying guard, indicating him to go back to the Pacification Office to mobilize people.
Dark clouds covered the moon and the carriage was silent.
The seated figure in black robe leaned against the wall, stroking the twined hairpin with his slender fingers repeatedly, and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air.
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