Deng Shen replied, "Madam, the wife of Magistrate Qiao came to the shop looking for you, and the shopkeeper specially sent me back to deliver the message."
Jiang Huaiyu nodded slightly and said calmly, "I understand."
After exchanging greetings and a brief pleasantries, they took their seats. Jiang Huaiyu, with a warm smile on her face, asked softly, "Madam Qiao, is your visit to appreciate our rouge? Have you already taken a liking to any particular style? I'd be happy to explain them to you."
She naturally understood that Madam Qiao's long wait was not solely for the purpose of purchasing rouge, but it was not appropriate for her to bring up such a question.
Sure enough, a faint sadness flashed across Madam Qiao's face. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke: "Madam Bai, I still have some of the rouge you gave me last time. I did not come here to purchase new rouge."
"Oh? So the purpose of your trip is..."
Mrs. Qiao sighed deeply, her tone tinged with helplessness, "I really couldn't find anyone to confide in, so I thought of visiting you, hoping to relieve some of the bitterness in my heart."
"Is it because of the progress of that case?"
"That's exactly right."
"How could a figure from the martial arts world be so difficult to capture?"
Madam Qiao smiled bitterly and replied, "Indeed, no one expected the case to become so complicated. The prediction I mentioned to you before has unfortunately come true. My husband was unable to solve the case for a long time, and as a result, the governor dismissed him from his post and sent him home for incompetence. Now, he drowns his sorrows in alcohol every day, and it pains me to see him like this. Once my husband loses power, those who were once close to him have all distanced themselves from him. Alas... I am troubled, but I have no one to confide in, so I thought of coming to sit with you. I don't know if I have caused you any trouble?"
"Not at all. I have already said that Han Yi Fang welcomes Madam Qiao at any time."
Mrs. Qiao showed a grateful expression. "Alas, Mrs. Bai, nowadays everyone is waiting to see the Qiao family make a fool of themselves. Some people are even trying to climb to a higher position by taking advantage of my husband's downfall. Only you, although we haven't known each other for long, have still been so caring towards me..."
Jiang Huaiyu smiled and comforted her, "Madam Qiao, please don't worry. Just as you once advised me, Lord Zhang has a distinguished political record and has not committed any major offenses. He is only temporarily setbacked. When the time is right, he will surely make a comeback and be reinstated. Don't worry too much, everything will be alright."
"Alas, if this case remains unsolved, I fear my master's chances of regaining his position are slim..."
Jiang Huaiyu frowned, looking even more serious. "Where is the murderer hiding? Is he lurking inside or outside the city? It's so troublesome."
Mrs. Qiao glanced at her gently and said in a low voice, "To be honest, I know nothing about this either."
She was completely unaware of this, which means that Qiao Tongzhi was also completely unaware of it. Could this really become an unsolvable mystery?
"this……"
Jiang Huaiyu's expression also became serious.
Although the case was not directly related to her, the tense atmosphere in the city made her deeply worried. People were panicking, and some people were even taking the opportunity to create trouble. If left unchecked, it would surely cause even greater chaos.
"In fact, besides pouring out my heart to you, I also want to remind you of some things during this visit—"
Madam Qiao paused briefly, then continued, "I think you may have already noticed that Wusu City has been quite unsettled lately. The prefect was deeply loved by the people before his murder, and the case has yet to be solved. Every day, people gather to protest in front of the government office, and there are a constant stream of instigators. If we are not careful, it could easily lead to a riot. You are pregnant now, so you must be extra careful. If it is not necessary, try not to go out."
Jiang Huaiyu nodded slightly to express her gratitude, "Thank you for coming to remind me, Madam Qiao. I will pay more attention."
After Mrs. Qiao finished speaking, she felt much better and said with a smile, "Then I won't bother you any longer today. You must take good care of yourself."
After she left, Yingxiang couldn't help but mutter, "This Mrs. Qiao is really baffling. She specially invited our lady over just to talk about these trivial matters. No matter how serious this case is, what does it have to do with us?"
Jiang Huaiyu chuckled softly, "You know, your temper has grown since you came to Wusu."
Yingxiang pouted and said, "You're pregnant now, and I just can't stand seeing anyone make you suffer! You used to teach me to be careful not to speak too intimately with people I don't know well, but that Mrs. Qiao, who has only met you a few times, came all the way here to tell you all this. She only did it because she sees your gentle nature and wants to confide in you. Did she ever consider your physical discomfort?"
"Don't be angry anymore. I know what she's up to and understand her intentions. However, what she said to me may not be entirely without benefit. This case is so complicated that the entire city may be thrown into chaos. Now that we have foreseen the situation, we should take precautions in advance."
From then on, Jiang Huaiyu lived a secluded life, entrusting all matters of the workshop and shop to Deng Shen.
Time flies, and it was already early August. As Mrs. Qiao had predicted, things were becoming increasingly serious.
Ussuriysk has descended into chaos.
Initially, there were only a few robberies in the city; although property was lost, no serious casualties were reported. However, as the case remained unresolved, the situation gradually deteriorated, and violence and looting in the city became increasingly rampant. Within just five days, three households were robbed, resulting in two deaths and three injuries.
Panic spread throughout the city, and although the government deployed troops to try to suppress it, the effect was minimal. Due to limited manpower, the government could not cover every corner of the city.
Soon, rumors began to circulate throughout the city.
Rumors circulated that the perpetrators who broke into homes and committed the crimes were江湖侠客 (jianghu xiake, a type of chivalrous martial arts figure) who were accomplices in the plot to murder the prefect, which is why they dared to commit the crimes so brazenly.
Hearing these rumors, Jiang Huaiyu couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood. As the months went by, her movements became increasingly difficult. Faced with the panic in the city, she instructed the Zhao brothers to guard their home strictly, while she herself remained indoors every day.
However, an unexpected event still occurred.
One night, Jiang Huaiyu was suddenly awakened from her dream by the sound of a fierce fight.
She opened her eyes to find the room pitch black, which made the clanging of metal outside all the more distinct and jarring. Her heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily called out softly, "Yingxiang?"
In the dim light, a figure silently crept from the window to the bedside and took Jiang Huaiyu's hands in his.
"Madam, I'm here."
What exactly happened outside?
Yingxiang's usually steady hands trembled slightly. She swallowed nervously, trying to hide her tension, and then said in a deliberately calm tone, "Madam, there's no need to worry. It's just a few thieves who have broken in. Brother Zhao and Brother Zhao are very skilled; I believe they will be able to subdue them soon."
(End of this chapter)
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