Chapter 51: The Fruit of Evil
For several days, there was no progress in the unsolved case of the body buried under the flower roots. The way Liu Zhang died did not affect the life in the prosperous capital.
Tonight, lanterns are ablaze; it is the annual Shangsi Festival. When the late emperor was still in power, people would go to the river to bathe and purify themselves during this festival. After our sage ascended the throne, because the empress loved lanterns, she changed the tradition of bathing on the Shangsi Festival to setting off lanterns. As a result, the relationship between the emperor and the empress became a legend among the people.
As for the young prince Qin Yanheng, the people also believed that he would be a man who doted on his wife like a saint in the future.
"Madam, I bought several lanterns. Do you like any of them?" Aunt Zhao walked towards Luo Qingling, who was standing under the tree, holding a lantern and smiling.
There were many people on the river bank tonight. The master and servant finally squeezed in. They were still several steps away from the river bank where lanterns could be released. Luo Qingling wanted to move slowly with the crowd, but suddenly she felt a hard object pressing against her back. She felt a pain that spread from her back to her heart.
Luo Qingling turned and looked behind her. An old man carrying a shoulder pole stood behind her to the right, like her, trapped by the crowd. She took a closer look at the old man. His shoulder pole was covered in lanterns, suggesting he was a lantern vendor.
"I'm sorry, young lady..."
The old man had an apologetic look on his face, and he had obviously noticed that his shoulder pole had accidentally hit Luo Qingling's shoulder. He slightly turned sideways to move the pole away, but the crowd behind him suddenly squeezed and the old man staggered forward.
The carrying pole suddenly stabbed Luo Qingling's shoulder blade, causing her heart to beat so hard that she almost couldn't breathe.
Although the carrying pole looked small, how could it hurt someone's heart when it was poked in the back? Luo Qingling didn't take it seriously. He shook his head to indicate that it was nothing, and then pulled Aunt Zhao away from the crowd.
In a restaurant not far away.
Wei Fuxian and Madam Hongmei were sitting by the window, drinking tea and admiring the lanterns. He looked down and saw Luo Qingling standing on the street. He raised an eyebrow silently, then turned to look at Madam Hongmei and asked, "Fuxian always feels that Madam Luo and Young Prince Qin are like a pair of stubborn stones."
"What do you mean?" Madam Hongmei lay on Wei Fuxian's legs, stroking his cheek lazily, her eyes full of love.
"Ever since these two met, strange things have been happening in the capital..." Wei Fuxian stopped talking mid-sentence, and smiled self-deprecatingly, "I came to this realization after reading a few new storybooks recently... I shouldn't have said these things, it's just that I was being too nosy."
"Mrs. Luo is a spiritual person."
Hongmei had already noticed Luo Qingling standing at the bottom of the restaurant. She smiled without saying a word, but she understood what was going on.
Normally, Wei Fuxian would not mention any woman in front of her, but it seemed that he had something else in mind today.
Madam Hongmei put down her teacup and looked at Wei Fuxian with a smile. Her favorite always had a gentle smile, but that didn't mean he was a warm-hearted person. She had no control over what Wei Fuxian did in private, nor did she want to. As long as he kept a humble attitude in front of her, it would be fine.
However, Wei Fuxian has been by her side for so many years, can't she see what he is thinking? In that case, let him be. Madam Hongmei thought so.
Madam Hongmei slowly sat up straight, took the teapot and poured tea for Wei Fuxian herself. Her movements were slow and her expression was calm.
As if understanding what Madam Hongmei meant, Wei Fuxian lowered his eyes and smiled, pretending not to understand. He met Madam Hongmei's gaze and said, "Madam, since you already know that Wei Er and Fuxian are brothers from the same mother, why don't you ask Fuxian where Wei Er went after leaving the warehouse outside the capital, and why did he leave?"
"If you don't tell me, I won't ask." Madam Hongmei raised her hand and covered Wei Fuxian's face. "Everyone has secrets, and I don't want to force you."
The flower-patterned windows in the second-floor wing were not closed, the gauze curtains on the bed swayed slightly, and white lotus flowers bloomed among the bedding.
"Fuxian," Madam Hongmei said contentedly, lying on the bed with her eyes closed. "I won't shield the murderer, but no matter how Madam Liu's death is related to Wei Er, I will turn a blind eye for your sake."
Wei Fuxian sat on the edge of the bed and put on her clothes, then paused.
Ever since the costume incident, Hong Mei guessed that Wei Er, who mysteriously disappeared from Caiyifang, might be related to the murderer that Prince Rong An was looking for, but she did not tell Qin Yanheng about this that day - she concealed it for Wei Fuxian's sake, as she knew that Wei Er was still with Wei Fuxian.
*
Downstairs of the restaurant.
Luo Qingling stood under a tree, watching the people coming and going, each holding a lantern or two. She felt a little distressed. The riverside was so crowded that even if she wanted to release a lantern, she wouldn't be able to squeeze in. She didn't know where to go, so she could only wander around.
"Mrs. Luo."
Someone called her from behind. Luo Qingling turned around and saw a tall, thin, fair-skinned man in the crowd looking at her with a smile. His face looked familiar, but she didn't know who he was.
"Madam, do you still remember to play the zither?" The man had already walked up to her.
It was Wei Fuxian, Madam Hongmei's lover. She had met him at Caiyifang that day.
"What's the important matter, Young Master Wei?" Luo Qingling was somewhat puzzled by the sudden appearance of Wei Fuxian, and a sense of vigilance rose in her heart. She didn't expect to "accidentally" run into this person on such a busy riverside tonight.
"Fuxian just wanted to mention something to you, madam. Please don't blame me for being nosy," Wei Fuxian said. "Before Liu Chang, the son of Lord Liu of the Jinwu Guard, disappeared, he had a conflict with my brother's good friend Cao He."
She was shocked, and before Luo Qingling could ask further questions, Wei Fuxian had already turned and disappeared into the crowd. She trotted forward a few steps, but could not find any trace of him.
What did Wei Fuxian mean by this? Could there be something fishy about Madam Liu's death? But Wei Fuxian was just Madam Hongmei's concubine, so why would he suddenly bring up this matter with her? It was really suspicious.
"Madam, the riverside is crowded right now. Do you still want to release lanterns?" Aunt Zhao, returning from scouting the area ahead, hurriedly approached Luo Qingling and asked, panting heavily. She had just checked all the nearby ferry crossings, and they were all jammed. If Madam still wanted to release lanterns, she would probably have to wait until late at night.
"No, I have to go to the Dali Temple."
Because of what Wei Fuxian said just now, Luo Qingling had no mood to light lanterns at this moment. He just wanted to find Qin Yanheng as soon as possible and tell him that in addition to Madam Liu, Liu Chang might also be in danger.
After one stick of incense.
The carriage stopped in front of the Dali Temple. Luo Qingling couldn't enter without a token, so she had an idea and asked the servant to hand the scabbard of the Golden Dragon Sword to Qin Yanheng. Not long after, a young man in black stepped over the threshold and approached the Luo Mansion carriage.
"Madam Luo, His Highness ordered me to lead the way." The young man's voice was cold, without a trace of emotion.
Upon hearing this, Luo Qingling lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out, supported by Aunt Zhao. The young man before him was dressed in night clothes, a black mask barely covering half his face, and a conical hat on his head, revealing only his narrow eyes. The young man's eyes remained fixed on the ground, without a single sign of overstepping his bounds. He must be the young prince's guard, Xuanying.
Luo Qingling followed Xuanying into the Dali Temple. After walking through the corridor, a small wing room appeared in front of them. Warm candlelight shone through the stained glass windows. The door was half open. The owner must have left the door open in advance after knowing that someone was coming.
Just as she was hesitating about how to speak, the wooden door was opened from the inside, and a tall and straight figure suddenly came into view.
Qin Yanheng wore a black and gold python robe, his dark hair held high by a jade crown, a few strands of hair falling across his forehead, adding a touch of youthful spirit. He raised his eyes slightly and looked at Luo Qingling, his eyes showing no surprise. Qin Yanheng said nothing, just standing by the door, watching her, waiting for Luo Qingling to step towards him.
For some reason, Luo Qingling felt that Qin Yanheng's gaze was even more intense tonight than usual. Perhaps it was because she had a drink before leaving, but now she felt a sudden surge of heat on her cheeks. She silently averted her gaze, staring at the toes of her shoes, and slowly walked towards Qin Yanheng.
"Your Highness..." Luo Qingling looked up at Qin Yanheng and greeted him.
Seeing this, Qin Yanheng raised an eyebrow and lowered his gaze slightly, feeling a strange feeling in his heart. Everyone bowed their heads when they saw him, but only Luo Qingling liked to look up and call him "Young Prince." Since he was crowned, few people in the capital had called him by that title, and now Luo Qingling was the only one who did so.
"Tonight, on the Shangsi Festival, Lady Luo isn't going to the river to light lanterns. Why did she suddenly come to see me?" Qin Yanheng asked deliberately. Could she be asking him to go light lanterns with her? That wouldn't work. He hadn't finished reading the file yet, so how could he let her go?
The girl's red lips moved, her eyes dodging, and Qin Yanheng became more and more resolute in his thoughts. She must want to go with him to release lanterns. But then again, Luo Qingling had just arrived in the capital and didn't know anyone. For the past two months, he had been her only companion. Who else could she turn to if not him?
It’s not impossible.
"Miss Ruo Luo wants to be with me..."
"There's something fishy about the disappearance of Lord Liu's wife and children..."
The two spoke in unison, each saying something different.
Qin Yanheng was stunned for a moment, then looked at Luo Qingling with wide eyes and couldn't help asking, "Are you saying there are other clues in this case?"
Hearing this, Luo Qingling nodded, not caring about who might see her as she stepped forward, tugged on Qin Yanheng's sleeve, and led him into the room. After all, the story of her and Qin Yanheng catching monsters together had been written into a storybook and spread throughout the capital. It was just a few words, so what if someone saw them?
"Wei Fuxian just came to me and told me about this matter..."
The candles in the room flickered slightly, casting the figures of the two people on the stained glass window.
Qin Yanheng looked at Luo Qingling, who was whispering close to him so that others wouldn't hear, and felt something strange in his heart. His eyelashes fluttered for a moment, and he silently turned his head and looked away.
Perhaps because it was quite warm tonight, Luo Qingling was only wearing a thin gauze dress. From his vantage point, the snow-white peaks were barely visible. Qin Yanheng took a deep breath, his eyes flickering as he glanced at the candlelight on the table beside him. His heart beat with the candlelight, and he couldn't even hear what Luo Qingling said. His mind was filled with the reflection of the snow-capped peaks.
In fact, he didn't hate Luo Qingling. If she handed the portrait to his palace again at this moment, he would definitely not refuse her as he did before - of course, he had not met Luo Qingling at that time.
While I was lost in thought, I heard the girl suddenly raise her voice, her tone filled with anger.
"Is your Highness listening to me?"
He listened.
Qin Yanheng resigned himself to his fate and took two steps back, putting some distance between them. He pondered for a moment and replied, "Why would Wei Fuxian suddenly tell you this?"
Even if Wei Er's reselling of cloth was the reason for the amphitheater's ghost to possess him, as Madam Hongmei's lover, even if Wei Fuxian and Wei Er were brothers, why would he take the initiative to inform Luo Qingling about Liu Chang, Cao He, and Wei Er? What was Wei Fuxian's purpose?
"Could it be that Madam Hongmei found out something and asked Wei Fuxian to tell us this?" Luo Qingling had the same doubt.
"Did he ever tell me who this Cao He is?"
"No," Luo Qingling recalled, "Not only that, but after Wei Fuxian said that, he disappeared into the crowd, not giving me the chance to ask any further questions."
After hearing this, Qin Yanheng had a guess in his mind that the two Wei brothers were highly suspicious.
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