Chapter 20 Floating Light and Swimming Dragon: Perfume
This woman solved this riddle in less than three days, in just one day!
After obtaining the perfume, Tang Yu did not conduct any further investigations but went straight back to Wangyuan Escort Agency.
She also thoughtfully distributed the already limited amount of perfume to the maids she encountered in the mansion.
As she passed through the courtyard, she happened to see Wang Yunxi practicing her sword. Amidst the rustling leaves, she caught a glimpse of the two of them out of the corner of her eye, and with a sudden movement, her long sword cut through the wind and arrived.
Tang Yu did not retreat even half a step; the cold, sharp edge of his sword remained fixed a finger's width away from him.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, but her smile was genuine: "I admire your swordsmanship, young lady."
Wang Yunxi snorted coldly, her sharp edge slightly softened, but the hostility she displayed upon first meeting was gone. Her gaze immediately fell on the rouge box in Xie Xingzheng's hand, "What is this?"
Tang Yu took it and handed it over, saying softly, "I heard it's a new perfume balm from the incense shop. I wonder if Miss Wang has any friends who have used it?"
Wang Yunxi took some with her fingertip, sniffed it, and found the smell somewhat familiar, but couldn't quite place it.
"This scent..." She carefully considered where she had been in the past two days, then suddenly frowned, her expression darkening as she remembered something: "Weren't the dancers at yesterday's Floating Light Ceremony wearing this fragrance?"
Wang Yunxi blushed with slight anger, then flicked her sleeve in disgust, saying, "This is hardly anything good."
Having said that, he turned around and ordered his maid to fetch water for a bath.
Tang Yu didn't take her unfriendly attitude to heart. As she lowered her head to think, her eyes darkened.
Yesterday, Wang Shanyue was too energetic and hurriedly dragged her around. At the time, she only felt that the air was filled with this fragrance, but now she knows that it actually came from the dancer.
Xie Xingzheng also realized the key point and whispered, "I'll send someone to check who performed yesterday."
"Then I'll have to trouble General Xie." Tang Yu nodded in agreement.
Without saying another word, the two entered the hall together and saw that Xiao Fangliang and Wang Shanyue had already returned, with the former calmly boiling water and making tea.
After exchanging their items, Tang Yu's gaze darkened, and she said, "If on the day of the Floating Light Ceremony, everyone was first exposed to incense with bewitching effects, and then influenced by the golden stone flower and jasmine borneol contained in the colored smoke and gunpowder that stimulate emotions... Under the interplay of light and shadow, illusions would appear according to people's thoughts."
"So, there's something wrong with this incense?" Xiao Fangliang pointed to the nearly empty box on the table.
Tang Yu did not answer directly, but smiled slightly, "We'll know the answer tonight."
*
The summer night ended rather late, with the clouds partially obscuring the moonlight, adding to its hazy beauty.
Wang Shanyue summoned the escort agency members to the front yard, where Tang Yu was standing in an open space with several pipes in front of him.
Once everything was ready, he raised his hand to signal.
Tang Yu then lit the fuse with a tinderbox, and instantly colorful smoke scattered everywhere, as if recreating the scene from yesterday. Everyone looked at each other, puzzled, but then they heard a "bang," and the fireworks bloomed one after another. Although they did not light up the night sky like they did on the day of the grand ceremony, they were more than enough to illuminate the entire courtyard.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the dazzling fireworks, and smiles appeared on their faces.
Suddenly, Tang Yu cleared her throat, pointed to the nearby vegetation, and exclaimed, "Look! There's a human-faced dog!"
They were terrified and looked over. Sure enough, there it was, a vicious dog with white fur, a hideous face, and a low growl coming from its throat, glaring menacingly at them from the bushes.
Wang Shanyue was the first to react, speaking up to warn, "That's not a human-faced dog, it's a child! Don't attack!"
They were afraid that if they spoke too late, the swords of the security escort agency would be used to pierce the innocent child.
At this moment, the dog's face, which had been somewhat blurry in everyone's eyes, became clearer and clearer, turning into the face of a child.
Xie Xingzheng was also momentarily stunned, but after a moment, his expression relaxed, and he slowly said, "I see..."
Having gone through the case of the human-faced dog together, they naturally knew that such a thing as a "human-faced dog" did not exist in the world. They also knew that it was absolutely impossible for a security escort agency to have a human-faced dog.
But just now, for a fleeting moment, when I looked at the bushes, I actually mistook that white cloth for a monster.
This precisely demonstrates that "Su Yutang" has indeed deciphered the secret of the Floating Light Dragon.
The镖局 (bodyguard agency) members rushed forward, all wanting to see the dog's true appearance. Tang Yu, however, stepped forward first, picked up a corner of the cloth, and gently shook it. The white cloth fluttered in front of them, and the illusion of the human-faced dog vanished.
Only then did everyone realize that it was nothing more than a tattered piece of cloth.
But then a chill ran down my spine. How did he do that? And when did I fall for it?
Tang Yu lowered her eyelashes, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Just now, did anyone really see the 'human-faced dog'?"
The maids who received the perfume today all timidly admitted it.
After a moment of silence, Wang Yunxi finally spoke frankly: "I think I saw it too, but... it looked more like a blurry white shadow."
Tang Yu nodded. "I think the others probably haven't seen it either."
“I really didn’t see it.” Wang Shanyue nodded and explained, “I was just shouting in a hurry because I was worried that people might accidentally hurt someone.”
Madam Wang couldn't help but press further: "But why is it that in their eyes, that monster actually appears?"
Tang Yu did not answer, but instead took out a small rouge box from her bosom and gently opened it with her fingertips. Although there was no longer any perfume inside, a lingering fragrance still wafted in the wind and permeated her nostrils.
Only then did she speak gently: "After General Xie and I returned to the escort agency, we randomly distributed this balm to everyone. Immersed in this fragrant environment, the medicinal effects seeped into our bodies silently."
Then he turned to look at Wang Yunxi, "Miss Wang only took a sniff before rushing back to her room to bathe, so she only saw a white shadow in front of her."
Wang Yunxi's expression changed, and she said in a low voice, "I see."
"Is this incense poisonous?" Madam Wang asked anxiously, worried about her daughter.
“This incense is not poisonous.” Tang Yu shook his head, pointing to the lingering smoke in the courtyard. “But when the colored smoke and fireworks are lit, they work together with the two medicinal ingredients to confuse the mind.”
Xie Xingzheng's gaze sharpened, and he finished her sentence for her: "Therefore, the appearance of the dragon tonight is no different from the day before yesterday. It's just that the illusion has turned into a human-faced dog."
“Exactly.” Tang Yu nodded: “On the day of the grand ceremony, most people will be enjoying the market near the decorated tower during the day and won’t notice anything amiss with this incense. After a few hours of immersion, when the fireworks are set off at night, a few shouts will be enough to make ten thousand people see the illusion.”
Wang Shanyue angrily hissed, "How dare you!"
“However, I would like to confirm one last thing.” Tang Yu said, then turned to look at Xiao Fangliang, her gaze cold: “Brother Xiao, you did not go to the market with us that day, so did you not see the so-called real ‘dragon’?”
Xiao Fangliang tapped his knee lightly with his fingertips and nodded slowly.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have repeatedly asked A-Yue what the dragon in his eyes actually looked like.
When Xiao Fangliang looked up, his eyes were already cold: "Choosing the night of the Floating Light Ceremony to let the people see the Illusionary Dragon... This is no coincidence. Someone deliberately set up this to try to disturb the people's hearts."
"The strategy is just a means to an end," Xie Xingzheng said with a hint of coldness. "The real purpose may be far more complex than that."
The air fell silent for a moment, and everyone slowed their breathing.
Tang Yu suddenly burst out laughing, breaking the cold and somber atmosphere.
She smiled at Xie Xingzheng, tilted her head and asked, "Now that the illusion has been broken, I suppose my head is safe, right?"
Xie Xingzheng turned his head slightly and said calmly, "Consider it saving half."
She, however, was unconcerned and instead offered a suggestion with great interest: "In fact, the imperial court can also use the same method to counter this. Since they can conjure up the wrath of a real dragon, they can also conjure up a divine dragon to bring blessings. If they can hold another grand ceremony so that the people can see auspicious omens, they will have the upper hand."
Xie Xingzheng's expression shifted slightly.
He never expected that this woman would solve the riddle in just one day, not three. She even devised a countermeasure for the imperial court.
How could I possibly have the right to continue making things difficult for her?
*
Late at night, Xie Xingzheng secretly reported to the palace, recounting the whole story of the illusory dragon's phantom to Emperor Wen of Chu.
Emperor Wen of Chu was overjoyed upon hearing this, not only because the mystery had been solved, but also because he was extremely satisfied with Tang Yu's "borrowing illusion to bring good fortune" strategy.
However, this case is far from over.
Who mixed the golden stone flower and borneol into the fireworks? From the selection of fireworks materials to their transportation and arrangement, at least dozens of people were involved. To avoid alerting the perpetrators, Emperor Wen of Chu still entrusted the matter to the Censorate for further investigation.
The source of this mysterious perfume was to be secretly investigated by Xie Xingzheng and Tang Yu, among others, to find out its origin.
If things go well, a gentleman's promise will naturally be kept.
Tang Yu was not discouraged after hearing this.
She had also wanted to find the person who made the incense. The Tang Clan's poison-making techniques were well-known in the martial arts world, so she was naturally curious about the person who could refine such incense and devise such a meticulous method of using medicine.
The next day, Xie Xingzheng secretly sent people to search all the incense shops in Zhongjing, but none of them recognized the incense or knew where it came from.
Tang Yu wasn't surprised. She just smiled and poured tea for everyone: "If it were really that easy to find out, why would we have walked around the streets three times for nothing yesterday?"
Xie Xingzheng didn't touch the blue-and-white porcelain teacup. Just one glance at it revealed how hot the tea was. Looking at the person opposite him, "Su Yutang," who had been pretending to blow on it for a long time without actually drinking it, he knew that she was doing it on purpose. Helpless, he sighed softly.
"However, the secret guards have delivered the list of all the performers from the day of the Floating Light Ceremony." Xie Xingzheng said, pushing the secret letter in front of her.
"It seems that the lady's husband most likely lied to her."
Tang Yu's lips curled into a strange smile as she teased, "General Xie is a man too. Don't you know that when a man has something to hide, you can't trust what he says?"
"..." Xie Xingzheng's breath hitched, and there was a hint of speechlessness in his eyes.
It's least believable when these words come from her mouth.
Xiao Fangliang watched the two interact with a smile and steered the conversation back on track, "So, this fragrance most likely originated from a brothel or entertainment venue?"
Tang Yu raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.
He casually flipped through the secret letters again, and finally shrugged helplessly, "I am not familiar with Zhongjing, how can I identify which place these names refer to? General Xie, why don't you just tell me which one is the most famous brothel in Zhongjing?"
Xie Xingzheng stared intently at her with his dark eyes, each word clear: "The best brothel is Tianjingyuan; the best singing house is Jinchenlou; and the most renowned music hall is Yaohuage."
Tang Yu coughed lightly, avoiding his gaze: "Then shall we go for a walk together tonight?"
"I'm not going." Xiao Fangliang refused without even thinking.
Wang Shanyue looked on expectantly, about to speak, but was glared at by Xiao Fangliang, who added, "He's not going either."
So, the three of them couldn't help but look at Xie Xingzheng, who was sitting upright to the side.
"..."
Xie Xingzheng's fingertips twitched slightly, and his heart sank.
I have a feeling this isn't going to be a good thing.
[Author's Note]
There's a ranking list this week, so I'll be updating daily until Wednesday. Love you!
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