Chapter 32: Biluoyi
She returned to her mother's spirit, burned incense, and prayed silently. Standing alone in front of the spirit tablet, she prayed softly, "If my mother knows about this, please guide me to find all the clues, bring the murderer to justice, and avenge you..."
But on this summer night, apart from the night wind blowing the elegiac couplets and the black words on the paper adding to the desolate sadness, there was no response.
She stood for a moment, then turned and walked towards the water pavilion in the backyard.
Walking up the corridor, I could hear the chirping of insects and the flying of fireflies in front of me, just like the night my mother died.
She walked up the platform, crossed the small open space in front of the water pavilion, and entered the corridor of the water pavilion.
My mother's bloodstains were still on the brick floor, but they were covered by the darkness and were no longer obvious.
She silently pushed open the door and stepped in.
A small solitary lamp illuminates the small pavilion in front. After passing the front hall, which is about ten feet square, there is a messy back hall.
Mother's body had been carried out after the bed had been removed, and now the bedding was folded in the corner. Because Qiandeng forbade anyone else to enter, even the drawer she had overturned on the floor that day was still there.
She turned the drawer over, put the things inside back one by one, and put them back in the cabinet.
There must be two things missing from this drawer.
A letter and a carving knife.
The carving knife was put in when she was seven or eight years old, and the letter was probably put in when her mother was changing clothes on the day she died.
When were they stolen?
After the mother changed her clothes, she and her daughter stayed in the back hall. Even the dinner was served in the back hall and eaten there. No one had the chance to take it away.
The only person who entered the inner hall was Nanny Tian, but she only came once to deliver tea and once to eat, and had no chance to approach the wardrobe, let alone search for anything.
Was it stolen when... your mother had an accident?
In the short period of time from when she heard the sound to when she brought people there, how did the murderer kill people, search for things, and escape under everyone's noses?
She was thinking rapidly in her mind, and her eyes unconsciously swept across the room, landing on a green dress on the ground.
How could a suit of green clothes suddenly appear in the pavilion that had been locked up since my mother's death?
She went over with a lantern, picked up the clothes and shone them in the mirror. After noticing the hole and bloodstains on the chest, she suddenly realized that it was the turquoise dress she had changed for her mother.
During the day, the dress looked bright and vibrant, but in the darkness, when illuminated by the orange light, it turned into a dark blue color. It looked similar to the one my mother gave to Nanny Tian.
For a moment, she felt something flash through her mind, sending a chill down her spine.
She sat motionless in the chair, turning over the whole story in her mind, resetting and recalling it again and again.
A large, dust-free bamboo mat, a pond no one has ever entered...
Dense and smooth things can hold heavy objects...
On the night my mother had the accident, a strange cry appeared on the rockery...
The blue satin dress that my mother gave to Aunt Tian...
When she and the others arrived, the murderer disappeared without a trace...
The bark and millet in the cracks of the stone path, and even the crushed snails on the other side of the wood...
Until the candle in the lantern burned out, the dark night outside the window was over, and another dawn came.
Everything was like scattered beads, finally strung together by a silk rope and presented before her completely, intact and without any mistake.
She woke up as if from a dream.
"I see!"
She tilted her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. Before the dawn in the sky, amidst the breeze and water in the high pavilion, she thought of her mother's innocent murder, of how the imperial court's gracious selection of a son-in-law had become a stage for the murderer's rampage, of that final moment, when her mother and she slept together, gazing at fireflies, each embracing the other. Tears welled up in her eyes, uncontrollable.
Prince Linhuai is a man of his words.
By daybreak, news of victory had arrived from Chang'an. On the night Qiandeng sat dejectedly in the Water Pavilion, the Danfeng Gate had been breached, and the Crown Prince, escorted by Prince Linhuai, had successfully entered the Daming Palace.
After a fierce battle under Hanyuan Palace, the traitor Zhu Ci, who had been emperor for only a few days, was pierced through the throat by an arrow from the Snow Rhinoceros Bow of Prince Linhuai and died on the Nine Dragon Cloud Stage.
The Shuofang Army, hailed as the Iron Army of the Northwest, was forged under the old Prince of Linhuai. For forty years, it reigned unrivaled, relying on strict military discipline and swift dispatch of orders. Within half a day of close combat, the street fighting within Chang'an had ceased. Although some rebels remained hidden in the corners of the alleys, the Crown Prince, consolidating government order in Hanyuan Hall, had received orders from lower-ranking officials who had not accompanied the Emperor and Empress on their journey west. They rushed to their respective departments to receive orders and, in coordination with the village heads of the 108 wards, wiped out the remaining rebels. It was only a matter of time.
The lights in the Daming Palace were kept on all night. After the city was sealed for a day and a night, the heads of Zhu Ci and the generals who had surrendered to him were hung on the city gates.
Notices reassuring the people were posted at various city gates, informing them that the imperial court had executed the rebels and recovered Chang'an. Those who had previously fled Chang'an could return home. However, for the next period of time, the city would be under martial law, and entry and exit would be strictly checked.
When the news reached the farm of the Changhua Palace, everyone celebrated and cried with joy.
"County Lady, let's hurry back to the palace!" Liuli held Qiandeng's sleeve, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so worried about Aunt Yingluo, Zhenzhu Amber, and the others. I wonder how they're doing hiding in the palace..."
Before Qiandeng could answer, he heard a noisy sound coming from the yard in front.
When she looked up, she saw that except for the imprisoned Nan Yu, the other nine husband candidates had arrived together, obviously to say goodbye to her.
She stood up to greet him, her voice cold and clear: "The situation has just been settled. Are you all so anxious to leave right away?"
She was dressed in plain white clothes, with no makeup on her plain face. Her slightly messy bangs were blown sideways by the wind, and could no longer cover the scar that ran across her right eyebrow bone, making her originally beautiful face flawless and sharp.
Everyone bowed to her together, stood solemnly with their hands hanging down, and was unable to speak for a moment.
She swept her cold gaze over them and said, "However, there's no need to rush to leave now. Chang'an has just been stabilized and the city gates have just opened. If you go there now, you'll just end up blocking the entrance and causing more trouble."
Seeing her expression as cold as ice, Xue Xiyang immediately took a few steps forward. His naturally charming peach blossom eyes seemed to contain more mist than usual. "The county lady is right. The current situation is still unstable. Now that the road has just been opened, it is a time of turmoil. Xiyang's family is not in the capital. I hope the county lady will allow me to stay at the manor for a few more days to share your worries."
He had no worries, but others had relatives in Chang'an, and they were all anxious and hesitant.
Shangluo shouted, "Don't worry, County Master. I'll go back to see my family. If they're okay, I'll come back to be with you!"
Yu Guangling bowed deeply and said, "I hope the county lady will understand us. After all, my family has been trapped in the city for many days due to the rebellion. I am lucky that the county lady has taken us in and saved us from the disaster. However, I am really worried about the situation of my family..."
"I won't stop you. If you want to leave, go ahead." Qian Deng didn't look at them, but raised his hand to signal them to stay calm. "We've all been taking refuge in the same manor for many days. It's fate. I've asked the manor to prepare some wine for a farewell banquet. I'll bid you farewell immediately."
When Cui Fufeng heard that Qiandeng was going to hold a banquet and send all the candidates for fiancé out of the village, he came to her with injuries to ask for advice.
His injuries gradually healed, but because the damage was to the foundation, he looked pale and thin. As he walked slowly, his posture was like a weak willow swaying in the wind.
"Why would the county lady let them go when she knew the murderer was among them?"
"Because I already know the whole story of my mother's murder." Qian Deng said without hesitation, "But, firstly, as a woman, if I torture them privately, I'm afraid it would be against the law. I'm also afraid that private punishment will provoke the murderer to attack, and we won't be able to deal with it hastily. Secondly, they are candidates sent by the court, and my mother is also a lady of the imperial order. I think it's better to ask Mr. Cui to preside over the case and have the criminals be brought to justice in public, just like last time."
Cui Fufeng looked stunned. He looked at the slender and beautiful girl in front of him, and was a little dazed for a moment: "Are you sure you have found out the truth about Madam's death?"
"Yes, I have already found out everything and have enough evidence to catch the murderer who killed my mother."
The cold and determined look in her eyes made Cui Fufeng dazed for a moment.
After Mrs. Qi's death, he has been investigating the whole case with Qian Deng at the manor, and he has often thought about the inside story while recuperating in the past few days.
He was precocious and passed the imperial examination at a young age. All along, everyone praised him for his intelligence and wisdom, which were unmatched.
However, he was determined to catch the real murderer for Madam Qi, and he and Qian Deng had basically the same information, but he found that she had already obtained the result before him.
Just like the minor incident during the palace selection process. Before he could figure it out, she had already seen through the situation and was ahead of everyone else.
While feeling relieved, he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of loss and guilt for not being able to help her break through the darkness.
"Therefore, I would like to trouble Master Cui to attend this banquet. You are the officiating judge for my husband's selection, and you are also a Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Please, on behalf of the court, host another gathering for the Changhua Palace so that my mother's case can have an official conclusion."
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