Chapter 74: Pursuit
A grand drama has finally come to an end, and the complicated case has been revealed. The case can be completely closed only if the last important person, Shi Jingning, is brought to justice.
As Qiandeng expected, after Shi Jingning's face was disfigured, he hid in Lady Dingxiang's carriage with her help and left the palace. He got off the carriage near the charity cemetery and disappeared without a trace.
"As for where he went, I really don't know. After all, it would be best for us not to see each other again in this life."
Lady Dingxiang's words were very frank. At this point, there was no need for her to hide anything anymore.
It is indeed the best option for two accomplices who conspire to murder to never meet each other again in their lives.
Cui Fufeng discussed with Qian Deng that he would take the Dali Temple officers to search the area around the charity cemetery. Qian Deng, on the other hand, planned to secretly visit the Shi family, believing that Shi Jingning must be worried about his younger siblings and might secretly come back to see them.
The two men discussed along the way and asked the yamen runner to take Madam Dingxiang and walk out along the backyard of the temple.
Just as they reached the reed-covered riverbank, Lady Dingxiang suddenly stopped and turned to Cui Fufeng, "Sir Cui, I am a county lady bestowed by the imperial court. Do I need to be searched when I enter the Dali Temple prison?"
Cui Fufeng hesitated for a moment, and saw that her hand unconsciously touched her waist, trying to hide something.
However, he could vaguely see that there was a bulge in it.
He turned to look at Qiandeng, who was holding the sleeping child in her arms. She said slowly, "Auntie, rest assured. Sister Jiazhi and the child will be fine."
Cui Fufeng said, "I'll ask the guards to slow down the escort. Aunt, please do your best to make arrangements along the way. Otherwise, the guards will be punished."
Madam Dingxiang nodded at them, then raised her hand and gently stroked the child's sleeping cheek, saying softly, "Take her back quickly. She must be hungry after all this trouble."
Qian Deng agreed, looked at her face, and said softly: "Aunt, have a good journey."
"Stop talking nonsense. It was you who sent me down this path, wasn't it?" Lady Dingxiang tucked the child into her swaddling clothes, paused, and looked up at her. "The trap you and Cui Shaoqing set up really hit me right in the sore spot. Otherwise, if I had been calmer, I might not have fallen for it."
Qian Deng said silently: "Yes, my aunt is too concerned."
Madam Dingxiang shook her head and pointed to the deserted backyard of the Buddhist temple. "Because, at that time, I really saw a person with a burnt face and blood oozing from his hands, mixed in with the crowd in the temple."
Qian Deng was stunned and blurted out subconsciously: "He... is here?"
"Even a dying man can speak kindly. I'll take this as a thank you for sparing me face." Lady Dingxiang didn't answer. She simply patted the child gently and looked at her intently. Her hoarse voice was almost inaudible. "Dengdeng, your mother must be proud to have a daughter like you... If my daughter hadn't died, she might have become a source of pride for her mother, just like you."
Qian Deng lowered his head silently and said softly, "Yes, I will."
Lady Dingxiang smiled, pushed the baby's swaddling clothes to her, and turned to leave.
Qian Deng hugged the child tightly and finally asked, "Aunt, you are not familiar with Shi Jingning, so why did you decide to help him immediately after Yang Huaijiang died?"
"Because, if he hadn't accidentally killed Yang Huaijiang, I would have taken action. Otherwise, why do you think I snuck into the kitchen?" Lady Dingxiang no longer tried to hide the truth, as she was already facing certain death. "Since Yang Huaijiang has mastered the mercury technique, he would naturally connect it to the death of my goldsmith ex-husband. After all, he knows that my ex-husband's family had all died when I met Yang Haiping."
So he said to her, "Forget about your dead ex-husband," implying that he already knew what she had done. This also made their years of conflict finally intensify, and made her determined to kill this rebellious son.
"When I went to the kitchen, Shi Jingning had already accidentally killed Yang Huaijiang. When he saw me, he knelt in front of me in fear and trepidation, crying bitterly and saying that he had killed my son and was willing to pay with his life, but he didn't know what to do with his four younger brothers and sisters. At that moment, I suddenly had an idea to kill two birds with one stone. He needed to save his younger brothers and sisters, and I needed a son. Even if he was disabled or a useless person, he was better than that bastard Yang Huaijiang! I asked Shi Jingning, you are both candidates for the county lord's husband, and you are about the same age and height. I have a way that can help both of us. Are you willing?"
So they changed clothes, and she destroyed Shi Jingning's face and voice, letting him escape first. She arranged everything in the kitchen, and guessed that he had returned to Gu Tengzhai, so she burned down the kitchen and destroyed the body.
"Unfortunately, my clever plan, which I thought could conceal the truth from the world, ultimately failed before you." Lady Dingxiang laughed self-deprecatingly and left with the escort. "But it's okay. A murderer like me can still live for another twenty years, and it's a pretty good twenty years at that. I am satisfied with this life."
Cui Fufeng looked at her back, hesitated for a moment, and then asked softly, "What do you think that thing she carries around her waist is?"
"That outline resembles the pointed-mouthed porcelain vases we've seen in gold shops, the ones craftsmen use to hold mercury. And after Yang Huaijiang stole the Nine Golden Flowers, the remaining mercury disappeared." Qian Deng lowered her head silently, nuzzling the child in her arms, a slight sob choking in her throat. "Forget it, you reap what you sow. This is a good way to die. After all, she's the Princess of Dingxiang County. She deserves a dignified death."
The sun was setting and the breeze from the river had grown colder.
The Empress had departed, and the palace guards had already retreated. Cui Fufeng had sent runners from the Dali Temple to search the backyard, but Jianfu Temple spanned two blocks, and the temple was vast, while the backyard was densely wooded and full of ruins. How could the runners find any way to search?
Qiandeng held the child tightly in her arms, thought for a moment, and then quickly followed the East Palace guards to the front yard.
The Crown Prince had just seen the Queen off and was about to return to the palace when he turned and saw her approaching. He immediately dismounted from the carriage and strode towards her: "Lingling, are you going home? I can give you a ride."
"It just so happens that I have a request for your Highness, but it's not about returning." Qian Deng said, raising his hand to gesture towards Jianfu Temple. "I suspect Shi Jingning may have followed my aunt to the temple, but I don't know where he's hiding now."
"Are you sure?" the prince asked, but he did not question it. He immediately signaled Wei Fengyang to dispatch people to search Jianfu Temple carefully and not let go of a single inch of the place.
At this moment, a surprised voice came from behind: "County Master, you are here!"
Then, she saw a young figure running towards her from the other end of the path. It was Shangluo.
Following him quickly were the young men in the palace, who all met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince together.
Qian Deng asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
"We heard that Madam Huang's child was snatched away in broad daylight. The county lady came out to look for the child but she still hadn't returned, so everyone in the mansion came out to help search for her," Xue Xiyang explained. "Luckily, not long after we found her, we heard that the county lady was at Jianfu Temple, so we all came here."
Qian Deng looked at the young men who had come anxiously to look for him. Seeing that they were looking at him with concern in their eyes, he was deeply moved and said, "Don't worry, the child has been found, and the person who framed me has also been caught by me."
As she spoke, she saw Aunt Xuanji and the maids hurried over and handed the child to her: "Aunt, take the child back quickly. It's time for her to feed. Let my cousin feel at ease."
After Aunt Xuanji left with the child, the prince also arranged for the guards to search the temple.
Ji Linyou asked Qiandeng, "It's getting late, why isn't the county lady returning home yet?"
Qiandeng glanced at the young man who was coming over, and saw that only Ling Tianshui was not there. She felt a little regretful, and always felt that if he was here, it should not be difficult to find Shi Jingning.
She briefly mentioned that Shi Jingning was still alive, and Shang Luo immediately jumped up: "I'll help the county lady look for him too! Brother Jingning must have hidden himself. Let's go call him, he will definitely come out."
Cui Fufeng saw the hesitation on Qiandeng's face and said, "Let's find the person first. Although Shi Jingning is implicated in two cases, Yang Huaijiang is guilty of a serious crime and it was a case of manslaughter. Meanwhile, Lady Dingxiang was the mastermind behind the Lu Wulin case. If the court can show some sympathy, Shi Jingning might be able to save his life."
The Crown Prince, who was listening to him, said, "I also think that his motivation was to protect Lingling. I can sympathize with him."
Qiandeng nodded gratefully to the prince, thinking of the young man she first met in the wind and snow, and now there was hope that he would come back, the burnt pieces of paper, and the opportunity to find out the truth, her eyes turned slightly red.
Meng Lanxi said, "Then we have to find him quickly. As long as he gets timely treatment, the scars on his face and hands will hopefully fade away."
Shangluo cheered and ran into the reeds in the backyard.
Qian Deng and the others also dispersed and, together with the East Palace guards, searched everywhere in the backyard, not missing a single secluded corner.
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