Assassin's Game
The three of them moved into the fifth room, where a wooden plaque with their names engraved on it hung in the corridor.
Bai Qiu Ru went out to do something, and Liang You An, who had only made half of the bed, started to feel lazy and went to gossip with Zhu Qing He.
Zhu Qinghe's bed was by the door; it was a new bed that the servants had just carried in, and she was currently pulling at the creases in the sheets.
"Qinghe, you really met that Miss Qiuru before?"
Zhu Qinghe nodded, then frowned and stroked the sheet in the opposite direction, but the creases on the sheet remained firmly etched there.
Never mind, let's leave it at that.
Zhu Qinghe straightened up, plopped down on the bed, pulled over the small table next to her, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it down.
"Do you know about her being a jinx to husbands?"
"Pfft—" Zhu Qinghe spat out a mouthful of water, shocked. What was going on?
Is Bai Qiu Ru a jinx? Then why did Prime Minister Shen send her an invitation?
Wait a minute, isn't Bai Qiu Ru unmarried? Where did this talk of her being a jinx to her husband come from?
Liang Youan continued, “Bai Qiuru had a fiancé before, and they were supposed to get married in three months. But then her fiancé suddenly died, and then rumors spread that she was a jinx.”
Zhu Qinghe was speechless: "It wasn't her who killed the person, so how can you blame her?"
People in Beijing are quite superstitious, at least not in a bad way.
“I don’t know either, but that’s what everyone says,” Liang Youan said softly. “That’s why I was startled when you said you were going to be in the same room as her. Actually, I’m a little scared.”
Zhu Qinghe patted her shoulder: "Don't worry, I'm not very lucky. Even if there are ghosts, they'll definitely come looking for me first. It's absolutely safe for you to live with me."
Liang Youan looked at her with admiration: "Qinghe, you are really brave."
Otherwise, how could one become a fortune teller?
These pampered young ladies in the capital are so easy to fool. Zhu Qinghe is already calculating how much money she could make if she opened a branch in the capital.
Bai Qiuru brought back some mosquito repellent incense sticks and lit them under the window. Liang Youan, seeing her practiced movements, asked curiously, "Miss Qiuru, do you often do these things at home? You seem quite skilled at it."
Bai Qiuru kept working with her hands: "Just call me Qiuru. My family sells cloth, and we are very afraid of insect bites, so I know a little about it."
Liang Youan nodded: "I see."
Zhu Qinghe: "Qiu Ru is so capable, has she found out the next steps?"
Bai Qiuru: "How could I possibly find out something that even Qinghe doesn't know?"
Liang Youan looked around, completely bewildered: "What kind of riddle are you two playing?"
She didn't understand a single word.
The assembly bell rang outside, and the three girls quickly tidied themselves up and went out to assemble.
An old woman in a purple-red jacket stood in the center of the courtyard; she looked to be the shrewd and capable type.
I wonder what kind of trouble Prime Minister Shen is up to. Although Zhu Qinghe's main purpose in attending wasn't for this, I'm still quite curious.
"My surname is Tan, you can call me Aunt Tan. I'm afraid you young ladies will have to make do in the days to come, after all, the Prime Minister's residence is not so easy to enter."
Chen Fuying said calmly, "The Prime Minister's residence is quite arrogant. They invited us here but didn't even show their faces. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was the emperor choosing concubines."
"Miss, you wouldn't dare to speak nonsense. Under the Emperor's nose, we can't afford to commit such a serious crime."
"The invitation clearly states that since this is a marriage selection banquet, we must follow the arrangements of the Prime Minister's residence. The fact that the young ladies have come to attend means that they have accepted all the conditions of the Prime Minister's residence. However, everyone can rest assured that all procedures of the marriage selection banquet are reasonable and legal, and we will definitely ensure everyone's safety."
Chen Fuying stopped speaking. Although the other young ladies were from wealthy families in the capital and had been pampered since childhood, they dared not act recklessly under the influence of power.
In other words, one can question Chen Fuying and Liang Youan's family background, but they are not qualified to do so.
"Alright, since no one has any objections, let's begin the first round." Aunt Tan waved her hand, and a line of maids filed in, each carrying a tray covered with a cloth.
"Each girl took her number and went into the room where someone explained the rules of the competition to her."
Zhu Qinghe took her number from the tray in front of her: number eleven.
I'm getting more and more confused about what Prime Minister Shen is up to. I bet the pampered young ladies around him are just as bewildered. Some of the more familiar ones huddled together and exchanged a few words.
Zhu Qinghe sighed inwardly, guessing that everyone was criticizing Prime Minister Shen. With Prime Minister Shen acting this way, the young ladies probably had no desire to marry into the Prime Minister's mansion.
After all, this father-in-law is too eccentric; there's no way to handle him.
Following Aunt Tan's instructions, they entered the room where the competition was being held. Inside, there was a huge round table with thirteen chairs already set up.
Each chair back has a number attached, from one to thirteen.
Zhu Qinghe sat down in chair number eleven, according to her assigned number.
She glanced at them briefly; Bai Qiuru was number five, Liang Youan was number nine, and Chen Fuying was number one.
She didn't recognize the girls with the other numbers. Chen Fuying remained calm this time and didn't say anything while everyone else was confused.
A pretty maid with a long face walked over. Her clothes were different from those of the ordinary maids. She wore a short jacket and wide-legged trousers, which gave her a lively and playful feel.
"Greetings, ladies. I am the guide for the Fangting Waterside Assassin game. You can call me Xiaozao."
"Assassin's Game, what's that?" Miss Number Three asked.
Xiaozao smiled and said, "Miss, don't worry, let me explain to you slowly."
"The Assassin Game is a new game launched by Fangting Shuixie this year. There must be at least ten people participating in the game, and each person has a fixed identity. The task is to find the assassin hidden among you."
"Then how can we find out our identities?" asked Miss Number Ten, who was standing next to Zhu Qinghe.
"Ladies, please wait a moment," Xiaozao went to the door and brought back a stack of Xuan paper, which she then distributed to them.
"Each of you received a piece of paper with your background and identity information for this game. There are thirteen players: two assassins, two officials, six civilians, and three neutrals."
"Officials have absolute authority to identify assassins. Each round they can identify one assassin. If the identification is successful, the assassin dies. If the identification fails, the official can choose to die or have two civilians die in their place."
"Each assassin can kill one civilian in each round. Two assassins must vote together to kill one official. The assassins win when all the officials are dead, and the officials win when all the assassins are dead."
"If only one of the assassin and the official survives, they can choose to win over the neutral party and can switch the neutral party's identity to their own during the identification process."
"The rules remain the same after the conversion."
After explaining the general rules, Xiaozao silently waited for the ladies to digest the information.
Miss Number Ten reacted quickly, grasping the key point: "Wouldn't this game be very disadvantageous to ordinary people? Are they just supposed to wait to be killed by assassins or take the blows for officials?"
Zhu Qinghe was flipping through the Xuan paper in her hand, familiarizing herself with the background information. Upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow slightly, inexplicably feeling that this game was full of irony.
Xiaozao said without changing her expression, "Even so, the people have their own right to vote. In addition, neutral parties have the same right to vote as the people when they have not expressed their position."
"More than half of the people voted, the person being voted for died, and her identity was revealed after her death."
"So, under what circumstances would it be considered that the people have won?" Miss Number Ten asked.
Xiaozao: "The common people belong to the officials' camp. If the officials survive, the common people will naturally win."
“The difference between neutrals and ordinary people is that they can switch sides at will and the outcome is determined by their final stance.”
Number Ten frowned and whispered, "So, if you're a neutral party, you need to consider which camp you have a better chance of winning by joining."
Xiaozao smiled slightly: "That's exactly right."
"Assassins must protect their identities and not reveal them casually. During each round of free discussion, everyone can speak and ask questions freely. Officials can reveal their identities, but doing so will make you a target for assassins."
"Similarly, civilians and neutrals can also reveal their identities. After all, you are the largest group, with a total of nine people. Even assassins can't kill you all in one go."
"Alright, let's begin now."
The daughter of the Liu family in the capital was killed by an assassin. The maid who got up in the middle of the night only saw a dark figure. Early in the morning, the grieving master Liu reported the case to the police. Two officials from the government office came to investigate.
Now that the background has been covered, it's time for open discussion.
Miss Number Ten spoke first: "Let me speak first. I am a commoner, and my identity is Miss Liu's maid."
"Those who draw the civilian or neutral categories, please state your identities. Anyway, there are many of us, so we're not afraid even if an assassin tries to kill us."
Everyone thought it made sense, and after going around in circles, it turned out that all thirteen people were ordinary citizens or neutral parties.
Chen Fuying sneered: "This method won't work at all. Neither the assassin nor the official will reveal their identity."
Someone must be lying.
After thinking for a moment, Number Ten's brow relaxed slightly: "Then let's talk about identities. Each person can only have one identity, and the assassin officials don't know that the common people and neutrals have definite identities, so they will definitely give themselves away."
The process of announcing identities began with number 13. When it was Zhu Qinghe's turn, she said, "I am a neutral party. My identity is Miss Liu's lover."
Number Two retorted, "You're lying. I'm Miss Liu's fiancé, I'm just an ordinary citizen."
Zhu Qinghe: "How can my fiancé and my lover be the same person?"
Number Two asked the others, "Does your background information include any description of Miss Liu's lover?"
The other girls shook their heads, but Number Two persisted, asking, "Number Eleven, you're an assassin, aren't you?"
Zhu Qinghe said calmly, "Number Two, the way you asked that question is misleading. Do you think other people's background information includes any descriptions of their fiancés?"
Number Six chimed in: "I am an ordinary citizen, and my identity is Miss Liu's second sister. This sign states that I have met Miss Liu's fiancé before."
Number Eight nodded: "Yes, I am Miss Liu's eldest sister, and also a commoner. The three of us once attended a banquet together."
Number Two became even more smug: "Number Eleven, what else do you have to say?"
Zhu Qinghe sighed: "I really am a neutral party, has no one ever seen me before?"
Number 10 hesitated before speaking: "I am Miss Liu's maid. The background information says that a shadowy figure has entered Miss Liu's room before, so it should be Number 11."
Zhu Qinghe nodded: "That's right, after all, I'm a lover who can't be seen in public."
"Number Nine, what do you think?" Number Ten asked Liang Youan on the right. Liang Youan nodded: "I am Miss Liu's youngest brother. I'm a sister-obsessed brother. I once chased away a man who was harassing his sister. It should be Qinghe... Number Eleven."
Zhu Qinghe looked at everyone and said, "Since that's the case, my suspicion has been cleared, right?"
"Then who is lying?" Number Ten asked, perplexed.
Zhu Qinghe: "I do think the identity of number two's fiancé is a bit suspicious."
Number Two glared at her: "Number Eleven, what do you mean?"
"Don't be angry. I'm just raising reasonable doubts to broaden everyone's thinking. If you think it's unreasonable, you don't have to believe it."
"Then tell me, I've met with both Number Six and Number Eight, does that mean all three of us have something going on?"
"Everyone, think about this carefully. How could a young lady from a respectable family meet with a man outside her so casually, especially her future brother-in-law? I have reason to suspect that Number Two is a fabricated identity, and Numbers Six and Eight are either in cahoots with Number Two, or the so-called fiancé they met is actually me."
"Moreover, for Miss Liu, the possibility of having a fiancé is much greater than that of a lover. And such a secretive identity as a lover, if it weren't for the fact that I do have such information in my background, how could I be so confident as to reveal it?"
After hearing this, everyone looked at Number Two with a doubtful expression.
Number Two panicked a little: "Don't listen to Number Eleven's nonsense, she's definitely an assassin."
"Isn't it a bit too obvious that Number Two is in such a hurry to identify the assassin?" Number Five, Bai Qiuru, said calmly.
“Since Number Two has confessed without being asked, then I will also reveal my identity.” Bai Qiuru put down the documents in her hand and said, “Actually, I am not a commoner, nor am I a neutral party. My identity is an official.”
Chen Fuying, number one, suddenly looked at her.
“My companions are probably afraid of the assassins and dare not show themselves easily, but I now think that Number Two, Number Six and Number Eight are very suspicious. In this round of identification, I will identify Number Two.”
"Even if I am killed by the assassin after I identify him, it will only prove the correctness of my judgment. My companions will identify a second assassin, and then we officials will win."
Number 10 steered the conversation back on track: "Everyone, stop arguing. We haven't finished reporting our identities yet. I've forgotten. Number 13, why don't you repeat it again?"
Number Thirteen said earnestly, "I am a commoner, but my identity is Master Liu."
Number twelve said in turn: "I am a neutral party, and my identity is the steward of the Liu family."
Number 11, Zhu Qinghe: "Neutral, Miss Liu's lover."
Number 10: "Commoners, Miss Liu's personal maid."
Number Nine Liang Youan: "The neutral party is Miss Liu's youngest brother."
Number Eight: "Common people, the eldest sister of the Liu family."
Number Seven: "Neutral party, Liu family's stepson, elder brother Liu."
Number Six: "Common people, Sister Liu the Second."
Number Five, Bai Qiuru: "An official, the one with the highest rank."
Number Four: "The Neutral One, Miss Liu's Close Friend."
Number Three: "The common people, Madam Liu."
Number Two: "The common people, Miss Liu's fiancé."
Number One Chen Fuying: "Common people, Liu Xiaomei."
After the announcement, everyone was stunned.
The current situation is this: only Bai Qiuru has revealed herself to be an official, and there are seven ordinary citizens and five neutral parties remaining.
“At least two people are lying,” Zhu Qinghe concluded casually.
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