Chapter 68: Shocking If Qingjia is really not dead.
Xie Jing was silent for a moment.
Yu Qing saw it clearly. Those little boys were slender, with delicate features and delicate features. They had no Adam's apples or hair. They had been raised in the mansion for a long time, and their disguises as maids were so convincing that they were completely indistinguishable. Not only she, but others also failed to spot the clues.
How did Xie Jing know this? Could he be so wise?
"...Look at the skeleton," Xie Jing said. "Even if it's a boy who hasn't grown up yet, the details of his body shape are different from that of a girl. An experienced doctor would probably be able to identify it. I just don't feel it's right, and I'm not sure."
Yu Qing said, "Your Highness is also knowledgeable in medicine? You actually know all this."
Xie Jing said, "Well, I learned it from my master in the temple before."
Yu Qing said: "I see."
She didn't ask any more questions, but a faint doubt still remained in her heart, as if some clue had slipped away quietly and she hadn't grasped it.
·
The day was caught in turmoil early in the morning, and there was nothing he could do in the remaining hours, so Yu Qing simply returned to the Marquis' Mansion early.
In Huaifeng Pavilion, Qiying was sitting restlessly. When she saw her come back, she immediately stood up.
Yu Qing thought she wanted to talk about the murder, but Qiying pulled her in and asked, "The one standing next to you today is His Majesty the Ninth Prince?"
Yu Qing: “…”
Yu Qing said: "Exactly."
She sighed inwardly, and sure enough, Qiying said the next moment: "...He looks so similar to His Highness Qingjia..."
Yu Qing said: "I know that too, but I still haven't figured out his blood relationship with Qingjia."
Qiying asked again, "So, he is now with you in Beichensi every day?"
Yu Qing felt a little embarrassed for some reason. She tried to hide her feelings and said, "Yes, Prince Rui sent him here."
Qiying frowned, and Yu Qing noticed that she looked strange: "What's wrong?"
"Over the past few days, I've had the guards at the mansion on high alert, and we've actually found a few people who seem suspicious," Qiying said slowly. "One of them was caught red-handed today and has been locked up. Then I was summoned by the Ministry of Justice, but I haven't interrogated him yet."
Yu Qing's heart sank. He said, "There really is a traitor out there. How dare they plant their spies right here in my area?"
Qiying said, "It's just right that you're back. Let's go check it out together. This person... was caught near Wenhua Garden."
Yu Qing was stunned.
·
She followed Qiying to the deep dungeon of the Marquis' Mansion. There were several secret rooms there, and the person Qiying mentioned was locked up in the innermost one.
He was injured and unconscious, his face and clothes were very simple.
"His kung fu is pretty good. He was held down by several people and wanted to bite his tongue to commit suicide, but failed." Qiying said.
Yu Qing said: "I have no impression of this person. Where does he usually serve?"
Qiying called the servant to fetch a basin of cold water, and then took out a contract and handed it to Yu Qing.
"Three years ago, this person was hired by Princess Qingjia's maid to work in the Marquis's mansion, specifically to make snacks for the princess in her small kitchen. Later, when Wenhua Garden became deserted, Madam, thinking that these people had a hard time making a living, did not dismiss them and kept them working in the mansion."
Upon hearing that this person was related to the princess, Yu Qing immediately looked at the contract in disbelief.
"He's with the princess?" she asked. "Could it be that he wants to murder Qingjia?"
Qiying: “…”
Before she could say anything, Yu Qing walked up to him and, without waiting for the servant to throw water on him to wake him up, whipped him, leaving a wound on his skin. The man immediately woke up and began to struggle.
"Who sent you?" she snapped.
This person was in the princess's kitchen and could tamper with her food. Could it be that the princess' sudden death was caused by someone?
Thinking of this, Yu Qing was shocked and angry.
The man remained silent. Yu Qing spoke each word with pause, "It was you who poisoned the princess?"
man:"……"
This man was very loyal and resistant to beatings. Even after a few lashes, he showed no sign of confessing. Although he gritted his teeth, he still revealed a suspicious look when he mentioned the princess, and Yu Qing did not miss it.
Her chest heaved a few times, and she drew a dagger from her waist.
Qiying noticed that a rare look of paranoia had appeared between her eyebrows, and hurriedly said, "Wait, Prince, calm down first..."
Yu Qing first threw the sword, directly piercing the man's shoulder. He looked coldly at the blood and cold sweat flowing all over the ground, and then he and Qiying temporarily left the dark room.
Yu Qing folded her arms and said nothing. Qiying couldn't help but shake her head secretly when she saw her anger for the beauty she loved.
She first took Yu Qing's hand and said, "I think he might not want to harm the princess."
Yu Qing frowned and said, "But, did you see his expression just now? He clearly knows about the princess."
Qiying pursed her lips and said softly, "Yes."
Qingjia’s death has always been a source of hatred in Yu Qing’s heart.
Now her mind was filled with emotions, like a paste. Looking at Qiying's silent face, she finally managed to regain some rationality.
Qingjia poses no threat to others, so why would he go to so much trouble to lurk around an unarmed princess?
Moreover, if he really came for Qing Jia, he should have left long ago since the princess was dead. Why would he stay here and wait for others to capture him? This person's target should still be the Marquis' Mansion.
"...You said he was found near Wenhuayuan?"
"Yes, and he just met Miss Qiu Lian," Qiying said, "It was Miss Qiu Lian who brought him in before."
Qiu Lian and Dong Li were Qing Jia's personal maids, and their relationship was probably similar to hers and Qi Ying's. After Yu Qing brought them back from the imperial mausoleum, he let them live in Wenhua Garden.
Yu Qing gently pressed his forehead, frowned and said nothing.
Qiying gave her another blood-stained, blurry note. The man was holding it in his mouth and trying to swallow it, but it was intercepted by the family guards. The handwriting was unclear, but Yu Qing could still make out a few words.
"Qiying...xiu...engagement..."
Qiying whispered, "Should we ask Miss Qiu Lian to question her?"
If it were anyone else, Yu Qing would have definitely taken them down. But now, she subconsciously said, "Don't touch them yet."
They were the princess's people, and Yu Qing had to take care of them for the princess. She really couldn't believe that the two familiar girls had ulterior motives.
Or maybe, she wasn't just afraid of being wronged, but...she didn't want to face their answers directly.
Seeing her embarrassed expression, Qiying felt uncomfortable. She patted her shoulder gently and said, "Actually, I didn't think about it that way at first. It was mainly because I happened to see that prince today, and then..."
"Don't talk about it for now," Yu Qing whispered, "Let me think about it."
It was almost a sleepless night.
Many speculations arise spontaneously, with the light and dark lines intertwined, as if outlining a thin veil.
But behind the veil, the face is still unclear.
Prince Rui and Concubine Rong had been dormant for years. Upon Prince Rui's return to the capital, Concubine Rong quickly assumed control of the inner palace. It's impossible that there wasn't a connection between the two. Furthermore, Prince Rui must have already planted many people in the capital, allowing him to smoothly and quickly secure his position at court.
Could he really ignore his sister? If he could contact his mother, wouldn't he contact his sister? Was it possible that he was also keeping an eye on Qingjia?
Maybe someone is hiding in the mansion, not to harm her, but to protect her?
What about Qingjia? Does she know about this?
Every time Yu Qing thought of Qingjia, her wandering thoughts came to an abrupt halt. She didn't want to continue doubting Qingjia at all, and forcing herself to think deeply became a pain.
Qingjia is pure and kind, always gentle and flawless, just like the bright moonlight outside the window.
Yu Qing never thought that she would deceive herself.
The time she had lost Qingjia was much longer than the time she had her, but she still could not forget it for a single moment. Qingjia even gained the trust she had never given in her life.
When Qingjia kissed her forehead on the city wall, Yu Qing thought for a moment that she would tell her her identity when she returned.
But... those doubts that had troubled her for a long time became clear once she changed her way of thinking.
Why can two people be so similar?
There is a row of precious flowers in Qingjia's yard.
Xie Jing was patiently pruning the branches at the desk.
Qingjia was playing a heavenly tune on the boat.
Xie Jing was chatting and laughing with the zither player on the pleasure boat.
Qingjia was in front of her dressing table, choosing lip balm whose colors she couldn't tell the difference between.
Xie Jing showed a hint of understanding when he looked at the perfume powder in the silver spoon.
…
The faces of the two people flashed through my mind alternately.
After a long time, she finally had an idea to comfort herself, or to deceive herself, which made her feel that all this was just a delusion - if Qingjia was really not dead, then why didn't he come to tell her?
Even if it's just a letter or a sentence, if it's Qingjia's words, it will always leave a memory for me.
The friendship between them couldn't be so shallow. How could Qingjia bear to let Yu Qing be kept in the dark?
Two whole years.
·
Yu Qing didn't know what kind of mood she was in when she came to Beichensi. When she got up in the morning and put on her official uniform, she became the calm and composed prince again. No one could tell what kind of night she had spent.
His Royal Highness Prince Jing arrived before her and gave her a bright smile.
Yu Qing nodded calmly and walked to his seat.
She noticed that Xie Jing's smile had changed. He was clearly very versatile and capable. How could she have mistaken him for being simple and innocent?
From the beginning, she felt that he was a hidden talent. During this period, Xie Jing had been trying to dispel her vigilance, but she actually fell for it.
Yu Qing calmly flipped through the official documents when Xie Jing suddenly asked, "Sir, did you not get enough rest last night?"
Yu Qing said: "No."
Her thoughts raced, and finally she looked up and smiled at Xie Jing, who opened his eyes wide.
"Speaking of which, it was thanks to Your Highness that Qiying was able to clear her name so quickly," Yu Qing said. "Qiying is the steward of the Marquis's residence, and is actually considered my parents' adopted daughter. I didn't thank Your Highness properly yesterday."
Xie Jing had probably never seen Yu Qing so friendly before, and for a moment he felt unfamiliar with her. He said carefully, "There's no need to be polite between you, my prince."
"As I should," Yu Qing said casually, "next time I have a day off, I'm planning to host a banquet at my residence to thank Your Highness. It just so happens that the Marquis and his wife would also like to meet you. Will you come?"
Xie Jing: “…”
Xie Jing's smile froze a little. "How can I bear to mobilize such a large force? It's better not to disturb the Marquis' wife's peace and quiet."
Yu Qing frowned: "Why, Your Highness is unwilling to honor me?"
"...How could that be? The main thing is that it's always been the prince who has helped me the most, so I should be the one to entertain him. I invited you several times before, but in the end it never came to fruition," Xie Jing said, "Why don't you come to the palace?"
Yu Qing glanced at him and finally said, "Well, we'll talk about it later."
Xie Jing felt very uneasy throughout the day and felt that Yu Qing's attitude was very strange.
He then thought about how miserable he felt. Yu Qing had only smiled at him a few more times, yet it had made him so restless. He usually saw the prince's cold face, and he was almost unaccustomed to her curved eyebrows.
Could it be that because he performed well yesterday, Yu Qing liked him much more?
In the evening, Yu Qing asked if he wanted to go on patrol, and Xie Jing happily agreed.
He tacitly agreed that he would ride in a carriage, and then asked the Xuanlin Guard to take him back to Prince Jing's Mansion. However, today Yu Qing said, "Your Highness, why don't you ride with us?"
Xie Jing had already learned to ride a horse, unlike when she was a princess and had to be helped and carried aboard. It just so happened that he wasn't wearing a flowing outer garment today, so riding was suitable, so he rode away with the guards.
Yu Qing rode side by side with him and arrived at the gate of Prince Jing's mansion.
When Xie Jing was about to dismount, she raised her hand and flicked a copper coin at the horse. The horse raised its front hoof, and Xie Jing was startled, lost his balance, and almost fell.
Someone grabbed his waist from behind and held him firmly.
"Your Highness, please be careful." Yu Qing said.
Her face was so close, Xie Jing's heart was beating like a drum: "...Hmm."
Watching Xie Jing's back disappear into the mansion gate under the escort of the guards, Yu Qing slowly exhaled.
Just now... she touched the hair on the back of Xie Jing.
It is smoother than the most precious silk and cool to the touch.
At the same time, she also saw what she was looking for.
Only when you get close can you discover it.
There is a small, hidden hole on Xie Jing's earlobe.
Yu Qing clenched his fists, his heart filled with turmoil.
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