Chapter 107 Bandaging

Ming Huashang was applying medicine with her head down. When she heard Ming Huazhang's voice, she subconsciously said, "Second brother, you are too polite. We are..."

She looked up and unexpectedly bumped into Ming Huazhang's eyes. The light reflected in his eyes was like thousands of stars falling, brilliant and quiet, focused and deep. Ming Huachang's heart skipped a beat, and the remaining two words "brother and sister" suddenly became unspeakable.

What's worse is that Ming Huashang only realized at this moment that Ming Huazhang was not wearing any clothes. She was pressing on his body, and the feeling under her fingertips was cool and warm, like beautiful jade.

Ming Huachang's joints stiffened, and she suddenly felt at a loss. She stiffly took out the bandage and wrapped it around his wound.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Ming Huashang had to bandage Ming Huazhang, so she had to touch him. He was disciplined and diligent in martial arts training. His skeleton was straight and erect, but his flesh was very tight. He usually looked slender and thin in clothes, but now that he was undressed, it was surprising to see that he had quite a lot of muscles, especially from his shoulders to his arms. He was slender and strong, with distinct muscles and beautiful lines, like a lurking leopard, thin and powerful, with huge energy hidden in silence.

It was the first time that Ming Huashang was facing a man's body, and she didn't know where to look. Her cheeks were hot, and she stammered, speaking incoherently, "Second brother, where have you been? Why are your wounds so severe?"

Ming Huazhang was about to say something when the voice of the Duke of Zhen suddenly came from outside the house. Ming Huachang was startled and hurriedly put his clothes on him. He sneaked behind the curtain like a thief and said in a low voice, "Don't say anything. If father asks about it later, just say I went home."

Before Ming Huazhang could object, Ming Huachang had already hidden himself. At this time, the Duke of Zhenguo had already pushed the door open, so Ming Huazhang could only quickly button up his clothes and stand up to greet his father: "Father."

When the Duke of Zhenguo entered the room, he saw Ming Huazhang's clothes were a little messy and his expression seemed a little unnatural. He glanced at the medicine bottle and gauze beside him and realized what was going on. He sighed and said, "Just now, the King of Wei came for you?"

He was in too much of a hurry just now and didn't button the collar properly. Ming Huazhang slowly adjusted the position of his shoulders, feeling helpless.

They hadn't done anything wrong, so they could have gone to see Duke Zhen openly. Why did Ming Huashang hide? By hiding, her character had completely changed.

Ming Huazhang was also embarrassed, and tried to look calm, saying, "Yes. Today I went outside the city to investigate a case, and it seemed to be related to the King of Wei."

Duke Zhenguo hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "You have had your own ideas since you were young. You have never caused anyone to worry over the years. I am relieved to let you decide everything. If you want to go to Jingzhao Prefecture, then go ahead. But you must be careful in your actions and don't harm yourself for some short-term, superficial things."

Ming Huazhang seemed slightly stunned, lowered his eyes, and his eyelashes fluttered like butterflies: "I know, thank you father for your teachings."

Duke Zhenguo sighed, "Since you call me father, I have to take on the responsibility of being a father. You are the only one left in the family. If something happens to you, the bloodline will be cut off. The Queen ordered the marriage between the Princess and the Prince of the Wu family, and has been promoting the integration of the Li and Wu families in recent days. It can be seen that she really intends to pass the throne to Prince Luling. The day of success is just ahead, you can't get into trouble at this juncture."

Ming Huazhang lowered his head and responded softly. After talking for a while, Duke Zhenguo remembered his original purpose and asked, "Where is Shangshang?"

Ming Huashang nestled in the curtains, thinking that after talking for so long, her father finally remembered to ask her. However, although the Ming family did not have many descendants, the second and third wives had sons. No matter how rich Ming Huazhang was, he would not be the only one left in the family, right?

Moreover, why was there such an awkward tone when my father spoke to Ming Huazhang?

Ming Huachang huddled in the curtain, puzzled. She peeked ahead with one eye, and saw Ming Huazhang's hazy figure behind the curtain and screen. He was tall and slender, with a unique and handsome appearance.

Ming Huazhang felt more and more embarrassed when he heard the Duke of Zhenguo's questions. He had planned to tell the truth as soon as the Duke of Zhenguo came in, but he didn't expect the Duke of Zhenguo to say this. Ming Huazhang could only answer first. However, he couldn't stop talking once he started. The conversation dragged on. It seemed even more strange to let Ming Huachang come out at this moment.

Ming Huazhang was in a dilemma, and finally he could only bite the bullet and say, "She has already returned to her own courtyard."

Duke Zhenguo had no doubt that Ming Huazhang, who was intelligent, diligent, and modest, would deceive him. He responded and said with relief, "That's good. She lost her mother when she was young, and I couldn't help but want to double her compensation, and slowly made her like this. If she is rude in the past, please bear with her."

Ming Huazhang couldn't tell the Duke of Zhenguo that Ming Huashang was actually inside, so he could only say seriously: "What are you talking about? She is my relative, and I will naturally do my best to treat her well."

Duke Zhenguo was relieved. It was late at night, and as a father, it was not convenient for him to go to his sixteen-year-old daughter's room to check on her. He told Ming Huazhang to take good care of his injuries and left. Ming Huashang pricked up her ears and listened hard to see if the footsteps outside the window had gone away. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She looked up and saw Ming Huazhang with a sullen face, looking at her coldly and helplessly.

"Father is gone, come out."

Ming Huashang blinked innocently and climbed up as if relieved. Ming Huazhang reached out to pull her, but Ming Huashang hurriedly said, "No, you have a wound on your arm..."

"It's okay." Ming Huazhang said as he pulled her up. Ming Huazhang walked to the couch and bent down to pick up the mess of bloody cloth and medicine bottles. How could Ming Huachang dare to let a wounded person do such a thing? He quickly said, "Second brother, go and rest. I'll do it."

"It's okay." Ming Huazhang moved quickly and pushed Ming Huashang to sit on the couch. He then packed everything up and put it back in place. Ming Huashang felt extremely guilty and followed behind Ming Huazhang, trying to take the box: "Your right hand is so badly injured, you can't lift heavy things, I'll do it."

Ming Huazhang said thank you, but his hands did not relax. He put the medicine box back on the wooden shelf and whispered to Ming Huachang: "You have to be careful these days. I might have been exposed."

Ming Huashang was startled and stopped raising his hand. Ming Huazhang had already put the box away and sat back on the couch, holding Ming Huashang's hand. His face was pale, and he didn't know if it was because of the blood loss or his original color, but he was surprisingly calm and indifferent.

It was as if they were just talking about tomorrow's weather, nothing big.

In fact, Ming Huazhang had thought about this matter all along. He thought that he was a cautious person and had never offended anyone. The case he was investigating was not too complicated. If he didn't want him to investigate, there were ways to warn him. Why would he kill him right away? After thinking about it, it seemed that the only thing that could attract murderous intent to him was his identity as Xuan Xiaowei.

As Ming Huazhang he was very cautious, but as Shuangbi, he had disrupted several important state affairs, and the one who hated him the most was the King of Wei.

The King of Wei broke into the Duke of Zhen's mansion at night, which undoubtedly confirmed his suspicions. Ming Huazhang didn't know what went wrong, but there was no doubt that he was a double-beauty.

Ming Huazhang was very glad that he was the one who was exposed, not Ming Huashang. He had already let down the Ming family, and if he harmed Ming Huashang again, he would die for his crime.

Ming Huashang's head buzzed when she first heard the news, but now she slowly calmed down and asked, "Why?"

"I don't know." Ming Huazhang seemed to be thinking about something. "When I visited Pudu Temple at night today, I was ambushed in Huang Caiwei's meditation room four years ago. The enemy was the King of Wei's men. This case has nothing to do with the King of Wei, so why did he want to kill me? I thought about it for a long time, and there seems to be only one possibility. He didn't want to kill Jingzhao Shaoyin, but Xuanxiao Wei Shuangbi."

Ming Huashang frowned, her expression becoming more serious: "Does he know your identity?"

Ming Huazhang's tone was still calm and rational as he analyzed, "I was wearing a mask when I went to Pudu Temple, and I didn't show my face when I returned to Chang'an. He must have just guessed and was not sure. If he was sure it was me, he wouldn't have left so easily just now."

Ming Huashang breathed a sigh of relief. This was a blessing in disguise. Ming Huashang bit her lip and said in confusion, "We have always been very careful. I got the news from Xuan Xiaowei and passed it to you. You didn't even meet the contact. How could the King of Wei suspect you?"

Ming Huazhang also thought about this question for a long time. He squinted slightly, and the light reflected into his pupils, which gave off tiny sparkles, as dark and unfathomable as an icy lake, with no bottom to be seen.

He did not show up, but the King of Wei seemed to have anticipated Shuangbi's next move and waited for him at the scene of the murder. This could only mean that someone within the Xuanxiao Guard had betrayed him.

What’s worse, someone imitated the crime some time ago. Was it really just a coincidence?

Ming Huazhang couldn't help laughing when he saw Ming Huachang's bitter face, looking helpless. Ming Huazhang pinched her face and said softly, "Don't worry, I have anticipated this day since I chose this path. Don't worry, I am prepared, it's okay."

Ming Huashang raised her head worriedly, looking at him with hope and suspicion: "Really?"

As a spy, what else can he prepare for after his identity is exposed except for preparing for death? But Ming Huazhang did not reveal anything, still smiling faintly, and said: "Of course. By the way, the person who went to find the coroner of the beggar case five years ago came back today, but it's a pity that it's too late. I don't know if you still need him."

"Of course it is necessary." Ming Huashang noticed Ming Huazhang's intention and did not continue the previous topic. She said very flatteringly, "This is very important for the portrait. What did the coroner say?"

"He said that when the beggar's body was examined, she was very thin and looked younger than her actual age, only about twelve or thirteen years old. However, her injuries were very serious, with many bruises and marks from strangulation. But when the beggar was found, her body had been eaten by wild dogs, and many parts of her body were unrecognizable. In addition, she was just a beggar after all, so the coroner thought that she was just being pursued by someone for revenge or died of hunger, so he just took a quick look and ruled it an accidental death."

Ming Huashang instinctively questioned this: "Her leg bones were cut off, how could this be an accidental death?"

"The injuries were one of the reasons why he made the final decision," Ming Huazhang said. "Her legs were both chopped off. The cuts were bloody and messy, and there was no pattern. It looked like she was hacked to death with a random knife, so the coroner thought it was a gangster seeking revenge."

Ming Huashang hummed and calmed down. Ming Huazhang looked at her expression and asked, "Is there any problem?"

"No." Ming Huashang shook his head, stood up, opened the drawer, and took out the scroll inside. "This information is very useful. It just completes my portrait. The murderer's bone removal in the next few cases was very skillful and clean, but this case's method was so crude, which shows that this was his first crime and his killing technique was not mature enough. He was so cruel to the victim, which shows that he must have had murderous fantasies when he was very young. Over the years, it became more and more serious. When he was seventeen or eighteen years old, he could no longer control it and put it into practice. So he should be between twenty and twenty-five this year. If he was too young, his killing method would not be so mature; if he was older, it would be impossible for him to lose control of the impulse five years ago."

This age range once again narrowed down the suspects, and Cheng Dalang's former roommate Xu Ji could be ruled out as a suspect. Ming Huazhang lowered his eyes, saw the portrait above, and said, "Do you think it's Lu Du?"

"Yes." Ming Huashang said, "Speaking of which, I also made some new discoveries today. I went to Qingchan Temple to inquire and accidentally learned that Cheng Siyue had been to Qingchan Temple on October 22."

This information was very important. Ming Huazhang became serious and asked, "How did you know that?"

"I asked the chestnut stall owner at the door. Later, I went to the East Market to ask, and the owner of a clothing store also said that Cheng Siyue did go to their store on the 22nd and changed her clothes before leaving."

Cheng Siyue actually changed her clothes, no wonder Ming Huazhang couldn't find out. She had been to Qingchan Temple before she disappeared, and the clue seemed to point directly to Lu Du, but Ming Huazhang frowned slightly: "But Lu Du and the abbot of Pudu Temple both had alibis that day."

"That's another thing I want to tell you." Ming Huashang picked up the yellow yarn, covered her clothes, and said, "Look, if I wear red clothes, it will look orange through the yellow yarn. I tried several colors and found that if it's blue plus yellow, it will look like green."

Ming Huazhang was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered that there was a yellow gauze curtain hanging on the single room in Qingchan Temple. On that day, Lu Du was wearing a green official uniform and his servants were wearing blue robes.

The two pieces of clothing are of different styles and patterns. You can't mistake them if you look at them up close, but if you look at them from a distance, it is actually difficult to tell whether the person kneeling inside is Lu Du or a servant.

Ming Huazhang's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "I understand. In this case, Lu Du's alibi is completely untenable. He went to see Cheng Siyue that day."

"I suspect the same thing," Ming Huashang said. "And I suspect that something very important must have happened to him four years ago, which greatly relieved his psychological pressure and saved him from having to kill people to get satisfaction."

Ming Huazhang suddenly grabbed Ming Huachang's wrist, his eyes piercing: "How did you know?"

Ming Huashang was startled and murmured, "I just guessed."

Ming Huazhang was simply shocked. Ming Huashang seemed to have known everything in advance and described all the details exactly.

Ming Huazhang said, "You guessed correctly. Four years ago, the Lu family suffered a fire. Lu Du's parents died in the fire, but he survived. Afterwards, he donated the Lu family's house to Qingchan Temple and bought a new residence for himself. The Imperial College's chief academician took pity on his plight and recommended him to study at the Imperial College as a doctoral student, where he has been ever since."

Ming Huashang also widened his eyes in surprise. He had not expected Ming Huazhang to have investigated so much information. Ming Huashang combined Ming Huazhang's words and said, "That makes sense. You said before that Lu Du and his father had a bad relationship. The thing that could possibly relieve his stress is the death of his parents!"

Ming Huazhang thought of the bones donated by Lu Du to the Pudu Temple, and his eyes turned cold. The human bone flute is a belief of Tantric Buddhism, but for the people in the Central Plains, burying the dead in peace is the belief of most people. As a son, Lu Du's parents died unexpectedly, so it was normal for him to hold a ritual to help them pass away, but he destroyed his parents' bodies, dug out their bones, and made them into flutes. Isn't this very unfilial?

Moreover, the bone flute is used to dispel evil spirits and cleanse sins. Why does he think his parents are guilty? Was the death of Lu's parents really an accident?

Ming Huazhang narrowed his eyes, intending to re-investigate the fire case four years ago, but he got a headache when he thought about King Wei's men going to Pudu Temple tonight to cause trouble.

The abbot of Pudu Temple and Lu Du would certainly be alerted by the disturbance caused by King Wei's men. Ming Huazhang was very worried that the abbot would destroy the evidence in the underground secret room tonight. By then, there would be no evidence pointing to Lu Du.

Wu Chengsi is really... incapable of accomplishing anything, but always good at causing trouble.

Ming Huashang saw that Ming Huazhang looked unhappy and asked, "Second brother, what's wrong?"

Ming Huazhang sighed deeply and said, "I found an underground altar in Pudu Temple tonight. There are two Buddha statues enshrined inside. It is very likely the place where the crime was committed four years ago. But I was discovered by King Wei during my evacuation. I have already made a big move and I am afraid that the evidence inside cannot be preserved."

Ming Huachang was slightly choked when she heard this. Ming Huazhang had spent so much time and effort, and now the murderer had been found. He only needed to collect evidence to overturn the case, but the King of Wei was making trouble at this time. Jingzhao Yin had already had opinions about Ming Huazhang. If he could not produce enough evidence, wouldn't that be giving Jingzhao Yin a handle?

Ming Huashang frowned and thought quickly about what to do, when suddenly an idea flashed in her mind.

Perhaps, not all crime scenes have been destroyed. Cheng Siyue's place of death has not yet been found.

That place must be in Qingchan Temple.