Chapter 70 Breaking the Formation
Dusk fell, everything was quiet, but Pingkangfang had just started to get lively at night. Shancha leaned against the window, listening to the dancing music from the brothel next door, and she was so angry that she kept pulling at her handkerchief.
Jingzhao Prefecture clearly said that Zhang Sanlang committed suicide and had nothing to do with Tianxianglou. However, the customers felt that it was unlucky and even regular customers were unwilling to come. Other brothels were happy to steal from Tianxianglou when they saw this opportunity. Shancha saw with her own eyes that women who were far inferior to her were praised as the most beautiful women, and even took out red silk and blatantly imitated her flying dance.
Shan Cha was so angry that she was shaking all over, but when she looked at her legs, she was angry that the heavens were against her. She couldn't dance for at least a month. After a month, how many people would remember her, not to mention Pingkangfang, even in Tianxianglou?
Shancha was sulking when she heard someone talking in the corridor. It seemed someone had gone out. Shancha stretched her neck and asked the woman next door who had opened the window, "What happened?"
The figure on the opposite side twisted his body and said in a gloomy tone: "What else can it be? Prince Jiang has taken a fancy to our courtesan and summoned her to perform alone."
This was like stabbing Shancha in the heart, and Shancha fell silent. The woman next door was still dissatisfied, and said leisurely: "The prince is particularly fond of Yuqiong. It has been two days. He has asked her to stay alone every night. Maybe he will stay overnight today. The prince Jiang is so indulgent to those two maids. It can be seen that he is soft-hearted and easy to control. In my opinion, Yuqiong will fly to the branches and become a phoenix in the Marquis Jiang'an's mansion."
Shancha slammed the window shut. The woman next door sneered. She turned around and looked through the wide-open door, just in time to see Yuqiong entering Guanghan Yueyuan.
Afterwards, the door of Guanghan Yueyuan was closed, leaving no room for anyone to peek in. The woman sighed, feeling very sad.
Why isn't it her turn to serve the young and handsome young marquis who comes from a noble family?
Guanghan Yueyuan.
After Ren Yao closed the door, Yu Qiong stood at the door, facing the box with closed doors and windows and bright lights, and instinctively felt a sense of foreboding. She smiled and said, "Sir, the night in Chang'an is quite dull, why don't you open the window to let in some fresh air?"
Jiang Ling sat on the couch and said, "I don't like opening the window. It's noisy."
Yu Qiong smiled and said softly, "Your Highness is right. The song we played yesterday has not yet been finished. Why not continue?"
"It's boring."
Yuqiong was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It is Yuqiong who is rude. She dared to make the decision for the prince. I wonder what the prince wants to hear?"
Jiang Ling propped one leg on the couch, his arm casually folded, and said, "I have listened to at least eighty pieces of pipa music since I was a child, and I am too lazy to listen to them. Why don't you put down the pipa and we can chat casually?"
Yuqiong tightened her fingers around the pipa, her knuckles turning slightly white. "The prince has given an order, and Yuqiong dares not disobey. But Yuqiong is short-sighted and uneducated, and I am afraid that I will disappoint the prince."
"It's okay, just tell me about your story." Jiang Ling said, "For example, your relationship with Wei Tan and Zhang Ziyun. I heard that Wei Tan was very close to you and often summoned you to his mansion, so you were considered a frequent visitor. But recently, both of them died, which is also strange."
Yuqiong was sure that today would not end peacefully. After the murder, the son of Marquis Jiang'an suddenly visited Tianxiang Tower and walked around the building regardless of the bad luck. She had long felt that something was wrong. As expected, they came with bad intentions.
Yuqiong was quite calm, holding the pipa, and said, "My life has been rough. A Taoist priest told me that I have a strong destiny and may bring trouble to my family. Maybe I am really an unlucky person. All the men who were good to me died unexpectedly, but I am still alive and well."
Jiang Ling sighed in his heart, what a good move of retreating to advance, much better than his stepmother. Jiang Ling patted the seat next to him and said, "Your pipa looks heavy, it must be tiring to hold it, put it down and sit for a while, I will hold the pipa for you."
Yu Qiong laughed and said, "How can this be possible? The prince is so precious and noble that I dare not go beyond his authority."
Jiang Ling tilted his head, stared at her for a while, and suddenly smiled: "Don't dare, or can't?"
Yu Qiong lowered her eyes slightly, her face calm and unperturbed: "I don't understand what the prince is saying."
"Don't you understand? Then how about changing to a more understandable topic, such as how you killed Zhang Ziyun, pretended to commit suicide, and stole Wei Tan's painting from his cane?"
When Yuqiong heard the painting, her heart tightened, knowing that the knife had finally fallen. She clenched her fingers, hugged the pipa tightly, lowered her eyes, and asked, "Who are you? Are you really the son of Jiang'an Marquis?"
Jiang Ling blinked at her, raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Guess?"
Yuqiong kept silent with a sullen face. She thought that the two maids dressed as men were very strange. They did not compete for favors in front of the prince, and did not want to serve the prince. Instead, they were wandering around in Tianxiang Tower.
Who would have thought that the boat would capsize in a ditch.
Yuqiong knew that they had asked her to tell them so much just to find out the whereabouts of the painting. Yuqiong made up her mind and refused to say a word. Jiang Ling sighed and said, "They said the thing was in your pipa, but I didn't believe it. Now it turns out to be true?"
Yuqiong felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave, and her last bit of hope was broken. At this moment, a chill pressed against her neck. The maid who had just closed the door stood behind her without her knowing when, and the short knife was already against her vitals: "Miss Yuqiong, I can't bear to kill someone who looks pretty. Do you want to hand it over yourself, or let me do it?"
Jiang Ling tapped his knees with his fingers and said, "Bullshit, you've never been so merciless when you've attacked me."
Ren Yao narrowed his eyes slightly, and his mood was obviously getting irritable. Ming Huashang couldn't bear it, so she came out from behind the screen and said, "That's enough. Don't say bad words in front of Miss Yuqiong. Miss Yuqiong, we admire your talent very much and really don't want to make things difficult for you. Wei Tan's painting is not something you can take. Hand it over now, and I can guarantee your safety."
Yuqiong's eyes flashed with sarcasm. It was ridiculous. She was the wife of a convicted official. Even if she lived a better life, people would still dislike her. Now that she was caught, how could these people let her go? Yuqiong's fingers unconsciously pressed the pegs of the pipa, as if she was thinking about something.
Ming Huashang noticed Yuqiong's actions and guessed that it was some kind of mechanism, and she wanted to destroy the painting. The invisible strings in the room tightened, and Ming Huashang seemed to have heard the sound of hidden weapons being unsheathed. She spoke up in time and said, "Miss Zhao, we are not bad people. As long as you take out the picture, we will not hurt you."
Yuqiong had been calm and rational since she entered the room, and she responded calmly, but when she heard the three words "Miss Zhao", her whole body shook violently and she could not even maintain the expression on her face.
Miss Zhao...how many years has it been since her father was convicted of treason?
Ming Huashang knew she had made the right bet when she saw Yuqiong's expression. Yuqiong was cautious and careful, and she would not leave her life and property to others. The Daming Palace Map was probably still in her possession. Ming Huashang thought about it and felt that the pipa that Yuqiong never let go of was a little strange.
From her paintings, we can see that what she is really good at and likes is painting, not playing music. Why would she hold a pipa all the time? Moreover, when Yuqiong went to Wei Tan's house, she also played the pipa.
There were too many coincidences for Ming Huashang to take them for granted. She and Ming Huazhang agreed that there was a mechanism in Yuqiong's pipa, and the Daming Palace Map was hidden in the mechanism. However, the map was no different from other evidence. If Yuqiong was pushed into a corner, she would destroy the map, and their work would be in vain.
Xie Jichuan suggested an ambush, moving as fast as thunder and killing with one strike. With five of them, it would be no problem to deal with Yuqiong. But Ming Huashang thought that they might be able to cooperate. She talked to Yuqiong and maybe she could convince her to hand over the painting.
Yuqiong heard that "Miss Zhao" had a reaction, which was a good sign. Ming Huashang continued, "I heard that Lord Zhao was once a noble official in the court, and had close contacts with many famous people, including the world-famous Right Prime Minister Yan. If Lord Zhao knew about your painting skills today, he would definitely be very pleased."
Yu Qiong became more and more silent, and Ming Huashang took the opportunity to say, "Why did you want to kill Zhang Ziyun? To avenge Wei Tan? Wei Tan was the apprentice of Yan Youxiang, and Yan Youxiang and your father were good friends. If your father had not been convicted, you and he would be a good match, and both of you love painting, so it would be a good story."
After saying so much, Yuqiong didn't respond. Ming Huashang didn't expect Yuqiong to answer, but she said coldly: "He and I are close friends. It's really vulgar and low to speculate about us based on the relationship between men and women."
Ming Huashang's eyes widened unexpectedly, not caring about the hostility in Yuqiong's words at all, and happily said: "So, you really want revenge? Just one Wei Tan, you shouldn't risk your life to do it."
Yuqiong exhaled and fell into a state of slight relaxation.
It was really an accident that she killed Zhang Ziyun. It was just like the day when she was playing the pipa at Wei's house and suddenly saw Wei Tan spitting out black blood and falling down. It was the same surprise.
After Wei Tan's death, she and other guests were locked in a private room, and the interrogators came three times. She was playing the piano when the incident happened, and she had no physical contact with Wei Tan before. She was the first to be ruled out as a suspect, and the police finally gave in and let her go.
When Yuqiong went out, she saw Zhang Ziyun arranging the funeral for Wei Tan. The housekeeper had a tearful face and looked at a loss, while Zhang Ziyun was giving orders with a cane, which was quite effective. Passersby were praising Wei Tan for his good fortune, saying that he was really lucky to have such a friend, otherwise, even his funeral would not be decent.
Is it a blessing? Yuqiong thinks not necessarily.
Wei Tan had told her before that the court had asked him to restore the design of Daming Palace in preparation for the relocation of the capital. Wei Tan was a man who was proud of his talent. He was not in a hurry and deliberately completed it within the deadline. As soon as the painting was finished, he could not help but hold a banquet and invite people to show off.
Yuqiong didn't take it seriously at first. Wei Tan is always like this. People from the Ministry of Works will come to pick up the drawings tomorrow. It should be fine if he relaxes for a night today.
Who would have thought that Zhang Ziyun, whom Wei Tan regarded as his best friend, would actually want to kill him for a painting.
Wei Tanzhi was very satisfied and hung the painting in the hall for people to see. When everyone had had enough, he put it away and asked the servant to take it back to the study and seal it. If nothing unexpected happened, they were the first group of people to see the painting, and they would also be the last group.
When looking at the painting, Yuqiong noticed that Zhang Ziyun's expression was not right, but she didn't take it seriously at that time and continued playing the pipa as usual. Zhang Ziyun went out for a while on the way, and when he came back, he leaned on his cane in silence and persuaded Wei Tan to drink, but Yuqiong still didn't take it seriously.
Wei Tan died soon after, and everyone present was detained as a suspect. As the officers questioned her again and again, Yu Qiong cast a suspicious look at Zhang Ziyun.
Zhang Ziyun's behavior seemed a little strange. But Yuqiong was just guessing, without any evidence. Moreover, she had no good feelings towards the officials since her house was searched, so she naturally would not report her suspicions to the government. She returned to Tianxianglou, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. At this time, she saw Zhang Ziyun coming to the brothel.
That day was the first performance of Shancha Flying Dance, and the madam had already announced it, and Yuqiong had also made arrangements early to accompany the distinguished guests in the evening. However, it was rare for Zhang Ziyun to walk into Tianxiang Tower alone. If she missed this opportunity, she didn't know if she would have another chance to get close to him.
So Yuqiong knew that there would be guests coming that night, but she still took the initiative to invite Zhang Ziyun to Fengqing Siyuan in the name of learning painting. She knew that Fengqing Siyuan had a secret door, and there were few things in Tianxiang Tower that could be hidden from her. Yuqiong didn't plan to do anything at first, but instinctively arranged a layer of insurance.
After three rounds of drinking, Zhang Ziyun gradually got drunk and said arrogantly that he was going to be successful and would soon become a close confidant of the King of Wei. In this situation, combined with what happened a few days ago, Yuqiong was not confused.
Zhang Ziyun betrayed Wei Tan. In order to get promoted, he was willing to be a running dog of King Wei.
It was no secret that Wei Tan was ordered to redraw the Daming Palace. He was high-profile, so even if it was a secret, it was known to the whole city. The Wu family wanted to stop the relocation of the capital, and secretly contacted people around Wei Tan. Zhang Ziyun was moved by fame and fortune and agreed to take the painting for the Wu family.
But Wei Tan took too long. The Ministry of Works would come to pick up the painting the next day after it was finished. Zhang Ziyun had no time to make long-term plans, so he could only go out and kill the servant who delivered the painting, and then come back to poison Wei Tan.
With Wei Tan around, if a drawing is lost, just redraw it, it doesn't matter. Only when Wei Tan dies can the Hanyuan Palace be rebuilt and the Queen be prevented from moving the capital.
Zhang Ziyun was eagerly waiting for the King of Wei's messenger. As long as he handed the painting to the messenger, he could rise to prominence and achieve great things. But before that, he had to live until the Wu family found him.
Wei Tan's death was strange, and the government was no fool. The old nobles in Chang'an immediately realized that someone was trying to stop the relocation of the capital. This was related to the lives and property of many people, the honor and disgrace of the family. The nobles in Chang'an were surprisingly united this time, and spared no effort to release the secret guards to find the person who stole the painting.
Zhang Ziyun was terrified. He didn't dare stay at home any longer and wanted to hide in a safe, crowded place where he wouldn't be easily tracked. The best place was naturally a brothel.
The most famous and elegant place for girls in Pingkangfang was Tianxianglou. As fate would have it, Zhang Ziyun walked to the threshold of Tianxianglou and was seen by Yuqiong who was leaning on the third floor alone.
After Yuqiong noticed what Zhang Ziyun had done, she not only disliked him for selling out his friends for fame, but also could not tolerate him for helping the Wu family to seize power. If the Wu family succeeded this time, the relocation of the capital would be ruined, and who knows how many changes would happen in the future.
Her father died because of Empress Wu's abuse of power. For sixteen years, she watched her mother and sister die in disgrace, her brother was exiled to the frontier, and her clan members died or were injured. Now she is the only one left. She will never tolerate the Wu family continuing to pass on the throne. Only when the throne returns to Li Tang can her father and their Zhao family be vindicated.
She looked at the man who was drunk and talking nonsense, and his hatred was like ice under the water, condensing into a ferocious shape.
She was going to kill him.
Yuqiong calmly thought about how to kill people and did the craziest thing calmly. She went back to her room under the pretext of getting something and took out the poison she had stored in her room.
Having been immersed in this business for a long time, she has accumulated a lot of shady things. This poison is called Zui Sheng, which she bought from a Western merchant at a high price. It is colorless and tasteless, and has a strong toxicity. It works best when mixed with wine. The most rare thing is that the symptoms after the poison takes effect are not obvious. It looks like a sudden death from an illness. Just like its name, it will make you drunk and wake up from dreams until you die.
When Yuqiong left, she had already thought about it. It would not be long before the distinguished guest who had been scheduled with her would arrive. The madam would certainly come to chase them away. She calmed Zhang Ziyun down and let him stay alone in the private room. She followed the madam and left. Before leaving, she found an opportunity to apply Zuisheng on the lip of the wine pot, ensuring that Zhang Ziyun would be poisoned to death and she would be able to clear herself of the connection.
Shancha would perform a dance on time at the hour of Xu. She had seen Shancha rehearse and knew that Shancha's dance was novel and could attract men's attention. She left the distinguished guest under the pretext of jealousy and went to a small compartment to rest. Then she slipped downstairs when no one was paying attention, passed through the lobby through the passage of the landscape screen, climbed up to the east building, entered Fengqing Siyuan through the ventilation window and secret door, dealt with the scene, and took away the painting from Zhang Ziyun.
The idiot was showing it off so obviously, she had already seen that the painting was hidden in his cane.
Yuqiong thought she had considered every aspect, but there is no perfect plan in the world. No matter how thorough the plan is, once it is implemented, it will encounter various unexpected tests.
First, the madam brought two bottles of wine to Zhang Ziyun. Yuqiong frowned, but was not worried. Because her poison was in the mouth of the wine jug, no matter what kind of wine Zhang Ziyun drank, he would be poisoned. The madam's wine might help her confuse her vision.
Then, when she left Guanghan Yueyuan under the pretext of being jealous, she ran into someone in the corridor. Yuqiong remained calm, and she walked into the rest room calmly, and only went downstairs quietly after no one was outside.
The hall had already lowered the curtains at her suggestion, and even the screens were placed as she ordered. Ziyi admired her the most and almost obeyed her orders. She asked Ziyi to open the screen in the name of testing the audience and keep it strictly confidential. Ziyi obeyed without hesitation. Yuqiong passed through the screen smoothly and found another surprise when she went up to the east building. She couldn't reach the ventilation window of the partition.
Yuqiong could only go downstairs and secretly cut a piece of the red ribbon with her dagger. The silk satin fell behind the curtain and was the only thing she could touch. Shancha would not use this cloth in the short term. After the storm passed, she hinted to Shancha to change to a new one and everything would be done without anyone noticing.
Yuqiong had been training hard in the Jiaofang Division for many years. Although she was good at painting, she was also good at dancing. She put the ribbon on the wooden board on the third floor, and with the help of the red ribbon, she easily climbed into the ventilation window and entered Fengqing Siyuan through the secret door. At this time, Yuqiong discovered the fourth accident in her plan.
Zhang Ziyun lay on his back beside the coffee table and fell asleep.
He is not dead!
It turned out that the madam had put drugs in the two bottles of wine to prevent Zhang Ziyun from causing trouble. Zhang Ziyun did not drink from the wine pot, but drank from the wine pot, so he was not poisoned, but was knocked out by the madam's drugs.
This accident is almost devastating to Yuqiong's plan. Yuqiong has already taken action and must take Wei Tan's painting away today. Zhang Ziyun is narrow-minded and suspicious. When he sobers up, he will definitely suspect her. Only one of her and Zhang Ziyun can survive.
Yuqiong naturally chose the former, she had to kill Zhang Ziyun. But the brothel owner was a fool who was more likely to cause trouble than to help. After she drugged Zhang Ziyun, his teeth were clenched tightly, and Yuqiong could not force him to drink the poisoned wine.
Outside, there were many guests and noises, and someone could come in at any time. Yuqiong tried for a long time, and the wine pot kept shaking in her hands, but she still couldn't pour the wine into Zhang Ziyun's teeth. What's worse is that the poison is colorless and odorless, but when it was applied to the gold, it actually left black marks on the inner wall.
Everything was completely different from what she expected, and her plan almost completely failed. Yu Qiong forced herself to calm down, looked around, and looked for a new way to kill.
She saw water and paper, and based on her knowledge of painting, Yuqiong quickly came up with a second way to kill people that would leave no trace.
She soaked the paper completely in the pool. This was a custom-made paper for her water rubbings. It would not break even when wet, and it was extremely tough and completely airtight. For safety, she tied Zhang Ziyun's hands with the red silk she had just cut, pressed him down, and covered his mouth and nose with the soaked paper.
Killing is difficult, but also easy. At least death by suffocation is very quick. Zhang Ziyun was awakened from his coma by the suffocation, but it was too late to save him. Yu Qiong held his body and watched him struggle, convulse, and slowly lose his movement. His face turned from red to white, and finally he lay motionless on the ground.
He finally died. Yuqiong breathed a sigh of relief and found that her back was wet with cold sweat. At this point, the excuse of death from illness was no longer valid. Yuqiong dragged Zhang Ziyun to the desk and threw the soaked paper back into the waste paper pile, destroying the murder weapon almost seamlessly. Then, she stabbed Zhang Ziyun in the blood vessel of his neck to create the illusion that he committed suicide.
Dream stacking powder can make people comatose, but it can also produce hallucinogenic effects before passing out. It is reasonable to pretend that Zhang Ziyun killed himself in a hallucination.
Yuqiong destroyed all traces of her presence at the scene. She wanted to take the wine pot away, but she was wearing a narrow-sleeved skirt today because she was playing the pipa. It was okay for her to roll up a painting, but she couldn't hide such a big wine pot.
Yuqiong had no choice but to leave the wine pot at the scene and wait for the situation to change. She hurried back to the rest room in the west building and hid the painting in the secret compartment behind the pipa. Then she returned to Guanghan Yueyuan to accompany the guests and create an alibi.
Her plan was successful. When Zhang Ziyun's body was found, it quickly alarmed the Jingzhao Prefecture. Officials from the yamen came in and out, questioning all the guests, but no one suspected her.
Her whereabouts were too innocent, and all the guests in the room were witnesses. The madam was afraid of being held accountable by the government, so she did not dare to say that she had a dream while drinking. This incident made people noisy all night, but Fengqing Siyuan was a complete secret room, and no one saw anyone entering or leaving. This case could only be convicted of suicide.
The commotion on the second floor lasted for a long time, but Yuqiong never found a chance to go to the scene to retrieve the wine bottle. She thought that the government would leave soon after deciding the case, and she would go to the scene to retrieve the evidence the next day.
Jingzhao Prefecture lived up to her expectations and concluded the case as suicide. The bailiffs went back to sleep, relieved. Yuqiong waited patiently for nightfall, but in the evening, a group of rare guests came to Tianxiang Tower.
The son of Marquis Jiang'an and his two followers. Yuqiong's perfect plan collapsed here.
Yuqiong's recollection came to an abrupt end. She raised her eyes and found that the maid with a pale and thin face but a pair of breathtakingly beautiful almond eyes was still staring at her.
This little girl must not be a maid. If she had not been born into a wealthy and peaceful family, and grown up in love and trust, she would not have such a look in her eyes.
Yu Qiong suddenly thought, if nothing had happened to her family, if her father had not been involved in treason, would she have had such a look?
Unfortunately, she never had the chance to know.
Yuqiong gave up. She could hear two other breaths in the room. She couldn't escape no matter what. After accepting death, Yuqiong became extremely calm and said calmly: "You ask so many questions, just to induce me to speak up for my father's vindication and to accuse me of someone behind me. Why can't a woman be brave and sacrifice herself to avenge her friend?"
She was very smart and perceptive, but she misunderstood Ming Huashang's meaning. Ming Huashang said, "I didn't mean that. To be honest, we are actually from the court."
"The imperial court?" Yu Qiong sneered after hearing this. "If loyal people are framed, the country will no longer be a country. How can a group of treacherous villains be called the imperial court?"
"How do you know there are no loyal and kind people in the court?"
Ming Huashang, Jiang Ling, and Ren Yao were all startled and looked at the screen at the same time.
The screen was tightly closed, and the scene behind could not be seen, but a voice like the wind blowing through the trees and the spring flowing through the rocks came over: "How do you know that we are not loyal and kind people?"
As everyone was stunned, a cold voice seemed particularly out of place. Xie Jichuan asked, "Did you say that?"
Ming Huazhang ignored Xie Jichuan, walked out from behind the screen, and said quietly to Yuqiong: "We are ordered by the court to retrieve the Daming Palace Map, protect the royal family and many important officials, and return to the old capital."
Yu Qiong stared at the screen and was stunned for a moment. This young man's face was not good-looking, but his eyes were firm, his shoulders were straight, and the awe-inspiring righteousness in him was far beyond his appearance.
Yuqiong was no longer at the age to believe in spoken words, but when she looked at the young man who was as handsome as pine or bamboo under the candlelight, she inexplicably believed what he said.
Perhaps, there are still good ministers in the court who serve the country and the people. They are really good people.
Ming Huashang saw that Yuqiong's brows seemed to relax, so she struck while the iron was hot and said, "Miss Zhao, look, our leader has come out to see you. If we really wanted to harm you, why would we go through so much trouble? We really want the Daming Palace Map for the right purpose. After we get the map, we will definitely keep our promise and let you leave safely."
Ming Huazhang walked over slowly, stopped three steps away from Yuqiong and Ming Huachang, and nodded slightly: "I promise."
The jade qiong was shaken. A human face may have a beastly heart, but a person's eyes will not deceive. A treacherous, opportunistic, and greedy person cannot have such clean eyes.
Yuqiong released her hands from the pipa and asked, "Are you the prince's men?"
Xie Jichuan slowly walked out from behind the screen and looked at Ming Huazhang calmly. Ming Huazhang did not seem to hesitate and said clearly: "We are from the court."
Yuqiong was somewhat disappointed, but the tension in her heart was relieved unconsciously. She handed the pipa to Ming Huazhang and said, "The things you want are inside."
Ming Huazhang took the pipa and looked into Yuqiong's eyes earnestly: "Thank you."
Yuqiong had a strange feeling at that moment. She stopped Zhang Ziyun from handing the painting over to the Wu family. In the eyes of the wise men in the court, she was indeed worthy of gratitude. But she always felt that this young man wanted to say more than that.
Ming Huazhang closed the mechanism, and a narrow gap appeared on the back of the pipa, and inside was a scroll. Ming Huazhang opened it and saw the magnificent, neatly marked Hanyuan Hall. Ming Huazhang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, put the painting away, and restored the pipa before handing it back to Yuqiong.
Yuqiong took it and hugged the pipa as if they were old friends. Ming Huazhang said, "Ms. Zhao, thank you for standing up and defending your country. We will help you cover up Zhang Ziyun's death. He must have committed suicide. It has nothing to do with you. If someone asks about it in the future, you can just pretend you don't know."
Ming Huazhang bowed to Yuqiong, not showing any disrespect to her because she was a prostitute, and said solemnly: "We will say goodbye now. Don't worry, I will send someone to call Jiang Ling away later, and I will not tarnish your reputation. We are very sorry that this may bring trouble to Tianxianglou. If you are in danger, you can take this token to Wangji Silk Shop in the East Market, and the people there will do their best to help you. From now on, I hope you take care of yourself, goodbye."
Yuqiong was silent for a moment, then she bowed straight and said, "Take care, my dear."
Xie Jichuan had already opened the window. Ming Huazhang said no more and turned around after returning the greeting. The danger of the Daming Palace Map increased every moment it stayed outside. They had to escort the map to a safe place as soon as possible. Ming Huachang and the other two were both well-known and new players. There was no point in following them. They simply stayed and played the whole trick.
When he reached the window, Ming Huazhang suddenly stopped, turned around and asked, "Miss Zhao, may I ask your father's name?"
Yu Qiong was startled for a moment and asked in surprise: "Why are you asking this?"
Xie Jichuan was already waiting for him outside. Ming Huazhang narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "Nothing, just asking casually."
After saying this, he leaped down lightly in the cover of night. The young man had long arms and legs and a strong body. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared in the decadence of Pingkangfang.
After the two left, the room returned to silence. Ming Huashang and the other two looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Finally, Yuqiong smiled and said, "So your last name is Jiang. Could it be that you are really the prince Jiang?"
This sentence broke the deadlock. Jiang Ling resumed his carefree demeanor, sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, and said proudly, "Of course, I will always keep my name and never tell lies."
Ren Yao sneered and rolled his eyes: "Bullshit."
Jiang Ling got a little angry and scolded, "You are a girl, and you keep saying these things all the time. Is that right?"
"Is it your business?"
Yuqiong looked at the truly beautiful boy and girl in front of her and couldn't help laughing. As she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes.
It’s great that young people laugh, scold, and are full of energy. They are the stars that will never fall into the world.
Ming Huashang felt ashamed when she saw the two of them quarreling like children. She smiled awkwardly and said to Yuqiong, "Sister Zhao, they are like this. I'm sorry to embarrass you."
Yuqiong's lips curled slightly, it was hard for her to call a woman of the dust her sister. Perhaps it was the gentle breeze of April night, Yuqiong had the rare mood to talk about homely things, and asked: "You two look like this, it must not be real, right? No wonder you moved out last night, just now that young man was very concerned about your appearance, what is your relationship?"
Ming Huashang was slightly stunned, not knowing how to answer these two questions. Yuqiong quickly reacted and interrupted her, saying, "I am overstepping my authority. Please don't tell me who you are or what you look like. Even if we meet in the future, it's better for us not to know each other."
This is the best thing for both parties. Ming Huashang inexplicably felt sad.
She thought that she might understand what Ming Huazhang said when she joined Xuanxiaowei. If she chose this path, she would be accompanied by darkness, disguise, and lies for the rest of her life, and even if she met a friend who was compatible with her along the way, she would not be able to interact with him.
Ming Huashang didn't want to show her disappointment to others. She smiled and said cheerfully, "I heard that Sister Zhao is an expert in both painting and music. We have seen her paintings, but we have never seen her pipa. I wonder if I can have the pleasure of hearing her and learn something from her today?"
"That's not difficult." Yu Qiong was also very straightforward. She lifted her skirt and sat down, holding the pipa horizontally. With a light stroke of her finger, a string of large and small beads rolled down. "I am a few years older than you, so I don't have any gifts to give you. I will give you a piece of music of Qin Wang breaking the formation."
Jiang Ling was surprised: "Is the murderous aura so strong?"
Ren Yao slapped him in annoyance: "Why, women can't go to the battlefield?"
"No, no, of course I can." Jiang Ling was very aware of the current situation and said, "Sisters, please, whatever you say is what I will do."
Downstairs, a woman was searching the yard under the cover of night. She heard the passionate sound of the pipa coming from upstairs and was surprised, "What are they doing? Are they really coming to the brothel to enjoy themselves?"
Beside her, a man stood with his hands behind his back. He listened for a while and sighed softly, "Yu Ji, there's no need to look for her anymore."
Su Yuji hesitated: "Brother..."
"They have already completed it." Su Xingzhi looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky and smiled helplessly, "According to the time, it is exactly one day. Nan Dou never misses a target, and his reputation is well deserved."
"Of course, now it's time to call them a pair."
Jiang Ling had attended many banquets, and even palace banquets were commonplace for him, but he had never heard such a good pipa. After the Qin King's Breaking the Formation Music was finished, Jiang Ling felt a little unsatisfied. At this time, a group of people broke into the Tianxiang Tower and asked loudly, "I am the housekeeper of the Jiang'an Marquis' Mansion. Where is our prince?"
Well, when Jiang Ling heard the noise outside, he knew that the curtain call was coming, and he could finally end his painful and dissolute acting career.
But then again, this pair of siblings are really alike. Doesn't Jiang Ling's reputation cost money? Why did Ming Huazhang let people stand at the door and shout so loudly?
After fooling around in a brothel, does he still need the "reputation" of being dragged down from a brothel by his servants?
Jiang Ling kept mumbling, full of resentment. Ren Yao and Ming Huashang naturally ignored him, and they followed the "house servants" and left Tianxiang Tower naturally.
One day later, deep in the quiet and lush Zhongnan Mountain, a girl in a white training suit was running listlessly. Xie Jichuan caught up with her easily from behind, but did not pass by her, but followed beside her.
Ming Huashang was surprised: "Xie, Brother, what can I do for you?"
"Not really."
Ming Huashang was stunned for a moment, lowered her eyes, and said softly: "What she did to the brothel girl, wasn't it what she had suffered before? One thing is one thing, she did something wrong, maybe someone will come to punish her, but that person is definitely not me."
Xie Jichuan couldn't understand and asked, "What if that person never showed up from the beginning to the end, and the evildoer had a good ending?"
"That is destiny." Ming Huashang smiled and said inaudibly, "I cannot punish her for something she has never done just for the sake of justice in my heart. If so, what is the difference between me and her?"
Xie Jichuan looked back and saw Ming Huashang's pale face, furry eyes, and beads of sweat on the tip of her nose.
She is really a very strange woman. Ming Huashang is the person with the strongest empathy that Xie Jichuan has ever seen. She can feel the murderer's mood when he kills people, the fear of the dead when they are dying, and the grief of countless lower-class women like Yuqiong and Wei Baixuan. However, when the choice was handed over to her, she still chose to stop, digest the darkness alone, and let all the pain end at this step.
Obviously, there were no morals or laws to constrain her, and she followed her selfish desires and made a slight deviation, so no one would blame her for drawing the wrong murderer.
But she didn't.
Xie Jichuan looked at her for a long time without saying anything. Ming Huashang felt a little nervous and cautiously asked, "Brother Xie, is there anything else?"
Xie Jichuan came back to his senses, looked at her and smiled, and said, "Try hard, you still have five laps to go."
"Ah, don't remind me!"
·
April 15th, the first year of the Holy Calendar.
There is no moon tonight. Practicing martial arts and attending classes during the day is quite boring, so I might as well sleep.
Han Jie checked the Daming Palace map and confirmed that it was correct and sent it back to the Ministry of Works. Of course it was correct. Mediocre people always like to add another process to waste time and call it verification.
I heard that the construction of Hanyuan Hall had already started yesterday. Unfortunately, Qintianjian predicted that it would rain for the next month. I wonder if Hanyuan Hall can catch up with the construction schedule. If the capital cannot be relocated because the construction cannot be completed, it will be the will of heaven that the Tang Dynasty will fall, and it will be a laughing stock.
Jingzhan has been more cautious recently, and like those fools, he has gradually become boring. But he accidentally discovered a new fun. She is obviously no different from ordinary ladies, just as stupid and fragile, self-deceiving, but why is her choice every time different from what expected?
Wait and see.
Xieji River is at the foot of Chang'an and ends at the southern foot of the mountain.
——The third case, “The World in a Painting”, is finished.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
