Chapter 47: The incompetent prefect who interrogates people at will? ...
"That's how it happened," Wen Yu said, adding, "That person was Chen Mian's wife—Madam Zhibai."
Song Linsheng pondered for a moment, his slender, white knuckles tapping intermittently on his kneecaps. The rustling sound, through the fabric of his clothes and the impact of his knuckles, echoed in the silent pit, making it somewhat clearer. His expression was calm and composed, his eyes like a thousand-year-old pond.
Wen Yu secretly glanced at his half-closed eyelashes, which cast a small shadow under his eyes, covering the expression in his eyes, making it impossible for Wen Yu to tell what Song Linsheng was thinking.
"It turned out to be Lady Zhibai—" Song Linsheng spoke softly, his meaning unclear. "At first, Xiyan and Mu Jingli searched the city all day, practically turning Jiangyang Mansion upside down, but they couldn't find Lady Zhibai..."
Wen Yu swallowed unconsciously at this. Why did she feel so guilty after hearing Song Linsheng say this? It was clearly Zhibai who turned into Gardenia, not her, Wen Yu. What did it have to do with her?
The inexplicable emotion in her heart grew stronger, and Wen Yu couldn't help but think wildly. Yes, what she had concealed today was the fact that Zhi Bai Niangzi was a demon. But she was also a demon. To a mortal like Song Linsheng, was there really any difference between a flower demon and a tree spirit?
She didn't dare answer the question.
When Song Linsheng was young, he was fascinated by the stories of gods and immortals, but if he knew that the White Snake was actually a gardenia, how would he view it?
And how will he view her...Wen Yu?
Wen Yu forced a smile, grinning, and agreed, "Yes! That's exactly what I mean!"
"But it happened to appear before you when you and I were going up the mountain to worship the gods, and it also happened to appear when you and I were separated—"
Otherwise, why do people say that Song Linsheng is "well-versed in literature and knowledge, with a belly full of pearls of wisdom"? Except that he often stutters when talking to Wen Yu, he is always like this at other times, with clear ideas and well-connected thoughts.
He still maintained his cross-legged posture, and only used the back of his hand to lightly brush the dust off the corner of his clothes. His movements were gentle and slow, without any impatience, as if what he was talking about was not the matter that the two of them had been investigating recently.
"Do you think there is something wrong?" Wen Yu was very nervous and asked tentatively.
Deep down, she must be willing to believe Zhibai Niangzi. They are both plant elves, and Wen Yu has no reason to ignore Zhibai's affairs.
However, Song Linsheng was a mortal, so it was inconvenient for him to tell this matter. Without this relationship, he could not help but make inferences based on common sense, and he could not help but have some doubts about Zhi Bai Niangzi.
"The mistake...is not that serious."
Song Linsheng finally stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Wen Yu. His slightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed when his eyes met Wen Yu's, and he said softly:
"It's just that there are some things I can't figure out."
His eyebrows were curved, like a semicircular river bank surrounding a pool of crystal clear water, and he gave Wen Yu a soothing smile.
Wen Yu suddenly remembered the sandy land he had seen on the Yuan River just now. The river bank surrounded the water, and the water flowed around the bank, which really looked like Song Linsheng's eyebrows and eyes.
Just before her mind was about to fly away, Song Linsheng's voice, as clear and cool as a mountain spring, pulled her back.
"It's like... how could a pregnant woman evade the soldiers' interrogation and successfully leave the city? How could she, being heavy, go up and down the mountain to meet you? The mountains are deep and the dew is heavy, so how could she avoid the cold and high fever while pregnant?"
Song Linsheng spoke for a long time in one breath before he stopped to catch his breath.
"Every single thing is suspicious."
"This...this..." Wen Yu's knuckles curled unconsciously. She believed that although Zhibai had lost his magic, he was still an inhuman being and was definitely stronger than a mortal. Avoiding pursuit, climbing mountains and crossing rivers should be no problem.
But she didn't know how to explain it to Song Linsheng.
"At first, I was only worried that she would be coerced and imprisoned, endangering herself and becoming a weapon for those with ulterior motives to hinder Chen Mian."
A hint of doubt appeared in Song Linsheng's eyes, making his expression no longer as clear as before.
"But now that she's fine, I'm even more worried."
Was she safe? Had anyone ever troubled her? Had she successfully evaded the officers and soldiers, or had she fallen into the hands of others, only to reappear alive before Madam Wen Yu?
After all, she was pregnant, how could she be so agile...
Were there any twists and turns in the process?
These words lingered in Song Linsheng's mind, unable to be shaken off. However, he did not speak to Wen Yu. Firstly, he was afraid that Wen Yu would be worried if she knew about it, and would doubt her kindness in helping Zhi Bai Niangzi. Secondly, he did not want to show his worry and worry, as he was afraid that Wen Yu would dislike him.
"Isn't it better if everything is fine?" Wen Yu couldn't help but sit up straight and lean towards Song Linsheng. "Chen Mian is still in prison. We should protect his wife and children no matter what, right?"
Wen Yu blinked her eyes, staring at Song Linsheng with anticipation. Song Linsheng's words, "make bold assumptions and carefully verify them," showed he wasn't a rigid, naive person. It was unlikely he would sit idly by while Lady Zhibai was at her.
Song Linsheng made her pause, unsure how to react. His eyelashes fluttered, and when he saw Wen Yu approaching, he couldn't help but lean back half an inch, then suddenly paused as he thought of something.
Madam Wen Yu's words naturally made sense, and Song Linsheng nodded in affirmation.
"That's natural. Regardless of doubts or worries, even if there are thousands of strange things, we can't ignore the first and foremost thing—"
Song Linsheng placed one hand on the ground behind his waist, still leaning back, and continued:
"That is because Lady Zhibai is pregnant and is a weak woman. Women and children should be protected."
"That's good!"
A bright smile appeared on Wen Yu's lips. After hearing what Song Linsheng said, she couldn't help but clap her hands, then turned around and sat down again.
"I was afraid you were going to ask Mu Jingli to continue tracking down Lady Zhibai and bring her back to the Jiangyang government office for trial!"
Seeing Wen Yu sitting up straight and moving away from his chest, Song Linsheng exhaled almost inaudibly. He felt relaxed, yet also felt something was empty.
He moved his hands that were supporting his back. His palms were numb from being rubbed by the sand and stones on the ground. The pain spread from his palms throughout his body, stimulating his nerves.
"How could that be? Could it be that in Madam Wenyu's mind, I am the incompetent prefect who interrogates people at every turn?"
Song Linsheng said this half-jokingly, soothing Wen Yu in a relaxed tone.
"Of course not! Of course not!" Wen Yu denied it again and again, fearing that Song Linsheng would misunderstand her meaning and cause her to be upset again.
Seeing her hastily denying it, like a rabbit running around without grass to eat, Song Linsheng couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Where is that White Lady staying now? Is she safe?"
After Song Linsheng finished laughing, he did not forget the important matter.
"Mrs. Zhibai told me she's staying in a temple outside the city, but I don't know which temple..." Wen Yu then remembered that her previous guess was just a guess, not a sure one. When she heard Song Linsheng was looking for her in the mountains, she was so anxious to return that she forgot to ask Mrs. Zhibai for more details.
"There is only one temple slightly outside of Jiangyang Prefecture, called Hou Tu Temple, dedicated to the goddess Hou Tu."
"Legend has it that Hou Tu Niangniang is the central deity, in charge of the Three Mountains and Five Peaks, and the changes in the terrain. She has a close personal relationship with the Spring Goddess, who is enshrined in the Wutong Ancestral Temple on Houchun Mountain, and they are like sisters."
"Hou Tu Niangniang," Wen Yu thought upon hearing this. She had heard of Hou Tu Niangniang's name. It had been recorded in her master's mountain-high tome. "Controlling yin and yang, nurturing all things"—a few words vividly portrayed her, making Wen Yu remember it clearly.
But if this was the only temple outside the city, she would have some impression of it...
Song Linsheng was explaining to Wen Yu when his thoughts suddenly turned and he thought of what happened earlier. He turned around and looked at Wen Yu, and they both said at the same time:
"Could it be——"
"It's the temple where my brother Ayuan lives!"
After saying this, Wen Yu and Song Linsheng were both amazed at the tacit understanding between the two, and they smiled in unison.
If that was where Brother Ayuan was staying, the two of them would definitely be able to find it. After all, Xiyan had personally sent Brother Ayuan home, so he wouldn't have forgotten about it so quickly.
"Temple is a place to worship gods. Although it is not in ruins, there are many pilgrims coming and going, which is bound to disturb people." Song Linsheng spoke reasonably and analyzed the pros and cons for Wen Yu.
"Mrs. Zhibai is pregnant and easily fatigued. She needs a safe place to recuperate. How can she stay in a temple for a long time?"
Wen Yu thought for a moment, resting his chin on his hand, and then said, "So what do you mean?"
"Why don't we take Lady Zhibai back to the Jiangyang government office and take good care of her."
After hearing this, Wen Yu quickly understood the key point. He placed his hands on his chin, resting his elbows on his knees, and with a sly smile, he asked Song Linsheng:
"So you're afraid someone might attack Lady Zhibai, and you're even more afraid that person is someone from the government office, so you're feeling more confident and bold, inviting Lady Zhibai back to the government office and keeping her under your nose?"
"If anyone behaves strangely, their every move will be under your control, and apprehending them will be a piece of cake!"
Wen Yu couldn't help but clap her hands, amazed at Song Linsheng's ingenuity. She had thought Song Linsheng would take Zhi Bai Niang back to the Song residence to take care of her, hiding her away so that no one could find her. She had never expected that he would instead bring Zhi Bai Niang back to the Jiangyang government office...
"Capturing those with ulterior motives is secondary. Bringing Lady Zhibai back to the government office is exactly what that saying is—"
Song Linsheng shrugged his shoulders, his eyes and eyebrows showing a sly smile.
Wen Yu only felt that Song Linsheng in front of her was like a snow-white fox, pure in color but with a very dark heart, and the fox tail that was swaying from side to side was about to reach the sky.
Song Linsheng had whetted his appetite, and then he spoke slowly:
“The most dangerous place is the safest place.”
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