Chapter 74: The Prince is Dead
Xun Shu's face flushed red, and he stammered for a long time without being able to speak.
Weren't we talking about the matter between the Princess and the Marquis of Pingyang? Why did it suddenly come to her and Li Xuanhe?
The princess looked at her expectantly. Xun Shu didn't know how to respond. Finally, she came up with an excuse. Her voice was softer than a flying insect. "I need to find Uncle Jiang first... He's my only relative. As for the rest, we'll discuss it after we find Uncle Jiang."
The eldest princess sighed inwardly, secretly blaming her son for his incompetence, but she maintained a gentle smile. "Alright. If you truly dislike He'er, I will adopt you as my adopted daughter. With this status, no one will dare to look down on you anymore."
As soon as she finished speaking, the door opened and Li Xuanhe, dressed in his official uniform, hurried into the room against the glare. His gaze fell on Xun Shu's face for a moment, and then he sat down on the other side of the princess, speaking with a touch of intimacy, "What did Mother and Shu talk about?"
The princess smiled at him, her expression profound. "You've arrived just in time." She poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards Li Xuanhe, asking softly, "Did everything go well today?"
Li Xuanhe took the teacup and took a sip. "Everything is fine. The relief funds have been counted and deposited into the national treasury, and the case files have been taken back to the Dali Temple by Li Song. As I was leaving the palace, I saw the Imperial Preceptor, who came to see Your Majesty carrying a wooden box. I wonder what's inside."
"They're probably some elixirs. Hasn't he often refined elixirs for Your Majesty over the years? Either elixirs for immortality or elixirs for immortality. My brother trusts the Imperial Master very much and will take the elixirs he presents directly." The princess was accustomed to this, but she was more curious about another matter. "Is Your Majesty attending court in person today?"
Li Xuanhe shook his head. "No, the Crown Prince is still the Regent today. My cousin the Crown Prince is becoming more and more adept at handling government affairs, and he has some of the late Emperor's demeanor."
"Yes, the Crown Prince is the most like our father." The Princess paused, then couldn't help but warn, "Don't mention this matter to anyone else, lest it create a rift between them and cause trouble."
"The child knows."
At noon, after the three of them had lunch together, Xun Shu and Li Xuanhe left the Princess's courtyard together. Li Xuanhe had rushed back to the mansion because he had heard something had happened at home and was worried about his mother. Seeing his mother with Xun Shu by his side, he gradually felt relieved and returned to the Dali Temple to continue dealing with the backlog of official business.
Xun Shu wasn't idle after returning to her temporary home. She spread the copper plate and coins on the table, occasionally spinning the plate and tossing the coins, trying to figure out information related to Jiang Zheng. Unfortunately, without the time or direction, trying to calculate with her ability was like looking for a needle in a haystack. She worked all afternoon, but still found nothing.
In the evening, when Li Xuanhe returned home and went to Xun Shu's courtyard to look for her, he saw her with such a sad face. He glanced at everything on the table and guessed what she was worried about.
While Xun Shu was still in a daze, Li Xuanhe quickly pulled her up and pushed her out the door. By the time Xun Shu realized what was happening, they were already outside the mansion and sitting in a carriage. She was a little confused: "Where are we going? Why don't you take Ah Shui with you?"
Li Xuanhe said confidently, "I'm taking you out to relax, why should I bring her along? There are several markets in the capital that don't have a curfew, and they're most bustling and lively after dark. It would be a shame if you didn't see them while you're here."
Xun Shu said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions.
She opened the curtain, leaned against the window frame, and watched the scenery slowly receding outside the window with her chin resting on her back.
The evening breeze blew on her face, bringing a refreshing feeling. The scenery outside the window gradually changed from the cold and eerie courtyard to a place full of the smell of worldly life, and her mood gradually became cheerful.
The carriage drove past several markets and stopped outside a busy street. The two of them disembarked and stepped inside, nearly being separated by passersby. Li Xuanhe hurriedly put his arm around Xun Shu's wrist, but then felt it wasn't enough. He grabbed her shoulders, protecting her in his arms and shielding her from the crowd.
Xun Shu was held in his arms, and his nose was filled with the scent of his body, like the bamboo forest in Pingyang Marquis Mansion in the early morning, with the bamboo leaves covered with morning dew, and extremely fresh.
The streets were bustling with people, vendors selling all sorts of snacks along the way, the air filled with aromas. As the two of them walked and ate, Xun Shu looked at the lanterns filling the streets, his mouth stuffed with food, and mumbled, "It's not a festival, why are there so many lanterns?"
Li Xuanhe was stunned and asked tentatively, "Don't you know what day it will be in a few days?"
Xun Shu tilted his head in thought for a moment, then shook it. Li Xuanhe had an idea at that moment, his eyes curved with a smile: "In a few days, I'll take you to a place that's even more lively. Not only will there be flower lanterns, but there will also be river lanterns. It's bound to be even more fun than the Lantern Festival in Chaozhou."
After strolling through the streets, a man in Dali Temple uniform had been waiting for a long time beside the carriage, claiming that the Dali Temple Minister was looking for Li Xuanhe. Li Xuanhe dropped Xun Shu off at his residence and hurried away. Xun Shu stood at the door, waving goodbye, and only turned back inside when the carriage disappeared at the end of the road.
The moon was beautiful tonight, and the breeze was cool. She walked leisurely towards her residence. As she passed Li Xuanhe's courtyard, she thought she heard a strange noise inside. She paused, thinking of going in to see what was going on, but then she remembered the secretiveness of the mansion described in the picture book. If she encountered it, she must pretend not to see or hear it, so as to protect herself.
After all, Li Xuanhe was not in the courtyard, so what happened had nothing to do with him, and even less with Xun Shu. Xun Shu shook his sleeves and went back to sleep. At dawn, he was awakened by screams and cries. He jumped up suddenly, his heart beating violently, and it took a long time for it to gradually calm down.
It was still dark. Xun Shu lit the lamp and, shuffling his slippers, pushed open the door to see Ah Shui, who had also been woken. The two of them stared at each other, unsure of what had happened. Just as they were about to go in and ask what had happened, a maid returned from outside. After locking the courtyard door, she quickly approached the two of them and said in a low voice, "Something serious has happened in the mansion. Young ladies, please do not leave the courtyard, or you will be tainted by bad luck."
Hearing the word "bad luck," Xun Shu piqued his interest and quickly asked, "Could you tell me what it is? That way, we won't end up causing trouble due to our ignorance."
"It was the eldest young master of the mansion. He was just found dead in the courtyard of the third young master."
Li Xuanhe's courtyard? Xun Shu frowned and was about to ask again when he heard the maid continue, "When the eldest young master's body was found, he was lying naked on the third young master's bed. Beside him was the eldest young master's wife's sister, the second young lady of the Qin family."
After hearing this, Xun Shu was completely stunned. After reacting, he hurriedly asked, "Where's the third brother? Is he back?"
"Her Royal Highness the Princess has sent someone to the Dali Temple to ask for permission, and they will probably be back soon."
While they were talking, Li Xuanhe hurried into the courtyard, still wearing the same outfit he'd worn when he'd accompanied her to the market that night. A small ink stain the size of his little finger stained his sleeve. The first thing he saw upon entering the house was Xun Shu. Seeing that she was alright, he felt relieved and said, "I'm going to see what happened. Do you want to come with me?"
He knew Xun Shu loved to watch the fun, so he asked. Xun Shu's eyes lit up instantly when he heard her words, and he said hurriedly: "Of course I will go."
She picked up a hairpin and tied up her messy hair with the help of A Shui and the maid. She followed Li Xuanhe out and went to the place where the body was found next door.
This was clearly the courtyard where Li Xuanhe had lived for more than ten years, but now he seemed like a stranger, completely unaware of what had happened in the courtyard.
The courtyard was packed with people, including the Marquis of Pingyang, whom he had met yesterday, Qin Huixin, who had collapsed on the ground in tears, and Qin Lanxin, disheveled and pale. When the Marquis of Pingyang saw Li Xuanhe, his brows furrowed, and he shouted, "You've been away all night just after returning home. Where have you been hanging out?"
Li Xuanhe was already in a bad mood after someone died in his courtyard. Before he could even question them, he was first rebuked by the Marquis of Pingyang. Li Xuanhe snorted coldly and sarcastically said, "Father, you're worrying too much. The Dali Temple had some official business, so they summoned me back. I've been busy since last night. I didn't return all night, but I didn't expect my eldest brother and the second young lady of the Qin family to use my courtyard as a place for a secret rendezvous. Or have they been doing this all along in the six months I've been away?"
During his absence, the princess, under the pretext of a serious illness, moved him to a side hall in the princess's courtyard, leaving him under guard by her personal guards, so she could protect him. His original residence was left empty, and although guarded, without a resident, it could easily become a den of filth.
Qin Lanxin, who was in the corner, heard this and took a few steps forward, hastily defending herself: "I didn't! He's my brother-in-law, there's no way I would do such a thing!"
Li Xuanhe sneered, showing no mercy: "Then what exactly happened tonight? Why are you in my courtyard? And why are you lying on my couch together? Can you explain it clearly?"
Qin Lanxin's cheeks grew paler, and her body swayed, looking frail and vulnerable. Everyone's eyes were fixed on her, waiting for her explanation. Qin Lanxin didn't know where to begin, so she looked at her elder sister, Qin Huixin, for help. Her eyes were red, filled with nothing but sadness and resentment. She resented her younger sister for doing such a wrong to her, and for bringing down upon her and the entire Qin family, making them a laughingstock.
Qin Lanxin's body swayed more and more violently, her eyes rolled back, and she fell backward. Her maid hurriedly supported her and cried out, "The second young lady has fainted, go get a doctor!"
The courtyard grew increasingly chaotic. Li Xuanhe took in the entire farce with a cold eye, then turned and walked into the main house without a word. Pingyang Hou wanted to follow him in, but Chi Xiao stopped him with a stern expression, "The Dali Temple is handling a case. No unauthorized persons are allowed in. Please wait in the courtyard, Pingyang Hou."
Xun Shu lowered his head, walked lightly, and followed Li Xuanhe into the house. After entering, he did not move around, but just looked carefully at every place and every detail in the house.
The main room served as Li Xuanhe's bedroom and was also where he entertained close guests. Several armchairs sat in the room, separated by square tables. On the front table sat two empty teacups. Next to them sat an open lunch box, containing an empty bowl. A few lotus seeds and red beans remained, like a sweet soup to cool off the summer heat.
The floor was littered with messy clothing, mostly men's, likely the Crown Prince's undress. The pile stretched from the table to the bed. Before Li Xuanhe even approached the bed, he could vaguely see what lay beneath the gauze curtains.
He paused, blocking Xun Shu's view of the bed, and warned her, "The body is on the bed, naked, and unsightly. Ashu, please don't go near it."
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