"Actually, Shangfeng deliberately sacrificed Yingchun. Think about it, after Yingchun's death, who is the most suspicious?"
"Of course, it was Princess Zhu who last saw her, but Princess Zhu did not confess."
"Think about it, is it possible that someone deliberately wanted to frame Princess Zhu? That person knew the princess would be embroidering a blue lotus screen, so they had Yingchun buy the silk in advance. At first, I was puzzled. How could an embroiderer like Yingchun ask the fabric shop about which fabrics were translucent? She should know everything about them. Besides, the fabrics are usually purchased by the shopkeeper, but she bought that particular batch herself and didn't keep a copy. The strangest thing is that she started embroidering a few days before Princess Zhu was supposed to have the screen made. Did she have some kind of premonition? And Yingchun was murdered the night Princess Zhu went to pick up the embroidery. Isn't all of this too much of a coincidence?"
Shen Suxin frowned in alarm and said, "Someone actually wants to frame Princess Zhu? But she has already confessed to trying to poison you and to having Meixiang pretend to be a ghost to scare Consort He."
I sneered, "It's not that simple. If someone really wanted to frame Princess Zhu, it would be very difficult for her, given her status. Indeed, all the blue lotus embroidery disappeared on the night Yingchun died, and the blue lotus embroidered screen in the Prince's mansion had already vanished before that. Then, fearing that Consort He would blame her, Princess Zhu personally took the design to Yingchun to embroider an identical one. Fearing that Yingchun would reveal it, she threatened her and said there would be no record of it."
"Hmm, but who would frame her?" Shen Suxin still couldn't figure it out. She rested her chin on her hand and kept stuffing snacks into her mouth. "Ruyan, stop beating around the bush and just explain it clearly."
"Hereinafter, the questions arise. First, who in the Prince's residence could control Princess Zhu's actions? Second, who could ensure that the disappearance of the screen wouldn't be noticed by others, creating the illusion that it was the same night Yingchun died that the blue lotus embroidery disappeared along with other items in the city? Third, who gave Princess Zhu that blue lotus pattern?"
Shen Suxin opened her eyes wide in surprise and said, "Ah, I know, it's Prince Yan Min!"
"I don't know if you remember, but that night when we interrogated Meixiang, and she said that everything about pretending to be a ghost was instigated by Princess Zhu, Princess Zhu's expression was like that. At first, she vehemently denied it, full of anger and indignation, and she seemed hesitant to speak. But later, Prince Yanmin's words, on the surface, seemed to be doubt, but upon closer analysis, it becomes clear that he had already convicted Princess Zhu. And that's when Princess Zhu confessed, her face showing a look of utter despair."
“If she didn’t do it, she wouldn’t have to confess. She is the daughter of the dignified Prince Zhu. Even if she doesn’t confess, I’m afraid even the Imperial Concubine wouldn’t dare to do anything to her.”
I suddenly understood her state of mind then. She was utterly heartbroken. The only man she could wholeheartedly protect was Prince Yan Min, so only when this man wrongly accused her would she confess with a heart full of despair. Because if he didn't believe her, then even if the world were full of beautiful flowers, her heart would be a desolate city.
I sighed and said, "Because she's madly in love with that man."
Wang Xiongcheng 2009-09-13 10:22
4
A strong wind picked up again as night fell, rattling the paper windows loudly. The night watchman struck the third watch. I was dressed in black, my toes light as a cat's as I touched the eaves. The streets were deserted; even the Prince Yan's mansion was unusually quiet. Yan Min's maids were in the kitchen heating bathwater. Several people were busy, the wind blowing lanterns haphazardly, scattering dust everywhere. One of the maids choked and exclaimed, "This awful weather! It's April, yet a cold wind is blowing!"
"Alright, that's enough. If Madam Lanlian hears you, she'll take you away tonight!"
"Oh dear, my good sister, don't scare me. I've never even seen a portrait of Lady Blue Lotus. She's a magnanimous person and won't hold it against me."
"Hehe, I'm not trying to scare you, but Lady Lanlian committed suicide by throwing herself into the lake during the strong winds of April. I heard from the old maids who were still her servants back then that after Lady Lanlian died, no one was allowed to go out during the strong winds of April, otherwise they would hear a woman crying by the lake."
"Oh dear, thank God, please stop talking..."
"Hehe, the servants' quarters you live in are right behind Wangchuan Courtyard, which is Lady Lanlian's bedroom."
"Good sister, don't scare me."
I lingered on the eaves for a while, about to laugh at how the little girl had been frightened by the story the older maid had made up, when suddenly I heard the words "Wangchuan Courtyard" again. I remembered once strolling around the manor with Princess Zhu, and when I looked up, I saw Wangchuan Courtyard and asked whose residence it was. Princess Zhu shrugged and said, "I don't know. It was given to me when I married into the manor. It was the residence of one of the late prince's concubines." I didn't pay much attention at the time, but the mention of Lady Lanlian piqued my curiosity immensely.
Lately, I've been dealing with things like blue lotuses, dismemberment cases, and ghost stories, and anything resembling these things seems unusual. So I jumped over the rooftop and entered the Wangchuan Courtyard. What I saw there was astonishing as seeing a ghost. The lock on the outer gate was so rusted it was unrecognizable, as if no one had been there for centuries. The courtyard itself, however, was impeccably clean. Moss grew in the cracks of the bluestone bricks, the peach trees were neatly trimmed, and a few clumps of azaleas dotted the corners. The soil was still damp, probably from recent watering.
Someone is taking care of this place. Could it be that the ghost of Lady Lanlian, who died a long time ago, really lives here?
Although I don't believe in ghosts or gods, a cold sweat began to break out on my spine, and I even had an urge to leave. I was crouching against the wall, deep in thought, when suddenly I was lifted up and leaped into the Wangchuan Courtyard. I was even more shocked; his lightness skill was so high that he hadn't been detected even though he was so close to me. I could hear the footsteps of guards passing by outside the wall, and he made a shushing gesture with his index finger.
Once the guard had walked away, I awkwardly struggled out of his suspicious gaze and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Dugu Leng didn't answer me, but instead held me tightly around the waist and asked, "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? I thought you had left Yuhang, and I even chased after you for dozens of miles along the official road towards Qingfeng Town. Is it so hard for you to even say goodbye to me?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I could only bite my lip and say, "Why are you looking for me? We're not husband and wife anymore."
“Liu Ruyan, you really…” Dugu Leng’s arms tightened around me, almost suffocating me. His forehead was pressed tightly against mine, his gentle breath caressing every nerve in my body. His voice was as desolate as the night: “Ruyan, you really… never loved me? Not even a little bit.”
I almost burst into tears as I asked, "And you? Didn't you ever love me? Not even a little bit..."
What do you think?
"You don't love me." I smiled bitterly. "If you loved me, why would you be entangled with Ye Bai? Why would you write a letter of divorce?"
Dugu Leng hugged me tighter, burying his face in my neck and saying in a trembling voice, "I thought... I thought you would be jealous, but you didn't care. If being with me was so painful, I would rather let you go. But I never thought that not being able to find you would cause me so much panic. I really can't bear it. So, even if you don't want to, I want you to stay by my side. I would rather be resented by you than lose you like this."
He loves me.
I love him as passionately as I do.
We, two people completely clueless about love, went through a long and roundabout process, using detective tricks to test and guess at each other. In the end, we only made ourselves more confused and miserable.
I said shyly, "But you've already written a letter of divorce. I'm no longer your wife."
With a wicked grin, he pulled out the divorce letter from his pocket that had tugged at my heartstrings and said, "I went to your room at the inn last night and stole it. You don't have a divorce letter now, you're still my wife."
"..."
"Ruyan, I will never let you cry again."
I promise I will never hurt you again; this is a vow more important than anything else. I thought I had reached a dead end, but then a new path opened up before me.
Section Four: Lady Lotus
1
Dugu Leng and I were having breakfast in the inn's lobby when Shen Suxin approached from afar. Clever as she was, she immediately saw through our act. She pursed her lips and asked in a pretentious tone, "Oh, so what's this young master and lady, who are no longer husband and wife, up to now?"
I nudged her shyly and resentfully, and Shen Suxin immediately burst out laughing and said, "Oh, I was just kidding. You two are able to make up, it's really thanks to the Bodhisattva."
Dugu Leng was also in a good mood, and said with narrowed eyes, "Then let me tell you about what I have discovered at Prince Yan's residence these past few days."
Shen Suxin immediately became interested and said, "Excellent! Yesterday, Ruyan and I came up with a deduction. Let's see if it's related to your discovery."
“That day I learned from Master He that he and the old prince were old friends, and that Consort He and Prince Yanmin were very familiar with each other, even childhood sweethearts. If they hadn’t been selected to enter the palace, their families would probably have been betrothed.” Dugu Leng stroked his chin with his long fingers and said, “But when I was with Prince Yanmin in private, he said that he had basically never met Consort He. Consort He also found it strange that she was so distant from Prince Yanmin.”
I couldn't help but interject, "Now she's a concubine, but the two of them had a past relationship. Perhaps to avoid suspicion, they have to pretend they don't know each other."
“What you said is indeed polite. But if it was really to avoid suspicion, Consort He could have stayed at Prince Yan’s residence instead. Saying it this way only makes things more suspicious.”
Some fragmented thoughts seemed to connect in my mind, yet they remained disjointed and unclear. I had a feeling that the reason Prince Yanmin framed Princess Zhu lay with Consort He. But what was the motive? What kind of pretext would drive a husband to betray his wife?
"Ruyan, since you are still in Yuhang, you should naturally go to pay your respects to the Imperial Concubine every day. The Qiantang River tide is probably coming soon, and she will return to the palace after watching it."
"Yes, you're right. Let's go back to Prince Yan's residence."
My original intention was not to return to Prince Yan's residence, but Lan Chengyu already knew where I was staying at the inn, and probably felt it was safer to go there. That man was like a madman; it was best for me to avoid him. So I simply went upstairs to pack my clothes and followed Dugu Leng back to Prince Yan's residence. Prince Yan Min was not in the residence, so I went to pay my respects to Consort He. She was lying on the couch, her face, which had not seen the light of day, showing a transparent pale white.
She waved her hand and laughed, "Alright, the other day I even sent a maid to invite you to chat with me, but she said you and Dugu Leng had a falling out and you left the palace. I knew it! Couples quarrel in bed and make up in bed, what hurdle can't they overcome? We women should keep to our proper place. Besides, Dugu Leng is such a handsome man, others have probably been eyeing him for a long time. Are you really going to just give him away like that?"
"Your Majesty is right. It was Ruyan who acted impulsively without thinking things through. Your Majesty's face is so pale; did you catch a cold last night?"
Consort He, supported by her maid, rose to her feet, seemingly exhausted, each step feeling weak and feeble. She stretched languidly, walking to the blue lotus screen and gently inhaling the purplish-blue petals. "Who knows? The imperial physician has come to see her, only instructing the cook to prepare black-boned chicken soup, saying she's probably been too tired these past few days." Consort He paused, then added, "By the way, how's the investigation into Yingchun's case going?"
"Your Majesty, the investigation is almost complete; all that's left is to find the murderer."
"Oh? Tell me quickly."
"That Yingchun girl is just a steward at Jinxiu Yuanyangfang. She has a master behind her. That mysterious person embroidered the blue lotus, but he just doesn't show his face."
"Ah. Why is that?"
"It's not clear yet."
"Then investigate as soon as possible." Consort He's slender fingers traced across the screen, and she sighed with regret, "Such a beautiful blue lotus, it would be such a pity if it became a top-quality specimen."
I quickly left Consort He's Lotus Fragrance Garden and went to Cold Bamboo Courtyard. This courtyard was indeed desolate, overgrown with weeds everywhere. Consort Zhu didn't seem to mind, and sat down at the stone table with her long hair loose, drinking tea. She wasn't annoyed when she saw me, as if she hadn't seen me at all, and just stared at the overgrown weeds in the courtyard.
That strong, coarse tea was probably made without any special care; it must have been so bitter that it was hard to swallow, but that suited her mood at the moment.
Xi'er brought out some snacks from the room. She was taken aback when she saw me and exclaimed, "Miss Ruyan, what brings you here?"
"Xi'er, why aren't you combing Her Majesty's hair?"
"The Empress said that the Prince will not come to this courtyard, so no matter how beautifully she styles her hair, no one will see it."
"Yes, I've already spoken to the kitchen. If they mistreat you, they won't let them off the hook. Don't worry, you won't be staying here for long."
Xi'er's eyes darkened instantly, and she knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. She said, "Miss Ruyan, you must save our Lady! I still can't understand why Meixiang died after drinking the bird's nest soup I made for you that day, which was clearly not poisonous. Although I was trying to protect you from the Lady, I would never have the slightest intention to harm you. Please believe me, Lady."
Princess Zhu remained as if she hadn't heard anything, her eyes as empty as a clear sky, filled with boundless sorrow and loneliness, which was heartbreaking to see.
I sighed and said, "Good Xi'er, get up quickly. If you're willing, tell me the whole story slowly from the beginning. If Princess Zhu is really wronged, then Mei Xiang's good days are over."
“That day, the bird's nest I stewed was taken away by Meixiang. I was thinking of just making another bowl for the young lady. So, as I was about to head to the kitchen from the small courtyard, the Prince stopped me and said that two old friends of his had come and asked me to personally invite Miss Meixiang from Jinhong Courtyard. Naturally, I dared not neglect the Prince's orders, so I went to Jinhong Courtyard. I called for a long time outside Miss Meixiang's door, but no one answered. I was about to leave when I found the door ajar. As soon as I entered, I was terrified and almost screamed. Miss Meixiang was lying on the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, and the half-eaten bowl of bird's nest was smashed on the ground. I was very scared. I had stewed that bowl of bird's nest. If the matter were investigated, people would surely think that I had poisoned it, and I would never be able to clear my name. So I went to tell the Empress. The Empress said that there were many things to do in the mansion recently, and this matter might cause panic. So she asked me to spread the word that she had stolen something and run away. And I secretly transported her body out of the city and buried it at night.”
Xi'er was still shaken as she spoke, so I patted her back reassuringly and said, "Tell me slowly, don't rush, and don't omit any details."
"Yes, that night it wasn't like Meixiang said. She just fainted and woke up after vomiting poison halfway through the journey. We thought she was dead, so we dug a pit in the desolate wilderness to bury her. Just after the sedan chair carriers finished digging the pit, we suddenly heard wolves howling from behind."
"Wolf howls? Wolves live in the mountains, why would they be in the middle of nowhere? Are you sure it's a wolf?"
"Yes, it was the howling of wolves. One of the sedan chair carriers was a hunter from the Taihang Mountains. His legs went weak as soon as he heard the sound. He said that the wolves in the nearby mountains probably couldn't find food, so they came down the mountain at night to look for food. When I heard that, I thought, firstly, it would be too dangerous to encounter a pack of wolves if we didn't leave now. Secondly, wouldn't it be better if Meixiang's body was eaten by wolves? So I said that she encountered a pack of wolves while escaping from the mansion and was chewed up until there was no bone left. Then I heard the wolf howling getting clearer and clearer, so I hurriedly left. When I returned to the mansion, I didn't dare to tell the Empress the truth. I just said that she had been buried. Our Empress is very thoughtful, and I was afraid that she would worry, so I told her a lie."
"I see." I nodded knowingly, then asked, "Did anything strange happen when Your Highness went out to look for Miss Yingchun that night?"
“Strange thing? I wonder if it’s strange that Yingchun is covered up from head to toe?” Xi’er said uncertainly. “I heard the Empress say that, and after she returned to the manor, she seemed to have seen someone she shouldn’t have seen at Chewan Lake.”
"Who? Someone Her Highness the Princess knows?"
“No, it’s someone who died a long time ago, the Lanlian Lady who used to live in Wangchuan Temple. She committed suicide by throwing herself into Chewan Lake. Every April, around the anniversary of her death, a few people would hear a woman crying from Chewan Lake.” Xi’er paused, then lowered her voice mysteriously, “You know Wangchuan Temple, right? It’s right next to Lengzhu Temple. The other night, I heard crying in my room, so I put on my clothes and went out. The crying was coming from Wangchuan Temple, it was really creepy. Wangchuan Temple is locked all year round and no one goes near it. I heard that someone climbed over the wall and saw that the courtyard was as clean as the place where Lanlian Lady lived when she was alive. Isn’t that a ghost story?”
"Is it a woman crying too?"
Xi'er shook her head and said, "It's not a woman crying, it's a man."
Section Four: Lady Lotus
1
Dugu Leng and I were having breakfast in the inn's lobby when Shen Suxin approached from afar. Clever as she was, she immediately saw through our act. She pursed her lips and asked in a pretentious tone, "Oh, so what's this young master and lady, who are no longer husband and wife, up to now?"
I nudged her shyly and resentfully, and Shen Suxin immediately burst out laughing and said, "Oh, I was just kidding. You two are able to make up, it's really thanks to the Bodhisattva."
Dugu Leng was also in a good mood, and said with narrowed eyes, "Then let me tell you about what I have discovered at Prince Yan's residence these past few days."
Shen Suxin immediately became interested and said, "Excellent! Yesterday, Ruyan and I came up with a deduction. Let's see if it's related to your discovery."
“That day I learned from Master He that he and the old prince were old friends, and that Consort He and Prince Yanmin were very familiar with each other, even childhood sweethearts. If they hadn’t been selected to enter the palace, their families would probably have been betrothed.” Dugu Leng stroked his chin with his long fingers and said, “But when I was with Prince Yanmin in private, he said that he had basically never met Consort He. Consort He also found it strange that she was so distant from Prince Yanmin.”
I couldn't help but interject, "Now she's a concubine, but the two of them had a past relationship. Perhaps to avoid suspicion, they have to pretend they don't know each other."