This answer shocked everyone, even the previously furious Consort He was speechless. She had thought herself the biggest victim, but it turned out she was just a pawn in Princess Zhu's scheme. She sighed and waved her hand, saying, "Enough, Princess Zhu, is what Meixiang said true? If not, I would have her dragged out and beheaded immediately." In truth, Consort He had already believed Meixiang's words; she was just a servant girl, and all she cared about was her life.
Unexpectedly, Princess Zhu revealed a smile that was even more painful than crying and said, "What Meixiang said is true, Your Highness, just order me to be killed! I believe my father will not plead for me."
"Why?" Prince Yan Min almost crushed her hand. "Zhiyu is still so young. How am I supposed to explain this to her?"
"Just tell her that her mother adores her father."
Everyone present gasped. Consort He, naturally no longer interested in interfering in other people's family affairs, said, "Your Highness, you should handle this yourself."
"Guards, lock Princess Zhu and her maid Xi'er in Lengzhu Courtyard. No one is allowed to approach them except for the cook who brings them food. You must keep a close watch on them and not neglect your duties."
"yes!"
The night was eerily chaotic and unusually cold. I turned the candlelight a little brighter in the courtyard. This night was likely to be quiet, undisturbed, which made me feel lonely.
Dugu Leng wrote his divorce letter quickly; his handwriting remained strong and vigorous, yet every stroke etched itself into my heart. Perhaps in the future, Ye Bai will accompany him in his studies and martial arts practice, and alongside him on his travels. She will surely know better than a woman as clueless as me how to please her, and she will be more suitable for him.
How many women in this world are foolish for love, and how many lovelorn men and women stumble in this sea of love, never to turn back?
Dugu Leng stood outside the door for a long time before finally turning and going to the study. His shadow reflected on the window was like a most wonderful shadow play, but his leading lady would never be me again.
I covered my face, but tears still trickled through my fingers and stained my cheeks.
Section 3 Green Onion Finger
1
Dugu Cloth Shop received a new batch of silk fabric, and Aunt Li asked Dugu Leng to pass on a message to me to go and have some new clothes made for the summer. I was watering the pumpkin seedlings in the vegetable garden when I paused, startled, and asked, "Aunt Li doesn't know yet, does she?"
"I don't know." Dugu Leng sat down in the pavilion, his eyes filled with an elegant smile. "It's not something to be proud of, so I won't go around telling everyone."
"It is indeed dishonorable, but it is the truth, and I'm afraid it won't be hidden for long. You will eventually have to bring Miss Ye Bai into your home, but it's probably impossible for you to marry her as your principal wife."
"You... still care about Miss Ye Bai..."
"Miss Ye Bai is the most beautiful of all, you certainly have good taste." The wind in mid-April had taken on a hint of harshness, like needles pricking the skin, ruffling the hair to conceal a face about to succumb to sadness. Lately, I've been much quieter; even Shen Suxin says I'm somewhat unsmiling, my brows furrowed with worry. I've managed to hide it well, but Dugu Leng remains forever calm and elegant, seemingly unmoved by anything.
The tinkling of silver bells drifted from the distance along the corridor, like a lark flying from the depths of the green mountains. Dugu Leng's dark, jade-like eyes immediately became unfathomable. I continued to squat down and carefully pull the weeds out of the melon vines.
Ye Bai clung to her like glue, coquettishly saying, "Why did you bring me to such a desolate corner? Wouldn't it be better to go to Chewan Lake for drinks?"
"This corner was specially given to Ruyan by Prince Yanmin, and no unauthorized people are allowed to approach it."
"What Seventh Young Master means is that Ye Bai is not just some random person." Ye Bai immediately smiled, her dark green eyes blooming with a bewitching allure. She then unabashedly sat on Dugu Leng's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. The scene was like a greenbottle fly landing on my plum blossom cake, utterly unappetizing. She was deliberately displaying affection, and Dugu Leng, unperturbed, let her do as she pleased.
I can finally understand how heartbroken Princess Zhu was when she saw her beloved exchanging glances with another woman. I can also understand her determination to destroy everything in her path.
I picked up my bamboo basket, ready to leave the vegetable garden, when I heard Dugu Leng's slightly agitated voice: "Are you planning to leave?"
"What a waste of such a beautiful day! The Seventh Young Master has such a lovely lady by his side; am I, an outsider, not spoiling the mood?" I left the vegetable garden and returned to the courtyard without looking back. To be honest, watching them put on such a show left me feeling utterly despondent. So I packed my bags and prepared to return to my maternal home in Qingfeng Town. It would probably take quite a while to explain things to the Old Madam and my aunt.
I went to bid farewell to Prince Yan, only to find several craftsmen mounting a blue lotus embroidery. The screen frame was made of fine yellow pear wood, and the lotus flowers carved on the frame were incredibly lifelike. When I explained my purpose, a complex expression appeared in his eyes, and he sighed, "Very well, my palace has indeed become a place of trouble. Although the death of Miss Yingchun is still unresolved, Ruyan, you also have unresolved issues, so I cannot force you. Perhaps I, Yan Min, am not blessed enough; in my past life, I only had the fate to meet you..."
"Your Highness, all I can say is take care. I'm afraid I'm in dire straits. Please forgive me." I gazed at the blue lotuses blooming all over the embroidered screen, their enchanting colors breathtakingly beautiful. I couldn't help but smile and say, "These last blue lotuses are so beautifully embroidered, as if they're blooming on the screen. It makes one want to smell their fragrance."
"These lotus flowers are beautiful, but they're breathtakingly beautiful," Prince Yanmin said with a wry smile.
The decision to leave the manor was made so hastily that I didn't even have the courage to say goodbye to Dugu Leng. Prince Yanmin originally had the coachman prepare a carriage to take me back to Qingfeng Town, but I had to say goodbye to Shen Suxin, so I politely declined.
2
At the entrance of the court, I heard from the bailiffs that Constable Shen had gone to Yao Family Village early in the morning, saying it was related to the case of the Brocade Mandarin Duck Pavilion.
Originally intending to leave the murder case alone, curiosity led him to hail a carriage and head to Yaojiazhuang. At the village entrance, two peasant women were sitting under a mulberry tree doing needlework. Upon seeing the stranger, they clicked their tongues in amazement and said, "The pretty girl who came this morning hasn't left yet, and now another exceptionally beautiful young lady has arrived. What kind of wind is blowing in Yaojiazhuang?"
That's strange. Could they be talking about Shen Suxin? I stopped and asked, "Aunties, I'm looking for someone. Is the girl you mentioned who came this morning short, with her hair tied up, and carrying a sword?"
"That's it! The girl is still on the mulberry slope behind the village, looking for something!"
When I found Shen Suxin, she was so frustrated that she was about to cry. She said, "My dear Ruyan, you've finally come. The case has finally made some progress, but I'm afraid that the hands I left behind on the slope behind the village will be eaten by some wild dogs or boars."
"Tell me slowly, don't rush. Is there any news about Yingchun's lost hands?"
“Yes, yesterday a vegetable vendor came to report that he had swapped packages with someone else at a teahouse a few days ago. When he was looking for food on the way, he found a pair of human hands inside the package. He was terrified and threw the package on this mulberry slope. He was afraid of being suspected by the authorities, so he didn't turn himself in. He had been living in fear these past few days, and finally, at his wife's urging, he turned himself in.” Shen Suxin said somewhat dejectedly, “I've already investigated, and the man wasn't lying. But this package has been lying on the mulberry slope for several days; it's probably been eaten by wild dogs long ago.”
Sangpo is just a small hill planted with mulberry trees, not very high. People usually pass by Sangpo when passing through Yaojiazhuang. If what the man who turned himself in said is true, he must have been flustered and left it by the roadside on Sangpo before rushing away. People come and go here all the time, and it was just a bundle; anyone who saw it would probably assume it was left behind by a passerby and take it home quickly.
I quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, this is a village where people live in concentrated areas. It's unlikely that it was carried away by wild dogs or boars. It's more likely that someone picked it up."
"What can we do then? If a passerby finds it, they'll probably destroy it in a panic."
“Most people’s first reaction to finding something like this is to throw it away, not destroy it. Those hands have been separated from the body for more than half a month, and they are probably already rotting.” After thinking for a while, I said, “How about this, we go back to the government office in the city right away and have the yamen runners come and tell everyone, if anyone finds a bundle of unknown origin, please return it immediately, and there will be a generous reward.”
“These people are afraid of getting burned, so it probably won’t be very effective.”
"This tactic works precisely because they are afraid of getting burned."
Shen Suxin followed me back to the city with some skepticism. When we passed the gate of Prince Yan's mansion, she ordered the coachman to stop the carriage. I waved my hand and said, "Let's go to Yunlai Inn first."
She raised an eyebrow, puzzled, and asked, "What are you doing at the inn?"
"Where else can I stay if I don't go to an inn?"
"Your husband lives in the royal palace, while you stay in an inn. What's going on here? Are you two having a fight?"
When have I ever had a disagreement with him?
"Tsk tsk, look at you, you act like a discarded woman whenever he's mentioned."
I couldn't help but laugh at her, and said jokingly, "You're right, aren't I a divorced woman? The divorce papers are still in my bundle."
Shen Suxin's eyes widened, and it took her a long time to understand what I meant. As if she couldn't bear it, she bit her lip for a long time, and said in a heartfelt manner, "Ruyan, you are good in every way. You are beautiful, skilled in martial arts, kind and smart, but you are a fool when it comes to love. That Seventh Young Master is a reserved and silent person at heart. He seems easy-going and elegant on the surface, but he will never allow a woman he doesn't like to get close to him or show any affection. I don't know what happened between you two, but if you are so hasty, I'm afraid you will regret it for the rest of your lives."
"From now on, Xiao Lang is a stranger." I said with a smile, "It's a good thing that the wrong marriage has ended."
Shen Suxin didn't say anything more, afraid of touching on my painful memories. I went to the yamen with her first, and then returned to Yunlai Inn. The rooms in the Tianzi class were very clean. Opening the window revealed a courtyard with a towering tree. The moonlight sparsely filtered through the gaps in the night, casting shadows on the window paper. It was still a bit chilly in the middle of the night.
I sat by the window and brewed a pot of tea, an extremely fragrant osmanthus-infused green tea. The tea was a deep, translucent green, the osmanthus blossoms like gold hidden within the green, the tea liquor like a full moon filled with golden light, tempting one to kiss its fragrance. But the tea had gone cold, and I hadn't even tasted it. I feared I had to go to the government office tomorrow, so I prepared to go to bed. Suddenly, I heard the extremely faint sound of blue bricks clattering overhead, the soft soles of my shoes barely touching the tiles, yet it was exceptionally clear in the stillness of the night.
I simply propped up the window and said loudly, "People leave their names behind, geese leave their calls behind. Since you're here, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea, brother?"
A familiar male voice came from the darkness: "A woman inviting a man into her room in the middle of the night, Liu Ruyan, you really have guts."
I was startled, but I kept a straight face and said, "So my old friend is still in Yuhang. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"With a beautiful lady like you here, where am I supposed to go?" Lan Chengyu climbed in through the window, dusted off the dust on his blue robe, and sat down elegantly in a chair. "What a refined taste you have, appreciating the moon and sipping tea all by yourself. It's a pity that the osmanthus tea is so fragrant, but it's already cold before you've left. Why not try my Jasmine Spring tea? It's delicate and elegant, perfect for those of us who appreciate fine tea."
"Enjoying tea is fine, but I just want to ask you, have you ever been to Prince Yan's residence?"
“Prince Yan’s Mansion?” A strange smile flashed across Lan Chengyu’s face. “The manor is beautiful at night. My favorite spot is Chewan Lake, with its lotus flowers on the clear water and green stems. Every flower looks like a beautiful woman’s face.”
"What grudge do you have against Prince Yan? You attempted to assassinate him in his residence a few days ago, didn't you? I really don't understand. One of you is a prince, and the other is a highly skilled master; how could you have a feud?"
“You don’t need to understand,” Lan Cheng said gloomily. “It seems you haven’t learned anything and are still too curious. You know, this always gets you into trouble.”
"Are you still going to kill me tonight?"
Lan Chengyu laughed again, a hint of shyness on his handsome scholar's face. "I never said I wanted to kill you. I just wanted to break your legs so you would stay by my side. You know, I really love you. Now that you're no longer Dugu Leng's wife, I'm truly happy. But I still have to break your legs; I'm afraid you'll leave me. Hehe. But not tonight. I still have an unfulfilled wish. Once it's done, I'll take you far away."
“Lan Chengyu…”
"Ruyan, I'm leaving. Stay put and don't be too curious. I'll come back for you."
His smile, though handsome, carried an undeniable chill. He could smile and tell a woman, "I'm going to break your legs so you can stay by my side." Yet, his smile held a childlike innocence, appearing strangely natural. Perhaps he truly loved this woman, but this fact was anything but comforting.
3
This morning, a yamen runner came to the inn to tell me that Constable Shen had asked me to deliver a message: the bundle had been found, and I should go to the mortuary as soon as possible. The mortuary is outside the city, run by an elderly couple. Uncle Guo was originally a coroner in the yamen, but he took up the job of managing the mortuary after he got old. It was his wife, Aunt Guo, who stitched up Yingchun's body stitch by stitch.
I was worried that with the weather warming up, Yingchun's body would have decomposed by now. But Uncle Guo and his wife led Shen Suxin and me into the cellar. The cellar was like a natural cold room; your hands and feet were ice-cold inside, and the body was perfectly preserved.
The corpse resembled a giant doll stitched together, the seams a bluish-white, nauseating stench permeating the air. The found hands lay at the severed arm, not yet sewn back together. Aunt Guo shook her head regretfully, saying, "These hands are already rotten; I'm afraid we shouldn't sew them back on."
"It's strange, why did the murderer only leave behind a pair of hands? Did he have some kind of psychological problem?" Shen Suxin was puzzled. "Besides, I examined these hands, and there's nothing special about them. Could it be that the murderer really liked Yingchun's skillful hands?"
Uncle Guo sighed and said, "I've been a coroner for decades. I've seen all kinds of murder methods, but I've never seen anything this cruel. Those delicate hands were so pretty. Such a beautiful girl, ruined like this."
I carefully examined the two severed hands and compared them closely. They were exceptionally delicate little hands, with a beautiful and slender shape. However, I found them extremely strange.
"That's strange."
"Ruyan, what did you discover?"
"Is this really Yingchun's hand?"
“If the breaks match up, how could it be fake?” Shen Suxin asked anxiously. “What exactly do you find strange?”
“We’ll go to another embroidery shop right away, and you’ll understand immediately.”
Most of the embroiderers in Jinxiu Yuanyangfang were hired by a place called Tianci Embroidery Shop for a hefty sum. When we went to Tianci Embroidery Shop, the proprietress waved her handkerchief and said sweetly, "What wind has blown this fairy maiden here? Would you two ladies like to have embroidered robes or handkerchiefs made? We have the best embroiderers in the city here."
"Madam, we'd like to have two embroidered robes made. We heard that the embroiderers from Jinxiu Yuanyangfang used to come here, so we followed them. We'd like to see your embroidery work; we wonder if you could do us a favor?"
The proprietress laughed heartily; having a wealthy patron made everything convenient. Unexpectedly, one of the embroiderers recognized me and Shen Suxin. She hadn't gone to work the morning after Yingchun's death, and when she went back at noon, she found the workshop sealed off. She remembered Shen Suxin and me entering the embroidery shop and cleverly guessed that we were connected to the government.
She asked with some concern, "Do you know how the investigation into Yingchun's case is going?"
"Oh?" I chuckled. "It's rare to meet someone so concerned about this case. Are you and Yingchun close?"
The embroiderer shook her head and said, "Miss Yingchun only pays us wages every month. Although the other embroiderers all thought that Miss Yingchun taught me how to dye embroidery thread and how to embroider blue lotus flowers, I have never actually seen Miss Yingchun embroider."
"Does Miss Yingchun never do her embroidery in front of you?"
“Yes, the needlework for embroidering lotus flowers is very unique, especially the silk thread and dye used for embroidering blue lotus flowers, which are secrets that she would never let us know.” The embroiderer sighed. “Last year, my mother was sick, and it was Miss Yingchun who gave me three months’ wages in advance for medical treatment. In a way, she was kind to me.”
"I see." I nodded slightly and said, "Could you please show your hand to Officer Shen?"
The embroiderer shyly extended her hand and said, "Our hands aren't pretty because we do embroidery." Her fingers were slightly deformed from years of holding needles, and thick calluses had formed on her fingers and palms. Shen Suxin said with some doubt, "I've seen those ladies from wealthy families doing needlework at home, and their fingers are as tender as scallions."
The embroiderer smiled helplessly and explained, "Miss, how can a young lady from a wealthy family do needlework the same way we do? Those who make a living by this must practice their needlework skills. In the dead of winter, with their hands exposed to the elements, it would be strange if they had delicate skin."
Shen Suxin looked at me with sudden realization; those hands were strange precisely because they were so delicate. I could basically understand why the murderer had cut off Yingchun's hands. Because he could imagine that those weren't the hands of someone with exceptional embroidery skills.
Shen Suxin was getting impatient. As soon as we left the embroidery shop, she grabbed me and said, "It's so strange. Judging from Yingchun's hands, she's not a professional embroiderer at all. Is it because she's so talented that she can embroider beautiful blue lotus flowers without practicing her needlework?"
I carefully explained, "Now I understand why the murderer took Yingchun's hands away. He was afraid we would find out that this Yingchun was not an embroiderer, so she couldn't have embroidered the blue lotus. She was just the manager of Jinxiu Yuanyang Workshop, claiming that she embroidered the blue lotus, but in fact she had a higher title."
"This doesn't make sense. If someone else embroidered this blue lotus, why won't that person show themselves? Are there people these days who don't want to be famous?"