La lluvia escarlata inunda la ciudad

Capítulo 2

Seeing Chu Xia in such pain, He Butuo couldn't bear it any longer and gently advised, "Young lady, just tell the truth. Why suffer so much?"

Early summer was cold and painful, and gradually I lost even the strength to cry, and just shook my head in denial.

After a stalemate lasting about an incense stick's time, Cang Qianlang finally lost his patience and said, pursing his lips, "Young Master is supposed to return in the next few days, but such a thing has happened at home. You won't tell, huh? Fine—"

He stretched out his hand, and the attendant, knowing his intention, handed him the nine-section whip.

This nine-section whip is covered in barbs; one lash and it would surely tear flesh. He held it in his hand, bending it several times: "I'll ask you one more time, will you answer or not?"

Chu Xia caught a glimpse of the terrifying weapon out of the corner of her eye. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, but she still shook her head: "I didn't kill anyone."

With a slight flick of his wrist, Cang Qianlang's long whip was about to touch the frail body on the ground.

With a sharp sound in the air, it seemed as if a hidden weapon had flashed by, shifting the whip tip a few inches away, barely avoiding the girl on the ground.

Cang Qianlang was taken aback. His gaze fell on the ground, only to see that what had deflected the nine-section whip was just a withered branch.

Outside the courtyard gate, a whole group of guards stood, each holding a torch, all bowing their heads in silent respect.

The young man at the door, dressed in a white fox fur coat and with his hair tied up with a jade hairpin, stood there calmly and silently.

"Young Master—" Cang Qianlang and He Butuo hurriedly bowed inside the room.

Jun Ye'an nodded casually, the corners of his mouth curving gently: "Qianlang, punishment is not reserved for weak women. Do you still remember this rule of my Jun family?"

Cang Qianlang knelt on one knee, his gaze respectfully lowered, but his tone was quite firm: "Young Master, the Lady of Wangyunzhai was murdered, and this woman is highly suspicious. The Jun family's system of rewards and punishments is clear and just, as is the rule."

Jun Ye'an smiled, leaned down in front of Chu Xia, and saw that she had fainted. He said in a low voice, "It's good that you've fainted. It will reduce your pain."

Before he finished speaking, he had already grasped her arm with both hands and gently pushed it back into place.

Early summer was awakened by a sharp pain, only to see a strange young man. His eyes shone like stars, with slightly upturned corners that complemented his delicate nose, making him so handsome that it was impossible to look away.

She was momentarily stunned. The young man's smile was also warm and kind. He took off his fox fur coat and draped it over her shoulders. He then brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead and instructed the others, "Take her to rest. I need to ask her some more questions later."

"Young Master—" Cang Qianlang was about to stop him, but saw Jun Ye'an straighten up, purse his lips slightly, and erase the gentleness he had shown at the beginning.

"If she doesn't know martial arts, why would she use such force?"

"At first, I didn't know she didn't know martial arts. I was afraid she would suddenly attack and hurt people, so I hit her a little too hard."

"That's enough." Jun Ye'an flicked his sleeve, gently rubbing his brow with his fingers, watching the guards send the maid away, and said softly, "Qianlang, come with me to Wangyunzhai."

Chapter Two

Along the winding path, Cang Qianlang followed Jun Ye'an briskly forward: "Such a tragedy has occurred in the manor; it is due to my lax management of my subordinates, and I am willing to accept punishment..."

Having given the fur coat to Chu Xia, Jun Ye'an was now only wearing a plain robe, yet he showed no fear of the cold. Standing tall and straight, he simply said, "I don't think it has anything to do with that little girl. Qian Lang, I'm afraid you've been too hasty this time."

Cang Qianlang hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, "When did you arrive, young master?"

“I’ve only been here a short while.” Jun Ye’an walked to the artificial rockery wall, squinted his eyes, and looked up from below. “I didn’t expect that the house would be so brightly lit when I arrived. I thought the whole household was waiting for me. I was thinking that you, Steward Cang, are quite capable now, able to predict the future.”

Cang Qianlang looked slightly ashamed but remained silent.

Jun Ye'an reached out and pushed open the door. A warm, sweet fragrance filled the room, with a faint scent of bergamot and citrus, mixed with the stench of blood that assaulted her senses and made her want to vomit.

This little house was once the favorite place of the late Lord Jun, and his beloved concubine, Wang Yun, was once renowned throughout the world for her beauty, with her hair as black as clouds.

Today, someone dared to commit such a violent act, even though the Jun family is of such high status. Jun Ye'an's expression gradually turned solemn. After carefully observing the scene in Wangyunzhai, he turned to ask, "Was that young girl just now Madam Wangyun's maid?"

“Yes,” Cang Qianlang replied. “Madam Wangyun’s previous maidservant went home to serve her mother because she was ill. This girl is named Chuxia. She entered the Jun Mansion half a year ago. Because she was clever, she was assigned to Wangyun Zhai.”

Jun Ye stood in front of the desk, his gaze falling on the underglaze red porcelain peach-shaped basin on the desk.

The flowers inside had already withered, shivering and huddled together, waiting to fall and fall.

He reached out and casually poked at it, then said, "Where does that girl live? Take me to see her too."

Chu Xia's residence was in a side room below Wangyunzhai. Jun Ye'an followed the same path down, his expression slightly thoughtful: "Why are there no maids living in the outer rooms of Wangyunzhai?"

Cang Qianlang shook his head and said, "This... I don't know."

The furnishings in the side room were extremely simple, consisting of only a bed and a table. The bedding was half-lifted, suggesting that Chu Xia had left in a hurry when she got up. Jun Ye'an looked around with his hands behind his back, finally stopping in front of the table. The vase for the flowers was quite rough, made of clay and not even glazed. Only a few white plum blossoms were inserted diagonally in the vase, their faint, distant fragrance exuding a proud and unyielding spirit.

Visibility was already poor in the darkness, and the lights shone by the servants behind him only blurred their outlines. Cang Qianlang quietly looked at the young master's profile, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"It's been a commotion all night, everyone's in disarray." Jun Ye'an finally spoke after a long pause. "Go and rest. I'll question that girl when she's feeling better."

"Young master, what about here..."

"Give Lady Wangyun a proper burial." A trace of weariness flashed across Jun Ye'an's brow as he sighed softly, "Qianlang, I'm afraid this year will be anything but peaceful."

In early summer, I felt like I had been in a very long dream.

At first, following his wife's instructions, he bought many New Year's trinkets at the market in Cangzhou City, and also had some snacks at a teahouse, listening to people tell stories about the young master, feeling very happy. But later, the dream changed; the bright sunny day turned into a dark night rain, and the rain was scarlet, falling all over his beautiful wife. He was so frightened that he fell down, and when he got up, he saw his wife lying dead on the bed, being arrested as the murderer. The head steward had broken his arm and was about to torture him...

Finally... finally... a very handsome young man saved him.

She didn't remember how he put her dislocated arm back on, but she did remember his cool fingers touching her forehead, as gently as if brushing away flower petals.

She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with confusion, until she saw the young man sitting by the bedside, at which point her senses returned.

"Young Master..." The scenes from last night suddenly flashed before her eyes, and Chu Xia sat up in shock, repeatedly saying, "Young Master, please investigate! I didn't kill Madam..."

Young Master Ye An reached out and placed his hand on the little girl's shoulder, smiling gently: "You recognize me?"

Chu Xia's body was still trembling. She lowered her gaze and pursed her lips, saying, "This servant has only been in the Jun residence for half a year and has never seen the young master."

The young man in his light robes and loose belt looked at the trembling girl with interest, glancing down at her, and hummed in agreement.

"Who else could have saved me from the head steward besides you, young master?" Chu Xia took a deep breath, slightly raised her head, and her clear black and white eyes were full of pleading. "Please, young master... investigate thoroughly."

Jun Ye'an released her and said slowly, "If you want to clear your name, then answer my questions carefully."

Chu Xia nodded: "Yes, please ask, young master."

"When you got up to go to Wangyunzhai, was it three-quarters past the hour of Chou?"

"Because the charcoal stove in the lady's room needs to be refilled at night, I usually wake up at this time. I have never missed it."

"Was there anything unusual when you entered the house? Why are you holding a dagger and the lady's hair?"

"I went to add charcoal to the bronze stove as usual, and when I got close to the inner room, I noticed a strange smell..." Chu Xia tried hard to recall, a hint of fear flashing across her face. "I thought I'd open the window of the inner room halfway to let in some fresh air. But as soon as I entered, I tripped over something and fell. Then... I got up and found a dagger and a lock of hair in my hand... I guess I found them."

Jun Ye'an frowned slightly: "Perhaps?"

Chu Xia shook her head vigorously: "I don't know... I don't remember very clearly. I stood up in a daze, and in the moonlight I just saw the lady's... body, and screamed. Then the head steward came in with his men."

Jun Ye'an softly hummed in agreement, her phoenix eyes slightly closed. After a moment, she called out, "Qian Lang, come in."

When Cang Qianlang appeared, Chu Xia couldn't help but shiver and instinctively hid behind Jun Ye'an.

Although Ye An Gongzi had his back to her, he seemed to sense her fear and turned around to say gently, "Chu Xia, don't be afraid. No one will hurt you again."

"Qianlang, you said the windows were wide open when you entered Wangyunzhai, right?"

"yes."

"Okay, early summer, did you open the window?"

“No.” Chu Xia shook her head. “I was afraid that Madam would catch a cold, so even though she needed to breathe, I only opened the door a few inches.”

"Did you understand?" Jun Ye'an sighed with a smile and said to Cang Qianlang, "The person wasn't killed by Chu Xia."

“This…” Cang Qianlang looked bewildered.

"Qianlang, when you went to Wangyunzhai with He Butuo, didn't you notice the pot of Epiphyllum oxypetalum on Madam's table?"

“Yes. That’s the lady’s favorite flower,” Chu Xia whispered behind him. “She ordered us to take good care of it every day.”

"It's early summer, so what precautions should we take when caring for this epiphyllum?" Jun Ye'an asked casually.

"No blood is seen. The epiphyllum flower withers immediately upon contact with the smell of blood. That is why the lady never eats in her room."

Jun Ye'an nodded, stood up and said, "The Ephemeral Flower blooms every night at midnight, lasts for an hour, and closes at 1-3 AM. It withers upon contact with blood and is very difficult to cultivate; however, if fresh blood touches the fragrance of the Ephemeral Flower when it blooms, it will congeal into a pale purple color. Qianlang, look at Madam's blood, isn't it pale purple?"

"yes."

"Then it means that the lady was killed before the hour of Chou (1-3 AM). Otherwise, how could her blood be purple after the flowering season?"

"Young master, how do you explain why this girl has stayed in Wangyunzhai for so long?"

"She was just drugged. She was groggy when she woke up and thought she had tripped and fallen," Jun Ye'an said calmly. "The window was wide open because the murderer calculated the time when the drug would wear off. She would be discovered when she woke up."

Cang Qianlang lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then sighed, "Young Master's judgment is divine."

"In that case, Chu Xia has suffered all this for nothing." Jun Ye'an smiled slightly, turned to the side and stroked Chu Xia's hair, but his eyes were looking at Cang Qianlang, and the teasing look was getting stronger.

Cang Qianlang said nothing, but stepped forward and bowed deeply: "It is my fault. I have misunderstood you, young lady."

Chu Xia's eyes reddened, and she bit her lip hard, saying coldly, "This humble woman wouldn't dare. If I had succumbed to the torture last night, and the young master hadn't come, what would the head steward have said?"

Cang Qianlang's face stiffened, but the young master smiled and glanced away, seemingly indifferent to the matter.

“Miss Chuxia, I was reckless last night. If you are still not satisfied, then I will have to dislocate my arms—” Before he finished speaking, with two cracking sounds, Cang Qianlang released his internal energy and dislocated his two arms, standing upright without moving.

"Oh my god!" Chu Xia finally exclaimed, "If you take your arm off yourself, will I stop feeling pain?"

Gongzi Ye'an smiled and shook his head, walked to Cang Qianlang's side, but turned to look at Chu Xia: "In that case, I will take over for him?"

Chu Xia pouted and nodded, thus settling the score.

"What a troublesome girl." Cang Qianlang followed behind Jun Ye'an, still feeling indignant as he recalled Chu Xia's last complaint, "How could you feel pain when your martial arts are so high?"

Young Master Ye An smiled but remained silent, circling back to his study before slowly speaking: "Since Chu Xia is not the murderer, then, Qian Lang, do you have a plan in mind regarding who the murderer is?"

Cang Qianlang remained silent for a long time before saying, "Young Master, I have a question."

"explain."

"Yesterday, you rescued Chuxia from under your own whip, saying I was reckless—but you didn't go to the scene to investigate. How did you know that?"

Young Master Ye An held his teacup, slowly parted a few green tea leaves, and smiled, "Just a guess."

Cang Qianlang was taken aback.

“That girl’s eyes are so innocent, I don’t believe she would kill someone,” Jun Ye’an said calmly. “Qian Lang, don’t be so skeptical. Sometimes a person’s eyes are more reliable than any so-called evidence. You’re just too rigid sometimes.”

Cang Qianlang nodded and replied softly, "Yes."

"Madam Wangyun's hair was cut off. In the martial world, have you ever heard of such a method of killing?"

"This news has been informed of all the disciples, but there has been no feedback yet."