An Xin looked at Li Si and smiled gently at him, and Li Si suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
“It’s not that you tied it too loosely, but I’m afraid the rope isn’t strong enough. What if there’s a dagger or something and it cuts through? What do you all think?” An Xin smiled gently as she looked at the death row inmates, whose faces all changed color.
Xu Hai secretly admired his young mistress's thoughtfulness, and hurriedly took the iron chain off the servant and tied it securely to the condemned prisoner.
The death row inmates were as still as water, their faces ashen...
An Xin casually picked up the simple drawing and asked, "Butler Xu, can this be made?" An Xin chose Xu Hai as her butler because of his talent—tailoring.
In the prosperous capital, people gradually prioritized style over quality in their clothing. Xu Hai's family made a living by hand-weaving and making clothes. Although their fabrics were of good quality, they were ultimately monotonous in color, and their lives gradually became difficult. They were forced to find work and were thus chosen by An Xin.
Xu Hai stared at the simple line drawing for a long time before asking, "Miss, is this really a dress?"
An Xin's lips twitched. Her drawing skills were really just average, and what she drew was just a simple sketch, so it wasn't surprising that Xu Hai asked such a question.
An Xin said calmly, "This is the style, but I need waterproof fabric. Does Butler Xu have any ideas?"
Xu Hai was taken aback: "It's the height of summer, and people are looking for light and breathable clothes. Why are you going against the grain, Miss?"
An Xin pursed her lips. She was starting to ignore questions again, but considering that Xu Hai was an elder, she still explained, "It's useful."
Xu Hai pondered for a moment and said, "This old servant will think of a solution. When will Miss need it?"
"At the latest, five days."
"Alright, this old servant will do his best." Xu Hai said respectfully. In his eyes, the young lady was Bao Zheng reincarnated, a person who could truly do good for the people. He, who had suffered enough, naturally admired her wholeheartedly.
****
The Left Prime Minister's Residence.
A young man carrying a sword landed in front of the Half-Moon Pavilion. Outside the pavilion, a stream flowed gently, and there was an artificial hill. Inside the pavilion, the sound of a zither murmured, and clouds rose and snow flew.
"My lord," the boy called softly as he stepped forward, and the music abruptly stopped with a tremor.
"Chu Feng has been found by my subordinates." The young man's voice deepened. "He has lost all his power and is now a cripple!"
The fingers that landed on the strings trembled slightly, but the voice was as warm and gentle as flowing water on a jade plate, softly asking, "Are your hands and feet alright?"
"...I've only lost all my power, but my life is not in danger." The handsome young man frowned slightly.
"Heh... It's rare for the Right Chancellor to show mercy; Chu Feng is quite lucky." Jing Lan chuckled softly, and a branch of one of the hundred flowers outside the pavilion was inexplicably broken.
"Chu Feng is ashamed to face you, so he flew away and will probably never return." The boy spoke of "never to return" with a complex and inexplicable tone.
Jinglan flicked away the fallen petals from the zither and said calmly, "Send Liu Rushi there."
The young man was suddenly taken aback. Liu Rushi was also a member of the Hidden Guards, but she had injured her meridians during a mission a few years ago, losing most of her power. She was assigned to the Blowing Flower Pavilion by her superiors. Liu Rushi had secretly loved Chu Feng for many years, but Chu Feng remained unresponsive like a block of wood. If Liu Rushi were sent there now, Chu Feng might still have a glimmer of hope...
Thinking of this, the young man said in a deep voice, "Yes!"
Jing Lan lightly plucked the strings, and a faint melody drifted out. His voice became slightly ethereal in the music: "Qing Ran, has the case in Fengxian Village been solved?"
Several days have passed since the case in Fengxian Village was solved, and the news has spread like wildfire. When the adults suddenly come to ask this question, they certainly don't want to hear a yes or no answer.
Qingran's eyes flashed and she whispered, "Yes, but the mastermind behind it all..."
Jing Lan raised her eyelashes, then slowly turned her head and uttered a single word: "Speak."
"This result is truly unbelievable; I was surprised when I heard about it as well," Qingran said, frowning slightly.
Jing Lan said calmly, "Don't keep me in suspense, who is it?"
Qingran looked at Jinglan and slowly said, "Lake!"
Jing Lan's eyes widened: "What?"
Qingran knew that the result was somewhat surprising, but An Xin was referring to the word "lake".
"I'm also completely baffled. Could it be that the corpse was poisoned and got onto the stone, which then fell into the water, thus contaminating the lake and causing the villagers to die from poisoning without their knowledge?" Qingran couldn't help but analyze.
Jing Lan's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she gazed at the flowers in the garden and said calmly, "Your reasoning has some merit, but there are two issues you haven't considered... First, no signs of poisoning were found on the strange man's body. Second, even if the poisoning contaminated the lake, how did the villagers of Fengxian Village get water from the top of Duanfeng Mountain? The lake is surrounded by rocks on three sides, and the side with the gap is much higher than the lake surface, so no water flows down the mountain. Even if it did flow down the mountain, why are there still fish surviving in the river leading to Fengxian Village?"
Qingran paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "This answer is too strange. The woman asked for a large amount of seawater, ten death row inmates, and everyone had to retreat to a place fifty miles away from Duanfeng Mountain. I don't know what she was up to."
Jing Lan's eyes flickered, and after a long while, she said, "Her... she always makes people curious."
Qingran was taken aback, vaguely sensing that the sentence seemed to have a double meaning...
"This matter will likely be discussed in court. What does Your Excellency think?" Qingran looked at the young master Ruyu. The right wing would certainly support this matter, but there would be more opponents. After all, transporting seawater was no small matter, and Anxin's answer was not convincing. Left-wing ministers in the court had already invited the Feng family. Whether to oppose or support it, a decision could not be made rashly before the truth was revealed.
Jing Lan smiled faintly and said, "Since the Right Prime Minister enjoys a lively atmosphere, let's hear his reasons before making a decision." Jing Lan looked out of the pavilion; the young man was as handsome as jade, dressed in a blue robe like a painting, and his clear, spring-like eyes slowly deepened...
****
As soon as An Xin stepped out of her room, An Youwei rushed over. An Xin was taken aback and asked, "Father, what happened?"
An Youwei sighed and said, "The Emperor hosted a banquet for all officials in Weiyang Palace today, but the Empress Dowager suddenly said that there were too many dead in the Fengxian Village murder case and it was not appropriate to have songs and dances. So she canceled the songs and dances at the banquet and changed it into a ghost-exorcising ceremony. She also issued an imperial decree that all officials and their families must go together to drive away bad luck."
An Xin paused for a moment and then said, "Oh. But why is Father in such a hurry?"
An Youwei lowered his voice and said, "The Empress Dowager specifically asked to see you. You're used to being unruly, and you don't respect the Emperor or the Right Chancellor at all. But you'd better show some respect to the Empress Dowager."
An Xin twitched her lips and said stiffly, "Hey, hey..."
An Youwei sighed and said, "It's all my fault, father. You, a daughter, have to take the lead in so many things." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
An Xin twitched her lips and hurriedly comforted him, "Father, don't worry, I'll be careful."