Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Go? Go for a trip?" Shengzi touched his head, looking somewhat hesitant.
"What's wrong, can't we?" Xing Ruyi yawned. "It's cold, and my Rouge shop isn't busy. Instead of just listening to your strange stories, it would be better to make some connections and go see the excitement. Besides, didn't Brother Chang send you here? If he sent you, it must mean he thinks I can help him. If I don't go, wouldn't that disappoint him?"
"Brother Chang doesn't mean it that way." Shengzi watched as Xing Ruyi walked outside and hurried to block her path. "Brother Chang just asked me to inquire about the character of the owner of Li Family Tavern. Also, since she is close to you, has she ever mentioned Ma Guangmo in front of you?"
"Oh, he just asked you to check?" Xing Ruyi lightly rubbed her chin. "From what you're saying, could it be that Brother Chang suspects Si Niang has some sort of affair with this Ma boss? Because Ma boss's concubine is pregnant and secretly ruined Si Niang's good fortune, so she killed someone out of anger? Regardless of Ma boss's character, with Si Niang's nature, why would she seek out a man who already has a wife and concubines? It seems more likely that someone with ulterior motives is framing her."
"Brother Chang just mentioned it casually; he doesn't really think that the tavern owner is the murderer." Shengzi defended. "We are constables in the government office; we shouldn't overlook any clues related to the deceased."
"Ugh~" Xing Ruyi lazily yawned and ignored Shengzi's incessant chatter as she opened the door and stepped outside.
"Help me close the shop door. Oh, and bring that big cloak, the pink one with fur. It's really cold out here. After we finish watching the excitement, I need to find Si Niang for a drink." Xing Ruyi murmured, glancing at Shengzi with a helpless smile.
As they exited onto the long street, they saw a fox standing there. Xing Ruyi smiled sweetly and quickly walked over, snuggling into his embrace for warmth.
"Back already?"
"Yes!" The fox softly replied as he took the cloak from Shengzi and draped it over Xing Ruyi. "It's freezing; what excitement are we going to see?"
"Just curious," Xing Ruyi said while rubbing her cheeks; they had already turned cold in just a short time.
"Just curious?" The fox raised an eyebrow as he held Xing Ruyi and walked toward the Ma family’s direction.
"Not entirely." Xing Ruyi exhaled a cloud of white breath while looking at the branches in the distance that had begun to sprout green buds. "It concerns Si Niang; I have to check it out. Moreover, I can't shake off this feeling that this matter is somehow related to me."
"You're full of reasons." The fox shook its head helplessly. Seeing Xing Ruyi's shoulders tremble slightly, it tightened its embrace around her.
"Fox."
"Yes?"
"Let's buy a carriage."
"Alright."
"You agreed so readily; aren't you going to ask me why I want to buy a carriage?"
"You’re afraid of the cold."
"Fox."
"Yes?"
"You really are a thoughtful and understanding fox."
""
"Fox."
"Um."
"I'm still cold, can you hold me tighter?"
"Uh."
The fox hesitated for a moment but ultimately tightened the embrace around Xing Ruyi.
As the third wheel, Shengzi naturally slowed his pace. Hearing Xing Ruyi's half-coquettish, half-petulant words, he stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
He had seen shameless women before, but never one as brazenly thick-skinned as this. Looking at the elegantly ethereal fox, Shengzi was quite certain that he had been tricked into this by Xing Ruyi.
With the front being all lovey-dovey and the back limping along, by the time Xing Ruyi's hands and feet warmed up, they had already arrived outside the Ma residence. It was just a courtyard with three entrances and exits, appearing quite ordinary from the entrance. At this moment, white lanterns and white silk were hanging on either side of the large gate. A cold breeze blew through, causing the lanterns and silk to sway gently in the wind, adding a touch of scenery to the desolate city of Luoyang.
Just as he was about to push the door open, he heard a faint crying sound coming from inside the courtyard. Shengzi frowned and listened for a moment before leaning closer to Xing Ruyi's ear: "It's Ma Guangmo's concubine; she used to sing in a brothel, and her cries carry that same melodious tone."
"Well, that's quite dedicated," Xing Ruyi chuckled shyly, shifting to indicate for Shengzi to knock on the door.
With just one knock, the door opened, revealing a woman in a white dress standing behind it. Her attire was somewhat disheveled, with a hint of crimson peeking out from her collar, suggesting that she had hastily thrown on the white dress.
"Madam Yu, these two are here at Constable's request. Is your husband still in the bedroom?"
"Oh, it's Sheng Catcher. My husband died unjustly; he's still in the bedroom. I ask you, Constable, to take charge and quickly investigate my husband's cause of death so that the murderer can be brought to justice and my husband can be laid to rest," Madam Yu said while using a silk handkerchief to wipe away her tears that flowed continuously from her eyes.
"If it weren't for her voice, she wouldn't look like someone who came out of a Brothel," Xing Ruyi whispered to the fox. "She wears light makeup, behaves appropriately, and her clothing is simple yet dignified. Although her hairpin is precious, its design is understated. It's clear that this Concubine, despite being favored, does not flaunt it, which explains why she can get along well with the Primary Wife. And this courtyard, though small, is kept fresh and elegant. It seems the Primary Wife is also capable of managing a household—" Mid-sentence, she noticed the fox frowning slightly and quickly tugged at his arm to ask, "Have you noticed something unusual?"
"The courtyard is filled with trees, and the wife and children are not seen; it's no wonder the Primary Wife has no offspring," the fox said, lowering his gaze to see a newly dug pit in a corner of the yard. His expression darkened as he added, "There is a deep pit in the courtyard; it must have harmed the children. You should ask if this Ma Family's Primary Wife had lost a child before and whether there are any issues with the Concubine's unborn child."
"Is that true?" Xing Ruyi touched her nose. "Listening to your mysterious talk makes it sound like you're reading fortunes. Could it be that even a fox spirit relies on fortune-telling for a living?"
"If you had lived for thousands of years, you would understand these things too," the fox replied silently as he walked into the middle of the courtyard, looking around. Xing Ruyi tightened her cloak and approached Jade Pearl, lowering her head to inquire. As soon as she asked one question, she noticed Jade Pearl's complexion change.
"Seeing your expression, did I guess correctly?"
"To be honest, Miss, my mistress indeed had been pregnant before; however, she lost the child before reaching full term and never saw that child at all. Because of that incident, my mistress was physically and emotionally affected and has not conceived since. Ever since I entered this household, my mistress has taken great care of me and hopes that I can give the Concubine an heir."
"And what about you?"
"Me?" Jade Pearl gently stroked her belly. "After waiting for many years, I have not disappointed my mistress; I am finally pregnant now, over a month along. However, as you just mentioned, it seems this child is somewhat unstable. For the past two days, I've been experiencing some unusual symptoms. My Master is worried about this and went out early to buy wine but ended up losing his life because of it, leaving us as orphans."
As soon as Jade Pearl finished speaking, Xing Ruyi rushed over to the fox with stars of admiration in her eyes.
"You really hit the mark! Could it be that Ma Guangmo wasn't killed by someone but rather by bad fortune?"
Comment 0 Comment Count