Chu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow, finally understanding what trick the other party was playing.
She remained utterly still: "Lord Shi, may I ask who provided your informant's tip?"
Shi Hong frowned: "Regardless of who provided it, if there is a lead, we must investigate it thoroughly. I beg the County Mistress not to make things difficult!"
Hearing this, Yan Wenjing lifted his little face to retort, but Chu Ruoyan stopped him and said calmly, "It matters not if Lord Shi is unwilling to say. However, this County Mistress was just about to go see Xue Baiqing. Would Lord Shi care to join me?"
Shi Hong was stunned.
Before coming, he had prepared three or four different strategies, fearing that this Changle County Mistress would evade or obstruct.
Yet, after only a couple of sentences, she had actually conceded and was now openly offering to take him to find the person?
Had she given up struggling?
Chu Ruoyan knew what he was thinking and merely asked, "Is Lord Shi coming or not? If not, please step aside and clear the way."
"Coming, coming!"
Shi Hong hastily made way. But after passing through several hall gates and winding around several corridors, they finally arrived at a side door.
"County Mistress Changle, continuing further will lead us out of the estate. Are you perhaps..."
He swallowed the words "mocking us," but then saw the maid beside Chu Ruoyan reach out and push the door open.
Outside the side door, a carriage was parked right there.
An old steward was beside it, pacing anxiously: "Finally, someone's here! Young Master Xue has been crying out in pain... Huh?"
Steward Fang was startled by the crowd. Shi Hong strode forward, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked inside: "It really is Xue Baiqing! But his eyes—" He thought of something, his expression turning cold, and disregarding propriety, he said in a low voice, "County Mistress Changle, you are, after all, the Chief Councillor's wife. How dare you commit such a heinous act?"
The implication was that he actually suspected her of blinding Xue Baiqing.
Chu Ruoyan's eyebrow arched slightly. Beside her, Yan Wenjing already shouted loudly, "Don't you wrongfully accuse my Third Aunt! I just picked up Xue Blockhead from Pingkang Lane!"
Shi Hong was taken aback: "Pingkang Lane?"
Chu Ruoyan said unhurriedly, "Indeed. This County Mistress also only just learned of this matter and was about to follow Wenjing out when we encountered you. If Lord Shi doesn't believe it, you can check whether the carriage tracks lead from outside or from within the estate."
Shi Hong was inwardly shaken, never expecting this seemingly delicate woman to see through his suspicion.
True, the carriage was outside the estate gate, but it was also possible that the scheme had been exposed and she was trying to send the person away.
An officer behind him stepped forward and said, "Sir, judging by the tracks, it indeed came from outside. I just asked a few street vendors, and two or three of them witnessed it..."
Shi Hong's face darkened.
He was no fool. The Ministry of Justice had just received a tip, and Xue Baiqing appeared at the Chu Duke's estate...
This was clearly a deliberate frame-up!
He immediately gave his subordinates a couple of instructions. Not long after, the man returned, his face grave, and whispered something to him.
Shi Hong awkwardly stepped forward: "County Mistress, my sincere apologies. Regarding the person who provided the tip, whom you asked about earlier..."
"He's dead, correct?"
Shi Hong was utterly astonished: "County Mistress, you are astute! He was found drowned in his own wine vat. Because the place is remote, if we hadn't sent someone to look, it might have taken ten days to half a month to discover."
Chu Ruoyan was not surprised at all; it would be strange if Roumin's methods left such obvious flaws!
Shi Hong asked Yan Wenjing for some more specific details and, upon leaving, said solemnly, "County Mistress, rest assured. I will report today's events truthfully!"
Chu Ruoyan nodded. With his word, at least this pot of dirty water wouldn't be splashed onto the Chu Duke's estate.
Shi Hong took Xue Baiqing away.
On the way back, Yan Wenjing said gloomily, "I'm sorry, Third Aunt. I almost caused trouble for you..."
If Xue Baiqing had entered the Chu Duke's estate at that time, the Chu family would have had a hundred mouths and still couldn't explain it clearly.
Chu Ruoyan reached out and patted his head: "It's not your fault, Wenjing. The person behind this knew you were close friends with Young Master Xue and that you would bring him to me if he was in trouble. This was a calculated scheme; there was no way to avoid it."
Yan Wenjing gritted his teeth: "Who in the world is so vicious as to blind Xue Blockhead?"
A flash of coldness passed through Chu Ruoyan's eyes.
Blinding him was most likely to prevent him from seeing the murderer's true face.
Then, by deliberately saying a few words, they could mislead his testimony!
She had a vague guess about Roumin's target. After seeing Yan Wenjing off, she said, "Nanny Zhou, prepare the carriage. I need to go out."
Nanny Zhou hesitated: "At this hour? It's almost nightfall. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow..."
"We cannot wait until tomorrow."
If Roumin's target was her, then after tonight, Xue Baiqing's testimony would point to her.
By then, it would be extremely difficult to leave the estate again!
Seeing her determination, Nanny Zhou had no choice but to comply. Once in the carriage, she asked, "Where are you going, Miss?"
"Baixiao Pavilion."
The sky was gradually darkening, but inside the Tianyi Tavern, music and dance were in full swing.
Beautiful courtesans twirled their slender waists in a whirlwind dance, exerting all their effort just to earn a smile from the man above.
But that man seemed drunk, his right hand propping up his cheek, the cup in his left hand already tilted over...
The courtesans exchanged glances. One bold one swayed forward and leaned into his arms: "Pavilion Master, are you drunk? Wake up, let this slave feed you a grape..."
A slender, jade-like hand picked up a grape and offered it. But the moment it reached his lips, the courtesan suddenly flipped her wrist, and a steel needle shot straight towards his neck—
"Pavilion Master, be careful!"
Shopkeeper Du below the dais cried out in alarm.
At the critical moment, the man who should have been drowsy instantly opened his eyes.
With a swift movement of his hands, his long, distinct fingers caught the steel needle: "Tsk, why must you always disturb a pleasant dream?"
The courtesan was horrified, scrambling to retreat, but the man's long arm tightened around her waist. Then, with a backhanded motion, he directly sent the steel needle into her fair neck...
"Mmph!"
The courtesan couldn't even utter a sound before bleeding from all seven orifices and collapsing limply.
Shopkeeper Du stepped forward to look: "The needle was poisoned! Pavilion Master!"
Yun Lang waved a hand carelessly: "Have you forgotten? This Pavilion Master is immune to all poisons..." After saying this, he cast a disdainful glance at the courtesan. "What a pity, a fine dream ruined. Drag her away, feed her to the dogs."
Shopkeeper Du assented. The remaining courtesans trembled in fear.
Yun Lang was about to say something when he saw a familiar face appear behind the women.
Those were eyes strikingly similar to his mother's, along with a pair of calm, profound pupils...
Perhaps it was the effect of the wine, or perhaps the recent vexation and oppression had reached a peak. Gazing at that person in a daze, he involuntarily blurted out: "Miaomiao..."
The woman stood there quietly, not speaking.
Someone rushed in behind her: "Apologies, Pavilion Master, she insisted on barging in, we—"
Before he could finish, he received a heavy chop to the neck. Yun Lang raised an eyebrow, seeing it was the mute youth by Yan Zheng's side, and couldn't help but laugh: "He actually left his Shadow with you? No wonder you could break in."
Chu Ruoyan pressed her lips together: "Pavilion Master, may we speak in private?"
