"So coincidental? The others all met with misfortune at the same time?"
Zheng Baishi expressed surprise. In noble families like the Weiyuan Earl's household, if all descendants were solely profit-driven, they would inevitably fight tooth and nail over inheritance and ancestral privileges. "Although the third young master isn't the biological son of Weiyuan Earl, the fourth young master is his full brother by the same mother—they're still brothers, aren't they—"
As he asked this, Zheng Baishi sighed again. How rare were fraternal conflicts among noble families?
Zhan Yang then reported, "Apart from the second and fourth young masters having some undesirable habits, there's nothing particularly noteworthy about Weiyuan Earl's household currently. What's strange is this incident—three people encountering trouble simultaneously, and in the end, it's the non-biological son who inherits the ancestral privilege."
Zheng Baishi asked further, "What about their eldest young master?"
Zhan Yang shook his head. "We couldn't find out about him. It's said he left home with nothing, not even bringing any servants. We've questioned all his relatives and friends from that time—no one has seen him. No one knows where he disappeared to."
Qin Guan frowned, suddenly struck by an ominous thought.
This eldest young master of Weiyuan Earl's household had been missing for so many years without any news—could he have gone to the Western Regions?
It wasn't unreasonable for Qin Guan to speculate like this. Zhang Daoshi's words had been too vague, making her suspect anyone with the slightest suspicion. After pondering for a while without any evidence or traces to confirm her theory, she could only keep it to herself.
Zheng Baishi sighed. "A person vanishing without trace—could something have happened to him out there?"
Naturally, no one knew the answer. Zheng Baishi waved his hand. "Never mind, let's stay vigilant. Earlier, the Crown Prince and the Princess went to the prison to see Zhang Daoshi. He identified the vermilion pattern as a sinister incantation from the Moon Worship Sect. Those ashes were likely from burned paper offerings or talismans. This matter is related to the Moon Worship Sect, and the murderer probably went west to practice these dark arts. Besides investigating their private affairs, we need to check if any of them traveled west or knew anyone who did."
Zhan Yang listened with surprise. "Did Zhang Daoshi say what this is for?"
Zheng Baishi sighed deeply. "It's for setting up an altar—an altar to guide the departed, but one that requires living sacrifices. It's extremely sinister. These people must have lost their minds..."
Zhan Yang felt alarmed. "Zhang Daoshi should know how to set up such an altar, right?"
Zheng Baishi sighed again. Yan Chi interjected, "Zhang Daoshi said he could only help after the third death occurs. Currently, he doesn't know what the murderer intends to do. Of course, we can't fully trust his words either. Zhan Butou and Lord Zheng must continue investigating diligently, especially matters related to the Moon Worship Sect."
Zhan Yang quickly nodded. "We've been investigating the Moon Worship Sect during our recent visits, but few in the capital know about it. Only two Taoist priests outside the capital are familiar with it, but they regard the Moon Worship Sect as a heresy and despise it deeply. No other new leads have emerged so far. In the capital, Buddhism leads while Taoism follows; even noble families look down upon the Moon Worship Sect, and commoners don't have leisure to adopt new beliefs."The Moon Worship Sect was a minor religious group. Although Buddhism had also been introduced from the west, it had flourished for centuries across the Central Continent, embraced by everyone from the imperial family down to commoners. Particularly during the previous dynasty, when the royal family devoutly supported Buddhism and extensively built temples throughout the nation, Buddhist followers had surpassed those of the Daoist Path.
While the magistrate’s office was still unresolved on the case, Yue Ning took two maidservants out to purchase the summer brocade fabric the manor lacked.
The Anyang Marquis’ household had just returned, and there were many arrangements to be made in the manor. Recently, Jiang Shi had been busy with these matters all day. Since the Grand Princess had brought everyone back, they would no longer return to Jinzhou. The Anyang Marquis Manor in the capital naturally needed to be put in proper order. Seeing Jiang Shi overwhelmed with work and Yue Qing accompanying the Anyang Marquis to visit friends, Yue Ning wanted to help her mother. Thus, the task of purchasing summer silk fabric fell on her shoulders today.
Yue Ning rode in a carriage, with the capital’s steward leading the way accompanied by two attendants. Having been away from the capital for many years, Yue Ning no longer knew which shops were reputable. Only with the steward guiding her did she understand the proper procedures.
The carriage arrived at the West Market and stopped first outside the Brocade Embroidery Workshop. As soon as she alighted, Yue Ning spotted a familiar figure. Their carriage was parked farther back, and not far ahead stood another carriage beside which was a tall, slender young man. Just from his back view, Yue Ning recognized him as Wei Qizhi!
Although Wei Qizhi had visited the Anyang Marquis Manor, they had not met then. However, he had stayed at the Jinzhou Anyang Marquis Manor for quite some time, so the two were quite familiar. Why would a grown man like Wei Qizhi be standing by a carriage, staring at the Brocade Embroidery Workshop’s entrance without going inside? What was he doing?!
The question arose in Yue Ning’s mind, and her steps halted. After watching for a moment with no movement from Wei Qizhi, she decided to approach and greet him. But just then, Wei Qizhi suddenly shifted to hide beside the carriage!
Yue Ning raised an eyebrow. Was he avoiding someone?
Looking up, she saw a young woman emerge from the Brocade Embroidery Workshop with a maidservant. The woman had a graceful figure and delicate beauty. Though her maidservant carried two bolts of brocade, the woman’s face wore a troubled expression, seemingly unhappy about her purchase. Yue Ning frowned deeply, glancing back and forth between Wei Qizhi and the woman several times. She concluded: Wei Qizhi, hiding by the carriage, was clearly surveilling the young woman...
In broad daylight, what was Wei Qizhi doing?!
And who was that woman?! As a man of stature, why was Wei Qizhi spying on a young lady?!
Yue Ning’s brow furrowed tighter. She strode forward and slapped Wei Qizhi heavily on the shoulder!
Wei Qizhi had only one attendant with him, and both were intently watching the woman leave the workshop. The slap startled Wei Qizhi, his brow twitching, while the attendant jumped in fright.
The attendant turned to see a handsome young nobleman and scowled. Wei Qizhi initially felt annoyed, but upon recognizing the person before him, his eyes lit up!
“Lady Yue?! What are you doing here?!”Yue Ning’s expression darkened. "I was about to ask you the same thing—who is that girl? In broad daylight, you’re hiding in the shadows spying on a young woman. How is your behavior any different from a lecher?!"
The servant beside him was not Wu Shu and did not recognize Yue Ning, but upon hearing his master address her as "Junzhu," the servant was startled.
Wei Qizhi, realizing he had been discovered, looked rather uncomfortable but insisted, "Junzhu, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not what you think..."
"What do I think? And what exactly are you doing?"
Wei Qizhi’s bitter smile deepened. He glanced again in the direction the woman had left—she and her maid had not taken a carriage but were heading west toward the residential district. Growing anxious, as if unwilling to lose track of the pair, he clasped his hands and said, "Junzhu, you truly misunderstand. This person is extremely important. For now, I must beg your pardon, but I cannot let her slip away."
As he made to leave, Yue Ning, still suspicious, furrowed her brows and stepped forward to block his path. "If you don’t explain, I won’t let you go. They’re just two young women, and you... What exactly are you planning?"
Wei Qizhi was utterly exasperated. "Does Junzhu truly take me for such a lecher? This is for a case at the magistrate’s office..."
Hearing it involved a case, Yue Ning’s eyes lit up slightly. "How so?"
Wei Qizhi knew Yue Ning’s temperament well and understood that without a clear explanation, he wouldn’t be able to leave. But time was running out.
He proposed, "Junzhu, if you let me go now, I will visit you tomorrow and explain everything. How does that sound?"
Yue Ning’s eyes shifted thoughtfully. She glanced at the carriage, then in the direction the woman and her maid had gone, before lifting her chin and declaring, "I’ll go with you. You can explain on the way."
She then signaled for the steward to bring her horse. Mounting the steward’s steed, she raised her chin again. "Well? Aren’t we going?"
Wei Qizhi stared blankly for a moment before climbing into the carriage. As the servant drove the carriage forward, Wei Qizhi lifted the curtain with a peculiar expression. "Perhaps Junzhu should ride in the carriage, and I’ll take the horse? Isn’t this a bit... reversed?"
Yue Ning raised an eyebrow. "Just explain the situation. No need for trivialities."
She urged her horse closer to the carriage. With a resigned smile, Wei Qizhi began, "You must be aware of the recent deaths in the capital, Junzhu. The Crown Prince, you, and the Prefect are all investigating this case..."
Yue Ning nodded. "Naturally." She tilted her chin. "So who is that woman?"
Wei Qizhi explained, "That woman is likely the second victim—a concubine kept by a tutor named Zhao Jiaxu. Zhao had a wife at home, and everyone thought he was a devoted husband who didn’t take concubines, but he deceived his wife. The Prefect sent people to search for her for two days without success. Today... ah, right, Zhao Jiaxu taught at my uncle’s residence. When I visited my uncle today, I saw that young maid looking around outside. I asked the servants and learned she was there to inquire if there was any news about Mr. Zhao’s murder. That immediately raised my suspicions."
Yue Ning frowned. "If she were a household maid, she should be asking the authorities, not her former employer."
Wei Qizhi smiled admiringly at Yue Ning. "Exactly, exactly! Junzhu, you are truly astute!"
Yue Ning rolled her eyes inwardly. "Go on."Wei Qizhi continued, "At that time, I thought the same as you, County Princess, so I followed the young maid out. After walking a block and turning a corner, I saw the maid reporting to a young woman ahead. The woman appeared to be around twenty years old but wore her hair in a married woman’s style. I immediately suspected she might be someone Zhao Jiaxu was keeping outside his household. So I followed them here—she came to buy something and should be heading back soon. I need to find out where she lives to investigate her identity."
After hearing this, Yue Ning understood everything—she had truly misunderstood Wei Qizhi.
Yue Ning looked ahead; the mistress and her servant were walking slowly, so their carriage and horse slowed even more. "Surely it couldn’t be this young woman who killed the teacher…"
Wei Qizhi chuckled, "Of course not. However, the authorities are searching for clues, so anyone closely connected to this Mr. Zhao must be questioned. Yet, I’m not entirely sure who this person is to Zhao Jiaxu, so I must first investigate and confirm. Besides, since Zhao Jiaxu works for my uncle’s household, I feel obliged to do my part."
Yue Ning glanced at Wei Qizhi. "In that case, I misunderstood you earlier. My apologies."
Wei Qizhi laughed heartily, unconcerned. "The County Princess detests evil as if it were a personal enemy. If I had truly been a scoundrel today, you would have saved that young woman. Speaking of which, I haven’t yet thanked you, the Grand Princess, the Marquis, and the Madam for your kindness. When I visited your residence that day, the Marquis and Brother Yue Qing were absent, so I didn’t stay long. If I hadn’t recuperated at the Marquis’s estate, my leg might have been crippled…"
Yue Ning replied, "I’m aware. The one who truly helped you was Fourth Sister. We merely provided some convenience. You’ve already sent gifts—your gratitude is duly expressed. Fourth Sister mentioned you’re involved with the imperial trade?"
Wei Qizhi smiled. "Not exactly an imperial merchant. You know my love for horses, County Princess. Unsure of what else to pursue, I started dealing in horses since I’m familiar with the trade. Through connections with the palace and my aunt’s position there, I gained some advantages. But now that I’m in it, it pains me to see that not everyone shares my affection for horses."
Yue Ning understood his meaning. "What do you plan to do?"
Wei Qizhi shook his head. "Once involved with the palace, it’s hard to break away. I’ve acquired a grassland in the north and plan to start my own ranch to raise fine horses. By the way, the foal I gifted you, County Princess, is the offspring of a mare king I captured on the plains. Among its siblings, it has the gentlest temperament—you’ll surely adore it once it grows up."
Yue Ning had initially misunderstood Wei Qizhi upon meeting him. Now that the misunderstanding was cleared and she heard him speak so openly, her heart warmed. Recalling how he had been wronged by his brother and cousin, burdened with resentment, she saw how bright and cheerful he had become. Conversing with him lifted her spirits.
As they spoke, they strolled slowly along the streets for several blocks. Soon, they reached a quieter residential area in the west. The mistress and servant entered a lane and went into a small two-courtyard house. Though modest, it was ample for "housing a hidden beauty." Wei Qizhi memorized the location and then asked Yue Ning, "I haven’t asked yet, County Princess—what brought you out today? Were you heading to the Brocade Embroidery Workshop to buy silk for clothing?"Yue Ning nodded. When she came over earlier, she hadn't brought anyone with her, and the steward had gone to buy silk fabric. After a moment's thought, she added, "When we left the capital last time, we were still children. Now we each have our own separate residences, but we're still missing some antiques and calligraphy pieces. Do you know any good places in the capital?"
Wei Qizhi laughed upon hearing this. "Your Highness has asked the right person! Since we've already followed them this far, there's no rush. Come, I guarantee I'll find you some excellent pieces!"
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