After Lu Jingxiu and the other left, Lu Youxin sat down with a furrowed brow. Moments later, she had four attendants and a coachman brought in.
Interrogating the servants naturally didn’t require Lu Youxin to speak. Huang Momo stood to the side and quickly extracted a clear account with just a few questions.
Lu Jingcheng’s death had shaken everyone considerably. The attendants entered the room trembling with fear, and under Huang Momo’s questioning, they answered smoothly. Their accounts matched what Lu Jingxiu and the other had said. Once the questioning was over and the attendants were dismissed, Huang Momo reported, “Miss, I’ve questioned the attendants and maidservants from the Fifth and Sixth Young Masters’ courtyards. They all said the two young masters did not get up during the night. They rose around half-past mao hour (5:45 AM) and left shortly after preparing.”
Lu Youxin sighed and stood up to return to the inner chamber. Inside, Qin Guan rose to greet her. After they were seated, Lu Youxin said, “Guan’er, what do you think? I didn’t press them further just now, but both Jinxiu and Jingyun appeared calm and composed—hardly like people with guilty consciences.”
Qin Guan had not only listened to their conversation from the inner chamber but had also observed their demeanor and gestures through the screen. She had already formed her own conclusions. “From what I observed, neither showed signs of lying. It seems their suspicion has diminished significantly.”
Lu Youxin frowned in frustration. “I never suspected them much to begin with. Jingxiu may be a bit impulsive, but he prides himself on being upright and righteous. Unless driven by impulse, he wouldn’t harm his own brother. As for Jingyun, he’s even less likely.”
Qin Guan, without any preconceived notions, maintained equal suspicion toward everyone.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “Aunt, I’d like to visit the Green Pine Courtyard again. Yesterday, I only conducted the corpse examination but didn’t get to see Lu Jingcheng’s living quarters. The fact that he visited the Plum Garden every few days is highly unusual. I want to learn more about him and understand what he was doing there.”
Lu Youxin nodded promptly. “Of course, that’s possible. But since it’s daytime and there are many eyes around, should I arrange for you to go tonight?”
Qin Guan agreed. “Thank you for making the arrangements. For the next couple of days, it would be best to restrict movement within the estate to minimize opportunities for the culprit.”
Lu Youxin smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m quite strict with my subordinates—they wouldn’t dare act recklessly. As for my second elder brother and his wife, they’re still causing a commotion in their rooms. I haven’t softened my stance. Let them make as much noise as they want.”
Qin Guan was already aware of this. Bai Feng had mentioned that Lu Bohong and his wife were confined to the Green Bamboo Courtyard, where they woke up each day hurling curses. Their son’s death seemed to have ignited their resentment while stripping away their last shred of restraint. With nothing left to lose, they spared no vulgarity in their outbursts. Now that their son was gone, they no longer needed to curry favor with Lu Youxin to secure his succession, so they spoke without inhibition. In their tirades, the cause of their son’s death seemed almost irrelevant.
As Qin Guan left the Wutong Courtyard, she felt a tinge of disappointment. She had observed clearly that Lu Jingxiu was rather dignified and handsome, speaking with confidence. Though he possessed some shrewdness, he didn’t seem like a sinister or treacherous person. As for Lu Jingyun, he relied entirely on Lu Jingxiu, even glancing at him before speaking.
While these observations alone were insufficient to determine guilt, Qin Guan could find no further grounds for suspicion in either of them.Returning to the Lotus Pavilion, Qin Guan practiced calligraphy for a while before retreating to the Warm Chamber. Yan Chi was still unaware of the murder case that had occurred on White Deer Isle, and Qin Guan knew even less about how he was faring in Qianzhou.
Perhaps Yan Chi also knew that Qin Guan must be worried about him, for at dusk, his first letter finally arrived!
The room was dimly lit, so Fuling hurriedly lit three lamps. Qin Guan opened the envelope by the lamplight and immediately noticed Yan Chi’s forceful, penetrating handwriting.
The letter was not long, yet after reading it, Qin Guan felt a warmth spread through her heart. The longing that had faded in recent days due to the case was rekindled.
After finishing the letter, Qin Guan let out a soft sigh. Seeing Bai Feng and the others looking at her expectantly, she smiled and said, "Things are going smoothly for now. Yu Qi is leading troops from Shuoxi southward. At the latest, the matter in Qianzhou will be resolved within ten days."
It was already mid-December. If Yan Chi said so, he must be determined to return before the New Year.
Qin Guan felt reassured. She folded the letter carefully, placed it back into the envelope, and stored it away with great care.
Before long, Huang Momo came to invite Qin Guan to the Green Pine Courtyard. The servants there had all been dismissed.
Qin Guan changed her clothes, draped a cape over her shoulders, and stepped outside. The snow had stopped, and the accumulated snow adorned White Deer Isle in a silvery-white blanket. As she walked, the only sound was the crunch of her footsteps on the snow. Upon arriving at the Green Pine Courtyard, she entered the room directly.
Huang Momo said from the side, "The Second Master is causing quite a stir, so Madam had to go over temporarily. This servant will accompany the princess consort."
Qin Guan made no comment. Lu Jingcheng’s body still lay in the room, preserved by the cold weather. Huang Momo instinctively stood by the door, afraid to approach, but Qin Guan acted as if nothing were amiss and walked over to the tall cabinet by the window.
Huang Momo added, "Nothing in the room has been moved. Since they’ve been here for over a month, quite a few things have been added, all belonging to the Fourth Young Master."
Qin Guan acknowledged this and began searching around. When she reached the bedside cabinet, she suddenly discovered two booklets inside. Frowning, she wondered what they could be. But upon opening them, her eyes widened in shock, and her face flushed red—the booklets turned out to be erotic picture albums!
Qin Guan had never seen such things before, but one glance was enough to understand their nature. She immediately closed the booklets. However, just as she was about to shut them completely, her brow furrowed thoughtfully. She reopened the erotic album and flipped to the last few pages.
Staring at the illustrations, Qin Guan fell into deep contemplation.
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