"Princess Consort, what are you looking at?"
Seeing Qin Guan holding a book in a daze, Fuling instinctively approached and asked.
Qin Guan suddenly snapped back to reality, closed the book with a snap, and shook her head. "Nothing."
Fuling seemed skeptical but didn't dare to inquire further. Qin Guan then handed the book to Baiying for safekeeping.
Unlike Fuling, Baiying possessed no such curiosity. When told to hold something, she simply held it without so much as a glance.
Qin Guan continued surveying the room. Though simply and elegantly furnished, it contained several gold, silver, and jade ornaments that seemed out of place. Noticing her gaze, Huang Momo stepped forward and explained, "These were all added by the Fourth Young Master after his arrival. Every time he returned from Jianzhou City, he'd bring back a few favorite trinkets."
Even without Huang Momo's explanation, Qin Guan had already deduced this. Not only were the new items luxurious, but even his clothing and accessories were extravagantly opulent.
After a quick survey, Qin Guan gained a general understanding of what kind of person Lu Jingcheng was.
This man was not only lecherous but also fond of extravagance. The illustrations in the erotic album further sparked other associations in Qin Guan's mind.
Though difficult to confirm at the moment.
Qin Guan asked, "Momma, how many times did the Fourth Young Master visit Jianzhou City during his month here?"
Huang Momo thought for a moment. "At least nine or ten times. In the first few days after arriving, the Fourth Young Master found the estate boring and went almost daily, sometimes staying overnight and returning the next day. This continued for a month until recently when he became more settled. The Second Master and his wife didn't interfere."
Qin Guan nodded and walked around the room again. The room was well-preserved, and since Lu Jingcheng had no external injuries, there were no bloodstains. Combined with the missing set of clothes, it was clear the murderer was meticulous. However, they had overlooked the traces on the shoes.
Pausing briefly, Qin Guan approached the window to examine Lu Jingcheng's corpse.
Lu Jingcheng had been dead for two full days now. Despite the extremely low temperature, cadaveric spots had gradually covered his body, making him appear particularly gruesome. Yet Qin Guan remained perfectly calm. The absence of obvious external injuries indicated there had been no struggle—the murderer had likely struck when he was off guard. Whoever could make Lu Jingcheng go out to meet them in the middle of the night must have been someone he knew. What would lure an injured man out on such a cold night?
Lu Jingcheng's lecherous nature was certain. His midnight excursion was most likely motivated by lust.
Though a thorough corpse examination hadn't been conducted, Qin Guan already had some ideas.
After looking around once more, she draped her cape over her shoulders and left the room.
Standing at the doorway, Qin Guan gazed at the courtyard gate, lost in thought.
The murderer had designed this mechanism to resemble a locked room, then taken Lu Jingcheng's clothes. Late at night, how would they dispose of the garments?
The best method would be burning them, but Lu Jingcheng's clothes were made of fine silk, which would produce a strong, pungent odor when burned. Since dawn was approaching, when the servants rose, the smell would give them away. If she were the murderer, discarding the clothes in a remote location would be the optimal strategy.
Where in this vast White Deer Isle could clothes be hidden without being discovered?
Having just committed murder, the culprit would surely be nervous and unlikely to roam all over the estate...Qin Guan turned her gaze to Huang Momo. "Momma, are there any neglected storage rooms, dry wells, ponds, or other places where things could be hidden around here?"
Huang Momo immediately replied, "There are quite a few uninhabited courtyards nearby, but they're all regularly maintained. As for ponds, there is one—an inner lake formed by channeling water from Moonview Lake through a secret passage. We call it Deer Pond, located just outside the East Courtyard. There are no dry wells, but there are several functioning wells within the East Courtyard."
Qin Guan thought for a moment. "Could you draw a map, Momma? Just marking the courtyards and the locations of the wells and pond would suffice."
Huang Momo nodded repeatedly in agreement. Qin Guan gave a soft "Mm" before leading the group back.
No sooner had their party departed than two figures emerged from behind the rockery not far from Pineshade Courtyard—Lu Jingxiu and Lu Jingyun.
Wide-eyed with astonishment, Lu Jingyun exclaimed, "Fifth Brother! Who is that? Aunt really has been keeping secrets from us! Why can that person enter Pineshade Courtyard when even we can't? She looks like just a young girl..."
Being some distance away, Lu Jingxiu and his companion hadn't gotten a clear view of Qin Guan's face, perceiving only a slender young woman from afar.
Lu Jingxiu narrowed his eyes. "Our aunt is proud and aloof—she doesn't even flatter officials from the magistrate's office. Yet this woman can move freely throughout our garden, accompanied by Huang Momo, who treats her with utmost respect. Her status must be extraordinary."
"Then who could she be? A relative from Grandmother's side of the family?"
Lu Jingyun could only think of relatives from Lu Youxin's maternal line, otherwise they would surely recognize her. But Lu Jingxiu shook his head. "It's not that simple. Aunt doesn't even rely on us, let alone a woman younger than us. This person must have a purpose for entering Pineshade Courtyard so late at night."
Lu Jingyun frowned deeply. "But why? Fourth Brother's body is still in that courtyard—how can she not be afraid!"
Lu Jingxiu snorted. "That's the most suspicious part. If she wanted to pay respects, she'd come during daylight. But she deliberately comes at night—either out of guilt or with some ulterior motive. Do you remember what Fourth Brother said that day?"
Lu Jingyun thought for a moment. "Fourth Brother mentioned he'd offended some distinguished guest?"
Lu Jingxiu gave a meaningful "Mm." "It seems Fourth Brother was telling the truth. If she were just an ordinary visitor, she'd avoid this place after a death occurred in the garden, and Aunt wouldn't keep her here. Yet not only does this guest remain in the garden, she comes to see Fourth Brother late at night. What does that tell you?"
Lu Jingyun's face showed alarm. "Could it be... she killed Fourth Brother?"
Lu Jingxiu neither confirmed nor denied this. The likelihood of a delicate woman directly killing Lu Jingcheng was small, but Lu Jingcheng's death must be connected to her. Lu Jingxiu made up his mind. "Aunt's actions are becoming increasingly incomprehensible. Since that's the case, I'm determined to get to the bottom of this."
Lu Jingyun shrank back. "Fifth Brother, Aunt will be furious if she finds out."
Lu Jingxiu pressed his lips together, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. Yet after a moment, his skepticism ultimately prevailed.Lu Jingxiu snorted noncommittally, "If you don't want others to know, don't do it. Aunt often says one must be upright. I want to see what tricks she's playing this time. If I find out she's shielding outsiders to harm the Lu family, I won't stand for it either."
Lu Jingyun felt somewhat fearful, but seeing Lu Jingxiu speak this way, he didn't dare refute, only meekly saying, "Then... alright... I'll go with Fifth Brother!"
...
Qin Guan returned to the Lotus Pavilion and immediately summoned Bai Feng.
Bai Feng didn't know what Qin Guan wanted, "Does the princess consort have orders for this servant?"
Qin Guan nodded, "I want you to make a trip to Jianzhou City."
Hearing this, Bai Feng and the others were all surprised. Bai Feng instinctively responded, "But my master instructed this servant to protect the princess consort without leaving your side."
Qin Guan chuckled, "What could possibly happen to me here? With such incidents occurring in the estate, the longer it remains unresolved, the more distressed grandmother becomes. The various uncles aren't easily dealt with either. If conflicts arise, it would be difficult for us to maintain our position. The sooner we clarify this matter, the better."
The thought of a murderer residing in the garden made even Bai Feng shudder. Though Yan Chi had given strict orders, he couldn't refuse Qin Guan's instructions either.
Bai Feng sighed, "Then... this servant can go alone. The others should continue guarding the princess consort."
Qin Guan smiled and nodded, "Naturally, you alone are sufficient for this task."
Bai Feng waited quietly for Qin Guan's instructions. Qin Guan spoke carefully, "I want you to go to Jianzhou for one purpose only - to find out exactly where Lu Jingcheng went during his several visits to Jianzhou City. He likely went for debauchery, but I want to know which courtesans he visited in those pleasure quarters. The more detailed, the better."
Upon hearing this, Bai Feng found the task not difficult, though somewhat complicated. He immediately responded, "Very well, this servant will depart now and surely return by tomorrow."
Qin Guan had initially wanted Bai Feng to leave the next morning, but Bai Feng wished to return quickly to White Deer Isle to watch over Qin Guan, so he naturally wouldn't comply.
Unable to persuade him, within half an hour Bai Feng had departed from White Deer Isle. Not long after Bai Feng left, Huang Momo arrived, carrying a drawing. She said somewhat apologetically, "This servant is unskilled in detailed painting. This drawing is rather crude. Please don't disdain it, princess consort."
Qin Guan examined the drawing, which contained not only neat diagrams but also written labels, making everything quite clear. She expressed satisfaction, "Don't be modest, Momma. We're not competing in calligraphy and painting here. Your work is most appropriate!"
As she spoke, she studied the drawing. The locations of the inner lake and wells were clearly marked, with even the central flower beds and pavilions indicated.
After examining it for a moment, Qin Guan pointed at Deer Pond, "Tomorrow morning, please send some people to dredge here, Momma. Are these two wells used frequently?"
Huang Momo looked where Qin Guan was pointing at the two southernmost wells in the East courtyard and shook her head, "Not frequently. This area is somewhat remote. Only those doing laundry occasionally use them."
Qin Guan nodded understandingly, "In that case, have people check these two wells as well."
Huang Momo first agreed, then asked somewhat puzzled, "Might this servant ask why we're doing this, princess consort?"Qin Guan smiled, "The fourth young master's set of clothes has gone missing. I suspect the killer took them to prevent any abnormalities from being discovered. It's unlikely they would bring the clothes back, and since it happened at night, the best method would be to discard them somewhere no one would notice. After much thought, these few locations are highly probable. Whether I'm right or not, we'll know tomorrow once we dredge them up. If the clothes are found, Momma, please bring them to the Lotus Pavilion."
Huang Momo suddenly understood, her gaze filled with admiration as she looked at Qin Guan. She respectfully acknowledged the order and left.
After Huang Momo departed, Qin Guan took out the two volumes of erotic illustrations again. She first flipped to the last few pages and glanced at them, then fell into deep thought. Before long, she snapped back to attention and casually browsed through the earlier pages. Though she was typically a person of serene composure, even she couldn't quite endure the obscene images. Losing interest in pondering the case, she closed the books, stored them in a cabinet, and retired for the night.
Since Yan Chi's departure, Qin Guan had been sleeping restlessly. The next morning, she rose early. Huang Momo, having received Qin Guan's instructions, naturally reported everything to Lu You Xin upon returning that night. Lu You Xin was astonished but instructed Huang Momo to follow the orders. Early the next day, Huang Momo led people to dredge the Deer Pond.
The commotion from the dredging quickly reached Lu Jingxiu, who hurried to the Deer Pond's edge and saw Huang Momo busily at work. Pretending to pass by, Lu Jingxiu approached and asked, "Momma, what are you dredging for?"
Huang Momo calmly smiled, "Fifth Young Master, we're fishing. There are a few white fish kept in this Deer Pond."
Lu Jingxiu grinned, "Oh? Do you need my help? I'm quite skilled at fishing."
Huang Momo waved her hands dismissively, "No need, no need. This is servants' work. Once we catch them, we'll send them to Orchid Fragrance Court. Fifth Young Master can simply enjoy the taste of fresh lake fish."
Lu Jingxiu agreed with a beaming smile and left without another word.
Though he departed, he didn't go far. Soon, Lu Jingyun approached and said, "Fifth Brother, Huang Momo isn't just dredging the Deer Pond—she's also dredging two wells to the south. I wonder what she's really after..."
Lu Jingxiu sneered, "There are no white fish in wells. Huang Momo is treating me like a child."
The two brothers hid in a bamboo grove not far from the Deer Pond, undeterred by the cold weather. Before long, a young male servant suddenly exclaimed, "We've found something!"
Lu Jingxiu's heart stirred as he watched Huang Momo rush over to the man. Then, a bundle of clothes hooked on a long pole was laboriously pulled from the lake. Huang Momo's face lit up with delight, "Quick! Hurry and bring it out—"
Several male servants worked together with their poles to drag the bundle to the shore. Unafraid of the icy water, Huang Momo stepped forward and personally picked up the dripping clothes. After dismissing the crowd, she headed west with two trusted maids.
Lu Jingyun murmured, "Fifth Brother, is she going to the Lotus Pavilion again?"
Lu Jingxiu frowned as he watched Huang Momo leave, then glanced back toward the Deer Pond, momentarily puzzled.
"Going to Green Pine Court in the middle of the night was one thing, but what is this about? Whose clothes did they dredge up?"Lu Jingyun could not answer, feeling even more perplexed than Lu Jingxiu. As they watched Huang Momo’s retreating figure vanish, Lu Jingxiu suddenly remarked, “It seems the situation is more complicated than we imagined. Could it be that Fourth Brother not only offended this delicate guest but also took something from her?”
After a pause, Lu Jingxiu added, “I must find a way to meet this delicate guest!”
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