Chapter 35: Garlic White Meat (Part 10)
Jing Qian served as a Director in the Ministry of Rites, frequently interacting with foreign envoys. Leng Yue had encountered several people in such positions, both living and deceased. Whether in life or death, they all meticulously adhered to three words—never suffer losses.
Therefore, when Jing Qian proposed conditions to her, Leng Yue wasn’t the least bit surprised.
She guessed that Jing Qian was most likely going to insist that everything he said must not leave the room, and if a fourth person found out, he would make her pay dearly.
Most officials in the Six Ministries had this peculiar habit.
Leng Yue tried her best to ignore the person who had sat down beside her, as radiant as a flower reflected in water. She nodded politely to Jing Qian and was about to say, “Third Brother, please speak,” but before the word “third” could leave her lips, the person beside her had already fluttered her eyelashes, smiled like a blooming flower, and addressed Jing Qian.
“Everyone in this room is family, Third Brother. Why be so formal?”
Normally, when Jing Yi acted shamelessly, she would also blink and grin cheekily. However, she usually wouldn’t be wearing such a pink, flower-like dress, nor would she have draped her damp hair over one shoulder, slightly lowering her slender, fair neck as she leisurely dried the ends in the palm of her hand…
Leng Yue suddenly felt that the Jing Yi before her seemed…
Rather expensive.
Jing Qian seemed to think so too, because Leng Yue noticed the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably—exactly like the expression of a man who, after a night of brothel hopping fueled by alcohol and indulging in all sorts of activities, wakes up the next morning only to realize he has no silver on him.
What regret…
His face even turned a shade of green from the regret.
“This doesn’t concern you.”
Jing Yi frowned with a hint of a smile, like a spring breeze ruffling the surface of water—gentle yet with a subtle ripple. “How could it not concern me? Third Brother, you know very well that every matter of hers, no matter how trivial, is my matter.”
Leng Yue was taken aback, suddenly recalling a phrase Jing Yi had once used to describe her.
Elegant and intelligent.
A winding blue vein appeared on Jing Qian’s handsome temple.
Leng Yue pressed her lips together.
One of her main purposes in coming to the Jing residence today was to extract some information about Xiao Yunde from Jing Qian. She absolutely did not want to fail at such a critical moment, for such a reason.
“Third Brother…” Leng Yue clasped her hands solemnly toward Jing Qian. “This case has already claimed four lives, and it’s highly likely more people will fall victim. To apprehend the murderer as soon as possible, I beg you to speak frankly.”
Jing Qian expressionlessly picked up the teacup in front of him, took a slow sip, and seemed to ponder for a long while before setting it down. He then said indifferently, “In that case, four conditions.”
Four…
When Jing Qian mentioned one condition, she had a rough idea of what to expect. But four conditions…
Leng Yue tilted her head slightly and gave Jing Yi a deep look.
That look conveyed one word.
Go.
Her matters were his matters—he had just said so himself.
Whether Jing Yi understood or not, before Leng Yue could retract her gaze, Jing Yi had already turned to Jing Qian with an understanding smile. “Third Brother, you’re not going out tonight, are you?”Leng Yue was momentarily stunned, while Jing Qian also seemed confused, frowning slightly. "Do you need something?"
"No, no, no..." Jing Yi's smile deepened. "It's you who needs something."
"...I'm fine."
"No, no, no..." Jing Yi's smile grew even more pronounced. "You're about to have a problem."
Jing Qian's face remained expressionless, but the veins on his forehead visibly thickened.
After saying this, Jing Yi fell silent, picked up the teapot, refilled Leng Yue's teacup, poured one for himself, and calmly sipped it with an air of composure.
Hmm, Linglong porcelain kiln's teacups paired with the Cheng family's tea—at this moment, they truly carried an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Jing Qian was cautious and meticulous by nature. The advantage was safety; he rarely made mistakes in his work. The downside was that if he knew even the slightest bit about something, he would spare no effort to uncover every last detail. Otherwise...
Leng Yue recalled that Jing Yi had once mentioned that Jing Qian always traveled by sedan chair, afraid that if he overheard fortune-tellers on the street with their half-spoken predictions, he would be unable to resist paying to hear them finish their obviously nonsensical tales.
Sure enough, Jing Qian took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Three conditions... Speak. What problem do I have?"
Leng Yue raised an eyebrow slightly. She couldn't guess what Jing Yi was about to say.
Jing Yi's delicate Adam's apple trembled slightly as he swallowed the peculiarly flavored tea. He elegantly set down his cup, looked sincerely at Jing Qian, and said earnestly, "You are about to face a calamity involving bloodshed."
"..."
After speaking seriously, Jing Yi fell silent again.
Jing Qian turned to look at Leng Yue, but her gaze remained fixed on Jing Yi's chest, as if she were intently studying how many layers of clothing he wore underneath.
Jing Qian slowly regulated his breathing, tightened his grip on the teacup, and said without changing his expression, "Two conditions... Tell me, why am I facing a calamity involving bloodshed?"
"Because you share a fundamental commonality with the four victims in this case."
Leng Yue was taken aback. Her gaze abruptly lifted from Jing Yi's flat chest and landed on his smiling face.
The reason this case had been exceptionally assigned to Leng Yue, bypassing the usual hierarchy, was not only because no one else dared or was capable of investigating cases with victims in such a state but also because it involved not only Prince Yu's son, Xiao Yunde, but also another somewhat important person.
Thus, Leng Yue had only given Jing Yi a superficial overview of the case.
If she remembered correctly, the only commonality Jing Yi clearly knew about these four victims seemed to be...
Poisonous sores.
Leng Yue silently turned her head and scrutinized Jing Qian again.
Although Jing Qian didn't seem like the type to frequent brothels, he kept such coquettish women's clothing in his room...
Given Jing Qian's depth of cunning, it was hard to say.
This time, Jing Qian didn't wait long before resigning himself and saying, "One condition."
"First," Jing Yi lowered his voice slightly, leaning forward with a seriousness that didn't quite match his attire, "you are all men."
"..."
Jing Qian tightened his grip, nearly crushing the teacup.
What made it worse was that Jing Yi had prefaced it with "first," implying that there was more to come."Fine..." Jing Qian waited expressionlessly until the throbbing sensation at his temple subsided, then slowly released his cup before saying, "Finish what you have to say in one breath, and I'll answer Constable Leng's earlier question."
Jing Yi's smile deepened. "Also, like you, they were all alive before they died. That's all."
"..."
Leng Yue felt an urge to kiss Jing Yi.
Jing Qian clearly felt an urge to strangle him.
Jing Yi remained the calmest, his smile unchanged. "Third Brother, don't forget our family rule - those who break promises to family members..."
What happens to those who break promises to family members?
Leng Yue didn't know, but she guessed it must be a consequence far more severe than kneeling in the ancestral hall, because before Jing Yi could finish, Jing Qian's expression darkened slightly as he cut in loudly, "Yes, on the night of August 13th, Xiao Yunde was indeed with me."
Leng Yue's expression turned serious, her back straightening instinctively as she asked crisply yet politely, "Then when and where did Third Brother meet with Xiao Yunde, and when and where did you part ways?"
Jing Qian's complexion inexplicably improved.
Brothers share a connection - when Jing Qian's expression improved, Jing Yi's expression soured.
Jing Yi's heart clenched. He had just opened his mouth to speak when Jing Qian swiftly cut through the complication, "Later, kill all the remaining chickens, ducks, geese, fish, shrimp, and crabs for me."
Jing Yi's open mouth froze for a moment, nearly straining his tongue.
Leng Yue was also taken aback.
Was this the condition Jing Qian had originally intended to propose...
"If you don't agree, forget it."
"...No problem!"
"Including bleeding them, plucking feathers, and cleaning the guts."
"No problem."
Only then did Jing Qian comfortably stroke his teacup and say calmly, "I met him at the Sparrow Nest Brothel during the Hour of the Pig and parted ways at the Sparrow Nest Brothel during the Hour of the Rat, with Hua Mei as witness."
Leng Yue was startled, her brows involuntarily furrowing.
What kind of place was the Sparrow Nest Brothel?
The number one brothel in the capital.
According to Leng Yue's investigation, since returning to the capital half a year ago, Xiao Yunde had become a regular there, often spending entire nights and throwing away money like dirt.
Who was Hua Mei?
The Top Courtesan of the Sparrow Nest Brothel.
According to what she personally told Leng Yue, Xiao Yunde was indeed her regular customer, but that night she hadn't seen even a single strand of Xiao Yunde's hair.
Either Hua Mei or Jing Qian must be lying through their teeth.
Leng Yue glanced at Jing Yi.
Jing Yi showed no indication that Jing Qian was talking nonsense.
But Hua Mei...
Leng Yue gently bit her lip, turning her gaze to the still unperturbed Jing Qian, her voice slightly lowered, "Is Third Brother certain?"
Jing Qian raised his eyebrows slightly, giving Leng Yue a deep look.
Leng Yue repeated her question clearly and deliberately, "Is Third Brother certain it was from the Hour of the Pig to the Hour of the Rat, at the Sparrow Nest Brothel, with Miss Hua Mei as witness?"
Jing Qian didn't answer, his expression showing no trace of pleasure or displeasure. He merely stood up unhurriedly, brushed the light dust from his clothes, and let out a soft sigh. "I have no conditions to propose for now. You may stay here until your clothes dry. The creatures that need killing are in the courtyard behind the kitchen."
With that, Jing Qian stepped back from the table, turned and walked to the door, reaching out to pull it open.
As he reached for the door, Jing Qian sensed someone outside. The visitor must have come for some urgent matter, as their breathing was somewhat heavy when they stopped at the doorway.
Jing Qian found this perfectly normal.This lukewarm season was precisely when foreign tribes loved sending envoys to pay tribute. The rulers of those small countries nestled in remote corners weren't fools - this was when the Central Plains had granaries bursting with grain and autumn fruits abundant. They would come bearing a few worthless exotic trinkets, spinning extravagant tales about them, then squeeze out a few tears lamenting their people's hardships. Even for the sake of the Central Kingdom's dignity, the Emperor couldn't bring himself to send them back empty-handed.
Jing Qian's primary task was to haggle with these envoys until they could devise a solution that preserved the Emperor's dignity, protected the national treasury's resources, yet still sent these envoys skipping happily homeward.
Therefore, it wasn't just the officials from the Three Judicial Departments who were mentally exhausted this season - it was perfectly normal for someone to urgently seek him out at his doorstep during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Thus, Jing Qian opened the door without hesitation.
So hastily that when his forehead got struck with a "thump," making him see stars from the pain, he still hadn't clearly seen who was standing at his doorway.
"Good heavens, mother of mine!"
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