Chapter 40: Garlic White Meat (Part 15)
Hua Mei's smile grew even more bewitching as she neither confirmed nor denied anything. Slender and supple as if boneless, she rose from the disheveled bed, picked up the outer garment Leng Yue had tossed over, and casually draped it over her smooth, alabaster skin. With a random tie of the sash, her grace surpassed that of a hundred meticulously adorned beauties outside this perfumed chamber.
Barefoot on the wool carpet covering the floor, Hua Mei walked to the table and poured a cup of cold boiled water. She tipped half into the nearby fish tank, quietly watching the lively goldfish for a moment before handing the remaining half to the frosty-faced Leng Yue. With a smile, she asked, "What, still about Prince Jing?"
Prince Jing, the fourth son of the current emperor and Consort Jin, born merely two hours after the Crown Prince. Had he not been inherently arrogant and solely devoted to sensual pleasures, the seat beneath the Crown Prince would likely be even more precarious.
Leng Yue had previously told Jing Yi that aside from Xiao Yunde and Cheng Xun, the victims in this case included the son of a wealthy merchant and the son of a high official—the latter being Prince Jing, Xiao Zhaoxuan.
He was the first body discovered in this case and the only one not found at his own doorstep. According to Jing Zhaoyin, the body was retrieved from the entrance of a laundress's home in a small village on the outskirts of the capital. The laundress had been frightened into madness.
Fortunately, Jing Zhaoyin had been promoted from a local post and was unfamiliar with these young, inexperienced princes of the capital. Xiao Zhaoxuan himself disliked appearing in official circles, so Jing Zhaoyin remained unaware of the deceased's identity until the body was handed over to Prince An's residence. Prince An simply kept silent, discreetly suppressing the news.
Having once served as Prince An's personal guard, Leng Yue understood his every move perfectly. With the emperor's health declining these past two years, men of the Xiao clan lived in turbulent times. This case needed to be resolved swiftly and quietly—the quieter, the better.
Hence, Leng Yue had agreed to a three-day deadline.
Watching Leng Yue expressionlessly accept the half-cup of water, Hua Mei's smile deepened as she sighed softly. "I've already told you, Prince Jing was indeed my guest, but he hasn't visited for quite some time. I don't know where he's been recently, nor in which maiden's perfumed chamber he's currently eating mooncakes..." At the mention of mooncakes, Hua Mei turned her slender neck, casting a regretful glance at the plate of exquisitely crafted lotus seed paste mooncakes on the table. "The fillings here aren't pure—I've added a few extra ingredients men enjoy. I won't offer you any."
"I'm not asking about Prince Jing," Leng Yue said, clutching the cup without bringing it to her lips, her gaze fixed deeply on the willow-slender Hua Mei leaning against the table. Her voice was cold and firm. "I'll ask you again: did Xiao Yunde come here on the night of August 13th?"
A mesmerizing smile bloomed at the upturned corners of Hua Mei's eyes. "I've already said no."
Leng Yue's brow tightened slightly, her grip on the teacup firming. "But someone told me they saw Xiao Yunde here between 9 PM and 1 AM that night, right under your nose."
Hua Mei's lips curved, parting to reveal a row of pearly teeth. "Was it Ministry of Rites official Jing Qian who said that, hmm?"Leng Yue was taken aback, but before she could ask, Hua Mei shook her head with a smile. "I didn't see Boss Xiao—that's the truth. But I did see Lord Jing. He came looking for Boss Xiao that night too. After searching upstairs and downstairs without finding him, he told me that if anyone asked about Boss Xiao, I should say he'd been with me all night."
Leng Yue's brows furrowed into a tight knot, her thoughts twisting just as tightly.
Though Xiao Yunde was Prince Yu's descendant, he was ultimately just a porcelain kiln owner. Why would Jing Qian lie for him? And how could he lie so convincingly that even Jing Yi couldn't detect it?
Hua Mei seemed to read Leng Yue's doubts, her smiling eyes growing even more alluring, her voice soft as a melody. "You're my savior—I wouldn't lie to you."
Leng Yue felt no guilt hearing Hua Mei call her "savior."
She had once saved Hua Mei's life. Back then, as Prince An's guard, she was assisting him in investigating a case of missing young women. While Prince An was momentarily distracted, she ventured deep into the mountains alone and rescued dozens of girls hidden away by traffickers. Hua Mei was the oldest among them, yet the most beautiful.
Leng Yue distinctly remembered that Hua Mei had become the concubine of Fifth Prince Hui Wang, Xiao Zhao Ye, the year before last. Heaven knew how she'd ended up as the top courtesan at Sparrow Nest Brothel.
Hua Mei's explanation was that the food at Sparrow Nest was better than that in the prince's residence.
Leng Yue had eaten several meals here but still couldn't taste what was so special about it.
Rolling her eyes, Leng Yue gulped down the half-cup of cold water in one go and said irritably, "If I'd known you'd end up in this profession anyway, I might as well have let those traffickers sell you off earlier. You'd have been younger then. By saving you, I only delayed your fortune."
Hua Mei smiled without responding.
Setting down the cup, Leng Yue pursed her lips and looked at Hua Mei, who, nearing thirty, still had the radiant complexion of a sixteen-year-old. Her voice softened involuntarily. "Sister Hua Mei... you know about Prince Jing's poisonous sore, don't you?"
Hua Mei nodded frankly.
"And you know it's contagious and deadly, right?"
Hua Mei smiled faintly, moved to Leng Yue's side, and took her non-sword hand, placing it on her own snow-white wrist.
Leng Yue felt her pulse and started in surprise.
"Don't be afraid..." Hua Mei gave a charming smile, though a trace of bitterness seeped through. "The cup you drank from was specially prepared for you. No one else has touched it, and I never use it. Rest assured... You're the purest woman I've ever met. I welcome your visits, but I'd never let this filthy place taint you."
"Sister Hua Mei..."
Hua Mei withdrew her hand with a smile and pointed helplessly at the man still motionless under the bed. "Your doing... I can't move him."
Leng Yue gritted her teeth, said nothing more, walked back to the bed, and effortlessly tossed the man's plump body back onto it. When she turned around, she was startled again.
Hua Mei was leaning against the table, calmly chewing on half a mooncake.
Leng Yue snatched the mooncake away and stared in disbelief at Hua Mei's untroubled expression. "Didn't you say... didn't you say this place was unclean?!"Hua Mei gave a faint, serene smile and took the half-eaten mooncake back from Leng Yue's hand. "When you get older, if you don't eat some unclean things, you won't have food to eat... If there's nothing else, you should leave quickly. In a moment, I won't be able to face anyone..."
Leng Yue clenched her teeth and stood for a moment. Just as she turned around and was about to leap out the window, she heard Hua Mei call out softly to her.
"I don't know how many days I have left... There's something I must remind you."
"Go ahead."
Hua Mei pursed her crimson lips, her beautiful eyes filled with visible pity, her voice slightly lowered. "The Fourth Young Master Jing, he's not as clean as you imagine."
Leng Yue was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
As soon as Leng Yue finished speaking, the man she had thrown on the bed groaned and stirred. Hua Mei gave Leng Yue an apologetic glance, took another fierce bite of the mooncake in her hand, removed the only outer garment she was wearing, and walked back to the bed...
A name that Leng Yue had just wiped clean resurfaced in her mind.
By the time Leng Yue returned to the residence, the rain had cleared and the sky was blue, with the sun high overhead. Jing Yi was not in the room, nor was Uncle Qi. After searching around, Leng Yue finally found Uncle Qi near the stables.
"Madam..." Having been scolded so harshly by Leng Yue last night, Uncle Qi couldn't help but tremble inwardly at the sight of her returning with a gloomy expression. He hurriedly said, "The master... the master has gone out, to the Dali Temple... Just now, people from the Ministry of Justice came to collect the coffin. I checked their credentials and had them leave a note for you before letting them take it away... I had someone clean the stables. Is there anything you need, Madam?"
Looking at the nervous Uncle Qi and recalling the anger she had vented in her panic last night, Leng Yue felt somewhat apologetic. Her words came out particularly polite. "It's fine, everything's good... Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Qi."
Uncle Qi breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hands repeatedly. "No trouble at all... Have you had breakfast yet, Madam? Shall I have someone bring you something to eat?"
Leng Yue's stomach rumbled honestly.
She had only eaten sacrificial offerings last night, so it was about time she felt hungry. Remembering that today was the final deadline she had promised Prince An to solve the case, and that if she didn't eat this meal, she didn't know when or where the next one would be, Leng Yue nodded. "Don't bring breakfast. Bring lunch instead."
"Yes."
"Wait..." Leng Yue called out to Uncle Qi, who was about to turn and leave, and drew him aside, lowering her voice slightly. "Uncle Qi, do you know Feng Si'er?"
Uncle Qi froze, his expression turning panicked. His lips trembled. "Madam... I've only heard of her."
"What have you heard?"
"She... she's just a girl from the Sparrow Nest Brothel..."
Leng Yue let out a faint "Oh." "I saw her yesterday. She mentioned Jing Yi to me."
Uncle Qi stiffened as if he had been slapped, and he hurriedly said, "Madam, please investigate clearly! The master has absolutely no connection with that woman!"
Leng Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, looking calmly at Uncle Qi, who seemed about to climb the walls in his anxiety. "Didn't you just say you'd only heard of her? How do you know whether Jing Yi has any connection with her or not?"
Uncle Qi choked up. Looking at Leng Yue, whose gaze had unknowingly sharpened like a blade, he sighed bitterly. "Madam... Madam, please investigate clearly. I have indeed seen her. The master brought her home once..."Leng Yue couldn't see her own expression at that moment, but she guessed it must have looked even worse than if she'd been struck by lightning.
"When did this happen?"
"A long time ago, just... just when the master first moved here..." Uncle Qi whispered before hurriedly adding, "That woman only came once and never showed up again after that. If I'm lying by even one word, may heaven strike me dead with lightning!"
"Fine."
After giving this brief response, Leng Yue turned and walked away.
"Madam..." Uncle Qi mustered his courage to stop her, "Will... will you still be having your meal?"
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Leng Yue frowned slightly and thought for a moment, "I want braised pork knuckles with rock sugar. Two of them, big ones."
"Yes... yes!"
The maid Ji Qiu was the one who brought the food to Leng Yue's room. When she entered, Leng Yue was inside pounding a pillow—Jing Yi's pillow, wrapped in one of Jing Yi's garments—creating muffled thuds with each strike. It looked quite satisfying to vent her anger this way.
Ji Qiu hesitated at the doorway before finally gathering her courage to enter.
"Madam, your meal is ready."
Hearing this, Leng Yue casually dropped the pillow wrapped in Jing Yi's clothes and stood up calmly, smoothing her dress. "Hmm... the master's clothes have wrinkles. I was trying to pound them flat to see if it would work."
"Madam... you could just give such tasks to me."
Leng Yue responded absently as she walked to the table. Her eyes swept over the bowls and plates Ji Qiu had arranged before settling on the plate of braised pork knuckles with rock sugar. Indeed, there were two of them, both large.
"Madam, the steward had the kitchen prepare extra pork knuckles. If these aren't enough, I can bring you more."
Ji Qiu tried her best to say this calmly, but Leng Yue's response was even more composed, "Good."
Ji Qiu watched wide-eyed as Leng Yue reached out and grabbed one of the pork knuckles with her bare hand, finally losing her composure. "Madam... please enjoy your meal slowly. Ji Qiu will take her leave now."
Just as Ji Qiu turned around and before she could take a step, she heard Leng Yue call her name.
"Wait."
Holding a massive pork knuckle in her hand while staring at the other even larger one on the plate, Leng Yue took a slow breath. "Come over here and have some with me."
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