Xiao Jinyu showed no trace of pity for him. "Speak. What did those dung beetles tell you?"
"Wait, I was just trying to make them lower their guard... This damned place doesn't even have crickets or anything, but there happened to be an old physician who kept a jar of dung beetles for treating malignant sores. Anyway, the military camp only forbids gambling and cockfighting or cricket fights—it never said anything about racing dung beetles rolling dung balls..." Jing Yi grew increasingly pleased with himself as he spoke. "They were having a great time playing, but the one I picked was the most obedient—wherever I nudged it onto a path, it would roll straight along that track without ever swerving randomly. It won four rounds straight—everyone in that tent just now has been my grandson..."
"So what did these grandsons tell you?"
"All three deceased had been wounded, stayed in the medical tent, and one even hanged himself right inside the medical tent. Now, unless they're too injured to leave their beds, none of the wounded soldiers will stay in the medical tent anymore. Even the physicians and assistants staying there at night are trembling with fear... Last night I drank too much tea and couldn't sleep, so I wandered around pretending to be a ghost and ended up scaring a young medicine-pounding assistant to tears—his crying was so dramatic it could shake heaven and earth..."
"What else?"
"One physician grandson said... all three deceased had previously suffered from malignant sores that were treated with these dung beetles. I heard these little creatures are quite effective—what did that old physician call them again... Iron Armor Generals!"
"And then?"
"Then... there is no 'then'."
Xiao Jinyu frowned slightly, and Jing Yi immediately straightened his posture. "I'll go back and continue questioning those grandsons!"
Jing Yi had just turned away when he spun back around. "There's one more thing that's not very important... I'm not sure if I should mention it to you."
"Speak."
"Never mind, never mind... Better let Leng Yue tell you. It's safer when she says it..."
"..."
When Xiao Jinyu returned to his sleeping quarters, Chu Chu had just finished bathing, droplets still clinging to the ends of her hair. He pulled her onto his lap, took a towel and began drying her hair while gently scolding, "Running out without drying your hair properly—what if you catch a cold?"
Chu Chu wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing against his chest and breathing in his familiar medicinal scent. "I heard you returning."
"Did you miss me?"
"Mhm!"
"It hasn't even been two hours..."
"I miss you when I can't see you... No, I miss you when I'm not holding you!"
Held tightly by Chu Chu, allowing her to pepper kisses randomly across his chest while he dried her hair—soft and shiny like black satin—Xiao Jinyu suddenly felt a strong desire to request an Imperial Decree from the Emperor. He wanted to be assigned to some remote village where nobody knew his identity, given some leisurely post that didn't require staying up late every night reviewing documents and case files. He would devote all his remaining time and energy to nothing but holding her like this, holding her until she grew tired of him, until she became annoyed with him... and even then he would shamelessly cling to her without letting go.
"Wang Ye..."
"Hmm?"
"I want to ask you for something."
One thing... he wouldn't hesitate even for a hundred things.
Xiao Jinyu's slender fingers combed through her still-damp hair, gently smoothing each strand. "Speak."
"Wang Ye, I want to perform an autopsy."
Xiao Jinyu froze, his fingers stiffening against her nape. "Huh?"Chu Chu clung to his stiffened shoulders, blinking her dewy eyes with an earnest expression. "I just conducted another thorough examination, but it still looks like suicide. Especially the one who strangled himself—the pressure and direction of the ligature marks on his neck clearly point to self-infliction. But I keep thinking Master’s reasoning makes sense too... why would someone with a beloved person in their heart still want to die? So... I want to perform an autopsy."
"To look for what?"
"I haven’t decided yet... but at the very least, I need to examine their stomach contents to see if they ingested anything unusual before death."
Xiao Jin Yu’s lips twitched into a strained smile. "Chu Chu... is an autopsy absolutely necessary?"
Pursing her lips, Chu Chu insisted, "If we don’t perform one... I have no other way to find answers."
"I need to discuss this with General Leng first..."
"Alright... but please be quick."
Xiao Jin Yu offered a faint, bitter smile, gently stroking her back. "Missing the corpses already?"
"Of course not!" She buried her face in his chest, nuzzling against him. "The Turkic forces only agreed to a five-day truce. If we don’t hurry... it’ll be too late..."
"Are you afraid of war?"
"Not at all!" She frowned slightly, tracing the sharp angles of his gaunt face. "I’m only worried someone might hurt you... You mustn’t fall ill again."
He pressed a light kiss to her palm. He longed to promise he’d never be ill again, but such matters were beyond his control. He refused to disappoint her, even in the smallest of things.
"I’ll be very careful."
"And I’ll help make sure you are!"
"Good..."
His cool hand cupped her rosy cheek as he tilted his head, about to kiss the lips that never failed to warm his heart—when the tent flap suddenly flew open, letting in a gritty gust of cold wind.
"Wang Ye, something’s happened!"
☆、75 Fragrant Roasted Whole Lamb (XI)
Leng Yue burst into the tent, took in the scene before her, and—realizing retreat was impossible—dropped to her knees with a bowed head. "I beg your forgiveness, Wang Ye!"
"Speak."
"Jing Yi... Jing Yi has gone mad!"
Xiao Jin Yu remained silent for a moment. "What manner of madness?"
"True insanity... We were outside the camp roasting lamb over a fire when suddenly he tried to leap into the flames!"
Xiao Jin Yu stiffened. Chu Chu sprang from his lap, eyes wide with alarm. "Is Brother Jing alright?!"
"In my panic, I knocked him unconscious..." Leng Yue lifted her head, her anxious gaze fixed on Xiao Jin Yu, though her voice grew quieter and heavier. "Wang Ye... I fear the culprit has set his sights on Jing Yi."
"Did anyone see you leave?"
Without hesitation, she shook her head. "He carried me out... His lightness skill is more than enough to evade the soldiers in this camp."
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