Chapter 16

Lin Qing did not care in the slightest and winked at Liu Ye. "Look, didn't he just confess?"

Liu Ye helplessly rubbed his brow and whispered a reminder, "The various officials are still lying in the front hall. Please, be serious!"

"I know, I know." Lin Qing waved her hand dismissively and turned back to Chen San. "Who was in charge of the water?"

"It was..." Chen San wiped away the cold sweat that had broken out on his forehead, no longer daring to play tricks. "It was Yin Yue, the Prince's head maid."

Liu Ye asked, "Which one is Yin Yue?"

Chen San was terrified. "Yin Yue is not here."

Lin Qing chuckled at this. "Didn't you just say everyone was here?"

Chen San explained, "Yin Yue serves the Prince personally, so she is naturally different from a lowly laborer like me. After the incident earlier, she went to the front to serve."

Meng Jie immediately led a few Tianlu Guards out to search for Yin Yue. They returned a cup of tea later, though their expressions were grim. Meng Jie reported to Lin Qing, "Deputy Envoy, Yin Yue is dead. Her body was found in the garden pond. The pond... the water is barely knee-deep."

Lin Qing was stunned. "Drowned?"

"Yes," Meng Jie replied.

Lin Qing and Liu Ye hurried to the side of the garden pond. Yin Yue’s body lay on the bank, eyes wide open, her nose and mouth filled with mud and sand, her abdomen bloated. The elderly coroner was still the one performing the examination.

Lin Qing’s gaze fell on Yin Yue’s fingernails. Something seemed to be glittering in the crevices. She took a fine needle from the coroner’s kit and scraped the nail beds. Fine powder and skin fragments stained with blood fell onto a white sheet of paper. Lin Qing carefully separated the skin fragments from the powder.

Liu Ye looked over, puzzled. "Does that look like gold dust?"

Lin Qing nodded. "It is."

Liu Ye asked, "What is the use of this gold dust?"

"There are many uses, but particles of this size..." Lin Qing carefully nudged the tiny golden grains. They weren't quite dust; they were more like tiny, irregularly shaped flakes that had been specifically polished. "Do you know how to dye fingernails?"

Liu Ye was speechless. "I am a man; how would I know such things?"

Lin Qing continued, "It’s a recent trend in the capital. First, you dye the nails red as a base, then apply a second layer of balsam mixed with a transparent adhesive and gold dust. Once it dries and you walk outside, the nails shine with a golden luster against the red. It’s quite beautiful."

Liu Ye immediately understood. "Only the wealthy or noble could afford such gold. The killer must be of high status."

Lin Qing didn't think so. "There is another type of person who could afford it."

Liu Ye recalled Ge Yi’s words and looked at her. "Are you suspecting Liu Xiangxue?"

Lin Qing washed her hands in the basin brought by a subordinate. "It’s not quite a suspicion yet; I need to see her first."

Liu Ye asked, "Where shall we meet her?"

Lin Qing pointed at the corpse on the ground. "Right here."

If Liu Xiangxue truly were the killer, she would eventually reveal a flaw.

***

With Lin Qing’s order, Liu Xiangxue was soon brought over. As the top courtesan of the capital, Liu Xiangxue was indeed a beauty. Her cyan-blue dress seemed to glow on her, and her movements were graceful, leaving a trail of fragrance. Many men stared, unable to look away, and couldn't help but sniff the air.

Lin Qing, however, couldn't help but frown and sneezed three times in a row.

Liu Ye looked at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. My sense of smell is quite sharp; I’m a bit allergic," Lin Qing said, rubbing her nose and pressing several acupoints, which finally made the air feel fresher.

When Liu Xiangxue approached and saw the corpse covered by the white cloth, she was startled, her face turning pale. Had it not been for her maid supporting her, she might have collapsed to her knees. After a moment to compose herself, she bowed gracefully. "Liu Xiangxue greets the two officials."

"Miss Liu, please rise," Lin Qing said, offering a gesture of support. "I have summoned you here to ask a few questions."

Liu Xiangxue replied, "Please ask, my lady. I will answer everything I know."

Lin Qing took the ledger from Liu Ye, opened it to the page with Liu Xiangxue’s name, and asked, "As the lead courtesan of the Chunfeng Pavilion, why did you enter the Prince's estate as a musician?"

Liu Xiangxue managed a bitter smile. "Life in the Chunfeng Pavilion is not easy. When this opportunity arose, I took it. I don't fear being laughed at, but while I may seem glamorous now, every woman eventually ages and fades. I had to find a way out for myself."

Lin Qing asked, "Given your status, you shouldn't have been allowed into the Prince's estate. Who let you in?"

Liu Xiangxue hesitated for a moment before saying, "It was... Miss Ge Yi. She and I have known each other since childhood. She couldn't bear to see me suffer in the pavilion, so she took this desperate measure, hoping I could find a secure future. Ge Yi only acted out of concern for me; she took the wrong path. If you must blame someone, blame me."

"What a deep sisterly bond," Lin Qing remarked casually, then suddenly asked, "And is Miss Liu also an old acquaintance of the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yongning?"

Liu Xiangxue was caught off guard by this seemingly unrelated question. She lowered her head slightly, her seaweed-like hair masking the fleeting look of darkness and obscurity on her face.

Lin Qing pressed, "Is it difficult to answer?"

Liu Xiangxue countered, "Why would Lady Lin think that I know a noble lady of such standing?"

Lin Qing looked at her meaningfully. "The Tianlu Bureau naturally has its own channels of information. So, do you know her, or not?"

The conversation had reached this point. Liu Xiangxue’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, gripped tightly, her nails digging into her flesh. The pain helped her regain a sliver of clarity. The Tianlu Bureau was all-powerful; she wasn't sure how much Lin Qing knew. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Lin Qing.

Lin Qing added, "Miss Liu, you would do well to think carefully—about places like Rose Alley, for instance."

Liu Xiangxue’s eyes widened slightly. Her hand tightened, and her palm was pierced by her nails, drawing a drop of bright red blood. When she looked at Lin Qing again, her gaze held a flicker of terror and a momentary flash of killing intent. This Deputy Envoy of the Tianlu Bureau was far more dangerous than she had imagined.

She had been certain that no one saw what happened back then, and those thugs had long since died by her hand. How did Lin Qing find out?

"Three years ago, I was waylaid by thugs in Rose Alley. It was thanks to Miss Lin passing by that my life was saved. To repay her kindness, I helped Miss Lin manage a few shops. That is all."

Lin Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had no evidence; she was merely bluffing based on the plot of the original story. "What kind of shops?"

Liu Xiangxue replied, "Cosmetic shops. Being in the world of courtesans, I am particularly sensitive to rouge and powder. That is why Miss Lin entrusted me to look after the business."

Of course, that was only on the surface. Liu Xiangxue knew it, and Lin Qing knew it; there was no need to delve deeper into that for now.

Lin Qing asked, "And when did you reunite with Miss Ge?"

Liu Xiangxue sensed Lin Qing’s tenacity and tried to speak as little as possible. "One year ago."

Lin Qing smiled. "Miss Liu is so clever; you must know the relationship between Lin Junrou and the Prince of Rui. You should also know why Ge Yi resides in the Prince’s estate."

She held up her left hand. "One is a savior," she said, then held up her right hand, "the other is a childhood best friend. When two women fight over one man, one usually has to fall. If I were Miss Liu, I would think very carefully about who to help."

Liu Xiangxue’s smile was becoming difficult to maintain. "I don't understand what you are talking about, Lady Lin."

"No, you do," Lin Qing said, cutting through her pretense without mercy.

Liu Xiangxue’s eyes reddened. "Although I am a woman of the world, my life as cheap as grass, I cannot allow you to falsely accuse me like this."

"False accusation? Hardly worth the effort," Lin Qing scoffed. This Liu Xiangxue’s brain was certainly faster than Lin Junrou’s. "Did Ge Yi give you a box of lip tint?"

Liu Xiangxue paused, suddenly remembering something, and her expression turned ugly. "She did, but I sold it."

Lin Qing raised an eyebrow. "When did you sell it?"

Liu Xiangxue replied, "A month ago. A benefactor took a liking to that box of tint and bought it for three taels of gold."

Lin Qing asked, "What was his name and what did he look like?"

Liu Xiangxue recalled for a moment. "His looks were not a whit inferior to my own. I only know that his surname was Mu."

Lin Qing asked, "Mu Wantang?"

Liu Xiangxue said, "I overheard a friend who came with him mention it. It seems that was the name."

Lin Qing was amused. That was quite a large scapegoat to throw; she wondered if Mu Wantang could handle it. But at the very least, it confirmed that Liu Xiangxue and Mu Wantang knew each other, and they weren't on the same side—they might even have some petty grudges.

If they weren't together, things would be easier.

Lin Qing turned her head to see Liu Ye looking stern. She had to admit, that face of his really did look quite dashing.

"Does Lord Liu have something to say?"

Liu Ye pressed his lips together tightly. After a long moment, he said, "Beauty is but bones in the dust. Lady Lin, do not be misled by beauty, or the consequences will be more than either of us can handle."

The smile froze on Lin Qing’s face. If she were going to be misled by beauty, it would be by Liu Ye’s face, wouldn't it!

Forget it. She wouldn't get angry. One couldn't afford to be angry with such a straight-laced person. Lin Qing simply leaned against the side and left the rest for Liu Ye to handle.

Liu Ye asked, "Liu Xiangxue, do you know Yin Yue?"

Liu Xiangxue subconsciously glanced at the corpse covered by the white cloth. "This is my first time in the Prince's estate. I have only seen Miss Yin Yue from afar and knew she served the Prince."

The coroner estimated that Yin Yue had been dead for less than two hours. The poisoning in the front courtyard occurred around the hour of Si (9-11 AM), and it was now the end of the hour of Wei (1-3 PM). This pond was remote, and most of the estate servants were restricted from moving freely. It was only when the Tianlu Guards were searching that they found Yin Yue’s body.

Liu Ye asked, "What were you doing at noon? Can anyone testify? When was the last time you saw Yin Yue?"

Liu Xiangxue replied, "I was playing the zither in the side hall of the Zhuihua Pavilion. The musicians there can testify for me. As for Miss Yin Yue, I have never met her."

Liu Ye paused. Had he and Lin Qing suspected the wrong person?

"Whether it’s true or false, we’ll know if we go and check," Lin Qing said, walking past the two of them toward the Zhuihua Pavilion.