The next day started with the sunlight peeking through from behind the clouds and mountain, Xiao Fan was in the carriage with Li Wang heading back to the palace. Xiao Fan's face rested on her hand as she starring into space, Li Wang was staring at some paper documents with boredom in his eyes. While Xiao Fan on the other hand was thinking of a way to escape her brother's wrath.
" Your highness! General Li Wang and Lady Xiao Fan have arrived. " The 1st Imperial Prince's eunuch reported to Qing He Hou, with a bow and his hands in front of him. His eyes gave a glance, then nodded and dismissed the eunuch with the wave of his hand. With the sudden realization hit him like a rock, he quickly stood up and jumped about like a little kid getting a new toy. He Hou's eyes were shining with happiness, but he broke his posture, the calm and collected prince of the Qing Empire... Disappeared and was replaced with an unknown human being...
The eunuch sweat dropped at the future king's antics, He Hou saw his eunuch stood there frozen in place. He quickly stopped and placed his hands behind his back and started to pace around the room, he gave out a cough. " Let the both of them know that I will be there in a few minutes, and also notify the rest of the Royal Family that Xiao Mei is back while you're on it. " He ordered his eunuch, the eunuch bowed with his hand together in front of him, then left to carry out his tasks.
Then He Hou peeked at the direction where the eunuch left, to make sure the coast was clear, after making sure it was and double-checked, it's because he didn't want people to hurt his pride and face. Although only a few people knew of this behavior of his, they kept this within the palace walls although they do tease him about this. He Hou was 100% sure that no one was there, he proceeded to squeal like a kid. As he squealed birds flew away from that location, whereas some had ear cancer from there on out. Okay, straight to the point, many servants think that after he has taken over the Qing Empire, it might be their downfall.
Anyway, He Hou quickly rushed out of his study room to go see his Xiao Mei, let's just say, along the way he had tripped and fallen over stones and pebbles. He Hou also fixed and straightened his hanfu along the way.
While Li Wang and Xiao Fan were sitting in the ShanZha Hall, this place was where all the meetings or celebrations were held. The ShanZha Hall was most often used by the 4 noble families and the Royal family as a gathering place, the reason why it's called the ShanZha Hall it's because the ShanZha is a flowering plant. Each time a flower blooms a new friendship would be born between the families, plus the flower has five petals. Each petal representing each family, it is also said that fairies lived under the ShanZha as it's guardians.
Xiao Fan was playing with her Xiao Bao, she was smiling looking at baby rabbit eating the lettuce. As if it was like it was eating all of its worries away. She subconsciously went to grab her bracelet, it something that her mother left behind for her before she died, the painful memories of growing up with her mother then in a snap of a finger everything flashed before her. One day, her mother was there and the next she was gone.
Li Wang looked at her with a tint of pity in his eyes, he could only hope she could let this go and accept the fact that every single second people are being born and die. But it was easier said than done, Li Wang sighed. Out of the blue, He Hou started bouncing into the hall. Gold sparks and stars were all dancing around him, ' I hope those sparks catch on fire. ' Xiao Fan and Li Wang thought the same thing as they looked at each other.
" Xiao Mei~ Guess What? " Just by him speak like this, shivers went down Xiao Fan's spine, she quickly hid behind Li Wang. As the ball of happiness started skipping up the smalls steps leading to the hall, " You're not going to be here for a few months? " She asked with hope in her eyes, as her head popped out from behind of Li Wang. " Close- " He Hou was about to continue until Xiao Fan cut him off with, " Not close enough. " She said with no emotions what so ever. While He Hou froze like a stone statue, then he cracked and started to chase his youngest sibling with tears streaming down his face. Indeed he was being dramatic.
Xiao Fan was panicking as she kept moving out of the way to avoid any of his hugs and mucus, she kept giving glances towards Li Wang asking him for help. Li Wang's eyes showed amusement and didn't bother to stop anything, Xiao Fan wanted to punch her brother in the face and kick Li Wang to the moon for betraying and leaving her like this at the moment. Just as Xiao Fan was about the explode, Li Wang sighed and looked at the dizzy bunny in her hands he couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
" Your highness, please stop this antics of yours. What would the citizens and others think of you after they see you like this? And this childlike behavior is getting old. " Li Wang said breaking to both of them up.
" Of course it's getting old, he's ageing remember. Soon he'd become super old, besides I think Er Ge would be a better ruler. Since he is more matured. " Xiao Fan said as she snickered slightly, but due to what she said, made the situation became worse.
He Hou was quickly at Xiao Fan's leg, holding her hand, " Xiao Mei, the Qing Empire's Zi ShuiJing. What have I done to wrong you? I will do anything to gain your forgiveness! " He said as Xiao Fan walked away from him and said, " Then stay 4 meters away from me. " She said as ran away from He Hou, but both of them were quickly caught by Li Wang by the collar. He was like a person holding two cats and stopping them from fighting each other any further.
" Enough, let me remind the both of you. We have better things to do than just play cat and mouse all day. Okay, yesterday night, 3 people disappeared suddenly. However their families had been murdered, this incident happened in the residence of the Zhang Market. " Li Wang said, getting the both of them down to business. Papers and documents about the people that had previously disappeared along with the three new cases.
' Their all-female names, each night for the past 4 days, 3 people disappeared at the same timing, 3 am. Why? ' Xiao Fan thought, " Have you sent anyone to patrol? " Xiao Fan asked Li Wang.
" We have but nothing every time we have someone go on patrol nothing happens, but when we have any females patrolling, they disappeared along with the victims. " Li Wang replied Xiao Fan's question, ' Was this some kind of resentful soul that hates females or something else? The Zhang Market could indeed be a hot spot for resentful souls since they have so many people there during the day, not only that many stores sell magic potions and like magical stuff. Souls feed off of those kinds of things too. ' Xiao was started debating about this in her head.
" Why isn't anyone serving General Li Wang?! Where have our manners gone?! " He Hou shouted at the servants. Sure, he would dismiss them if they broke things. But manners and efficiency was something he wouldn't take lightly on. A vein popped up on Xiao Fan's forehead, she took a deep breath in and out.
" Can't you keep quiet you bipolar human! Li Wang ge, is there anyone else on this case or have all the victim's bodies been found? " She asked Li Wang as He Hou became an invisible man, he slumped his shoulders. ' My own sister threw me aside. ' He Hou thought as his eyes became watery and he was growing mushrooms in the corner of the hall.
" Yes, there is. It's my brother, in fact, I think both of you might have met. His name is Zhang Luo Lan, his is around your age actually. " Li Wang answered her question, ' That emo faced, cold aura with the turquoise hanfu guy is his brother?! ' Xiao Fan thought in shocked, " Well then let us go to the site to see if we can find anything else. " Xiao Fan spoke.
It didn't take long for the trio to reach to the Zhang Market, once they reached the site. The place was swarming with some royal soldiers and some from the Zhang family, the royal soldiers wore black and red hanfu while the Zhang wore white and a very light pastel turquoise hanfu. But one person stood out the most, one male stood in the middle of everything, giving out orders. He wore a deep but bright turquoise hanfu, his features were very defined, he looked like a very strict and scary teacher in school.
" Luo Lan! This is Lady Qing Xiao Fan, the 5th Imperial Princess of the Qing Empire. I'm sure the both of you have bumped into each other a few times now, but have never been introduced formally. And also bring her to the bodies and stay by her side. " Li Wang ordered, Luo Lan looked at her expressionlessly. Then started to walk away, Xiao Fan was blurred at what had just happened. But she took it as a sign to follow him, which she did. She followed him to the backyard, where those bodies had been taken to. Their bodies were placed inside coffins and magic seals place on the wooden box.
Xiao Fan bent down to slowly inspected them, they all had paperwhite skins, however, all of them had clean cuts on almost the same spot their necks. These people wanted these families dead quickly, most souls would have taken their time to scare and feed off of their fear but this was different. These families weren't poor neither were they well to do, so they might not have offended someone. Upon looking closer at the bodies there a few red very thin lines on the wrists, necks basically their joints. Their spine had been shattered into a million pieces. There were so many questions swarming around Xiao Fan's brain.
Time passed as Xiao Fan tried to come up with some kind of conclusion or even a theory, but all everything hit dead ends. " Lady Xiao Fan we have to head back to the tavern. That was the 1st Prince and Yi Ge's ( First brother ) orders. " Luo Lan told Xiao Fan, she stood up and stumbled a bit due to her bending too long under the sun. But Luo Lan was quick on his feet, he quickly caught her.
The sun was almost setting, Luo Lan and Xiao Fan were walking back to the tavern. Since Xiao Fan managed to convince Luo Lan that they should not take the carriage. That convincing included irritating and a lot of teasing.
" I know! Since you always have a cold face and monotone voice, so from today onwards. I'd call you Bing Qi Ling, but that is too long. How about Ling Ling for short? Or maybe Bing Bing or Ah-Ling maybe even Ah-Bing? " Xiao Fan said about of the blue, while they continued walking with a smile on her face.
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~ Words ~
ShanZha - Hathorn
Er Ge - Second brother