"So you're saying that he wanted to kill himself? Suicide?" I asked after much consideration. "You could say that master," Joeng Ki replied as I felt my knees feel weak and I dropped but luckily managed to hold on to a table before I fell. Yu Xuan saw this and dropped the file he was looking at and rushed over to support me. "Master what do you plan on telling your 'friend'," Jeong Ki asked "I don't know. I probably make up a random story and never tell him the truth," I replied whilst using my sleeves to wipe the sweat on my forehead. I looked at Yu Xuan as he smartly intervened between us and told Jeong Ki that we had to leave. He nodded and led us back out. Before we managed to reach the stairs the waiter frantically run downstairs as he saw us he ran towards us and screamed: "Mister someone is looking for you, she says she is the third princess and she is looking for a man wearing fully black who came in earlier. That was her fiancé,". "Lord Budha save me," I muttered as Jeong Ki decided to lead us out through the back door, it would lead us to two streets away. He had occupied most of the underground passages in Cheng'an, so he knew the route well. "Gong Mu you lead them outside and I'll deal with the princess," he ordered as the waiter nodded leading us back inside and into another door. Before we entered the door I heard Jeong Ki ask: "The friend is you, right master?". Stopping I turned around and mentioned "Knowing too many things may not be a good thing for you Jeong Ki. By the way I'm taking this file I'll ask Yu Xuan to send it back to you a few days later," turning back as I stepped inside the door.
Gong Mu according to his instructions had led us outside as he promised and as soon as we stepped outside I ordered Yu Xuan to bring the third princess back home pretending that I heard the news of her going to the brothel and it was damaging the reputation of Prince Zi mansion. As for myself I hurried home using Qing Gong and changed into a breezy light green hanfu and began eating some sweet food whilst waiting for Chiu Yeung to show up. But I couldn't concentrate no matter what. What we discuss in the basement was still fresh in my brain. If it was true then all of this would make sense, but something I couldn't understand was why he wanted to fake an assassination attempt?
I didn't think much about it as exactly that moment the third princess arrived back home and she was led into my pavilion. I was standing at the end of the pavement overlooking a lake whilst gently fanning myself. "Chiu Yeung greets tang ge," greeted Chiu Yeung as I turned back towards her I chorused the same speech "I greet the third princess,". Without inviting her to sit down she gracefully sat down as I continued standing up. " I wonder what Prince Tian You has called me in for?" Chiu Yeung asked. "I'll skip the pleasantries and get straight into the topic. I was wondering why you were sighted inside the brothel. If the patrol guards had not run to tell me then heavens know what could have happened. As much as I gate to admit it but you're going to be wed to be so I hope you know what boundaries are and remember who you're representing when you head out. Your every move will be watched by the commoners as they don't know you that well," I lectured "that's it, I hope you remember my words," as I walked away from the stunned princess.
*
'Li Tian You, all the humiliation I suffer from you, I'll make sure you feel this 10x more' thought Chiu Yeung as she watched Tian You walk away
*
Shutting the door my whole body lagged as I dragged myself to my study just to see the file on top of my desk. I must have flung it there when I got home...
Minutes passed before I decided to have a proper glance at the file. It was a more engrossed detail of the mission than what Jeong Ki said. However, there were two points which I found very suspicious: One was that father deliberately ordered that there should be no death apart from him and a few guards... Well, no one did die. But why this peculiar request?..... Two ways that the payment would be 5 thousand taels as a deposit and then 5 thousand taels more after the job was done. But the money was still paid after my father died. So someone must have known of his plan and helped him pay back... Who is his most trusted friend?.... Ren Mo...
"Yu Xuan," I shouted as I opened my door hurriedly. Yu Xuan who was just coming back from the kitchen to grab lunch immediately rushed over when he heard my shout. Panting he asked "Master are you alright? Is your body feeling ok? " I'm fine but I need you to find Ren Mo. Where is he? He might know the truth of this matter," I replied as Yu Xuan immediately got on the move to find Ren Mo leaving the dessert in my hand.
2 weeks later ( 40 days left till the mourning finishes):
Early in the morning just as I had finished dressing up and was going to go to have breakfast with my mei and Tian Ming Yu Xuan rushed into my room shouting "Childe! I found him! I found Ren Mo!". "Let's go then what are we waiting for?" I asked whilst I picked up the pace almost knocking out Chun Hua who are living with us. "Sorry Chun Hua," I apologized as I continued to rush out.
I slowed down the pace as Yu Xuan managed to catch up with me. "Childe, Ren Mo quit after the first month of mourning with the excuse that his mother is ill and needs to go back to his hometown to look after her. Thankfully Ren Mo's hometown is Jiang Zhou which is right next to Su province so I tacked him down quite quickly with the help of the Eagles," explained Yu Xuan. When I heard the word Jiang Zhou I was already using Qing Gong*(1) to fly on rooftops smart enough Yu Xuan once again caught up with me continuing his speech "I've locked him up in his own house with a few guards to watch over him just to make sure he can't kill himself or escape,".
"Good job," I praised. "Wow master you finally praised me after how many years?" he retorted whilst giggling. I shot him a death look which immediately shut him up.
Glossary:
1. Actual definition: Qinggong is a training technique for jumping off vertical surfaces from the Chinese martial art Baguazhang.