Yuan'an emerged from the cellar with the hairpin. Xia Shu was waiting at the door, and he said, "Young Master, the carriage for Xiao Yu and Shitou is ready as you requested. I have also prepared some money for them to take along. They can leave now."
Yuan'an nodded, "Good. Xia Shu, you've done well. Let's send them off now."
Xia Shu hesitated, looking nervous, "But..."
"But what?"
"We have an unexpected guest."
"Oh?"
Yuan'an and Xia Shu hurried to the backyard. The unexpected guest was none other than Zhao Lanzhi, who was already waiting there. Next to him was the carriage that Yuan'an had prepared, as well as several large jars. Xiao Yu and Shitou were holding hands, looking at Zhao Lanzhi. The young dark boy was sitting on a tree branch, observing from above.
Yuan'an squinted at Zhao Lanzhi with a lack of goodwill, "Constable Zhao, why aren't you guarding Young master Xianya? Why are you here?"
Zhao Lanzhi smiled, "It seems I'm not too late. You haven't managed to send them away yet. It didn't work out last time when you tried to escape by water, so this time, you're planning to go by land during the day to avoid suspicion? These big jars are filled with vinegar, enough to mask any scent, and two of them have mechanisms. They have vinegar on top, but they're empty at the bottom, just enough to fit two people. Young Master Ye, your schemes and mechanisms are quite impressive, aren't they?"
Yuan'an smirked, "You've seen through it. But what can you do about it? Let me tell you, all this cover-up is just to give you some face. As we discussed before, we had a three-day agreement. I found the culprit who killed Ruyue, but you let him go! You let Xianya go, and I'll let Xiao Yu go! If things escalate, I'll report to the Ministry of Justice, accusing you of destroying evidence and releasing a murderer. Official Zhao, you won't get away unscathed either!"
Zhao Lanzhi stared at Yuan'an for a moment, then stepped forward and whispered, "I want to talk to you."
Yuan'an, who had been angry earlier, now saw Zhao Lanzhi's handsome face and shining eyes, and somehow found herself trusting the constable. She sighed and instructed the others, "You all can go back. I need to talk to Constable Zhao about something."
Xia Shu, Xiao Yu, and Shitou followed his orders, but the little boy sitting on the tree seemed to ignore the instructions and remained there, watching Zhao Lanzhi and Yuan'an.
Zhao Lanzhi glanced up, "Oh? You found this child?"
Yuan'an replied coldly, "If it weren't for him, I would have died at the hands of Young master Xianya. Now, tell me what you want to say. This child can't speak."
Zhao Lanzhi hesitated for a moment and said, "I haven't told you, but besides investigating Ruyue's murder case, I'm also looking into the case of illegal salt smuggling in Luoyang City. Witnesses say that the base of the illegal salt trade is Qianduan Pavilion where Ruyue was murdered. I wonder if there might be some connection between these two cases."
Yuan'an was surprised to hear this, "Is that so?"
Zhao Lanzhi fixed his gaze on her, "Young Master Ye, you are convinced that Young master Xianya is Ruyue's killer. Let me ask you, besides the little snake candlestick and the jade hairpin in your hands, do you have any other evidence? Young master Xianya always visited Qianduan Pavilion in disguise, and you don't even have a single witness. Based on what do you accuse the third son of the Imperial tutor as the murderer?"
These words entered Yuan'an's mind, and she frowned in contemplation. "You're saying..."
"I'm saying you may be right, but you're acting impulsively. If you send Little Yu and Shitou away now, I'll say it again: the charges remain, and they won't be able to escape for long. They'll be chased by the officials all the time. And it will also implicate you, your father Minister Ye, and your entire family! Have you thought about that?"
"Hmph!"
"Don't 'hmph'. Listen to reason. If you act recklessly, it will only make their guilt more solid!"
Zhao Lanzhi's words made sense, and Yuan'an pondered over them. She hesitantly asked, "Then what do you want?"
Zhao Lanzhi spoke calmly, "I don't want anything. I just don't want you to look down on me like you said that day. Let me tell you, I will continue my investigation at Qianduan Pavilion. I want to find more, stronger evidence! If it turns out as I suspect, if the mastermind behind the scenes is indeed Xianya... I promise you, even if it's the third son of the Imperial tutor, he will end up on death row for Ruyue's life and the illicit salt smuggling! This is the best solution."
Yuan'an looked at Zhao Lanzhi, "What? You want to go to Qianduan Pavilion again?"
Zhao Lanzhi replied, "Yes! Tonight, a secret investigation, only you and I know."
Yuan'an pondered for a moment, resolutely and bravely, "I'll go with you!"
"No! This time is different from the last. I have a witness in my hand, and the true culprit may have received the news. It might be very dangerous."
Yuan'an, who had previously disdained and resented Zhao Lanzhi, now admired him wholeheartedly. Excitedly, she said, "What's wrong with danger? I fear nothing more than not having any danger! An extra pair of hands means more strength. Official Zhao, you said I'm clever, right?"
Zhao Lanzhi looked down at her, "You are clever. But still, you can't come."
Yuan'an wished to kowtow to him, "Official Zhao, please take me with you. I beg you! I don't look down on you anymore, and please, don't look down on me, okay?"
Zhao Lanzhi hesitated, looked at Yuan'an for a long time, and in his heart, he said 'no' a hundred times, but in the end, he nodded.
Her face instantly lit up like a spring sun.
Her appearance made him want to look at her a little longer, but they were in a hurry. Without much more talk, the two rode away on their horses.
The boy on the tree felt a little uneasy. He heard the two people below talking and arguing, but then they seemed to reconcile and left together. The little boy felt a little unhappy but didn't know why. He also didn't know that such things would happen more and more in the future, and he would often see this man taking away the beautiful young man from him.
In this era of peace, some people dug tunnels to steal, some risked their lives to investigate cases, some protected others at all costs, and some prepared for their weddings.
In the Imperial tutor's residence, the third son, Young master Xianya, displayed the list of bridal gifts to the beautiful Princess Xinghui, gently explaining, "Princess, please have a look. This is the list of gifts prepared by our residence. I heard people joking in the market, saying that my Pei Family and Prince Jing's residence are forming an alliance. Although it is an overstatement, there is some truth to it. Princess, look at this white jade ruyi and the red coral screen, not even the palace has such exquisite items."
The beautiful Princess Xinghui had translucent white skin, long eyebrows, and the eyelashes at the corner of her eyes drooped, always looking like she had something on her mind. Originally, Young master Xianya had little interest in this prominent girl due to her background. However, that changed when he saw her. He cast aside the gentleness of Ruyue and was now completely captivated by Xinghui. Though Ruyue was also beautiful, she seemed easily attainable to him, while Princess Xinghui was different. Her beauty was mythical and captivating.
Princess Xinghui lightly smiled as she looked at the long list, slightly tilting her head. Her loyal servant, Jiang Ren, who had been following her all along, understood and left the room. Young master Xianya understood that she had something private to discuss with him, so he instructed his two attendants, who had been serving him, to leave as well. Leaving only himself and Princess Xinghui in the room. The servants in the Imperial tutor's residence were usually strict with rules and etiquette, so the two attendants looked at each other, puzzled. They wondered why Princess Xinghui, who appeared so superior, had come to the Pei Family residence several times even before the wedding. Could she really be so infatuated with their young master?