Chapter 95: Sins No Longer Known
Qin Mingxu looked at Zou Cheng, momentarily lost in thought. This man who had repeatedly threatened him, who haunted his dreams, who had brought him fear of impending doom time and again, now lay in a pool of blood.
“Is what you say true?” Qin Mingxu asked, leaning down.
Zou Cheng’s eyes had already closed weakly. He pointed forward, murmuring, “Black Impermanence, Black Impermanence…”
It seemed to refer to the grim reapers coming from the underworld to claim souls.
Or perhaps it referred to Feng Gao.
What had he seen as his consciousness faded?
In a moment, Zou Cheng’s lips, like two wilting leaves on a branch, stilled and fell silent.
A servant reached out and felt for a pulse, saying, “Master, he’s dead.”
Qin Mingxu nodded.
The scent of peach blossoms in the room mingled with the smell of human blood, potent as wine.
“Master, let’s leave quickly!” the short, sturdy servant urged.
Coupled with Miss Hong, who had stabbed Zou Cheng and then, in her madness, taken her own life beside her younger brother, four bodies now lay in the room in such a short time.
This place was not meant for lingering.
Qin Mingxu stood up, his steps a little unsteady. He didn’t know why he felt dizzy and suffocated, as if he couldn’t catch his breath. He hadn’t killed any of them. When he had followed Miss Hong and her brother, he hadn’t expected such a scene. He had only wanted Zou Cheng to hand over the evidence. He would no longer pursue the details of Zou Cheng killing his father.
In the midst of these grievances and grudges, Qin Mingxu was utterly exhausted. He just wanted to settle accounts with Zou Cheng.
It would be good to be quits.
Killing the troupe leader at Prime Minister Zhang’s manor had been an impulsive act born of desperation. Feng Gao’s act of annihilating the entire Feng family, leaving no one alive, was chilling. At that time, Qin Mingxu had been terrified that if Feng Gao learned the truth from the troupe leader, the Qin family would suffer the same catastrophic disaster. He was also afraid of losing everything he possessed.
Afterward, he regretted it countless times.
He had lingered for a long time at the crossroads of human nature and self-interest.
Only when he saw Sang Yu did he feel at peace.
Sang Yu’s smiling face was so serene, as tranquil as the bright moon.
On their wedding day, the manor adorned with red silk, the wedding candles on the tables, Sang Yu in her red attire, and the couplets bearing the words “eternal love” – all of it was a profound salvation for him.
Now, had this sin truly been buried forever?
Could he truly cast off the heavy burden from his heart and live out the rest of his life with peace?
Qin Mingxu retrieved the jade pendant from Zou Cheng’s embrace and hid it in his sleeve before leaving the Liu Yun Chamber.
The sound of the night watch drum echoed and twisted through the dark streets of Yangzhou.
He forced himself to regain his senses and instructed his subordinates, “Just like when we arrived, split up into small groups!”
“Yes.”
They walked through the winding wooden corridors and reached the stairs.
Qin Mingxu looked down; the gamblers below were still shouting loudly and making a racket.
Smoke swirled, and the din of voices was deafening.
People entered and exited the entrance from time to time.
He walked out with a composed expression, blending into the night.
No one noticed that the owner of Tiansheng Tower had come and gone.
In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, life and death had unfolded in a heart-stopping manner.
Only the increasingly strong, exotic fragrance drifted tortuously from the Liu Yun Chamber.
The cold wind whipped against his face. He took several deep breaths, then exhaled them in large gusts. The dizziness and suffocation he had felt earlier had slightly eased.
Qin Mingxu, having left Cai Le Workshop, walked to the adjacent “Four Seasons Restaurant.”
At noon, he had already instructed his servant boy to inform Mr. Shi, the owner of Four Seasons Restaurant, about a business cooperation discussion that evening, and to also deliver the winter quilts Mr. Shi had ordered previously. It was likely around this time.
Perfect timing.
He walked in, and Mr. Shi greeted him. After a brief exchange, they went to the inner room to discuss matters.
Mr. Shi said, “Young Master Qin, your complexion doesn’t seem very good today.”
Qin Mingxu smiled, “Just a slight cold, it’s nothing.”
By the time he finished his discussion with Mr. Shi, two quarters of an hour had passed.
Qin Family house guards, who had been leaving Cai Le Workshop in batches, brought dozens of boxes of winter quilts from the horse carriages. Mr. Shi checked and verified them one by one.
The matter concluded.
Qin Mingxu returned to the manor with his house guards.
Everything was so natural, so logical.
That night.
His wife and daughter had already gone to sleep early.
Qin Mingxu washed his face, removed his outer robe, and lay down.
On the table beside the bed lay a half-finished paper cutting by Sang Yu. Carp leaped, full of auspiciousness.
He prepared to blow out the lamp and sleep, but then paused. He took out the jade pendant from his sleeve and, by the dim candlelight, examined it carefully.
This was a Hetian jade pendant.
It was warm and translucent.
Engraved on the jade pendant was a line of small characters: “When the roots are firm, the flowers and fruits will surely flourish; when the source is deep, the waves will surely shine.”
Although Qin Mingxu was not one to indulge in poetry and books, he knew this saying.
This saying originated from the former Prime Minister Zhang Taiyue’s discourse on reading in the Hanlin Academy, and it became a popular phrase, widely circulated among the people.
Zou Cheng had previously been a man of the Zhang manor. Was this jade pendant related to the Zhang manor? Whose idea was it to use Miss Hong to kill her father?
Qin Mingxu began to ponder.
When I woke up in the middle of the night, I saw him sitting halfway on the bed, lost in thought.
Still groggy, I asked, “Mingxu, when did you get back?”
He turned his head and gently stroked the hair on my forehead, saying, “I went to the outskirts of the city to deliver goods tonight, so I was late. Did I disturb you?”
I shook my head and said, “No, I had a nightmare and woke up.”
He put his arm around me and asked, “What nightmare?”
I felt a pang of unease and said, “I dreamed about Dou Ya. He was very, very badly injured and could never recover. I was carrying him on my back, desperately trying to escape. My heart was pounding in my throat. The pursuers behind us were ferocious.”
His eyes were very gentle in the candlelight, “How could that be? Director Feng is unparalleled in his wisdom; it would never come to that.”
“Yes. Dou Ya has always been very sensible. It’s just that I’m overthinking things during my pregnancy,” I murmured.
He smiled, “Sang Yu, it seems many of your nightmares are related to Director Feng. Just think, even if it came to that, I wouldn’t let you carry Director Feng alone. I would always protect you and bear things for you.”
“Mm.” I pressed my face into his palm.
I smelled a faint, strange scent. There was no spice on the market like it.
It was like peach blossoms, yet not like peach blossoms, carrying a hint of malevolence.
“Mingxu, where did you go in the outskirts tonight to deliver winter quilts?”
His palm tightened slightly, and he said, “Four Seasons Restaurant.”
“The scent on you is very unique,” I said thoughtfully.
He extinguished the lamp and said, “Four Seasons Restaurant has had many merchants from the Southern Regions staying there recently. The people of the Southern Regions make incense differently from the Han people. Sleep now, Sang Yu. Rest well for the sake of the child in your womb.”
“Mm,” I replied.
In the darkness, he fell into a deep sleep.
The scent on his body gradually faded, eventually dissipating.
Not a trace remained.
The major case at Cai Le Workshop, on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, shattered the long-standing peace of Yangzhou City like a massive stone.
It was said that early in the morning, when the servants of Cai Le Workshop went to clean the private rooms, they discovered several corpses inside. The coroner’s examination indicated they had been dead for half a day.
The private room where the bodies were discovered was located in the farthest corner on the second floor of Cai Le Workshop, a very secluded spot.
With such a major incident, the owner of Cai Le Workshop, Liu Datou, was immediately detained by the yamen. Liu Datou cried out his innocence, claiming he had been in Jiangdu the entire previous day and had only returned that morning. If he were to commit murder, how could it be on his own premises? Wouldn’t that be like smearing feces on his own face – as if he were afraid people wouldn’t see?
A total of four people died at Cai Le Workshop.
Miss Hong, the top courtesan of Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Miss Hong’s younger brother.
Zou Cheng.
Zou Cheng’s servant boy.
Because Zou Cheng was a steward for the Maternal Uncle of the Emperor’s manor, the yamen officials dared not be negligent and quickly informed the Zheng Family. Zheng Tai, upon hearing that Zou Cheng was dead, felt some regret and pity, but ultimately, he was a discarded pawn. He didn’t want to expend too much effort. He gave the constables fifty taels of silver and asked them to help buy a coffin and bury Zou Cheng. He himself refused to even show his face.
Seeing the Maternal Uncle’s indifferent attitude, the government officials began to handle the case perfunctorily.
After all, the other three deceased were insignificant individuals: a woman of the night, a gambler, and a servant.
The testimonies of several gamblers at Cai Le Workshop stated that Miss Hong’s younger brother was particularly fond of gambling and went almost every day. He had recently fallen into bad luck and owed a large sum of money.
The madam of Hundred Flowers Pavilion swore that Zou Cheng had been a patron of Miss Hong, and they had shared a brief romantic interlude.
Upon hearing these accounts, the official concluded that this was a crime of passion. The siblings, seeking to extort Zou Cheng for profit, were met with resistance from Zou Cheng and his servant, resulting in a mutual destruction when they failed.
Furthermore, Liu Datou, the owner of Cai Le Workshop, had offered a considerable amount of gold and silver as tribute. It was also confirmed that he had indeed been in Jiangdu that day, so the official released Liu Datou.
The speed at which the case was closed exceeded everyone’s expectations.
When I heard Xiao Yin mention this matter, I remained silent, pondering for a long time.
In the twelfth lunar month, the plum blossoms in the Qin manor bloomed, their subtle fragrance wafting, enchantingly beautiful.
I sat by the window, watching the winter clouds drift by. A bowl of medicinal soup for pregnancy cooled, forgotten.
Footsteps sounded.
Qin Mingxu entered from outside.
He hurried towards me, saying, “Sang Yu, I have something to tell you–”
