Chapter 30: Who is the Mastermind?

Dongfang Yan saw the cat, and his face turned cold: "Beast, you were lucky to escape last time, and today you come to cause trouble again. You're courting death!"

The tabby cat was frightened by his fierce appearance, let out a "Meow—", kicked over the fish plate, jumped off the table, and fled.

Dongfang Yan frowned: "When did this beast follow us? It's simply courting death. Someone, catch it and hang it."

Lin Qingyue immediately refused: "Xiao Hua is the cat I raised, how can it be hanged for a small mistake?"

She turned to apologize to the Heir of Rui Wang: "Your Highness, I am truly sorry. My little cat was originally a stray, very greedy. I've only had it for a few days and haven't taught it the rules yet, please don't mind."

It was just a cat, and given the Heir of Rui Wang's good temper, he naturally wouldn't haggle over it. While ordering his servants to help find the cat, he also persuaded Dongfang Yan:

"It's just a small matter, why get angry at a cat? You should be more tolerant of the cat your wife raised."

"Your Highness is truly easy to talk to." Lin Qingyue said, then added worriedly, "My cat is timid by nature, others probably won't be able to catch it, I'll go find it myself!"

After saying that, she lifted her skirt and hurried away.

She avoided people all the way, specifically choosing quiet and deserted paths.

Not long after, Xiao Hua jumped out from the bushes.

Lin Qingyue asked: "Are you familiar with the layout of Rui Wangfu? Do you know where the kitchen is?"

Xiao Hua said: "I came here many years ago and remember the general layout. Rui Wang and the Heir both love food, and there are two large official kitchens in the mansion. In addition, there is a small kitchen."

"Today, the banquet hall where he entertained you is near the east side, so the kitchen used should be the small kitchen near the east side gate."

"Then let's go check the small kitchen!"

Originally, they both thought Dongfang Kuai was the mastermind, but after Lin Qingyue tested him, she discovered that even Dongfang Kuai had been parasitized by the Mayfly Silk.

Then, his suspicion was naturally ruled out.

But Xie Shouzheng's direction of investigation pointed everything to Rui Wangfu.

Therefore, even if the Heir of Rui Wang was not the mastermind, he must be an important link in the spread, otherwise, it would be impossible for so many nobles, including Dongfang Yan and Qi Zhaodi, to be victims.

So just now, Lin Qingyue and Xiao Hua performed a farce together.

Using the excuse of looking for the cat, they went to check the small kitchen of Rui Wangfu.

Although it was called a small kitchen, its scale was not small, with seven or eight rooms inside and out, and over a dozen kitchen maids alone, plus some odd-job workers.

At this moment, dinner had already been served, and the kitchen servants were doing some finishing work.

Lin Qingyue was wearing a black dress embroidered with dark flowers, simple in style.

She had no expensive jewelry on her head, only a sweet-scented osmanthus wooden hairpin bought from the market, and she had deliberately loosened her hair bun to change it into the style of a young lady in a boudoir.

She looked like an ordinary young girl.

Plus, the kitchen servants were not qualified to go to the front to see the distinguished guests, so when Lin Qingyue walked in with a cat, no one knew she was the Princess.

Only the head kitchen matron came over to ask: "This young lady looks unfamiliar, which courtyard are you from?"

Lin Qingyue said: "I am a maid of the Princess Jin. My Princess likes tonight's dishes very much and specifically ordered me to come to the back kitchen to ask the head chef how they are made. Which chef made that raw fish dish?"

The head matron said: "If that's the case, the noble lady just needs to give an order, why trouble you to run here yourself—Chef Zhang, come quickly!"

Chef Zhang had only gained Dongfang Kuai's favor two months ago thanks to his exquisite fish-slicing skills, becoming a head chef in Rui Wangfu.

At this moment, even though he thought Lin Qingyue was just a maid, he was still respectful.

Lin Qingyue routinely asked some questions about the preparation and origin of the raw fish, pretending to be purely interested in food.

Then she took a look around the kitchen, chatted with everyone with a smile, and then left.

On the way, Xiao Hua couldn't help but ask: "How was it?"

Now that there are more and more infected people, if they can't find the head worm and develop an antidote soon, the situation will become increasingly critical.

Especially since even Qi Zhaodi was parasitized by the Mayfly Silk, and it is unknown whether the murderer's goal is the struggle for the throne or to overthrow the entire Qi Kingdom?

Thinking about it is terrifying!

Lin Qingyue said: "I just tested it, seven people in the back kitchen are parasitized by the Mayfly Silk, but that does not include Chef Zhang. Chef Zhang makes raw fish, but he doesn't like to eat raw fish himself."

"Dongfang Kuai and Dongfang Yan were both infected with the Mayfly Silk after eating his raw fish, but the cook himself was not parasitized. Then it is very likely that this person must have a deep connection with the head worm."

After the hour of the Dog (7-9 PM), the servants in the small kitchen went back to rest.

Those who work here are basically servants of Rui Wangfu, eating and living in the mansion.

Only Chef Zhang was hired halfway, and no matter how late it was after finishing work in the mansion, he would leave the mansion to return to his own small home.

After coming out of the small side gate reserved for servants, Chef Zhang took his donkey cart and hurried home.

Just as he arrived at his doorstep, he happened to meet the landlady of the wine shop on the front street coming to deliver wine.

The landlady was a woman in her fifties, and there was a young man in his twenties beside her, standing side by side like mother and son.

Chef Zhang smiled and said: "Yuan Daniang, I was just thinking about ordering wine from you after I got back tonight. I didn't expect you to deliver it first."

Yuan Daniang handed the two pots of wine to Chef Zhang and said: "I guessed that you would run out of wine in these two days, so I delivered it to you in advance."

Chef Zhang thanked her and paid for the wine.

Yuan Daniang then greeted the young man behind her: "A Heng, let's go."

The young man named "A Heng" squatted down and said: "There is no moonlight to light the way, I'm afraid it's not easy to walk, I'll carry you."

Yuan Daniang leaned on his back, and the two disappeared into the night.

Chef Zhang took the wine inside and couldn't help but sigh: "Yuan Daniang is truly blessed, her son is handsome and so filial. Afraid the road is hard to walk, he carries his old mother. I'll ask around later if he's engaged, if not, why not let our daughter..."

"Oh, stop it!" Before he could finish, his wife interrupted him.

His wife showed a look of disdain on her face: "I was just like you, thinking about marrying into their family. As a result, their family situation is not at all what we thought!"

Yuan Daniang only came to the capital to open a shop and sell wine in the last year, so although the two families had business dealings, they didn't know much about each other.

Zhang's wife initially also liked A Heng for his talent and his steady, filial nature, and specifically went to inquire about his family situation.

She didn't know until she asked, and she was shocked.

Yuan Daniang and A Heng looked like mother and son on the surface, but the two ate at the same table and slept on the same bed, behaving very intimately.

When someone noticed something wrong and asked curiously.

Yuan Daniang didn't cover it up, lowered her old face, and said shyly: "A Heng, he is my husband."

Old husband and young wife are common, but old wife and young husband are very rare.

Because of this, the neighbors often pointed fingers behind their backs. ===== CHAPTER 31 =====