Chapter 324: Luo'er left behind a token, and Prince Su discovered it!

Li Qingluo opened her eyes and discovered she was lying in an extraordinarily luxurious side room.

Light gauze canopy.

Pearl curtains and jade drapes.

Sandalwood incense wafting.

The zither's melody drifted languidly…

Where did the zither sound come from?

Li Qingluo bolted upright, barefoot, and got off the bed.

She went around the screen and looked toward the woman sitting by the window playing the zither.

A beautiful, refined young woman dressed in an all-white spring robe, her hair adorned with jade ornaments.

Seeing Li Qingluo come out, she stopped playing, rose, and gave Li Qingluo a gentle smile.

"You're awake?"

Her smile was like the spring breeze that brushes the face when one climbs high on a spring day; at first sight it made one's heart feel open and light.

Li Qingluo circled around to look at the woman; although she still could not speak, she noticed paper and brush already laid out on the table.

Li Qingluo seized the brush and quickly wrote: "Where is this? Who are you? Have Sha Lei come see me!"

After reading the words on the paper, the woman shook her head: "I don't know who the Sha Lei you mention is."

"But this place is the Spring Banquet Pavilion; I am called Jiaoniang."

"Have you heard of it, miss?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingluo trembled all over.

Spring Banquet Pavilion!

She had of course heard of it!

The Spring Banquet Pavilion is the largest brothel in Jinling City, filled with all kinds of beauties; its top ten beauties are famed throughout DaLiang, causing all libertine men to go mad for them.

However, Li Qingluo, being a courtesan herself, had little interest in the matter of the top ten beauties, and naturally did not know who they were.

Now she guessed that this Jiaoniang must be one of them.

That damned Sha Lei actually sent her to the Spring Banquet Pavilion—what does he mean by this?

"I want to leave."

Li Qingluo quickly wrote down her demand.

Jiaoniang sighed: "I would also like to let you go, miss, but you have a maid named Que'er, don't you?"

Li Qingluo stepped forward and seized Jiaoniang, her eyes asking: How do you know?

Jiaoniang understood her anger, yet she cried out: "Miss, please release me, I'm in pain……"

With a soft moan, even Li Qingluo felt her bones go weak.

Indeed, she is a courtesan of the Spring Banquet Pavilion.

But it's also true that there's no need to take out her anger on someone who shares the same miserable fate.

Li Qingluo released her grip, quickly seized the brush, and wrote: "Please don't play games with me; I need to know the truth!"

Seeing that Li Qingluo bore no dislike for her, and indeed had loosened her grip out of consideration after Jiaoniang's soft cry, Jiaoniang's heart also eased slightly.

Which noble lady of the world, upon seeing them, does not wear a look of disdain and disgust?

As if they were the filthiest people in the world.

But this miss, since waking and knowing her own status, still felt a trace of pity…

"Please don't be in a hurry, miss; I am merely following my mother's orders."

"Mother ordered me to guard you; these days you may not leave this room a single step."

"Otherwise, someone will surely bring your maid Que'er's head to you."

Li Qingluo's face turned pale.

At this moment she was certain it was Princess Qin Yu!

So what did Sha Lei mean by earlier sending her to the Prince Su's mansion?

Was it merely to let her see that the affection between Princess Qin Yu and Duan Rongshi was indeed genuine?

But now casting her into this brothel is clearly Princess Qin Yu's command.

What exactly does Princess Qin Yu intend to do?

Moreover, could it be that the Spring Banquet Pavilion is also Princess Qin Yu's business?

Li Qingluo paced anxiously back and forth in the room.

Wait!

Li Qingluo lifted her gaze to the window, where the night sky had already cleared.

The Lotus Sect's incense master who was captured… that is, Zheng Lingzhou—is he to be hanged in the next couple of days, his body left hanging before the city gate?

Li Qingluo faintly sensed that her confinement here is related to that matter.

She gradually calmed down.

Princess Qin Yu evidently believed she had only rudimentary skills, so if there were experts guarding the Spring Banquet Pavilion, even if she wanted to flee she could not easily escape.

Moreover, Que'er's life was used as a threat.

Furthermore, Li Qingluo had made a fool of herself in front of Princess Qin Yu; perhaps she had truly let her guard down?

Besides, this is a brothel.

If she made a big commotion leaving, even if she got out, her reputation for purity would be utterly ruined.

Although her reputation is already tarnished, it still has nothing to do with purity.

Li Qingluo still hoped to find a husband for her grandmother, and did not truly want to destroy herself completely…

Grandma's place must be in an uproar.

Li Qingluo felt a pang of guilt, hoping Grandma would believe she would surely return alive…

Li Qingluo saw tea on the table and poured herself a cup.

After five cups, she finally calmed down completely.

At least there's a bed to sleep in this room; there should be some tasty food to eat, right?

As for escaping, we'll take it one step at a time!

Li Qingluo lifted her head and gave Jiaoniang a faint smile; a plan had already formed in her mind.

That night, the streets of Jinling City were unusually bustling.

Everywhere on the streets and alleys, people were talking about how the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu had lost an important treasure, searched for days without finding it.

Now Prince Su had just returned from the outskirts after assisting the Crown Prince with flood control, and without stopping he immediately helped Pei Lao Furen of the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu search for that treasure.

Rumor has it Prince Su is very anxious.

He mobilized the entire Prince Su Manor's forces overnight, searching house to house on the streets.

Everyone is wondering when the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu became so closely tied to the Prince Su Manor.

The esteemed Prince Su is actually helping someone look for a treasure!

Although it's Pei Lao Furen, he's still Prince Su!

A bloodthirsty, cruel Yama-like killer whom everyone fears would actually help someone find something—truly more astonishing than the Crown Prince's restoration.

The people of Jinling City couldn't help but wonder what this treasure actually is.

It's a pity that even Prince Su, ignoring the curfew, continued to search the whole city for the treasure all night, yet still found no trace…

Who would have thought the great treasure lost by the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu—Li Qingluo—was right there in broad daylight, binding the tearful, pitifully beautiful Jiaoniang to the bed.

The turtle-slave who had just brought in the meal was also stripped naked, then tightly bound with torn bedsheets and thrown into the corner.

Li Qingluo quickly changed into the turtle-slave's clothes and hid all her hair inside his hat.

She looked at Jiaoniang and clasped her fists in a gesture.

Jiaoniang's eyes brimmed with tears, a resentful look, as if saying: "I trusted you so much, why would you treat me like this?"

Li Qingluo couldn't find words either.

She could only blink, then turn, pick up the tray, and swiftly leave the room.

Her recovery of martial prowess and strength might be due to the pill Sha Lei gave her this time, which she vomited up because of the jostling.

And as soon as she woke up yesterday, she asked Jiaoniang for food.

After she had a full meal, Li Qingluo's strength returned to fifty percent.

Last night she slept comfortably again.

When she woke up in the morning, ate breakfast, and by lunchtime she naturally took action.

If not now, when else?

Li Qingluo opened a crack in the door, used the tray to shield her face, and slipped out quickly.

Prince Su Manor.

Your Highness, please have something to eat.

Zhui Yu presented a bowl of porridge with worry.

Duan Rongshi pushed it away: "I don't want to eat. Any news of her?"

Duan Rongshi rubbed his forehead himself, since he doesn't allow anyone to approach and touch him, so even close attendants wanting to massage his head are rare.

Today, no one dares to approach him voluntarily.

Po Feng shook his head, knelt, and said: "Your Highness, it's our incompetence; please punish us!"

Duan Rongshi rose, put on his clothes, and was about to go out again to search personally.

Zhui Yu was anxious: "Your Highness, your body can't take this!"

For several days he hasn't slept properly, and for two consecutive days he hasn't eaten properly.

He knows Your Highness has lost appetite because the young lady is missing and still unaccounted for, but if this continues, Your Highness's body won't hold up!

When his body gives out… even if the young lady knew, she'd feel sorry, right?

Zhui Yu wanted to cry: "Miss, where on earth are you!"

If you don't come out soon, Your Highness will soon die for love…

Duan Rongshi wants to go out, and no one can stop him.

Although he just came back, he merely changed clothes.

Leng Dian and Po Feng could only hurry after him.

Just as they stepped out of the courtyard, they saw several sneaky figures loitering outside the gate.

Po Feng shouted: "Who goes there!? Get out!"

Two servant women and a little attendant hurried out and knelt.

Your Highness, we servants have an important matter to report.

Duan Rongshi's eyes turned cold instantly; he didn't want to waste time, fearing that any delay would cause her more suffering.

So he immediately lifted his foot, not intending to deal with these trifles in the manor, but then caught sight of a chain clutched in a servant woman's hand out of the corner of his eye.

Po Feng had already rebuked: "Riffraff! Your Highness is busy; how could you have time for these trifles?"

Everything in the manor is managed by Elder Wu; how dare you come before Your Highness today—what crime deserves?

Then get out at once!

But Duan Rongshi suddenly asked: "What is that?"

The frightened servant women and attendant trembled all over, on the verge of tears.

Upon hearing the prince suddenly ask again, the old maid finally realized that Your Highness was asking about the thing in her hand.

Duan Rongshi walked over and reached out.

The old maid hurriedly presented it.

It was a chain with a silver lock hanging from it.

The silver lock was solid, yet it had a tiny mechanism.

When popped open, inside was a folded delicate little knife.

It couldn't actually stab anyone, but in a critical moment it might truly save a life.

When Duan Rongshi saw the chain, his face instantly changed.

"Where did this come from?"

He was certain that there was only one such chain in the world.

Leng Dian was also surprised: "Your Highness, isn't this the young lady's thing? How could it be in our prince's residence?"

Leng Dian recognized it because the little knife inside the chain was one he himself had retrieved and then personally delivered to the Jiangjun Fu.

Your Highness had privately entrusted this matter to him.

Therefore, Zhui Yu and the other two were unaware of it.

It was said that the young lady had asked Your Highness for help making it; it wasn't urgent, yet Your Highness had someone make it and send it to her within a few days.

But this thing should already be on the young lady's person!

Yet it appeared in our Prince Su's residence!

This... what does it indicate?

Duan Rongshi gripped the chain tightly, looking at the three before him: "Speak, what exactly is going on?"

The old maid hurriedly kowtowed on the ground, not daring to raise her head, and immediately said: "Your Highness, that day I was sweeping the southern garden when suddenly a lady of extraordinarily beautiful appearance burst in."

"Then, immediately after, Guard Sha Lei came after her with a long whip..."

After recounting the whole incident in detail, not daring to omit a single word, the old maid then continued: "But after I woke up, I discovered that someone had written several characters in blood on my clothing."

"Moreover, this chain had been stuffed into my waist."

Duan Rongshi's heart instantly sank heavily.

Zhui Yu and the others dared not even raise their breathing.

So, the female assassin mentioned by Guard Sha Lei—could it really be the young lady?

Only hearing Prince Su's voice, like falling ice shards, he asked: "Characters? Which characters?"