Chapter 74: Blood-Stained, She Personally Slaughtered

Li Qingluo constantly kept her grandmother's words in mind; this person was extremely dangerous, and today he had even personally appeared, displaying his brutal, bloodthirsty, sinister, and vicious nature, so Li Qingluo immediately turned her gaze away and lowered her head.

Duan Rongshi, however, walked over to her.

"Miss Li."

Granny and the maidservants dared not breathe, only able to tremble slightly as they made way.

Li Qingluo bowed and said: "Commoner Li Qingluo pays respects to Prince Su."

Duan Rongshi said: "Tell me, why did you come to this charitable estate today, Miss Li? Don't say you came out to enjoy the autumn scenery among these corpses."

"Otherwise, such an interest and hobby would make even this prince bow down in admiration."

Li Qingluo felt a chill all over.

Although the red mole on his brow made his appearance as pure as a deity's, he was instead stained with blood, having personally slaughtered.

She dared not conceal and said: "Replying to the prince, it is because there is a haunting in my family's courtyard that I have come here to investigate some matters. As for the details, since they involve the secret privacy of my general's manor, I hope the prince will excuse me from speaking further."

Duan Rongshi did not continue questioning, merely seeing that her expression did not look like she dared to lie.

Then he let them leave.

Leaving the charitable estate, Li Qingluo had just boarded the carriage when she collided head-on with a dark figure.

She let out a soft cry, and Sha Lei, who had just followed her out, immediately asked: "Miss Li, what happened?"

Li Qingluo had already calmed her breath.

She looked at the young man sitting opposite her and calmly replied: "I rarely ride in carriages, so I accidentally bumped into him. It's fine, thank you. I wonder if the guard elder brother has any other business?"

Li Qingluo didn't even think of opening the window, so Sha Lei had to say: "The prince ordered me to escort Miss Li back to the manor. Speaking of today's incident, having startled Miss Li, I must ensure she returns home safely before I can be at ease."

Would Prince Su be so kind-hearted?

But if she refused, it would likely arouse suspicion instead.

Li Qingluo pressed her anxious heart and could only reply: "Then I'll trouble you, guard elder brother."

Sha Lei rode his horse outside the carriage, and Li Qingluo could only stare at the young man opposite her the whole way, not daring to utter a word.

Perhaps because they were sharing a carriage with a young woman and he kept being stared at, the young man opposite instead glanced away.

Li Qingluo wanted to ask too many things.

Unfortunately, by the time they reached the gate of the general's manor, she still hadn't managed to ask a single word.

Li Qingluo alighted from the carriage, and the moment the carriage cabin closed, Sha Lei got a clear look inside.

The carriage interior was empty, with no extra person.

After Li Qingluo entered the manor, Sha Lei then turned his horse and galloped back to the Ministry of Justice.

"Your Highness!"

Sha Lei reported to Duan Rongshi: "Your subordinate has safely escorted Miss Li back to the manor!"

Duan Rongshi was examining documents; seeing him enter, he turned and sat down, asking: "Did she show any abnormality?"

Sha Lei said: "Your Highness, I am certain there was more than just Miss Li in the carriage. However, I do not understand why Miss Li remained silent; perhaps she feared her own people, so I dared not act rashly."

"Yet when Miss Li alighted, I personally saw that the carriage interior was empty of any other person."

Zhui Yu beside him said: "Your Highness, could there be some mechanism inside the carriage?"

For example, someone could be hidden beneath the carriage floor.

Sha Lei nodded, agreeing with this speculation.

Duan Rongshi rested his chin and thought: "If I am not mistaken, the one who hid together with the second young master of Du Cang Bo Manor in the charitable estate today was the third young master of Yi Guo Gong Manor."

"Her grandmother is indeed from Yi Guo Gong Manor."

"Therefore, if the person hiding in her carriage was indeed him, her silence would not be surprising."

"This woman, however, has some courage."

Duan Rongshi recalled her composure when she was kidnapped—calm and composed, even able to convincingly persuade her captors to release her; if he was not mistaken, she actually still held a concealed dagger in her hand at that time.

Moreover, she had a sword strapped to her waist.

"How did this woman come to know how to wield a sword?"

The speed of her change truly left Duan Rongshi somewhat astonished.

"Zhui Yu, go investigate: what exactly has Miss Li done since returning to Jinling?"

Zhui Yu: "……"

"Your Highness, you previously had me watch Li Chao Jing; although you occasionally paid attention to this second miss, why have you suddenly shifted your focus entirely to her now?"

"Moreover, what has she done that has nothing to do with you or these cases?"

"Wait a moment!"

Duan Rongshi suddenly thought of something, tapped the table and said: "Last time I had you investigate whether there was any hidden matter behind the leg-breaking incident involving Yang Qinwu of the Imperial Guard and Li Kechuan—how did your inquiry turn out?"

Zhui Yu: "Your Highness, I found that Yang Qinwu once had a sister named Yang Xue'er. At age nine she sold herself into slavery, entered the general's manor, was renamed Mei Xue, and became a maid in Li Kechuan's quarters."

"However, two years ago Mei Xue suddenly disappeared. The Li manor buried this matter deeply; I still need some time to uncover the full truth."

"But I have also discovered another matter."

"On the day the Lotus Sect caused a ruckus on the theater ship, Yang Qinwu was off duty, and Miss Li happened to leave the manor that day, appearing near the Qinhuai River."

Duan Rongshi's motion of rubbing his black jade thumb ring paused: "Oh? Such a coincidence?"

Dong Yin Alley, the general's manor.

Li Qingluo returned to Hongfenguan; Que'er and Deng Mama immediately scrambled to fetch medicine, wanting to wipe it and bandage her wound.

Li Qingluo let them fuss for a while before finally gaining freedom.

Cui Er, watching from the side, became so anxious she started to cry.

"Miss, you went out perfectly fine, yet you returned wounded? Though the wound doesn't look big to us servants, why is it bleeding so much? Even the collar is stained red."

Cui Er handed Li Qingluo a handkerchief, wiping her hands while she cried.

Que'er's eyes also turned red: "It's all my fault, I failed to protect the miss. Miss, please punish this servant!"

Deng Mama also sighed, her eyes full of sorrow.

Li Qingluo looked at them, yet she smiled.

"Miss, you're still laughing! It's come to this, and you won't let us tell the Old Lady—you just like to tough it out on your own, Miss you you always are like this: when you're in pain you don't cry out, when you're hungry you don't say, when you're thirsty you don't like to order us around—are we useless?"

Seeing that the two were about to cry even more sadly, Li Qingluo hurriedly spoke: "I'm really fine. No more crying!"

"Besides, I'm smiling because I feel happy. Now not only does Grandmother care for me, but also you several—I can tell you're all sincere. With your sincerity, I'm truly happy."

In her previous life, she never received sincerity.

Originally she didn't even dare hope for this in this life, yet she got so much—she is a person, not plants and trees; how could she not be moved?

After coaxing them for a good while, she finally managed to placate them.

And they agreed: not a word must be leaked to Pei Lao Furen's place.

Today's matter, if you call it big it isn't really big, but if you call it small, upon reflection it is indeed shocking.

If she were even slightly careless, she might truly lose her life!

So, she wouldn't let the Old Lady worry along with her.

And all this was caused by that fake "Chenhe"; Li Qingluo gets angry just thinking about it.

This fake Chenhe even pretended to be a woman's identity—Li Qingluo originally was rather curious about him, but now she really wants to beat him up herself!

However, after calming down and thinking it over, Li Qingluo realized many things.

He said he was Aunt Zheng's younger brother, and now he knows so much—could it all have been told to him by Aunt Zheng?

Did Aunt Zheng really not die back then?