Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Cui Xun and Li Ying temporarily buried Jiang Liang beside Wan Xiang to prevent wild dogs from scavenging the body. By the time they finished burying Jiang Liang, it was just before dawn. Cui Xun used a dagger to carve a piece of wood and stuck it in front of Jiang Liang's grave as a marker for future relocation. Then he stood up, untied the horse tied to a tree, and said indifferently, "Are you going back?"

Hearing this, Li Ying turned her head. Cui Xun added, "If you want to find Yu Fawei, I won't stop you."

Li Ying was slightly taken aback. It seemed he was still angry. She sighed softly and walked to the horse. Cui Xun didn't say anything more but helped her onto the horse by supporting her waist. After that, he mounted the horse himself. With a flick of his whip, the Kangju horse galloped toward the Cui residence like an arrow released from a bow.

-

Upon returning to the Cui residence, Cui Xun took away the witchcraft doll. For the next few days, he stayed at the Prosecutor's Office and did not return to the Cui residence. However, while at the Prosecutor's Office, his temper grew increasingly dark and unpredictable, making all the Wu Hou officers tremble with fear, afraid of angering him. They avoided him as much as possible, but when they had to report matters to him, they had no choice but to face him with trepidation.

Inside the Prosecutor's Office, after entering the main gate and passing through the interrogation hall, there was a second hall behind the screen where the Deputy Director worked. Cui Xun sat at a green sandalwood desk, flipping through a bamboo scroll. On the desk lay the witchcraft doll with silver needles stuck into it. A Wu Hou officer hurried in and reported, "Deputy Director, we interrogated several of Shen Que's confidants recently, and one named Qiu Liu couldn't withstand the torture and confessed some information."

He respectfully handed over the confession. Cui Xun glanced through it and asked, "He said that Shen Que's secret room indeed harbored something strange?"

The officer nodded. "Qiu Liu said that he was once sent by Shen Que to deliver food to the secret room. While delivering the food, he clearly heard the sound of a cat. Although he has cats at home, the sound of the cat in the secret room made him shudder. He quickly fled without daring to listen further."

Cui Xun continued reading the confession. The officer added, "Qiu Liu also confessed that Shen Que trusted an old Taoist priest named Xuan Cheng who often caught large rats and secretly delivered them to the secret room. He suspected these rats were fed to a cat ghost."

Cui Xun remained silent, deep in thought. The officer then said, "Deputy Director, I believe this confession is sufficient to inform the Empress Dowager and the Emperor and convict Shen Que."

However, Cui Xun slowly shook his head. "Not enough."

The officer looked puzzled. Cui Xun explained, "To kill a snake, one must strike it dead in one blow; otherwise, it will retaliate. Liu Jiu, you and the other Wu Hou officers must search every corner of Chang'an until you find Xuan Cheng."

Liu Jiu groaned inwardly. During the past few days, Cui Xun had been working tirelessly on the case of the cat ghost, pushing them to their limits. Now, they had to find Xuan Cheng, which would likely keep them up for several more days. But he dared not contradict Cui Xun and could only reluctantly accept the task.

-

At Shen Que's residence, the atmosphere was tense and uneasy. Several of Shen Que's confidants had been arrested and interrogated by the Prosecutor's Office, and few could withstand their brutal methods. Shen Que knew that it was only a matter of time before Cui Xun found concrete evidence of his involvement with the cat ghost. At that point, his fate would be uncertain.

Facing imminent death, Shen Que spent his days drunk. His servants suffered greatly, either being whipped or verbally abused. One day, he smashed another glass of wine and glared at the servant cleaning up the shards, slurring, "Do you all secretly hope Cui Xun catches Xuan Cheng soon and that I die?"

The servants knelt and kowtowed, trembling. "We dare not."

"Dare not? Hmph, I know you think I deserve to die. But let me tell you, even if Cui Xun catches Xuan Cheng, I won't die." Shen Que drank another cup of wine and said drunkenly, "She owes my mother. She won't kill me."

The servants exchanged glances. The "she" he referred to must be the Empress Dowager. If it were any other crime, the Empress Dowager might protect him, but now, he was plotting against her. How could she spare him?

If the Empress Dowager were truly so merciful, how did his sister and mother die?

Though they didn't believe a word of it, they dared not show any skepticism and could only kneel, heads bowed, hoping Shen Que would leave them alone.

Shen Que drank several cups of wine, his eyes blurred with intoxication. Suddenly, he slammed the table and gritted his teeth, "It's all Pei Guanyue's fault! If he hadn't hesitated, Cui Xun should have died three years ago. How dare he lord it over me now?"

His anger burned hotter, wishing he could tear Cui Xun apart, but he was powerless. Instead, Cui Xun could easily destroy him.

Shen Que threw a golden cup at the wall, and it rolled to the ground, spilling wine. He suddenly remembered the pipa girl he had forcibly fed wine to.

What was her name again? Sheng Aman? She was the sister of Tianwei Army's Sheng Yunting.

Shen Que smiled maliciously. Cui Xun was a Fourth Rank Deputy Director of the Prosecutor's Office, whom he couldn't touch, but Sheng Aman was just a lowly entertainer. According to Great Zhou law, slaves and entertainers were treated like livestock. Even if he harmed her, no one would care.

Since Cui Xun wouldn't rest until he was dead, he would make things difficult for him first.

With Cui Xun not returning home for days, Li Ying found herself bored. She didn't understand why he was still angry. If it was about her leaving the residence without permission, it had been eight days already; shouldn't his anger have subsided by now? Yet, she saw no signs of it. It was frustrating.

-

Under the hibiscus tree, the baby swallow she had saved could now fly and was happily pecking at the ground. Li Ying squatted down to watch it feed, her hands crossed on her knees. She usually enjoyed watching such lively scenes, but after a while, her clear eyes filled with confusion. She murmured to the swallow, "Why is Cui Xun still angry? What is he thinking?"

The swallow, of course, didn't answer. Li Ying sighed, "Never mind, you wouldn't know."

She wasn't sure if she was talking to the swallow or herself.

As she prepared to stand up, a stone hit the ground in front of her.

Li Ying looked up and saw Yu Fawei gesturing to her from atop the wall.

Yu Fawei signaled for her to come out. Why didn't he come in? Li Ying wondered but still passed through the wall to the outside of the Cui residence.

Outside the Cui residence, Yu Fawei jumped down from the wall and smiled, "Cui Xun wouldn't let the mute servant let me in, so I had to resort to this."

Li Ying asked, "Cui Xun wouldn't let you in? Is he still angry about you tearing off the talisman and taking me out of the residence?"

"Perhaps. It's a miracle he didn't kill me."

Li Ying sighed, "Although we acted on our own, the outcome was good. I wasn't harmed, and the cat ghost is dead. Even if he's still angry, shouldn't it have subsided by now?"

Yu Fawei shrugged. "Who knows?" He paused and added, "There are unpleasant things I won't say, as the princess requested."

Li Ying felt disappointed but didn't want to revisit the topic. She asked, "Mr. Yu, why did you come today?"

Yu Fawei smiled. "Actually, nothing important. I just wanted to see the princess."

His straightforwardness surprised Li Ying. Yu Fawei noticed her expression and explained, "The princess said we're friends. Friends meeting and chatting is normal, right?"

After his explanation, Li Ying relaxed and nodded. "Yes, it's very normal."

They sat on the stone steps of the Cui residence, chatting casually. Yu Fawei offered to take Li Ying around Chang'an, but she hesitated and shook her head. "I want to stay here and not go anywhere else."

-

"Why?" Yu Fawei asked.

This was Li Ying's personal matter, and she didn't want to share it with Yu Fawei. She stammered, and Yu Fawei chuckled bitterly. "Are you waiting for Cui Xun to come back?"

Li Ying looked at him in surprise, then lowered her head, saying nothing. Yu Fawei realized he was right and said indignantly, "I don't understand..."

He remembered his promise to Li Ying not to speak ill of Cui Xun in front of her and stopped. He sighed, "If the princess wants to sit here, let's sit together."

Li Ying smiled and said, "By the way, Mr. Yu, can you help me with something?"

"Please tell me, Princess."

"Cui Xun went to investigate the cat ghost case and hasn't returned to the mansion for dozens of days. I don't know how the investigation is progressing. You have good sources of information. Could you please keep me updated on those developments?"

Yu Fawei, upon hearing this, could only give a bitter smile. "How could I say no?"

"Mr. Yu..."

"Princess, rest assured. I will." Yu Fawei sat with Li Ying on the stone steps. "Just as the princess cares for Cui Xun, I also want to care for the princess, because the princess is the kindest person I have ever met. I am willing to help the princess."

Li Ying, feeling a bit embarrassed by his praise, lowered her head and said, "Thank you, Mr. Yu."

As she lowered her head, she did not see the affection and admiration in Yu Fawei's eyes when he turned to look at her. After a moment, Yu Fawei turned back and smiled gently, "Why be so formal?"