Chapter 22 Woman Missing

Chapter 22: The Missing Women

"What about Master Wu?" Xun Xi's composure gave Yun Niang a sense of relief. Perhaps she was truly getting old; no wonder the lord in the capital relied on Xun Xi, sending her to manage "Zhaoxiu."

"Everything as usual. The most dangerous place is the safest—the blind spot under the lamp is where you hide." Xun Xi paused, then added with some irritation, "Also, tell those guards in the building to restrain themselves. The lord sent them to help, not to cause trouble!"

"Alright, I'll speak to them."

"I've put you to trouble, Mother."

A red plum blossom petal, drifting from nowhere, twirled down and landed on Xun Xi's shoulder. She raised her hand to brush it off, revealing a darkly vivid, double-petal peony tattoo on her shoulder—an image of extreme and alluring beauty.

Yun Niang stared at Xun Xi standing there, momentarily transfixed. She was truly beautiful; the trials of life and a bloody past had failed to dim her innate, striking allure.

Yun Niang didn't stay dazed for long. In the near distance, Xiao Nianzhang arrived with a team of yamen runners, making a grand entrance.

Xiao Yue rode ahead, clearing the way. "Official business! Clear the way, everyone!"

"Zhaoxiu Tower is suspected of involvement in three murders in Nanzhou. Where is the owner of Zhaoxiu Tower? Come out and answer..."

Having received Xie Nai's letter, Xiao Nianzhang rushed to Zhaoxiu Tower with his men. He had already lost Xie Nai's trust; if he failed in his duties again, his political career would be finished.

Tossing the hawthorn fruit she had been playing with onto a plate, Xun Xi smoothed her robes, her face resuming its usual radiant smile.

"Let's go. Let's go down and meet them..."

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After leaving Zhaoxiu Tower, Qin Jiao wore a solemn expression, looking dejected. On the way, he briefly recounted what he had seen on the fourth floor to Xie Nai, then leaned against the carriage wall in silence.

The carriage stopped at a restaurant. Luo Bei and He Zhao were waiting outside. Luo Bei stood upright, while He Zhao swayed, looking utterly exhausted.

"Are you two like brides on their way to the sedan chair? So slow! I'm starving!" He Zhao complained the moment he saw Qin Jiao and Xie Nai get off the carriage.

"We were delayed on the way. Let's go inside quickly," Qin Jiao answered quietly.

He Zhao keenly sensed Qin Jiao's low spirits. He sidestepped Xie Nai in one swift move and asked with concern, "Hey, what's this? In just one day, you've become a different person? Why do you look so down?"

Qin Jiao forced a smile and pushed He Zhao toward the restaurant. "Maybe I'm just tired. It's nothing. Let's go in quickly. You can tell us what you found today."

Qin Jiao and He Zhao walked side by side into the restaurant. Luo Yue stood holding a clothing trunk, pretending to be a tree. Luo Bei was about to speak when Xie Nai asked coldly, "When will Xiao Baiyu arrive in Nanzhou?"

Luo Bei replied, "He said at most two more days."

Xie Nai frowned at this but said nothing more.

It was mealtime, and the restaurant was filled with an enticing aroma. Qin Jiao knew the place well and led He Zhao directly to a private room.

When the waiter came in with the menu, he greeted Qin Jiao warmly. Soon, the ordered dishes arrived: four cold and eight hot, each beautifully presented and delicious. The restaurant owner even sent a bottle of Nanzhou's famous lotus blossom wine and a dessert of chestnut cake.

"Little Qin Jiao, do you know the owner?" He Zhao asked, his eyes narrowing with pleasure as he drank the fine wine. He was fond of alcohol and had been restricted from drinking before; now he happily poured himself another cup.

Truly, the simple pleasures of life soothe the mortal heart. The delicious food instantly lifted Qin Jiao's spirits, which had been somewhat gloomy. He scratched his nose sheepishly, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. "Well... I used to work here, actually."

"Oh, really?"

As Qin Jiao spoke, the crab He Zhao had been holding slipped with a plop onto the table. Even Xie Nai across from them stopped his chopsticks and looked at Qin Jiao.

Feeling a bit awkward under their gazes, Qin Jiao nevertheless recounted his story. "When I first arrived in Nanzhou, I was short on money and wanted to earn some silver, so I came here. I've had a keen sense of smell since childhood, and the owner happened to be brewing a new batch of wine, so I helped him identify the raw ingredients."

"Little Qin Jiao, you don't seem like someone strapped for cash. Where is your home? Do you have any other family?" He Zhao asked as he picked up his crab again.

"I'm from the capital. I came here three years ago to recover from an illness. My parents are still alive."

"You had to earn money even when you were recovering?" He Zhao was shocked once more.

"Well... there were other reasons. Let's not talk about that now. Try this chestnut cake – it's delicious." Qin Jiao politely changed the subject.

He Zhao didn't know Qin Jiao's true identity, but Xie Nai had looked into him. Qin Jiao didn't want to expose his family's shame; since they were about to return to the capital anyway, there was no point in saying more.

"Alright, I'll try this chestnut cake." He Zhao's attention quickly shifted to the dessert. Qin Jiao picked up a piece of stir-fried pork liver with hot peppers. Xie Nai, however, stopped eating and slowly sipped a cup of lightly brewed tea.

Seeing that Xie Nai only drank tea and didn't touch the wine, He Zhao's nosiness came out again. "Your Highness, don't you drink?"

"I don't," Xie Nai replied coldly.

"Really? This wine is fragrant and smooth—worth a taste." He Zhao was about to persuade him further when Qin Jiao held out a glass of wine. "If he won't drink, then fine. Come on, let's drink."

Having someone to drink with delighted He Zhao. He poured himself another glass, and they clinked their cups together. "Cheers!"

Having worked at the restaurant, Qin Jiao could handle his alcohol, though not too much. After five or six cups with He Zhao, the young man's fair face gradually flushed a rosy red, like sunset clouds on white jade.

As he raised his glass again, Xie Nai reached over and stopped his hand.

"No more drinking."

"Hm? Are you trying to boss me around?" Qin Jiao looked up at Xie Nai. In truth, he was just flushed, not drunk. But after a moment, he grinned and gave in, "Fine, I'll listen to you."

He Zhao was tired of their stalling. Glancing around the room, he said, "This restaurant has good food, but it's a bit empty."

"It used to be busy. But after the murders, fewer people stay out late singing and partying at night," Qin Jiao replied. Before, they would never have gotten a private room so easily.

"I see... But speaking of which, today was truly 'a son-in-law grinding for his father-in-law—a complete waste of effort'! We didn't find out the identity of the first unidentified female victim, and we accidentally discovered that over a period of more than ten years, dozens of young women have gone missing in Wuyuan County!"

"So many?" Qin Jiao was taken aback, then set down his wine glass with a frown.

In addition to Zhu Qi and Xue Lin, there was still an unidentified female corpse in the Nanzhou murder case. Earlier, Xie Nai had ordered missing person notices posted in neighboring prefectures and counties, and people actually came to identify the body.

Those who came were mostly residents of Wuyuan County, near Nanzhou City. At one point, eight couples came in a single day, all claiming their daughters were missing.

One missing woman might have gotten lost; two might be an accident. But so many women missing clearly pointed to something sinister.

That was why He Zhao was originally supposed to accompany them to Zhaoxiu Tower. But due to his excellent lightness technique and speed, he had gone with Luo Bei to investigate Wuyuan County early in the morning.

He Zhao recalled his findings. "We went to the county government office in Wuyuan and checked the case files. We found that over the past decade or so, eighty-seven young women have gone missing in Wuyuan County. According to the records, some went missing during spring outings, some vanished on their way to burn incense, and others simply vanished in a blink of an eye while trying on rouge at a cosmetics shop, their maids unable to find them."

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