Chapter 326: Obtaining the Evidence, Splashed-Ink Flowing Clouds
Ji Qingwu was completely focused, tapping her way across all three walls until her knuckles were red, but she came up empty-handed.
She stood in place and sighed. ’That old bastard is really cunning.’
But since the item had fallen into her hands, and the system had clearly informed her that it was related to the fate of Beili Country, she was certain it had to be connected to evidence of Su Fengyue’s crimes.
Lost in thought, Ji Qingwu walked toward a corner.
Si Hai, who was behind her, reminded her, "Miss Ji, if you walk any further, you’re going to run into the wall."
Ji Qingwu slowed to a stop, casually resting her arm on a bronze statue in the corner.
It let out a CLANG.
Ji Qingwu glanced up. It was a bronze horse with painted ears and a nose, looking like a decorative craft.
But the moment her hand touched it, she sensed something was off.
The material was too light and thin. When her fingernail tapped it gently, it produced a lingering echo.
Moreover, there was a strange protrusion on the horse’s back, covered with a piece of red silk cloth.
Ji Qingwu and Si Hai exchanged a glance. Si Hai had searched this place before and knew the object hadn’t been covered with silk.
He blushed to the tips of his ears and turned away.
Mentally preparing herself, Ji Qingwu reached out and pulled the silk away. When she saw the object in its entirety, she felt no shock.
Based on her prior knowledge of Su Fengyue’s collection, the object before her was not much different from what she had imagined.
It was a torture horse, a device used to punish female criminals.
Ji Qingwu tossed the silk cloth to the floor and leaned in for a closer look. She saw that, unlike the other items, this bronze horse bore no patterns.
’The crescent moon totem... why isn’t it on this one?’
After a long moment of silence, Si Hai started to turn his head to see what Ji Qingwu was doing, only to see her reach out and touch the horse’s body. He sucked in a sharp breath.
He stammered, a rare occurrence for him. "You—you’re actually touching it."
Ji Qingwu replied, "Would you rather touch it for me?"
Si Hai’s face paled several shades. He was genuinely repulsed by such things and had no desire to touch them, so he simply turned his back, averting his gaze completely.
Ji Qingwu’s fingers carefully explored the areas untouched by the candlelight. It wasn’t long before her fine eyebrows shot up.
Her hand stopped on the horse’s abdomen.
The pattern here was a perfect crescent moon, not a typical raised relief, but an indentation.
A smirk played on Ji Qingwu’s lips. ’So this is where it is.’
She discreetly pulled the key from her sleeve, held it in her palm, and pressed it up against the horse’s abdomen.
The crescent-shaped key slotted in perfectly with a crisp CLICK.
Hearing the sound, Si Hai turned around to see the side of the bronze horse lifting up. The sound of hinges creaked as a bronze panel slowly opened. The horse had a hidden mechanism!
Once the horse’s abdomen was open, she found a painted scroll wrapped in white cloth, along with a small stack of letters and a seal.
Ji Qingwu picked up the letters. They contained not only correspondence between Su Fengyue and Xijin but were also mixed with what looked like family letters. These letters, however, were unsigned.
’But Su Fengyue’s entire family is in Lin’an. Who were these letters of familial greeting written to?’
Ji Qingwu unrolled the scroll and saw the portrait of a woman from the Alien Clan, along with a seal stamped in the shape of a crescent moon.
Gazing into that pair of blue-gray eyes, she understood everything.
*
The front hall had fallen silent again.
Just fifteen minutes earlier, it had been in chaos.
At 1:00 AM, Zhao Minghong had arrived at the Su Mansion. His original purpose was to stall Su Fengyue, creating an opportunity for the Emperor’s secret visit.
The plan had been for Prince Yong to invite Prime Minister Su to the Prince Mansion, but the cunning old fox had turned the tables, inviting the prince to his own residence instead.
Either way, the goal was to stall for time, so it made little difference.
After Zhao Minghong took a seat, the two men exchanged false pleasantries over a cup of tea. Seeing that Su Fengyue showed no hint of grief over the loss of his daughter, the prince didn’t bother offering any words of condolence.
He set down his teacup and said, "Prime Minister Su, regarding the matter I discussed with you, what are your thoughts?"
Su Fengyue said calmly, "What Your Highness says is reasonable. But if I am to help Your Highness achieve your goals, should you not also do this old man a small favor?"
Zhao Minghong replied, "You are too kind, Prime Minister Su. If there is anything I can help with, you need only ask. If it is within my power, I will certainly do it."
Seeing the prince agree so readily without even asking what he wanted, Su Fengyue said, "What I desire is far simpler than the throne Your Highness seeks."
Zhao Minghong said, "Then please, Prime Minister Su, speak plainly."
Su Fengyue said, "Your Highness wants the empire; I merely want a beautiful companion by my side."
Prince Yong hadn’t expected that this old man, who projected an air of righteousness, would still have such appetites at his age.
But among the high officials of the Imperial City, it wasn’t unheard of. Some pursued power, while others were happy to die at the feet of a beautiful woman.
However, for him to bring it up to the prince, it surely wasn’t some lowly woman from the brothels, but someone of considerable status.
He asked, "A woman from the He Family?"
Zhao Minghong was still wondering which family could be so unfortunate as to be the object of this old man’s lecherous fantasies.
Su Fengyue said with a smile, "Your Highness knows her as well. In fact, you are very familiar with her."
Zhao Minghong frowned. "Someone I know well..."
Without a trace of shame on his face, Su Fengyue said, "Your cousin, the one who married into the Wei Family a short while ago."
Zhao Minghong shot to his feet, refusing flatly. "Absolutely not!"
He wouldn’t even deign to feign consideration.
If word of this conversation reached Emperor Wu Su’s ears, Prince Yong himself would be in a world of trouble.
Su Fengyue’s expression immediately darkened. "I thought Your Highness possessed a measure of sincerity, but it seems you were just trying to fool me."
He sneered, "Or could it be that Your Highness still harbors feelings for that cousin of yours? Perhaps you plan to bring her into your own harem after you ascend to the throne."
These words made Zhao Minghong so furious he could feel steam coming out of his ears.
"I cannot agree to what you ask, Prime Minister Su," Zhao Minghong retorted. "Princess Yong and I are devoted to one another. I have no lingering feelings for any other woman."
Having been repeatedly rejected by Prince Yong, anger finally showed on Su Fengyue’s face.
Hearing him mention Princess Yong, Su Fengyue took something from his robes: a single jade bead tied with a silk ribbon. It didn’t look like a complete piece of jewelry, but rather like something broken off a necklace.
"Your Highness, why don’t you have a look? Do you recognize this?"
At first, Zhao Minghong didn’t recognize the bead. But as his gaze drifted upward, it fell upon the silk ribbon wrapped around the man’s loose, wrinkled fingers.
Embroidered upon it were not the flowers and birds that young women usually favor.
Instead, it depicted a landscape of mountains and rivers, like an ink-wash painting of flowing clouds.
Su Fengyue said, "Doesn’t Your Highness find this item to be quite elegant? I, too, found it very beautiful at the time. Especially the way it dangled on a woman’s chest. That’s why I’ve kept it all this time."
Suddenly, Zhao Minghong began to laugh.
At first, the laughter was hollow, but it quickly sharpened, becoming like a blade piercing the dark night.
Only, this blade pierced him first before it was aimed at another.
Zhao Minghong snatched the solid wood Taishi Chair beside him and hurled it.
A tremendous CRASH shattered the silence of the night.