Chapter 106: The One Who Instructed
The moon remained suspended high above the Xie residence.
The residence had long since fallen into silence. Only the lanterns beneath the covered corridors cast a dim glow upon the stone path.
"Young Master." Gui Lin appeared from the darkness and bowed, "This subordinate has brought the man."
Xie Rong withdrew his gaze from the night sky. "Where is he?"
"In the interrogation room beneath the west courtyard." Gui Lin replied immediately.
Xie Rong nodded once. "Has anyone else learned of this?"
"No. This subordinate personally brought him into the residence through the rear entrance. Other than the two guards standing watch, no one knows."
"Good." Without another word, Xie Rong stepped down from the stone platform.
The hem of his dark robe swept lightly across the ground as he walked through the quiet corridor.
Neither man spoke again.
The only sounds accompanying them were their measured footsteps and the occasional chirping of insects hidden among the shrubs.
After a short while, Gui Lin stopped before a thick wooden door reinforced with iron bands.
Two guards standing outside immediately cupped their fists.
"Young Master."
Gui Lin pushed the door open. A damp chill drifted out from within. Inside, a lone man knelt on the cold stone floor, his hands bound tightly behind his back.
The moment he heard footsteps, he hurriedly raised his head.
The instant his eyes met Xie Rong’s, his face turned deathly pale. His entire body trembled uncontrollably as he hurriedly lowered his head until it nearly touched the cold stone floor.
"T-This lowly one greets Young Master Xie..." His voice quivered so violently that he could scarcely form a complete sentence. "I beg Young Master to spare this lowly one’s life!"
The thick wooden door closed behind them with a heavy thud. The room fell into silence.
Gui Lin stood quietly to one side, while the two guards remained by the entrance, neither daring to utter a word.
Xie Rong walked forward unhurriedly. His footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor before stopping a few paces before the kneeling man.
He looked down at him, "You know why you are here."
The man swallowed hard, his forehead pressed tightly against the ground. "Y-Yes... This lowly one... this lowly one only delivered a message. I truly did not intend to harm anyone."
Xie Rong’s expression did not change. "You impersonated a Xie guard."
The man immediately shook his head, "N-No... this lowly one is no guard. I was merely... merely wearing the uniform."
Xie Rong tilted his head slightly. "Who provided it?"
The man hesitated for only a moment before answering, "The woman. She prepared everything... the uniform, the route into the residence, even the exact words this lowly one was to say."
His breathing became increasingly uneven. "She instructed this lowly one to wait outside Young Madam’s courtyard. If a maid named Qing’er appeared... this lowly one was to tell her that the servant Chuntao wished to see Young Madam at the Punishment Courtyard."
Xie Rong’s gaze remained fixed upon him. "Word for word?"
The man nodded repeatedly, "Y-Yes. She made this lowly one repeat those words several times. She warned this lowly one not to utter a single word more... nor a single word less."
"Did she tell you anything else?"
"No." The man quickly shook his head. "This lowly one left at once. I never entered the Punishment Courtyard, nor did this lowly one know what happened afterward."
The man swallowed hard. Thus far, he had answered every one of Xie Rong’s questions truthfully, not daring to conceal even the smallest detail.
Xie Rong watched him for a long moment before calmly asking, "Describe the woman."
The man frowned deeply, closing his eyes as he searched his memory. "This lowly one... never saw her face. She wore a veil from beginning to end."
"What else?" Xie Rong asked him to continue.
The man hesitated, "Judging by her voice... she did not sound young. When she handed this lowly one the silver..." He paused, trying to recall every detail. "Her sleeve shifted slightly. This lowly one happened to catch a glimpse of her hand."
Xie Rong remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"It was fair and well cared for, but..." The man swallowed. "There were faint wrinkles on the back of her hand. So this lowly one guessed she was around forty years of age."
Gui Lin’s brows knitted together almost imperceptibly.
"And?"
"There was..." The man lowered his head in thought. "A sandalwood fragrance. It was quite strong. This lowly one remembered it because the scent lingered even after she left."
"Anything else?" Xie Rong’s calm voice once again echoed.
The man fell silent once more. After a while, he cautiously replied, "She spoke with confidence. It did not sound like someone asking for a favor."
"It sounded..." He searched for the right words, "like someone accustomed to giving orders. Even this lowly one unconsciously addressed her as ’Madam.’"
The underground chamber fell silent.
Gui Lin instinctively lowered his gaze.
A mature woman... Around forty years of age...The scent of sandalwood... A dignified bearing and accustomed to commanding others.
Every description seemed to point toward a single person. Yet Xie Rong’s expression remained as calm as ever, betraying not the slightest change.
Xie Rong, however, did not speak immediately. Instead, he quietly studied the kneeling man.
Only after a long silence did he ask, "You remember quite a lot."
The man froze. "I... I..."
"For someone you’ve never met... you remember her voice. Her fragrance. The wrinkles on the back of her hand. Even the manner in which she spoke." Xie Rong’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Interesting."
Cold sweat instantly drenched the man’s back. "T-This lowly one merely answered what Young Master asked..."
"Is that so?" Xie Rong’s voice remained calm, yet there was an unmistakable hint of suspicion beneath it.
The man hastily nodded. "Y-Yes!"
Xie Rong’s gaze lingered on him for another moment before he turned away. "Gui Lin."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Take him to the Punishment Courtyard. Do whatever is necessary until he remembers what he has forgotten."
The man’s eyes widened in horror, "N-No! Young Master, this lowly one has told the truth!"
Xie Rong did not even spare him a glance as he calmly walked toward the door.
"Young Master!" The man struggled violently against his restraints as the guards stepped forward. "Please! This lowly one truly knows nothing!"
Gui Lin gestured to the guards. "Take him away."
"No! No!" The man cried, his face draining of all color. "Please spare this lowly one! This lowly one doesn’t want to go to the Punishment Courtyard!"
Seeing the guards drawing ever closer, the last thread of his composure finally snapped. "I remember!"
The room instantly fell silent.
Xie Rong’s footsteps came to a halt, though he did not turn around.
The man panted heavily, his entire body trembling.
"It... it was Madam Liu! Madam Liu was the one who instructed this lowly one!"