Chapter 51 : Hidden Motives, Thank You, Your Highness
51: Hidden Motives, Thank You, Your Highness
Qin Wan never doubted Yan Chi's sharpness, but she hadn't expected him to probe so deeply.
What happened on the night of July twenty-first?
The Shen family in the capital was surrounded and slaughtered by the Imperial Guards. The Qin family's Ninth Young Miss in Jinzhou was murdered by an unknown assailant. And she, Shen Wan, the treasured daughter of the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Shen Yi, raised in seclusion, had possessed a body and become the Qin family's Ninth Young Miss, Qin Wan.
No one knew that beneath this identical appearance resided a different soul.
And this was destined to be a secret Qin Wan would carry to her grave.
"On the night of July twenty-first, it rained heavily in Jinzhou. Qin Wan accidentally fell into the manor's inner lake. That's all."
Qin Wan's eyes were clear and limpid. Then she frowned. "Why does Your Highness ask this?"
Yan Chi gazed at Qin Wan with penetrating insight. Finally, the corners of his lips curved slightly. "Ninth Young Miss always gives off a sense of elusive mystery, as if hiding some secret, making one unconsciously curious."
Yan Chi's tone was harmless and sincere. Qin Wan looked at him calmly. "To be human, one must hide many secrets to live a lifetime smoothly. Similarly, what secrets is Your Highness hiding?"
Yan Chi's eyes deepened. Qin Wan glanced at Yan Chi's shoulder. "Has Your Highness's shoulder and back injuries improved?"
Yan Chi understood clearly. Qin Wan's words were reminding him that the injury on his shoulder was caused by Yue Qing, but the one on his back was not. His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the slender Qin Wan before him. The corners of his lips curved faintly. "Ninth Young Miss has quite the nerve."
Qin Wan also curved her lips. On her left cheek, a shallow dimple appeared faintly. "If I were timid, how would I dare treat the Grand Princess's illness? If I were timid, I would be even less willing to perform an autopsy."
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan with a half-smile for a moment, then suddenly raised a hand, gesturing for her to proceed.
Both she and he were going to the Grand Princess's courtyard, so naturally they could walk together.
Qin Wan turned. Yan Chi stepped forward. The two walked side by side along the corridor in the morning light.
"Last night's investigation of the Song household guards yielded no results. What is Ninth Young Miss's view?"
Yan Chi's words confirmed Qin Wan's speculation. Her brows furrowed slightly. "There are two key points. First, who could obtain Miss Song's wedding gown? Second, why did that person come to Plum Garden?"
Yan Chi lifted his chin slightly. "Miss Song's personal matrons and close guards all knew she had prepared a spare wedding gown. If someone with intent wanted to steal it, it wouldn't be too difficult. As for why they came to Plum Garden... most likely to frighten Ninth Young Miss."
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. "What purpose would frightening me serve? To use my words to stir up trouble?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple..."
Last night's incident was still fresh. Currently, the Marquis's estate was in turmoil because of it. Yet Yan Chi and Qin Wan couldn't find the reason. For a moment, both fell into contemplation. This bizarre case had nothing to do with either of them, yet they found themselves on its periphery, seemingly about to be pulled in at any moment. Who had killed Song Rou?
"Such wickedness! They've all been taken to the front courtyard for questioning!"
A suddenly raised voice brought Qin Wan back to herself. She looked up and saw several women servants responsible for cleaning gathered in a courtyard not far away, discussing. With their backs to Qin Wan's direction, they hadn't noticed their approach.
"Who knows what happened? I heard something occurred at Plum Garden last night."
"Plum Garden? Isn't that where Qin Ninth Young Miss is staying?"
"That's right. She's only been here two days and there's already trouble. Have you heard? She died once before. Her body turned cold, the mourning hall was set up, but then she weirdly came back to life. And also, back then, she brought misfortune upon her own parents. The Loyal and Valiant Marquis Household in the capital feared her unlucky fate and sent her to the Qin manor. It's said wherever she goes, evil things happen..."
Qin Wan's steps halted. She initially thought they were merely discussing estate matters, but the target had unexpectedly fallen on her. Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, listening with calm composure. Yan Chi stopped beside her, his phoenix eyes narrowing sharply.
"Ah, could the trouble in our estate this time be because of her?"
"Who says it isn't! The Mistress even kept her for two nights! Dared to let her treat the Old Madam's illness. This is truly..."
"Don't say that. Ninth Young Miss was invited by the Mistress because of her exceptional medical skills!"
"Exceptional what? She's only been here two days, and the estate is in chaos again. Last night, why was it Plum Garden that had trouble? I heard she moved to the Young Princess's place to rest last night..."
"You say that, and I'm really a bit scared now. But it was the Mistress who invited her. What can we do?"
"Exactly. We can't exactly ask the Mistress to drive her..."
Before the words "drive her out" could be spoken, the woman speaking turned and caught sight of Qin Wan and Yan Chi. Her eyes widened abruptly, her face turning deathly pale as she froze. The other women, sensing something wrong, turned around and also instantly lost all color in their faces.
"Thump!" Several of them knelt simultaneously.
"Ninth Young Miss, Y-Your Highness... Your Highness, spare us! Ninth Young Miss, spare us!"
"Your Highness, spare us! Ninth Young Miss, spare us!"
They kowtowed and begged for mercy one after another. Qin Wan looked coldly at them, not speaking.
Yan Chi's face darkened with indifference. "Bai Feng."
As soon as the words fell, Bai Feng, who had been following at a distance, immediately stepped forward. "Your Highness?"
Yan Chi's voice was flat. "Go inform the Mistress."
Hearing this, those servant women immediately collapsed to the ground in fear, still crying out for mercy. But Qin Wan withdrew her gaze and walked past along the corridor without a sideways glance.
Yan Chi walked beside her, his gaze drifting over casually. "I helped you, yet you don't even say thank you?"
Qin Wan stopped and looked at Yan Chi. "Even if Your Highness didn't tell the Mistress, I would have. The result is the same. Your Highness was just a step ahead."
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, glancing at Fuling cowering behind them, wishing she could be farther and farther away, then at the utterly composed Qin Wan. He felt the difference between the two was vast. Her maid feared him like the King of Hell, yet she herself dared say anything.
With this realization, Yan Chi felt a flicker of amusement in his heart. "You would have told the Mistress? You are a guest at the Marquis's estate. Telling the Mistress directly might seem like implying she doesn't manage her household strictly. Most others would probably endure it."
"Enduring it breeds resentment. They probably wanted me to get angry and then, in my annoyance, never return to the Qin manor." She paused slightly, then added, "Moreover, hearing these words at this time always makes me think of other possibilities."
Her tone turned slightly grave, drawing Yan Chi's focused attention. "What possibilities?"
Qin Wan pressed her lips together, also looking at Yan Chi. "I always feel that last night's headless female corpse and this morning's words... are both meant to push me out of the Marquis's estate..."
"Push you out of the Marquis's estate?"
Yan Chi frowned, then a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. "You think today's words didn't arise from nowhere?"
Qin Wan gave a slight nod. "The Mistress manages her household extremely strictly. Unless someone deliberately incited them, such nonsense wouldn't be spoken. According to ordinary thinking, once these words are spoken, even if the Mistress doesn't take them seriously, I would hear them, feel displeased, and decide to leave."
She paused, then continued, "And last night... that headless female corpse was bizarre and terrifying. At the time, Fuling was scared out of her wits. According to ordinary thinking, I would surely also be frightened and wish to leave."
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan with bright eyes. "Unfortunately, you are not an ordinary young woman."
Qin Wan shook her head and went on. "I'm not certain. Because thinking it over, my staying at the Marquis's estate shouldn't hinder anyone. And why would the person behind this want me to leave the Marquis's estate?"
Yan Chi's pupils contracted slightly. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, his expression perked up. "Could it be they don't want you involved in Miss Song's case?" After a moment's thought, Yan Chi found this speculation increasingly plausible. "Last time you helped Yue Qing. Many people know about that. Could the person behind this fear you getting involved in Miss Song's case and thus finding the murderer?"
Their eyes met. Qin Wan's heart tightened. "While that's possible, I am, after all, not someone from the prefectural yamen. How could I arbitrarily involve myself in Miss Song's case? If the person behind this truly thinks that way, they are worrying unnecessarily."
Yan Chi's gaze, however, grew firm. "What the reason truly is, I believe we'll see in a couple of days." He paused slightly, then suddenly said, "These next few days, be careful in all things."
Yan Chi's expression was serious, his eyes filled with deep concern.
For a moment, Qin Wan's heart warmed with a strange feeling. She was surprised to feel cared for at this moment. She stared at Yan Chi, as if trying to discern whether the concern in his eyes was genuine. After a long moment, the corners of her lips curved slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness."
The seriousness on Yan Chi's face dissipated at her word of thanks. He couldn't help but smile. "I thought you were unwilling to thank me."
Qin Wan shook her head. "It's not for Your Highness's warning."
Yan Chi's brows lifted. "Oh? Then what is it for?"
Qin Wan's smile widened a fraction, the polite distance in her expression receding. Her hand subtly touched the needle case in her sleeve. She said gently, "Thank you for Your Highness's consultation fee."