Chapter 49: Three Maidservants and Two Lives

Ouyang Jingxu rolled his eyes at Luo Yunyao. "If Lord Jinghao could ever fancy you, he must have had sand in his eyes at that moment."

Luo Yunyao refused to be outdone. "Even with sand in his eyes, he still wouldn't have fancied your little Princess Yue Liuxi." She paused, suddenly remembering that she shouldn't speak to Ouyang Jingxu in this manner since her precious life was currently in his hands. Changing her tune immediately, she fawned, "The maid who was alone with me at Great General Qin's residence has been murdered; a maid covered in whip marks was found at my own estate; and now there is yet another maid appealing directly to the emperor, holding evidence that I stole General Qin's military secrets." Luo Yunyao listed her alleged crimes one by one—"two counts of homicide, trafficking in official posts, stealing state secrets, and framing a high-ranking minister of the state"—before returning to the core issue, "How does My Lord the Chief Justice intend to investigate this?"

Ouyang Jingxu rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought, and did not reply immediately.

Using three maids to substantiate the charges, and pitting all three against Luo Yunyao alone—it was hard to tell whether Yue Liuxi was making a bad investment or Luo Yunyao was getting the short end of the stick.

Luo Yunyao sorted through her own thoughts, trying to align her perspective as closely as possible with the mastermind's true conspiracy: "First, they framed me with a seemingly utterly crude plot. Because I have been riding the crest of a wave recently, regardless of whether the matter is true or false, once gossip spreads into the imperial capital, it immediately becomes all the rage. Those officials and ministers who already look down upon me will certainly not fall behind, which means I am bound to make a trip to the Dali Temple or the Ministry of Punishments. Originally, the incident occurred at Qin Jinghao's general's residence, so he would naturally enforce strict security there. Furthermore, while I was in prison—and believing in my own innocence—I never expected that a similar scene would be staged at my own estate, thereby giving the mastermind an opportunity to exploit."

Luo Yunyao finished her speech in an excited rush without pausing much, prompting Ouyang Jingxu to naturally take over: "Originally, the framing at General Qin's residence was nothing more than a poorly crafted scheme, so most people in the capital didn't believe it. But now that these successive events have come to light, disbelief is hardly possible any longer. By now, the entire court and countryside are likely in an uproar, buzzing with rumors." Ouyang Jingxu sighed. "A flourishing, newly minted top scholar; the one who brought relief to the disaster victims of Nanjiang; the Minister of War who nearly lost his life rooting out the corrupt Grand Councilor Marquis—to think that he would turn out to be such a person. Rumors like these are truly enough to plunge the hearts of the capital's populace into panic."

Although Luo Yunyao's complexion was pale, her expression remained calm. She parted her lips slightly and uttered four cold words: "Ruined reputation."

Still pondering the case, Ouyang Jingxu split his attention to reply to her, "Destroying a person's reputation is all too easy. Spiritually, at least, Minister Luo has already collapsed."

Despite her less-than-favorable complexion, Luo Yunyao let out a disdainful huff at these words, drawing out her amusement into a prolonged chuckle. "Destroy me?" Her laughter grew louder and crisp. "No matter what Yue Liuxi does, she can never destroy me. Do you really think this official rank, this reputation, this future favor, and this boundless prosperity are what I truly care about?" What Luo Yunyao truly cared about was her native land of Biluo and her family. Yet her country had already fallen, reduced to a tiny vassal state of TianSheng. As for her family, her relatives from the modern era were all gone, and the family members here were either dead or imprisoned—what was left for her to genuinely care about?

Ouyang Jingxu clearly saw that Luo Yunyao's laughter was genuine, tinged with a sense of triumph. He seemed to understand a fraction of it, but instead of exposing her, he simply waited for her to continue. "What is it that you truly care about?"

With a proud and radiant smile, Luo Yunyao slowly raised her head, gazing upward with the reverence one might reserve for the sun, and declared, "I care about the very thing Yue Liuxi is willing to exhaust every means to snatch away. But what I care about is also what Yue Liuxi cares about, and I have absolute, one hundred percent confidence that person belongs to me."

Watching Luo Yunyao display the demeanor of a woman utterly convinced that her beloved was invincible in the universe, blindly worshiping and trusting her chosen husband, Ouyang Jingxu was initially left speechless. Yet he knew that if there truly were someone who treated him the way Luo Yunyao treated Qin Jinghao, he would gladly endure waiting for hundreds of millennia and countless reincarnations.

Moreover, Ouyang Jingxu knew that Luo Yunyao's words were entirely accurate. He had originally intended to say nothing, but suddenly noticing the surrounding atmosphere, he spoke up anyway: "What if he gets snatched away after all? What will you do then?"

***

Luo Yunyao didn't spare a thought to reproach Ouyang Jingxu for his lack of tact in undermining her. Imbued with her blind devotion, she replied, "The scariest thing in this world is 'what if.' But if there truly were a 'what if,' then the problem must lie with me—whether my charm is lacking or I fail to satisfy him in other ways. Ah... but what can be done? Since such a situation has never arisen, I actually don't know either. Perhaps I would act just like Yue Liuxi, discarding all regard for image, propriety, and a sense of shame, clinging relentlessly to Qin Jinghao? Yet I also feel that I might not possess the courage of your Princess Yue Liuxi, in which case I might hide myself away, too afraid to face this world ever again. Ah, speaking of which, there is also the option of following him in death. But I don't think I'd do anything so foolish. And yet, I worry all the same—loving Qin Jinghao as deeply as I do, if that day truly came, would I even retain my sanity?"

"There are no 'what ifs.' It will not happen." A low, jade-like voice rang out without warning.

At the threshold, the auspicious cloud patterns on the embroidered boots rippled and rolled like ocean waves. The silver-threaded, flowing-cloud borders along the hem of the robe lifted with the rhythm of his steps.

He walked slowly, his robes drifting gracefully. He was like an immortal stepping down from the dust, a peerless young master as flawless as jade.

Hearing that familiar voice, Luo Yunyao missed a heartbeat, feeling an unsteady flutter in her chest. She whipped her head around, and what met her eyes was indeed Qin Jinghao's jade-like visage and calm expression, his clear gaze reflecting nothing but Luo Yunyao herself.

"You're here."

Luo Yunyao's voice was soft and tender, masking an overwhelming excitement, though the joy on her face was impossible to conceal.

A hint of indulgence surfaced within Qin Jinghao's serene expression. Locking gazes with her, he responded with a gentle, jade-like "Mn."

Qin Jinghao then exchanged a glance with Ouyang Jingxu to acknowledge his presence and fulfill the basic demands of courtesy.

Luo Yunyao hastily pulled Qin Jinghao down to sit, catching hold of his warm hands, which were lightly calloused, and utterly reluctant to let go. Had Ouyang Jingxu not been right beside them, she would have insisted on gripping his hand, holding it tight, and playfully swinging it back and forth.

Qin Jinghao allowed her to do as she pleased, the doting look in his eyes only slightly veiled by his usual nonchalant demeanor. His hand twitched occasionally, seeming to brush against Luo Yunyao's fingers in an accidental yet deliberate touch.

While Luo Yunyao was thoroughly engrossed in playing with his hand, Ouyang Jingxu looked at his nose and then at his heart, pretending he saw and heard nothing. He quietly busied himself with his own duties, pondering the thorn in his side that was Luo Yunyao's complicated case.

Luo Yunyao finally remembered at some point that another person was present in the room, as well as the minor detail that she still had major business to handle. Reluctantly letting go of Qin Jinghao's hand, she used the pretext of fetching the teapot and pouring tea for him to start pondering how to steer the conversation back on track.

***

"Right, Great General Qin," Luo Yunyao said, sliding the teacup toward him and tilting her head with a teasing smile, "As a suspect, I am still actively violating your rights—stealing your military intelligence and even trying to frame you. Are you completely disappointed in me now? Or do you harbor deep resentment and hatred toward me?"

Qin Jinghao acted as though he hadn't heard a word. Reaching out, he took the teacup from her hand and deliberately caught her slender, soft fingers, holding them in his grip for a moment. Underneath the glare of her reproachful apricot-11 eyes, he smoothly and naturally placed his palm atop the crown of her head, giving her hair a tender, effortless pat. "I should be completely disappointed in whoever is trying to harm my girl," he replied. The uneloquent general suddenly realized his phrasing had been led astray by Luo Yunyao, so he smoothly and calmly course-corrected: "Not disappointed, exactly. It's just... ah..." He seemed to have finally found phrasing that suited his current thoughts: "'Offend me by a fraction, and I return it tenfold. Offend me again, and I uproot the weeds and eradicate the roots.'"

Ouyang Jingxu, who had been lost in his judicial train of thought, immediately raised his head and cast a startled look at Qin Jinghao. The look clearly screamed disbelief that Qin Jinghao would utter such words.

Luo Yunyao lowered her head slightly and emitted a few soft coughs.

As for the Great General, he showed not a shred of self-awareness regarding the awkwardness or strangeness he had caused, calmly and unblinkingly locking eyes with Ouyang Jingxu.

In the end, Ouyang Jingxu was the one who conceded defeat. He mirrored Luo Yunyao's soft coughs, wanting to say something yet finding nowhere to begin.

*What kind of karmic retribution has Luo Yunyao unleashed,* Ouyang Jingxu thought to himself, *to turn our aloof, jade-like noble young master of a general into this? I wonder if Princess Yue Liuxi still fancies a Qin Jinghao like this.*

Yet, as the most formidable Chief Justice in Western Qin's three-hundred-year history, Ouyang Jingxu was not a man easily derailed by a pair of unconventional young lovers.

Thus, diligent and dutiful to the last, the Chief Justice stated, "I have already sent a coroner to examine the body of the maid beaten to death. As for the backgrounds of the two dead maids and the events surrounding them recently, those will be investigated as well. Regarding the trafficking of official posts, I will look into the people and things Minister Luo encountered before taking office. As for the other crucial focal point of the case—the materials concerning General Jinghao's military authority..."