Chapter 38: Are You Begging Me?

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Luo Yunqiao curled her lip, clearly unconvinced that this was a crime of passion.

Still, she did not waste time arguing. She slowly approached the corpse.

The old madam would not have lied, and in a mere three months a living person could not simply vanish—unless someone had hidden her.

Luo Yunqiao was quick on her feet. Before the constables could stop her, she had already lifted the dead woman’s hair, revealing the red mole behind her ear.

“Just as I thought,” she murmured.

She had known the brothel madam was up to something. This woman was most likely Hehua, the person she had been searching for.

She rose and fixed the madam with a blazing stare, forcing down her anger as she demanded, “This woman clearly has a red mole behind her ear as well. Why did you not bring her out? Did you think I was offering too little money, or were you deliberately hiding her?”

Quite apart from whether this woman was Hehua, if the madam had brought her out sooner, there would never have been a wrongful-death case today.

Terrified by Luo Yunqiao’s gaze and the suppressed fury in her voice, the madam began to tremble as she hurriedly defended herself. “I truly had no intention of deceiving you. It was only that Yueluan came down with an unspeakable illness. I could not risk passing the contagion to Your Honor. Besides, I thought this girl was not the person you were looking for…”

“How did you know she was not the person I was looking for?” Luo Yunqiao pressed. “Could it be that you thought I was too young and naive to see through you, so you deliberately tried to take advantage of me?”

The force of her presence startled the madam. She dropped hastily to her knees. “I would never dare! I would never dare!”

She had indeed thought this young master looked inexperienced and easy to deceive. Following orders from above, she had deliberately concealed Yueluan’s existence. Who could have imagined that such a terrible incident would occur? Her Ten Thousand Springs House would probably never be able to reopen.

“There truly was a reason…” she stammered, unable to think of any explanation that might spare her life.

Just then, Yueluan’s lover was dragged in.

Luo Yunqiao turned her head and saw a scholar with a distinctly impoverished air about him. Though he struggled, he did not dare resist too fiercely, merely insisting over and over that he was innocent.

She walked over and stopped beside Xiao Muyuan, whispering a few words to him. When she turned back, the scholar had seen Yueluan’s corpse. His knees gave way, and he collapsed to the floor, crying, “Yueluan… How could this have happened?”

Luo Yunqiao frowned.

The scholar had his back to her, making it impossible for her to see his expression clearly. She frowned again and lowered her voice. “Your Highness, how much of what he said do you think is true?”

“Whether it is true or false, we will know once we test him.” With a glance from Xiao Muyuan, a constable pulled the man away and took him to a quieter room.

Seeing Xiao Muyuan leave, Luo Yunqiao immediately hurried after him.

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“Tell me. What was your relationship with Yueluan?” Xiao Muyuan sat in a chair, his deep voice carrying an aura that warned all strangers to keep their distance.

After hesitating for a moment, Luo Yunqiao summoned her courage and sat beside him, taking a small sip of fragrant tea.

The scholar’s face was numb with despair. “She and I grew up together. Fate was unkind to us: she was sold into a brothel, yet I never once despised her. I only waited until I had saved enough money to bring her home. Who would have thought… Who would have thought…”

He struck the floor in hatred.

“Did you know she had an unspeakable illness?” Luo Yunqiao continued.

A flicker of panic passed through the scholar’s eyes, but he still nodded firmly. “So what if she did? I would have treated her. Even if it meant selling everything I owned, I would have cured her!”

“How touching. Your Highness, men of such devotion and loyalty are rare indeed.” Luo Yunqiao praised him, never once looking away. Then, when his guard had relaxed, she turned and asked, “Do you know who else remains in her family?”

“What?” The scholar was caught completely off guard.

“If you grew up together, yet you do not even know who is in her family, then you clearly think us fools.” Having achieved what she wanted, Luo Yunqiao rose, her expression grave. “Your Highness, this scholar was obviously planted by someone to deceive you. You must not show mercy. And as for the brothel madam—unless she sees blood, I doubt she will tell the truth.”

Her voice was calm, utterly unlike that of an ordinary young woman.

Xiao Muyuan stared at her back. Only after a long while did he come to himself.

What had she been through to make her unafraid even of the dead?

The Ten Thousand Springs House had already descended into chaos, and Luo Yunqiao had no chance to continue investigating. Fearing that her identity might be exposed, she simply took Jinxin and Yinxin back to the marquis’s residence.

They had barely stepped outside the brothel when Yinxin pursed her lips and complained, “That madam truly knows how to treat people according to their status. She must have thought us easy to bully, which is why she refused to bring Miss Yueluan out. And now look… The lead we worked so hard to obtain has been cut off just like that.”

Luo Yunqiao found her complaint utterly endearing. She reached out and tapped Yinxin lightly on the forehead, laughing. “What of it? So many years have passed. The fact that we managed to uncover even a few clues is already remarkable. Besides, this is only the beginning. Heaven’s justice is clear. Sooner or later, I will find the slightest trace.”

She looked ahead and lengthened her stride.

If such a minor setback could bring her down, she would never have survived her return from kneeling through the scriptures.

A sudden cold wind swept past. Luo Yunqiao shivered and hurriedly wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself.

The cry of a horse came from behind. She moved aside, but unexpectedly, the carriage stopped directly in front of her.

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Xiao Muyuan lifted the carriage curtain, revealing only his hands. His voice was low. “The coroner just told me a few things. I believe Miss Luo would be interested. Why not get in? I can give you a ride home.”

Luo Yunqiao’s heart leaped. She recalled the purpose that had brought her to the Ten Thousand Springs House today and did not want anyone else to learn of it. Yet the streets were crowded and full of prying eyes. If word reached the marquis’s residence, another storm would surely follow.

“Then I shall trouble you.”

She climbed into the carriage and went straight to the point. “What did the coroner say? Has he found any clues?”

“Yueluan was indeed poisoned to death. However, she had also quarreled with someone shortly before she died. The maid who had been serving her in recent days is missing. I have already sent men to search for her. I fear…”

“Fear that she has met with misfortune?” Luo Yunqiao interrupted.

She had already guessed as much.

She had only just begun investigating the matter, yet anyone connected to it was suddenly dying. Someone was clearly trying to prevent her from digging deeper. If so, she would likely find no clues relying on her own strength alone.

Unless…

Luo Yunqiao’s gaze fell upon Xiao Muyuan. Before she could speak, he beat her to it.

“There is no one else here. Will Miss Luo finally tell me the truth? Why did you disguise yourself and enter the Ten Thousand Springs House?”

“Of course I went to investigate the exchange that took place between Luo Yunzhen and me all those years ago. Unfortunately, the trail has gone cold.” Luo Yunqiao did not evade the question. She shook her head in feigned regret, then turned and smiled. “Still, I imagine Prince Yan has considerable resources. Surely you can uncover a few clues.”

“Are you asking me for help?” Xiao Muyuan narrowed his long, almond-shaped eyes, attempting to see through her little schemes.

“Something like that.” Luo Yunqiao shrugged.

She had no reliable people at her disposal, nor could she often travel about in search of clues. At present, the only person she could trust was Xiao Muyuan.

Fearing he might refuse, she quickly added, “We are in the same boat now. Surely Your Highness will not refuse me such a small favor? I have been helping you investigate the matters you wish to know about all this time.”

Seeing her calculating expression, Xiao Muyuan was nevertheless in unusually high spirits. He was reminded of how calmly she had faced the corpse earlier and felt an impulse to tease her.

He leaned toward her, speaking right beside her ear.

“Then what benefit will I receive?”