Huai Tree’s Repayment of Kindness – Part 4
Afraid?
How could she be?
If she gave in to fear now, what awaited her was death. She wanted to live.
“I’m not afraid,” Su Qingtang said, shaking her head. “So… shall we go in?”
Yin Guhuai glanced at her and said calmly, “No rush. Let Gu An lead the way.”
Before long, the dark-skinned officer came over. “Your Highness, we can go in.”
Su Qingtang followed the group into the Lu residence. Among them, Xiao Hei—Little Black—seemed most affected. Earlier, the servants of the Lu household had been uncooperative, answering vaguely, their eyes filled with disdain. But after Gu An swiftly beheaded the butler, everything changed.
In the front courtyard, Lady Lu forced a smile as she greeted Yin Guhuai. “Ah, it’s young Huai. You came—come in, and—”
“I am the commander of the City Patrol Department,” Yin Guhuai interrupted coldly. “If you’re trying to play family ties, you’ve got the wrong person. I’ll ask, you answer.”
A flicker of unease crossed Lady Lu’s face, but she lowered her head obediently. “Yes, my lord, please ask.”
“Why was the coachman at Tianxiang Pavilion? Why was your daughter’s maid there as well? A personal maid, pregnant, and her mistress didn’t notice? What about those living in the same quarters?”
He fired question after question, his tone sharp and emotionless.
A nanny standing beside Lady Lu stepped forward nervously. “Your Highness, our madam is also your—”
Before she could finish, a guard drew his sword and pressed the blade against her throat—so close it might as well have been on Lady Lu’s own neck.
“Did I not make myself clear?” Yin Guhuai’s faint smile sent chills down everyone’s spine. “Or did you not see what happened to your butler?”
He turned slightly. “Since you don’t seem to understand, then for my mother’s sake, Gu Quan, pull out this long-tongued woman’s tongue.”
His tone was light, almost casual, but the effect was immediate. Gu Quan dragged the nanny away, and her screams faded from furious protest to muffled silence.
“Now then, Madam Lu,” Yin Guhuai said, his voice like ice. “Still want to play nice?”
Lady Lu trembled. With no sign of the person she’d hoped would appear, she swallowed her pride. “My lord, it’s not that I’m unwilling to cooperate. But this was merely a lowly maid and a slave-born coachman. Dead is dead. Besides, they were servants of our household—it’s our family’s matter to handle. It’s improper for outsiders to interfere…”
Gu Quan returned soon after, spotless, while the nanny looked as though she’d been caught in a storm, soaked to the bone. “Your Highness, the tongue’s been pulled.”
“Good. Show it to Lady Lu.”
Gu Quan stepped forward, but Yin Guhuai stopped him again. “No need. She’s just a worthless servant. Feed it to the City Patrol’s hound, Wangcai. Has it ever tasted tongue before?”
Gu Quan replied flatly, “Not fresh ones.”
As Gu Quan turned to leave, Lady Lu finally broke. “Xiao Cui—that maid—she’d been wanting to go home recently. She’d saved some money, so we agreed. Usually, we buy them and they serve; if she wanted to leave, we didn’t object. We could always buy another at the brokers. My daughter, Wan Ting, naturally didn’t pay her much mind. Why should we? It’s just a servant’s life.”
“As for the coachman, Little Ma—he was petty, often stole small things. But his family has served ours for generations. He’s never done anything serious, so we turned a blind eye. Surely Your Highness knows the saying—‘If the water is too clear, no fish will live.’”
“As for Tianxiang Pavilion, perhaps Xiao Cui wanted to buy some delicacies for her family before leaving.”
Her explanation seemed watertight. It was, after all, how most nobles treated their servants.
“If she was saving money to leave,” Su Qingtang piped up from behind Yin Guhuai, “then why was she wearing clothes made of the same fabric as Miss Lu’s? Wouldn’t she have sold them instead?”
“Your—Your Highness,” Lady Lu faltered.
Su Qingtang continued before she could respond, “You can ask the coroner—Xiao Cui’s clothing was made of Fuguang brocade from Jiangnan. It only came into fashion last month—rare and costly. I noticed it earlier at Tianxiang Pavilion. Under Miss Lu’s cloak, she wore the same material.”
As if worried he wouldn’t believe her, she took out a handkerchief from her bag and handed it to Yin Guhuai. “It looks like this. My mother embroidered this one for me.”
As Yin Guhuai examined it, Su Qingtang went on, “And though I didn’t look closely inside Tianxiang Pavilion, I did see the way the fabric shimmered in the light—it was definitely Fuguang brocade. Tell me, how could a maid about to leave her master’s household, who owns nothing of value and can only serve tea and dress her mistress, afford to wear something so extravagant—and then go buy medicine in such an eye-catching outfit, only to leap to her death in the city’s most crowded restaurant? Isn’t that strange?”
When Su Qingtang mentioned the brocade, Lady Lu’s expression shifted noticeably. Now her composure cracked entirely. “Su Qingtang! What nonsense are you spouting? You’ve always been jealous of my Wan Ting. You’re slandering her! I could sue you for defamation!”
Su Qingtang shrugged. “Oh, the magistrate’s right here, isn’t he?”
Lady Lu fell silent.
Yin Guhuai handed the handkerchief to Gu Quan. “We still need to search Miss Lu’s courtyard. Lady Lu, lead the way.”
The lack of word from Gu An suggested the maid’s and coachman’s quarters had already been checked. Since Miss Lu was still of noble birth, Yin Guhuai preferred to handle this part himself.
“Or shall I assist you?” His tone was calm, but his eyes gleamed dangerously.
People only understood their place after a taste of fear. Lady Lu glanced at the trembling nanny and clenched her fists. “Please, follow me.”
They wound through several narrow paths before stopping at a small courtyard. Lady Lu turned to him, voice strained. “Your Highness, Wan Ting is my only child. She… she’s very fond of you. And this is her private chamber…”
Before she could finish, Xiao Hei drew his sword again. The nanny, learning quickly, fell to her knees before he even moved.
Lady Lu stepped back, trying to steady her breath. “Your Highness, as a mother, I must protect my daughter’s privacy. This is her boudoir—no men should enter. If you must, only you may go in.”
Yin Guhuai’s eyes narrowed. He was about to respond when Su Qingtang tugged his sleeve.
“Your Highness, she’s still your relative,” she said softly. “You must act in a way that leaves no room for others to criticize. The Lu family isn’t limited to one branch, after all.”
She had a point. The Empress came from the Fire Phoenix clan—few pure-blooded members remained. The Lu family wasn’t irreplaceable. Why stain their hands for someone already tainted?
Lady Lu’s face stiffened. “Miss Su truly lives up to her family name,” she sneered. “Just like your father—detestable!”
“If Miss Lu has nothing to hide,” Yin Guhuai said coolly, “then the City Patrol will find nothing. Madam, are you nervous?”
At that moment, a clear female voice called from outside. “Your Highness, Zhiyang of the Phoenix Guard, City Patrol.”
“Enter.”
Su Qingtang tilted her head curiously as a group of women in dark uniforms entered. The City Patrol employed both humans and demons, and Zhiyang was among its most skilled female officers.
“Search the room,” Yin Guhuai ordered. “And summon Gu An with the rest of the suspects.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
With the excuse of “men not entering” now gone, they began their inspection.
Inside Miss Lu’s courtyard, Yin Guhuai sat on a stone chair, gazing at the surrounding plants. The flowers were delicate and feminine—no sign of a locust tree. Could it be hidden within the Eight Trigrams formation the tree spirit mentioned?
The room itself was spotless. Su Qingtang noticed it the moment she entered. Given how quickly Yin Guhuai had mobilized the patrol and returned from the palace, it was clear—this room had been hastily cleaned.
Why clean something if nothing was wrong? Especially now, of all times.
“Miss Zhiyang,” Su Qingtang said, stepping closer to the officer who was turning over the bedding, “this room is so tidy—and it smells nice, too.”
Zhiyang, recognizing her, smiled faintly. “A noble lady’s quarters usually do.”
She paused, sniffing the air. “Wait… is that licorice?”
Walking to the dressing table, Zhiyang scanned the powders and perfumes—none contained licorice. Turning back to Su Qingtang, she asked, “Miss Su, you saw Miss Lu today, didn’t you?”
Su Qingtang nodded.
“Did she wear any perfume?”
Su thought for a moment. Yiyuan had been close enough to smell her earlier—and afterward, the locust-wood hairpin had carried a faint trace of locust fragrance. “Yes, I think so. It smelled like locust wood. If you need proof, you can ask the City Patrol to… sniff it?”
Zhiyang chuckled. “No need. This room was clearly scrubbed clean, but changing all the linens would attract attention. The original traces should still be inside the bedding. We’ll check there.”
She gave Su a meaningful glance. “Gu An should be here soon. Go outside and tell His Highness what we found.”
Feeling somewhat out of place among the disciplined investigators, Su nodded. “Alright. Thank you, Sister Zhiyang.”
Zhiyang smiled knowingly. “Good luck, Miss Su. I’m on your side—go win him over.”
“…”
Zhiyang was right. As Su Qingtang stepped out, she saw a group of maids kneeling near the stone table where Yin Guhuai sat.
Noticing her arrival, he spoke evenly. “So, you’re saying you knew nothing about the maid—Xiao Cui?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“But you lived in the same quarters. She’d been pregnant for three months—no one noticed any change?” Gu An pressed.
The maid immediately fell to her knees. “My lords, I swear I didn’t know! There’s so much work in the Lu household—after chores, I go straight to bed. How could I have noticed?”
“Did Xiao Cui have any close friends?” Gu An broadened the scope.
“No, sir. She served Miss Lu directly. We weren’t the same rank.”
Yin Guhuai turned slightly, his eyes meeting Su Qingtang’s. “Is your household like this as well, Miss Su?”
She shook her head. “No. My maid Yiyuan gets along with everyone—and so do I.”
“…”
“Maybe the Lu household’s just broke,” Su added thoughtfully. “All their money must go toward appearances. Imagine—a Minister’s daughter scenting her bedding with licorice.”
Yin Guhuai’s brows furrowed. He recalled Old Liu’s report—licorice was harmful to pregnant women.
And if the bedding was soaked in it…