Xiao Jingheng: "…"
He found it somewhat amusing yet helpless.
It seemed that without satisfying this greedy kitten, he wouldn't hear any "useful" information today.
He extended his slender fingers and, under Su Xiaoyu's longing gaze, picked up a piece of Gold Thread Lotus Seed Cake. Instead of putting it in his mouth, he casually pointed it toward Su Xiaoyu, his tone calm and even:
"You, come here."
Su Xiaoyu widened her eyes, pointing at herself: "Me?"
Mama Zhao and Liu Shi were both stunned!
Xiao Jingheng remained expressionless, calmly adding: "It's an Imperial Gift, so we must be cautious. You will test for poison!"
Test?
Test for poison?
Su Xiaoyu jerked her head up, her eyes round with disbelief, hardly trusting her ears.
[He's giving it to me? Oh my! Such good fortune?! Young Marquis, you're truly a great man!]
Overjoyed inwardly but maintaining composure outwardly, Su Xiaoyu quickly stepped forward and carefully accepted the long-coveted pastry.
Suppressing the urge to shove it into her mouth, she performed an exaggerated curtsy: "Thank you for the reward, Young Marquis."
Then, she gently took a small bite.
The exquisite texture and the refreshing, non-cloying sweetness of the lotus seed paste instantly burst in her mouth. Su Xiaoyu nearly squinted with happiness.
[So delicious! Truly worthy of the Imperial Kitchen's craftsmanship—the pastry melts in your mouth, the lotus paste is fragrant and velvety… I could die without regrets!]
Noticing her blissful expression as if she owned the world, Xiao Jingheng's lips curved almost imperceptibly.
He turned back to Liu Shi and repeated his earlier question.
"Mother, where do you think Zhang Bing has gone? Could he have truly vanished into thin air?"
Liu Shi: …
What's with this child today? How could she, a woman confined to the inner chambers, answer such a question?
She felt there was something unusual about her eldest son today, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
But since Xiao Jingheng had asked, as his mother, she couldn't appear completely ignorant—that would make her seem useless.
Liu Shi had no choice but to pick up her teacup, using the moment to sip tea while quickly thinking, then cautiously replied: "Well… a living person can't just disappear into thin air. In my opinion, it's likely that… something unfortunate has happened to him."
"Perhaps he offended someone and was… taken outside the city?"
Her words were essentially meaningless.
[Outside the city? Madam, your reasoning is far too conventional!]
Having just enjoyed the imperial gift, Su Xiaoyu was in high spirits, and her inner complaints were particularly lively.
[Don't you know the most dangerous place is the safest? That partner is bold—he's right in the dye workshop, hidden at the bottom of the largest, bubbling dye vat! If you go now, you might still fish out a whole body.]
The dye vat! It really is the dye vat!
Xiao Jingheng's fingers tightened slightly around his teacup, but his face remained composed as he even nodded in agreement with Liu Shi.
"Mother makes a valid point. We should indeed dispatch more people to search outside the city."
Seeing her son agree with her view, Liu Shi relaxed slightly but couldn't help expressing concern: "These cases are important, but you must also take care of your health. Don't overexert yourself."
"I understand, thank you for your concern, Mother." Xiao Jingheng responded, his gaze subtly drifting over Su Xiaoyu once more.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoyu was still marveling to herself:
[Sigh, it's delicious alright, but the portion's too small—just one tiny piece… I wonder if the Young Marquis will eat the rest? If I could have just one more piece, I'd gladly run ten extra errands tomorrow!]
Xiao Jingheng listened impassively to the glutton's internal monologue, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
It seemed that to keep this "little informant" motivated, he would need to cater to her preferences.
He cast a discreet glance at the remaining pastries.
"If Mother has no further instructions, I shall take my leave." Xiao Jingheng rose to bid farewell.
"Go ahead, your duties come first."
After taking two steps, Xiao Jingheng paused abruptly: "These Gold Thread Lotus Seed Cakes have a cooling nature, unsuitable for frequent consumption. Mother should distribute the remainder among the servants to avoid waste."
Having said this, he departed the courtyard without further delay.
[Distribute them?! Ahhh! Mother! Dearest mother! You must save a piece for me! No, even half a piece would suffice!]
Liu Shi watched her eldest son's retreating figure with a resigned smile. "This child…"
She then instructed Mama Zhao: "Since the Young Marquis has spoken, take these for the servants to share. Let them partake in the palace's auspicious energy."
"Thank you, Madam! Thank you for the Young Marquis's generous gift!" Mama Zhao promptly expressed gratitude with a smile, carefully lifting the food container.
That evening, Moyun Residence.
Xiao Jingheng was organizing case files regarding Zhang Bing's disappearance in his study when Changfeng entered, moonlight trailing behind him.
"Young Marquis!" Changfeng's face brimmed with excitement and astonishment.
"Just as you predicted! We secretly apprehended the silk merchant's partner and conducted a nighttime search. Beneath the largest dye vat, we discovered Zhang Bing's corpse. The culprit collapsed upon exposure and confessed fully to the murder and concealment of the body."
Xiao Jingheng's brush hand hesitated slightly, leaving a small ink blot on the rice paper.
His expression remained placid as still water, as if he had anticipated this outcome all along, offering only a faint "Mm" in response.
Changfeng's voice brimmed with admiration: "Your foresight is truly remarkable! The Capital Magistrate investigated for half a month without progress, yet you deduced the body's location solely from the partner's eagerness to sell the dye workshop. I am in awe!"
Foresight?
Xiao Jingheng smiled wryly inwardly.
Had it not been for that little girl's internal revelations, how could anyone have pinpointed such a concealed hiding place?
This was no coincidence, nor knowledge an ordinary person could possess.
Setting down his brush, he lifted his gaze to Changfeng: "What of the other matter?"
Changfeng composed himself, retrieving a thin document from his robes and presenting it with both hands:
"This contains all information I gathered regarding Su Xiaoyu from the Madam's courtyard. She is a hereditary servant of Hou Manor. Her father Su Zhong serves as the personal guard captain to the Marquis, while her mother Zhao Yueru is Madam's attendant Mama Zhao. She has lived within Hou Manor since birth, with an extremely straightforward life trajectory—rarely ever leaving the manor's premises."
Xiao Jingheng accepted the document, his eyes swiftly scanning the contents.
It recorded when Su Xiaoyu entered the family school, when she began assisting in the Madam's courtyard, and even included childhood incidents like being punished for stealing pastries… Every detail was meticulously documented.
Yet nothing appeared suspicious.
"Were there any anomalies?" Xiao Jingheng pressed further.
Changfeng shook his head, "Nothing unusual. If there's anything distinctive… it's that this girl is gluttonous, famously so since childhood. Moreover, she's sweet-tongued and knows how to handle situations. Besides Aunt Wang from the kitchen and Mama Li from the sewing room, even those old sly foxes at the gatehouse get along well with her. She always manages to get some snacks."
"How are her interpersonal relationships?"
"She gets along with most people in the mansion, except…" Changfeng paused, seeming somewhat reluctant to speak.
"The Second Young Lady seems to hold some grievances against her, thinking she's lazy and undisciplined. Occasionally when they meet, the Second Young Lady would mock her with a few words. Su Xiaoyu usually responds with an apologetic smile and avoids confrontation, never arguing with the Second Young Lady."
Xiao Jingheng's slender fingers lightly tapped on the table.
He knew his second sister's temperament – somewhat spoiled, so it was normal for her to look down upon a maid like Su Xiaoyu who seemed "unambitious."
But precisely because of this, the mystery surrounding Su Xiaoyu grew deeper.
How could a maid with such a simple life trajectory and seemingly straightforward personality repeatedly uncover the truth about cases that even he found difficult to solve?
Or perhaps she had some kind of precognitive ability?
"Continue observing. Don't alert the prey." Xiao Jingheng placed that piece of paper over the candle flame, and the fire instantly consumed Su Xiaoyu's seemingly ordinary past.
"Yes!" Changfeng acknowledged the order.