Su Liuyue couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Assistant Prefect Lu was truly amusing—during the investigation, he was like a hot‑headed young man, but once the case was solved, he suddenly seemed pure and even a little dazed.
As soon as Assistant Prefect Lu gave the order, the officers rushed forward to seize Shopkeeper Cao, whose face was filled with despair, and Miss Sun, who was crying like pear blossoms in the rain.
Assistant Prefect Lu had managed to keep a stern face, but when Shopkeeper Cao passed before him, he couldn’t resist baring his teeth in frustration. That man was cunning enough to nearly fool him! If he had really taken Shopkeeper Yuan back as the murderer, he would probably have been packing his bags and thrown out of the Capital Prefecture tomorrow. Truth be told, the case was solved entirely thanks to that young woman.
Assistant Prefect Lu dared not claim credit. Everyone said that man was sharp‑eyed and strict in judgment, famous for his harsh discipline when commanding the army.
Thinking of his methods, Assistant Prefect Lu shivered inwardly. He quickly turned, intending to invite the young woman to accompany him back to the yamen—but she had vanished without a trace.
Assistant Prefect Lu: “…”
She had promised to tell him how she knew the case was so important to him!
Meanwhile, in the teahouse across the street, on the second floor—
A straight‑backed guard stood before Rong Ruo and Zhou Yunkè, recounting in detail how the case had been solved, leaving out not a single detail.
The more Rong Ruo listened, the more astonished he became. At last, he said with great interest, “So you mean that young woman deduced an affair between Miss Sun and Shopkeeper Cao merely from her reaction in a single instant? And then, following that thread, unraveled the entire case?”
“Yes!”
The guard, still shaken from witnessing her process, spoke with uncharacteristic excitement: “She was truly astonishing. It seemed no matter what the killer was thinking, she could see through it at a glance! They say she even realized from the start that the case was crucial to Assistant Prefect Lu, which is why he broke precedent and allowed her to participate.”
Rong Ruo was silent for a long moment, then laughed, slowly waving his white feather fan: “Was it a coincidence, or does she truly have the gift of seeing into people’s hearts? I never thought among the pampered daughters of the capital there would be one so extraordinary. Now, the Great Qing is desperate for talent. A pity she is a woman. If she were a man, she could be cultivated.”
The black‑robed man opposite him was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly:“Master Rong, you and I both come from the battlefield. In the army, strength is what matters. If someone is useful, what does it matter if they are male or female? Even if they are not human, when the time comes, we use them. Since coming to the capital, how have you grown so decadent?”
Rong Ruo, inexplicably scolded, opened his mouth, feeling aggrieved: “I say, Your Highness, must you jab at me every day? War cannot be compared to times of peace. In war, for victory, any method or person could be used. Those old scholars who prattle about family rites didn’t dare utter a word then. But now the war is over, they’ve all crawled out again. Tsk. Sometimes I truly dislike those people in the capital. The men of the army are far simpler and more genuine. But, Your Highness, you say this—don’t tell me you’re thinking of that young woman? I advise against it. You know your current position—so many eyes are on you. And you’ve never had women around you. Do you know how vile the rumors outside have become? Since we entered the capital, countless families have sent people to ask me if you prefer men or if you have problems in that regard. Not dozens, but hundreds!”
Behind Zhou Yunkè, guards Fengqi and Fengyang exchanged embarrassed looks. Only Master Rong dared to speak so recklessly in front of His Highness!
Before, when the great enterprise was unfinished, His Highness had been busy drilling troops and waging war, so it was understandable that he had no women around him. But now that Great Qing has been established, the Emperor has already expanded his harem, gathering beauties, and the other princes have either married or have women in their chambers. Only His Highness’s rear court remains spotless—without even a single strand of a woman’s hair!
No wonder people in the capital have begun to entertain such strange ideas.
Zhou Yunkè didn’t even bother to look at the man before him. He said calmly: “Just speak plainly. My tastes are perfectly normal.”
“I do say that—but people must believe it!” Rong Ruo, nearly collapsing at the thought, ground his teeth and muttered: “I say, even if you dislike outsiders near you, at least keep one or two women in the rear court for appearances! You know your situation is different now. What Crown Prince reaches twenty‑four years of age without a single woman by his side…”
Zhou Yunkè’s brows furrowed slightly, his face showing unmistakable disgust. He said each word clearly: “No. Filthy.”
Rong Ruo: “…”
Zhou Yunkè lifted his eyelids slightly and added: “Still, Master Rong’s words have some merit. Why not keep a few concubines in your own residence, and say they are mine? Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
Rong Ruo’s eye twitched violently. He was furious at such an absurd suggestion. “You… you…”
This man truly cared nothing for his own reputation! Did he think being known as a prince who only loved his minister’s women was better than being rumored to prefer men?
“I have matters to attend to. Fengqi, escort Master Rong back to his residence later.”
Zhou Yunkè suddenly stood, saying: “After all, Master Rong knows no martial arts. If he encounters remnants of the former dynasty on the road, he wouldn’t even know how he died.”
Without another glance at the man he had nearly driven mad, Zhou Yunke strode away.
“Fengqi, look! Just look at your master!” Rong Ruo clutched his aching chest, nearly breathless with rage: “What sin have I committed, to serve as strategist to such a stubborn, foul‑tempered, eccentric master! It infuriates me! Infuriates me!”
Left behind, Fengqi looked helpless, casting him a sympathetic glance: “Master Rong, you know His Highness has always done as he pleases. And his obsession with cleanliness is nothing new…”
“When he was cutting down enemies on the battlefield, where was this obsession? Yet back in ordinary life, it resurfaces!”
Rong Ruo fumed: “If I hadn’t served under him for nearly ten years, I too might believe the rumors—that he prefers men, or that something is wrong with him. Fengqi, you and Fengyang should persuade your master more often. Before, his self‑indulgence could be overlooked. But now he is the Crown Prince! A Crown Prince who refuses to marry or have children—what does that look like? Everyone is watching!”
“He thought I hadn’t spoken well of him outside? Whenever people asked, I always said: “My lord prince is full of vigor. If he wished, he could command ten women in a single night without difficulty! It’s only that His Highness has high standards, and in the past was occupied with military campaigns, so he never had the chance to gain experience with women.”
“Yet who would know—even I have never so much as touched a single finger of His Highness!”
The words the prince spoke earlier—only they know—were not jokes, nor deliberate mockery. He truly believes it is filthy because he suffers from an almost pathological obsession with cleanliness!
And who would believe it, if told aloud? That this newly appointed Crown Prince has, from childhood to now, never allowed anyone to serve him closely.
Even his own mother, once he grew older, likely never drew near him again!