GTB Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Only Robbing of Beauty, Not Taking Lives, Why Was She Killed?

Song Fuge gently patted Jiang Jiuchu’s hand that was holding him, and said softly, “Another day, I will come to see you.”

After he finished speaking, he bid farewell to Jiang Jiuche, and his figure disappeared into the night.

Seeing the man leave, Jiang Jiuche looked at his younger sister, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

In the guest room, Madam Ye looked at her daughter’s disheveled hair and tattered coat, her eyes filled with heartache. She stepped forward and hugged Jiang Jiuchu, unable to hold back her tears.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiuchu knew that her mother had misunderstood, and immediately patted her mother’s back, saying, “Mother, I’m fine. My clothes were torn by branches in the forest.”

Madam Ye heard this, took a step back and looked at Jiang Jiuchu, asking with some disbelief, “Really?”

“Really, if something had happened to me, I would definitely be crying even louder than you, so, Mother, do I look like something happened?”

Madam Ye heard this, and seeing that her daughter really didn’t seem to be in any trouble, she quickly wiped away her tears and said with a smile, “That’s great, it’s really fortunate, really fortunate!”

As Madam Ye spoke, tears fell again, but this time they were tears of joy.

In the long wait, she had already prepared herself, not expecting her daughter’s innocence, only hoping that her daughter could return safely. She had even planned out the second half of her daughter’s life.

Now, it was truly a blessing from heaven, no, it was that young master Fu. Thanks to him, she would definitely pay a visit in person to express her gratitude another day.

Jiang Jiuche looked at his mother and younger sister, “Mother, then you take my sister to freshen up. Tomorrow morning, after the blessing ceremony, return to the mansion as usual. Don’t reveal anything. I’ll go back first.”

“Okay, Mother knows, it’s dark, be careful on the road.” Madam Ye instructed without turning her head, and led Jiang Jiuchu towards the inner side.

The next morning.

In the hall of the Seventh Prince’s residence, Shí Yan, dressed in a black brocade robe, sat at the head of the table. His slender fingers with distinct joints gently stroked the newly acquired little fire fox in his arms. His gaze fell on the person reporting below, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

“Your Highness, that girl died around *you* hour yesterday. She was killed by someone with a sword through the chest from behind. Apart from that, there were no other fatal wounds.”

After the coroner finished speaking, he seemed to have thought of something, paused, and continued to add, “Oh yes, there is also a wound on her right arm, but it’s just an external injury.”

“Mm.”

Shí Yan responded lightly, then looked at the woman beside him.

The woman received the gaze and quickly stood up to report, “Your Highness, this old servant has checked, and the girl’s body seems to have been violated, but she is still a virgin.”

Seeing the two finish speaking, Xiao Tao, a maid, quickly stepped forward and took out a handkerchief, saying:

“Your Highness, this is the handkerchief used to bandage Miss Yu’s arm. It doesn’t belong to Miss Yu. This servant has already washed the bloodstains clean. Would Your Highness like to take a look?”

Receiving Shí Yan’s eye signal, Mu Feng, the guard, quickly stepped forward, took the handkerchief from Xiao Tao’s hand, and handed it to his master.

The handkerchief had been washed very clean and white by Xiao Tao, without a trace of blood, only slightly damp, and not completely dry.

Shí Yan took the handkerchief, looked at it casually in his hand. The pattern was simple, but somewhat special.

The upper left corner of the handkerchief was embroidered with a small, newly rising sun, and the middle was embroidered with a small grass that seemed to be bathing in the sunlight.

It should be a handkerchief used by a girl, but it was the first time he had seen a sun embroidered on a handkerchief.

He put the handkerchief aside, looked at Xiao Tao and asked, “What else was omitted from yesterday’s report, such as… did she have contact with any women?”

Xiao Tao shook her head, “No, when this servant was with Miss Yu, I didn’t see her having contact with anyone.”

Xiao Tao really couldn’t figure out how Miss Yu was suddenly killed. She was gone just like that, so suddenly.

Just the day before, she was still envying Miss Yu, envying her for being able to get the order from His Highness to leave the mansion freely, and even felt that His Highness would agree to all of Miss Yu’s requests.

She was even more envious of His Highness’s kindness to Miss Yu, which didn’t seem to be caused by superficial beauty. After all, serving people with beauty doesn’t last long, so she felt that Miss Yu must be someone who could enter His Highness’s heart.

But she didn’t expect that Miss Yu, whom she had just envied, would die a tragic death today…

Shí Yan picked up a piece of pastry from the tea table and lowered his head to feed the well-behaved little fire fox in his arms. No one noticed the hint of anger that floated in his lowered eyes.

“Take this handkerchief and check to see who likes to use the same embroidery pattern.” After Shí Yan finished speaking, he got up and walked outside.

“Yes.” After Mu Feng responded, he stepped forward and picked up the handkerchief on the tea table, thinking to himself that that person was also tired of living.

Not to mention the people in the Seventh Prince’s residence, even the grass and trees of his master, as long as they were not touched without his master’s permission, they shouldn’t even think of getting out alive.

After Shí Yan left the hall, he walked towards his own courtyard. As soon as he stepped into the study, Mu Sheng landed outside the door, “Master.”

“Come in and report.” Shí Yan put the fire fox in his arms on the chaise lounge, then walked to the desk and sat down.

Yun Sheng came to the desk, cupped his hands and reported, “This subordinate found a mountain cave in that forest. There were a large number of bloodstains not far outside the cave. The bedding and furniture were complete in the cave, and broken clothes and a small amount of bloodstains were found. The clothes scraps were exactly what Miss Yu was wearing.”

“Also, this subordinate learned that the black and white Double Fiends, who are known to be womanizers, have come to Kyoto. Based on their habits and traces, as well as a black flower hidden weapon found in the cave, it can be determined that the cave is where they live, so Miss Yuqin must have been kidnapped by the two.”

“But this subordinate did not find the two, and one thing that puzzles this subordinate is that the black and white Double Fiends usually only rob women and do not harm their lives, so why would they kill Miss Yu?”

Shí Yan leaned back in his chair, his slender fingers gently turning the white jade thumb ring on his hand, and looked at Yun Sheng, his voice indifferent: “Are there any traces of other women at the scene?”

Mu Sheng thought for a while, then replied, “There are many hemp ropes scattered on the ground in the cave, which seems to have been used to tie up more than one person. Apart from that, there are no other traces.”

Shí Yan stopped turning the thumb ring and said lightly: “There is no need to look for the black and white Double Fiends. They should have been killed. Go to the temple and check if any other women went missing that day?”

After he finished speaking, he picked up a book and opened it, and added, “She was stabbed to death from behind with a sword.”

“Yes.”

Mu Sheng heard the words and retreated, as if he understood something in an instant. If there was another woman present, then the black and white Double Fiends must have been killed by the person who saved her, and Miss Yu was killed to preserve the reputation of that woman.

Jiang Mansion

Madam Ye and Jiang Jiuchu successfully completed the blessing ceremony as planned, and returned to the mansion in the afternoon.

Under the family’s concerned inquiries, Jiang Jiuchu skipped the matter of Yu Qin and gave a general account of what had happened.

Perhaps because she didn’t want to increase her parents’ worries, or perhaps because that scene stimulated her and she didn’t want to recall it.

“This time, we really have to thank that young master Fu. He is kind to Chu’er, and he is also kind to our Jiang family. Last time he was unwilling to come to the mansion, then this time we will prepare generous gifts and visit him in person.” Jiang Yuan felt that such a great favor should be properly thanked this time no matter what.

After he said that, he looked at his daughter and asked, “Chu’er, do you know where his residence is?”

Jiang Jiuchu shook her head, “I don’t know, but I can ask.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuche immediately said: “I will ask tomorrow! It just so happens that I have an appointment with a friend to go to Mo Feng Pavilion tomorrow, which is just on the way.”

He recalled the situation last night and felt that his younger sister seemed to be a little too close to that young master Fu, and subconsciously didn’t want his younger sister to go to find that young master Fu alone.