Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie followed Awang through the estate, past a patch of withered pampas grass, and to the entrance of an ice cellar behind a rock garden in a separate courtyard.
Even before stepping inside, Zhong Li felt a biting chill. As she hesitated whether to add another layer of clothing, Lu Wuxie, with his broad outer cloak, had already drawn her into his embrace.
"I remember when I last visited Jinzhou, you weren't this sensitive to the cold. When we return, I'll get you some ejiao to strengthen you," Lu Wuxie's pleasant voice sounded close to her ear.
Zhong Li nodded in agreement. How could she tell him that her body was almost fully recovered, and it was simply her monthly cycle arriving on time that made her so susceptible to the cold?
The ice cellar was larger than they had imagined, occupying nearly half the estate. The first thing that caught their eyes were neat stacks of massive ice blocks, winding and curving to form an ice-lined corridor. They walked within the corridor, the surroundings bare, and any sound they made echoed back.
Awang, leading the way, let out a startled cry after rounding a corner: "Ah!"
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie reacted quickly, rushing forward. They saw Awang had fallen to the ground, his hands trembling as he pointed ahead. Zhong Li followed his gaze and saw a row of hooks, from which hung pieces of meat, both lean and fatty.
"D-dead... dead bodies!" Awang stammered, his mouth going dry. Despite his long tenure at the yamen, he had never seen so many pieces of meat before and was understandably terrified.
Zhong Li furrowed her brows and examined the meat closely. She pulled out a dissection knife from her怀 and stepped forward, slitting a piece of meat. A piece of skin landed in her palm.
"Light the lamp!" she said. A young constable following behind tremblingly raised his oil lamp to her.
After a thorough observation, Zhong Li declared, "This isn't human flesh, it's venison."
"Ah! Venison?" Awang, hearing it was animal meat, wiped the sweat from his brow and stood up.
The others, realizing it was a false alarm, also breathed a sigh of relief. Zhong Li set aside the cut venison hide and examined the other pieces of meat. She noticed deer antlers placed on the ice platform behind the meat, stating, "It's a stag. I imagine they stored the meat here to keep it fresh for easy access for cooking."
Awang scratched his head, saying sheepishly, "As expected of Magistrate Zhong's broad knowledge. When we investigate cases, we instinctively assume there will be dead people."
"It's alright. Everyone makes assumptions. Don't feel ashamed. Let's continue!" Zhong Li took the oil lamp from the constable, took Lu Wuxie's hand, and walked past Awang to the front.
Seeing her behave this way, a wave of warmth washed over Awang. Miss Zhong knew he was scared and had taken the lead as a guide.
With the venison, they later found fish. Zhong Li discovered that the ice cellar contained quite a treasure trove, including salmon and tuna from Yingzhou. Even the Emperor only served them on festive occasions when entertaining ministers. The masters of the Wu family's silver establishment truly enjoyed the delicacies of the world.
However, it was precisely these fish, and the batch of pompano they eventually found, that convinced Zhong Li that the fish in the carriage carrying Tian Lianxue's body came from here.
"Does Mo Cang know? In my era, human technology was incredibly advanced. We could use cryogenic stasis to slow down aging, or even apply this technology to treat terminally ill patients. After a hundred years, with the progress of science, they could be unfrozen and healed," Zhong Li said casually as they walked, suddenly recalling a science fiction movie she had seen.
Lu Wuxie heard her and turned to look at her. After a long moment of thought, processing her somewhat incomprehensible words, he asked, "Li'er, do you mean immortality?"
Zhong Li smiled, shook her head, and explained, "No, it's about using freezing technology to put the human body into a dormant state."
As she spoke, she poked his shoulder with her fingertip. "How to put it... it's like..."
Lu Wuxie smoothly caught her hand, interrupting her. "Like, if you hadn't appeared in my life, I could have used this freezing stasis to live for a hundred, a thousand years, and then upon thawing, I could still meet you?"
Zhong Li hadn't expected him to say that. Her eyes curved into smiles. "Mo Cang, to be honest, I haven't encountered any Southern Yue or Lin kingdoms in the history I've read. If this technology truly existed now, you wouldn't have been discovered, and I wouldn't be..."
"So, Li'er!" Lu Wuxie interrupted her, pulling her forcefully into his embrace. "When I was at the Ministry of Justice and knew you didn't belong to the Southern Yue Kingdom, I was filled with apprehension. Every time you spoke of your era, I grew more worried and fearful. I was afraid you'd find this place wanting and leave. Promise me, don't go, okay?"
Hearing this, Zhong Li allowed Lu Wuxie to hold her tightly. She had never realized that he, who always seemed in control, could also be so apprehensive. He never spoke of it, and she hadn't noticed, or perhaps was too engrossed in her cases to pay attention. Now that he had spoken, a faint pang of tenderness arose within her.
"Where could I go? I don't even know how I got here!" she said.
"I remember you saying you had an accident at work and woke up here."
"Yes!" Zhong Li nodded, chuckling. "And in the body of a child. Have you ever considered it? A soul in its twenties, inhabiting the body of a three or four-year-old child, having to feign innocence, fearing others would notice... Sometimes I find myself childish and want to laugh!"
"Then," Lu Wuxie's throat bobbed, "as long as I can ensure nothing happens to you here, you won't leave."
Zhong Li froze, a smile lingering on her face. After a long while, when Awang, following behind them, reached their side, she withdrew from his embrace and quietly replied, "Yes. So protect me!"
Lu Wuxie lowered his gaze to the woman beside him, whose expression had once again turned calm and determined, and softly replied, "Alright!"
As they spoke, they had nearly finished inspecting the ice cellar. Apart from some food items, they found no new clues. Zhong Li felt something was still missing, though she couldn't quite place it. After deliberation, she decided to leave the ice cellar and search elsewhere.
Awang and the constables were quite interested in the food items in the ice cellar, as ordinary families might never have the chance to taste them in their lifetime. After discussing with Lu Wuxie, Zhong Li asked Awang to return to the yamen, bring more manpower, and move the meat from the ice cellar to be sold at a low price in the market. This would not only allow the common folk to have access to the food but also help offset the deficit in the Wu family's silver establishment.
Upon hearing that there were no plague demons in the estate and that there were many delicacies, over ten officers from the yamen arrived. With their combined efforts, they quickly cleared out most of the items from the ice cellar.
Just as Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie were sitting on the rock garden, surveying the entire estate, Awang rushed out from inside, exclaiming, "My Lords, Young Master. After clearing out the food, we discovered... a secret chamber!"