The next morning, before Lu Wuxie had fully woken from his couch, a hurried knocking at the door banished all his sleepiness.
He slipped the bottle of lavender pure dew, which he had placed under his pillow, into his sleeve and said, "Enter."
Lin Jin pushed the door open. Seeing his master's displeased expression, he knew he must have disturbed his peace. He cupped his fists and knelt on one knee.
"Never mind, what's so urgent..."
Just as Lin Jin was about to answer, a woman's shouting erupted.
"Young Master, is the Young Master inside?"
"If the Young Master is inside, come out quickly, we have something to discuss with the Young Master."
...
Listening to the voices outside, Lu Wuxie knew who was at the door without guessing. He rubbed his temples and said, "Why is Madam Zhen at my door?"
Lin Jin stood up and replied, "Replying to the Young Master, all the masters and servants in the backyard of the Xie Mansion were gathered in the Young Master's courtyard early this morning. When I asked them what happened, they wouldn't say, only that they must see the Young Master. So I dared to disturb the Young Master's peaceful slumber."
"Annoying." Lu Wuxie frowned, got up, put on his clothes, and walked out.
The large courtyard was already crowded. Madam Zhen had brought a chair and sat in the center of everyone, holding a cup of clear tea with the air of a hostess. To her side sat Madam Fang, dressed in plain white, wearing a wooden hairpin, her face glum with dark circles under her eyes, appearing as if Xie Xu's death had greatly affected her.
"What happened?" Zhong Li lived in a separate courtyard. She was a light sleeper, and hearing the commotion in Lu Wuxie's courtyard, she had also dressed and come over.
Lu Wuxie looked at her, tilted his chin, and pointed at Madam Zhen.
The meaning was obvious: Li'er, someone has disturbed my beautiful dreams.
Madam Zhen saw that the person she was looking for had come out. She glanced at Madam Fang.
Madam Fang quickly came back to her senses, stood up, and stepped forward, saying, "It's already past sunrise, the Young Master truly has a big heart."
Lu Wuxie signaled to Lin Jin behind him. Lin Jin moved a chair from inside. Lu Wuxie sat down, casually picked up the cup that Lin Jin handed him, rinsed his mouth, and then said slowly, "Grandmother Fang, it's not your place, as a concubine, to judge how I am, is it?"
Madam Fang was stunned. How could she not understand the man opposite's meaning? She was merely bought by Xie Xu from outside. No matter how old she was, she could not overstep her status.
She looked embarrassed and glanced at Madam Zhen.
Madam Zhen glared fiercely at Madam Fang, muttered "useless" under her breath, and then said to Lu Wuxie, "Young Master, we from the backyard have come today to get a clear understanding."
"What is it?" Lu Wuxie returned the tea bowl to Lin Jin after rinsing his mouth, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Madam Zhen.
"The family head was murdered. By rights, we, the women in the back courtyard, are all suspects. But two days have passed, and the case has made no progress," Madam Zhen said, looking up at Zhong Li opposite her with a meaningful gaze. Then she withdrew her sight and landed on Lu Wuxie, saying,
"Actually, we've all overlooked one thing. The Young Master is also a member of the Xie family."
Lu Wuxie raised an eyebrow and said with an "I see" expression, "So, what does Grandmother Fang want to say?"
"The Young Master searched our houses yesterday. Did you find anything?" Madam Zhen asked.
Lu Wuxie lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Madam Zhen thought that since Lu Wuxie didn't say anything, it meant he found nothing. A smug smile curved her lips as she said, "Since there's no result, can we also assume the Young Master is suspected of killing the master?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"We Xie family members are speaking. Who gave you the right to interrupt?" Lin Jin, hearing someone slander his master, was about to step forward to argue. But Madam Zhen, having lived in this deep mansion for half her life, was not to be trifled with. She berated Lin Jin.
Lin Jin frowned, the words stuck in his throat.
Lu Wuxie raised his fingertip, signaling Lin Jin to step back.
He looked at Madam Zhen and said, "Alright, then what does Grandmother Fang intend to do?"
Madam Zhen curved her lips and said, "Of course, to search the Young Master's house?"
With that, she was too impatient to wait for a reply and waved behind her.
Madam Fang, leading her maid Xiang'er, rushed towards the house. As she passed Lu Wuxie, she smiled at him, her meaning of victory evident.
"Young Master, are we just going to let them..."
"Lin Jin." Lu Wuxie looked at the indignant Lin Jin and said, "I'm so unrestrained, how can I have such a proper person like you?"
"Young Master..."
"Lin Jin, since we are here, let's make the best of it." After speaking, he looked at Madam Zhen. The sound of porcelain clinking crisply echoed from the room behind them.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Madam Fang came out of the room excitedly, holding a small bottle in her hand.
"Second Madam, I found it! It really was the Young Master who killed the master!" As she spoke, Madam Fang waved the bottle in the air, as if to show it to all the masters and servants of the Xie family.
Madam Zhen looked at the small bottle in Madam Fang's hand, and a smug smile also appeared on her lips. She took the bottle from Madam Fang, walked to Lu Wuxie, and said, "Young Master, now that we have caught you red-handed, what do you have to say?"
Lu Wuxie looked at the bottle in Madam Zhen's hand, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said, "Yesterday I went to this Hundred Beauties Pavilion. The bottle in Grandmother Fang's hand is medicine that I bought from the madam at a high price. When did it become cantharidin poison in Grandmother Fang's mouth?"
Madam Zhen heard this and looked at the pattern on the bottle.
Then she turned to look at Madam Fang. Seeing her vigorously nodding, she sneered and said, "The Young Master says this is an item from the pleasure house. Do you dare to drink a mouthful?"
"I dare not!" Lu Wuxie replied without thinking.
Madam Zhen heard this and wore a look of mockery. "The Young Master bought it himself, but he doesn't dare to drink it. And you still say it's not cantharidin poison?"
As soon as she finished speaking, all the masters and servants in the Xie family began to whisper, mostly saying that Lu Wuxie was crying thief.
Lu Wuxie looked at Madam Zhen and smiled cheekily, "Grandmother Fang, I already said this is from a pleasure house. You know its uses, and everyone knows the consequences of drinking it. It's daytime now, and it's not appropriate."
He said this, raising his eyebrows slightly at Madam Zhen, his demeanor resembling a romantic dandy amidst peonies.
Madam Zhen narrowed her eyes. If it weren't for the crowd watching, she would have really wanted to slap this "scoundrel."
Lu Wuxie ignored Madam Zhen's murderous yet impotent gaze and continued, looking at Zhong Li, who had been watching the show from the side, "Since Grandmother Fang doesn't believe me, you could actually let Supervisor Zhong Li examine it. She understands medicine."
When Madam Zhen heard Lu Wuxie's words, her gaze fell on Zhong Li.
Zhong Li stepped forward a few steps, took the small bottle from Madam Zhen, and sniffed it, saying, "Indeed, it is Chun Shui, an item from the pleasure house."
Madam Zhen looked at Zhong Li and sneered, "Haha, Young Master Lu, do you really think I am an ignorant woman confined to the mansion and never venturing out?
Perhaps no one in Jinzhou knows, but the people of Jincheng all know that it was thanks to you that Supervisor Zhong entered the Dali Temple. You are both fish in the same pond. How can she not speak in your favor?"
Zhong Li originally had no intention of participating in the mutual suspicion and bickering of the Xie family's back courtyard.
It was only when Lu Wuxie spoke that her mood of watching the show turned into being a participant.
But no matter who it was, she would not lie. Now that Madam Zhen said this, was she doubting her medical skills?
"Since that is the case," Zhong Li said, looking at Madam Zhen's gloved hand holding the opened small bottle, she casually pushed it, and the mouth of the bottle was perfectly aimed into Madam Zhen's mouth. "Second Madam, why don't you try it yourself and see if what Zhong says is true?"