The carriage trotted along Wenchang Street.
Due to the oppressive heat, the usually bustling main street had only a handful of passersby.
Zhong Li withdrew her gaze from outside, lowering her eyes to the red coral lotus hairpin in her palm.
"No need to ponder further. We'll follow Xu Qing's suggestion and first seek clues at Miao Jie's residence. If we hit a dead end, it's not too late to investigate this hairpin then," Lu Wu Xie seemed to read her thoughts. He glanced at her fingertips and said with a smile.
Zhong Li tucked the hairpin into her sleeve and asked, "Does Your Highness know why red coral hairpins were popular in the Ningping era?"
As if expecting this question, Lu Wu Xie stretched his languid waist, propped his head with one hand, and stared intently at the woman opposite him, his eyes like hooks. He answered her question with a non-sequitur, "Does Li'er truly wish to know?"
Zhong Li's delicate brows furrowed.
"Actually, this red coral lotus hairpin carries a love story," Lu Wu Xie said, glancing at her annoyed eyes. "The late Emperor and Empress lived in harmony, respecting each other deeply. Legend has it that their token of love was this red coral lotus hairpin. In those days, due to the Empress's fondness for it, this item was quite popular in the Southern Yue Kingdom for quite some time.
However, even beautiful things eventually break. In the twentieth year of Ningping, the Empress passed away, and the late Emperor lost his spirit thereafter. He would spend his days gazing at the late Empress's hair ornaments, lost in thought. To look after the Emperor's health, the late Empress Dowager decreed that Jinzhou would no longer import red coral. Nevertheless, the late Emperor passed away two years later."
Zhong Li listened, her fingers that held the hairpin softly tracing the side carved with lotus flowers.
She had been in this world for over fifteen years since her transmigration, and she was somewhat familiar with the history of the Southern Yue Kingdom, but what about unofficial histories...
She glanced at Lu Wu Xie, thinking that this dissolute fellow might actually know more than she did.
It was now the twenty-eighth year of An He. The reigning emperor was Lu Jing An. The late emperor was Lu Jing An's father, Lu Si Yan, whom Lu Wu Xie referred to as Ningping Nian. Therefore, his Empress must have been Empress Ruan, whose given name was Lian, hence the lotus carved on the hairpin.
"Did this item exist during the late Emperor's reign?" Zhong Li asked, being penniless and knowing little about such things.
"Mmm!" Lu Wu Xie nodded, then added, "To be precise, it was popular about thirty years ago. And... it still is."
He paused here, seeming about to say more, but then thought better of it. He continued, "However, it's unlikely you'd find it in any jewelry shop in Jin Cheng. Even if you did, they would be treasures. Items like this, neither outstanding nor poor, are rarely sought unless someone needs to pawn them for silver."
Zhong Li was about to ask something else when the carriage suddenly jolted, and the coachman's voice came from outside.
"Your Highness, we've arrived."
Lu Wu Xie lifted the curtain, took a look, and raised his hand.
The coachman immediately placed a low stool on the ground.
The northern part of Jin Cheng was considered the imperial city's slum, a place where large numbers of lower-class citizens congregated. From poor scholars to grooms, from thieves to prostitutes, it was a chaotic mix, with the noble and the base jumbled together.
After Zhong Li alighted from the carriage with Lu Wu Xie, they immediately became the focus of attention in the area. Especially Lu Wu Xie, dressed in a sky-blue brocade robe with gold thread embroidery, his attire was ostentatious.
However, this man seemed accustomed to such gazes. He led the guards following behind him towards Miao Jie's residence.
Xu Qing's directions were accurate enough. In just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Zhong Li and Lu Wu Xie had found the place.
"I heard Miao Jie is a blacksmith. This lock is indeed well-made," Lu Wu Xie said, standing before the door. He casually fiddled with the large lock hanging by the entrance and turned to signal Lin Jin to prepare the lock-picking tools.
Zhong Li ignored him, her gaze sweeping over the door. She found no seals, indicating that, as Xu Qing had said, the Dali Temple had not yet searched Miao Jie's residence.
"It seems no one has entered this house for several days." With a click as the lock disengaged, Lu Wu Xie took the lock piece handed to him by Lin Jin and examined it.
Zhong Li followed his gaze to his palm. The lock was pristine except for the spot Lin Jin had touched. The rest was covered in a thin layer of dust. It seemed Lu Wu Xie was correct; no one had entered after Miao Jie's arrest, indirectly suggesting that Miao Jie lived alone.
*Creak.*
The wooden door, weathered by wind and rain, let out a piercing, eerie groan as everyone followed inside.
Miao Jie's residence was not large, but compared to the living situation of other slum dwellers who were crammed into small courtyards, his place was relatively spacious.
It seemed he still practiced his old trade in his dwelling. The courtyard contained a blacksmith's furnace, hammer, and anvil. Several finished iron wares were hung on the wall, but they were common household items like iron picks and kitchen knives. It was likely that local residents had placed orders with Miao Jie.
"It's quite tidy. He probably doesn't intend to return," Lu Wu Xie said after circling the courtyard, tapping a large vat in the corner with his fingertip.
Zhong Li followed his gaze to the vat, remarking, "Yes, the echo is hollow, proving there's no water in the vat. At least Miao Jie doesn't plan to take on work or live here anytime soon. He's even emptied the deep vat used for storing water for smithing and cooking."
"Does this truly mean that the culprit behind this case is Miao Jie?" Lin Jin, who was following behind them, couldn't help but ask.
Zhong Li remained silent, pushing the door open and walking inside.
Lu Wu Xie glanced at Lin Jin, clasped his hands behind his back, and followed her.
Lin Jin stood behind them, scratching his head, and then entered, sword in hand.
Miao Jie's room had a simple layout, consisting of a sleeping chamber and a kitchen connected to it.
Zhong Li went to inspect the kitchen first. The dust on the stove was even thicker than that on the lock outside. Inside the furnace, besides some damp charcoal, were only ants scurrying back and forth in the dust.
"How is it?" Lu Wu Xie asked, leaning against the kitchen doorway, waiting for Zhong Li.
Zhong Li looked at the man holding a fan with a leisurely air and replied, "Nothing conclusive. The only thing that proves anything is what I said earlier: this house was inhabited only by Miao Jie."
Lu Wu Xie remained silent. He put away his fan and walked to the bed in the sleeping chamber. He scanned the haphazardly piled bedding with distaste, then straightened slightly and pulled back the covers.
After a while, just as Zhong Li and Lin Jin were wondering what he was doing, Lu Wu Xie suddenly declared, "Hmm... it's likely this Miao Jie hasn't married yet."
Hearing Lu Wu Xie's words, Zhong Li walked to his side and followed his gaze to the quilt. Beside it lay several pieces of cotton and linen cloth, dotted with patches of yellowish-white material. She nodded in agreement:
"Yes, Your Highness's analysis is correct."
After saying this, she acted as if nothing had happened and continued to search the room for other suspicious items.