"Oh, your student is weak and has no strength to tie a chicken. If something truly happened, I might not be able to stop it, so I tied up the fellow dressed as a waiter onto Constable Yan's person."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingge suppressed the urge to pluck every feather from the peacock in front of her, and rubbed her forehead in a headache:
"It's over. The傻狍子 is no match for him, and that cunning yellow weasel will escape again..."
"傻狍子? Yellow weasel?"
Lin Qingge did not answer Murong Bai's question, but merely nudged the 'human-shaped trash' on the ground with her toe, "Investigator Murong, he's like this, can he still identify the body?"
"My lord, rest assured, I only administered a minor punishment and did not deliver a fatal blow. He should recover shortly, in about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
"Then, Investigator Murong, what would happen if you delivered a fatal blow?"
"There would be nothing left but bones."
Lin Qingge, who suddenly wanted to imprison the enchanting individual before her, ...
Not long after, a woman with a graceful posture and a face like a peach blossom, supported by her maid, elegantly walked up from downstairs.
"This humble one, Madam Tang, greets all your excellencies."
The woman gracefully bowed to everyone, but Murong Bai stared at her exceptionally outstanding appearance with slight surprise and said:
"Wan'er? Are you Tang Wan'er?"
It was rare to see Murong Bai recognize a former acquaintance so readily, so Lin Qingge took an extra few glances at the woman named 'Tang Wan'er'.
Indeed, she was a rare beauty, unlike any other.
Hua Jinrong beside her smoothly picked up the conversation and said:
"Your student has heard that the capital has four great beauties. Among them, Prime Minister Shangguan's daughter, Shangguan Wan'er, and Minister of Guanglu, Tang Youwei's daughter, Tang Wan'er, are known as the Twin Blossoms due to their exceptional talent and beauty.
It is unexpected that your student has the good fortune to meet one of these Twin Blossoms today.
However, what surprises your student even more is that Investigator Murong, who rarely shows himself and avoids women as if they were venomous snakes, would actively engage with a woman.
And that woman is one of the capital's four great beauties~"
Hearing Hua Jinrong's teasing, Murong Bai simply replied indifferently:
"I merely had some dealings with her father, Lord Tang.
As for the so-called Four Beauties of the Capital, only bored people pay attention to them."
Tang Wan'er, who was being discussed by the two, showed no reaction on her face and said faintly:
"It's all just exaggerated gossip. This humble one is now just a married woman."
"Married woman?"
Connecting all the current circumstances, Murong Bai asked with certainty:
"Are you that Chen Chong's wife?"
"Precisely."
Although there was a feeling of a beautiful flower adorning a pile of dung, it was, after all, their private matter, and Lin Qingge and the others couldn't say much.
Just then, the man who had designs on Murong Bai finally stopped twitching and shakily stood up from the ground.
Perhaps due to his apprehension towards Murong Bai, he did not dare to make any further advances towards him. Instead, he darted behind Tang Wan'er, pointed at Murong Bai indignantly, and yelled:
"Second Sister-in-law, it was this blind dog who offended me and drugged me!
Have someone tie him up and send him to my bed. If I don't torture him until he's unrecognizable, I won't be surnamed Chen!"
"Chen Rao, don't be rude!"
Tang Wan'er reprimanded him in a low voice, then offered an apologetic bow to Murong Bai, "Young Master Bai, my brother-in-law Chen Rao is foolish and lacks manners. I hope Young Master Bai will not take offense."
"Hmph~"
He let out a cold snort from his nose, neither accepting nor refusing.
The atmosphere became momentarily stiff.
Fearing that Murong Bai might lose his temper and end Chen Rao, Lin Qingge quickly stepped forward to smooth things over:
"Alright, everyone is here. Come and identify the body.
Oh, and Master Hua, summon that person as well."
Although somewhat puzzled why Lord Lin knew Liu Jinhua's name but spoke vaguely, Hua Jinrong did not ask further. Instead, like Yan Tinghao, he obediently retreated to find the person.
Lin Qingge led Tang Wan'er and Chen Rao into the house first.
Upon seeing Chen Chong lying stiffly on the bed, Chen Rao's eyes turned red as he lunged forward, "Second Brother, Second Brother, wake up! Second Brother, don't scare me!"
To prevent damaging the body, Lin Qingge pulled Chen Rao back and looked at Tang Wan'er, who remained impassive, and asked:
"Madam Chen, is this deceased person your husband Chen Chong?"
"Replying to your lordship, he is indeed this humble one's husband, Chen Chong."
"Then do you recognize this object?"
Lin Qingge pointed to the incense burner that Murong Bai had placed on the dressing table.
Tang Wan'er nodded, "This humble one recognizes it. This item was bought by my brother-in-law Chen Rao from a foreign merchant and given to my husband."
Chen Rao, after letting out a couple of wails, wiped away nonexistent tears and trotted over, "My lord, I did buy this incense. Is there a problem?"
"Not for now, but Chen Chong died from rapid wind."
"Rapid wind?"
Chen Rao mumbled the words. Seeing Hua Jinrong enter with Liu Jinhua, he immediately walked over angrily, "It must be you, you bitch, with malicious intentions, plotting to murder my Second Brother!"
However, before Chen Rao could lower his raised hand, Tang Wan'er rebuked him, "Chen Rao, stop!"
Blocked, Chen Rao pouted unhappily and said, naming her:
"Tang Wan'er, I call you Second Sister-in-law only out of respect for my Second Brother!
You are not much nobler than these bitches. Now that my Second Brother is gone, if you continue to act so imperiously in front of me, I don't mind reminding you of the might of the men in our Chen family!"
Chen Rao's threat caused Tang Wan'er's face to pale. Despite this, she did not back down and said coldly:
"Chen Rao, your eldest brother has established his own household, and your second brother already separated you from the Chen family six months ago.
In other words, now that your second brother is gone, all the family assets of the Chen family will belong to me.
If you continue to be so stubborn and cause trouble everywhere, you won't get a single copper from me again!
"Nonsense!
Why should the property of our old Chen family be given to an outsider like you for free?
You're dreaming!"
Compared to his brother's death, Chen Rao clearly cared more about the Chen family's assets.
Upon hearing Tang Wan'er's words, he forgot about dealing with Liu Jinhua and rushed towards Tang Wan'er.
His fierce demeanor suggested he wanted to strangle Tang Wan'er to death.
But Lin Qingge certainly couldn't let this scoundrel commit murder under her nose.
As Chen Rao passed by her, she suddenly stuck out a foot.
The unsuspecting Chen Rao immediately fell flat on his face.
Fortunately, the room was large enough that Chen Rao did not fall onto the broken wine pot shards by the table, but instead knelt at Tang Wan'er's feet, which was by the bedside where Chen Chong's body lay.
Seeing this, Lin Qingge, the instigator, spoke up in praise:
"I didn't expect this Young Master Chen to be such a rare person of deep affection and loyalty.
Upon hearing the sad news of his brother, he was so moved by the wisdom of his property distribution that he became excited and performed the ritual of kowtowing to his brother and sister-in-law, truly a model of fraternal affection and brotherly respect!"
Chen Rao, unable to vent his anger despite wanting to, got up from the ground with a constipated expression.
As if realizing it was not appropriate to cause further trouble here, he cast a fierce glare at Tang Wan'er, "You bitch, we'll settle this!"
With these threatening words, he swaggered away.
Lin Qingge gave Hua Jinrong a look, who nodded in understanding and immediately stepped to follow.
After confirming that Chen Rao had indeed left, Tang Wan'er bowed to Lin Qingge and said:
"My lord, this humble one has something she wishes to say to you in private."