When Did You Doubt Me?
The master and servant packed some snacks at Fanlou, preparing to take them back for Mrs. Huang to taste.
However, before they could leave, three or four sword-bearing guards stopped them.
The leader clasped his fists at Yu Linlang, his attitude rather polite. "Miss Yu, our prince requests your presence."
Yu Linlang narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Prince Pingkang?"
"That's right."
Jiujin stepped forward, shielding Yu Linlang. "Prince Pingkang suddenly inviting me—doesn't it seem improper for a lone man and an unaccompanied woman?"
"You may bring company." The leader of the guards remained indifferent. "Please, Miss Yu."
Jiujin let out a cold chuckle, rolling up his sleeves. "Do you really think you can take my lady with just a few useless drunkards?"
"Don't be so overconfident."
The head guard frowned but ignored Jiujin's provocation. Instead, he turned to Yu Linlang. "My prince said, 'Is Miss Yu also confused? She might as well come and talk. If the lady dares not go, that is fine too.'"
Baliang rolled his eyes. "Do you think we'd be so childish as to rush forward just to prove our courage?"
The guards exchanged uncertain glances. The master and servant pair showed no signs of fear.
The leader bowed once again. "I ask for your cooperation, Miss Yu."
Yu Linlang raised her hand, stopping her two attendants from interfering. "You two go home first."
"But, my lady—"
Yu Linlang gave them a sharp look, and they immediately lowered their heads. "Yes, ma'am."
"The carriage in front?" Yu Linlang stepped toward the vehicle parked by the roadside.
The sword-bearing guards exchanged glances before following hurriedly. "Please, my lady."
---
The carriage carried Yu Linlang to a rippling lake. The mirror-like water shimmered under the afternoon sun.
She stepped down, lifting the hem of her long skirt, and followed the guards toward the pavilion by the lake.
There had been no snowfall in recent days, and most of the snow had already melted. Though the cold wind was still harsh, it was far better than the damp chill of a few days ago.
Inside the pavilion, Ye Wuchen sat in a wheelchair, dressed in brocade robes and fur, as if he had been waiting for some time.
Yu Linlang entered, and a servant bowed, handing her a cup of tea before retreating.
"Sit, Miss Yu." Ye Wuchen raised his weary eyes and smiled warmly.
Yu Linlang sat down without hesitation, her gaze steady. Her voice was calm. "Did Prince Pingkang summon me just for tea?"
"This is the finest Dragon Ball tea, even better than snow. Made with spring water from the Jiangnan countryside, it takes time to brew properly. Care for a taste?" Ye Wuchen gestured toward the teacup before her.
Seeing that she hadn't moved, he chuckled. "It's not poisoned."
Yu Linlang picked up the teacup and drank it in one go. Then, expressionless, she set it down. "Not poisoned, no. But laced with muscle-weakening powder. How cautious of you, Prince Pingkang, in dealing with a mere weak woman like me."
Ye Wuchen narrowed his eyes and smirked. "You? A weak woman? You're rather bold, I'd say. The fact that you dared come here alone means you're confident you can escape."
He poured her another cup of tea. "Tell me, have you ever doubted me?"
Yu Linlang tilted her head slightly. "Why don't you tell me first? Why do you think I doubt you?"
Ye Wuchen chuckled. "Ha. The night my grandfather's servant, Hong Liang, died—you kept staring at me. Don't think I didn't notice. That's when you first suspected me, wasn't it?"
Yu Linlang almost laughed at his logic, raising an eyebrow. "That's funny. Just because I looked at you, you assume I suspected you? Sounds like a guilty conscience to me."
Ye Wuchen smiled faintly. "You've known all along who killed Hong Liang, haven't you?"
"I don't know." Yu Linlang shook her head decisively. "But I do know it was a group of women. One of them was Zhao Ji."
"So, I guessed that the ones who killed Hong Liang must have been the concubines in the Meiji Garden. Am I right, Prince Pingkang?"
Ye Wuchen pursed his lips, running his fingers along the porcelain teacup. "You know too much. So, you suspected me from the start, didn't you?"
"Suspicion is just suspicion—I had no proof. Besides, this matter had nothing to do with me. But now that you've summoned me, I have no choice but to tell the truth."
Ye Wuchen laughed softly. "Then tell me—how did you figure out that Zhao Ji was one of the murderers? You noticed the body had been moved, and that multiple people were involved. But how did you confirm it was Zhao Ji?"
"The corpse's abdomen had been slashed, and the depth of the wounds varied greatly. It was clearly done by someone unskilled, someone with little wrist strength."
Yu Linlang sipped her tea. "Most importantly, during the autopsy, I smelled no fewer than five different floral scents. The faint jasmine fragrance on Madam Zhao was one of them."
Ye Wuchen sneered. "And yet you said nothing?"
"Did you smell it?"
Ye Wuchen paused before shaking his head.
"Then what use would it be for me to say anything? My words alone don't count as evidence. Besides, why should I speak up? What does this matter have to do with me?"
"If you hadn't brought me here and forced me to say this, I would have already forgotten about it."
Ye Wuchen exhaled a quiet laugh. "And then?"
"And then… your grandfather died."
Ye Wuchen sneered, suddenly changing the subject. "The women of Meiji Garden were released on the day of my grandfather's burial."
"How noble of the prince," Yu Linlang said dryly, unimpressed.
"Hong Liang was my grandfather's most loyal dog. If he hadn't been eliminated first, our plan would never have gone so smoothly."
"But, in the end, he brought it upon himself. That day, he tried to force himself on some of the women in the garden."
"Of course, I was the one who ordered them to seduce him. But if he had any self-restraint, he wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state."
"Zhao Ji stabbed him first. The others panicked and rushed forward. Some held his head down, pressing him into the mud, while three or four more strangled him with their sashes until he stopped moving. Then, trembling, they took out a dagger and cut open his stomach, slash after slash."
"The prince sat to the side, watching him suffocate. Watching as his abdomen was split open. We were all happy—hands covered in blood, but happy. Because, at last, we saw the dawn of our freedom."
Ye Wuchen gazed at Yu Linlang, his voice lowering. "I suppose you wouldn't understand that feeling, Miss Yu. Do you know how much power a person can find in the depths of despair?"
"You wouldn't know. Because you've never been there."
Yu Linlang met his gaze without flinching. Then, she asked flatly, "Do you know Wang Baitian?"