Chapter 109 Murder Cases At The Birthday Party (Part Two)


    Prince Jing lifted his eyes to Mrs. Wu who was startled. "Qian An was Mr. Wu''s alias, wasn''t it? This


    was written by him."


    Prince Shun Qing also thought of a question. He asked, "Was the dead housemaid called Ru Mo?"


    The butler shook his head and replied, "Your Lordship, the housemaid was called Si Qi not Ru Mo."


    "Prince Shun Qing, my husband must have been framed by someone. The whole thing is a plot, " said


    Mrs. Wu in a flurry. But a skeptical look appeared on her face.


    "Go, find all personal information about Si Qi" said Prince Shun Qing harshly.


    The butler withdrew from the room. Mrs. Wu was in shock and kept muttering, "How could it be? No!


    No! My husband won''t do that."


    A whileter, the butler returned with Si Qi''s personal information. He said, "Si Qi, a 16-year old girl,


    was born in the Imperial City. Her mother was called Ru Mo. Seventeen years ago, Ru Mo seved in Wu


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    Qi''s mansion as a housemaid. Butter, she was fired by Wu Qi''s mother. After that, she lived in a


    house situated in the west of the Imperial City.


    Mrs. Wu shivered all over and sank into a chair. She looked pale. Her eyes were full of disbelief.


    All the guests understood that Si Qi must be the illegitimate daughter of Wu Qi and Ru Mo.


    Lady Shun Qing nced at Mrs. Wu with sympathy. Then she said gently, "Mrs. Wu, you look ill. You''d


    better rest in the guest room. If we find something rted to your husband''s death, you will be


    informed."


    Mrs. Wu''s face flushed. She nodded, rose to her feet, and followed the servant out of the room.


    Lady Shun Qing sighed, "What a mess! Shang''er, Qingyan, let''s take a walk." She stood while


    speaking.


    Upon hearing this, Yun Shang squinted and stood. She supported Lady Shun Qing with her hands as


    she walked out of the house.


    Lady Shun Qing''s house was adjacent to ake. A pavilion was situated in the middle of theke. A


    bridge led to the pavilion. Lady Shun Qing, apanied by Yun Shang and Prince Jing, walked toward


    the pavilion. Once they reached, she sat on a bench. Yun Shang looked around and thought to herself,


    ''This is a good ce for conversation. There will be no eavesdroppers here.''


    "Please sit." Lady Shun Qing patted Yun Shang''s hands. Yun Shang sat beside the older woman.


    Lady Shun Qing looked at Yun Shang for a moment before she said with a smile, "Qingyan is lucky to


    marry you. Shang''er, you are so beautiful. In two years, nobody in the Imperial City will be able to


    Yun Shang nodded and replied, "I was physically weak when I was a child. At that time, Master Wu Na


    happened to visit the Imperial Pce and saved my life. But I never fully recovered. So Master Wu Na


    brought me to the Ning''guo Temple for recuperation."


    As Yun Shang was speaking, Lady Shun Qing paid attention to Yun Shang''s expressions. She looked


    at Yun Shang''s calm face and continued, "Several years ago, you went to Ning''guo Temple to pray for


    rain for themon people. But after that, you fell ill and never recovered. I know that you were not ill.


    You were poisoned."


    Yun Shang was shocked and clenched the crease of her dress. She bowed her head and lowered her


    voice, "How could it be? I don''t know why there is such an rumor. The Empress and Princess Hua Jing


    treated me very well. How could I have been poisoned?"


    Lady Shun Qing was good at observing others. Judging from Yun Shang''s reaction and speech, she


    knew that Yun Shang wasn''t telling the truth. ''Yun Shang deliberately pointed out that the Empress and


    Hua Jing had treated her very well at that time. It seems that Yun Shang was trying to cover up for the


    Empress and Hua Jing. The Empress and Princess Hua Jing must have wanted to poison Yun Shang.


    Yun Shang was mistreated by them so she didn''t dare to tell the truth.''


    Anger was reflected in Lady Shun Qing''s eyes. She said with a grim smile, "Before that woman


    became the Empress, I knew she was vicious. She tried every filthy and vile way to enter the Imperial


    Pce."


    Prince Jing nced at Yun Shang. He knew that Yun Shang was pretending. But seven years ago, Yun


    Shang was only eight years old. At that time, she, just like a piece of meat, was subject to persecution.


    Maybe the Empress and Hua Jing had done lots of bad things to destroy her, which is why now, Yun


    Shang hates them so much that she even wants to kill them.


    After uttering the ambiguous words, Lady Shun Qing continued with a mild smile, "Did the Empress ask


    you to present the peach-shaped carving to me?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I didn''t know today was your birthday for I returned to the Imperial


    Pce not long ago. The Empress told me that today I shoulde here to congratte you. She also


    said that I should have more contact with you and learn more about you since I will marry Prince Jing


    sooner orter. The Empress was nice to me. She told me all of your personal preferences. She knew


    that I don''t have much money and I have nothing valuable to present to you. So she prepared the


    peach-shaped carving and asked me to present it to you."


    "Really?" Lady Shun Qing asked, "What did the Empress tell you about me?"


    "She said you like light colors, especially green and blue and that you like drinking tea. Your favorite


    dish is shark''s fin. To please you, I had nned to wear a green or blue dress. But all my dresses are


    bright-colored. I didn''t find anything green or blue." said Yun Shang honestly. "Do you mind that I


    haven''t worn a color that you like?"


    Lady Shun Qing shook her head and said, "No, not at all. What you are wearing now suits you very


    well."


    Yun Shang bowed her head and seemed a bit shy. Suddenly, Prince Jing said, "Do you see that maid?


    She looks familiar."


    Yun Shang raised her head and looked in the direction in which Prince Jing was staring. She saw a


    maid in green walk hastily as if to meet someone. A grim smile appeared on Yun Shang''s face. But she


    asked with astonishment, "Oh, is that Xiu Xin, the Empress''s personal maid? Why is she here? The


    Empress hasn''te here. Does the maide for me?"


    Lady Shun Qing pped her hands. An assassin jumped to the ground from the top of the pavilion. He


    knelt on the ground. Yun Shang was shocked and it was not until a whileter that she regained her


    senses. She looked at the assassin dressed in a ck gown with curiosity.


    Lady Shun Qing pointed at the maid in green and said to the assassin, "Follow her. Tell me where she


    goes as soon as possible."


    The assassin disappeared after making a quick bow.


    Prince Jing bent to pick up a cup. As he drank his tea, he found that Yun Shang''s ears had reddened in


    the cold. He was shocked because he thought Yun Shang shouldn''t be so weak for she had practiced


    Chinese traditional martial arts for a long time. She often looked as if she had never practiced it. Prince


    Jing took off his cloak, put it around Yun Shang and said, "Your cloak is still in the room. The wind is


    strong here. Put on my cloak lest you get cold."


    Yun Shang didn''t refuse and bowed her head. On seeing this, Lady Shun Qing giggled and said, "Life


    is wonderful for young people."


    A whileter, the assassin returned and reported, "Your Ladyship, the maid went to Lady Gao*''s house.


    (TN: Lady Gao is Lady Shun Qing''s daughter-inw. She was the wife of Lady Shun Qing''s second


    son.")


    "Well, Well." A dreadful smile appeared on Lady Shun Qing''s face. She rose to her feet and said, "Let''s


    go to Lady Gao''s house."


    Subsequently, they walked to a house. Just before they walked into the house, they encountered


    Prince Shun Qing. Prince Shun Qing nodded and said, "We''d better enter the house from the back.


    Don''t alert the people in it."


    Yun Shang acted innocent. Prince Jing held her waist and flew over the enclosing wall. As they neared


    the room, a voice could be heard. "You assured me of the deaths of Prince Shun Qing and Lady Shun


    Qing. But why are they still alive now?"


    Yun Shang felt the anger radiating off Lady Shun Qing. At the time, another voice spoke inside the


    room. Upon hearing this voice, Yun Shang widened her eyes as if to say something. But Lady Shun


    Qing instantly covered her mouth. "I don''t know. I don''t know what''s going wrong. There is a gear in the


    box that is loaded with the peach-shaped carving. If the carving is moved by someone, the gear will


    eject poison. Lady Shun Qing had moved the carving, but she didn''t get poisoned."