Chapter 125: Soft in the Mouth, Straight into the Throat
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After Imperial Physician Wang left, the main hall fell silent, leaving only a dim candle and the faint fragrance of medicine.
Drip-
The blood seeping out of his fingertip had already returned to its normal bright red color. It would take a long time for another drop to drip.
Ye Jingtang placed his arm on the armrest and leaned against the chair. He felt that this scene was familiar. It was like an IV drip in the hospital. The only difference was that there was a missing medicine bag beside the chair.
Just as he was letting his imagination run wild, footsteps came from outside the door.
Tread, tread…
He turned around and saw Dumdum’s glistening fat-headed dragon walking over with her attendant. Her expression was calm and dignified, like she was a superior visiting her subordinate.
“Your Highness, why are you…”
“You don’t have to get up.” Dongfang Liren raised her hand to dismiss her attendant and came closer. “How is your injury?”
While speaking, she bent down to size up Ye Jingtang’s left hand.
Originally, this action was nothing, but Ye Jingtang was sitting on a big chair, and Dongfang Liren was very tall. As she stood beside him and bent down, the oppressive fat-headed dragon appeared in front of his eyes. The heaviness visible to the naked eye was within reach.
Ye Jingtang couldn’t stare at the fat-headed dragon and size it up, so he could only look away and gesture to the seat beside him. “Why is Your Highness here? Did Your Highness see…”
“Your beloved?”
Ye Jingtang nodded. He was a little worried.
Dongfang Liren stood up straight with a calm expression. “Yes, I saw her. I was afraid of disturbing your family member, so I didn’t meet her. Speaking of which, where did you abduct such a beautiful girl?”
“Sigh, how could I abduct her? We met by chance and got together. Tonight, I brought her out to handle the case. 1 didn’t expect the murderer to be so cunning…”
Dongfang Liren picked up a chair and sat upright in front of Ye Jingtang, her posture as if she were interrogating a suspect. “Since you went out to handle the case, why didn’t you inform me? Why did you bring your family member with you instead?”
Ye Jingtang answered honestly, “Your Highness has zero combat experience. If something really happened, I would have had to divert my attention to protect—”
Thump!
Dongfang Liren was infuriated by these frank words and patted the armrest. “I have thousands of people under my command. I meant that I could have arranged people for you. Do you think I’d go out with you to investigate a case with my precious body?”
Ye Jingtang smiled and said, “I was just guessing. If we had really brought chief constables of the Black Office along and nothing had happened, wouldn’t it have been embarrassing?”
At this point, Dongfang Liren’s eyes turned serious as she asked curiously, “How did you guess that the government had a mole?”
Ye Jingtang shook his head and said, “I just wanted to study the palm print again at night. Ning’er was also curious, so we dressed up and went there together. Who would have thought that we would coincidentally bump into the murderer ruining the corpse and destroying the evidence? Since the murderer sneaked over so quickly, he must have a mole in the government and definitely didn’t commit the crime alone.”
Dongfang Liren nodded in understanding. “I see… But it’s also very impressive. At least you did see that there was something wrong with the palm print, which was why the murderer appeared. Did you see the face of the person who came?”
Ye Jingtang recalled carefully. “No. From his height, weapon, and posture, he’s definitely the murderer. However, he wasn’t present at Bamboo Street when we were handling the case. The murderer’s martial arts skills aren’t as good as mine, but he can’t be underestimated. He knows Northern Liang’s Piercing Blade and Tu Province’s Dragon Qi Sword. He has a red rope in his sleeve that can penetrate roof beams to allow him to move. He carries many hidden weapons and smoke pills on him, such as snow moth scale from northern Yan…”
Dongfang Liren listened quietly and frowned in thought. “The fact that he knows so many martial arts from all over the world means it’s likely the Green Bandits’ doing again.”
“I got the bird to chase after him. It should be back soon. We can continue investigating later.”
Dongfang Liren was really impressed by Ye Jingtang’s meticulous plan. But when she saw the bowl of blood under Ye Jingtang’s hand, she still said solemnly, “Regardless of whether this matter is solved or not, you will receive the greatest credit. Let the chief constables of the Black Office handle the rest. Rest well. They receive salaries from the government but couldn’t find any clues for months. You haven’t taken a single cent, but you’re still working hard at night. Really…”
Ye Jingtang smiled and said, “Your Highness is so good to me that Your Highness is even giving me the Jade Bone Picture. It’s only right for me to treat Your Highness’s matters as my own.”
Dongfang Liren blinked. She felt a little touched. “It’s good that you have the heart, but don’t joke about your safety. 1 have many experts under my command. After a busy day, go back and accompany your beloved.”
Ye Jingtang vaguely felt that there was a hint of jealousy in her words, but he couldn’t point it out. He just nodded with a smile.
The two of them chatted for a bit before there was another commotion outside the door.
“Chirp chirp chirp-” The bird flapped its wings, flew in from the door, and landed on Ye Jingtang’s shoulder, looking very angry!
But seeing that Ye Jingtang seemed to be injured, it rubbed its head against his neck, probably to comfort him.
Seeing that blood no longer seeped out of his finger, Ye Jingtang pulled out the golden needle and placed it on the table. “Did you find him?”
“Chirp.” The bird opened its beak and asked for a reward.
Dongfang Liren had interacted with the bird a few times, so she could roughly understand bird language. She picked it up. “Bring me to find the murderer. If I catch him, I will give you a big gold birdcage.”
“Chirp?!” When the bird heard the word birdcage, it jumped back onto Ye Jingtang’s shoulder with a look that said: This bird doesn’t know you.
Ye Jingtang and Dongfang Liren walked out of the main hall together. They didn’t find any traces of Heroine Luo. Instead, they saw Third Lady in a light yellow summer dress standing at the corner of the corridor and looking around with a small medicine box in her hand.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
“Miss Pei, you’re here too. Hmm… Where is Miss Ning’er?” Dongfang Liren looked around.
“Miss Ning’er is thin-skinned. Seeing that Your Highness was here, she excused herself and left first.”
Pei Xiangjun looked at Ye Jingtang’s complexion. Seeing that there was nothing wrong, she said, “Since there isn’t any problem with Jingtang, I’ll go back first…”
Dongfang Liren hurriedly raised her hand. “There’s no need. Ye Jingtang, send
Miss Pei back home. I still have something to do. I’ll take my leave first.”
With that, she picked up the bird from Ye Jingtang’s shoulder and left with her attendant.
With the departure of the princess and Heroine Luo, the Wang family’s medical clinic became quiet.
After bidding farewell to Madam Wang, Ye Jingtang walked out of the clinic with Third Lady.
As soon as the princess left, Pei Xiangjun’s virtuous and dignified aura changed. She folded her hands at her waist and assumed the posture of a jealous elder, leaving Ye Jingtang with the back of her head. “Hmph~! You’re really amazing. You didn’t find it satisfying to beat up two people in the morning, so you ran out to fight someone at night…”
Walking behind her, Ye Jingtang sighed. “I had no choice. In the morning, I helped you solve a problem with Heavenly Water Bridge. At night, I worked for the Black Office to handle a cause. I have to take care of both sides. I’m doing this so that the Prince of Jing will appreciate me and protect the Red Flower Pavilion in the future.”
Pei Xiangjun’s footsteps slowed down a little, and she started walking shoulder to shoulder with him. “You have to have priorities when doing things, right? If I ask you to help, I have to arrange for a few experts to follow you to prevent any mistakes. You’re helping the government with a case. It’s fine as long as you have the intention. Why risk your life? Are you sure you’re not trying to please the princess?”
“How can you say that I’m trying to please her? The Prince of Jing cares about me very much, and I feel guilty just doing these few things for her. Alas… The most difficult debt to repay in Jianghu is the debt of favors. There is indeed some truth in this saying.”
Pei Xiangjun grumbled sourly. Seeing Ye Jingtang’s helpless expression, she stopped talking and changed the topic. “I’ve sent people to pay attention today. Second Master Cheng sent someone to Iron Buddha Ridge. I’m afraid that the Glaring Vajra will come for you in a few days. Be careful.”
“Of course I know that…”
While speaking, the two of them arrived at the street.
The carriage of the Prince of Jing Estate had already left, leaving only an official’s horse in the stable beside the medical clinic.
Pei Xiangjun had come here in a hurry and didn’t take a carriage. It was fine for the two of them to ride together, but it was obviously not convenient for Pei Xiangjun, who was wearing a dress.
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang wanted to look for Mrs. Zhang to borrow a carriage, but Pei Xiangjun went forward and moved the horse over. “It’s fine as long as we can go back. Don’t trouble anyone.”
Hearing this, Ye Jingtang gave up. He went forward and let Third Lady go up. Then, like Sun Wukong, he led the horse toward Heavenly Water Bridge.
Clack, clack..
The long white stone street was empty. There were only lights and green trees on both sides of the street.
Pei Xiangjun was sitting sideways on the horse’s back. Seeing Ye Jingtang leading the horse so obediently, she felt a little embarrassed. “Why don’t you come up too? No one will see you.”
“There’s no one here, but there must be people on the street in front. It won’t be good if people misunderstand you, Third Lady.”
“Sigh…” Pei Xiangjun folded her hands at her waist and looked at Ye Jingtang’s tall back. She couldn’t help thinking of her sister-in-law’s words and the internal and external troubles of the Red Flower Pavilion. While she was thinking, she suddenly thought of the medicine box in her hand.
She opened the medicine box and saw that there was a red soft cloth inside. There were four pits, and each of them had a medicinal pill emitting a medicinal fragrance. She could smell expensive medicinal herbs such as ginseng. It should be something to nourish the body. She raised her fingers and picked one out. “Jingtang, this is the medicine Madam Wang prescribed for you. Come take it.”
Ye Jingtang turned around and raised his hand to catch the pill, but Third Lady threw it directly. He could only open his mouth to catch it as if he was eating a peanut. It felt… Hmm…
It wasn’t bitter.. It was soft in the mouth and went straight into the throat…
