Taking the Princess as My Wife - Chapter 21

Sour yet Sweet

Seeing Jiang Shaojia’s awkward attempt at comfort, Liu Ruheng’s heart was filled with indescribable emotions; she felt both joy and apprehension, a mixture of sourness and sweetness.

She let out a soft “mn” and lifted her eyes to look at Jiang Shaojia. Her voice carried a slight nasal quality: “How did the Princess know I had something on my mind?”

Jiang Shaojia leaned in slightly, giving Liu Ruheng a fleeting embrace.

“Don’t worry about how I knew. In short, if you’re sad, don’t keep it bottled up.”

Having said that, regardless of how Liu Ruheng might react, Jiang Shaojia plucked a lotus pod from beside her, peeled it, and handed several lotus seeds to Liu Ruheng.

“Eat. Eat more of them.”

Liu Ruheng took the seeds, her fingertips brushing against Jiang Shaojia’s palm.

It was cool.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Mechanically peeling the outer skin of the lotus seeds, Liu Ruheng ate one in a single mouthful. The crisp, white, and tender seed was sweet, though the lotus heart was slightly bitter.

It suddenly occurred to her that this very sensation—so bitter yet so sweet—was exactly like eating a lotus seed.

A Bitter Medicine for the Heart

Upon returning home, Liu Ruheng brought back many of the lotus pods she had picked with the Princess.

When Li Sao saw them, her face lit up with a smile. “It is indeed the right season for lotus pods. How about I make some Lily and Lotus Seed Soup tomorrow?”

Liu Ruheng couldn’t help but recall Jiang Shaojia’s parting instructions: the Princess’s manor had plenty of lotus pods; if she still had troubles, she should treat the seeds as the person she detested—skinning them, deboning them, and stewing them into a soup.

Though spoken as a joke, Liu Ruheng felt that Jiang Shaojia had been strangely earnest. She let out an involuntary light chuckle, leaving those around her puzzled.

The next day, Li Sao put the lotus seeds to good use, serving the Lily and Lotus Seed Soup they had discussed for breakfast.

After finishing her meal, Liu Ruheng set off for the Court of Judicial Review (Dali Si). She arrived a bit later than usual today, and the atmosphere inside was thick with tension. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Cheng Xuehai and Gong Fan glaring at each other.

Not wishing to get involved between the two, Liu Ruheng went straight to her desk to handle the case files and documents.

Summer weather was often unpredictable. Just as Liu Ruheng finished processing the scrolls and looked up to rest, she saw dark clouds gathering outside, followed by the roar of thunder.

The rain had yet to fall when a subordinate of Vice Minister Lu Shaoqing tapped lightly on the door. He bowed to everyone and said respectfully, “Greetings, Lords. His Honor the Vice Minister invites you all to gather in the main hall.”

Liu Ruheng felt a sense of foreboding. The Vice Minister was only a single imperial decree away from being promoted to Minister. Calling everyone together now was likely a case of “a new official’s three fires”—it boded no good.

She followed at a distance behind the others, reflecting on how complex the factional struggles had become. Gong Fan’s recent demotion was likely because he had been a protégé of the previous Minister.

Now that the Vice Minister was rising, he was promoting Cheng Xuehai—who had previously been suppressed—while the once-favored Gong Fan suffered.

Furthermore, after she had rejected Cheng Xuehai’s overtures, Liu Ruheng noticed his attitude toward her had cooled significantly.

Fortunately, Liu Ruheng didn’t care much about these things. During her days in the private school, she had grown accustomed to being treated coldly for refusing to join factions.

She merely had an ill omen. With the Emperor gravely ill and the Crown Prince being devoid of virtue, the future was likely to fall into chaos.

However… Liu Ruheng’s inner resolve grew firmer. She wanted to see the Princess become the true Emperor. She knew Jiang Shaojia had many arrangements she hadn’t detailed, but by sharing the secret, the Princess clearly trusted her.

She did not want to fail that trust.

For now, her only option was to do her best to climb the official ranks.

The New Order at the Court

Before long, everyone was gathered in the main hall of the Court of Judicial Review.

Aside from when she first entered the Court, this was the first time Liu Ruheng had seen so many officials gathered together.

Vice Minister Lu sat at the head. Although he was a new appointee, he had been acting Minister for a long time. For now, his “fire” wasn’t burning too fiercely, though he did make Gong Fan lose face significantly.

For the rest, including Liu Ruheng, he only spoke a few simple words. However, the Court was a large place with many people.

Liu Ruheng was never one for long-winded speeches. Standing in the corner, she tilted her head slightly to look out at the courtyard.

Outside, the dark clouds loomed, and a sudden gust of wind and rain began to knock down the beautifully blooming crape myrtle flowers by the wall. It was a pity.

While Liu Ruheng’s mind was wandering, Vice Minister Lu suddenly called her name.

Liu Ruheng reacted instantly. She withdrew her gaze and stepped forward respectfully to salute.

Lu Shaoqing’s expression was neutral. After calling her forward, he merely took a sip of the steaming tea. After a long silence, he said, “Lord Liu made quite a splash a few days ago.”

Liu Ruheng felt her scalp tingle. She bowed again and smiled: “Your Honor overpraises me. The resolution of that case was entirely due to His Majesty’s grand benevolence and wise judgment.”

Lu Shaoqing set his cup down gently on the table, his smile appearing somewhat eerie. “Lord Liu need not be humble. You are young and promising; you will surely be a pillar of the state for His Majesty in the future.”

He emphasized the words “His Majesty” heavily. Seeing that her answers were watertight, he called another fresh face forward.

Retreating to her corner, Liu Ruheng exhaled a long breath of turbid air. She inconspicuously used her sleeve to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead. Every word from Lu Shaoqing had been loaded with hidden meanings; one slip of the tongue and she would have been the “chicken killed to warn the monkeys.”

After what felt like an agonizing wait, Lu Shaoqing finally dismissed the group.

The Cold Case and the Outcast

Another day passed. Shortly after Liu Ruheng arrived at the Court, she was summoned by Lu Shaoqing.

He sat behind his desk, staring coldly at the scrolls before him. Hearing her footsteps, he shifted his gaze to her and said flatly, “You’ve come.”

Liu Ruheng saluted, her intuition screaming that something was wrong.

“The Court is currently short-handed, and there is a cold case that no one can crack. I would like to ask Lord Liu to take on this heavy responsibility.”

As expected. Liu Ruheng bowed again, feigning trepidation. “I wouldn’t dare have Your Honor use the word ‘ask.’ However, my seniority is shallow, and I have many backlogged scrolls to handle. I still need to learn much from the other Lords; I fear I am not up to the task.”

“I have other arrangements for the others. Does Lord Liu require me to say it a second time?” Lu Shaoqing frowned, his face becoming even more stern.

Liu Ruheng let out an imperceptible sigh. She paused. “I understand.” She cupped her hands in farewell and turned to leave.

This Lu Shaoqing was a “smiling tiger.” To break ties with him now would only result in her own loss. Her only choice was to handle this cold case well to shut his mouth.

She comforted herself internally: a loss may be a gain in disguise. For a case to be called a “cold case” by Lu Shaoqing, it had to be a major one. If she truly cracked it, it would be an opportunity.

Before long, an attendant delivered the scrolls and brought along someone Liu Ruheng hadn’t expected. Upon seeing the newcomer, the others in the room showed looks of disgust and lowered their heads to focus on their work.

“Lord Liu, the Court is short on coroners. Currently, only Xiao Qing is available. His Honor has ordered that she will assist you in autopsies from now on.” With that, the attendant left.

Xiao Qing’s expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn’t noticed the cold shoulders from the others. She bowed to Liu Ruheng, handed her a slip of paper, and stood quietly to the side.

Seeing that Liu Ruheng didn’t show any strange reaction, Xiao Qing’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

After reading what Xiao Qing had written, Liu Ruheng let her leave for the moment. The note contained instructions on how to find her within the Court.

Once she was gone, the other Lords in the room let out sighs of relief and began chattering. The conversation inevitably revolved around Xiao Qing’s status as a woman.

Liu Ruheng’s lips thinned. She said coldly, “Gossiping behind someone’s back leads to the Tongue-Ripping Hell.”

These men were truly hypocritical; they gossiped constantly, yet when they wanted to insult someone, they called them “long-tongued women.”

After she said this, her surroundings became much quieter.

Investigation of the “Limb-Severing” Serial Murders

She began to examine the case files in detail.

Initially, no one connected the robberies to the murders. But as the victims increased, the Court discovered a pattern: these people had all been robbed six months prior, and they were being killed one by one in the exact order of the original thefts.

The Court had suppressed the news, but the populace was already in a state of panic.

The crimes were concentrated in the Eastern District. Since Liu Ruheng’s home was some distance away, she hadn’t heard the rumors. The most recent case had occurred just half a month ago.

Liu Ruheng’s brow furrowed. Three people were already dead. The killer averaged one murder every half-month. By that calculation, the fourth murder was due any day now.

The only common thread was the warehouse theft six months ago.

Liu Ruheng packed the scrolls, wrote a report to be delivered to the Vice Minister by a runner, and then mounted her horse to head toward the site of the most recent murder. Since the crime was recent, it would be easier to find traces of the killer.

The sky remained overcast, though unlike yesterday’s storm, it was a rare, cool cloudy day for midsummer.

The Eastern District wasn’t far from the Court; she arrived in the time it took to burn a stick of incense.

The victim’s family was well-off, with a distinguished ancestry. The deceased had purchased an eighth-rank honorary title, making them a minor official family.

The house was still draped in white mourning cloth. Liu Ruheng stepped forward and knocked.

A servant dressed in hemp opened the door. Seeing Liu Ruheng in official robes, he assumed she was a colleague of the master coming to pay respects and respectfully ushered her in.

The mourning hall was vast. Liu Ruheng saw monks chanting around the coffin. At the entrance, a youth in mourning clothes bowed to her and led her to offer incense.

After placing three sticks of incense, Liu Ruheng sighed and said to the youth, “A word in private, please.”

Once outside the hall, the youth found a secluded spot and bowed. “Does the Lord have instructions?”

Liu Ruheng nodded slightly and produced her official seal. “I have come regarding the murder of Lord Jiang. Please take me to the bedroom where he went missing.”

The youth hesitated for a moment. He led Liu Ruheng to the main reception hall. “Please wait a moment, Lord. I must discuss this with my mother.”

Liu Ruheng watched from a distance as the household fell into a brief flurry of activity. Soon, a middle-aged woman arrived, supported by the youth. As she went to bow, Liu Ruheng stopped her. “There is no need for such ceremony, Madam. I am only here to investigate the case.”

The woman caught her breath and said hesitantly, “That night… the Master was staying in the room of a concubine. I hope the Lord does not take offense.”

Liu Ruheng nodded slightly. “Please, lead the way.”

She followed the frail woman, her mind racing: If there was someone right beside him, how could he have disappeared so silently?

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