Taking the Princess as My Wife - Chapter 23

If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it.

Upon waking, Liu Ruheng’s mind, which had been murky and chaotic, cleared significantly after she drank a cup of cold tea.

By the time she had dressed neatly and stepped out the door, she realized she had actually slept for an entire day.

She hurried to the Court of State Ceremonies Dali Si, and upon arrival, she happened to encounter Xiao Qing, who was waiting outside.

Xiao Qing’s expression was solemn, her jet-black hair dampened by the morning dew. She pulled a letter from her bosom, handed it to Liu Ruheng, and gestured for her to read it later.

Then, she left in a hurry.

Liu Ruheng was puzzled, but she followed Xiao Qing’s instructions. Only when she reached her own desk did she tear open the envelope and read it carefully.

The Censor-in-Chief who died yesterday had succumbed to poison, but before his death, his tongue had been brutally torn out—it was both an act of torture and a demonstration of power.

During the autopsy, the coroner discovered a tiny needle puncture at the back of the neck. The victim’s lips were dark purple and his pupils were bloodshot, showing a countenance of extreme agony.

After drawing blood, the coroner confirmed that the man died of poisoning; however, aside from the severed tongue, there were no other signs of physical battery on his body.

Liu Ruheng glanced at the case files again; the information there was much the same as what Xiao Qing had told her. However, understanding the cause of death did not offer much help toward solving the case itself.

Just as Liu Ruheng intended to head to the residence of the Censor-in-Chief, a bailiff came running in breathlessly.

“Lord Liu! At the household you sent men to yesterday, someone has died!” The bailiff was panting as he gave a general overview of the situation.

The place she had ordered men to keep watch over yesterday was the residence of a sixth-rank official from the Ministry of Personnel.

This morning, a passerby noticed a piece of flesh near a bamboo grove. When they went to pick it up, they discovered a corpse hidden deep within the thicket.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ruheng’s brow furrowed. She immediately decided to visit this family first.

She had previously ordered people to watch the area, but since she was in the light and the killer was in the dark, it was truly difficult to ensure every detail was covered.

This man’s surname was Wu. According to his family, he had vanished from inside his study.

Lord Wu’s study contained many scrolls of calligraphy, paintings, and ink sticks—all of which were rare treasures. Seeing them made even Liu Ruheng a bit envious, but now was not the time to care about worldly possessions.

Liu Ruheng searched meticulously but found nothing. Just as she was about to get up and leave, she suddenly realized that since entering the study, a faint, rich fragrance had been lingering around her.

This lord usually did not like others entering his study. According to his wife, the layout of the room was exactly as it always was, and there were no signs of a struggle.

After discovering this, Liu Ruheng lifted the lid of the small incense burner on the corner of the table, but the inside was completely empty.

Where did that fragrance come from?

Holding the incense burner, Liu Ruheng walked out of the study.

There were only two people outside the study. Seeing Liu Ruheng emerge, the elder lady asked, “My Lord, have you discovered anything?”

Liu Ruheng shook her head. “What kind of incense did Lord Wu usually burn?”

The lady hesitated for a moment before saying, “Agarwood. This incense calms the nerves and quiets the spirit. Whenever he was in the study, he would light it.”

It was not the same as the sandalwood used at Lord Jiang’s residence. Liu Ruheng’s brow knit slightly as she asked, “You say he would burn incense whenever he was in the study?”

The lady was a bit bewildered by Liu Ruheng’s sudden sternness, but she still nodded and answered, “Yes. Every day, someone cleans out the incense ashes and replaces them with new incense.”

“Was the ash cleaned on the day Lord Wu went missing?”

“No.”

Liu Ruheng gripped the incense burner tightly, her expression turning even more solemn.

The matter was becoming increasingly blurred and mysterious.

If no one had cleaned it, yet the ashes had vanished without a trace, could it be that the killer intentionally took the ashes away?

This incense might be the key point of this case.

Liu Ruheng requested some of the incense the lord usually burned and then took her leave to find the next household.

The residence of the Censor-in-Chief was not far from here; it was right on the way, so she headed there directly. This time, there was no need for a disguise; she simply went openly.

The place was surrounded by ranks of soldiers. Liu Ruheng presented her official seal and passed through the layers of guards to reach the man’s room.

Because he had been silenced by the killer on the very night he went missing, Liu Ruheng could not be certain where he had vanished from. She had no choice but to search both the study and the bedroom thoroughly.

The outside of the Censor-in-Chief’s residence was draped in white funeral silk. Liu Ruheng searched every location light-footedly, focusing specifically on the incense burners in the bedroom and the study.

Sure enough, the ashes in the incense burners here had also been cleaned out completely.

Liu Ruheng frowned and asked about the incense the Censor-in-Chief usually used. His favorite was dark agarwood Wu Chen Xiang. This incense was precious and extremely rare, so he usually only burned ordinary agarwood.

After happenstance led him to obtain some dark agarwood, the Censor-in-Chief had invited friends over to appreciate the fragrance together. After his friends left, he too disappeared.

Bringing several types of incense back to the Court of State Ceremonies, Liu Ruheng found herself in a predicament. Neither she nor her family had any talent for fragrance appreciation, so she could only bring the samples back to the office.

However, she was not well-acquainted with the officials at the Court, and last time she had even offended the only one she was somewhat familiar with, Cheng Xuehai. Now, she could not find anyone who knew about incense.

These scents were fine on their own, but the smell of several types of incense mixed together became exceptionally strange.

Liu Ruheng sighed softly. Out of options, she had no choice but to seek out Vice Minister Lu.

She kept the incense separated. As she stepped out the door, she happened to run into Xiao Qing, who was looking for her.

The moment Xiao Qing saw Liu Ruheng, she frowned and instinctively took several steps back. Realizing she was being rude, she covered her nose and bowed to Liu Ruheng.

Seeing her reaction, Liu Ruheng’s eyes lit up. Xiao Qing had a sharp sense of smell; perhaps she could discern what was different about the incense materials.

Vice Minister Lu had assigned this case to her merely as an excuse to drive her away; even if the matter escalated, he likely wouldn’t send anyone to help her.

Liu Ruheng did not consider herself a compassionate Buddha; she had her own selfish motives. She was unwilling to hand over the clues she had found so easily. If she had Xiao Qing’s help, she might not have to surrender this lead just yet.

“Xiao Qing, do you recognize incense materials and medicinal herbs?”

Xiao Qing was stunned. She nodded, then shook her head.

She wrote: “I don’t know much about incense, but I have a slight understanding of medicinal herbs.”

Liu Ruheng wanted to laugh toward the heavens. This was truly a case of “sending a pillow just as one was getting drowsy.” Xiao Qing was truly a good person.

Liu Ruheng found a secluded room and gave the incense materials to Xiao Qing separately.

Xiao Qing sniffed them carefully but found nothing amiss.

Liu Ruheng sighed softly, not blaming Xiao Qing. With no other choice, she would have to hand the clue over to Vice Minister Lu.

She could not bear to watch a lead gather dust.

The day after handing the incense to Vice Minister Lu, Liu Ruheng was summoned again. Vice Minister Lu looked incensed. Upon seeing Liu Ruheng, he suppressed his rage and said, “There is nothing wrong with these incense materials. Why must Lord Liu be so desperate for credit that you deceive this official?”

Liu Ruheng bowed to Vice Minister Lu, her expression remaining largely unchanged. “When I handed the incense to your Excellency yesterday, I stated that this was merely a suspicion and had not been confirmed.”

He let out a cold laugh. A teacup shattered at Liu Ruheng’s feet. She did not flinch, but looked directly at Vice Minister Lu. “Vice Minister, in my eyes, you have always been a good official. Do you still recognize yourself?”

Vice Minister Lu was so angry he laughed. “You are a mere Sili Zhishi (investigator) of the Court of State Ceremonies. What standing do you have to question me? I have never changed.”

“Guards! Take Liu Ruheng out. Tomorrow I shall petition His Majesty. Liu Ruheng has insulted her superior and reported false clues—she should be stripped of her official rank!”

Before the attendants outside the door could enter, Liu Ruheng turned and walked out on her own. Before leaving, she left only one sentence.

“If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it.”

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