Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 105 - 104: Fava Beans

His teasing made the surrounding people burst into laughter, waving their hands repeatedly to show they were overwhelmed with his humor.

Crack.

At a table not far away, a middle-aged man with an expressionless face suddenly crushed his wine cup into pieces, spilling the wine all over the table.

The nearby waiter was startled and hurried over to help clean up, asking if the man had injured his hand.

However, the man merely brushed off the broken porcelain from his hand, ignoring the waiter’s inquiries, and strangely, there were no visible injuries on his fingers or palm.

The waiter, either experienced or simply careless, showed no reaction to this, quickly cleared the fragments from the table, and brought a new wine cup for the man.

The man’s expression was grim, his eyes like knives as they swept towards the unrestrained scholars before turning away and downing his cup of wine in one gulp.

The drunken scholars, oblivious to this, continued their antics. After laughing, one of them winked and added, "Isn’t there also that Prince Xiaoyao with such luck!

At least Prince Yi married a horse herder.

Prince Xiaoyao is even more impressive. I heard he married a blacksmith from Shuo Country! I wonder if his wife has a robust appearance—ouch!"

Zhu Yu, who had been listening intently to see how she would be depicted by this scoundrel, suddenly heard a scream from that direction. She turned to see the man, his face contorted in pain, clutching his forehead, with blood seeping through his fingers.

His companions were aghast, some trying to get the bleeding man to a doctor, while others looked around, trying to figure out what had struck their friend’s head.

This commotion naturally caused a small uproar.

Liu Yueyao quickly arrived with others in tow. She wore a gracious smile and spoke softly, calming them in just a few words. She had the waiters pack up their wine and food and even gave them back their silver, advising them to quickly take the injured to a doctor and stop the bleeding.

Zhu Yu’s attention had been focused on the drunken scholars and the unfamiliar men nearby. She hadn’t seen what had hit the man’s forehead but knew those men hadn’t moved.

She turned back around, changing her posture to face Lu Qing. In front of him was a wine cup, and his fingers idly toyed with a salted bean, his eyelids slightly drooping, giving the impression of intoxication.

"Waiter, bring a zither!" Before Zhu Yu could speak, he suddenly called out to the nearby waiter.

This kind of request wasn’t unusual at the Yunyin Pavilion, and the waiter responded promptly, quickly returning with others to carefully place a guqin on Lu Qing’s table.

Lu Qing sat at the table, poured himself a cup of wine set aside, shook his sleeve, and gently placed his hand on the strings, squinting slightly.

Zhu Yu had heard of his impressive zither skills but had never actually heard him play until today.

The zither, which was gentle and lively like a bubbling spring in the musician’s hands, transformed into something entirely new under his touch.

The music flowed from his fingers, sometimes roaring like a majestic river, filling listeners with fervor; and at other times, like a bright moon shining through pines, clear and distant, it calmed the soul.

Zhu Yu didn’t know much about music and couldn’t name the piece Lu Qing was playing. It felt different from the usual tunes heard at Yunyin Pavilion, more bold and powerful, with an underlying sadness that evoked a poignant feeling.

Originally, the musicians on the distant stage were performing, and no one paid much attention to Lu Qing. However, his zither quickly drew everyone’s attention.

Zhu Yu noticed those previously indifferent men also heard Lu Qing’s music. They seemed stunned and bewildered and eventually stood up, trying to see over the crowd to catch a glimpse of the musician.

Zhu Yu felt a vague sense of unease and considered warning Lu Qing. Just then, he finished his piece, the music ending abruptly at its most intense moment. Lu Qing reached out, sweeping his sleeve over the cup, knocking it to the floor with a shattering sound that harmonized perfectly with the music, as if it were part of the composition itself.

When the piece ended, the entire room stood and applauded. Lu Qing seemed delighted, shakily standing up to reach for the wine jug on the table but stumbled forward instead.

Zhu Yu hurriedly stepped forward to support him, and Liu Yueyao also came over, calling the waiters, "The honored guest is drunk! Help him out and onto his carriage to rest!"

The waiters quickly came forward, helping Zhu Yu escort Lu Qing to the entrance.

Those who had intended to ask about his zither skills saw the elegantly dressed gentleman seemingly drunk and had to abandon their plans.

Soon, the musicians’ performance resumed, and the crowd dispersed to enjoy their drinks and entertainment.

The men who had initially shown hostility returned to their table, idly sipping their wine.

Lu Qing appeared unsteady as the waiters helped him into the carriage. Zhu Yu followed him inside. As the carriage wobbled out of the Yunyin Pavilion courtyard and onto the empty street, Lu Qing, who had been slumped to the side, slowly sat up, brushing the creases from his robes.

His eyes were clear, his breathing steady, with no trace of drunkenness except for the faint smell of alcohol in the carriage.

"I really thought you were drunk just now," Zhu Yu remarked as she looked at him.

She had to admit that although she knew Lu Qing, this "fox," had many tricks up his sleeve, his earlier performance had genuinely deceived her.

"If I got drunk so easily, I would’ve died countless times by now," Lu Qing chuckled, reaching into his sleeve to retrieve a small water bladder, which he shook before tossing it to Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu caught it, feeling its weight. It was about half full with a rich aroma of wine.

This was evidently something Lu Qing used frequently for carrying wine, its flavor permeating over time.

He must have concealed this in his sleeve, tipping the cup’s contents into it under the guise of drinking, using his sleeve as a cover.

No wonder he smelled of alcohol yet remained so clear-headed. He hadn’t actually drunk any at all.