Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 95 - 94: Mr. Mo

"We’ll save the pleasantries for later. Standing outside for most of the day, my legs are sore. Let’s rest first, then quickly bring over the wine and dishes." Lu Qing waved his fan at Liu Yueyao, signaling her to hurry.

Liu Yueyao covered her mouth with her round fan and chuckled softly, gesturing for the two to follow her.

Zhu Yu and Lu Qing followed behind Liu Yueyao, passing through a moon-white curtain. The sound of strings and bamboo instruments grew slightly softer, replaced by some noisy chatter.

Zhu Yu noticed that the road ahead diverged into two directions: one going up and the other down. The noisy sounds were coming from the downward direction, and one could even hear the sounds of drinking games.

Liu Yueyao, however, guided them up the branching path, ascended a flight of stairs to another level. Up here, it was much quieter, with a faint and subtle fragrance in the corridors that wasn’t too overpowering.

This floor was lined with numerous elegant rooms, some open, revealing women with graceful postures playing the zither through beaded curtains or screens. Other rooms were closed, with only the sound of zithers emanating from within.

The three of them walked straight to the end of the corridor, where Liu Yueyao pushed open the door to the quietest elegant room, using her fan to move aside the beaded curtain for them.

Lu Qing, familiar with the way, slipped through the beaded curtain, bypassing the screen inside to enter the room.

The room was quite spacious, divided by two ebony screens into an inner and outer section. Outside the screens were several cushions where five elaborately dressed musicians sat. Some were playing the zither, another holding a pipa, and a third a bamboo flute. At the sight of Lu Qing entering, they quickly stood up to salute him before starting to play.

Lu Qing paid them no mind, leading Zhu Yu around the ebony screen, where there was a low table with fresh fruits, two pots of wine, and a few wine cups on top.

Liu Yueyao swiftly followed, circling the low table and deftly helping to lift the layers of silk curtains behind it.

Behind the curtains, there was surprisingly a door.

Lu Qing pushed it open and went inside, with Zhu Yu following behind. As they entered, a familiar cool fragrance greeted them. Upon closer look, there was an incense burner in the corner of the room, wafting blue smoke.

It seemed that when he returned to the Prince Mansion late at night, he often stayed here.

Compared to the incense outside, this scent was much more pleasant, evoking a refreshing clarity.

In this inner chamber, there was another table. Lu Qing led Zhu Yu to sit beside it, then instructed Liu Yueyao: "Have the chef prepare their specialty dishes once over, excluding those too spicy, bland, or fishy."

"Also, bring up some pastries and fruits."

Zhu Yu glanced at him, not expecting that this man, who was seldom in the mansion, would be so familiar with his own tastes.

Liu Yueyao didn’t have much reaction, nodded slightly ready to withdraw, but was stopped by Lu Qing again.

"Mr. Mo hasn’t arrived today?" Lu Qing asked.

"He should be here soon," Liu Yueyao replied softly.

"Then have his favorite dishes prepared as well, so we don’t need to bother again later," Lu Qing waved his hand, giving no further instructions, signaling Liu Yueyao to leave.

Liu Yueyao retreated, never once glancing at Zhu Yu again, as if she had no curiosity about this stranger.

Zhu Yu, after a long day’s work, was famished. Her stomach felt like it was sticking to her back, so after taking a seat, she poured herself a cup of tea and sipping it slowly. Before long, Liu Yueyao returned with several fruit plates and snacks.

Zhu Yu picked a piece of milk bean cake to fill her stomach, unexpectedly finding it astonishing upon tasting it; the cake was incredibly delicate, melting instantly in her mouth. The blend of milk and bean flavors complemented each other perfectly, with a sufficiency of aroma without being overly sweet.

Craving more after one piece, she reached for a second, but Lu Qing moved the plate of snacks slightly away before she could get it.

"The chef at Yunyin Pavilion has excellent skills. If you fill up on these pastries now, you might regret it later," Lu Qing said as he handed another piece to Zhu Yu, "Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"Then I’ll thank the Prince for his hospitality in advance." Zhu Yu took the cake from his hand.

"No need for formalities, Mr. Zhu. Today you have worked hard, a table full of dishes is nothing," Lu Qing spoke more candidly than usual.

His mention of the day’s events immediately captured Zhu Yu’s attention.

Clearly, this place was where Lu Qing found it suitable to speak openly.

Since that’s the case, there was no reason for her to hold back, keeping questions bottled up wasn’t comfortable.

"Did you anticipate today that someone would cause trouble at General Cao’s birthday banquet?" Zhu Yu put the bean cake on the plate beside her, wiping the crumbs from her hands before asking.

"You give me too much credit," Lu Qing chuckled at Zhu Yu’s speculation, his shoulders slightly shaking, "If I had foresight like that, I’d trade it for fortune-telling to get rich, rather than being a bothersome Prince.

Though I am somewhat aware of Cao Chenfeng’s recent antics.

And I noticed you were paying quite some attention to that Little Tao’er and Xu Shan earlier. What are your thoughts?"

"That maid and her brother Xu Shan, their bravery is unlike ordinary servants," Zhu Yu pondered recalling Xu Shan and Little Tao’er’s demeanor, "To say something a bit diminishing about myself, when Duke Yan caused a stir at the banquet, Mrs. Zhao and the others in the inner chambers were quite flustered.

Even within the Prince Mansion, the inner chamber servants panic under pressure. Boss Zhuang, just a small-time businessman, unknown in the Capital, had servants in his house not only bold enough to kill their lady and frame Cao Chenfeng but also remained extraordinarily calm after their plot was ruined.

For most people, survival is easy, seeking death is hard. Even if caught committing a crime, there’s always the hope of pleading for mercy to save one’s life.

Yet today not only did Xu Shan assertively admit to the crime of killing his master, he sought death willingly, not waiting for Capital Governor Lord Wu to sentence him.

Even Little Tao’er, appearing so fragile, trembled when Zhuang Zhi initially brought her out as a witness, yet later chose to face death with her brother decisively and firmly, which was beyond typical for a maidservant.

In my view, these two aren’t mere servants; they seem more like specially trained assassins.

If they’d succeeded in framing Cao Chenfeng this time, their plan would have been complete. Unexpectedly, my interference became a variable, exposing Xu Shan, leading them to choose death over risking their plan being compromised."

Zhu Yu spoke, her brows furrowing unconsciously: "But I can’t figure out the purpose behind their actions."