Horse-head Wall Reflects the Qing Dynasty

Chapter 94 The window reflects the heavy shadows, candle tears fall, the sky above should not be lowered overnight.

Two people died one after another on the official road.

The killer is already prepared to die. If the first strike fails and he is about to be caught, he will stab himself in the throat with the dagger and die a quick death.

But things weren't so easy for Qingmiao.

"Qingmiao?" Qingmiao just collapsed straight into her arms. Liu Jiao'an had never experienced anything like this before. There wasn't even much blood, and she was completely flustered.

Liu Jiao'an sat down on the bench next to Qingmiao, following her momentum. She was still in shock when someone nearby said that the person who stabbed Qingmiao had committed suicide.

"Don't worry, someone has already gone to fetch a doctor."

Cheng Heng had never witnessed someone die in front of him before. At this moment, his heart was pounding so hard that he felt a little flustered and dizzy. He forced himself to stand opposite Liu Jiao'an, barely able to take care of himself, but he had no choice but to maintain the facade.

In fact, everyone could see that Qingmiao was in very bad condition; she had already fainted due to excessive blood loss.

When the doctor arrived, no one dared to make a definitive judgment on whether Qingmiao's life could be saved.

Liu Jiao'an, who had been silent all along, finally broke free from her numb and agitated state because of Qingmiao's injury: "I'm the one who hurt Qingmiao, I've hurt her again..."

Cheng Heng didn't know why the person in front of him used the word "again," nor did he know about Qing Miao's background.

“My father caused this disaster, ruining Qingmiao’s family’s happiness. In the end, am I going to ruin Qingmiao too?” Liu Jiao’an muttered to herself, then suddenly looked up at Cheng Heng. “He deserves to die, doesn’t he? He really deserves to die.”

For a moment, Cheng Heng was utterly astonished. When he came to his senses, he realized that the "he" Liu Jiao'an was referring to was clearly Liu's father, Liu Qingxian.

"Whether you deserve to die or not is for the government to decide. You should take care of yourself in this historical context."

It's no surprise that Liu Jiao'an and Qingmiao ended up like this because they escaped from the Liu family mansion and happened to run into Cheng Heng—a stroke of luck that was also unfortunate.

It was clear that the man's target was Cheng Heng. Liu Qingxian knew who was the key to unlocking this old case. As for the two young women, even if they went to the capital, people would still criticize Liu Jiao'an for suing her father as a daughter...

Upon his return, Cheng Heng knew that trouble would befall him, but he never expected to encounter such a thorny issue before even meeting the person he was supposed to see, just after entering the territory of Huizhou Prefecture.

"She...she's not breathing."

As Cheng Heng was pondering, Liu Jiao'an's trembling yet incredibly clear words struck him so hard that his heart seemed to skip a beat.

"died?"

"The doctor is here, the doctor is here!"

The emotions that had just been stirred up were stirred up again by the chaos around him. Cheng Heng just stared blankly at the two people in front of him, not daring to move Qing Miao, and he himself did not dare to move either.

The moment the doctor placed his hand on Qingmiao's pulse, his brows furrowed deeply. He then reached out to check her breath and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Who here can make a decision? This girl is clearly beyond saving. It would be better to take her to the yamen as soon as possible while her body is still warm and moving around, so that the coroner can make a judgment."

The doctor's words seemed cold-blooded, but everyone present understood that they were true. With Qingmiao's injuries, even in later generations, if a blood bank could provide blood in time, her chances of survival would be slim.

Liu Jiao'an could say nothing more, only repeating Qingmiao's name over and over again, perhaps with regret in her heart, regretting why she had let Qingmiao get involved.

Or perhaps more likely, just before the clouds parted and the truth was about to be revealed... the person who had waited so many years died.

"Qingmiao, Qingmiao".

"Qingmiao".

The officials arrived shortly afterward. The murderer, the victim, the witnesses, and the person who reported the crime were all still at the scene. The shop owner was so frightened that he didn't even think to clean up, so the scene was preserved exceptionally well.

The case can be closed without even the coroner having to do anything.

"Who is this……"

The newly appointed third-ranked scholar was still recognizable to the people in the government office.

"My lords, this criminal originally came to attack me, but fortunately this young lady saved me, but I never expected to take her life." Cheng Heng had never seen a dead person before, but at this moment he had to calm down and deal with this matter properly.

People say: "To be buried is to find peace." But at this moment, Cheng Heng couldn't let Qingmiao and the murderer be buried—and there was also the person behind them, Liu Qingxian.

If the evidence on hand alone is not enough to make Liu Qing receive the retribution he deserves, how can the assassination of the newly appointed third-ranked scholar not be considered adding insult to injury?

"Although I, Cheng, believe I have not offended anyone, the villain's target was exceptionally clear, indicating that someone was directing him. I request that you all take this male and female corpses back to the government office and keep them there for a few days..."

"That's natural."

The victim was originally Qingmiao, but now the newly appointed third-ranked scholar insists that the villain originally intended to assassinate him.

The government had no choice but to take charge of the matter, but no one could have imagined that their involvement would eventually extend to the local officials.

Liu Jiao'an was covered in blood, making it inconvenient for her to walk on the main road. After changing her clothes at a small shop and having Cheng Heng explain the situation, the two of them changed their route and went to the brothel to deliver a message and search for someone.

Cheng Heng was not alone on this trip. Both his teacher, a second-rank official in the capital, and Zhang Shuwen's side hired people to protect him.

The group of people had difficulty walking. Although Cheng Heng knew that entering the territory of Huizhou Prefecture would inevitably bring trouble, he was surprised that Liu Qingxian had already turned his attention to him and that Liu Qingxian had acted so quickly. He got off the carriage and rode ahead on a fast horse.

Who would have thought that something would happen in the short time it takes to eat a meal... Cheng Heng was also filled with regret, feeling that Qing Miao's death was due to his underestimation of his opponent.

While Cheng Heng could comfort Liu Jiao'an, he couldn't deceive his own heart.

Now that the escort team has arrived, Liu Jiao'an and Cheng Heng have made their way to the brothel without any obstacles, making it even harder for the latter to get over his guilt.

"It's been a long time." Upon seeing Guan Yin, Cheng Heng had a thousand things he wanted to say, but Qing Miao's death beat him to it all.

"Jiao'an, you've really had a hard time during your time at the Liu residence."

"Mm," Liu Jiaoan replied softly, then sat down and remained silent.

Guan Yin knew that this was clearly wrong.

Neither Cheng Heng nor Liu Jiao'an should be so taciturn.

"How did you two meet? Did you encounter any trouble on your journey?" "You came back to deliver a message for Zhang Shuwen, then... why didn't Zhang Shuwen come back directly to see Ling Xiao?"

"Zhang Shuwen gave you this evidence. Why would he help you? If delivering a message for Ling Xiao is worth so much, why didn't Zhang Shuwen come back himself?"

"Jiao'an, why isn't Sanheng with you?"

Guan Yin had many questions, but it was already quite an achievement for the two people in front of him who had just experienced life and death to have made it this far. How much more difficult would it be to answer Guan Yin's series of questions that stirred up painful memories?

“Young lady, we were asked by Mr. Zhang to bring Mr. Cheng back. Mr. Cheng went ahead earlier and encountered some… trouble, so he came with Miss Liu to find you.”

Do you know what it is?

"It seems someone has died."

"Someone died?" The only one missing is Sanheng. Guan Yin didn't know about Qingmiao, so the only thing he could think of was that Sanheng was dead.

"Who? Sanheng?"

"It's a young lady." The escorting team arrived later and didn't know much about the cause and effect of the matter. "Miss, why don't you let Mr. Cheng rest for a while, and then you can ask him yourself?"

The third-ranking scholar of this imperial examination returned to his hometown to visit his sworn sister. Not only did the people who escorted him know this, but those who had heard that the scholar had refused a marriage proposal in order to seek justice for his sworn sister's family in the past also knew that the scholar from Huizhou Prefecture had a sworn sister in his hometown.

Therefore, this group of people were not stupid. They had already guessed Guan Yin's identity, and they showed him no lack of respect in their words.

Ling Xiao is opening a letter written by Zhang Shuwen.

However, Guan Yin's words, Liu Jiao'an's taciturnity, and Cheng Heng's silence made it impossible for Ling Xiao to continue immersing himself in his tender feelings for Zhang Shuwen as if no one else was around.

"If you have something important to say, you should say it sooner rather than later. Dragging it out will only cause more trouble."

The oppressive atmosphere made Ling Xiao somewhat irritable. Even though he knew that speaking now would make him the target of everyone's criticism, he still endured the different gazes of the three people and continued to say what he wanted to say.

"Now that we have the evidence, let's not talk about life and death for now. Only by obtaining the evidence and seeking justice can the deceased rest in peace, right?"

Like the doctor, Ling Xiao was not cold-blooded. It was just that when he was not involved, he could clearly distinguish what came first and what came last.

Why did Qingmiao die?
Qingmiao's goal is to ensure that those responsible for these old cases, those who caused the deaths of so many young people, receive the punishment they deserve.

Because she knew that Cheng Heng and Liu Jiao'an were the ones capable of doing this, she risked her life to protect the possibility.

Only the truth can answer the questions that are worthy of the souls lost in the water and the beautiful women killed by the knife.

“Here, even wailing and lamenting won’t bring the dead back to life. People always talk about those Taoist priests, sorcerers, magicians, and monks, muttering incantations. They’re just playing tricks, but at least they bring peace of mind to the living.”

“You sit here, some blaming yourselves, some regretting yourselves, but you don’t even know what you’re blaming yourselves for or what you’re regretting. The time you’ve wasted is a disservice to the things you wanted to do.”

This time, it wasn't Ling Xiao who spoke. The madam of the music academy had been listening at the door for a long time, and it was precisely because of the former's words that the madam of the music academy finally gave Ling Xiao a look—no longer cold and indifferent, as if she didn't want to pay any attention to Ling Xiao.

The three of them murmured as if they wanted to say something, but when they looked up at each other, they swallowed their words back.

No one wants to take the initiative to speak up again and be the one to bear all the emotions.

The wind made the window sway, and the three people's eyes looked through the window and saw a lush green canopy, its vibrant life forming a stark contrast to the deathly stillness inside the room.

"I met that girl after I returned to the Liu family. She was an excellent girl. Her family was devastated by the flood... some died and some were injured. Otherwise, Qingmiao would not have come to work for the Liu family."

A natural disaster and man-made calamity, a flood, was fortunately averted because the area was rich in resources. Furthermore, thanks to generations of honest officials, righteous merchants, and the tradition of combining farming with scholarship, Huizhou Prefecture recovered to its former prosperity in a short period of time.

But it is precisely because of this that these tigers and flies behind the scenes, things that should be living in the gutter, can still live openly in the world.

“I came to deliver a letter for Zhang Shuwen, and also to ask you two to come to the capital to testify for this old case.”

In comparison, Cheng Heng was even less courageous than Liu Jiao'an. Perhaps it was the contrast with the stability of reality that amplified the fear and guilt of dying in front of someone countless times. Only after Liu Jiao'an had finished speaking did Cheng Heng finally open his mouth.

“I only took a few steps ahead, but who would have thought that as soon as I entered the territory of Huizhou Prefecture, I would encounter Liu Qingxian, or perhaps not just him… people sent to assassinate me.”

"Qingmiao and I were complete strangers, yet she saved my life. I was too careless, otherwise Qingmiao wouldn't have died. The fault lies with me. I... I should have thought of that."

In truth, who can make prophecies? Even those in the Imperial Observatory who perform astrology and divination, how could they possibly make prophecies in every detail?

Those present could understand Cheng Heng's guilt—why did this have to happen during the mealtime when the guards weren't there?

Little did they know that everything often favors a single "coincidence".

The three recounted what had happened during this time. Ling Xiao had already brewed a pot of tea for them, and then the four of them sat around the round table until dusk.

"Perhaps this really is the story of The Peony Pavilion..."

"There aren't that many unfaithful people."

While Ling Xiao was out, Cheng Heng spoke, but his words were somewhat incoherent.

“If he is not unfaithful, then why doesn’t he come to find Ling Xiao now?” Guan Yin had always scoffed at those stories of talented scholars and beautiful women. “When I was a child, I saw my family watching operas. They were all about Su San being released from prison and the two of them meeting again after going through all sorts of hardships. There was no further story.”

"In the end, the two of them went through the wedding ceremony and got married. This part was not shown much, but it wasn't absent."

"Oh, so you also know that it's a stage for others to watch, to teach the principles to scholars and the principles to ordinary people."

"Just like when we teach, if I talk about it, I say it, and I do it, does that mean the students will necessarily learn to be good people like the good people I'm talking about?"

Guan Yin's words made sense, and Cheng Heng couldn't argue with him for a moment: "He was the one who provided the evidence this time, and he was the one who refused the marriage. He's busy in the capital, so he's not coming back to see Ling Xiao..."

Ling Xiao returned just as they were talking, and their conversation came to an abrupt end.

"Here, the tea is served. You should all tidy up and get some rest. You've all come from afar... We can talk about anything else tomorrow."

The teapot was placed safely on the table, and Ling Xiao quickly closed the half-open window. The room was rather dim without the candles lit, so everyone's thoughts were rekindled.

The next morning, the sound of horses' hooves knocked on the gates of the music academy.