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Chapter 590 Nursery Rhyme
Zhu Yu followed behind Lu Qing, running towards the West Market. The closer they got to the West Market, the more lively the surroundings became.

Some people who had squeezed to the front had seen everything they were supposed to, and now they were walking out while vividly recounting the scene to their companions who hadn't witnessed the beheading.

Some people were at the back and couldn't squeeze in, but now they're desperately trying to get to the front. I don't know if they want to watch the show or if they've also heard some sorcerer claiming to have supernatural powers and that flesh and blood can cure diseases.

Lu Qing subtly signaled Fu Lu to walk in front and clear the way, with Zhu Yu following behind Fu Lu. He himself followed behind Zhu Yu. With Fu Lu, a tall and burly man, clearing the way, almost everyone in front was pushed aside. Zhu Yu followed closely behind, simply following step by step, without having to worry about being pushed or jostled.

Amidst the chaos and the grumbling of those who couldn't squeeze through, the four finally managed to reach the front. Zhu Yu also managed to glimpse the scene inside the execution ground through the gaps in the crowd.

Don't be fooled by the boldness of the aunt she met before; when it comes to actually handling human flesh and blood, saying it is one thing, but doing it is quite another.

Inside the execution ground lay a headless corpse, dressed in death row attire. Judging from its height and build, it was indeed similar to Yan Daoxin, except that its head was gone.

Zhu Yu knew that, according to the rules, after someone was beheaded, their body could not be taken away by their family.

After the beheading, the condemned prisoner's head would be hung above the city gate for three days as a warning to others. Only then would it be hastily rolled up with the corpse in a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave to be torn apart and eaten by wild dogs.

This is essentially the greatest punishment and humiliation for this death row inmate.

The head was gone by now, probably taken by the executioner and the supervising official to hang on the city gate. Only a few men who looked like constables remained, guarding the headless body.

Near the headless corpse, there were one or two people, holding scraps of cloth in their hands, trembling and tiptoeing, wanting to get closer and dab some blood on the cloth, but not daring to, constantly struggling and trying.

Lu Qing clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and the muscles in his arms were taut.

Zhu Yu quickly stopped him by the arm, seemingly afraid that he might do something impulsive because he couldn't control his temper even now.

Lu Qing stared at the headless corpse on the execution ground with bloodshot eyes until the few commoners finished dipping their blood and ran away quickly, and then a few constables came forward and wrapped the headless corpse in a straw mat.

Lu Qing shifted her feet, seemingly stung by the scene, unable to suppress her grief, and wanted to rush over.

Zhu Yu quickly signaled to the talismans and the two brothers grabbed Lu Qing's arms from the left and right, pulling and dragging him away from the execution ground.

The four of them walked back like this. Lu Qing seemed to have become a walking corpse, his eyes unfocused, letting the runes and talismans support him on both sides, while Zhu Yu followed closely behind.

It wasn't until the four of them returned to Yunyin Pavilion and, familiar with the way, circled around to their little courtyard that their expressions suddenly changed in unison.

Lu Qing, who had seemed to have lost her mind just moments before, returned to normal in the blink of an eye. Zhu Yu also took off her veil and fanned her face with her hand: "I was running so fast just now that I didn't realize how stuffy this veil was after I got so hot. It's really trapping all my sweat." Lu Qing smiled and pulled her to his side, raising her sleeve to gently wipe the fine sweat from Zhu Yu's forehead. She then took a teacup from the tray that Fu Wen had brought over, poured a cup of tea, and held it to Zhu Yu's lips.

The tea had been brewed by Liu Yueyao earlier and had been left to cool beforehand. Zhu Yu drank it all in one gulp from the cup that Lu Qing handed him.

She thought her physical condition was still pretty good, but she had run too fast just now, which made her a little thirsty and breathless, and her chest felt like it was on fire.

A cup of slightly cooled tea felt so comforting.

“Actually, when we were heading to the execution ground, the people who had been keeping watch on us left.” Zhu Yu wiped the water from the corner of his mouth and said to Lu Qing, “When you reminded me that we were being followed, I didn’t realize it yet. At that time, I didn’t dare to turn around or look around, afraid that someone would notice us.”

However, when you were at a stalemate there, I noticed that all the people who really wanted to see the execution had gone to the execution ground. There weren't many people left to begin with. I saw a man, a dark-skinned and muscular guy, standing in front of a stall selling beaded flowers, picking and choosing, fiddling with them endlessly.

Doesn't that clearly mean there's nothing left to cover up?
So when you came back just now, we had you supported by talismans and incantations, just in case there were other spies we hadn't discovered yet?"

"Madam is clever." Lu Qing nodded with a smile and helped Zhu Yu tuck the stray hairs that had been stuck to her cheeks with sweat behind her ears.

"So now... the executions in the West Market are over, are we leaving the capital?" Zhu Yu asked again.

“No rush,” Lu Qing slowly shook his head. “We’ve waited so long, and the show is about to begin. If we leave now, wouldn’t that be a huge loss? We should at least watch a little bit before we leave.”

This suited Zhu Yu's wishes, so she didn't rush to prepare for her departure and continued to stay peacefully in the courtyard.

In the following period of time, the nursery rhyme with its hidden meaning spread more and more widely in the capital. Most of the people in the city had not been to school and probably could not read a single character, so they naturally did not understand the meaning. They just thought it was a child singing nonsense and did not pay much attention to it.

However, as more and more children sang this nursery rhyme, it gradually came to the attention of some educated people who could discern the unspoken meaning between the lines, and some whispers of discussion arose in private.

Even the literary figures and poets in Yunyin Pavilion who were fond of writing and painting were no exception.

"The fire in the stove burns through the nine layers of eaves... that doesn't sound like a nice thing to say..."

That day, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, who were bored, put on fake skins and changed their clothes. While drinking and listening to music in Yunyin Pavilion, they vaguely heard a group of scholars at the next table discussing a nursery rhyme.

Upon hearing their conversation, Zhu Yu immediately perked up. She picked up a peanut with her fingertips and rubbed the bright red peanut skin into tiny crumbs all over the table, without even thinking to put it in her mouth.

Right now, she had no appetite for snacks; all she wanted to do was listen to gossip.