Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 24 I Can Cure Your Disease

Wang Wuniang bowed and replied, "I came here to tell you a story. I wonder if you've ever heard of a puppet show that's been popular in Luoyang City lately, called 'The Story of Huo Xiaolian'."

“Never heard of it!”

"Xiao Lian was originally the daughter of King Huo. Her mother was a singing girl. King Huo sentenced her to death for her crimes, and Xiao Lian was imprisoned with her mother in the Imperial Music Bureau. Xiao Lian was born exceptionally beautiful at the age of sixteen. In order to let her marry into a good family in the future, her mother taught her carefully, teaching her the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and poetry. Even in the Imperial Music Bureau, she would never allow her to sell her body. But Xiao Lian fell in love with a talented and elegant scholar named Li Lang. Li Lang promised that he would marry her if he passed the imperial examination one day. However, after Li Lang returned home, his mother arranged a marriage for him with the daughter of a eunuch. Li Lang told her about Xiao Lian's life experience, but her mother still despised Xiao Lian's identity as a singing girl and firmly opposed Li Lang marrying Xiao Lian.

Later, considering his own career prospects, the scholar happily married the eunuch's daughter and put Xiao Lian behind his mind. Xiao Lian has been bedridden ever since until she met Li Lang for the last time in Ziyu Temple with the help of a Taoist priest. She died with hatred in her heart. Before she died, Xiao Lian cursed the scholar, saying that after her death, his family and concubines would never have peace.

Does Lu Shaoqing know how this story ended?"

Lu Ling didn't answer, as he rarely watched puppet shows. Instead, Lu Shiyilang replied, "I've heard this story before. The scholar Li Lang's family was indeed in turmoil, and he became suspicious of each of his wives."

"What do you mean by this story?"

Wang Wuniang said, "Lu Shaoqing, I am just sighing. Even though she is the daughter of King Huo, with such a noble status, after her family was wiped out and she lost her opportunities, she could only end up like this!"

"And the women trampled upon by Zhou Jiulang were so innocent!"

"Li Lang got what he deserved, but what about Zhou Jiulang? Didn't he deserve to die? Why should others pay for Zhou Jiulang's worthless life?"

Having said this, Wang Wuniang knelt and bowed, and said firmly: "Although Wuniang is a woman, I also want to seek justice for those who were harmed by Zhou Jiulang!"

"For this, Wang Wu Niang is willing to take the blame on behalf of the murderer!"

Mrs. Liu was anxious: "Aying, what are you talking about?"

At this time, Lu Ling was also quite surprised and said, "There's no need to be like this, Wang Wuniang. Go back! I will catch the murderer, and I will also petition the Saint to give justice to those who were harmed by Zhou Jiulang!"

"Thank you, Mr. Lu!"

Wang Wuniang thanked her and left with Liu.

Lu Ling always felt that something was wrong and thought to himself: Could it be that Wang Wu Niang came here just to tell an irrelevant puppet show story?

"Wait, Wang Wuniang, how do you know that Zhou Jiulang has trampled on many women?" Lu Ling suddenly called Wang Wuniang and asked.

She was a young girl who seldom went out, and she had not announced the discovery of the corpse at the bottom of the well today. How did Wang Wuniang know about it?
Wang Wuniang smiled sadly. "Even before Zhou Jiulang proposed to my family, I had already inquired about everything about him. He often accompanied his father in confiscating families and exterminating clans, and his hands were stained with the blood of countless people. He also loved to pursue women and often stayed in brothels at night. It must be no secret."

"Also, the people I sent were able to find out that Zhou Jiulang often tortured and beat the maids at home. In his eyes, the lives of women and slaves were worthless!"

"This is also why I, Wang Wuniang, would rather drown myself in the lake than marry him!"

When Wang Wuniang said this, tears flashed in her eyes, and she looked even more desolate. Lu Ling's heart softened, and he felt a little ashamed.

"Forget it, go away!" he waved.

After Wang Wuniang left, Lu Ling turned his gaze to Murong Huan again, but saw that Murong Huan was still looking around the charity cemetery, and was actually staring at a spider web with a frown in deep thought.

"What are you looking at?" Lu Ling asked.

Murong Huan asked, "Is this spider silk newly woven?"

"What does this mean?"

Murong Huan looked at Zhou Jiulang's body again and asked the coroner beside him, "After Zhou Jiulang's body was brought in, has anyone else come to this charity cemetery today?"

Coroner Xin Wei shook his head. "I've been here the entire time. Aside from Lu Shaoqing and you two, no one else has been here!" He paused, "Oh, and the two wives of the Guo and Hou families were making a scene outside. Also, a maid from Zhou Jiulang's mansion was called in for questioning before she left!"

"Did you find out anything?"

Lu Shiyilang continued, "The wives of the Guo and Hou families kept crying, saying that their sons must have been murdered by Zhou Jiulang. They refused to have an autopsy and let them carry the bodies back. The old woman in Zhou Jiulang's house was very calm and didn't know anything. She said she had been in the house all night and had only heard the news of Zhou Jiulang's death this morning!"

"What about the other people in Zhou Jiulang's mansion?"

"Everyone else has dispersed. After Zhou Jiulang died, all the servants in the mansion left. Only that old woman is left, and she's blind."

There was a hint of doubt in Murong Huan's eyes.

Lu Ling seemed to see the doubts in her heart and said, "I have sent people to investigate the blind old woman. She was indeed in Zhou Jiulang's house all night last night. Moreover, she has difficulty moving around, and it is even more impossible for her to walk outside during the night curfew!"

Murong Huan nodded and stopped asking questions. Instead, he said, "If Mr. Lu doesn't have anything else to ask me, then I'll take my leave!"

Murong Huan left after he finished speaking, and Lu Ling suddenly called out: "Wait--"

"I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have doubted you. In this case, you have helped me draw the deceased's appearance before his death. That's enough. You don't have to worry about what happens next. Let's go back to the Su family with Su Sanlang!"

Su Sanlang was overjoyed, but Murong Huan was a little surprised that a rich and pampered young man like Lu Ling would apologize to her.

"Alright! However, I still want to find the murderer for Mr. Lu in this case, and my condition is that I seek justice for the deceased!" "If the murderer hasn't appeared after three days, and Mr. Lu still suspects me of being the murderer, then Mr. Lu can either send me to Minister Zhou's residence or bring me to justice himself, either is fine!"

Lu Ling was stunned and didn't speak for a long time. He was not awakened until Murong Huan and his group left the charity cemetery, and was awakened by Lu Shiyilang who was standing beside him.

"Juro, what are you going to do about this case?"

……

As soon as they left the charity cemetery, Murong Huan suddenly asked Xiao Muchen, who was about to get in the car to leave, "Mr. Xiao, are you free to chat?"

Hearing this, Xiao Muchen suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Murong Huan in surprise.

"Okay! What do you want to talk about?"

Xiao Muchen's words immediately attracted the attention of many people outside the charity cemetery.

Including Su Qing who came hurriedly.

Su Qing was so happy to see that Su Sanlang and Murong Huan were safe and sound that he breathed a sigh of relief. But when he suddenly heard Murong Huan boldly and directly ask to have a chat with Xiao Zhongcheng in broad daylight, the unspoken lump in his heart suddenly swelled up again.

"Xiao Zhongcheng, Xiao Zhongcheng, wait!"

Su Qing hurried over, glanced around, and then explained in a low voice, "Our Ah Huan grew up in the countryside and doesn't understand many things, especially what happened last time. I hope Xiao Zhongcheng don't misunderstand. She didn't know what that kind of place was for and just walked in by mistake, so you..."

Seeing Su Qing's embarrassed expression, Xiao Muchen was a little puzzled: "What exactly does Su County Marquis want to say?"

"I just want you..."

Ah Shu saw that the situation was not good, so she rushed forward and sandwiched herself between them: "Master Lang, stop talking, stop talking!"

What a shame!

After that, he smiled at Xiao Muchen and said, "You guys go and chat! Our Master has no other intentions, absolutely not!"

Xiao Muchen smiled and ignored him. He made a gesture to invite Murong Huan, and the two of them walked together to a teahouse not far ahead. Xiao Muchen booked a private room.

Xiao Muchen is a very elegant person, and the private room he chose is also a very quiet place. Looking out the window, you can see the misty mountains not far away.

Looking closer, there are several clusters of peonies in full bloom, which look vibrant and exceptionally gorgeous.

After the two of them sat down, Xiao Muchen got straight to the point and asked, "What do you want to talk to me about? Are you planning to kill me to silence me?"

Murong Huan smiled and said, "You have many people. I'm not stupid. I won't commit suicide here with you! Besides, Xiao Zhongcheng also helped me hide my identity in the charity cemetery just now."

The reason why she didn't let Lu Ling support her was probably because she was afraid that the contact of their skin would reveal her identity.

Especially the wound on her shoulder. Although it no longer bleeds and has begun to heal, it still leaves a scar.

"I apologize for my last offense!" Murong Huan said sincerely, "Today, I would like to become an ally with Xiao Zhongcheng and work together on a deal!"

Xiao Muchen was a little surprised and asked with a smile: "What kind of deal can we have between you and me?"

As he spoke, he handed a cup of tea to her, but she said in a low and firm voice, "I want to use your strengths to overthrow Minister Zhou Xing of the Autumn Department. I want him dead!"

After saying that, she looked at Xiao Muchen's white hair again, "For this, I can cure your illness!"

Xiao Muchen suddenly raised his head and met her eyes right up close.

Xuan Yu was even more surprised and asked, "Didn't you say last time that you couldn't cure his illness?"

Murong Huan said, "I couldn't cure it last time because I didn't understand it well enough. In fact, I can't cure it now, but in the near future, I will be able to cure it!"

"So the prerequisite for you to cure it is that you know my husband well enough?" Xuan Yu asked with a smile.

Murong Huan nodded and looked at Xiao Muchen seriously: "Yes, the prerequisite for curing you is to understand you well enough!"

People like Xiao Muchen are obviously very clear-headed and wary of others. She is not completely sure that she can hypnotize him. If she fails, Wen Zhi might die, which would not be worth it to risk her own life.

Seeing Xiao Muchen's face with an unfathomable expression, Murong Huan asked directly, "How is it? Can we cooperate?"

"Tell me first, what are your plans? What do you want me to help you with?"

"Also, why do you hate Zhou Xing so much?"

(End of this chapter)