Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 205 The answer lies in the riddle itself.

Why would you think of such a wonderful thing?

Upon hearing this, Haiyue became genuinely curious.

It's worth noting that in her private correspondence, her self-evaluation was quite objective, demonstrating her insight and wisdom.

If Xia Qingwu's identity as Li Yuanshe had been completely exposed when facing Yan Shifan, he would not have even dared to have such a wish. How could this man in front of him make such an excessive request so brazenly?

Shen Jinghong was neither embarrassed nor angry. She first looked at Yan Xiu and Xiao Chuan, who were blinking beside her: "They are not government officials, are they?"

Haiyue did not deny it: "Yes."

Shen Jinghong said, "Then this young lady is not a criminal in the eyes of the authorities, is that right?"

Haiyue said, "That's definitely not the case now."

Shen Jinghong chuckled: "So this is why I make a living this way, what's wrong with that?"

"Of course not!"

Yan Xiu smiled and said with a hint of amusement in his tone, "Don't even mention getting married. Even taking a concubine requires paying a fee and having the contract notarized. Besides, Brother Hai hasn't married yet, so it's not your turn to enter the household first. You're clearly just stalling for time, aren't you?"

Shen Jinghong smiled and said, "I will not wait until after the marriage to tell you. As long as you are willing to promise me the position of a concubine, I will tell you all the secrets I know now."

Yan Xiu was puzzled: "You're telling me now? Aren't you afraid you'll regret it later?"

Shen Jinghong lowered her head: "Your promise is my promise."

"Once I make a promise, I will never break it!"

Haiyue said calmly, "Are you sixteen years old this year?"

Shen Jinghong raised her eyes, her eyes glistening with tears: "Yes."

Haiyue continued, "You were kidnapped by thieves seven years ago, and that experience completely changed your life, right?"

Shen Jinghong's eyes revealed a look of sorrow again, filled with three parts panic and seven parts timidity, just like a startled butterfly, and she said softly, "Yes."

Haiyue began to calculate: "Back then, you were only nine years old and had just been selected by the Liyuan Society for secret training. This process couldn't have been accomplished overnight; it must have taken some time. I roughly estimate it to be three to four years, that is, around the age of thirteen, when you were officially identified as a core member of the Liyuan Society. From then on, the Liyuan Society also began to promote and build your reputation, and you gradually gained a reputation as a talented woman in the capital. This experience is pretty much accurate, isn't it?"

Shen Jinghong blinked but did not respond.

Haiyue looked at Yan Xiu: "Brother Yan is familiar with the old stories of the martial arts world. Do you know that since the incident of 'Kang Jinlong' leaving the Liyuan Society, they have been keeping a much lower profile in recent years?"

Yan Xiu raised an eyebrow and grinned, "That's exactly right!"

Shen Jinghong suddenly realized something, her pretty face changing color. She then saw Hai Yue staring at her: "You don't recognize 'Kang Jinlong,' nor do you know the ins and outs of this past, because at that time, you were not yet a core member of the Liyuan Society, and by the time you became one of the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the entire secret society was already in a period of dormancy..."

After a pause, Haiyue concluded: "Therefore, I have to remain skeptical. Although you are the 'Female Earth Bat' of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, if your understanding of the inner workings of the Liyuan Society is not as good as that of a wandering swordsman like Brother Yan, then what is the true value of this so-called 'revealing everything' sincerity? If I agree and find that I can't get any real information out of you, whether I angrily break my promise or resentfully admit defeat, wouldn't that be exactly what you want?"

The room fell silent.

"Ah!"

A moment later, Shen Jinghong first raised the corners of her lips slightly, then her shoulders trembled as she laughed heartily: "Hehehe! As expected of the Sea God Detective, my little tricks are really no match for you, it's just like showing off my limited skills in front of an expert! Come on!"

With that, he spread his arms wide, lay down on the ground, and rolled around a couple of times: "Torture me, humiliate me, torment me, do as you please, I'll just play along!"

Yan Xiu frowned.

This woman is truly fearless, and as Haiyue had previously judged, she even has a strong tendency toward self-destruction.

Next comes the torture in the Imperial Guard prison. Can we use extreme pain to force her to open her mouth?

To be honest, Yan Xiu himself detested that approach and felt it was better to cut ties completely. After thinking about it, he simply said, "Since she doesn't know much, why not give her a quick death?"

"Don't rush!"

Haiyue sized up the talented woman who was rolling on the ground, completely losing her composure: "Just because she doesn't know much doesn't mean she's worthless. Besides, the Liyuan Society couldn't have foreseen that 'Female Earth Bat' would be exposed so quickly. If this person had no weaknesses, the Liyuan Society would also have difficulty controlling her. How could they trust her to carry out missions within the society?"

Yan Xiu guessed, "Perhaps the society is unaware of her world-weariness?"

Haiyue said, "That's not impossible, but there's also the possibility that Li Yuanshe knows her temperament, yet still manages to control what she cherishes, which is why they dare to use her without worrying about betrayal!"

"Oh?" Yan Xiu immediately became curious: "Her family members are all outside, but I've observed them before. She's not close to her parents; on the contrary, there's a kind of estrangement between them. That feeling shouldn't be feigned..."

Ogawa continued, "I followed this older sister all the way, and I saw that she didn't care much about her female friends; it was all just superficial friendship!"

"The sky meets the clouds and waves, merging with the morning mist; the Milky Way seems to turn as a thousand sails dance. It's as if my soul has returned to the Emperor's abode, where I hear the voice of Heaven, earnestly asking me where I'm going..."

Shen Jinghong lay on the ground, chuckling and chanting, completely ignoring everything.

Haiyue hesitated for a moment, then walked forward.

She nearly stepped on Shen Jinghong, and instinctively rolled to the side. Looking over, she saw Haiyue stop in front of the landscape embroidery in the center of the boudoir.

The patterns of women's embroidery in the Ming Dynasty were rich and varied. The most popular patterns were auspicious ones, such as dragons and phoenixes, five bats holding longevity symbols, and intertwined branches. Natural scenes were also common, such as flowers of the four seasons, combinations of water birds, and lake rocks and butterflies. There were also figures and stories, such as the "Hundred Children" pattern, which was used to pray for many children.

But there is another type of embroidery, which imitates calligraphy and painting, using famous paintings from the Song and Yuan dynasties as models, and even employing a half-painting and half-embroidery technique, making it an absolute work of art.

Shen Jinghong's embroidery is an imitation of calligraphy and painting, with a landscape painting as the main subject, depicting a couple enjoying a spring outing.

Seeing Haiyue staring at the embroidery, Yan Xiu also came over, looking at it from left to right but not seeing anything strange: "Brother Hai, what did you see? Isn't this just a very ordinary spring outing painting, meant to be used as part of the dowry?"

Haiyue said, "It is precisely because it is ordinary that I find it strange. This woman's marriage was arranged by the Liyuan Society. Compared to other young ladies who can still hope to marry a good husband, love each other, and stay together for life, she has been officially fulfilling her duties as a 'female earth bat' since she got married. Why would she still have such expectations for marriage?"

Yan Xiu's eyes flickered, and he understood: "She has someone she loves? Li Yuanshe has that person under control, so they're not worried about her betrayal?"

Shen Jinghong listened, a mocking smile playing on his lips, and proclaimed loudly: "I lament the long road and the approaching dusk, my poetry is but a vain attempt to produce startling lines. The roc soars ninety thousand miles on the wind. May the wind not cease, but blow my humble boat to the three sacred mountains!"

"A sweetheart? Doesn't seem like it..."

Haiyue ignored the other person's wailing and slowly shook her head: "Over the years, she has been cultivated by Liyuan Society to make a name for herself and build her reputation. Since she is following the path of a talented young lady, she has very few opportunities to come into contact with men. Liyuan Society will not allow her to fall in love with men. If she remains infatuated, it will cause complications in marriage. Wouldn't all these years of hard work be in vain?"

Yan Xiu thought about it and realized it made sense, so he asked in surprise, "Then what's going on?"

Haiyue reached out and gently stroked the couple who were enjoying the spring outing, feeling the caress of every stitch.

Even though he was not skilled in needlework, he found it to be very delicate, but there seemed to be something discordant about it despite his dedication.

"A couple enjoying a spring outing...A couple enjoying a spring outing..."

Hai Yue's eyes flickered, and she turned to look at the ground: "I overlooked something before. Why are there two women called 'Female Bat'? Is it because you and Xia Qingwu are both famous talented women in the capital?"

Shen Jinghong's chanting faded away. She turned slightly and said casually, "Then I'll have to ask you, young master, to capture the thief who trained us. If I live to see that day, I'll be watching!"

"There's no need to go after that person; the answer is actually right there in the riddle itself, isn't it?"

Haiyue ignored her evasive remarks and calmly said, "You and Xia Qingwu are known as the 'Female Earth Bats' because you relied on each other to survive the calamity back then. You care about her the most, and she cares about you the most. Li Yuanshe saw this affection and used it as a bond—you two are shackled to each other. If one of you betrays, both of you will perish!"

Shen Jinghong stopped moving.

Yan Xiu was suddenly stunned. Looking at the embroidery again, he wondered if Li Yuanshe had gone to such lengths now.

Ogawa didn't quite understand. How did the couple become two older sisters? She tugged at her brother's sleeve, looking curious.

Haiyue took down the landscape embroidery and looked at the two people holding hands and enjoying the spring outing on it. She sighed softly: "The figures of you and Xia Qingwu enjoying the spring outing in the scroll are the last pure land in your hearts. If it weren't for the interference of the Liyuan Society, you could have become close friends, like sworn sisters. But now you are driven by them, each of you marrying other men, turning this beautiful vision into dust!"

Shen Jinghong remained silent for a moment, neither turning over nor laughing, and said in a low voice, "What do you intend to do?"

Haiyue said, "No matter what, even if your men bring Xia Qingwu here and subject him to all sorts of torture, it will not shake your resolve. From the moment you chose this path, you foresaw today's ending—it's nothing more than going to the Yellow Springs together!"

Shen Jinghong was finally moved. She immediately stood up, straightened her clothes, and said, "Young master, you are no ordinary person. Seeing our sorrow, I have a favor to ask..."

Haiyue's response remained the same: "Speak."

Shen Jinghong said, word by word, "In the future, let us bury our remains together."

Haiyue paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "If it really comes to that, I will collect your bodies and bury you all together."

"Thank you for your kindness, young master!"

Upon receiving this promise, Shen Jinghong revealed a breathtaking smile and slowly bowed: "What does the young master wish to know? This humble woman may have some guesses, and I am willing to tell you everything to repay this kindness!"

(End of this chapter)