The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 70

Did He Say How Eldest Brother Died

Last night, it was too late. Qu Sheng simply had Feng Qi notify the steward of the Liang Residence with a sound, then left with three guards, leaving the rest at the Liang Residence to protect Lin Xizhao.

Early this morning, after the Liang family learned the news, they all came to ask Lin Xizhao about it.

“This big night, a girl family walking the night road is also too dangerous.” The Liang family’s Eldest Aunt¹ was worried tight in her heart. Although she knew Qu Sheng practiced martial arts to strengthen her body, when Qu Sheng arrived a few days ago, she and her guards were covered in blood and filth, which had frightened her not lightly.

Lin Xizhao was also very worried. She had already dispatched the guards Qu Sheng left for her, and she also had the steward assign several guards from the Liang Residence to chase after them together.

Qu Sheng left in the middle of the night and certainly would not take the small path; she had also instructed her people to take the Official Road² directly. Lin Xizhao did not know what had happened in the capital, but Qu Sheng leaving so suddenly like this definitely was not because she wanted to give up on her. She thought something must have happened that compelled her to return.

“Oh my, you said that when she came a few days ago, she encountered a group of assassins. Although it was a shock without danger, it really makes one worried tight.”

“Little Aunt³, what did you just say?” Lin Xizhao, listening to the Liang family’s Little Aunt chatter a sentence, was stunned.

Seeing Lin Xizhao’s reaction, the Liang family’s Little Aunt also guessed that the two were having an awkwardness and had not spoken much. She said, “When Xiao Sheng’er⁴ arrived a few days ago, she said she ran into a group of assassins. She was covered in blood when she came. How could you rest your heart letting her leave in the middle of the night?”

Lin Xizhao was stunned once again.

Lin Xizhao did not continue speaking with Little Aunt; she got up and went to find Little Uncle⁵ Liang Lianhui.

When Lin Xizhao came, she had indeed alternated between the Official Road and small paths. Firstly, it was to prevent Qu Sheng from directly inquiring and finding out her route. Secondly, she was also worried about that group of assassins in the capital.

Although Earl Yongshen was dead, the Imperial Noble Consort was still alive. Because the patrols in the capital had been strengthened, she had no opportunity to strike again, but if one left the capital, it was feared they would be targeted.

That she arrived safely all the way here was not because she was particularly lucky, but because Qu Sheng had blocked them for her.

Liang Lianhui had already gathered manpower in the residence, and after Lin Xizhao arrived, he led the men and left. Although Qu Sheng was not a member of the Liang or Lin families, for what her father did for his sister, even if he had to risk this life, he would escort her safely to the capital.

Liang Lianhui chased after them on the Official Road.

Qu Sheng left in the middle of the night without taking a carriage. If it were not an important matter, Qu Ting would not have written a letter like that telling her to return.

Qu Sheng, dressed in a black cloak, moved through the dark night without any obstruction, her guards following closely behind. The Official Road was flat, and the branches extending from both sides were trimmed regularly, so Qu Sheng did not need to keep an eye out for passersby as she had when she arrived.

At the Chen hour⁶ on the second day of travel, Qu Sheng ordered everyone to dismount at a relay station⁷ to switch horses and rest. The group followed behind her, eating the relay station’s food. With matters weighing on her mind, Qu Sheng and the group finished eating and mounted their horses to continue their journey in less than two ke⁸.

It was peaceful and uneventful for a day and a night. After night fell, Qu Sheng had everyone rest at a relay station, intending to continue the journey after one shichen⁹.

The official family’s relay station was much cleaner than the inns outside. Qu Sheng lay down fully clothed and fell asleep very quickly.

In the night, a cold wind swept in a heavy snow. The windows in Qu Sheng’s room sounded zhi zhi; her sleep was only deep when she was with Lin Xizhao.

Qu Sheng got up, not knowing what time it was currently, but if the appointed time arrived, Feng Qi would come to call her. Qu Sheng walked to the windowsill and reached out to hold the window sash that was swinging back and forth.

The zhi ya sound disappeared, and Qu Sheng glanced down.

The wind and snow outside seemed to have picked up, and a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground. As Qu Sheng prepared to pull the window tight, her gaze seemed to catch a glimpse of something unusual.

The window of the room she stayed in was in the middle. Feng Qi’s was to her side, right at the corner, and at that corner, there was half a footprint.

If not for her ability to see in the dark, she likely would not have discovered a footprint like that, which had already been partially covered by snow.

Qu Sheng’s expression was calm, her eyes moving slightly as she slowly opened the window and jumped down.

Qu Sheng stared at the half-footprint at the corner, looked around, and then slowly walked over. Although there was only half a footprint at this corner wall, the other side of the corner was full of messy, disordered marks.

The snow had already covered most of the footprints on the ground. There were not many people in the relay station; even if they all came out, they would not create such traces, and there was no possibility of these people gathering at the base of the corner wall.

Qu Sheng took a step back, picked up a pebble, and threw it at Feng Qi’s window.

Very quickly, Feng Qi pushed open the window sash. He looked down at the figure below, neither dodging nor flinching; he was clearly waiting for her. After staring for a few moments, Feng Qi recognized it was Qu Sheng.

Feng Qi grabbed his sword and went down from the window sash.

“Miss.” Feng Qi lowered his voice and called out lightly.

Since Qu Sheng was not sleeping at this hour and ran under his window to call him, she naturally was not doing it to tease him.

“The relay station has people coming.” With just this one sentence from Qu Sheng, Feng Qi understood. He looked up at the inn and asked, “Should we leave or stay?”

There were still a few guards inside the relay station. If they left, these people likely would not survive, not a single one. But if they did not leave… looking at those footprints, these people had come prepared, and their numbers were double compared to last time.

As for the Lin Residence’s guards, on the second day after their arrival, she had Feng Qi dispose of that spy. And these people had obviously been lying in ambush here already; they must have cast nets everywhere.

Qu Sheng lowered her eyes; she wanted to stay. If these people were not eliminated, it would be a huge hidden danger if she came by next time or if Lin Xizhao passed through here.

Since they knew someone was going to launch a sneak attack, then they had to strike first.

They had only been here for one shichen. Because they had been traveling continuously, they were sleeping a bit more soundly at this moment. Qu Sheng told Feng Qi to go to the back kitchen and bring over some firewood.

The people in the building were all asleep at this moment. The doors to the rooms of Qu Sheng and the several guards were tightly shut. The people outside moved their feet slowly, then kicked the doors open directly.

Thick smoke billowed out toward the outside at that exact moment. Qu Sheng used a wet cloth to cover her eyes and mouth. Taking advantage of the thick smoke that made it impossible to distinguish direction, her sword wove through the crowd. In just an instant, the throats of those who entered were sealed and finished off.

Qu Sheng exited the room, and Feng Qi came out at the same time. The two wanted to move closer to the guards, but discovered a row of masked men holding bows and arrows standing below.

Qu Sheng and Feng Qi reacted in an instant and quickly returned inside the room, while dense clusters of arrows landed on the wooden planks of the door.

Qu Sheng did not hesitate at all and walked toward the window. However, just as she opened the window sash to flip out, she saw another row of masked men holding bows and arrows standing outside as well. These people did things quietly; they must have just arrived.

Qu Sheng frowned and quickly lowered the window sash. A rain of arrows pinned into the sash in an instant.

Qu Sheng looked at the arrowheads piercing through and went to find the bow and arrows she had placed by the bed. Leaving the Liang family this time, she had asked the Liang family steward to find her a handy bow and arrow.

Qu Sheng watched as powerful shots from the outside continued to penetrate the room. She vaguely remembered the approximate positions of those people. In a moment, Qu Sheng shot an arrow out through a hole in the door.

One arrow shot out, and someone fell in response to the sound. Everyone else stepped back.

“Keep firing!” These people did not recognize Qu Sheng, but they knew that the person they needed to kill was this woman.

Arrows were fired in again. While dodging, Qu Sheng flew up to the corner of the ceiling, her legs pushing against the two sides to brace her body.

The rain of arrows continued to pierce through the door panels, but there was no movement inside the room for a long time. The lead assassin raised his hand to signal a stop. He sized up the room door; with such a heavy rain of arrows, he did not believe anyone could still be alive.

“You guys, go in and take a look.”

The masked assassins from downstairs went up the stairs. Hearing footsteps, Qu Sheng drew back the bowstring in her hand.

Three arrows fired at once. The assassins who had cautiously pushed the door open to enter had their throats pierced and instantly lost the ability to move.

Qu Sheng came down from above, pulled out the arrows shot into the bed boards in the room, and placed them into the quiver on her back.

The people outside, seeing no signal from those who entered, asked loudly, “Dead or not?”

Just as the rough voice fell, the oil lamp burning halfway up the wooden pillar in the room went out. Qu Sheng’s arrows were steady and fast. The people outside lost their light source and immediately became vigilant, while Qu Sheng dragged the corpses of the people in the room and threw them downstairs.

The people downstairs could not see what the objects were and hurriedly stepped aside. There was chaos below, and Qu Sheng took this opportunity to pick up her arrows and shoot downwards.

“Miss.” Feng Qi came out of the room. Seeing the oil lamp outside go out, he knew Qu Sheng had come out. Several guards also came out at this time.

Qu Sheng looked up at them; they were all unharmed. Qu Sheng threw a bow and arrow to Feng Qi. They were at a disadvantage in close combat numbers; only with range could they defeat them one by one.

The group quickly ran towards the other side of the second floor. Fortunately, these people had laid an ambush without comprehensive preparation, and the perimeter had not been completely sealed off.

Qu Sheng and Feng Qi entered a room. When there was no one guarding below the window, they jumped down directly and fled toward the woods.

These people’s mission was to kill her and Lin Xizhao. Seeing her now, they naturally would not let it go. Qu Sheng ordered everyone up the trees and had them draw all the bows and arrows in their hands.

The treetops swayed with the wind, and human figures were even harder to distinguish in this pitch-black night. Qu Sheng ordered to shoot when people entered.

“Fire.”

Here, only Qu Sheng could see the human figures clearly, but the footsteps below also allowed the several guards to guess the positions of these people.

Arrows were shot out, and quite a few assassins fell dead. Seeing this, the people behind hurriedly retreated.

Qu Sheng had wanted to kill these people one by one, but they surrounded them without attacking.

There had been no movement outside for one shichen.

Qu Sheng told everyone to wait where they were while she went outside to take a look. When Qu Sheng approached the outer treetops, she saw those people holding torches, seemingly wanting to burn down this forest, but because the wind and snow were too heavy, they could not get it to light no matter what.

Qu Sheng was worried in her heart. It was impossible for this snow to fall all night. If they had not dealt with these people by daybreak, and the snow stopped then, they would have even less chance of winning. Qu Sheng turned around, wanting to go back and tell everyone to fight with all their might, when she heard the sound of horse hooves not far away.

Qu Sheng stayed where she was, thinking it was reinforcements for them, but unexpectedly, it was reinforcements for the assassins. There were more and more people; there was even less chance of winning now.

Qu Sheng returned to the original spot. Everyone looked forward in anticipation.

“Eldest Miss, why don’t we kill our way out?” Feng Qi was getting a little restless.

Qu Sheng raised her eyes and shook her head, saying, “Their reinforcements have arrived. If the snow stops and we have not gone out, they will set fire.”

This forest had a dead end in front, and the surroundings were already encircled by these people.

“Then what do we do?” Feng Qi could not come up with a good plan right now.

Qu Sheng stood in place thinking. The three guards were eager to follow Feng Qi and kill out a path of survival for Qu Sheng.

“We are willing to follow Guard Feng and open the way for the Miss.” Opening the way meant death.

“No need. You few, find a spot with soft earth.” Qu Sheng wanted to dig the ground.

If the big fire spread, it would inevitably swallow them into a sea of flames. If they cut off the ground so the fire had nothing to burn, they could escape a calamity.

After the fire burned out, those people would not dare to come in for the time being.

After Qu Sheng made her decision, she looked at Feng Qi. The two of them needed to cut down trees, but it was impossible to make too much noise, so it was slow work.

The next day before dawn, the heavy snow had stopped for a long time. In the dense forest not far from the relay station, a fire spread, the flames reaching the sky.

The assassins on the periphery left a large group of people guarding the spot. Dressed in black clothes, they were extremely conspicuous. The Qu family guards Lin Xizhao had sent, along with the Liang Residence guards, met with Liang Lianhui at the relay station. Seeing the mess inside the relay station, they immediately searched in the direction of the fire.

Upon seeing that group of assassins, Liang Lianhui immediately ordered for them all to be executed. Without thinking, one knew these people were sent by that person in the palace.

The men Liang Lianhui brought this time were all discharged soldiers. They had gone into battle and killed enemies; seeing these people, their eyes turned red.

The fire was still raging, and Liang Lianhui was full of worry.

When the assassins were dead or fallen, Liang Lianhui ordered the burning logs to be moved to search for signs of Qu Sheng and the others.

Fortunately, there was snow on the road. These guards used the robes on their fronts to scoop up snow and scattered it on the burning areas, forging a wide path.

In such a cold winter season, these guards were drenched in sweat.

When the guards forged the path into the depths of the dense forest and saw a patch of freshly turned earth before them, a smile finally appeared on Liang Lianhui’s face.

Liang Lianhui truly admired Qu Sheng’s resourcefulness; no wonder Lin Xizhao always praised her.

After being rescued, Qu Sheng set foot on the road back to the capital again with Liang Lianhui and the others. The journey was considered stable. Because of the large number of people brought along, Liang Lianhui only escorted them into the city, then took his men and left.

He did not want to claim any credit.

Qu Sheng returned to the Qu Marquis Residence, her face covered in mud and looking disheveled. Jin Yunfei was extremely worried, but Qu Sheng did not let slip that she had encountered too much danger.

Qu Sheng did not go to bathe. After reporting her safety to Jin Yunfei, she went straight to Qu Ting’s courtyard, but Qu Ting’s wife, Qian Shuangying, said, “He went out early this morning and hasn’t returned to the residence yet.”

Qu Sheng lowered her eyes and stood in place thinking. Seeing her like this, Qian Shuangying said, “Sheng-meimei¹⁰ go wash up first. When your Third Older Brother comes back, I’ll have him go find you.”

Hearing this, Qu Sheng nodded. After leaving the courtyard, she went to Qu Yu’s place. Qu Yu was not there either; Zhao Jiayu had returned to the Zhao Residence, saying she wanted to stay there for a short time.

Qu Sheng came back only to find no one. Not a single one of her three brothers was there. She could only go bathe and change clothes first.

In the washroom, Qu Sheng took off her filthy outer clothes and threw them on the floor. A maid walked over to pick them up, and seeing that the clothes were so dirty they could not be washed back to their original color, she had someone take them away to be thrown out.

Qu Sheng soaked in the hot water. She closed her eyes but could not fall asleep. For the past two days, her mind had been restless. Even when Lin Xizhao did not want to pay attention to her, she had not been like this.

Less than half a shichen later, Qu Yu entered her courtyard.

Qu Sheng got up quickly, tying the sash at her waist, and soon came out with an outer robe draped over her.

Qu Yu glanced at Qu Sheng, then at the maid behind her. As Qu Sheng walked forward and the maid followed, Qu Sheng said, “You help them tidy up this place.”

Hearing this, the maid bowed and remained where she was.

“Sheng-meimei, Second Brother is missing,” Qu Yu said anxiously as soon as they entered the room.

Qu Sheng’s eyes darkened slightly. Qu Ming was an imperial court official. If he was missing, it should not be Qu Yu informing her. Moreover, when she returned, the women in the residence did not know, and even Qu Jinian seemed unaware.

“Speak slowly.”

Qu Sheng did not ask for the reason. With Qu Yu this anxious, and Qu Ting writing a letter to make her return, they definitely did not want the adults to know about this matter. And a matter they would not let be known must be related to Qu Ce.

However, the elders of the Qu family knew about the brothers investigating Qu Ce’s cause of death. As for why it could not be mentioned now, Qu Sheng fixed her gaze on Qu Yu.

“A while back, didn’t we find the lieutenant who served under Da gege when he was alive? We also followed what you said and investigated everyone behind that gambling house and those they associated with.”

“Did you find anything?”

“We found some things, but they were all insignificant petty officials.”

Qu Sheng lowered her eyes for a moment, then looked up, waiting for Qu Yu to continue answering.

“Later, that lieutenant realized we were monitoring him. When he tried to flee, he was caught by our men.” Qu Yu swallowed hard as he spoke, then continued anxiously, “That man said he knows who the mastermind behind Da gege’s death is, but he also proposed a condition.”

“They told you not to tell anyone?”

Hearing Qu Sheng’s words, Qu Yu was stunned for a moment. “Sheng-meimei, how did you know?”

Qu Sheng lowered her eyes, her gaze deep. This person indeed knew who the mastermind was; he was also sent by the mastermind.

“Where is Second Brother right now?”

“I don’t know.”

Qu Sheng frowned tightly. “Did that man say he wanted to take Second Brother to see the mastermind?”

“Yes.” Qu Yu answered crisply. Qu Sheng’s guess was not off in the slightest. “He also said only Second Brother could go alone.”

“Go tell Father.”

“But…”

“No buts. If we delay any longer, Second Brother will lose his life.” Qu Sheng’s voice carried a rare trace of panic.

This lieutenant was clearly out there to bait people. The person the mastermind wanted was Qu Ming.

On the way to Qu Jinian’s courtyard, Qu Sheng had not seen Qu Ting the whole time, so she asked, “Where is Third Older Brother?”

“He went to find Second Brother.”

Hearing this, Qu Sheng stopped in her tracks, her heart thumping tutu jumpingly.

The two went to Qu Jinian’s courtyard, and Qu Yu retold the matter. Qu Jinian immediately went to the government office, then went to the palace to request an order to mobilize the Xunfang Battalion¹¹ to search for Qu Ming.

Qu Ming had already been missing for two days. The reason Qu Ting wrote to Qu Sheng was that he wanted her to come back earlier to persuade Qu Ming. That man’s words were half-true and half-false; they could not be fully trusted. But they still could not stop Qu Ming’s determination to track down the mastermind.

Originally, Qu Ting and Qu Yu had been covering for him for the past two days. The words Qu Sheng said after returning today made Qu Yu suddenly realize how ridiculously wrong they were.

Qu Ting had also been out all day today without returning.

The sky had already turned dark. Qu Jinian took the Emperor’s handwritten decree, opened the city gates, and led the Chengfang Battalion¹² out.

Qu Sheng also changed into men’s clothing, put on a disguise, mixed in among the Qu Marquis Residence’s guards, and left the city to search for Qu Ming.

Qu Yu told Qu Sheng that when Qu Ming left, he did not take a single person with him. He followed behind that man in disguise, dressed as a servant boy.

“The mastermind is right in the capital. Leaving the city is just for better deployment.”

With just a few short sentences from Qu Yu, Qu Sheng concluded that this person was setting a trap for Qu Ming.

“Did he say how Da gege died?”

“He said he was poisoned with a drug called Purple Fire¹³. It is colorless and odorless. After taking it for a month, the illness strikes, showing not a single flaw.”

Qu Sheng sat on horseback, lowered her eyes for a moment, glanced at a spot not far away, and said, “There’s a village ahead. Let’s go take a look.”

Everyone had spread out at this point. Feng Qi had also been sent out, leaving only Qu Yu and Qu Sheng together. The two dismounted and walked toward the village.

Qu Yu knocked on the door of a house with a lit lamp.

“Old person, have you seen any suspicious people appear in the last two days?”

“Su-what? Suspicious?” The old granny obviously did not know what Qu Yu was talking about.

Qu Sheng sized up the old granny, her gaze looking into the room. Inside, there seemed to be a not-big male doll¹⁴, lying on a small table eating food.

Seeing that the old woman seemed deaf and dazzled, Qu Yu smiled awkwardly and said, “It’s nothing, disturbed you.”

The two switched to another house. It was a young couple. Qu Yu asked them if they had seen any strangers come by. The woman sized up Qu Yu’s clothing, then looked at Qu Sheng, who was dressed as an accompanying guard behind him, and said, “At noon today, a young master who looks somewhat similar to you brought a group of people over to ask.”

Hearing this, Qu Yu knew it was Qu Ting. He hurriedly asked, “Do you know where he went?”

The woman lowered her head to think, sized up Qu Sheng in her guard disguise again, and said, “We don’t know the specifics, but hearing the people around him talk, they said they were going to Tonggu Village¹⁵ to check again. You can go look there.”

“Many thanks.” Qu Yu bowed in greeting, a hint of joy on his face.

Qu Ting had been out all day today without a single piece of news. He could not let something happen to him too, on top of Qu Ming being missing.

The two left the village, mounted their horses, and galloped toward Tonggu Village. Tonggu Village was only seven or eight li¹⁶ from here. In a little over a quarter of a shichen, the two arrived in front of Tonggu Village.

Qu Yu dismounted and told Qu Sheng to stay on her horse; he would go take a look first.

“Better not separate. This village is strange.” Qu Sheng glanced at the houses surrounded by darkness with only a few scattered lights.

Qu Yu thought so as well. He waited for Qu Sheng to dismount, and together they led the horses into the village.

“There doesn’t seem to be many people in this village.”

“Mm. There’s no water source nearby. Eating water¹⁷ is relatively difficult,” Qu Sheng answered in an ordinary tone.

Villages outside were almost always built by mountains and rivers. At this hour, it should be the time when every household was eating after the cooking smoke had risen. Since there were not many open fires right now, it proved there were very few people.

Qu Yu walked deeper into the village, looking for a household with an open fire to inquire. Before Qu Yu even entered the fenced yard, he saw a little girl come out carrying a basin of water and splash it into the yard.

“Hey, little girl.” Qu Yu called out to the little girl holding the copper basin, preparing to go back inside.

Hearing the voice, the little girl looked in Qu Yu’s direction and asked in a crisp voice, “Who are you looking for?”

“Oh, may I ask if you’ve seen any strangers come over in the last two days?”

The little girl stared at Qu Yu for a moment, her gaze glancing at Qu Sheng beside him, and said, “Aren’t you two strangers?”

“Strangers other than us,” Qu Yu hurriedly explained.

The little girl seemed lost in thought, shook her head, and said, “No.”

Qu Sheng stood to the side, constantly sizing up the little girl. The sky was dark and Qu Yu could not see clearly, but she could. The little girl’s gaze was not as composed as when she first came out; she kept looking toward the room from time to time.

When Qu Yu wanted to ask again, Qu Sheng reached out and tugged at Qu Yu’s sleeve.

“Let’s go.” Qu Sheng’s tone was indifferent.

Qu Yu blinked for a moment upon hearing this, then followed Qu Sheng and left. The two rode their horses out, but before long, they quietly returned.

Qu Yu and Qu Sheng hid on the inner side of an earthen wall, peeping at that family from just now. Watching the human figures moving back and forth inside the room under the illumination of the candle lamp, he asked, “You said there was something wrong with that little girl just now, how come I didn’t see it?”

“Her family is burning a candle lamp.”

Not only that, there was also a problem with the village they passed on the way here just now. It seemed like they were deliberately leading them here.

Candle lamps were rarely used for lighting in rural villages because people could not bear the cost, nor would they even buy them. Furthermore, in that deaf and dazzled old granny’s house just now, although they were not burning a candle lamp, the holidays had just passed—how could they be eating big meals with fish and meat? And then there was the copper basin in the little girl’s hands.

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The author has something to say:

Qu Sheng: “One person’s battle, a day of missing Jiejie.”

Qu Yu: “I am not human.”

Qu Sheng: “…Fourth Brother is a god.”

Next chapter, Lin Xizhao returns.

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