“Wait, wait, please wait a moment.”
Master Cao walked to the door, glanced outside to make sure no one was around, then closed the door and returned to the room.
He looked at the constables surrounding him and slowly sat down opposite them.
After taking a sip of water to moisten his throat, he continued, “That day, the moon in the sky was very round, I remember it should have been around the fifteenth or sixteenth day of the month.”
“I had a big porcelain business deal. In order to facilitate this deal, I inquired about the preferences of that nobleman from various sources. I heard that the nobleman really liked listening to music, but due to the nobleman’s special status, I couldn’t invite him to the brothel. So, I thought of inviting him to our home.”
“I spent a lot of money on this and used some personal connections to bring Xiao Cui to my house to perform for the nobleman.”
“It turned out to be worth the money.”
“Xiao Cui’s pipa made that nobleman very happy. Because the nobleman was happy, my business was naturally concluded. At that time, I secretly gave Xiao Cui a large amount of money as compensation for her.”
Bai Lixin: “Compensation? Compensation for what? Her injuries?”
Master Cao shook the cup in his hand, “You can’t put it that way, it was consensual.”
“Besides, I didn’t know about the nobleman’s peculiar preferences at first. If I had known, would I have brought my lover to entertain that nobleman?” After Master Cao finished speaking, he immediately picked up the tea cup and took several sips.
“It’s not necessarily true,” Bai Lixin stared sharply at Master Cao across the table. “You really didn’t know? If that person had such a secret, people around him would be very aware. You are a businessman, you invest your money wisely. Would you spend your money for half the information?”
“I think you knew about that person’s peculiar tastes from the beginning, but for the sake of your business, you still sent your lover to him. Regardless of how good your lover was, a courtesan from a brothel can’t compare in value. Master Cao is a businessman, he wouldn’t make a mistake in his calculations.”
Master Cao’s fingers trembled, and the water cup in his hand couldn’t be held steady, instantly spilling water onto the table.
He wiped his forehead In a panic, “S-sir, there are some things you can’t just guess.”
“You yourself should be the clearest about how you planned this deal. Tell me more. Who was the nobleman you mentioned?” Bai Lixin glanced at him and spoke.
Master Cao hesitated for a moment before saying, “I-It… it was the prince.”
Bai Lixin turned his head and looked at Zhang Biao, “Do we have a Prince in our town? How come I’ve never heard of him?”
Zhang Biao said, “This Prince lives a reclusive life. He rarely goes out so it’s understandable if you don’t know about him. He moved here several years ago. It’s said that he grew tired of the political intrigues in the capital and heard that the Daoists of Qingcheng Mountain can achieve immortality, so he moved to Qingcheng Town at the foot of the mountain.”
Bai Lixin: “I see.”
After saying that, he looked at Master Cao again, “Who else was at the banquet that night besides you and the prince?”
Master Cao: “There were only the three of us, as well as Steward Zhao, who always stays close to the prince, as well as a few servants who served at the dining table.”
Bai Lixin: “A prince who is tired of the court, a powerful merchant in the jade trade, and a few servants who seem to be backgrounds but may also have murderous motives. I don’t want to repeat myself, can we not go through this question by question?”
Master Cao: “Okay, okay, I’ll talk.”
He wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and continued, “The prince is very handsome and elegant and everything was normal when Xiao Cui first came in. She accompanied us for some drinks. After eating and drinking, she began to play the pipa.”
“Later, the prince had a few drinks and got inappropriately close to Xiao Cui.”
“Then…”
He paused, his eyes rapidly darting from side to side, “Then, they went into the room. When they came out, Xiao Cui was covered in bruises and insisted on going back.”
“I thought it wasn’t good; what if she talks nonsense? So, I gave Xiao Cui a large sum of money, trying to placate her and persuade her with kind words. She calmed down and promised not to say anything.
Zhang Biao furrowed his brows, “Speaking of such matters would indeed tarnish the prince’s image. So, you might have killed her to silence her and cover up the truth.”
Master Cao turned pale, “Captain, you misunderstand. I swear, I helped the prince to keep her quiet for the sake of a business deal. Why would I kill take a risk for some money?”
Zhang Biao frowned again, “Then it’s the prince. The prince killed her to silence her because he was afraid Xiao Cui would reveal the truth. So, he did it. Tell me, when did the prince leave that night?”
Master Cao: “It should have been around three in the morning. I remember that the night watchman had just finished striking the gong for the third watch. I tried to persuade the prince to stay, but he insisted on leaving. I saw that he was very drunk and repeatedly urged the steward to take good care of the prince.”
“He was so drunk at that time, it’s unlikely he could have killed someone, right?”
“It’s possible he was pretending to be drunk,” Zhang Biao furrowed his brows. “Moreover, he had his steward with him. If he couldn’t do it, his steward could. The third watch of the night matches the time of the victim’s death. The coroner concluded that the time of death was between two and four in the morning. The prince left and went to find Xiao Cui, killed her, and threw her into the river. The time matches.”
Master Cao opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing and slowly closed his mouth.
Bai Lixin kept his eyes on Master Cao’s face. “You said you gave her a lot of rewards?”
Master Cao hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. “Yes, that’s right.”
Bai Lixin asked, “But when I was reviewing the case files, why did I find that she didn’t have any money or valuables on her? What did you give her? Gold? Silver? Or something else?”
Master Cao: “There was gold and silver, and some jewelry. I really tried to compensate her. The money I gave her that night, she probably couldn’t earn that much in her entire life. I remember I gave her a precious pair of agate earrings she had liked for a long time. After I gave them to her, she calmed down.”
Bai Lixin: “So here’s the problem. Why weren’t these valuables found near the body? Where did they go? Did they sprout legs and run away?”
Master Cao’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Right, her valuables are missing. Maybe someone robbed and murdered her? Why do you think it was us who killed her? Me and the prince wouldn’t covet her meager belongings.”
Zhang Biao interjected, “What if you regretted giving away those items afterward? Or perhaps, you did the opposite, you deliberately took the items back to create an illusion of robbery and murder. Given your status, no one would think you’d stoop to snatching those things. So losing these items might help both of you escape suspicion.”
Master Cao pursed his lips; he seemed on the verge of tears. “It really wasn’t me. Why are you blaming everything on me? I swear it wasn’t me who killed her. What do I have to do for you to believe me?”
“Can you draw the design of those agate earrings?” Just when Master Cao felt helpless, Bai Lixin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. “Or do you have a similar item?”
Master Cao: “This jewelry was specially carved by my master. It’s one of a kind, absolutely unique. But I do have the design. Let me find it for you, please wait a moment.”
He stood up from his chair and hurriedly walked to the desk, searching through the bookshelves behind him. Soon, he found a stack of drawings and took out one from the bottom after a long search.
“This is the design of the earrings, please take a look.”
He carefully handed the drawing to Bai Lixin. He also wiped the water he had spilled on the table moments ago. Zhang Biao leaned over beside Bai Lixin; the design of the earrings was quite unique, resembling musical notes with intricate patterns engraved on top of the notes. Being one-of-a-kind, it was indeed easy to recognize.
“The government will keep this drawing temporarily. After the case is solved, we will return it to you,” Bai Lixin said, folding the drawing and passing it to Zhang Biao.
Upon hearing this, Master Cao quickly waved his hand. “No need to return it, please keep it for your yamen. Feel free to take it.”
He hesitated for a moment, clenched his teeth, and spoke again, “Not just this drawing, if you see any jade artifacts in my shop that catch your eye, take them with you, please.”
Bai Lixin raised an eyebrow. “Are you attempting to bribe me in public?”
“No, no, no,” beads of sweat formed on Master Cao’s forehead, “how could this be considered a bribe? I just want to be friends with you, Sir. Please don’t think too much about it.”
Bai Lixin: “Think it over carefully. Did you miss any details from that night?”
Master Cao blinked his eyes twice, then shook his head. “No, Sir, I’ve told you everything I know. I’m an honest businessman and have never done anything harmful. If you need my help in the future, please feel free to ask. I will speak the truth and do my best to assist you without hesitation.”
Bai Lixin stared at Master Cao for several more seconds. Just as Master Cao was starting to feel uneasy under his gaze, Bai Lixin finally shifted his gaze away and stood up from the chair. “Well, Master Cao, you may stay here. We’re leaving.”
Seeing them about to leave, Master Cao hurriedly caught up with them and asked, “Sir, the porcelain outside…”
Bai Lixin: “No need, Master Cao. You’d better keep those porcelains for your true friends. Birds of a feather flock together. We aren’t suitable to be friends.”
After they walked away, Master Cao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
———————————
After leaving Master Cao’s jade shop, Zhang Biao frowned and looked at Bai Lixin. “Sir, he’s obviously lying or hiding some details but you just left like this? I think we should arrest him, use harsh methods, and make him confess everything.”
Bai Lixin: “But what if he’s not the murderer? What if he’s just hiding something he’s embarrassed to talk about? What if we detain him, force a confession, and the real killer goes free?”
Zhang Biao: “What should we do then? Just let him be? Ignore him?”
Bai Lixin: “Who said we’re ignoring him? Let me tell you, you have to do something tonight.”
As he said this, he called Zhang Biao closer and whispered a few words into his ear, a conversation meant only for the two of them.
Zhang Biao’s eyes suddenly lit up after listening, and he nodded vigorously: “Okay, sir.”
“And those drawings, ask a painter to draw a few more pictures, let each brother have one, and let them inquire about it one by one.”
Zhang Biao: “How should we inquire?”
Bai Lixin: “If the murderer committed the crime for money, these earrings might have been pawned for cash. Inquire at pawnshops, jade shops, or with street vendors. The earrings are unique, anyone who has seen them won’t forget.
Zhang Biao: “Alright. But won’t this alert the culprit?”
Bai Lixin: “That’s precisely what we want—to alert the snake. It’s been two years since the case; it’s like silt settled at the bottom of a river. Only when we stir the water will the settled silt rise.”
“When the surface is murky, we’ll know where that dirty sediment is.”
Zhang Biao suddenly understood. He quickly nodded but then noticed the change in Bai Lixin’s direction. He asked in confusion, “Sir, where are you heading now?”
Bai Lixin: “To buy a piece of tofu.”
Zhang Biao: “Huh?”
‘Buy tofu? Why? To hang himself?
Bah! What am I thinking?’
Zhang Biao casually added, “Do you need me to accompany you?”
He thought Bai Lixin would decline, but to his surprise, Bai Lixin nodded, “Yes, I do need you, very much.”
Zhang Biao: “Huh?”
‘Could it be Master Bai Lixin can’t carry the tofu?’
The matter was urgent, so Zhang Biao handed the earrings’ design to the young constable, instructing him to find a painter to replicate it. He told the other constables to return to the yamen, leaving only himself to follow Bai Lixin.
Initially, Zhang Biao thought Bai Lixin was joking, but he soon realized Bai Lixin was indeed going to buy tofu because he walked to a tofu stall.
The stall was run by a young woman, and business seemed good.
She was slicing tofu for a customer, and as she looked up, she caught sight of Zhang Biao. Her smile froze for a moment before she resumed slicing.
Zhang Biao stared at the young woman, feeling a sense of familiarity but couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.
After racking his brain, he suddenly remembered, “Sir, isn’t she the maid who was with Xiao Cui on the night of her incident?”
Bai Lixin made a sound of agreement. He just stood quietly by the stall, waiting for the woman to finish selling tofu.
Once she served her last customer, she glanced at Bai Lixin and Zhang Biao. “Customers, are you here to buy tofu too?”
Bai Lixin: “No, we have something to ask the shop owner.”
Young Woman: “Can you wait for a moment? I only have a few pieces left, it won’t take long.”
“No need, I’ll buy them all.” Bai Lixin took out some silver from his sleeve and handed it over. “I’ll take them back and treat the brothers in the yamen to some brain boosting food for lunch..”
Zhang Biao: “…”
‘Brain boosting… Is Master Bai Lixin implying they’re brainless? Wuuuu…’
The young woman hesitated for a moment before accepting Bai Lixin’s money. She quickly packed the tofu into a bag.
After finishing her work, she put away the boards used to cut tofu, closed the counter, and wiped her hands. She looked at Bai Lixin. “I’m done here, esteemed guests. Please come inside.”
Once inside, the young woman closed the door, seemingly afraid of being seen by people on the street.
Noticing the two men’s gazes on her, she felt awkward and smiled self-consciously. “Guests, please don’t laugh. Rumors spread quickly on this street. If I fall today, it’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow. As a woman running a tofu shop, it’s not easy. I don’t want to be drowned in gossip.”
Zhang Biao was surprised. “You don’t seem curious about our visit at all.”
The young woman sighed. “I’ve been waiting for you. I just didn’t expect you to come so late.”
Zhang Biao looked at Bai Lixin in astonishment.
Bai Lixin: “What do you think we’ve come for?”
Young Woman: “The only case I had contact with the officials was the one involving Xiao Cui’s suicide. Aren’t you here about that case?”
Bai Lixin: “What’s your name?”
Young Woman: “When I was working as a maid at the brothel with Xiao Cui, she gave me a name, Xiao Er. After I was expelled, I gave myself another name, Ping Er for ‘peaceful’ and ‘calm’.”
Bai Lixin: “Miss Ping Er, it was you who personally came to the yamen to close the case, saying Xiao Cui committed suicide. Why do you hope for the yamen’s people to visit you again? Is there another hidden truth?”
Ping Er: “I, I… I’m sorry, I lied.”
Zhang Biao widened his eyes. “?! You dared to close the case without knowing the truth? You’re incredibly audacious!”
Ping Er shrank back, tears immediately streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie, but I was so frightened at the time.”
Seeing the girl crying, Zhang Biao froze in place, feeling helpless. “Um, why are you crying? Don’t cry. It was your mistake. Shouldn’t I scold you a bit? Alright, alright, I won’t say anything anymore, okay?”
Ping Er cried even harder.
Zhang Biao looked at Bai Lixin for help. Bai Lixin asked, “Ping Er, I just came from Master Cao’s place. He said that night, the prince took Xiao Cui into a room, and when she came out, she was covered in bruises. Later, Master Cao compensated her with money, and that’s when she left. Is that true?”
Ping Er stopped crying.
“Wait, wait, please wait a moment.”
Master Cao walked to the door, glanced outside to make sure no one was around, then closed the door and returned to the room.
He looked at the constables surrounding him and slowly sat down opposite them.
After taking a sip of water to moisten his throat, he continued, “That day, the moon in the sky was very round, I remember it should have been around the fifteenth or sixteenth day of the month.”
“I had a big porcelain business deal. In order to facilitate this deal, I inquired about the preferences of that nobleman from various sources. I heard that the nobleman really liked listening to music, but due to the nobleman’s special status, I couldn’t invite him to the brothel. So, I thought of inviting him to our home.”
“I spent a lot of money on this and used some personal connections to bring Xiao Cui to my house to perform for the nobleman.”
“It turned out to be worth the money.”
“Xiao Cui’s pipa made that nobleman very happy. Because the nobleman was happy, my business was naturally concluded. At that time, I secretly gave Xiao Cui a large amount of money as compensation for her.”
Bai Lixin: “Compensation? Compensation for what? Her injuries?”
Master Cao shook the cup in his hand, “You can’t put it that way, it was consensual.”
“Besides, I didn’t know about the nobleman’s peculiar preferences at first. If I had known, would I have brought my lover to entertain that nobleman?” After Master Cao finished speaking, he immediately picked up the tea cup and took several sips.
“It’s not necessarily true,” Bai Lixin stared sharply at Master Cao across the table. “You really didn’t know? If that person had such a secret, people around him would be very aware. You are a businessman, you invest your money wisely. Would you spend your money for half the information?”
“I think you knew about that person’s peculiar tastes from the beginning, but for the sake of your business, you still sent your lover to him. Regardless of how good your lover was, a courtesan from a brothel can’t compare in value. Master Cao is a businessman, he wouldn’t make a mistake in his calculations.”
Master Cao’s fingers trembled, and the water cup in his hand couldn’t be held steady, instantly spilling water onto the table.
He wiped his forehead In a panic, “S-sir, there are some things you can’t just guess.”
“You yourself should be the clearest about how you planned this deal. Tell me more. Who was the nobleman you mentioned?” Bai Lixin glanced at him and spoke.
Master Cao hesitated for a moment before saying, “I-It… it was the prince.”
Bai Lixin turned his head and looked at Zhang Biao, “Do we have a Prince in our town? How come I’ve never heard of him?”
Zhang Biao said, “This Prince lives a reclusive life. He rarely goes out so it’s understandable if you don’t know about him. He moved here several years ago. It’s said that he grew tired of the political intrigues in the capital and heard that the Daoists of Qingcheng Mountain can achieve immortality, so he moved to Qingcheng Town at the foot of the mountain.”
Bai Lixin: “I see.”
After saying that, he looked at Master Cao again, “Who else was at the banquet that night besides you and the prince?”
Master Cao: “There were only the three of us, as well as Steward Zhao, who always stays close to the prince, as well as a few servants who served at the dining table.”
Bai Lixin: “A prince who is tired of the court, a powerful merchant in the jade trade, and a few servants who seem to be backgrounds but may also have murderous motives. I don’t want to repeat myself, can we not go through this question by question?”
Master Cao: “Okay, okay, I’ll talk.”
He wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and continued, “The prince is very handsome and elegant and everything was normal when Xiao Cui first came in. She accompanied us for some drinks. After eating and drinking, she began to play the pipa.”
“Later, the prince had a few drinks and got inappropriately close to Xiao Cui.”
“Then…”
He paused, his eyes rapidly darting from side to side, “Then, they went into the room. When they came out, Xiao Cui was covered in bruises and insisted on going back.”
“I thought it wasn’t good; what if she talks nonsense? So, I gave Xiao Cui a large sum of money, trying to placate her and persuade her with kind words. She calmed down and promised not to say anything.
Zhang Biao furrowed his brows, “Speaking of such matters would indeed tarnish the prince’s image. So, you might have killed her to silence her and cover up the truth.”
Master Cao turned pale, “Captain, you misunderstand. I swear, I helped the prince to keep her quiet for the sake of a business deal. Why would I kill take a risk for some money?”
Zhang Biao frowned again, “Then it’s the prince. The prince killed her to silence her because he was afraid Xiao Cui would reveal the truth. So, he did it. Tell me, when did the prince leave that night?”
Master Cao: “It should have been around three in the morning. I remember that the night watchman had just finished striking the gong for the third watch. I tried to persuade the prince to stay, but he insisted on leaving. I saw that he was very drunk and repeatedly urged the steward to take good care of the prince.”
“He was so drunk at that time, it’s unlikely he could have killed someone, right?”
“It’s possible he was pretending to be drunk,” Zhang Biao furrowed his brows. “Moreover, he had his steward with him. If he couldn’t do it, his steward could. The third watch of the night matches the time of the victim’s death. The coroner concluded that the time of death was between two and four in the morning. The prince left and went to find Xiao Cui, killed her, and threw her into the river. The time matches.”
Master Cao opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing and slowly closed his mouth.
Bai Lixin kept his eyes on Master Cao’s face. “You said you gave her a lot of rewards?”
Master Cao hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. “Yes, that’s right.”
Bai Lixin asked, “But when I was reviewing the case files, why did I find that she didn’t have any money or valuables on her? What did you give her? Gold? Silver? Or something else?”
Master Cao: “There was gold and silver, and some jewelry. I really tried to compensate her. The money I gave her that night, she probably couldn’t earn that much in her entire life. I remember I gave her a precious pair of agate earrings she had liked for a long time. After I gave them to her, she calmed down.”
Bai Lixin: “So here’s the problem. Why weren’t these valuables found near the body? Where did they go? Did they sprout legs and run away?”
Master Cao’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Right, her valuables are missing. Maybe someone robbed and murdered her? Why do you think it was us who killed her? Me and the prince wouldn’t covet her meager belongings.”
Zhang Biao interjected, “What if you regretted giving away those items afterward? Or perhaps, you did the opposite, you deliberately took the items back to create an illusion of robbery and murder. Given your status, no one would think you’d stoop to snatching those things. So losing these items might help both of you escape suspicion.”
Master Cao pursed his lips; he seemed on the verge of tears. “It really wasn’t me. Why are you blaming everything on me? I swear it wasn’t me who killed her. What do I have to do for you to believe me?”
“Can you draw the design of those agate earrings?” Just when Master Cao felt helpless, Bai Lixin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. “Or do you have a similar item?”
Master Cao: “This jewelry was specially carved by my master. It’s one of a kind, absolutely unique. But I do have the design. Let me find it for you, please wait a moment.”
He stood up from his chair and hurriedly walked to the desk, searching through the bookshelves behind him. Soon, he found a stack of drawings and took out one from the bottom after a long search.
“This is the design of the earrings, please take a look.”
He carefully handed the drawing to Bai Lixin. He also wiped the water he had spilled on the table moments ago. Zhang Biao leaned over beside Bai Lixin; the design of the earrings was quite unique, resembling musical notes with intricate patterns engraved on top of the notes. Being one-of-a-kind, it was indeed easy to recognize.
“The government will keep this drawing temporarily. After the case is solved, we will return it to you,” Bai Lixin said, folding the drawing and passing it to Zhang Biao.
Upon hearing this, Master Cao quickly waved his hand. “No need to return it, please keep it for your yamen. Feel free to take it.”
He hesitated for a moment, clenched his teeth, and spoke again, “Not just this drawing, if you see any jade artifacts in my shop that catch your eye, take them with you, please.”
Bai Lixin raised an eyebrow. “Are you attempting to bribe me in public?”
“No, no, no,” beads of sweat formed on Master Cao’s forehead, “how could this be considered a bribe? I just want to be friends with you, Sir. Please don’t think too much about it.”
Bai Lixin: “Think it over carefully. Did you miss any details from that night?”
Master Cao blinked his eyes twice, then shook his head. “No, Sir, I’ve told you everything I know. I’m an honest businessman and have never done anything harmful. If you need my help in the future, please feel free to ask. I will speak the truth and do my best to assist you without hesitation.”
Bai Lixin stared at Master Cao for several more seconds. Just as Master Cao was starting to feel uneasy under his gaze, Bai Lixin finally shifted his gaze away and stood up from the chair. “Well, Master Cao, you may stay here. We’re leaving.”
Seeing them about to leave, Master Cao hurriedly caught up with them and asked, “Sir, the porcelain outside…”
Bai Lixin: “No need, Master Cao. You’d better keep those porcelains for your true friends. Birds of a feather flock together. We aren’t suitable to be friends.”
After they walked away, Master Cao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
———————————
After leaving Master Cao’s jade shop, Zhang Biao frowned and looked at Bai Lixin. “Sir, he’s obviously lying or hiding some details but you just left like this? I think we should arrest him, use harsh methods, and make him confess everything.”
Bai Lixin: “But what if he’s not the murderer? What if he’s just hiding something he’s embarrassed to talk about? What if we detain him, force a confession, and the real killer goes free?”
Zhang Biao: “What should we do then? Just let him be? Ignore him?”
Bai Lixin: “Who said we’re ignoring him? Let me tell you, you have to do something tonight.”
As he said this, he called Zhang Biao closer and whispered a few words into his ear, a conversation meant only for the two of them.
Zhang Biao’s eyes suddenly lit up after listening, and he nodded vigorously: “Okay, sir.”
“And those drawings, ask a painter to draw a few more pictures, let each brother have one, and let them inquire about it one by one.”
Zhang Biao: “How should we inquire?”
Bai Lixin: “If the murderer committed the crime for money, these earrings might have been pawned for cash. Inquire at pawnshops, jade shops, or with street vendors. The earrings are unique, anyone who has seen them won’t forget.
Zhang Biao: “Alright. But won’t this alert the culprit?”
Bai Lixin: “That’s precisely what we want—to alert the snake. It’s been two years since the case; it’s like silt settled at the bottom of a river. Only when we stir the water will the settled silt rise.”
“When the surface is murky, we’ll know where that dirty sediment is.”
Zhang Biao suddenly understood. He quickly nodded but then noticed the change in Bai Lixin’s direction. He asked in confusion, “Sir, where are you heading now?”
Bai Lixin: “To buy a piece of tofu.”
Zhang Biao: “Huh?”
‘Buy tofu? Why? To hang himself?
Bah! What am I thinking?’
Zhang Biao casually added, “Do you need me to accompany you?”
He thought Bai Lixin would decline, but to his surprise, Bai Lixin nodded, “Yes, I do need you, very much.”
Zhang Biao: “Huh?”
‘Could it be Master Bai Lixin can’t carry the tofu?’
The matter was urgent, so Zhang Biao handed the earrings’ design to the young constable, instructing him to find a painter to replicate it. He told the other constables to return to the yamen, leaving only himself to follow Bai Lixin.
Initially, Zhang Biao thought Bai Lixin was joking, but he soon realized Bai Lixin was indeed going to buy tofu because he walked to a tofu stall.
The stall was run by a young woman, and business seemed good.
She was slicing tofu for a customer, and as she looked up, she caught sight of Zhang Biao. Her smile froze for a moment before she resumed slicing.
Zhang Biao stared at the young woman, feeling a sense of familiarity but couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.
After racking his brain, he suddenly remembered, “Sir, isn’t she the maid who was with Xiao Cui on the night of her incident?”
Bai Lixin made a sound of agreement. He just stood quietly by the stall, waiting for the woman to finish selling tofu.
Once she served her last customer, she glanced at Bai Lixin and Zhang Biao. “Customers, are you here to buy tofu too?”
Bai Lixin: “No, we have something to ask the shop owner.”
Young Woman: “Can you wait for a moment? I only have a few pieces left, it won’t take long.”
“No need, I’ll buy them all.” Bai Lixin took out some silver from his sleeve and handed it over. “I’ll take them back and treat the brothers in the yamen to some brain boosting food for lunch..”
Zhang Biao: “…”
‘Brain boosting… Is Master Bai Lixin implying they’re brainless? Wuuuu…’
The young woman hesitated for a moment before accepting Bai Lixin’s money. She quickly packed the tofu into a bag.
After finishing her work, she put away the boards used to cut tofu, closed the counter, and wiped her hands. She looked at Bai Lixin. “I’m done here, esteemed guests. Please come inside.”
Once inside, the young woman closed the door, seemingly afraid of being seen by people on the street.
Noticing the two men’s gazes on her, she felt awkward and smiled self-consciously. “Guests, please don’t laugh. Rumors spread quickly on this street. If I fall today, it’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow. As a woman running a tofu shop, it’s not easy. I don’t want to be drowned in gossip.”
Zhang Biao was surprised. “You don’t seem curious about our visit at all.”
The young woman sighed. “I’ve been waiting for you. I just didn’t expect you to come so late.”
Zhang Biao looked at Bai Lixin in astonishment.
Bai Lixin: “What do you think we’ve come for?”
Young Woman: “The only case I had contact with the officials was the one involving Xiao Cui’s suicide. Aren’t you here about that case?”
Bai Lixin: “What’s your name?”
Young Woman: “When I was working as a maid at the brothel with Xiao Cui, she gave me a name, Xiao Er. After I was expelled, I gave myself another name, Ping Er for ‘peaceful’ and ‘calm’.”
Bai Lixin: “Miss Ping Er, it was you who personally came to the yamen to close the case, saying Xiao Cui committed suicide. Why do you hope for the yamen’s people to visit you again? Is there another hidden truth?”
Ping Er: “I, I… I’m sorry, I lied.”
Zhang Biao widened his eyes. “?! You dared to close the case without knowing the truth? You’re incredibly audacious!”
Ping Er shrank back, tears immediately streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie, but I was so frightened at the time.”
Seeing the girl crying, Zhang Biao froze in place, feeling helpless. “Um, why are you crying? Don’t cry. It was your mistake. Shouldn’t I scold you a bit? Alright, alright, I won’t say anything anymore, okay?”
Ping Er cried even harder.
Zhang Biao looked at Bai Lixin for help. Bai Lixin asked, “Ping Er, I just came from Master Cao’s place. He said that night, the prince took Xiao Cui into a room, and when she came out, she was covered in bruises. Later, Master Cao compensated her with money, and that’s when she left. Is that true?”
Ping Er stopped crying.
