Investigation II
Knock knock... The sound of the door was heard, and A Cai called from outside, 'Young Master, are you awake? Zhou Ming and Zhou An are waiting for you in the study room."
"I see... I'll go there after I have my breakfast," Lang Huan replied. Today, she had woken up very early and asked the maid to bring her breakfast to her room. After finishing her meal, she hurried to the study room. Though it was exhausting, she was determined to complete the investigation as soon as possible.
"Young Master..." Zhou Ming handed over the notes from yesterday's investigation. "All the elite forces have dispersed to carry out the investigation, though not everything is complete yet. We are still waiting for their reports.
"Okay..." Lang Huan looked at the notes made by Zhou Ming and Zhou An, feeling satisfied. Zhou An and Zhou Ming were experienced commanders in the Dragon Stallion Army; they were really good at this.
"Let me see it for a while. I know you're both very tired; you should rest for now." Lang Huan patted Zhou Ming and Zhou An.
"The kidnappings last year—ten victims... There must be a pattern to these crimes, something that connects them—perhaps the victims share a common trait..." Lang Huan murmured as she read the report.
Lang Huan furrowed her brows as she examined the report, searching for a common pattern among the victims. Just then, Su Qing entered the room. Seeing that Lang Huan was busy, she chose not to disturb her and walked over to the bookshelf.
She reached for a book on the top shelf, causing her long sleeve to slip down. Lang Huan instinctively stepped forward to help, but in the process, she accidentally caught sight of the
Lang Huan was confused—Su Qing was her father's wife. So... why? The sight of the mark, so unexpected, made Lang Huan's mind race. Who would have thought Su Qing was still a virgin? And if that was the case, what did it mean about her relationship with her father? Wasn't it supposed to be a marriage between husband and wife? This situation seemed far too complicated for Lang Huan to fully grasp.
Lang Huan's thoughts were interrupted when Su Qing, sensing her confusion, turned to face her with a gentle smile. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"If you're tired, just take a rest," Su Qing added, her voice soft.
Lang Huan blinked, snapping out of her daze. "Oh no... I was just thinking about something."
Then, a realization flashed through her mind—that's right! The same pattern in the kidnappings… could it be that all the victims were virgins?
Lang Huan's brows furrowed as she thought deeper. If their target was simply beautiful women, then why didn't they just take any of the women from Yun Xiang Tower? That would've been much easier. But only Qing Meier was taken—and she's known for selling only her performance. She paused, her mind racing. I think that's the key.
Moreover, The victims weren't just ordinary unmarried women—they were talented, well-educated, and came from influential backgrounds, including daughters of wealthy merchants and officials. This wasn't a random crime. If the kidnappers didn't have powerful backing, they wouldn't have dared to target such high-status women.
Just as Lang Huan was deep in thought, Su Qing's voice suddenly broke the silence. "Is there anything you can't figure out?" she asked with amusement, smiling as she watched Lang Huan lost in her own deductions.
"Yeah... about the Black Tortoise Army. Have you ever heard Father say anything about them? Like, who has command over them?"
"The Black Tortoise Army should be under the emperor's command, right? They're the special imperial palace guards assigned to protect him. Why do you ask?"
"The emperor?" Lang Huan touched her chin. "He already has plenty of concubines. If he wanted someone, he could simply choose—why go through the trouble of kidnapping women? I don't think so..."
Before she could say more, Su Qing's expression grew serious. "Lang Huan, you shouldn't speak so carelessly about this—you could be executed," she warned.
Lang Huan nodded, then showed her a piece of fabric that had been found at Yun Xiang Tower the day before. "What do you think, Mother?"
"Yes, this belongs to the Black Tortoise Army," Su Qing said. Then, as if recalling something, her expression changed. "I've heard that two years ago, during a military tournament between nations, the Second Prince led the Black Tortoise Army to compete against the Yan Kingdom's army..."
"Got it." Lang Huan smiled, but she still couldn't understand—how could a woman like Su Qing, who spent most of her time in the mansion, stay so informed about state affairs? This felt strange to Lang Huan. Hmmpphh... Today, she realized just how mysterious Su Qing really was.
Then, she quickly went to find Zhou Ming. Without wasting any time, they rode to the Second Prince's mansion in Jinhu City. They observed the estate from a distance before slipping inside. To their surprise, not a single Black Tortoise soldier was in sight.
Since they found nothing, they decided to wait. Hiding behind a large tree in front of the mansion, they kept watch until the prince finally came out. Lang Huan and Zhou Ming followed him, but after watching him the entire day, they didn't notice anything suspicious. The Second Prince simply went to the imperial palace and then returned to his residence as usual.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, they decided to head back. As they rode through the city, the sound of murmuring voices caught their attention. A crowd had gathered around an announcement posted by the Ministry of Justice.
Curious, Lang Huan and Zhou Ming approached. The notice provided an official statement regarding Mu Lian's case.
The Jade Flower Kidnapping Case had left the people living in fear, causing turmoil across the city. Yet, the emperor seemed indifferent, showing no real concern. As a result, public dissatisfaction continued to grow.
"What kind of explanation is this?!" Lang Huan and Zhou Ming exchanged sharp glances, their anger rising.
Mu Lian's case—where the young woman had gone missing for a month before being found in Shang Yue Forest—had been dismissed as nothing more than the work of vengeful spirits, simply because the forest was said to be cursed.
Shang Yue Forest, located at the far edge of Luo City, had long been a place of fear. Almost no one dared to set foot inside, as countless rumors spoke of wandering ghosts and eerie whispers in the wind.
Lang Huan clenched her fists. This was ridiculous. The great Qi Dynasty—was this what they called justice? How could they reduce a serious crime to mere superstition?
"This is nonsense!" she said angrily, her voice laced with frustration. "How can they just brush this off as a ghost story? Are they really this blind?"
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stay focused. Now wasn't the time to be overwhelmed by anger.
"Zhou Ming, send some men to the Second Prince's mansion. Have them keep watch—just in case anything suspicious happens. Jinhu City and Shang Yue Forest aren't too far apart, so we can't rule out a connection just yet. Tomorrow is the second day—I hope we can speed things up."
Zhou Ming gave a firm nod. "Understood."
----
That night, Lang Huan's study room was bathed in the soft glow of a lantern hanging in the corner. The faint scent of ink lingered in the air, blending with the subtle fragrance of tea that had long gone cold in a porcelain cup beside her.
Lang Huan sat at her desk, her brush moving quickly across the paper as she wrote down her investigation report. Faint dark circles had begun to form under her eyes, a sign of her exhaustion. She never liked using a brush to write—she found it slow and troublesome.
Hmmppp... She had learned for so many years under Su Qing's guidance, yet her brushwork was still far from elegant. Lang Huan frowned as she looked at the uneven strokes, feeling frustrated. But there was no helping it—this report was for the princess, so she had to at least make it presentable.
Beside her, A Cai, who had been keeping her company, struggled to stay awake. His head kept nodding forward, nearly falling several times.
"A Cai… A Cai."
Lang Huan finally turned to look at him, only to see A Cai falling asleep while standing. She sighed and shook his arm to wake him up. "Ugh... Yes, Young Master."
"Please send this scroll report to the Princess's Mansion tomorrow. It must be delivered to Her Highness," Lang Huan instructed, her tone firm.
The moment A Cai heard that, his sleepiness vanished. His eyes lit up with excitement as he immediately thought of the beauty behind the Princess.
Lang Huan didn't miss the change in his expression. Narrowing her eyes, she shot him a sharp look. "What are you thinking? Don't even try it. Just go, deliver the report, and come back quickly."
A Cai pouted but didn't dare argue.
Outside, the night was silent except for the occasional chirping of crickets. Lang Huan sighed, rubbing her temples as her thoughts wandered. I think she should know this matter is related to the royal family or... even her own brother. Why is she going around in circles and not telling me the truth?
Lang Huan paused, deep in thought. Does Feng Yao not want to face her brother directly? The more Lang Huan tried to understand, the more questions arose.
As the saying goes, "A woman's heart is like the deep sea." Especially for women with so many schemes and hidden intentions, like Feng Yao.