Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Searching for the Wind and Catching Shadows

Liang Wan tilted her head, thinking for a moment before answering. "I said I was worried about the Grand Commandant and had a letter to give to the Empress Dowager. Then I said I was tired and wanted to rest. Nothing else. After that, I fainted."

As Liang Wan spoke, Lu Xu’s eyes were fixed on her, as if trying to discern the truth.

Perhaps out of all she had said, this alone was what he truly wanted to ask.

Liang Wan let him observe her in silence.

Lu Xu was silent for a long time.

Liang Wan looked up, her expression open but tinged with a hint of caution. "Do you have any other instructions, Brother?"

Lu Xu offered a gentle smile. "No, that’s all. Go and get some rest."

Liang Wan rose and curtsied. "Yes."

Even after she left the room, she could still feel a gaze on her back.

Lu Xu was the legitimate eldest son.

’From now on, the Lu Family will likely be under his control...’

Outside Beixuan, Wang Tingyue stood beneath the bamboo stalks.

The Inner Garden was not a place just anyone could enter. It was clear that Wang Tingyue was held in high regard by Lu Xu.

Seeing Liang Wan emerge, he took only a few steps closer. His demeanor was proper, showing none of the brief lapse in composure from before.

’Growth isn’t just about age and height; it’s also about the distance that grows between people.’

Liang Wan sighed silently, walked a few steps closer, and smiled at the tall, upright figure. "I’m fine. You don’t need to worry."

Surprise flashed in Wang Tingyue’s eyes, and the deliberately stern expression on his face instantly softened.

Liang Wan understood. He was just worried. After all, caring for a patient with the epidemic carried the risk of infection.

She told him the truth. "The day after I moved to the other manor, I did feel a bit unwell. But after taking medicine for a few days, all discomfort was gone. I’m completely recovered now."

Wang Tingyue nodded slightly. "You must take care of yourself, my lady."

Liang Wan pressed her lips together. "I will. You as well, Central Lang General."

Liang Wan didn’t believe for a second that Lu Xu was unaware of her past acquaintance with Wang Tingyue. Rather than try to hide it and make things worse, it was better to be open and act naturally.

Now that he was back in Jinye, they were bound to run into each other eventually.

Wang Tingyue said nothing more, only glancing back at the attendant standing not far away.

The attendant understood and stepped forward.

Only then did Liang Wan notice the oil-paper package in the attendant’s hands. She shifted her gaze to Wang Tingyue.

Wang Tingyue explained, "They’re crisp-cakes. I happened to pass by that shop on my way here, so I bought some."

As he spoke, the attendant handed the oil-paper package to Gu Yu, who was standing nearby.

He added, "They’re made with cow’s milk, not goat’s milk, so you can eat them, my lady."

She had disliked goat’s milk since she was a child.

Liang Wan lowered her head. "Thank you."

Wang Tingyue watched her quietly for a moment, his voice soft. "I’ll be going now."

"Alright."

With that, he and his attendant headed toward the outer courtyard.

Once his figure was out of sight, Liang Wan also turned and went back to the South Garden.

’Back then, she would pester him to go out with her, for no other reason than to buy some rare trinkets from the street stalls or to try new snacks.’

’To think that the little street stall that used to sell those crisp-cakes now has its own proper shop.’

Liang Wan took the oil-paper package from Gu Yu. It was still slightly warm; he must have bought them right after they were made.

She opened the package, and a fragrant aroma immediately wafted out. She broke off a piece and glanced at Gu Yu. "I’m not usually one for sweets, but this is just right—not too sugary. Would you like to try some? I used to love these when I was a child."

’Every time I snuck out of the mansion, I had to buy some. I’d even stand by the stove and wait for a fresh batch.’

Gu Yu accepted it hesitantly.

Liang Wan watched her and smiled, then took another piece for herself. It crumbled the moment it entered her mouth, as crisp as freshly fallen snow.

’Back then, they just tasted delicious. Now, they carry a sigh of sorrow.’

After sunset, Liang Wan returned to her South Garden Residence.

By the time night fell, she had already changed her clothes. She was dressed in the simple attire of a man.

"My lady, let me go with you," Gu Yu said, worried.

Liang Wan took the pouch from her hand. "You need to stay here and cover for me. I’ll be back as fast as I can. With Guan Song around, safety won’t be an issue."

Guan Song was the Grandmaster’s Guard Commander, his skills sharp and efficient.

After the Grandmaster passed away, he began to take orders from her.

Liang Wan decided to take only Guan Song with her. She had already taken him to familiarize himself with the Prime Minister’s Mansion during the day. As for the other guards, they needed to stay in the South Garden to avoid arousing suspicion.

The guards saw Liang Wan and the Guard Commander climbing over the wall to leave, but they pretended not to see.

The Master’s Mansion and the Prime Minister’s Mansion weren’t far from each other. Traveling by carriage required a long detour, but taking the small alleys was much faster.

The moonlight was clear and bright, keeping the night from being truly dark.

Liang Wan headed for the corner of the wall near Cao Danqing’s chambers. Seeing that no one was around, she knocked on the wall.

Cao Danqing was already waiting impatiently on the other side. When she heard the sound, she immediately responded.

Guan Song was tall and strong. With a gentle lift, he helped Liang Wan over the wall and into the courtyard, expending almost no effort.

The moment Liang Wan’s feet touched the ground, he fell in behind her like a shadow, maintaining a certain distance.

Guan Song was a man of few words, always respectful and polite.

’If she hadn’t seen his ferocious expression in the market once, she would never have imagined that a man who barely spoke a few words all day could be so terrifying when angered—his blade rising and falling, cutting down living men as if they were turnips...’

Cao Danqing was alone. She was a little surprised to see Guan Song. ’What kind of lady sneaks over a wall with a man in the middle of the night?’

’If someone were to see this—’

Cao Danqing sighed to herself. ’She’s taking such a huge risk just to find out how Father died.’ Just as she was about to say something, she felt a tug on her hand.

Liang Wan looked left and right, then headed straight for the mourning hall. "Did you drug them?"

Cao Danqing snapped back to her senses and nodded repeatedly, glancing again at the tall shadow. "Zhou Yun, too. I—"

Liang Wan patted her hand, not wasting any more words.

Inside the mourning hall, the ever-burning lamps flickered.

The people holding the vigil were lying on the floor in disarray, deep in a drugged sleep.

Liang Wan first bowed to the coffin. "There is a reason for this intrusion. I pray for your forgiveness, Your Excellency. If you were truly murdered, please help me find the real culprit!"

Cao Danqing covered her mouth, her red-rimmed eyes filling with tears.

After kneeling and bowing, Liang Wan and Guan Song approached the coffin.

Guan Song slowly pushed open the coffin lid, revealing a cold, pale face inside.

Liang Wan didn’t feel the least bit afraid looking at him, only a deep sorrow in her heart.

For some reason, she recalled the day she was surrounded and attacked. He, with his small frame, had stood before the crowd, heartbroken as he condemned them. Such grief and indignation—wasn’t it also a reflection of his disappointment and helplessness toward the Daqi Empire?

When she had stood alone against their curses, she had at least planned her own rescue and escape.

But when he stood in the imperial court time and time again, facing so many strange looks and dissenting voices, who could have been his support? Did he ever have a way out?

’What did he get for a lifetime of hard work and worry?’

’He didn’t even get to die a good death.’

’It’s true what they say: the good die young, while the wicked live for a thousand years.’

She looked up at Guan Song. "Bring a lamp."

As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief, cleaned her hands, and then began to examine the man in the coffin.

She started with his head, carefully checking and ruling out one area after another.

The more she examined, the tighter her brow furrowed.

From head to toe, there were no hidden wounds. In his mouth and nasal passages, there were no signs of poisoning.

Cao Danqing was confused. "Wasn’t he murdered?"

Liang Wan looked at her without speaking. Never mind Cao Danqing—even she was beginning to wonder if she had been overthinking things.

Suddenly, her gaze froze. Liang Wan grabbed Chancellor Cao’s hand. On his fingertip was a faint red mark.

If the body weren’t so pale, it would have been nearly invisible...

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