Chapter 119: Investigation and Gathering of Evidence

“Alright, I’m going. Do be very careful, lass.”

Qinghu reached out his hand and stroked Lin Mengya’s hair, as he raised his eyebrows and revealed a tender smile on his face.

Although it was merely a casual gesture, it appeared to Long Tianhao that Qinghu was trying to challenge him.

“I know. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself and protect myself.”

Lin Mengya knew clearly in her heart that she was the person whom Qinghu was most concerned about.

Although Qinghu was usually frivolous, he was always very serious in matters regarding Lin Mengya’s safety.

Qinghu nodded and stole another glance at the two men in there before exiting the tent.

When he turned, he realized the Long Tianhao was shooting a killer look at him.

“Your Highness?”

Lin Mengya called out to Prince Yu, with bewilderment in her eyes.

What did Long Tianhao look so displeased on this face? Could it be because their plan was not proceeding smoothly?

“Nothing. What did you ask Qinghu to do?”

Usually, Long Tianhao was not the kind of person to probe into other people’s business.

He usually worked separately with Lin Mengya and usually leave each other alone in their private matters.

Nevertheless, for some reason today, when he saw how intimate Qinghu and Lin Mengya were, he could not help feeling a little displeased.

He had the feeling that they were sharing a small secret but keeping him out of it.

An awkward feeling arose in the Prince’s heart.

“It is nothing really.”

Lin Mengya did not think much of it after pondering for a while, and she eventually told him everything that happened right from the beginning.

“Never would anyone expect that such a thing as secretly switching people around would also happen in the Yue Family.”

Long Qinghan exclaimed in astonishment and shook his head after listening to Lin Mengya.

“Also? Had someone else done it before too?”

Lin Mengya noted that Long Qinghan did not sound too surprised by what she said.

Long Tianhao and Long Qinghan looked at each other for a second and finally Long Tianhao said,

“Indeed, thirteen years ago, His Majesty, my father fancied a girl named Qing Lian. She was initially a singer in court workshop who was subsequently given the title of a beauty queen. However, who would have expected that three years later, Beauty Lian’s temperament changed drastically and quickly provoked my father to anger. As a result, she was dragged in limbo.”

So it turned out that there was such a precedent case. Lin Mengya was surprised to learn about such things happening in the palace.

“Later on, Beauty Lian committed suicide in limbo. However, no one would have expected that a very popular prostitute, looking exactly like Beauty Lian, appeared in Ruyun brothel in the capital city. Subsequently, the people in the capital city said that she became crazy and claimed that she used to be the Emperor’s woman.”

A beauty queen in the palace had been switched and sent to the brothel to become its most popular prostitute.

Everyone who heard about this would think that this was unimaginable.

Moreover, the security in the palace was so tight, it would be almost impossible to exit the palace, not to mention switching a beauty queen with another woman.

So how did they manage to do it?

“Unless no suspicious clues were left behind by the dead woman in limbo?”

Lin Mengya refused to believe that. To her, even identical twins would be different in some ways, be it a subtle difference.

Their temperament would be different. What was most imaginable would be the fact that this even happened in the palace.

“No. She was put in limbo because she caused an injury on the Emperor.”

Long Qinghan shook his head. This happened such a long time ago, and the saying that there was a switch was merely a wild guess of the people in the palace.

Long Tianhao and Long Qinghan were mere youths back then.

Moreover, this incident was only hearsay.

Although there were still some doubts in her mind, a bold idea had started to form in Lin Mengya’s mind.

“There must be countless mysteries within the palace. What is more pressing now is to catch the culprit behind Elder Sister Yueting’s assault.”

Qinghu had gone to the Yue’s old house to carry out his investigation and soon, he would come back with the information.

Therefore the most important thing now was to achieve justice for Elder Sister Yueting.

“The news had been spread far and wide and more than three groups of people had approached us for information this morning alone. However, these people were like madmen, who conflicted with the secret agents.”

At this moment, there was a scheming smile on both Long Qinghan and Lin Mengya’s face.

It was no wonder that these people were trying so hard. If they managed to annihilate the witnesses, Lin Mengya would become the scapegoat after three days.

However, they did not expect that Lin Mengya was already fully prepared for this.

“It’s not a good idea to drag on another three days. By then, even if there’s not chaos among them, we would suffer great loss.”

Long Qinghan said, with a helpless expression on his face. Despite the secret agents being highly skilled in martial arts, it was impossible for them to withstand continuous waves of opponents.

Moreover, with time running out, those people would definitely up their attacks to be even more vicious.

“In that case, Your Highness would have to make a trip with me tonight.”

Lin Mengya said with a cheeky smile on her face as she turned to look at Long Tianhao.

Long Tianhao nodded subconsciously, without having any idea of exactly what she was going to do.

“Oh yes, are there any Peach Blossom Dock killers among these waves of people?”

Lin Mengya suddenly remembered that Qinghu mentioned earlier on that the killers of Peach Blossom Dock had been gathered at the foot of Mount Lingju.

Moreover, those girls in the tent were truly Peach Blossom Dock killers.

“Indeed. However, they’ve been hidden among the other families. Without you reminding us, we would have left them out.”

Long Qinghan nodded. For the past few days, he was indeed the one who gave instructions for the servants to dispose of the enemy’s dead bodies.

Before disposing of the bodies, they had been examined according to the way Lin Mengya instructed, and they were indeed found to be the killers.

“This is getting more complicated. If the Peach Blossom Dock killers were hidden among the other powerful families, it would not be so easy to pinpoint and expose them.”

Frowning, Lin Mengya could really understand what the phrase “before the first wave subsides, a new wave rises” meant.

Even before the problem with regards to King Ming was solved, she had to worry about the intentions of the Peach Blossom Dock killers, which she still had no idea about.

Little would she expect that a seemly harmless hunting trip would turn into something so complicated.

It was difficult enough for her to settle Elder Sister Yueting. Moreover, she had no idea how to appease and comfort her own elder brother.

“Are you still brooding over things concerning Yueting?”

After they exited the tent, Long Tianhao asked Lin Mengya quietly.

Lin Mengya instinctively nodded. With downcast eyes, she sighed and answered,

“Indeed, I don’t know how I could explain this to my elder brother.”

Despite her confidence in her brother that he was not a shallow person, she could not deny the fact that Elder Sister Yueting’s modesty had been violated. She was afraid that her engagement to her elder brother would be broken.

“Your elder brother would not blame you for this. I’ve already sent word to Mingyue nunnery just outside the capital city. Yueting can go there to recuperate.”

In Dajin, girls who were involved in dishonorable conducts, not to mention having their modesty violated, would be extremely concerned about their reputation.

Not to mention getting married for Yueting, she could be overcome by scandalous rumors once she returned to the capital city.

“Does it mean a girl’s good name could be preserved only by staying in a nunnery?”

Lin Mengya could not reconcile with the idea. To her, the woman whose modesty had been violated was the victim.

Did these women not deserve the sympathy and understanding of others? Why did these pitiful young women have to be accused and take in the tongue-lashing by other people?

“I know how much you could not bear for this to happen, but if she were to go back to the capital city, and we bring her to our house, she would still be the target for finger-pointing. Based on Yueting’s nature, do you think she could take it?”

Long Tianhao’s eyes were filled with tenderness as if he could totally sympathize with Lin Mengya’s pain.

Although she was such a strong lady, she was often troubled over the problems faced by the people around her.

Somehow, Long Tianhao even thought that she looked exceptionally adorable for behaving this way.

“If you think that she’ll be lonely in the nunnery, I can arrange for her to live in a private courtyard, so she could enjoy peace and solitude. What do you think?”

Before this, Long Tianhao had never been so considerate towards anyone. He was now so thoughtful just because Yueting was Lin Mengya’s good friend.

Lin Mengya forced a sad smile on her face and nodded. She was trying hard not to look troubled.

Deep in her heart, however, she still had the wishful thinking that Elder Sister Yueting and her elder brother would end up a loving couple.

It appeared that this was almost impossible now.

Because of the series of events that happened one after another, following the incident regarding Yue Ting and Hu Lunan, the security at the campground had been stepped up.

Many of the noble families of subjects in the court who were in good terms started huddling together.

It was safer to be gathered together in one place.

Apart from Prince Yu’s tent, the other families more or less gathered in clusters on the grass lawn.

Therefore, when Lin Mengya and Long Tianhao returned to their tents, they were surprised to find that the grass patch around their tents had been intentionally left empty by the other people.

Baiji, who spotted them from afar off, had lifted up the curtain to the tent for them.

The four maidservants and Lin Zhongyu had been keeping Yueting company the whole day long in the tent.

After Lin Mengya’s visit to Uncle Yue, it was a way of informing him that Yueqi would officially be staying with her.

Since the supposed Mrs. Yue may not even be Mrs. Yue after all, it would be risky for Yueqi to stay with her.

Therefore, Mr. Yue had formally entrusted Yueqi in Lin Mengya’s care.

Elder Sister Yueting was still in deep sleep on the bed when they returned. Although the imperial physician had prescribed a considerable amount of medication for her, they did not seem to be of any effect on her.

The night before, a fever came to Elder Sister Yueting without any reason. After an entire day, she was much weakened compared to when she first came.

“What happened? Has her fever not subsided?”

Shaking her head, Lin Mengya asked Yueqi who had remained by the bed all this time.

“Not yet. The imperial physician said she might have some wounds that are not healed and had turned septic, so the fever doesn’t subside. If we don’t directly apply the antiseptic medication to her wound, it would be useless taking the oral medications.”

With the help of Baishao and the other maidservants, they checked every inch of Elder Sister Yueting’s body, but were unable to find any open wounds.

Lin Mengya chewed on her lips. She thought of one place on Yueting’s body that the others would not think of.

“Your Highness, the Prince, please bring Xiaoyu with you and leave the tent for now. Baiji, Baishao, prepare a big basin for me. Baizhi, boil the medication prescribed by the imperial physician and put it in the basin with water.”

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