“If Miss Yu insists on this, I’ll have to forcibly take your sister to the yamen for questioning,” Guan Yue said coldly.
Yu Yi glared at Guan Yue, who coldly stared back. After a moment of mutual staring, Yu Yi lowered her eyes and sighed. “Chief Guan, please wait a moment.”
Yu Yi went inside to find Yu Xin and explain Guan Yue’s intentions.
Yu Xin’s face turned slightly pale, looking at Yu Yi in panic. Only Yu Yi knew about her experiences at the Lei residence, including that Lei Yuan He had died unexpectedly. She felt it was karma and was somewhat pleased. Now that Chief Guan had come to inquire, could he be suspecting her involvement in Lei Yuan He’s death?
Yu Yi held her hand and comforted her: “Xin sister, don’t worry. I’ve told Chief Guan that you’re very ill and don’t need to go out. I’ll take Yu Yue to deal with him.”
Yu Xin nodded, feeling slightly more relaxed.
Yu Yi instructed Yu Yue that if Captain Guan asked, she should say that Sister Xin was very seriously ill, and if Captain Guan asked further about the illness, she should just say she didn’t know. Yu Yue was already ten years old and understood that some things should be kept from outsiders, so she nodded obediently.
When Guan Yue in the main hall saw Yu Yi only bringing Yu Yue out, he was surprised: “Miss Yu, where is your other younger sister?”
“My younger sister Xin is very seriously ill, with a high fever, and is now in a daze, unable to even sit up in bed,” Yu Yi said sorrowfully.
Guan Yue was half-believing and half-doubting, but he couldn’t bring himself to force a seriously ill young lady to come out for questioning. After all, he didn’t truly believe Yu Xin or Yu Yi were the culprits; he just wanted to learn more about the Lei household, and people who had left the household would be easier to get the truth from than those still inside.
He began to question Yu Yue, asking when she and her sister entered the Lei household, what they usually did, and whether she had seen Lei Yuanhe.
Yu Yue replied crisply: “Yue’er has never seen Master Lei.”
Yu Yi explained: “Captain Guan, my younger sister is just a maidservant doing odd jobs. She rarely has the opportunity to see the madams, let alone Master Lei.”
Guan Yue, seeing he couldn’t get any more information, stood up and said: “I’ll take my leave now and visit again in a few days, hoping your sister will have recovered by then.”
Yu Yi had just breathed a sigh of relief, but hearing these words, she suddenly had an impulse to knock this overly dedicated captain unconscious, put him in a sack, and have Bo Shi send him to another time and space.
Suppressing this impulse, she smiled and saw Captain Guan out of the main courtyard.
Noticing there was no horse carriage, she asked: “It’s over twenty li back to the capital. Would Captain Guan like a horse carriage?”
Guan Yue laughed and shook his head, whistling. With a long, sharp tail note dissipating from his ears, the sound of horse hooves came from the forest on the right. Yu Yi turned in surprise to see a jade-faced, snow-hooved blue-flower horse galloping towards them.
This blue-flower horse was tall and long-legged, with a snow-white mane like silver. It galloped to them, suddenly reared up on its hind legs, then stopped in place, just two steps from Yu Yi, stamping its hooves restlessly.
Yu Yi was extremely fond of this horse but pretended to be startled by its rearing, stepping back two steps.
Guan Yue scolded the blue-flower horse: “Mischievous!” Then turned to Yu Yi apologetically: “Perhaps because I’ve been busy investigating the case and haven’t taken it out for a good run, it’s letting loose today and didn’t mean to startle you.”
Yu Yi lightly touched her chest: “It’s nothing. Captain Guan is a true character, so naturally his mount is also spirited.”
Guan Yue laughed heartily, seeming more pleased by praise of his horse than of himself.
Yu Yi felt relaxed, waiting for Guan Yue to mount his horse so she could send this god-like figure away. But unexpectedly, after walking a few steps towards his horse, Guan Yue suddenly turned back and asked: “When did Miss Yu learn of Master Lei’s death?”
Why did you show no surprise when I mentioned Master Lei’s incident?
Miss Yu has overpraised me.” As Guan Yue saw her giving an irrelevant answer and gradually changing the subject, he wanted to inquire again about the source of this large sum of silver, but noticed a carriage approaching them from a distance.
Yu Yi also saw the carriage, secretly wondering who this visitor could be, but at this moment, anyone’s arrival would be good as it could prevent Captain Guan from continuing to question her. So she said to Captain Guan, “Captain Guan, please wait a moment.” Then she stepped forward to meet the carriage.
The carriage gradually slowed down and stopped, and the curtain was lifted. A person descended.
Yu Yi was startled, staring at the person and exclaiming, “Young Master Meng?!”
“It’s been more than ten days. Is Miss Yi still well?” It was indeed Meng Qing, but now he was wearing a dark gold patterned cloud brocade padded long robe, tied with a gold-woven satin belt, with a large ice-type purple jade pendant hanging at his waist. He was also wearing a peacock feather brocade cloak lined with sable fur.
Yu Yi looked at the purple jade gold crown on his head, secretly wondering if his long hair was a wig, but it seemed flawless.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Yu Yi quickly put on a look of joyful surprise and stepped forward: “Young Master Meng, why didn’t you send a message before coming to the capital, so I could prepare?” As she spoke, she had already decided to use Meng Qing as a shield.
Meng Qing raised an eyebrow and laughed, “Then how would you be surprised? I wanted to keep it a secret and come over quietly.”
Yu Yi gave a shy, happy smile.
By now, Guan Yue had approached, introduced himself, and asked Meng Qing’s surname. Meng Qing looked at him and casually replied, “My humble surname is Meng. May I ask if Captain Guan is here on official business or for personal matters?”
Guan Yue smiled slightly, “If it were a personal matter, I wouldn’t have come in my official uniform.”
“Has Captain Guan finished his official business?”
“Not yet. I came to ask Miss Yu some questions.”
“Then ask quickly and return soon.”
Guan Yue saw Meng Qing was trying to hurry him away, but as a yamen runner, he was used to such wealthy young master attitudes and was not offended. He said, “Actually, I could ask Young Master Meng as well. Did you pay the ransom and buy the estate for Miss Yu?”
Meng Qing saw Yu Yi subtly nod and replied, “Of course it was me. Who else would it be?”
Yu Yi returned his smile and looked at Guan Yue.
Guan Yue now thought the matter made sense, but still felt Meng Qing’s timing was too coincidental.
Just as he was about to ask further questions, Meng Qing pointed at the knife at Guan Yue’s waist and spoke first: “Captain Guan, may I borrow your knife to look at?”
“Does Young Master Meng know about knives?” Guan Yue raised an eyebrow, drawing out the knife and handing it to Meng Qing. Meng Qing flicked the blade with his finger and made a few empty slashes in the air, nodding, “Good knife. Is it made by a master craftsman?”
Guan Yue’s mouth curved, “From the blacksmith shop in the eighth alley of the west city.”
Meng Qing laughed awkwardly, “I was mistaken for a moment.” He returned the knife to Guan Yue.
This interruption dispelled most of Guan Yue’s suspicions. He continued to chat with them, subtly probing Meng Qing about his hometown and family background.
