"Didn't you claim to know a great deal?" Shen Mingzhu smiled at Qingzhu, her face radiant but her eyes carrying a hint of menace, like the dark clouds before a storm, making Qingzhu struggle to breathe. "Your Highness!"
Only then did Qingzhu realize that Shen Mingzhu was more difficult to deal with than she had imagined. She knelt on the ground and said in a low voice, "This..."
"The master behind the brothel is so secret that few people in the entire capital know about it. This servant only knows that the master seems to be from Yangzhou, a powerful and well - connected merchant."
Something was off. Yangzhou?
Shen Mingzhu was slightly taken aback but her expression remained unchanged. She looked at Qingzhu and continued to ask, "Anything else?"
There was a look of fear on Qingzhu's face. She seemed to be terrified of that person to the core. Even just mentioning that person made her face turn pale.
"A servant should serve only one master. You'd better think carefully about who your current master is."
After this remark, Qingzhu immediately broke out in a cold sweat. She realized that she had jumped into a den of thieves. Filled with regret, she could only grit her teeth and persevere.
"Not going to talk?" Shen Mingzhu sighed and glanced at Qingzhu as if in disappointment. She raised her voice towards the outside, "Chun..."
Before she could call out Chuntao's name, Qingzhu quickly said, "Your Highness, this servant knows more!"
Shen Mingzhu lowered her eyes and looked at her.
"This servant once saw the madam being respectful to a man in a secluded place. She called him'master'."
Qingzhu continued, "But the man was wearing a mask, so this servant didn't see his face clearly."
Tsk. This was as good as saying nothing!
Shen Mingzhu suspected that Qingzhu was trying to deceive her. But the next moment, she narrowed her eyes.
"But... but this servant saw that the man called'master' by the madam was holding an object in his hand. On closer inspection, it was a jade pendant with patterns that looked like peonies. Later, he took out a gold amulet, with some bloodstains on it."
A gold amulet?!
Shen Mingzhu's breath caught slightly. She said sharply, "You'd better weigh your words carefully. Don't try to deceive this princess with lies!"
Qingzhu's origin was unknown. How could she recognize a gold amulet?
"Your Highness!" Qingzhu said urgently, "This servant has seen a gold amulet before. Last year, a young lady from a marquis's mansion brought it to the Green Bamboo Pavilion. This servant was playing music for them, so naturally took a glance when getting closer."
Shen Mingzhu: "..."
It seemed that Qingzhu wasn't lying. The young lady from that family was suddenly placed under house arrest last year. The news spread so suddenly that Shen Mingzhu had heard the gossip from those around her several times.
That young lady was the most favored one in the family. Her sudden house arrest made everyone who knew about it guess all sorts of things. No one expected that she had taken out the family's gold amulet and even brought it to such a place. She really deserved it.
Seeing Shen Mingzhu lowering her eyes in thought, Qingzhu continued to add, "This servant can also make perfumes. If..."
"Can make perfumes?"
Hearing this, Shen Mingzhu looked up and saw Qingzhu's eyes light up. She looked at Shen Mingzhu brightly and said, "Yes!"
"Not bad."
Before Qingzhu could react, Shen Mingzhu smiled and said, "Chuntao, come in."
"Perfect. Since this one can make perfumes and our new shop is short - handed, take her there."
Chuntao didn't expect that Qingzhu not only failed to stay by Shen Mingzhu's side but was also sent to the shop. She immediately gave Qingzhu a disgruntled look and said, "Come with me."
What a good - for - nothing! What a waste of a good - looking face! She didn't know how to make good use of it!
Qingzhu still wanted to struggle, but when her eyes met the coldness in Chuntao's eyes, she lowered her head and didn't dare to say another word. She quietly followed Chuntao out.
After they left, Shen Mingzhu rubbed her temples with a headache. She suddenly didn't understand why things had suddenly become so complicated during today's trip.
A gold amulet was no small matter. The families that had one would never take it out. They would rather enshrine it and look at it every day. How could it appear in the hands of a merchant?
However, this could be a starting point. She would check the families that owned the gold amulets tomorrow.
But was the owner of the Green Bamboo Pavilion Xie Lang? Or was he just taking over on someone else's behalf?
Shen Mingzhu suddenly realized that she knew nothing about Xie Lang. She only knew some basic information and didn't even know that he had met her mother before.
"Chuntao."
Shen Mingzhu called out towards the outside, "Come in."
"Go and investigate the matters about the son - in - law. Make sure to find out every detail. This princess wants to know about his past."
Chuntao didn't respond. But suddenly, Shen Mingzhu heard a half - smiling voice with a hint of teasing, "If Your Highness wants to know about me, why not just ask me directly?"
It was Xie Lang!
Shen Mingzhu immediately broke out in a cold sweat. She watched as Xie Lang opened the door and entered. He was smiling brightly, and his eyes looking at her carried a hint of probing.
The man walked in against the light. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall stature, exuding a sense of oppression. He slowly walked up to her, bent down, and looked into her eyes, saying, "What does Your Highness want to know?"
Shen Mingzhu looked back into his eyes. Her heart was calm. She even wanted to touch him to figure out what was going on in his mind.
She always did what she wanted.
So she raised her fair hand. Her index finger gently lifted Xie Lang's chin. Facing his shocked expression, she smiled and said, "What? Can't this princess get to know you?"
[Oh my god! Is Shen Mingzhu flirting with me?]
[She always touches me! Does Shen Mingzhu have a crush on me?]
Seeing this, Xie Lang quickly regained his composure. He lifted his head according to the force on his chin, knelt on one knee, and slightly raised his head, saying, "Then what does Your Highness want to know? Why not just ask me?"
[Does Shen Mingzhu like me as a person or my life? Goodness, she's always getting handsy with me!]
[Maybe she really does like me? But she's Shen Mingzhu! Could she really...]
Shen Mingzhu's lips curled slightly. She stood up and withdrew her hand. Looking down at him, she said, "No."
Xie Lang's smile froze on his lips. Looking at Shen Mingzhu, he said in a low voice, "Why?"
"Tsk." Shen Mingzhu sighed slightly. Looking at Xie Lang seriously, she said, "This princess wants to see the real you. Isn't that okay?"
Xie Lang always felt, perhaps it was just an illusion, that their roles seemed to have reversed. At first, he could easily make Shen Mingzhu angry and even make her want to take action.
But for some reason, Shen Mingzhu now seemed impervious to his provocations. She could effortlessly throw back the conversation topics he threw at her without even thinking.
Shen Mingzhu turned around. She didn't notice Xie Lang's slightly red ears. She planned to visit the Xie Mansion to see if there would be anything interesting.
An indescribable emotion spread from his heart. Xie Lang was still standing there stunned. Watching Shen Mingzhu turn around and leave, his eyes followed her until the door.
What was she going to do? Was she going to settle that so - called Green Bamboo or Green Tree?
Seeing Shen Mingzhu about to lift her foot and leave the room, Xie Lang quickly got up and chased after her. He grabbed her sleeve under her surprised gaze and said, "What does Your Highness want to do?"