Chapter 193 – Portrait
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When they emerged from the bathtub, the water had cooled considerably.
Afraid of him getting cold again, Liu Zhongming wrapped the robe-covered figure in the blankets. When he returned with some tea, he saw Qu Chenzhou still staring with wide eyes at the curtains.
“Get some sleep, aren’t you tired?”
Qu Chenzhou sat up, took a sip of tea, and pulled the blanket up to his chin for support: “It’s broad daylight, how can I sleep?”
“If we can indulge in pleasure in broad daylight, why can’t we sleep during the day?” Liu Zhongming teased, slowly removing his damp clothes. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you about Three Blessings earlier. Was it because of this that you can’t sleep?”
Qu Chenzhou hummed in agreement.
“I tried several times to divine at the Chaoyang Palace, but I couldn’t see Three Blessings. Let alone his divination results, I don’t even know what he looks like.”
“Of course.” Liu Zhongming brought another set of clothes for him to change into and came over to towel dry his hair.
“Consort Yu avoids you like a snake or scorpion. She must have hidden Three Blessings even deeper. However, the eunuchs in the palace are examined annually, and the Jinxiu Ying always sends someone to supervise. I’ll go have a look when the time comes…”
Qu Chenzhou sighed softly. “But what use would it be if you saw him? Consort Yu has been demoted to Song Shaoyi, so she’ll probably keep Three Blessings close by.”
Liu Zhongming pushed him into a sitting position and gathered his wet hair, starting to loosely braid it.
“Right. Although she doesn’t have many people around her now, it’s still quite simple to keep Three Blessings away from you.”
The braided hair rested on his shoulder, and the ends swayed against his chest. Qu Chenzhou lowered his head to look, and he reached out to hold it.
“Zhongming, have you considered one thing?”
“What is it?”
“No matter what intentions the Song family has, Zhou Huaishan had already established his own family and had a wife and children here. He was destroyed overnight by Mu Jingyan. Wouldn’t he hold a grudge? Why is he silently following Consort Yu?”
“Of course, I’ve thought about it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought of coming to this place today.”
Liu Zhongming swatted his hand away, slowly helping him dress, cherishing this precious opportunity. He was afraid he wouldn’t have such chances after returning to the capital city.
“In the memories I can recall, apart from talking about you, Three Blessings also mentioned Huai Wang.”
“He said—I know what he did was wrong, but what can I do? After all, he is my flesh and blood.”
“He also said—even in this state I’m in, it’s all thanks to him. But what can I do? He’s my only son.”
“He also said that what he did was wrong, but he’s the root of our Zhou family.”
Qu Chenzhou quickly understood the implication.
“Are you saying that Zhou Huaishan knew that Mu Jingyan is his son, but this man prioritizes continuing his lineage so it’s okay even if he endures humiliation for the sake of his one and only son, is that right?”
“Yes, this man is also a stubborn lunatic.”
Coming up empty-handed at that courtyard made Liu Zhongming reluctant to speak of these distressing matters, but since Qu Chenzhou had brought it up, he could only be frank.
“I came here today, thinking about whether Zhou Huaishan’s son might have managed to escape Mu Jingyan’s deadly hand or if I was just indulging in wishful thinking.”
With a hand guiding him to a nearby table, Qu Chenzhou sat down and was offered a snack. He didn’t speak until he had swallowed it.
“Zhongming, have you noticed the well…”
Liu Zhongming certainly remembered; the well rope had rotted so much that it broke when pulled.
“I’m not sure if I’m overthinking it, but the well rope on the pulley was almost at its end.”
He frowned. “Indeed, it was. What’s the matter?”
“You haven’t used a well, so you naturally wouldn’t notice. But as far as I know, the well rope usually extends beyond the well’s depth. So unless it was deliberate, even if the well had dried up, the wooden bucket wouldn’t have been pulled all the way to the top.”
Liu Zhongming had indeed never personally drawn water from a well, so he listened attentively to Qu Chenzhou’s explanation without initially realizing what the issue was. It wasn’t until he saw Qu Chenzhou mimicking the action of climbing the rope with both hands that he suddenly understood.
If someone had deliberately let out the well rope when they entered the courtyard, there was only one possibility left: someone had been pulling the rope from the bottom of the well, attempting to climb up. They kept pulling until the rope was at its end and then used that leverage to ascend.
“But… but everyone is dead. Who could have been hiding in the well? Could it really have been at that moment? Is it possible someone managed to escape miraculously?”
He also hoped for a miracle, but the few sets of bones they had just found were hard to ignore. What’s worse, all four children listed in the household register were missing.
Given Huai Wang’s cautious nature, he would have certainly gathered information about Zhou Huaishan long ago, including his character and family. He wouldn’t have allowed any slip-ups when it came to eliminating loose ends.
Without any direct descendants, there wouldn’t be a second path to sway Zhou Huaishan’s decision.
These questions were ones that Qu Chenzhou couldn’t answer either. He could only gaze silently at the sparsely scattered pedestrians on the street.
“Zhongming!”
He suddenly stood up and pushed the window wider open.
“Did you see the person with the navy blue turban! Go find him and bring him here!”
“Mr. Yang, is there anything else you’d like to eat? Don’t hesitate to ask the waiter.”
“Skip the ‘mister’ part, just have a seat.”
The middle-aged man across the table with the turban waved his hand and picked up a chopstick of food, warmly resting his hand on Liu Zhongming’s shoulder.
“Your little brother and I hit it off at first sight, so calling me ‘mister’ would be too formal. Yang Tong!” He pointed to himself. “I’m a few years older than you, so call me ‘Big Brother’! Isn’t that friendly?!”
“Big Brother Yang.” As expected, Liu Zhongming called out, but his gaze couldn’t help but flicker behind the folding screen.
The fox-like appearance was quite conspicuous and not suitable for public view. Hiding behind the screen and not giving him any cues had led him to hurriedly intercept the person, but he had no idea what he was supposed to do.
He could only go with the flow and make small talk, “Is Brother Yang from this town?”
“Of course, I’ve been living here for over thirty years. I was born here and have never moved!”
“You don’t really look the part. Your outstanding demeanor and presence are unexpected in this small county. It seems like there are hidden talents everywhere.”
Yang Tong was flattered and overwhelmed by the praise, “Young man, you’re quite graceful too. You look like you come from a wealthy family. Where is your home?”
“Brother Yang is too kind. I have a bit of money, that’s all.” Liu Zhongming humbly replied, “My family is in the capital city.”
“The capital is great, isn’t it? Right under the Emperor’s feet, filled with dignitaries everywhere. I wonder what they all look like. Have you met any of them?”
“During meals, I’ve seen a few. They all just have two eyes and a nose, nothing special.”
“You’re absolutely right! You’re absolutely right! Interesting!” Yang Tong laughed loudly. “Are you here for business? Big Brother and you have such a rapport. How about joining me and doing business with the Lord Shizi?”
Liu Zhongming was curious, “Which Lord Shizi? Does Brother Yang know the Lord Shizi?”
“Anyone who can do business here could also deal with the Lord Shizi!”
Yang Tong patiently explained, “Of course, it’s the An Ding Marquis Lord Shizi! I work for the Lord Shizi’s shop now. If you want to join, you can rely on me. Lord Shizi’s family has a vast fortune. Even a single strand of hair from him would last you a lifetime.”
Liu Zhongming modestly nodded, “Thank you for your advice, Brother Yang. But this time I’m not here for business. I’m looking for someone, and that person also lives in Shimao County. I wonder if you know them.”
“Speak up! Just for this meal! Big Brother will support you, no matter what.”
“Qin Hua,” Liu Zhongming looked at him closely and asked, “Do you have any impression of a person named Qin Hua?”
Yang Tong’s chopsticks stopped in his bowl, and he furrowed his brows. After scrutinizing Liu Zhongming for a while, he finally spoke, “You’re looking for him? Why are you looking for him?”
“Well, you see,” Liu Zhongming indicated with his eyes towards the figure sitting behind the screen, “Qin Hua’s wife, Madame Zhang, is the aunt of my wife. Recently, her father-in-law and mother-in-law passed away one after another. My wife was devastated, so I thought I would take him to visit his relatives. It might help relieve his grief.”
Yang Tong also glanced in that direction and nodded knowingly.
“You’re quite a thoughtful and kind husband. How long has it been since you last had contact with Madame Zhang?”
“Since my wife married me, we’ve had no contact, and I’ve never met this aunt. Even before that, my wife was quite young, so they don’t remember clearly. It’s been a long time.”
“That explains it,” Yang Tong waved his hand, “You’re too late. They’ve long gone.”
“Gone?” Liu Zhongming inquired further, “What do you mean by ‘gone’?”
“Who knows? The whole family vanished. They quietly moved out. Since they didn’t usually spend much time in town, no one knows when they left.”
Liu Zhongming felt somewhat disappointed and asked again, “Brother Yang, have you ever seen them?”
“How could I not have seen them?” Yang Tong was puzzled by this question. “Qin Hua is quite a strange person. He didn’t come out much, spent money recklessly. At that time, we used to hang out together. To be honest—”
He leaned in with a mysterious smile, lowering his voice.
“Qin Hua has quite a skill. He made all those sisters quite infatuated with him. People are really jealous of him.”
Liu Zhongming’s mind stirred and he asked, “What kind of skill?”
“Oh come on, little brother. Why pretend to be innocent?” Yang Tong lifted his head and took a sip of wine before winking and saying, “This whole room is filled with that kind of vibe. You’re acting like you don’t know what I’m talking about?”
Liu Zhongming hesitated for a moment before realizing what “that kind of vibe” meant. He coughed awkwardly, “Brother Yang, please show mercy with someone here.”
Yang Tong burst into laughter, “I understand, I understand. You’re a young couple after all. It’s hard to resist during the day, and you’re still shy.”
“As for the rest,” Liu Zhongming quickly changed the topic, “What about their family members? Did they say anything before leaving? Where did they go? Or did they say anything unusual?”
“I haven’t heard anything, so I’m puzzled too. It’s one thing for the adults to keep quiet, but even their kids were still in school. Their eldest had even talked about getting married and suddenly they left.”
Yang Tong continued eating for a while, and seeing Liu Zhongming’s disappointment, he prodded him with his chopsticks.
“Whether you’re looking for someone or doing business, it’s best to get in touch with the Lord Shizi. Just show him some respect and make a good impression. He might help you find what you’re looking for.”
Liu Zhongming smiled wryly, “Even if it’s the Shizi, it’s not that easy to find someone.”
“Why not?” Yang Tong was slightly annoyed by his skepticism. “The Lord Shizi’s properties are spread all over the place. With a simple portrait, finding someone is just a trivial matter.”
“A portrait?” Liu Zhongming caught onto two crucial words. “Where do they have their portraits?”
“That’s not difficult at all. You lucked out today, little brother!”
Yang Tong put down his chopsticks and grinned, “I’ll be honest with you. I can only offer this skill of mine. How else could I make a living at the Lord Shizi’s place? Even the city guards come to me to draw wanted posters.”
“Can you draw a portrait of Qin Hua?” Liu Zhongming felt his blood rush to his head.
“Qin Hua used to hang out with us, so I definitely remember him. But as for his wife and kids, I can only give you a rough outline.”
There was a noise behind the screen.
Neither of them had expected that a breakthrough would come in this way.
After Yang Tong finished eating and drinking, he pushed away the dishes, called for paper and ink, and within an hour or so, all six sketches were completed.
Liu Zhongming gave him some silver again, thanked him politely, and sent him away. He dashed back to his guest room with the wind at his back. Inside, Qu Chenzhou had arranged the portraits side by side and asked him to look at two of them.
One was of Qin Hua, and the other was of Qin family’s third son.
As Qu Chenzhou unrolled the curled edges of the portraits, his hands trembled.
“Zhongming, look at them…,” he raised his head and looked at Liu Zhongming, “Do you think they resemble someone?”
In each other’s eyes, they both saw a name.
Zhiwei.
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