Chapter 506: My Sister Is Willing to Help
Chapter 506: Chapter 506: My Sister Is Willing to Help
Inside the incense shop.
The Shopkeeper respectfully brought out the order ledger for Xie Ming’an and Shen Ningning to see.
They had been there for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Xie Ming’an told the Shopkeeper he wanted to buy their best-selling incense, one with a musk base.
He asked the Shopkeeper for a recommendation.
And so, the enthusiastic Shopkeeper brought out the ledger directly.
"My esteemed guests, take a look. This ’Crimson Poppy’ is our shop’s best-selling incense."
"It’s a blend of twelve different spices, with musk as the primary note, complemented by orchid seeds, Gardenia Blossom, and an imported Clearheart Incense from the Western Regions."
"Many high officials and nobles are fond of this one. If you buy it now, you can get a small box to try for just thirty taels."
Shen Ningning opened it and took a sniff, but she couldn’t tell if the scent was similar to the one on the pearls.
She turned to look at Xie Ming’an, only to see her brother with his hands clasped behind his back, not looking at the "Crimson Poppy" at all. Instead, he was browsing the other spices in the shop.
The Shopkeeper sidled up to him. "Young Master, you don’t care for the ’Crimson Poppy’? How about another? This ’Heavenly Night Star’ is also excellent. It’s perfect for a man as dashing and elegant as yourself."
Xie Ming’an shook his head. "I’ll look around some more."
The Shopkeeper had no choice but to leave them be for the moment, letting the siblings browse on their own.
Shen Ningning walked over to her brother’s side and whispered, "Honestly, brother, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to look at the ledger? There might be a clue in there!"
Xie Ming’an shot his sister a sideways glance and reached out to pinch her small nose.
"Silly girl. Look at all those densely packed names. How long would it take us to analyze them one by one?"
"Besides, I glanced over it just now. None of those names are major clients."
"An incense potent enough to stain a pearl half-black must have been used excessively. A prominent family wouldn’t be a walk-in customer. When they buy incense, why would they leave a trace in a common ledger like that?"
Shen Ningning had a sudden realization.
Xie Ming’an meant that when high officials and nobles bought things like clothing or incense, they placed special orders.
Those would be recorded on individual receipts.
They would never be casually recorded in a public ledger like this one.
Xie Ming’an picked up a Gardenia Blossom incense and sniffed it.
"This one suits you," he said, and was about to go pay for it.
Shen Ningning’s large, watery eyes widened as she grabbed his wrist.
"Brother, are we giving up on the investigation?"
"We’re still investigating, but for this kind of thing, you have to wait for the right opportunity. If you ask directly, the Shopkeeper will get suspicious and you’ll tip them off. We just have to wait."
Xie Ming’an went to the counter to pay. The shop was now filled with customers, all choosing incense in groups.
As Shen Ningning was looking around, bored, she suddenly saw a familiar figure walk into the shop.
"Mrs. Qi?" The young girl blinked.
Qi Xiuwei’s mother, of the Yu Family, entered with her maid. She looked up and immediately spotted the Princess with her delicate, lovely face amidst the crowd.
She immediately came forward, a broad smile on her face. "This humble subject greets the Princess. Are you also here to choose incense?"
Just then, Xie Ming’an returned to Shen Ningning’s side after paying for the incense and answered for her, "Yes. Is Mrs. Qi also here to buy incense? If you’re an expert, perhaps you could recommend a few. I want to buy some for my little sister, but she refuses to let me waste my silver on her, always saying it’s unnecessary."
Shen Ningning nudged him with her elbow.
"Who said I was being frugal? I was just too lazy to choose!"
Mrs. Qi smiled radiantly. "You two siblings are so close. As for incense, I don’t really have any good recommendations. I’m not an expert in this area, but my family exclusively uses ’Crimson Poppy’."
Hearing this, the brother and sister exchanged a look.
Mrs. Qi didn’t notice anything amiss and continued, "This incense has become very famous recently. Many families in the capital are using it. It’s a bit pricey, but the scent is lovely."
"See? I’m here to place a new order right now." As she finished speaking, the Shopkeeper was already heading over to greet her.
It was clear Mrs. Qi was a major client and a regular customer, so the Shopkeeper treated her with even greater enthusiasm.
"Well then, I must be going." Mrs. Qi smiled and nodded, not forgetting to add to Shen Ningning, "Wei’er has been in low spirits lately. I heard there was some misunderstanding at the Su Mansion. She always listens to you, Princess. If you have the time, perhaps you could go and talk to her?"
Before Shen Ningning could answer, Xie Ming’an said, "My little sister was just talking about this. She was planning on it. There’s no time like the present, so why not go in a little while?"
Shen Ningning’s eyes went wide, and she glared at Xie Ming’an indignantly.
’How dare he make decisions for me!’
Mrs. Qi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Of course, that’s no problem at all. Just wait for me a moment. I’ll be right back after I fill out my order."
Once she was a good distance away, Shen Ningning grabbed her brother’s arm.
"Brother, how could you agree without even thinking?"
"This Qi Family feels very strange to me. Qi Xiuwei seems like the most likely person to have instigated Caiyun’s tattling. Now all sorts of clues are related to her, so I think we should pay a visit to the Qi Mansion and see what’s really going on."
Shen Ningning sighed in resignation. "Fine."
She just wasn’t sure how she would face Xiao Wei.
After all, she had promised to investigate the matter thoroughly and get justice for Qi Xiuwei.
’But I don’t have a single lead yet.’
「At the Qi Mansion.」
Mrs. Qi happily instructed a maid.
"Go tell Wei’er that the Princess is here to see her. Have her freshen up and come to the main hall to greet our guest."
However, the housekeeper came rushing over.
His face was fraught with anxiety. "Madam, you’re finally back! It’s terrible news—the Old Madam just passed away! The doctor is already here. He said she... she died from a fit of extreme agitation... You must go and see!"
Mrs. Qi’s face went pale, and the brocade box in her hand fell to the floor with a THUD.
She paid no mind to the siblings, Xie Ming’an and Shen Ningning, who were still standing in the hall, and hurried off with the housekeeper.
Shen Ningning frowned. "See, brother? I told you this wasn’t a good time to come."
Xie Ming’an smiled. "That’s not necessarily true."
His dark eyes held a strange, deep glimmer.
"Come on, let’s go take a look too. We might be able to help."
Shen Ningning was about to say that it was a bad idea, but Xie Ming’an forcefully grabbed her wrist and pulled her along in the housekeeper’s direction.
When they reached the outside of the Old Madam’s courtyard, they saw it was filled with sobbing servants.
The sounds of Mrs. Qi and Qi Xiuwei crying could be heard continuously from the inner room.
"Mother..." "Grandmother..."
The doctor came out from inside. Mrs. Qi, wiping her tears, followed alongside him, supported by a maid.
They heard the doctor shake his head and say, "Forgive my bluntness, but the Old Madam’s death is suspicious. It doesn’t seem like... a normal death from old age. The bleeding from her ears looks more like she died from poison."
"What?!" Mrs. Qi was startled. "P-Poison? How is that possible? We’ve always been so careful in looking after her. Even though the Old Madam was always in poor health and sleeping most of the time, we were still very attentive. There’s no way something like this could have happened."
The doctor pursed his lips. "If you distinguished ladies and gentlemen are willing, you could ask a forensic doctor to investigate. Perhaps the truth can be uncovered."
The implication was that an autopsy would be required.
Mrs. Qi was not one to make decisions, and hearing this only made her cry more sorrowfully.
"The Old Madam had such a bitter fate..."
Just then, Mr. Qi, having heard the news, also rushed back from the government office.
He was shouting all the way, "Mother! Mother!"
As he passed Shen Ningning, Mr. Qi nearly stumbled and fell from grief, but thankfully the housekeeper steadied him.
He ran into the room, crying.
Xie Ming’an watched his retreating back, frowning in confusion.
Shen Ningning felt that they had really come at the wrong time.
She tugged on Xie Ming’an’s sleeve and said quietly, "Brother, we should go home for now. We can come back to the Qi Mansion after Xiao Wei and her family have dealt with this."
Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, Xie Ming’an grabbed her hand and raised it in the air.
He shouted, "Mrs. Qi! I have some experience as a forensic doctor. My sister says I should help you conduct a thorough investigation."
Shen Ningning’s eyes flew wide. "Brother, you—!"