Chapter 80
The maid entered the room hurriedly and reported, “Miss, the young master is no longer at the inn. The innkeeper said he checked out late last night and left.”
“Left?” Song Lige repeated, her swollen eyes barely able to open. Holding a handkerchief to one eye and massaging her temple with the other, her hands trembled slightly. Her face was streaked with tears.
“Miss, what should we do? Should I fetch a doctor?” another maid asked hesitantly.
“No.” Song Lige closed her eyes, letting the tears flow unchecked. Her pale face looked ghostly, her swollen eyes resembling walnuts—an eerie sight that might have frightened others. Her clenched fists betrayed the deep anguish she felt.
Her head throbbed incessantly from a night of crying. The dizziness made her thoughts muddled, as though her brain might explode. Yet, she knew deep down this had something to do with Murong Qiufeng.
Just then, the maid who had gone out earlier burst in, panic-stricken. “Miss, something terrible has happened!”
“Stop shouting! Can’t you see how unwell the miss is?” scolded the other maid.
The panicked maid looked as though she might cry. “No, Miss! There’s a crowd outside—a lot of people!”
“Speak clearly,” Song Lige snapped, her ears buzzing, her mind clouded with frustration as the two maids argued.
“Miss, it’s the people who were hurt by the zither music the other day. They’ve brought their families, and they’re saying…” The maid hesitated, her voice trembling.
“Say it!” Song Lige slammed her hand on the table, her temper flaring.
“They’re saying you’re a fox spirit! That… you bewitched them!” the maid blurted out.
“What?! Who’s spreading such nonsense? Which bastard dared say that?” Before Song Lige could react, the other maid shouted indignantly.
The first maid hesitated before explaining, “I asked around. Apparently, some of the men who were affected kept calling Miss’s name in their sleep last night. And… they were… doing indecent things while calling for you. Their wives noticed and initially thought it was lingering effects of the zither music. But when they called for doctors, the physicians found nothing wrong with their bodies except… signs of excessive indulgence. Under their wives’ questioning, the men confessed that they were bewitched by Miss’s beauty and manipulated into doing bad things. They admitted they weren’t injured at all.”
Song Lige, though her head felt like it was about to split, understood the implications. Her heart sank, an ominous feeling growing stronger. She dragged herself to the window and peeked outside. Sure enough, a crowd had gathered in front of the inn, shouting and arguing. However, officials arrived soon after, dispersing the crowd with a few words.
Moments later, someone knocked on her door.
The maids exchanged nervous glances before one cautiously opened the door to find two constables standing outside.
“Gentlemen, what brings you here?” the maid asked nervously.
The constables, stern-faced, asked, “Is Miss Song Lige present?”
The maid froze, unsure of how to respond, but Song Lige had already approached. Her face, pale and tear-streaked, bore a look of utter despair. Her pitiful state made her appear as though she’d been dealt a devastating blow. “Sirs, I am Song Lige. May I ask what brings you here?”
The constables glanced at each other before softening their tone. “Miss Song, we’ve been sent by the prefectural magistrate to inform you that yesterday’s incident has been formally registered as a case. Murong Qiufeng is currently under house arrest at the royal residence pending trial. Tomorrow, an official appointed by the emperor will arrive to oversee the case. Miss, we ask for your cooperation in attending court to present your testimony.”
“Court?” Song Lige repeated, stunned.
“Yes. If Miss Song has any grievances or evidence, you may prepare a formal complaint to submit during the hearing. That is all. For the next few days, we will station officers here to ensure your safety. Please do not worry. Apologies for the intrusion.” With that, the constables saluted and departed.
Song Lige’s expression shifted rapidly, her teeth grinding audibly.
“Miss, there really are many officers guarding the inn,” one maid confirmed after peeking outside.
With a swift motion, Song Lige turned and struck the table, shattering it into pieces. Her voice, low and seething with rage, escaped through clenched teeth. “Murong Qiufeng… you’re good. Officials shielding each other, aren’t you? Hmph, as expected, not a single one of you in power is any good!”
The maid hesitated for a moment before asking, “Miss, what should we do now?”
Song Lige let out a cold laugh, her eyes narrowing. “What should we do? Hmph, we’ll wait and see. The key is to never admit to anything. Let the chaos continue, let it grow. The more public, the better. Let it spread beyond our borders—let everyone know how disgraceful Murong Qiufeng is.”
A crisp voice suddenly interrupted, laced with mockery. “Hah, the thief crying ‘stop thief!’ Who’s truly disgraceful here, I wonder?”
Everyone in the room froze, startled.
Song Lige was especially shocked, her face paling further as she demanded, “Who’s there? Who is it?”
The voice sneered, unhurried. “Song Lige… No, perhaps just ‘Lige.’ The famed qin master Lige isn’t staying quietly in her music hall, but instead out here ‘nourishing yin with yang.’ Why is that? Have the men of Yanyang become insufficient for you? Did you travel all this way to prey on good men?”
Song Lige’s already pale face turned ghostly white, her lips trembling.
The voice continued mercilessly. “Foolish woman, don’t think every man is a pawn in your game. Let me tell you, you’ve picked the wrong place to act out. This time, you’ll have to fend for yourself. You meddled with someone you shouldn’t have. As for those enchanting eyes of yours, consider them the first warning.”
The room fell silent as Song Lige clenched her fists, her body shaking. By the time she opened her eyes, the intruder had gone.
Song Lige’s identity was far more complex than just being a qin virtuoso. Anyone who could investigate her background was no ordinary person. If this individual was connected to Murong Qiufeng, then even with the backing of the Prime Minister’s residence or the royal court, it would be nearly impossible to uncover such details without the resources of Mufeng Tower. Yet even purchasing information from Mufeng Tower required not only wealth but significant influence—and it could never happen so quickly.
Hadn’t Murong Qiufeng always been rumored to be a useless dandy, neglected by his family and forced to seek a mentor in the mountains? He was supposed to be a failure.
As for the recent case being officially filed, it was clearly a calculated move to shift a private grievance into the realm of court intrigue. It seemed certain that Shangguan Ye was aiding Murong Qiufeng from behind the scenes, shielding him under official authority.
Damn it. Why would someone like Shangguan Ye, who risked his reputation, assist someone as insignificant as Murong Qiufeng? Clearly, there was more to this “hypocrite” than met the eye.
But this wasn’t Yanyang. If the officials colluded, how could she fight them? Yet leaving now felt like an unbearable concession. At the very least, she needed to reclaim Elder Yue’s qin score from Murong Qiufeng with proper justification.
“Miss, what should we do now?” the maid asked again.
“Do nothing. Wait until tomorrow. I’d like to see what tricks Murong Qiufeng has up his sleeve,” Song Lige replied coldly.
“But, Miss, your eyes—”
“They’re fine. Actually, this might work in our favor. Go find a doctor and spread the word that I’ve cried myself blind from heartbreak and despair. Let the world think my sorrow is unending and my grief irreparable.”
“Understood.”
For most people, a single day might not suffice to accomplish much. But for others, it was more than enough.
Murong Qiufeng, though merely a nominal deputy leader of Mufeng Tower, wielded as much authority as Yun Feiyang. Within three hours, the tower provided him with a full report on Song Lige’s background, from childhood to adulthood, including a detailed list of her possessions.
Among the findings, one key detail caught Murong Qiufeng’s attention, a revelation that could unravel this entire scheme: Song Lige did not possess the Fengyi Qin.
