Daishan Turns The Wind Chapter 27

The Perfumer Case (8)

An hour later, Feng Yuluo squatted by the roadside, fanning himself with his sleeve, his eyes filled with disbelief.

They had walked through streets and alleys, chatting with elderly women, eating melon seeds, and quietly asking about the owner of the Sui’an Perfumery, Sun Zhengmo.

People said that Sun Zhengmo grew up in the countryside, was engaged in a childhood betrothal, and came to the city with her husband after marriage to find a living. When her husband fell ill, Madam Sun set up a stall to earn money for medicine, taught herself perfumery, and opened the Sui’an Perfumery, but her husband still unfortunately passed away.

Beyond that, people just kept repeating that she was rich, beautiful, and highly capable.

These were all known facts, but they hadn’t managed to dig up anything else.

Feng Yuluo squatted by the roadside, thinking that Old Li had chatted with people the same way and managed to uncover every secret. He and Shan Wuzhou had also used this method to extract information about Shen Yun.

Today, the method wasn’t working.

Shan Wuzhou brought over a melon, handed him half, and then squatted beside him. Listening to the crunching, watery sounds, he slowly began to eat.

Feng Yuluo mumbled, “Sun Zhengmo doesn’t even have a husband. All those stories are fake.”

After swallowing his bite, Shan Wuzhou offered a false compliment: “Grandmaster is amazing, you figured that out.”

Feng Yuluo buried his head, finished the melon, wiped his mouth, and said it was nothing.

In truth, both of them only realized her widow status was fake when Sun Zhengmo said she wanted to take Fu Qingmu home while they were in prison.

It wasn’t that they were unobservant; it was just inappropriate to pry into a woman’s privacy. Moreover, Sun Zhengmo wore heavy makeup and had dozens of jade hairpins in her coiled hair. They genuinely hadn’t thought much of it, and had even seriously considered whether she was seeking revenge for her husband.

Now it seemed that wasn’t the case either.

Shan Wuzhou asked what they should do next.

Feng Yuluo really wanted to summon Yuanbao’s true form and beat it up. This creature probably knew they couldn’t defeat it in a direct fight, so it deliberately found people to create cases for them to investigate!

Since chasing its clones, the most frequent questions he faced were: “What should we do? What should we do now? What should we do next? And then what?”

“I want to know what to do too!”

He cried out to the heavens.

Shan Wuzhou finished eating and was about to stand up to throw away the melon rind when he saw Feng Yuluo’s face covered in melon residue, looking indignant and quite comical.

He instinctively reached out with a handkerchief to wipe it. Feng Yuluo, who had been squinting, leaned back slightly, looking embarrassed, and said he would do it himself.

Shan Wuzhou immediately felt a surge of irritation. He seemed truly rebellious. Because this person had died once, he had been afraid and had been trying to counsel himself, believing he could resolve this matter.

Later, he questioned himself, wondering if he was just inexperienced, acting like a naive youth who mistook a little affection for true feelings, and was constantly looking for the other person’s flaws.

Although he was repeatedly conflicted, he understood. If this matter were easy, his Dao heart wouldn’t have been damaged.

He was already angry at himself.

But when Feng Yuluo tried to dodge or say something, his rebellious streak flared up, giving him the urge to do exactly what he was told not to.

So, he put down the melon rind, held the Grandmaster down with one hand, and used the handkerchief with the other to wipe the Grandmaster’s face clean.

“Mmmph mmmph mmmph.”

Just as the enraged Feng Yuluo was about to strike, Shan Wuzhou’s eyes lit up: “I know what to do now.”

This statement was highly effective. Feng Yuluo’s hand changed direction mid-air, and he leaned forward to ask how.

The face smeared with melon residue was very red, positioned less than half an arm’s length from Shan Wuzhou’s eyes. He lowered his gaze, and after a moment, following his heart’s impulse, he reached out and pinched the chin, ending with a vigorous rub of the cheek.

Then he picked up the melon rind and went to throw it away.

The texture was satisfactory.

Feng Yuluo was dumbfounded, his face flushed. After a long pause, he cursed, “You scoundrel.”

Shan Wuzhou walked back, in a very good mood, and said airily, “Sun Zhengmo’s deceased husband was fabricated. We can’t find out any other information. I suspect her name is also fake. Unless we find the place where she lived before, any investigation we do will be useless.”

Feng Yuluo suppressed his anger: “So?”

Seeing him angry only improved Shan Wuzhou’s mood. It was more satisfying than setting off firecrackers during the New Year. He chuckled, “But Fu Qingmu is different. She was forced into the palace because her family was convicted, so her identity must be real. If we investigate her family’s affairs, we might find traces of Sun Zhengmo’s existence.”

That made some sense.

Still fuming, Feng Yuluo said sarcastically, “You’re very clever.”

Shan Wuzhou laughed twice: “The Ancestral Master taught me well.”

…

The case of Fu Qingmu was easy to inquire about. Her paternal grandmother was Princess Dongping, her grandfather was the Grand Tutor, her mother was the Empress’s niece, and her father served as the Vice Minister of Personnel.

Five years ago, the “Curse and Soul Return” incident occurred in Xuan Kingdom. Led by the Heir of Prince Dong’an, they used witchcraft to curse the imperial family, intending to rebel. General Yang Yi discovered this, and the Prince Dong’an Estate was executed. Princess Dongping was implicated.

The subsequent investigation also revealed that the Grand Tutor had instigated the Crown Prince to mismanage state affairs, hoping the Crown Prince would be alienated, thus cooperating with the Heir of Prince Dong’an to usurp the throne. The Ministry of Personnel then had a corruption case. Fu Qingmu’s family was completely swept into the turmoil, and the entire household was convicted.

At the time, the Empress was pregnant. Upon hearing the terrible news, she suffered a premature birth. After giving birth to a princess, she desperately pleaded with the Emperor to spare her niece’s family, but only the young Fu Qingmu was saved.

The facts of the case were set in stone, but there were various rumors circulating among the populace. For instance, the Heir of Prince Dong’an was distantly related to the imperial family. Even if the curse succeeded, the throne wouldn’t fall to him unless he raised an army.

But he only had less than two hundred estate guards. How could he possibly contend for the throne?

People speculated that he was cursed first and lost his mind.

Furthermore, the cursing was done secretly at home. How could General Yang Yi have discovered it? People guessed they were originally allies, and Yang Yi’s soldiers were the Heir of Prince Dong’an’s original force, but a disagreement over interests led Yang Yi to betray them.

Others said that the Grand Tutor advocated benevolence and righteousness, and might have spoken ill of Yang Yi to the Crown Prince, causing the Crown Prince to dislike the General. Yang Yi, fearing that the new emperor’s ascension might be detrimental to him, proactively struck, fabricating a case to eliminate the Grand Tutor’s family.

It was also rumored that after this incident, the Crown Prince’s influence waned, and the Emperor was displeased, entertaining thoughts of replacing him. He only refrained from deposing the Crown Prince out of consideration for the Empress’s affection and her grief over the premature birth and loss of kin.

There were many plausible speculations.

What was certain was that Fu Qingmu and Yang Yi had a deep, blood-soaked enmity. The Empress and Yang Yi also had a blood feud, and the Crown Prince and Yang Yi also harbored great hatred.

Yang Yi had offended many people.

If the case from back then was fabricated, Yang Yi owed a debt of several hundred lives.

Considering the six people who escaped, the leader was a young woman. This woman was very likely Fu Qingmu, the only survivor of the Fu family.

Then who was Sun Zhengmo?

Fu Qingmu’s enemy was Yang Yi. Sun Zhengmo, who knew Fu Qingmu, desperately wanted to get her out of the palace, changed her name, fabricated a story, and opened a shop—would her enemy also be Yang Yi?

The ultimate wish exchanged with Yuanbao was to kill Yang Yi for revenge.

But it shouldn’t be that simple, just helping Fu Qingmu seek revenge.

The little demon Yuanbao chose Sun Zhengmo based on the most intense human emotion, meaning the emotion stemmed from the heart.

Madam Sun’s eagerness to earn money and her eagerness to save someone were both intense emotions.

However, based on the previous two cases, Shan Wuzhou and Feng Yuluo had analyzed and concluded that Yuanbao chose people who harbored hatred and sought revenge.

Therefore, they suspected that Sun Zhengmo also held a grudge against Yang Yi.

Their eyes looked somewhat similar. If the Fu family was raided and the two had a blood relationship, it could only be a distant one.

The same hatred, a blood relationship, changing names, wearing heavy makeup…

The Prince Dong’an Estate?

The entire Prince Dong’an Estate was executed. Could someone have survived?

Returning to the perfumery, Sun Zhengmo emerged from the secret room, pressing her fingers to her head, as if she had a headache.

Feng Yuluo glanced over. The desktop was a mess, indicating she hadn’t succeeded in making the incense. The scents were mixed but still quite pleasant.

He offered a practiced comfort: “No rush, you still have three days.”

Sun Zhengmo sighed, “It’s too difficult, and the deadline is too tight.”

Not understanding perfumery, Feng Yuluo couldn’t help, so he thoughtfully prepared to clean up the mess. Sun Zhengmo’s face turned pale, and she rushed forward to stop him: “What are you doing?”

Feng Yuluo held a rag: “I’m tidying up.”

Sun Zhengmo looked exasperated: “Even if the incense isn’t made well, you don’t just throw it away. Who throws away thousands of taels casually?”

“…This costs thousands of taels?”

Shan Wuzhou was also surprised and picked up a plate to examine it.

Pale color, fine texture, clear fragrance, and very expensive.

Sun Zhengmo could barely keep her eyes open, saying, “The Phoenix Incense for the Empress took several months, meticulously configured proportions, and every ingredient was the best. Now I have to rush out incense for the Emperor in a few days. It’s too hard.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

Sun Zhengmo eyed Shan Wuzhou: “Pray.”

“?”

Sun Zhengmo said mysteriously, “There’s no time to make it properly. I plan to mix several good spices together, add some herbs for longevity and strengthening the foundation, make the appearance look beautiful, luxurious, and noble, and just pass it off that way. You two pray that no one around the Emperor raises objections.”

Feng Yuluo understood: “Then just do that! I told you not to overwork yourself. Take care of your health.”

Sun Zhengmo was stunned, realizing her secrecy was pointless. She laughed angrily, “If I get caught, it’s a crime of deceiving the Emperor, punishable by extermination of the nine generations.”

“…”

Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou exchanged a look, their expressions becoming more serious.

Given that they always guessed the answers incorrectly, when Sun Zhengmo so frankly mentioned “extermination of the nine generations,” they began to doubt their previous deductions again.

“It’s fine. The spices you use are top-grade, and the herbs are also top-grade. How can offering good things to the Emperor be considered deception? At worst, I’ll give you some spiritual pills, and you can scrape a bit into the mix.”

Sun Zhengmo waved her hand, saying there was no need. She had already decided how to proceed. The appearance and effect wouldn’t be bad, but she was afraid someone would cause trouble, comparing it with the Empress’s Phoenix Incense. That would be the end of her.

After worrying, she smiled proudly: “I’ll name it Dragon Yu Incense. How is that? Is the name good?”

The two praised her. Although the ingredients couldn’t compare to the Phoenix Incense, at least the name was grand.

They figured the Emperor wouldn’t be so petty as to scrutinize whether every pinch of incense powder was more precious or better.

Could eating a five-wen mung bean cake destabilize his throne?

“Then these failed batches… should I sell them in the shop?”

“No. Since I’m already fooling the Emperor, I don’t care anymore. I’ll pack these up later, add some other things, rub them together to make incense, and send them to the Chief Eunuch Liu Wu, General Yang Yi, Minister of Rites Zhu Quan, and the Crown Prince.”

“…”

Sun Zhengmo sighed, “Success isn’t easy. You have to curry favor with everyone at the top.” Then she smiled sheepishly, “The ingredients are good, though. Don’t waste them. I don’t have much money left, so I’ll use this, ha ha ha ha.”

“…”

Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou weren’t concerned about the cost. They were focused on the fact that Madam Sun mentioned Yang Yi with more composure than she mentioned “extermination of the nine generations.”

If she was acting, she was incredibly skilled, showing absolutely no sign of hatred. Before, Madam Sun had only shown an eagerness to earn money, which had already thrown the two off track.

But if she wasn’t acting, it was quite laughable, meaning Feng Yuluo and Shan Wuzhou had spent all that time analyzing and deducing, only to be wrong again.

On the day Yang Yi returned to the city, thirty-something assassins from different factions simultaneously attempted to assassinate him. One of them killed his son, Yang Ye, on the spot.

Afterward, the assassins were silenced, but six escaped.

Yang Yi might have suspected the Crown Prince and deliberately placed the incense supply business with the Ministry of Rites to warn him. Zhu Quan of the Ministry of Rites was forced to look for the six escapees to shift the blame.

After learning so much, a small question arose:

If those six people were Fu Qingmu and her subordinates, would the Crown Prince pursue and kill Fu Qingmu and the others to shift the blame?

Fu Qingmu was raised by the Empress, and the Crown Prince was the Empress’s child. These people were related, and could even be considered victims of the same blood feud.

It was possible they conspired to assassinate Yang Yi, but infighting to avoid disaster… Was the imperial family that heartless?

It seemed so. Those assassins were all silenced. The imperial family was indeed ruthless.

Shan Wuzhou was as frustrated as Feng Yuluo, but he was in a better mood today and seemed more relaxed. He asked, “Tell us about the Curse and Soul Return case. Did anyone from the Prince Dong’an Estate survive?”

Feng Yuluo remained impassive, but inwardly cheered. This young man was capable. Asking sincerely was much better than running around in circles.

Sun Zhengmo said, “Oh, so you went out to inquire about that.” She took the work log, crossed off their entries for the day, and then began to recount the case.

Compared to the stories they had heard, her version included more speculation.

At that time, the capital was full of talent, and two seventeen-year-old geniuses were the focus of public attention: one was the Crown Prince, and the other was the Heir of Prince Dong’an.

The Crown Prince was virtuous and sensible, highly respected, befriended famous scholars and literati, discussed major issues of people’s livelihood, and criticized current affairs.

The Heir of Prince Dong’an was also a rare genius, young and dashing, with brilliant literary talent that astonished the capital.

They were called the Bright Pearl and the Jade.

This flourishing situation led to suspicion in the Emperor’s eyes. However, the suspicion wasn’t directed at the two young men, but at the General.

Those who held military power were inevitably suspected. Yang Yi was already arrogant. What if he decided to choose one of them? Or what if, after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he couldn’t control Yang Yi?

The Emperor was reluctant to harm the Crown Prince, so he began to warn Yang Yi, preparing to reclaim his military authority.

Yang Yi refused, but he understood the Emperor’s worries. Therefore, he exposed the “Curse and Soul Return” case, implicating the Prince Dong’an Estate and then the Grand Tutor’s family. Under the charge of treason, blood flowed like a river, and the two geniuses were left one dead and one wounded.

The General had offended both sides, which was enough to prove his absolute loyalty.

Sun Zhengmo finished speaking, her face showing sorrow.

Inside the room, the orchid fragrance was elegant and delicate. Outside, the peace was built upon piles of death.

Shan Wuzhou frowned and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Feng Yuluo was shocked, and it took him a long time to recover: “Just for a false show of loyalty, Yang Yi fabricated such a massive blood case, sacrificing hundreds of lives?”

Sun Zhengmo shrugged, stood up, and prepared to get back to work.

Feng Yuluo pressed on, “Then, did anyone from the Prince Dong’an Estate survive?”

Sun Zhengmo walked toward the secret room, saying, “The crime of treason meant no one in the entire household was spared.”

The two looked troubled.

“However, the head maid in the inner quarters had served the Heir well. Her seventeen-year-old daughter was allowed to be freed from servitude. She went to Xicheng to travel and study perfumery under a master. A few months later, she returned to the capital to visit her family, and the blood case had occurred,”

Sun Zhengmo turned back and smiled: “She had nowhere else to go, so she opened a shop.”