Chapter 192
Chapter 192
After hearing the servant’s description, Ren Fengjue’s expression changed subtly. His gaze swept the room again without drawing notice.
Just then, however, a commotion arose outside the door.
Someone seemed to be arguing.
“Concubine Qiu, the Eldest Young Master is entertaining distinguished guests from the Capital. You cannot disturb them!”
“I don’t care! I want to see him! My Yue’er hasn’t come home for days either! As his elder brother, isn’t he worried at all?”
“The Eldest Young Master will not ignore the Second Young Master’s situation. Please return for now!”
The voices drew rapidly closer, and in the blink of an eye, a figure appeared at the doorway.
She was a rather attractive married woman who was still fairly young.
Judging by the guard’s form of address and the quality of her dress, she was likely a favored concubine.
Unable to stop her at the courtyard gate, the guard could only trail behind with his head hanging.
Inside, Zhong Dingyan’s expression turned extremely ugly.
He immediately went to the door and frowned at Concubine Qiu outside.
“What are you doing, Concubine Qiu?”
At the sight of him, Concubine Qiu instantly raised her handkerchief and began to weep.
“Dingyan, your younger brother hasn’t come home for days either. Could you send some men to search the city for him?”
Zhong Dingyan showed none of the concern expected from an elder brother.
Instead, he looked impatient.
“Second Brother has stayed out all night more times than I can count. Once he runs out of money, he will naturally come home.”
Concubine Qiu did not like hearing that.
Her sobs quieted, and her voice turned shrill. “How can you say such a thing? He is still your own blood brother! You may have different mothers, but he is your brother!”
Zhong Dingyan’s frown deepened, but he had no desire to argue with her.
“I am busy. We will discuss this later!”
He waved a hand, intending to have the guard remove her.
Concubine Qiu reacted quickly. Taking advantage of her slight build, she darted straight into Zhong Ming’s bedchamber.
“I won’t leave!”
Thoroughly exasperated, she cried, “If Yue’er isn’t found today, I will remain right here!”
Concubine Qiu displayed not the slightest embarrassment before all the strangers in the room.
Zhong Dingyan immediately felt humiliated. With no other choice, he called to the guard outside, “You…”
“Go search for the Second Young Master now. Do not return until you find him!”
The guard dared not object and was about to turn away when someone inside spoke.
“There is no hurry.”
The speaker was Ren Fengjue.
Zhong Dingyan was mildly startled and was about to explain, but Ren Fengjue had already taken two steps toward Concubine Qiu.
“May I ask how many days the Second Young Master has been away from home?”
Seeing that someone was finally willing to pay attention to her, Concubine Qiu immediately counted on her fingers. “At least six or seven days!”
“Oh?”
Ren Fengjue looked at Zhong Dingyan. “Young Master Zhong, what was the relationship between the Second Young Master and Minister Zhong… like?”
Before Zhong Dingyan could answer, Concubine Qiu interjected, “Why even ask? They are father and son by blood. How could their relationship be poor?”
“Hmph!”
Zhong Dingyan snorted. “Lord Ren, since the matter has come this far, I do not mind letting you see our family’s disgrace.”
“My worthless younger brother is a notorious wastrel throughout Beiding County. From childhood to adulthood, he never gave Father a moment’s peace.”
“In the six months since Father returned, forget attending him in his illness; Second Brother never even appeared for the morning and evening greetings.”
“This time, there is no telling which pleasure quarter he has been sleeping in. Once he squanders all his silver, I expect he will come home!”
Concubine Qiu retorted with a reddened face, “Your brother does enjoy himself, but he always knows his limits!”
“He has been missing for so many days, and even his personal manservant has vanished. Something must have happened…”
At that, she raised her handkerchief and began sobbing again.
Ren Fengjue paid her no further attention. He walked directly to the guard at the door and asked, “Did the Second Young Master come here on the day Minister Zhong disappeared?”
The guard looked troubled but nodded.
Zhong Dingyan’s expression changed drastically. “I remember he wasn’t in the residence that day! When did he come? Why did none of you report it?”
The guard dropped to his knees with a thud. “Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Master came around the hour of the Goat and asked a question. Then he left.”
Realizing something was wrong, Zhong Dingyan hurriedly asked, “What did he ask?”
“He asked… whether you were in the master’s bedchamber. We said you weren’t, and then… he left.”
Zhong Dingyan staggered slightly as all manner of suspicions surged through him…
Around the hour of the Goat was precisely when the guards changed shifts.
Zhong Junyue knew the household routine. He might have used that opportunity to slip into his father’s bedchamber.
Could Father’s disappearance actually be connected to him?
Ren Fengjue continued, “Are you certain the Second Young Master left?”
The guard glanced at Zhong Dingyan’s expression. “We saw him turn back. But it was time to change shifts. Since he had no other instructions, we went straight to the steward to hand over our posts…”
Even if the master and Eldest Young Master did not favor the Second Young Master, he remained one of the household’s recognized masters.
How could the guards have dared suspect him at the time?
But in hindsight, matters looked different…
This might truly be connected to the master’s disappearance!
Turmoil raged inside Zhong Dingyan. He looked at Ren Fengjue, his voice hoarse. “Lord Ren, do you suspect…”
Ren Fengjue nodded. “I suspect the Second Young Master most likely came here before Minister Zhong disappeared.”
“Moreover, when the servants discovered Minister Zhong was missing, the two of them may well have still been inside this room…”
Zhong Dingyan, the servants, the guards, and even Concubine Qiu all stared in shock.
Ren Fengjue continued, “When the servant discovered Minister Zhong was gone, his first instinct would have been to search outside.”
“After you returned, Young Master Zhong, you also searched inside and outside the residence. At that time, no one would have paid any attention to this room.”
His words made everyone involuntarily survey their surroundings as an inexplicable chill crept over their backs.
Yu Lang immediately pointed toward the trunks, cabinets, folding screen, and other furnishings, playing along with Lord Ren.
“In This Young Master’s experience, any of those places might conceal a person. Perhaps…”
With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked behind the folding screen and leaned over to peer inside.
Then he turned and casually opened a pair of wicker trunks…
Everyone held their breath as they watched him.
But the trunks contained only piles of books and scrolls.
Yu Lang then fixed his gaze on a wooden wardrobe nearby. He walked over and was about to open it…
Ren Fengjue stopped him. “Vice Minister Yu, do not be discourteous. How can you search without permission?”
Zhong Dingyan swallowed nervously but still said, “Vice Minister Yu, please feel free to look. It contains only clothes and bedding…”
“Then there is no need to worry.”
As Yu Lang spoke, he turned and pulled open the doors.
This time, a corpse with eyes wide open in death appeared before them.