Just as they were about to enter, servants blocked their path: “Stop! This is the Third Young Master’s mourning hall. What are you two doing here?”

Jiang Caiping looked at them with red, swollen eyes: “I once received kindness from the Third Young Master. Knowing that he… he met with misfortune, I came specially. Please let us enter.”

The servant looked toward Steward Lin nearby. After seeing him shake his head, he said: “This is not a place for you to come. Leave quickly.”

Jiang Caiping refused to leave and pleaded: “I beg you, please let me see the Third Young Master one last time!”

The servant didn’t understand why Jiang Caiping insisted on seeing Li Xuanba, nor did he understand where her grief came from. But since Steward Lin disagreed, he naturally couldn’t let them pass and tried to drive them away. In desperation, Jiang Caiping knelt down and refused to leave no matter what.

Just then, Zhang Jiu came out. Yunyi quickly stopped him: “Steward Zhang, Caiping knows about the Third Young Master’s unfortunate death and is very sad. Please help us appeal to Steward Lin.”

Zhang Jiu was the steward of Tingfeng Pavilion and often followed Li Xuanba, knowing about the relationship between him and Jiang Caiping. After hesitating briefly, he said: “Alright, I’ll speak for you.”

Amid Yunyi’s grateful words, he approached Steward Lin. After whispering a few words, he beckoned to the two women. Yunyi quickly helped Jiang Caiping up and thanked them repeatedly: “Thank you, Steward Lin. Thank you, Steward Zhang.”

Steward Lin grunted: “For Steward Zhang’s sake in pleading for you, I’ll let you enter. Remember, don’t stay too long, and don’t disturb the Governor.”

The two women nodded repeatedly. After more thanks, they finally entered the East Flower Hall. A coffin made of fine nanmu wood sat quietly in the center. Servants were inserting arm-thick white candles into bronze candlesticks. Li Yuan stood silently before the coffin, not even glancing at the two women’s entrance. At this moment, he was not some Governor or Duke of Tang, but simply a father who had lost his son.

Jiang Caiping walked to the coffin on stiff legs. When she saw the charcoal-like corpse inside, the tears she had just stopped began falling like rain again. Despite her efforts to restrain herself, sobbing sounds still escaped uncontrollably from her throat.

She tremblingly raised her hand to touch that blackened, terrible face, her heart filled with endless sorrow and grief: “I’m sorry… Third Young Master, I’m sorry!”

Li Yuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly said: “You are Jiang Caiping?”

Jiang Caiping nodded through her tears: “Yes, I… I am Jiang Caiping.”

Li Yuan looked at Li Xuanba lying in the coffin, his eyes filled with bottomless sorrow: “The day before Xuanba disappeared, he came to see me, saying he wanted to marry you as his legitimate wife. I refused him. He was very disappointed and said that if he couldn’t marry you as his legitimate wife, he’d rather not marry at all. From childhood, Xuanba rarely liked any person or thing, but once he liked something, he would always continue to like it, just like martial arts. When his mother was alive, she used to laugh and ask if he planned to spend his life with martial arts and never find a wife. What was once a joking remark has now come true – Xuanba left before he could marry.”

Jiang Caiping stared at him blankly. The next moment, overwhelming grief surged out, accompanied by even deeper pain than before. She collapsed to the ground as if all strength had left her, her bone-deep wailing echoing throughout the mourning hall.

Yunyi was also stunned. She had never imagined that with Li Xuanba’s status, he would truly be willing to marry Jiang Caiping as his legitimate wife. It wasn’t a momentary whim – he truly loved this innocent and pure-hearted woman.

If… she had never come to Honghua Commandery, never spoken those words to Jiang Caiping, perhaps Jiang Caiping would have truly become the Third Young Madam of the Governor’s residence, living happily with Li Xuanba.

Jiang Caiping had trusted and depended on her so much, yet she had destroyed Jiang Caiping’s lifelong happiness. Even if in the future she gave Jiang Caiping countless riches and honors, it could never make up for this.

After a long while, the crying gradually subsided. Jiang Caiping knelt before Li Yuan and said hoarsely: “In this life, it is Caiping who failed the Third Young Master. Caiping is sorry for the Third Young Master’s affection.”

Li Yuan shook his head: “The person is already gone. What’s the use of saying these things now?”

Jiang Caiping prostrated herself and said hoarsely: “Please let Caiping keep vigil for the Third Young Master!” This was the only thing she could do for Li Xuanba now.

Li Yuan looked down at her for a while, then said in a deep voice: “With you here, Xuanba would probably be happier.”

Jiang Caiping knew he had agreed and kowtowed gratefully: “Thank you, Governor.”

Meanwhile, Li Shimin took Duan Zhihong and several others out of the city. Following the address they had obtained, they rushed to Ajin’s home. As soon as they entered the house, they smelled a foul stench. Li Shimin’s expression changed and he quickly ran inside. In the inner room, he saw a corpse lying on the ground that had already begun to decompose – the stench was emanating from it. Fortunately, it wasn’t yet summer, or the decomposition would have been much worse.

Duan Zhihong endured the stench and turned the corpse over. Although the face had begun to swell and decay, the features were still recognizable. He exclaimed: “Second Young Master, it’s Feng Li!”

Even without him saying so, Li Shimin had recognized him. Strange – how did eldest brother’s guard end up dead here? After a brief examination, he said: “Dead for about two or three days. There are traces of bandaging on the abdomen – he must have been injured before.”

“Two or three days…” Duan Zhihong thought for a moment: “This subordinate remembers that the great fire started the day before yesterday. It’s very likely the same day Feng Li was killed, and they were probably killed by the same murderer. But… why would the murderer kill both the Third Young Master and Feng Li? What connection did they have?”

Li Shimin pondered briefly: “The guards said they saw Xuanba leave with Ajin. If I’m not mistaken, they came to see Feng Li, who was recovering from injuries here. The latter must have told Xuanba something that ultimately brought fatal disaster to both of them.”

At this time, the guards who had been searching returned: “Second Young Master, this subordinate found no other people. Also, this subordinate asked nearby villagers – because the nearest house is several dozen zhang away, no one noticed any activity here. Only one person said he saw a young lady coming this way.”

“A young lady?” Li Shimin murmured, then pressed: “Did he see what she looked like?”

The guard shook his head: “He said he only saw a back view at the time, so he doesn’t know her appearance.”

Duan Zhihong tentatively asked: “Could it be that female assassin again?”

Li Shimin heavily struck the cold, hard ground and stood up: “Send Feng Li’s corpse to the charity morgue and have the coroner examine it carefully to confirm the time of death. Also, send people to search this area thoroughly. I hope Ajin isn’t dead.”