Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 232 - 231: Subtle Implications

Zhu Feng naturally knew that discovering so many bones was definitely not a trivial matter. He initially wanted to hastily call for people to send them back to the capital for his father to deal with, but after hearing Zhu Yu’s suggestion, he hesitated. He looked at Zhu Yu with some confusion and then glanced at Lu Qing, noticing that Lu Qing had no objections to Zhu Yu’s arrangement. Only then did he nod slightly and turn around to arrange for someone to bring over the wooden boxes.

By now, the sky was about to get completely dark, and there was no need for them to stay here any longer. Zhu Yu, who had been busy for a long while now, was also tired. Lu Qing left runes to assist Zhu Feng, and he himself took Zhu Yu back to the tents. Outside the tent, he made a fire and boiled a pot of warm water for Zhu Yu to wash her face and hands.

Zhu Yu squatted at the entrance of the tent, watching Lu Qing skillfully make a fire and set up an iron pot to boil water, her heart filled with curiosity about his past experiences.

Lu Qing’s master, the secluded Qi Yun Mountain People, was truly extraordinary. Not only did he heal Lu Qing’s body, but he also trained him with skills that neither Lu Zhang nor Lu Ze could match in terms of intelligence or perspective.

So objectively speaking, if I were Emperor Jin... it seems I would have to be cautious around this adopted son...

Just as Zhu Yu thought this, she realized something was amiss.

Back then, when Consort Zhao took advantage of the Empress’s serious illness, and Emperor Jin was too occupied to pay attention to anything else, and made a move against Lu Qing, almost costing him his life and sending him on a tragic trip to the underworld, it was Emperor Jin who urgently sent him to Shanqing Temple to seek help from Qi Yun Mountain People.

Although being able to catch Qi Yun Mountain People’s eye, receiving his medical treatment, and skillful teachings was considered Lu Qing’s fortune, ultimately, it was indeed Emperor Jin who built the bridge for Lu Qing.

Thinking this way, Zhu Yu became even more perplexed.

She originally thought that Emperor Jin was merely wary of Lu Qing, using him only for tough and dirty work, while passing effortless beneficial tasks to Lu Zhang.

But to have gone through so much effort to seek Qi Yun Mountain People to save a child, just for such use?

What difference does this have from using a butcher’s knife on a chicken, or using gold ingots as pellets to shoot birds? Clearly, it is not worth it.

Moreover, Zhu Yu didn’t believe that Emperor Jin was completely unaware of Qi Yun Mountain People’s reputation and skills, and since he knew he was dealing with a reclusive master, whose disciples were all extraordinary, why would Emperor Jin send an adopted son, whom he inwardly feared, to stay close to Qi Yun Mountain People for years, giving him ample time to learn and grow?

As Zhu Yu thought more, she became increasingly confused. She felt that surely her mind must be muddled, otherwise, why the more she pondered, the more it seemed that Emperor Jin’s fondness for Lu Qing was genuine, while his fear and control over Lu Qing also seemed real!

But how could both these conditions exist simultaneously in one person?

Lu Qing finished boiling the water and returned to find Zhu Yu staring at him in a daze. He doubtfully lowered his head to check if there was anything wrong with himself.

"Did Madam see too many skeletons today, and hence finds this spirited and excellent man even more pleasing to the eye? Otherwise, why look so entranced?" He intentionally spun in front of Zhu Yu, seemingly afraid that she couldn’t get a comprehensive look at him.

Zhu Yu glanced around several times, then pulled Lu Qing towards her and whispered, "You... won’t be that illegitimate child before he rose to power, will you...?"

Lu Qing reached out and rubbed around Zhu Yu’s neck. Zhu Yu, afraid of tickling, shrank her neck and quickly dodged, "Ah, what are you doing!"

"I’m checking how many heads Madam has grown on this neck, to dare say such bold words openly." Lu Qing withdrew his hand and steadied Zhu Yu, who, due to dodging, had tilted backward and lost her balance.

"I’m just so confused." Zhu Yu looked innocent, "I’m utterly perplexed, unable to discern whether he loves you or hates you, trusts you or guards against you."

"This cannot be explained clearly with just a sentence or two; what you mentioned might indeed be both.

There’s a reason here that even I haven’t yet fully understood," Lu Qing was silent for a while before speaking, his voice unconsciously lowered significantly, "That person, in the early stages of contention, wasn’t very favored, even Duke Yan initially remained neutral.

If there were anyone who firmly stood behind him from the very beginning, it would be my grandfather."

Zhu Yu was slightly surprised; she knew that Lu Qing’s clan were followers of Emperor Jin, but she didn’t know they were indeed the most clear and loyal faction.

"How did you come to know these things?" Zhu Yu asked.

It’s widely known that Prince Xiaoyao’s family followed Emperor Jin, but unfortunately suffered at the hands of traitors, not living to see Emperor Jin ascend the throne, and ultimately met their demise.

But, looking back to the initial period when Emperor Jin participated in the imperial contention, common people wouldn’t know such particulars.

And Lu Qing, during his family’s tragic demise, was merely an infant, unlikely to remember anything from then.

"There are records of the palace historians kept in the South Study Room.

I was at Shanqing Temple once, when Lu Chao secretly hid it among other books and sneakily brought it for me to see." Lu Qing replied, "It’s written clearly that both my grandfather and father supported him unwaveringly, never hesitating. That person even called my father a brother, rather than treating him as a subject, their relationship was deep.

Just before the grand endeavor was completed, sudden upheaval occurred, when he heard the news and rushed with people to the scene, corpses already lay cold.

After he investigated and found everyone present dead, as he was about to leave, he heard an infant crying, which led him to find me hidden by a wet nurse, and that’s how he took me back, before shortly ascending to higher status and acknowledging me as his adopted son."

This was the first time Lu Qing shared his background with Zhu Yu in such detail.

Zhu Yu listened silently, and after a moment of thought, she asked, "How old were you and Lu Chao at that time?"

"Around fourteen or fifteen, then soon returned to the capital by decree." Lu Qing answered, "Lu Chao was inseparable from his books then; he was greatly praised for this, and was specifically granted free entry to the South Study Room to borrow books there."

Zhu Yu raised her eyebrows, feeling her hypothesis becoming more plausible: "So... he deliberately guided him to discover that official document recording those past events, didn’t he?

No... the more I think about it, the more intriguing it gets...

You were sent to Shanqing Temple, and after you improved, his wife passed away, then he sent Lu Chao there as well...

In other words, he could entirely predict that two brothers of similar age are likely to cultivate deep friendship..."

She didn’t spell it out bluntly.