Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 117: Solve the puzzle and set up a killing game
Mrs. Cui was so heartbroken that she spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Auntie——"

At this time, Cui Yin and Cui Chengxuan both rushed over. Not only the two of them, but also many people from Cui's main house and Anping house as well as people from the Zheng family rushed over.

Xuanren Street suddenly became crowded with people.

The discussions all around were like a tide.

"What do you mean? That Lady Yingying is actually the daughter of this Lady Cui? Could Lady Cui be the lady in this story? Then who are those noble ladies who bullied and killed Yingying in such a cruel way?"

Someone raised the question, and someone else immediately responded: "Isn't that obvious? Three years ago, Madam Cui brought a group of Cui family women and young ladies to Puzhou for a temporary stay. Those noble ladies must be the young ladies she brought with her."

"Then it must be the young lady from the Cui family. That's why the Eighth Lady of the Zheng family and the Fifth Lady of the Cui family died mysteriously these past two days. It's because they committed so many evil things and killed Yingying. They were punished by heaven and they deserved it!"

"Yes, they deserved it. They deserved it. That Yingying died such a tragic death, and they deserved it too easily!"

A man in the crowd shouted passionately, which immediately attracted a lot of support and excitement.

Murong Huan knew someone was deliberately manipulating public opinion. She turned her gaze to the blind zither player again and asked, "It was you who lured me out of the Dali Temple at 2:15 AM today and gave me this scroll, wasn't it? You deliberately approached Cui Ying under the name Zhang Sheng, and even came to Madam Cui through Cui Ying's recommendation, just to tell her this cruel truth?"

The young man smiled and said, "Yes, little apprentice sister, you didn't disappoint me. I'm not good at drawing, but I simply sketched out the general course of this story in my own way. And you were able to interpret it one by one. You are indeed gifted, as Master said."

When Murong Huan mentioned his master, he always felt a soft nostalgia in his heart: "When did you become his disciple? And when did you meet Yingying?"

"I met Yingying seven years ago, and officially became a disciple of the master three years ago."

Seven years ago, it was the year when Emperor Gaozong passed away and Prince Zhanghuai Li Xian died.

"That means you only started learning from Master after Yingying died. You joined later than me, so why do you call me Junior Sister?"

"I'm older than you!" the boy answered jokingly.

Murong Huan was speechless for a moment, so he did not continue on this question and asked:

"This face of yours isn't your real face, is it? Otherwise, how could you gain Cui Ying's trust?"

"Yes!" the young man answered without disguising, "This is Zhang Sheng's face."

"So, was the real Zhang Sheng killed by you?"

When Murong Huan asked this, the young man smiled and said, "I have never really killed anyone."

"But you would plot and use others to kill people, wouldn't you?"

Murong Huan asked back, then continued, "If I'm not mistaken, the maid Qinghong beside Zheng Shuxiao is on your side, right? Whether she was instigated or someone else impersonated the real Qinghong, it was you who set up the trap. After Zheng Shuxiao's death, you asked us to go to the Zheng family and find Qinghong, who knew the truth of the past. Qinghong was afraid that Madam Zheng would kill her, so we brought her to the Dali Temple.

Afterwards, you had someone send us a puppet doll that was about to kill Cui Ying, led us to Cui's house, and brought Cui Ying to the Dali Temple.

Qinghong and Cui Ying stayed in the same room last night. It seemed like a coincidence, but it was actually all part of your plan. While you were hypnotizing us with your flute last night, Qinghong lit a hallucinogenic incense in the room. Coupled with your flute playing, Cui Ying's already nervous and fearful mind became even more fragile.

Because of the evil she had done, she was terrified and felt as if she had entered a nightmare, where she once again saw Yingying being killed by them. In fact, Qinghong could have killed Cui Ying in the Dali Temple, but in order to create the eerie atmosphere of a scheduled murder and disrupt people's minds, you had Qinghong tamper with the clepsydra, making it lose a quarter of an hour. So when Cui Ying woke from the nightmare, she thought it was already the morning hour.

Because of the nightmare's fear, she believed that the Dali Temple was no longer safe and wanted to escape the place as quickly as possible, but she didn't know that the real trap was set on Xuanren Street when she left the Dali Temple and fled to Sigongfang.

Having said that, Murong Huan walked to Cui Ying's carriage and pulled out an extremely thin silver needle from the horse. The horse neighed anxiously again, but with Lu Shiyilang's comfort, it gradually calmed down.

Murong Huan continued, "This silver needle must have been stabbed into the horse by Qinghong when she got off the carriage, taking advantage of your unpreparedness. The silver needle contains a drug that will drive the horse crazy, but it won't take effect immediately, and the effect will wear off quickly."

"When Qinghong got off the carriage, citing the need to relieve herself, Cui Ying urged Lu Shiyilang to take her back to the Cui residence. After the horse had been whipped, the effects of the drug took effect, and it galloped madly. Frightened in the carriage, Cui Ying thought it was Yingying's ghost seeking revenge, so she pulled out her hairpin and stabbed around. However, due to the jolting of the carriage, she leaned forward in the frenzy and bumped into the hairpin herself."

When Murong Huan said this, there was a sigh among the crowd.

The young man couldn't help but chuckle softly, and continued, "So, the person who killed Cui Ying was herself. What does it have to do with me?"

"Isn't this all your plan? Including Zheng Shuxiao's death, the quarrel among the Hu merchants on the street, the egg vendor smashing a basket of eggs on the ground, and the big man selling bamboo. These people were actually arranged by you, right?"

"Even if all this was a pre-planned scheme, how can you be sure that it was set up by me? Besides, I didn't kill them myself."

Murong Huan was slightly stunned by the young man's question. The young man did have a motive to kill, but on the surface, the deaths of Zheng Shuxiao and Cui Ying were indeed accidents. As long as the young man refused to admit it, the two murders would not be blamed on him.

On the other hand, this boy was also a victim of bullying.

Murong Huan looked into his eyes again, and his dark pupils were filled with endless pain and sorrow.

It seemed as if she could see the lonely and helpless boy in the painting, and the resentment burning in his heart after witnessing the painful death of his beloved sister.

She hesitated for a moment, and a sense of inexplicable pain rose in her heart. She was speechless for a moment.

Xiao Muchen walked over to her and held her hand tightly to comfort her.

Murong Huan calmed down a little.

At this moment, Xiao Muchen suddenly changed the subject, looking at the blind musician and asking, "Where is Cui Ying now? You lured Madam Cui here, and used Cui Ying's death to get everyone from the Cui and Zheng families here. Surely this wasn't just to tell everyone this tragic story?"

"Isn't this story enough to move the officials of the Dali Temple, the Censorate, and even the people of Luoyang City to sympathize with Yingying's plight?"

"The crimes they committed will be punished by the laws of the Great Zhou. Why would you want to stain your hands with blood?"

The young man burst into laughter. "The nobles' annexation of land and oppression of innocent people have never been considered a crime. Even if Cui Ying, Cui Ying, and Zheng Shuxiao's crimes are exposed, can you guarantee that they will be brought to justice? Can you buy their lives just because your family has a few silver coins?"

According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, except for serious crimes such as treason, one can be spared the death penalty by paying 120 kilograms of copper. Not to mention, it is easy for these aristocratic families to quietly exchange a person's life from prison.

Xiao Muchen fell silent for a moment. At this moment, Cui Shi rushed out from the crowd and came to the door of the teahouse. He pointed at the blind musician and said, "Since you say so, you admit that you killed my Cui family's Wu Niang, right?"

The young man laughed contemptuously and didn't answer at all.

At this moment, a maid came to Cui Shi in a panic and said anxiously, "My dear, no... It's bad, the fourth lady is missing!"