novelhk Chapter 544: Special Mask
Chapter 544: Special Mask
Yuan Qi clenched his fists tightly, trying hard not to let his tears fall: "If it weren't for the prince's clever plan to sacrifice himself this time, I'm afraid I would never see my father again."
Zhou Chang also felt heartbroken. He unconsciously held Yuan Qi's hand and wanted to say a few words of comfort, but he felt that everything he said would be so pale and powerless.
Yuan Qi's sadness quickly turned into anger: "No matter who those kidnappers are, since they dare to do such evil things, I will not let them go..."
Zhou Chang's anger was rising: "Don't worry, we will definitely catch them. We won't let any of them go, and we will make them pay the price."
Yuan Qi's eyes were burning as he shook Zhou Chang's hands: "This hatred is irreconcilable. Not only the kidnappers, but also the masterminds behind the scenes, I will bring them all to justice."
"Yes, we will definitely find the real culprit." Zhou Chang also shook Yuan Qi tightly, "But how can you be sure that there is a mastermind behind this? Did the old man say something? Or do you already have a clue and know who did it?"
Although Yuan Qi hated it to the core, he still had his sanity: "After my father woke up, he was still mentally unstable and could only provide limited clues. It was just that those people were always wearing masks, neither speaking nor making special movements. He was also blindfolded and could not see anything, which meant he could not provide any clues."
Zhou Chang then analyzed: "I saw how well the kidnappers concealed themselves that day. Now that I hear you say this, they really are afraid of being recognized. So the most likely person is someone they know?"
"I guess so, that's why I infer that there must be someone behind this, and..." Yuan Qi was also a little disappointed at this point, and then looked up at Liu E, "Liu E also has an unexpected clue."
"Oh?" Zhou Chang then looked at Liu E.
Liu E handed a white jade soup bowl that had just been heated to Yuan Qi, "Young Master, drink the medicine first."
"Medicine? What medicine? Are you sick?" Zhou Chang then realized that Yuan Qi, who looked thin and in poor condition, was actually sick. He couldn't help but tighten his hand around Yuan Qi's.
Yuan Qi, however, remained calm and slowly pulled his hand out to take the soup bowl, then smiled faintly: "It's nothing, Your Majesty, don't worry, it's just a tonic."
"How can this be a tonic? This is..." Liu E was about to say something.
Yuan Qi stopped him with a look: "Since it's already very good, there's no need to say more."
Seeing that Yuan Qi didn't want to talk about it, and hearing that he was already "very well", Zhou Chang stopped asking.
Liu E had no choice but to pour Zhou Chang another cup of hot tea.
Zhou Chang's hands were empty, and he had no idea where to drink. He had no choice but to take the drink even though he didn't want to. He did not forget to ask again: "Miss Liu, did you find any clues?"
Liu E sat back in her seat and nodded, "Your Highness, when I accompanied the young master to the mountain to deliver the ransom, I saw from afar that one of the kidnappers looked familiar, and he looked like a deputy general who often went to Yaoyuefang in the past."
"Yaoyuefang, deputy general? Whose deputy general?" Zhou Chang did not expect to have such an important clue.
Liu E seemed unsure, and pondered for a while: "Hmm... If I am not mistaken, he should be a deputy general under the command of a garrison general in the garrison camp. His surname seems to be Sun."
Zhou Chang took the tea and had to let go of Yuan Qi's hand.
But he had no time to drink the tea, and couldn't help but think that no matter who the deputy general was, he was related to the army.
However, this clue alone was obviously not enough, so he continued to ask, "Did you conclude that it was a deputy general named Sun based on the outline alone?"
Liu E had obviously discussed this with Yuan Qi many times, and answered without hesitation: "It's not just his posture and movements, but also the black mole behind his ear, which is the most obvious part. This is how I can recognize people."
"Liu'e has an almost photographic memory when it comes to people, and she will almost certainly not make a mistake." Yuan Qi also took a sip of hot tea, and his mood calmed down a lot.
"Photographic memory?" Zhou Chang was surprised again.
Yuan Qi praised her generously: "Her photographic memory is not something that everyone has. It is even more useful in the business world. It is really enviable. Now I can't live without her."
"Miss, you are too kind." Liu E felt embarrassed and lowered her head.
Zhou Chang also didn't expect that Liu E followed Yuan Qi back to Beiji not out of impulse or to escape, but because she still had talent to develop.
"Hmm..., the deputy general surnamed Sun, from the Jindu Garrison Camp..." Zhou Chang secretly noted this detail and asked, "Besides the deputy general surnamed Sun with a black mole behind his ear, can you recognize the two people wearing white masks or red masks?"
Zhou Chang still has lingering fears about the white mask. That person is so vicious and cruel. He clearly knows the identity of Prince Yi but still pushes her into the water. What is his intention?
Liu E seemed to think hard, but finally shook her head: "Those two people are very unfamiliar, but the masks they wear are not everywhere."
"Mask? Do you know where the mask came from?" Zhou Chang exclaimed again.
Yuan Qi also asked: "What's so special about that mask? Why haven't I heard you mention it before?"
Liu E said calmly, "That mask is only available in Yaoyuefang. I thought the young master knew about it."
"How would I know this?" Yuan Qi was even more shocked. "You said that only Yaoyuefang has it, so those masks must have come from Yaoyuefang?"
Zhou Chang couldn't help but frowned: "I've also been to Yaoyuefang, why haven't I seen anyone wearing that kind of mask?"
Her subtext was that, as You Wan, the former second shopkeeper of Yaoyuefang, she had no impression that kind of mask had ever been popular in Yaoyuefang.
"The masks were worn by the slaves to play with the guests. If Your Highness hadn't ordered them to play with, you wouldn't have seen them." Liu E explained, and after thinking for a while, she added to Yuan Qi, "Oh, yes, it's normal that the young master didn't know about it. According to the time, the masks became popular after Yaoyuefang changed its owner."
Zhou Chang immediately grasped the key point: "You mean, the mask was purchased by someone from Prince Duan's side?"
Liu E also became cautious: "I am not sure, but I know that Yaoyuefang already has a performance called 'Masked Dance', and those masks are specially made from special places."
Zhou Chang was confused by the unclear words and still could not find out the origin of the mask. He had to change the way he asked, "I don't think the mask is anything special. How do you know there is no such thing as it elsewhere?"
Liu E replied, "Because the mask is not used on the stage, and I heard that the material of the mask is made of a kind of reed and silk, which is breathable, waterproof, and easy to tear off. Therefore, it is mainly used for some guests with special hobbies."