The disappearance of Zhou Mama still spread.
At noon, someone went to the fifth floor to deliver her food, but only found a messy room and no sign of her.
At this point, the Hou family's servants started to panic.
Zhou Mama was the biggest clue they had in the case of their young master's death.
But now, this clue had been lost by them.
Steward Fan furiously directed the Hou family's servants and Hu Yu House's thugs to search for Zhou Mama.
If Zhou Mama couldn't be found, even he, Steward Fan, wouldn't end up well.
Steward Fan already bore a significant responsibility for Third Young Master Hou's death.
After all, Steward Fan and Third Young Master Hou were in the same room, yet he watched him burn to death before his eyes; such dereliction of duty was unforgivable.
If Steward Fan could atone for his crime by capturing Third Young Master Hou's murderer, he might still save his life.
But if the murderer couldn't be caught, Steward Fan would become the most unfortunate scapegoat.
Someone had to bear the Hou family's wrath, didn't they?
Li Xuan and the princesses sat calmly in the private room on the second floor, watching the commotion inside Hu Yu House.
Steward Fan led his men to dig three feet into Hu Yu House, but they didn't disturb them.
His position in the Hou family was already precarious, and he didn't want to make enemies with other important figures at this time.
"The news of Zhou Mama's disappearance should have spread," Princess Ankang said softly.
Next, they only needed to wait and see if the mastermind behind the murder would go to the cellar's secret room to check on Zhou Mama's body.
If they could catch him red-handed, that would, of course, be best.
The concern was if the murderer had enough patience to wait until everything had settled before checking the body.
It was important to remember that Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an only had seven days out of the palace, and it was already the third day.
If the murderer waited a few more days, Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an would have to return to the palace.
By then, it was likely no one would be able to solve the case.
After all, one very important clue, the relationship between Dr. Fang and Xixi, was obtained by Li Xuan from a cat's mouth.
It was probable that no one else in the world could extract this clue from Gray Gray's mouth.
Without knowing the relationship between Dr. Fang and Xixi, to outsiders, Dr. Fang would have no motive for the crime.
"No matter how bold the murderer is, they probably wouldn't dare to check Zhou Mama's body during the day."
"Anyway, we've already sent people to guard the cellar's secret room; we'll know if anyone comes."
"Instead of sitting here idly, why don't we go see Zhao Four?"
Princess Yuan'an was very enthusiastic about this case, and she suggested.
"My sister is right."
"But it's currently dinnertime, so it's not very convenient for us to visit."
"How about we find a place outside to eat first, and while we're at it, inquire about what exactly happened between Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou?"
"Now that I think about it, we seem to have forgotten to investigate clues related to these two."
Princess Ankang thought for a moment, then summarized her thoughts.
Princess Ankang was indeed right; their investigation into Third Young Master Hou, the victim, had been too brief.
Now, with an additional connection to Zhao Four, linking these two with Hu Yu House should filter out many related clues at once.
Such an investigation might reveal the "path to death" of these two fellows.
And thinking of this, a place simultaneously appeared in the minds of Li Xuan and the two princesses.
"Cuihua Tower."
The two princesses said in unison, and Li Xuan also meowed along.
Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou, those two rich wastrels, always went to Cuihua Tower for their arranged fights; they had even witnessed one on their first day out of the palace.
If they inquired with the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower, they might learn a lot about these two.
It was convenient that they needed to eat, and Cuihua Tower was a restaurant itself, so it could also fill their stomachs.
The group immediately set off, leaving Hu Yu House and heading towards Cuihua Tower.
The two places were not far apart; they reached it after a few steps.
And upon arriving at Cuihua Tower, they saw a completely renovated restaurant.
Speaking of which, Cuihua Tower was smashed only the day before yesterday, and it was unexpected that the shopkeeper had tidied it up so quickly.
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower was truly a model of proficiency, not only finding his own way to make money amidst the crisis of frequently having his shop smashed.
Looking at it now, his skill in redecorating the shop was also quite impressive.
Regardless of how many of the items inside were flashy but impractical fakes, just considering the speed of the construction, it was probably a unique skill even within the capital.
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower was in good spirits, greeting customers at the entrance of his restaurant.
Upon seeing Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an, his eyes immediately lit up.
"Two young ladies, I didn't expect you to visit again so soon."
"Today, we are open as usual, for the restaurant business, of course."
"Have the two young ladies had lunch yet? Would you like to come in and try our cuisine?"
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower invited the two princesses with a refreshing demeanor.
It was evident that the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower's mood today was completely different from before.
It seemed that doing legitimate business made him happier.
Even though having his shop smashed was a decent way to make money, the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower still preferred running his restaurant.
They had come this time specifically to inquire about information from the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower and to solve the lunch problem.
Naturally, the two princesses had no reason to refuse the shopkeeper's invitation.
When the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower saw that they were actually coming in to eat, his attitude became even more enthusiastic.
These two young ladies had extraordinary temperaments, and they traveled with so many imposing guards, so they must be distinguished guests from prominent families.
With distinguished guests visiting, how could he not be happy?
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower directly led them to the third floor.
Previously, Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou also had their decisive battle here.
Those two fellows were playing 'Guardian Pokémon' here at the time, each sending three guards to duel, but just as they were about to determine the winner, the two princesses interrupted the match with their people.
They eventually decided the winner, with Third Young Master Hou's guard proving superior, forcing Zhao Four to concede.
Zhao Four's guard, Zhao Hu, would have died at the opponent's hands if they hadn't intervened to save him.
At that time, the third floor of Cuihua Tower was in disarray, destroyed by that group.
Now that it was tidied up, they realized that the third floor still had a lot of style.
Especially from here, looking out the window, one could see the bustling scene of the East Market, making it a very nice viewpoint.
A large table was placed in the center of the third floor, surrounded by several smaller tables.
Regardless of whether the decorations in Cuihua Tower were genuine or not, from an aesthetic perspective, they were flawless.
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower had excellent taste; the furniture he chose was all well-matched and pleasing to the eye.
"Two young ladies, this third floor is the best private room in Cuihua Tower. Would you mind having your meal here today?"
Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an couldn't help but cover their mouths and smile.
"Shopkeeper, you are too polite," Princess Ankang said with a smile.
"How about this, Shopkeeper, you can prepare a few dishes for us, and please include more of your signature dishes."
Princess Yuan'an had treated them at Hu Yu House earlier, and Princess Ankang, as the elder sister, couldn't keep freeloading.
So, this meal at Cuihua Tower would be hosted by Princess Ankang.
Although Jingyang Palace's funds were not as abundant as Princess Yuan'an's, she could still afford a meal.
Cuihua Tower was not a rip-off establishment; Princess Ankang had glanced at the menu near the counter when she entered earlier and had not seen any outrageous prices; at least, they were all within her means.
"Alright, two young ladies, please wait a moment. I will go arrange it right away and guarantee your satisfaction."
"If there's anything you're not satisfied with, I won't charge for today's meal!" the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower promised, patting his chest.
Li Xuan also hadn't expected this fellow to be so confident in his own cooking.
Now, he could somewhat understand the shopkeeper's feelings from before.
To make someone who loved running a restaurant unable to operate his business normally, Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou truly committed a sin.
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower went downstairs to arrange their meal, while Li Xuan and the two princesses surveyed the surrounding scenery.
Although the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower had previously said that these decorations were to deal with people who came to smash the shop, it was still evident that a lot of thought had been put into them.
It was likely that the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower didn't have strong backing, which was why he was treated as a place to vent anger.
If Cuihua Tower had powerful backing, those wastrels wouldn't dare to cause trouble here.
Although the wastrels would pay compensation after causing a ruckus, it only covered the losses.
The money lost due to not being able to do business, the wastrels wouldn't compensate.
If it weren't for the shopkeeper here figuring out a way to profit by displaying fakes and cheap decorations in the shop, Cuihua Tower's business would probably have gone under long ago.
That day, when the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower led his staff to smash the shop, besides making the wastrels pay more, he was probably also venting his inner resentment.
Before long, a lavish spread of dishes filled the table.
Cuihua Tower's food was excellent in color, aroma, and taste, and the portions were quite generous, unlike the "delicate" dishes and snacks found in places like Hu Yu House.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs sat at several small tables nearby to eat.
At the large table in the center, there were only a few people.
Besides Li Xuan and the two princesses, there were their respective personal palace maids and two eunuchs responsible for taking notes.
Of course, except for Li Xuan and the two princesses, they were all standing.
Because there were outsiders present, Yu'er also had to adhere to the rules.
They used to do whatever they pleased behind closed doors in Jingyang Palace.
But now there were many outsiders, and eunuchs responsible for taking notes nearby, so Yu'er couldn't overstep her bounds in the slightest.
Previously, the Three Little Ones had been warned by Zhao Feng, so they were particularly careful about these rules in front of outsiders.
Even if Princess Yuan'an had no intention of harming them, it was still better not to give her a handle easily.
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower personally brought up a drink at the end.
According to the shopkeeper, this was Cuihua Tower's special drink, rock sugar honey dew.
Li Xuan secretly took a sip and found it to be sweet and sour, cool and refreshing, with a taste that was in no way inferior to milk tea or fruit juice.
In fact, the taste was more natural and refreshing, lacking those artificial flavors.
According to the shopkeeper's introduction, this Iced Sugar Honey Dew was his family's ancestral secret recipe, and even this Cuihua Tower was the property accumulated by his grandfather and father from selling this Iced Sugar Honey Dew on the streets.
The main ingredient of this item is sugarcane juice, which is then blended with various fruit juices such as dark plum juice, honey, olive juice, fresh orange juice, pomegranate, raspberry, and ginger.
Iced Sugar Honey Dew is not only delicious, but appropriate consumption is also beneficial to the body.
The shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower eloquently explained the benefits of Iced Sugar Honey Dew, clearly very proud of it.
Originally, Li Xuan was somewhat skeptical of his ancestral secret recipe, but as he spoke more and more earnestly, his suspicions gradually subsided.
It's not that Li Xuan was overly suspicious; after all, he came from an era where people would make a decision that went against their ancestors at the drop of a hat.
In Li Xuan's life experience, ancestral secret recipes were infinitely equivalent to things like roadside quack remedies.
However, with the progress of the times, roadside hawking has also kept pace, entering a cyberpunk version.
"Please enjoy your meal, everyone. I won't disturb you any further."
After serving the dishes, the shopkeeper was about to leave when Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an quickly called out to him.
"What else can I do for the two young ladies?"
The shopkeeper asked curiously.
The two princesses were straightforward, directly inquiring about Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou.
"Ah, this..."
The shopkeeper immediately hesitated, seemingly a bit afraid to speak.
"Shopkeeper, what are you afraid of?"
"Third Young Master Hou is dead; can he come back to bully you?"
"The Hou family is busy right now, and what you tell us will absolutely not be spread."
"My sister and I guarantee it, isn't that enough?"
Princess Yuan'an said anxiously, afraid that the shopkeeper would be too scared to tell what he knew.
But even with Princess Yuan'an saying this, the shopkeeper still hesitated slightly, mumbling evasively.
"I wouldn't dare to speak carelessly about those two young masters' affairs..."
"Even if Lord Hou is gone, the Hou family is still here."
"Now is when they're not happy; looking for trouble at a time like this would just be adding fuel to the fire, wouldn't it?"
The shopkeeper repeatedly bowed, apologizing to the two princesses.
Princess Yuan'an grew anxious when she saw he refused to speak.
At this moment, Princess Ankang silently pressed Princess Yuan'an's hand, giving her a look.
Then, Princess Ankang smiled at the shopkeeper and said:
"Since the shopkeeper is unwilling to discuss these topics, then so be it."
"However, I wonder if I could trouble the shopkeeper to accompany us for a moment and tell us about the signature dishes of this restaurant?"
"Some of these dishes I'm seeing for the first time."
Princess Ankang said sincerely.
"This..."
After a brief hesitation, the shopkeeper looked at Princess Ankang's expectant gaze and finally agreed.
"Actually, they are all common dishes. Take this one, for example..."
Then the shopkeeper began to introduce his signature dishes.
It was clear that the shopkeeper was very proud of his establishment.
Beside him, Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an were also very supportive.
Before long, without even needing to be asked, the shopkeeper began to speak volubly.
The atmosphere at the table gradually became livelier, and the initially reserved shopkeeper slowly opened up, moving from the dishes on the table to the business of Cuihua Tower, and then inevitably to Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou.
"The two young ladies don't know, it's not easy to make a living in this East Market."
"If you throw a stone from here, nine out of ten times it'll hit someone from a prominent family."
The shopkeeper felt a pang in his heart as the honey dew went down his throat, speaking of the difficulties of doing business in recent years, and couldn't help but pour out his grievances, drinking cup after cup of Iced Sugar Honey Dew.
His Cuihua Tower became the current "duel hotspot" thanks to Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou.
Therefore, most of the shopkeeper's grievances were about them.
Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an chimed in, expressing sympathy for the shopkeeper.
From the shopkeeper's mouth, they heard many outrageous things these two scoundrels had done.
But these were still not the answers they were looking for.
Seeing that the emotions were in place, Princess Ankang asked at the right time:
"Shopkeeper, have those two recently done anything bad, such as harming a girl's life on Flower Street?"
The shopkeeper put down his wine cup and glanced at the two princesses.
"It seems the two young ladies already know, so I don't need to hide it anymore."
Li Xuan was stunned, thinking:
"What do we know that you're no longer hiding?"
But since the shopkeeper was about to speak, there was no reason for them to stop him.
"It was about a month ago, they redeemed a girl from Hu Yu House, and she was played to death that same night."
"Not many people know about this matter."
"Later, it was because of this incident that they had a fight here at my place, and I only overheard a few words."
"The two of them have always been at odds, but for some reason, they jointly bought that girl, and later they had a dispute over who paid."
"I only remember that Third Young Master Hou lost the fight, and then he compensated Zhao Four for the money he paid to redeem the girl, which means Third Young Master Hou ended up paying the full amount to redeem that girl himself."
"But by that time, that girl was already dead."
The shopkeeper shook his head as he spoke.
"Don't let the two young ladies be fooled by the flourishing and prosperous appearance of this Flower Street; this flower blooms upon thousands of corpses, so it's best not to go there again if you can avoid it."
The shopkeeper, seeing that Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an were relatively innocent young girls, offered this advice.
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't be so unromantic.
Princess Ankang remembered what the old woman had said earlier and couldn't help but ask:
"Is this kind of thing frequent on Flower Street?"
The shopkeeper silently looked at the two princesses for a moment, then answered indirectly:
"Beyond the East Gate of the capital, there's a place called Sanli Ditch, which is the nearest mass grave."
After a few breaths, the shopkeeper added:
"It's also the largest mass grave around the capital."
Hearing this, the Three Little Ones and Princess Yuan'an all felt a chill in their hearts.
This time, Princess Ankang could no longer ask, "Doesn't anyone care?"
Because she now understood why no one cared.
Under the enormous profits that Flower Street could provide, what did the lives of these unfortunate women matter?
To some extent, the government was the biggest driving force behind Sanli Ditch.
At this moment, Princess Ankang felt ashamed of her identity as a princess.
Princess Yuan'an, beside her, was probably feeling much the same.
The shopkeeper had said all he knew, and seeing the two princesses' reactions, he knew they had gotten the answers they wanted. So, using the excuse of needing to attend to the shop's business, he left the third floor.
However, watching him pat his face to regain his spirits and force a smile before descending the stairs always looked somewhat heartbreaking.
Even though the shopkeeper was doing what he loved, he encountered all sorts of difficult problems that exhausted him.
But as long as this Cuihua Tower remained, his passion for doing business should not wane.
They continued to pick at their food, but perhaps they were already full, as the dishes and Iced Sugar Honey Dew no longer tasted as good as they initially did.
But at least this meal was not without its gains.
They learned from the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower that Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou had, over a month ago, redeemed a girl from Hu Yu House.
However, that girl died that very night.
According to the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower, the girl was played to death.
But as for the exact details of that night, only the two parties involved, Zhao Four and Third Young Master Hou, would know best.
Now that Third Young Master Hou was dead, Zhao Four was the only one who still knew the truth.
"Sister, after noon, let's go to the Zhao family mansion."
Princess Ankang put down her chopsticks, having lost her appetite.
Princess Yuan'an nodded silently, agreeing to the suggestion.
They didn't want to wait any longer; the truth was very close to them, within arm's reach.
Just after noon, the group settled the bill and left Cuihua Tower.
The Zhao family mansion was in Xuan Yang Ward, next to the East Market, so it wouldn't take long to walk there.
This time, with Li Xuan and Xu Lang leading the way, they quickly found the place.
Xu Lang stepped forward to announce their arrival, but as expected, he was turned away by the gatekeeper.
How could the Zhao family mansion be open to just any unknown visitor?
Having received instructions from the two princesses, Xu Lang immediately showed his Great Within badge and explained the identities of the two princesses.
The gatekeepers of prominent families were at least literate.
This time, the gatekeeper dared not question whether the badge was real or fake and rushed in to announce their arrival.
Before long, Zhao Jingcheng actually came out to greet them personally, accompanied by his wife.
Seeing Zhao Jingcheng come out himself, even Li Xuan was momentarily stunned.
"This guy is quite polite."
Zhao Jingcheng immediately bowed repeatedly as he came out, saying happily:
"It is truly an honor for my humble abode to have the two young ladies grace us with their presence."
Zhao Jingcheng hurried forward, taking three steps in two, and bowed respectfully.
Madam Zhao also curtsied beside him, silently performing the 禮.
Clearly, both husband and wife were well aware of the two princesses' identities.
"Two young ladies, please don't stand at the door; please come in quickly."
Zhao Jingcheng gestured towards the inside of the Zhao family mansion. Although he addressed them as 'two young ladies,' his attention was entirely on Princess Yuan'an.
"Oh, so it's because of Yuan'an."
Li Xuan immediately understood, no wonder Zhao Jingcheng was so enthusiastic.
Princess Yuan'an was meeting Zhao Jingcheng for the first time.
Seeing him so enthusiastic, she merely gave a faint nod.
Li Xuan could clearly sense that Princess Yuan'an's mood had suddenly worsened.
"Sister, let's go in."
Princess Yuan'an ignored Zhao Jingcheng and turned to Princess Ankang.
Princess Ankang smiled and nodded, saying nothing.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Jingcheng's eyes flashed, and he immediately and naturally changed his attitude.
"Someone, pave the way."
Zhao Jingcheng shouted loudly, and immediately, Zhao family servants brought wooden planks, placing them over the steps and threshold of the doorway.
"Two young ladies, Zhao is ill-prepared; please forgive me."
Zhao Jingcheng said sincerely with a smiling face.
This time, he dared not underestimate Princess Ankang again.