TGCFNM -Chapter 407 Dreaming

Since there were no leads about the portrait, the matter could only be temporarily set aside.

Wan Sanjin and Chu Ling went their separate ways, washed up, and lay down to rest.

Chu Ling didn’t know if it was from overthinking, but she ended up having a dream about a golden necklace in the middle of the day.

In the dream, there were two golden necklaces around her neck—extremely heavy. Hanging from the necklaces were longevity locks, with red gemstones connecting the two ends of each lock.

One of the longevity locks on a necklace was engraved with the word “Peace,” while the other necklace’s lock read “Wish Fulfilled.”

That day, many guests came to see her. Everyone had to praise her locks, saying they had never seen such designs before, remarking on how generous her parents were… But it seemed that she was sick that day. A veil covered her face, and along the edges, red rashes were visible.

Then she heard her mother say, “Ling’er, be good. Just drink one more bowl of medicine.”

“I won’t drink it!”

Chu Ling woke up abruptly, her expression still resistant.

Bai Su helped her up and furrowed her brows worriedly: “What’s wrong?”

Chu Ling exhaled, shook her head, got out of bed, put on her outer robe and hat, and asked someone for a basin of cold water.

She dunked her face into the cold water while Bai Su watched anxiously from the side.

Chu Ling kept her eyes tightly shut, but her mind kept replaying the dream—it had been so vivid, as if she had truly experienced it herself.

“Master! Master! Are you awake?”

Wan Sanjin called from outside the door. Chu Ling suddenly emerged from the water… paused for a moment, then took a clean cloth nearby to dry her face and replied, “Set up the stove; I’m coming over.”

Chu Ling put the cloth on the rack and looked at Bai Su: “Aunt Su, I’m fine… I just had a… nightmare.”

Bai Su carefully hugged her and whispered, “It’s alright now, it’s alright.”

Chu Ling couldn’t help but glance at the bronze mirror nearby. In it, she saw herself staring blankly, her face pale as if frightened.

She shook her head, rubbed her face, and once some color returned, she left the room.

Uncle Hong had already prepared all the herbs, but since he didn’t know the order to add them, they were left laid out on the side for now.

When Chu Ling arrived, under Bai Su’s guidance, she placed each herb into the medicine pot and began boiling them, adjusting the heat as needed.

Finally, she took the single herb they had obtained that day, boiled it in water on the side, dried it over the fire once boiled, and then added it into the medicine pot.

As the medicinal aroma gradually filled the air, Chu Ling opened the pot again for Bai Su to inspect.

Bai Su nodded: “Boil it for another half hour and it should be ready.”

Chu Ling turned to look at Uncle Hong and Wan Sanjin: “The medicine still needs half an hour, so just sit and wait.”

Uncle Hong nodded nervously, sat down, and then pulled Wan Sanjin to sit as well. “Young Master, there’s still half an hour left.”

Chu Ling looked at Wan Sanjin curiously: “What, are you going to carry the lunchbox yourself? Isn’t Fu Qingyu coming?”

“Hmm, Qingyu can’t make it…” Wan Sanjin looked troubled. “I don’t know what he did to the Master, but Qingtong said he can’t leave the house at all right now, so I’ll have to go check personally.”

Chu Ling was somewhat surprised. “Master Fu really is quite strict with his grandson. He’s already this old, and yet if he says you’re not to go out, then you just can’t go out.”

Wan Sanjin’s eyes opened wide as he nodded vigorously.

Master Fu was indeed extremely harsh with Qingyu, and particularly cold-hearted.

After glancing once more at the fire’s aftermath, Chu Ling also sat down to wait for the medicine. While waiting, she looked at Uncle Hong and asked about the past events of the Wu family.

Uncle Hong said, “My lord, when the young master sent word for us to investigate back then, our findings were basically the same as Lord Lu’s verdict. There was nothing wrong with that case.”

“But since Lord Lu has asked you to review it, there must be something hidden. I’ve already ordered people to investigate exactly what happened at that banquet and who attended, but the results will take some time.”

Chu Ling nodded slightly at this, then asked about the Wu family. “So the Wu family declined after all? Was Wu Tíng really just a spoiled playboy?”

Uncle Hong nodded. “The Wu family still has its title, and from the outside it still looks prosperous, but inside it’s nearly ruined… That said, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. The antiques and calligraphy collected by the Wu ancestors are many, and the fertile lands they leased out long ago can be reclaimed. If someone capable comes along, there might still be a chance to recover.”

“But unfortunately, by the fourth generation, the Wu family only had one heir—Wu Tíng. He was smart as a child, did well in his studies, and the Wu family must have had high hopes for him. But ever since he started attending school, Wu Tíng gradually changed, and his studies were neglected…”

Uncle Hong couldn’t help but sigh a little at the memory. Back then, he had seen Wu Tíng as a child—handsome, well-behaved, intelligent, and reciting his lessons fluently. He would surely have been able to uphold the Wu family’s name.

But once he went to school, he got close to a group of aimless young nobles, and his studies began to deteriorate.

Uncle Hong sighed again. “Once the studies are neglected, it’s difficult to pick them up again. On top of that, he got involved in gambling. Once blinded by it, he would likely do anything.”

Chu Ling thought for a moment. “Wu Ting was sixteen then, right? At sixteen, he neglected his studies, got involved in gambling, and lost not only his future but the entire Wu family.”

Uncle Hong nodded gravely.

Wan Sanjin furrowed his brow and shook his head slightly. “One moment of poor judgment ruined his own family. I wonder if, in the dead of night, he ever regrets it.”

Uncle Hong sighed lightly. Perhaps he does.

“By the way, Wu Ting is still alive, right?” Chu Ling suddenly remembered. Since Lord Lu had asked her to reopen the case, that meant the key figure of the case, Wu Ting, was still alive—likely even in the capital.

Chu Ling frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then said, “Uncle Hong, find out where Wu Ting is now. If we can interrogate him in person, that would be even better.”

Uncle Hong nodded in agreement. “Yes, I’ll have someone check. But after all these years, the Wu family’s mansion has collapsed, and the family has scattered. It might not be easy to locate him.”

Chu Ling shook her head slightly. “Lord Lu asked me to investigate this case, which means it can definitely be reopened. And Wu Ting must be in the capital.”

“Good. I’ll have people well-connected across the land investigate,” Uncle Hong said.

Chu Ling made a sound of acknowledgment. Following Bai Su’s reminder, she stood and went to check the herbal medicine. Once the color looked about right, she wrapped it in thick cloth and slowly poured it into two neck bottles.

Uncle Hong and Wan Sanjin packed the bottles into a straw-filled food box. After sealing the lid, they quickly left.

Chu Ling instructed the household to take care of the stove, then returned to her own courtyard.

The network of figures in the house was still complex. Although the Canghua Tower was gone and Xuanyuan Hong had died, the Xuanyuan family had not suffered much damage, and the connections remained tense.

Chu Ling then shifted her gaze from the Xuanyuan family to the Si family and reached out to locate the Si family’s thread.

“The Si family wouldn’t go so far as to harm a junior, but they wouldn’t risk outright confrontation either,” Ghost Scholar said softly, fanning the thread lightly.

“If the Si family isn’t trying to frame someone, nor seeking open conflict, then perhaps it’s really about something being stolen,” Chu Ling murmured.

Ghost Scholar turned to her. “Then you’ll need to see the stolen item.”

Chu Ling’s expression hardened slightly. “Looks like tomorrow I’ll need to visit Lord Lu’s residence. There might be a record there.”