16. The maiden in the forest
The next day the group left early, taking horses for the first part of the journey. They rode past the cabins they had already checked and rode on deeper into the forest. Again the first cabins they encountered and visited revealed nothing. The group got closer to the mountain and border, this worried commander Fu and Pei, but they didn't comment. This close to the mountain the paths they had to climb were getting rockier and steeper, they had to leave the horses and climb to the last two cabins themselves. When she stepped into the last cabin, the one closest to the place where the body had been found, Su already saw Li Yu had not stayed here. The small bed, chair, table, fireplace had all not recently been used. There was a thick layer of dust on them, Pei also saw it. "This cabin appears to have been undisturbed." He said, Su nodded, slightly disappointed. "Let's drink something and rest before we head back." Rushuang suggested, the others readily assented, all were feeling tired. A short break would be good. While they drank Su said she still wished to see the place where the body had been found. One of the soldiers told her they could show her. "This is the last cabin on the road to the mountain right?" Su inquired.
"Yes, if you follow that path you'll be on the mountain quickly. This path leads up to the mountain, then up to the mountain fortress." The soldiers pointed to a path leading away from the cabin in the direction of the mountain. Xie couldn't contain his excitement: "The legendary Tower of the Hawk? Oh…I would love to see that fortress, it is said it is the strongest fortress of the empire." Smiling at Xie's enthusiasm Pei said: "We don't have time to do it today, but I'll ask the marquis if we can visit another day." As always with the military Xie was very interested: "Have you been there brother Pei?" Pei and Zhu both nodded and Pei elaborated: "Part of our military training that father put us through was to visit, preferably all camps, watching towers and fortresses. So when we were sent to the marquis, to further enrich and complete our training, we took on the long hike to the mountain pass fortress, The Tower of the Hawk. We stayed there a couple of days and then returned." Before he could continue Pei was interrupted by a maiden who stood just outside their circle. "Good day, could I take some water from the well?" she asked, pointing to the well where Fei Yuan was seated. "Of course." Pei said nodding to Fei Yuan who was already getting the water from the well. A silence descended over the group as they waited for Fei Yuan to fill the water bottle of the maiden. "Do you have to travel a long distance still?" Rushuang eventually asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the silence. "Yes, it is still a long way to my home. But if I can't reach it before dark I'll take shelter in one of the cabins further up the path." The maiden accepted the bottle from Fei Yuan: "Thank you." She then started to continue her journey, but one of the soldiers stopped her: "If you wait, we can accompany you a little while." The maiden nodded and waited while the others got up. One of the soldiers remained behind. The group followed the soldier until they got to a small clearing. "This is where the body was found." He pointed to a place where the plants were crushed and the blood was still visible. "Are you here to investigate?" The maiden asked with large eyes of shock. Zhu, who had seen that he would only be in the way had remained with the maiden, while Rushuang, Pei and brother Xie joined Su. "Did you hear a body had been found?" Zhu asked. The maiden nodded: "Guards from Mingjing Office had already asked in the village whether someone had seen somebody, a woman I believe. So when we heard of a body had been found in the forest the story soon spread. Is that why you were inspecting the cabins?"
"How did you know we were inspecting the cabins?" The maiden looked at him: "Your group is too large to take shelter in a cabin and if you were to spend the night at the fortress you would already be on the mountain path. And I saw some of you enter the cabin closer to the military camp." Zhu understood it would be of no use to lie about this, so he acknowledged that they had visited the other cabins as well. "Why are you investigating this? Isn't Mingjing Office or our own court responsible for the investigation?"
"Lady Pei." Zhu pointed to Su: "Is a detective of Mingjing Office, she is in charge of this investigation."
"Lady Pei?" The maiden asked, looking up at him in surprise, Zhu nodded: "My sister-in-law enjoys working and my brother wishes for her happiness and the new Head Officer did not want to lose her. So she continues to work for Mingjing Office. And naturally my brother accompanies her on these journeys." The maiden looked at Zhu thoughtfully and then said: "Why are you here then?"
"I had some time and a wish to see the border, so my brother invited me along." Zhu saw Pei coming to them. "How does it look?" Zhu asked.
"Su said there was nothing here that will lead us to the killer. The wounds indicated an assassin and there is nothing here to suggest otherwise." The others came to stand with them. "They only thing that is odd is that Yu Li should have had clothing and other possessions to have gotten this far and we haven't been able to find them. Tomorrow we have to check the cabins on the east side, near the border town." Su said, sliding her hand in the crook of Pei's arm, Pei quickly placed his hand over hers. "Miss, is there an inn in the border town where we could stay a few days?" Su asked the maiden.
"Yes, I can show you when you reach town tomorrow." Su nodded, thanking her for her help. "Did you check all the cabins from here to the General's Mansion?" The maiden asked.
"Yes, we found nothing."
"But did you check the cabin up ahead?" One of the soldiers spoke up: "There are no more cabins in this vicinity, except the ones on the west, which we already checked." The maiden shook her head. "I mean the smugglers cabin, near the old smugglers route." The soldier looked at her confused: "Do you mean the old path over the mountain?"
"Yes."
"There was a landslide a few years back, that path is no longer open. There used to be a cabin near it, but because the path collapsed an order has been given to some workers in the border town to take it down." The soldier replied. The maiden shook her head and answered: "I don't know about an order, but I was there a few weeks ago and the cabin is still there. Come, I'll show you." The group followed her readily. "Here let me carry your basket." Zhu said as he fell in to step with the maiden., he reached for the strap over her shoulder. She stopped, lowering her eyes and taking the basket of her back. "Thank you."
"Are you going to be able to reach your home before dark after this detour?" Zhu asked, feeling a need to talk while waking next to her. She looked up, taking in the stance of the sun. "No, it's from the smugglers cabin a day walking to reach the village. I'll find shelter in one of the cabins." This worried Zhu: "Won't your parents worry if you're not home at evening?" The maid shook her head: "I have stayed in the forest over nights on other occasions. My mother knows I had to go a long way to get the plants the villagers required."
"Oh." Zhu suddenly felt unsure on how to continue the conversation. As Emperor he rarely felt this, as usually the ones he was conversing with felt the need to keep the conversation going. But now this maiden seemed content to walk along in silence. As she was content to remain silent, then maybe so should he. But Zhu did not want to be silent, somehow he wanted to know more about this maiden. Just as Zhu had considered what to ask her next, the maiden said: "Here we are." She pointed to a cabin hidden between the trees. "The general is not going to be pleased about this." One of the soldiers said, walking forwards. The cabin was in a bit of disrepair, but was still very much usable as a place to stay a night. Pei and Su entered the cabin, inside Su saw that someone had stayed here recently, there was no thick layer of dust as in the other cabins. The fireplace had been used, but not had the ash cleaned out. And the covers and pillow were still on the bed, not tucked away in a cupboard as had been the case with the other cabins. "It look like someone has been here recently and left unexpectedly, the cabin hasn't been put in the right order." Su observed. "But there are no other personal belongings that could tell us if it was Yu Li who has stayed here."
"This would be the most logical place to come to, in order to cross the border unseen." Pei commented, Su looked at her husband: "But why come to the border and not cross?"
"We know she has been to Beirong before, that is where she got access to Princess Yunchuan first. There must have been people in Beirong helping her. Maybe they were going to help her cross the mountain." Pei suggested, Su acknowledged the possibility. Then she walked up to the bed and lifted the mattress, but there was noting to be found. "She had hidden the document of Lei Zheng under the mattress. Sometimes criminals repeat their behavior." Su explained to Pei, who had looked at her questioningly. They stepped outside were the others had been waiting. A little distance behind the cabin Zhu, Xie and the maiden were all, at one time or another, pointing and gesturing to the mountain. "So how far away was the collapse?" Pei heard brother Xie ask. The maiden shook her head: "I don't know. I've only been up the path once to see the smugglers cave. My father took me there."
"There is a smuggler's cave?" Xie called out. "Is it far?" Rushuang shook her head in amusement, a smugglers cave, a mountain fortress: Xie loved these kind of places. The maiden smiled at the obvious enthusiasm of Xie. "It is from here not quite half a day to reach the first cave. My father told me three other caves are behind the collapse. The caves serve as shelter, like these cabins." The maiden explained.
"Oh, that is too far." Disappointed Xie looked up at the mountain. Pei slapped him on his shoulder: "Brother Xie, before we leave for the capital we will visit the fortress and cave. Let us return to the Generals manor now. Tomorrow we'll go to the border town and visit the cabins on that side of the forest."
"Actually, you don't need to check them all. The cabins close to town are often used by the villagers. If something odd had been found it would have been reported in town. I can ask around, but the Mingjing Office guards have already asked. I think you would only have to check the five cabins closes to this area that you would need to check." The maid interjected.
"That is good to know. I'll also contact the guards, I believe they have remained in your village." Su replied.
"That is right." The maiden nodded. "Then I'll leave you. I will see you in the village tomorrow." She then held out her hand to Zhu. He looked at her confused, until it dawned on him that he was still carrying her basket. He was reluctant to hand it over. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" The maiden nodded: "I'll easily make it to the next cabin, maybe even the second. Don't worry. I have roamed these forests since I was little."
"Oh, wait, may we know your name?" Su asked, realizing suddenly that during the time they had been in each other's company without knowing each other's name. The maiden bowed and said: "I am Tong Xin, it has been a pleasure knowing you." The others quickly told their own names, Xin had heard some during the conversation with them, but not all. Her reaction showed she was not knowledgeable on the politics of the capital or she might have realized Pei was actually Prince Qi. Once again Pei was extremely thankful that for the business with court he and Su had opted for using Su's real name: Bai. Su Ci was always the detective of Mingjing Office, who was outside the capital always accompanied by her husband Pei Zhao. This provided an extra cover when they were traveling. Su was of course known outside of the capital as the brilliant female detective, but hardly anyone knew what had occurred inside court when her true identity had been exposed. Jian was only ever used by him, like his own personal name Zhi was only ever used by her.
They bade each other a safe journey and went their own way. It was already late when the party of Pei and Su reached the general's mansion. Having spent the entire day travelling and in the company of others Pei had no inclination for sharing a meal with others. He wanted to spent the remaining time in this day with his wife, so he told Fei Yuan to bring them some food in their rooms and told him to make sure they would not be interrupted by others. When Su heard her husband talk to Fei Yuan she smiled and gladly let herself be lead by her husband, quite quickly, to their rooms. As ever Pei didn't seem to mind what others might think.