CROWN PRINCE'S CONCUBINE

395 Bird Scales.

The living room, back bungalow of the Li family’s mansion.

All eyes were on the small item resembling bird scales that Chen Ming had found. Which is placed on the table so everyone could lay eyes on it.

Li Mo stroked his chin, frowning as he tried to think about what was in front of them right now.

While Luo Xiang don’t really care about it other than his Bai Ying, held his hand and worried about the kid, that was just what he said, he always find any excuse to hold Bai Ying no matter what.

“Are you sure you’re alright??” asked the Crown Prince.

Bai Ying nodded.

“I’m fine, Your Majesty, but Brother Su Lang didn’t remember what happen to him while he was on his way to and back from the kitchen, it might be something was in the kitchen who did it to him”

Luo Xiang glanced at Su Lang who was standing with Ge Lu by the door.

“How could that Being do something that made Su Lang lose his memory? Uncle Li, weren’t maids there all the time? Who could see what was going on, and how could there not be a single maid near there while Ying Ying and the others were enjoying breakfast? They should still be there to serve them right?” asked the Crown Prince.

.....

Li Mo realized that, that’s why he invited Ne Ma to come joined them, the middle-aged woman stopped at the door after several guards pick her up.

The middle-aged woman lowered her head in front of Li Mo and the others.

“Please pardon me, my Lord, this old lady has come in front of my Lord”

“That’s what we need to ask Ne Ma for. Old lady, how come all the maids are not there to stand by at breakfast time? Didn’t I already tell you, whatever you do the Young Master’s needs in this bungalow are your top priority, no one should let your guard down, after all, who told you to assign A Er here? That girl should stay in the front house right?” Li Mo asked.

Ne Ma didn’t dare to raise her face.

“Please forgive this Servant, my Lord, Servant didn’t assign A Er on purpose when San Er suddenly felt unwell this morning, I have no choice and asked A Er to come along, I know M Lord wants all the best services for Young Master Luo, so Servant doesn’t want it to become a problem.”

Li Mo looked at the middle-aged woman with sharp brows, he was still disappointed how a senior servant who had been a servant of the Li family since he was young could be this careless.

“Then why did you guys leave when the meal wasn’t over yet? What if Young Master Hua and Young Master Chen need you guys?”

It was only then that Ne Ma raised her head. He looked at Li Mo with a confused face. Then turned to everyone in the room. The woman stuttered.

“Oh my Lord, that’s impossible, Servant and others still stay here until Young Master’s finishes breakfast, we didn’t move at all, um, Young Master Hua even says that the fried bread is delicious and also asks for another bowl of fish soup again” Ne Ma continued.

Bai Ying and Chen Ming looked at each other, what is this woman really talking about? In fact, the group of maids immediately returned to the kitchen and never came back, how come the woman speak lies as if she was waiting for them to eat?

Chen Ming sighed and lowered his arms that had been crossed in front of his chest.

“This old woman is very good at lying, if they were around us how could Su Lang have to go to the kitchen himself to exchange a fallen spoon, what did you really talk about anyway?”

Chen Ming’s voice was loud looking at the woman with sharp eyes. Seeing Chen Ming’s gaze and voice that seemed to scold her, Ne Ma immediately lowered her head down.

“Please forgive me Young Master, but Servant remember very well what happened, Me and the others were in the bungalow until a while ago we returned to the main kitchen. Servant really speaks the truth, other servants can be witnesses.”

Chen Ming was about to lose his patient hearing the old woman who insist on her story, but Bai Ying held him.

“Brother never minds, don’t scare her.”

Chen Ming clearly still looks annoyed, indirectly the old woman said that he and Bai Ying, as well as Su Lang, had lied and made up stories. The old woman was too old to be senile and dazed.

“This woman has lied, is she really in a daze huh? She really good on make up stories like that.”

Bai Ying held Chen Ming’s hand. His eyes widened when he heard his brother’s words, yes, it could be that the woman was also in a daze, just like what happened to Su Lang. Bai Ying looked at the Crown Prince.

“Your Majesty, this is...”

Luo Xiang understood the meaning of Bai Ying’s gaze on him, the young man looked at Li Mo and flung his sleeves while sitting on his chair. Li Mo understood what the Crown Prince’s meant and ordered the guards to bring Ne Ma back to her place.

After Ne Ma retreated.

Hei Hu comes near Li Mo and Luo Xiang.

“Master Li, this doesn’t just happen once, if you remember that someone said something different at a meal, at that time there was almost a big commotion,” said Hei Hu.

Li Mo nodded.

“That’s right, I used to think it was just an ordinary commotion, but given the current state of affairs, it might not be a mere commotion.”

“What do you mean Uncle, by usual commotion? Has this really happened before?” Luo Xiang asked.

Li Mo approached. Lowering his head while clenching his two hands in front of him before answering.

“Report Your Majesty, it happened a while ago, a few months back, there were two groups who came to visit my house to exchange ideas, when I was leaving them for a moment, both ended in a commotion, one party said that the other party finished all the food, and others say otherwise. It was just a small problem, a food issue that could actually be solved without much trouble, but because of their egos, they all got big. In the end, neither side claimed to have eaten all the food, while Ne Ma had given them all the food completely, and seeing the two of them eat voraciously, that was a strange thing.”

“Uncle Li, do you want to say that the butler has been lying for a long time? And uncle only realized it now?” Luo Xiang asked.

Li Mo shook his head.

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty, that, I didn’t mean what I said, I only realized it now after having not thought about it for a long time. This thing, if I’m not mistaken, resembles the scales of a large bird whose size can be as high as an adult human. This form of scales is usually found under the neck because it has a shorter size than the scales on the back of its body, after all, most bird scales are softer, resembling light feathers, the part that is thick like this there are only vital parts such as the lower neck and legs. What I mean is, these might be the vermilion bird scales that Your Majesty and the others have been trying to find forr.”

Bai Ying sat up straight, once again opening his eyes wide at Li Mo’s words. The young man gulped at the sight of the small scales on the table, they weren’t the same shape as Er Wang’s, but more or less similar. He still didn’t dare touch it for fear that something big would appear, however, he was getting really curious now.

“Your Majesty”

Li Mo continues his words.

“And according to legend, one of the vermilion birds’ extraordinary abilities is in hypnotizing their prey, there is a high possibility that Masters Su and Ne Ma and the other servants have already entered into the bird’s hypnotic enchantment, so their memories are not what it really is.”

“So the bird hypnotized everyone? How great it is to be able to do it to so many people at once” said Chen Ming, pursing his lips in thought.

Luo Xiang put down his teacup slowly. As usual, he was always very calm and in control.

“So, there’s a possibility that the vermilion is really around here? In your big house? What, uncle think some people who could be a suspect?” Luo Xiang asked.

Li Mo thought, he shook his head.

“Erm, no one, everyone in the Li family’s house is old people, who have been around ever since I haven’t returned from the capital, they are all just ordinary people, even Ne Ma, nothing suspicious”

“What about that ugly looking maid?” Chen Ming exclaimed.

His words made everyone even Bai Ying turn to him.

“Brother, what’s wrong with that servant girl?” he asked.

“Well, big brother is suspicious of her, she seems to have something strange in her eyes, ah, this little brother is too innocent that you won’t understand something like this, it no used to talk to you”

################