The night had swallowed the entire Nan Yue Kingdom. Fine rain pattered against the eaves of the carriage as it passed, and a cool breeze, carrying the scent of damp earth, billowed the curtains, startling Zhong Li awake.
Was it raining?
She sat up and pushed aside the curtain, peering into the pitch-black outdoors. Occasional raindrops landed on her nose, their earthy aroma filling her breath.
If she remembered correctly, the sky had been clear when they left An Ding County at sunset yesterday. How had it changed so drastically in the latter half of the night?
“Where is Lin Jin?” she asked the man riding alongside their carriage.
Lin Jin lightly shook the rain from his bamboo hat and replied, “Miss Zhong will reach Jin Cheng in another hour.”
Zhong Li calculated the time, hoping everything would be in time.
“Be careful of the cold,” Lu Wuxie’s gentle voice sounded beside her. Simultaneously, a slightly thicker outer garment was draped over her shoulders.
Zhong Li turned to look at the man, his eyes still heavy with sleep. “Mo Cang, did I wake you?”
Lu Wuxie shook his head. “I’m a light sleeper. I woke up as soon as it started raining outside.”
As he spoke, he poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in Zhong Li’s hand. “Drinking water right after waking up is good for your health.”
Zhong Li nodded, her gaze drifting to a small shovel in the corner of the carriage. Recalling the day’s events, she asked, “Mo Cang thought Zhao Min’s tomb was empty. Where do you think he went?”
Lu Wuxie smiled and looked back at Zhong Li. “Li’er, you’re asking the wrong question. You should be asking, who within the An Ping Marquis’s estate?”
“Yes, who does Mo Cang think it was?” Zhong Li asked again.
Lu Wuxie didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took something from a small cabinet beside him and put it on his face. “Do I look like him?”
“You do and yet you don’t,” Zhong Li replied.
“Since Li’er has guessed, how do you plan to bring him to justice?” Lu Wuxie inquired.
Zhong Li shook her head. “Based on the evidence we have so far, none of it can lead to his conviction. Since the front door is closed, we’ll have to take a detour.”
“He’s quite pitiable, really, just too consumed by his obsession,” Lu Wuxie commented.
Zhong Li curled her lips and fell silent, her gaze fixed on the teacup in her hand, lost in thought. When she left An Ding County, she had visited her foster father and exchanged some heartfelt words. Aside from the overgrown weeds, time had passed swiftly. It had only been a little over half a year, yet the grass on his grave was already knee-high.
“This is for you.”
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, Lu Wuxie placed an object on the table.
Zhong Li looked up; it was a money pouch.
“This is…”
She took it, examining its design. A white peony was embroidered on the money pouch. She then opened it to count the contents. It was exactly the amount she had given to Madam Qian.
“Mo Cang, you…”
“Earlier, I heard you say at your foster father’s grave that you had given some of your savings to Madam Qian. To avenge him may take some time. I happened to pass by the An Ding County market and picked this up. Consider the money from Madam Qian as my contribution. Keep yours safe.” Lu Wuxie said, then lowered his gaze to refill the water in Zhong Li’s cup.
When he looked up again, a soft, warm, rosy lip was pressed against his cheek.
“Li’er… you…” His drowsy eyes slowly widened. Zhong Li’s scent, carrying a hint of medicine, filled his nostrils.
While he was taken aback, Zhong Li slowly drew back a few inches, a sly smile playing on her lips as she noticed Lu Wuxie’s sudden embarrassment. “Thank you!” she said.
With that, her mood brightened considerably. As she was about to return to her seat, her arm was suddenly pulled. Caught off guard, she felt a warmth on her lips, followed by a gentle tug and entanglement of tongues.
The rain pattered incessantly on the carriage roof. Occasionally, a spring breeze would blow, entwining the rain and dew, lingering, and finally merging into a pool.
It was already the hour of Si (9-11 AM) the following day when Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie arrived at Jin Cheng.
Before their carriage had even stopped, A Wu, who had been following Lu Wuxie, galloped towards them.
“Young Master, Prefect Zhong!” Upon seeing the carriage, he dismounted and knelt, cupping his fists in greeting.
Lu Wuxie pulled aside the curtain. “A Wu, why the haste?”
A Wu glanced behind Lu Wuxie, confirming Zhong Li’s presence. “It’s bad, Young Master. Something has happened again at the An Ping Marquis’s estate. The fourth concubine, Lady Lei, drowned in the well last night. The Marquis is currently looking everywhere for Prefect Zhong. What should we do?”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li got up, preparing to alight from the carriage.
Lu Wuxie grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”
“Something happened at the Marquis’s estate, I must go…”
“No!” Lu Wuxie said. “Everyone in court knows the An Ping Marquis’s temperament. You won’t gain anything by going.”
“But…”
“How about this? I’ll go to the Marquis’s estate first and get the An Ping Marquis out of the way. You still have something to do, don’t you? I’ll leave A Wu to help you. Will one day be enough?” Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li nodded. “It will be enough. The five-day deadline set by the Marquis is also today.”
“Alright. I’ll bring the Marquis back to the estate before dinner.” With that, Lu Wuxie jumped off the carriage, mounted the horse that Lin Jin was holding, and galloped towards the Marquis’s estate.
“Prefect Zhong,” A Wu said, sitting in the driver’s seat and turning his head to look at Zhong Li. “Where are we going?”
Zhong Li looked at the increasingly crowded street. “To the clothing shops in the northern part of the city.”
***
The An Ping Marquis’s backyard.
Chun Ping, Xia Ju, and Dong Shu, three maids, knelt in the inner hall, crying and hugging each other. In less than half a day, all the female mistresses in the backyard had died. The three, who had previously suspected each other, now licked each other’s wounds, pouring out their grief and weeping like good sisters.
“I had suspected that the fourth concubine was behind all this. I was thinking that if Prefect Zhong couldn’t solve the case today, I’d go to the fourth concubine’s courtyard to make a scene. I never expected that the fourth concubine would actually…” Xia Ju sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Dong Shu glanced at Xia Ju and shook her head. “It’s not your fault. We are all servants, and it’s not wrong for us to be loyal to our own masters. It’s just that I can’t understand it. My concubine was gentle and timid. She never offended anyone, so why did she end up like this?”
“My First Madam is even more wronged!” Chun Ping sniffled and chimed in. “The Master hasn’t visited the First Madam’s chambers in a long time, and she died before the Young Master returned. This… isn’t this a death with regrets? Wuwuwu…”
“Wuwuwu…” As they spoke, the three embraced each other again.
“Huh, who is that?” Dong Shu, still crying, looked at the Fourth Concubine’s body lying in the inner hall. Her eyes inadvertently swept past the doorway, and she suddenly saw a woman flash past. She quickly stood up and pointed to the doorway, asking.
Chun Ping and Xia Ju turned their heads, their voices laced with tears. “Who are you talking about? Besides us servants and Steward Xu, there’s no one else in this courtyard. Who else could it be?”
After speaking, they continued to cry.
After a while, they felt something was wrong. Dong Shu had remained standing in the same spot without moving.
Chun Ping, being braver, walked up to Dong Shu and nudged her. “Dong Shu, what are you spacing out…”
Her words trailed off as she saw Dong Shu turn around with a pale face, her remaining words stuck in her throat.
“I… I think I saw the Third Concubine!”