As Yu Jin left the small alley, his steps felt lighter than ever before.
The Prince Yan’s Mansion, like other princely residences, was located in an area where royal relatives and nobles congregated.
Reaching the main gate, his heart brimming with joy, Yu Jin couldn’t resist reaching out to rub the head of the stone lion at the entrance. This action caused the gatekeepers to widen their eyes in surprise.
Casting a glance at the oddly-looking gatekeepers, Yu Jin strode in with long, purposeful steps.
Compared to the small dwelling in Quezi Hutong, the princely mansion was naturally much larger, with pavilions, towers, and multiple courtyards. A first-time visitor would surely get lost.
But for Yu Jin, he still found the civilian residence with the crooked-necked jujube tree at its entrance more convenient.
Upon entering that house, one immediately stepped into the courtyard. A towering silk tree provided ample shade, perfect for enjoying the cool breeze on summer days. The small fan-like silk tree flowers seemed to bloom endlessly, adorning the long, leisurely moments.
This vast princely mansion felt empty. Yu Jin pondered seriously and concluded that it mainly lacked a mistress.
Erniu curled up against the wall and glanced listlessly at his master’s return before resting his face back on his front paws.
For the big dog who had seen enough of his master’s familiar face, Yu Jin’s status had been steadily declining. Previously, he might have been worth a bowl of meat bones, but now he was probably only worth a single bone.
“Erniu, come here.” Yu Jin wanted to share his good mood with someone. After some thought, he decided that Erniu was more reliable than Long Dan or Leng Ying.
Erniu wagged his tail lazily, not bothering to respond.
Yu Jin didn’t mind. He happily walked over and hugged Erniu’s head, giving it a vigorous rub.
“Woof woof—” Erniu protested with a bewildered expression.
Long Dan stretched his neck to take a look, nudged Leng Ying, and whispered, “The master seems a bit off today!”
Leng Ying put away his bowstring and turned to leave.
“Hey, hey, where are you running off to?” Long Dan called out, perplexed.
Leng Ying had already walked away when they heard Yu Jin say, “Long Dan, come here and practice with me.”
Long Dan: “…” That Leng Ying, what a heartless comrade!
While Long Dan was being tormented by his master, let’s turn our attention to Jiang Si, who had returned to Haitang Residence. She sat on the beauty couch and began to feel ashamed of her earlier wavering.
How undignified, how fickle, how could she consider getting back on that treacherous ship just because of a few words from him?
Jiang Si, are you such an unprincipled person?
A little voice in her mind nagged: Yes, yes, you are. Aren’t you foolish? If marrying any man carries risks, what’s wrong with marrying a handsome man you like?
Jiang Si rubbed her face.
She couldn’t think about this anymore; her current indecisiveness was somewhat dangerous.
Aman stood to the side, watching her mistress’s expression change repeatedly, and sighed worriedly.
What could her mistress be thinking? Wasn’t it better when she had shown that fierce determination on that night of murder and arson?
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
The autumn wind grew cooler with each passing day, and the air began to carry the scent of chrysanthemums and drunken crabs.
The Golden Water River was even livelier now than in summer.
Enjoying chrysanthemums and eating crabs wasn’t just a pleasure for the upper class; it was also a feast for scholars, artists, and famous courtesans.
Jiang Si met the slightly tipsy Afei in the civilian residence.
The alcohol’s effects were mild, and Afei’s eyes were clear. Jiang Si’s furrowed brow relaxed, and she gestured for Afei to sit and report.
Afei sat down at a distance from Jiang Si, looking sheepish. “I’ve been drinking a bit too much these past couple of days. My insides feel like a wine jar.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Afei quickly waved his hands. “No, no, it wasn’t hard at all.”
Heavens above, he wouldn’t mind continuing this kind of life indefinitely.
“Have you made any progress these past two days?”
Afei straightened up, putting aside his jovial demeanor. “I’m not sure if it’ll be useful to you, Miss, but I did hear some drunken words from those two men.”
Jiang Si personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to Afei, gesturing for him to continue.
“I treated them to drinks twice. The first time, they were a bit guarded, but the second time they drank freely. When I saw they were in the right mood, I asked if selling daughters and sisters to the flower boats was still considered unusual these days. Guess what they said?”
Jiang Si tapped her fan on the table, chiding gently, “Don’t keep me in suspense.”
Afei quickly became serious. “One of the men said selling daughters and sisters was nothing special. He said there was someone who sold the same sister twice – now that was truly unusual.”
Jiang Si listened, confused. She frowned and asked, “What does ‘sold twice’ mean?”
“The man said there was a maid who served a top courtesan and was recently redeemed. But not long after, her brother came to sell her again because of gambling debts. It’s quite ridiculous. How could a girl who worked on a flower boat be worth the same as a virgin? Did that man think they wouldn’t recognize his sister just because he changed her name?”
Jiang Si pursed her lips and continued to listen as Afei went on.
Afei leaned forward slightly, with a hint of pride and desire for praise. “Miss, that maid who was sold twice was called Qing’er.”
Afei had seen Qing’er among the crowd that day, and later when Jiang Si instructed him to gather information at Golden Water River, she specifically told him to pay attention to any news about Qing’er.
Finding out this much meant Afei’s efforts over the past three days hadn’t been in vain.
Jiang Si stood up and paced the room for a few steps before stopping to ask Afei, “Did you find out who Qing’er’s brother is and where they live?”
This time, Afei shook his head. “No, the man said he only encountered Qing’er’s brother at the gambling house. When I asked for more details, they couldn’t tell me anything else. I reckon they truly don’t know.”
Jiang Si thought for a moment and said, “Since Qing’er’s brother is a regular at the gambling house, did you inquire there?”
“I did ask, but unfortunately, those two men only knew that Qing’er’s brother was called Yang Da. The gambling house couldn’t match that name to anyone specific.” At this point, Afei instinctively defended himself, “Miss, you may not know, but there are too many people like Qing’er’s brother in gambling houses. Countless individuals sell their houses, land, children, wives, and sisters due to gambling debts. His selling his sister for a few taels of silver is nothing out of the ordinary. No one would give such a person a second glance.”
Jiang Si walked back to the eight-immortals table and sat down, playing with her fan.
“That man said Qing’er’s brother changed his sister’s name. What was Qing’er called before?”
This time, Afei didn’t hesitate. “She was called Yu’er. Because Yu’er was a maid serving a top courtesan, many people knew of her, even if she wasn’t prominent herself.”
Qing’er, Yu’er – how interesting.
Jiang Si pondered these two names, once again confirming that the current Qing’er in the Zhu family was highly suspicious.
However, it would be unwise to approach the Zhu family directly at this point. To unravel this mystery, they needed to start with the flower boats.
“So who redeemed Qing’er initially? Surely not her brother?”
A brother who gambled and sold his sister twice – if he had won a sum of money through gambling, his first thought would be to win more, not to have a sudden attack of conscience and redeem his sister, right?