The Duke’s mansion was vast – without guidance, visitors would easily get lost. The household manager had been waiting at the entrance early to guide guests. Ming Shu supported Mother Zeng as they followed the manager to the second gate.
The manager wore a bright smile and was very enthusiastic, complimenting Mother Zeng and Ming Shu while introducing the mansion’s scenery along the way. Mother Zeng had seen such ancient noble residences before, so Ming Shu mainly responded to the manager’s enthusiasm.
“Madam Zeng, Ming Shu.” A man in cyan robes stood inside the second gate, bowing to Mother Zeng and Ming Shu.
“Second Young Master,” the manager recognized him.
“I’ll guide them in. You may attend to your other duties,” Song Qing Zhao nodded to the manager.
The manager smiled and withdrew. Song Qing Zhao gestured to Mother Zeng and Ming Shu, saying, “This way. Mother is already waiting for you in the garden.”
“Thank you,” Mother Zeng expressed her gratitude and followed Song Qing Zhao further inside.
Ming Shu felt somewhat at ease upon first seeing Song Qing Zhao, but noticing his calm demeanor and courteous manner unchanged from before, displaying a gentleman’s open-mindedness, she set aside her small worries and followed him through the second gate. Just as they reached the Emerald Lake outside the Hundred Flower Garden, a clear laugh rang out.
“Look, he did go to receive Madam Lu and Young Lady Lu. I said I would welcome them, but he insisted on greeting them personally.”
Two laughing voices joined in agreement. Several people emerged from the garden gate, dressed in red and green with an air of nobility about them. All were good-looking, especially the one in front.
Song Qing Zhao addressed her evenly: “Elder Sister-in-law,” his tone carrying a hint of annoyance at being teased.
“All right, alright, I’ll stop,” she ceased her teasing and came forward with two young ladies to welcome Mother Zeng and Ming Shu. Song Qing Zhao then made the introductions. Ming Shu learned that the laughing lady was Song Qing Zhao’s elder sister-in-law, née Meng, who was helping Madam Xu manage this Dragon Boat Festival feast.
Many guests had already arrived in the flower garden. After Lady Meng and Mother Zeng exchanged greetings, she urged Song Qing Zhao: “It’s done, you’ve brought them here, I’ll take good care of them, don’t worry. I see His Highness will arrive soon. Grandfather and Father are waiting in the study – you should hurry over, don’t be late.”
Song Qing Zhao didn’t say more and took his leave. Lady Meng smiled again, warmly taking Mother Zeng’s arm. Ming Shu observed from the side that Madam Xu’s eldest daughter-in-law had a cheerful and capable personality, quite similar to Madam Xu.
Chatting and sizing each other up, the group entered the garden. The Hundred Flower Garden truly lived up to its name. Plants and flowers filled the grounds. Now in late spring and early summer, it was the season when hundreds of flowers bloomed together – peonies, peonies, and various climbing roses adorned the walls. The fragrance was intoxicating. Many ladies were already present, wearing various colored light spring garments with heads full of pearls and jade. Their colors scattered among the deep greens – purple, pink, yellow, and blue dispersed among the flower clusters. With oriole calls and swallow songs mixed with laughter, it was like a vibrant painting come to life, the beautiful flowers and lovely ladies captivating all eyes.
Madam Xu sat on a luohan couch beneath the flower wall, surrounded by several noble ladies chatting and laughing, selecting flowers from trays brought by maids to pin in their hair.
“Pick some of the best blooming ones and send them to the front for Song Qing Zhao and the others to entertain the male guests,” Madam Xu instructed while selecting flowers. Looking up to see Lady Meng and the others, she quickly straightened and waved, “Come here quickly.” Not waiting for them to bow, she said, “Your mother and daughter have come just in time. These flowers were just cut – quickly pick a couple to wear.”
All eyes in the vicinity turned to Mother Zeng and Ming Shu. Ming Shu noticed Mother Zeng growing nervous and quietly squeezed her hand, whispering, “Mother, I’m here with you, don’t worry.” She then gracefully supported Mother Zeng forward, her gaze sweeping briefly over the trays of fresh flowers as she made a proper greeting. Mother Zeng collected herself and stepped forward to greet everyone as Lady Meng made introductions. Today’s guests included not only the Song family relatives but also the wives of several high officials. Under Lady Meng’s introductions, everyone privately assessed this noble mother-daughter pair from Bian Jing.
After finally completing the round of greetings, everyone met each other and took their seats. Madam Xu still urged them to pick flowers. Ming Shu then selected a peony to pin in Mother Zeng’s hair, while choosing two half-bloomed peonies for herself before happily sitting beside Mother Zeng.
“Ming Shu, there are young ladies your age playing in the garden. Don’t feel constrained – let Wen Niang take you over,” Madam Xu was in an especially good mood today, smiling benevolently.
Wen Niang was Lady Meng’s maiden name.
“No thank you, I’d like to stay here and chat with the ladies,” Ming Shu declined Madam Xu’s kind offer. Mother Zeng was still nervous – if she left, Mother Zeng would feel even more uncomfortable. Moreover, these people all came from good backgrounds and were somewhat arrogant. She couldn’t bear to see Mother Zeng being slighted or looked down upon with no one by her side.
So she wouldn’t go anywhere – she would stay with Mother.
No one could bully her family.
“This child… isn’t it boring chatting with us?” Madam Xu smiled.
Ming Shu stayed close to Mother Zeng as she answered Madam Xu with a smile: “Not boring at all, I enjoy it.”
The ladies all laughed, both at her innocent charm and at how someone her age still clung to her mother. Coming from a humble background, it was common to feel intimidated in such settings and afraid to socialize independently. However, it did make her seem somewhat unrefined and unsophisticated.
Meanwhile, the royal carriage was still en route to the Duke’s mansion.
The sound of wheels and carriage bells completely covered the conversation between Zhao Jing Ran and Lu Chang.
“How goes the investigation of the Simple family case in Jiang Ning?” After discussing the Kaifeng Prefecture matter, Zhao Jing Ran asked about the Simple case.
The robbery case in Jiang Ning Prefecture was extremely heinous, causing huge waves not only in Jiang Ning but also throughout the court and society.
“Jiang Ning is a wealthy region, and these are peaceful times. Even if there were bandits, it would be impossible for them to break into the city and commit robbery. Looking at this case narrowly, it appears to be mountain bandits robbing; looking at it broadly, bandits entering the city could hint at hidden military troubles,” Lu Chang said.
Thus, the court paid extreme attention to this case and treated it with great importance. What kind of bandits could be powerful enough to break into a wealthy city with stationed troops and do as they pleased, setting fires and killing seventeen members of a wealthy merchant family? In the peaceful Da An Dynasty, this sounded like an impossible tale.
“But this case is now closed, with the Ministry of Justice’s review complete showing no doubts. The mountain bandits who infiltrated Jiang Ning and robbed the Simple family were defeated by Jiang Ning’s military. The bandit leader Zhong Ming was killed during capture, and the officials colluding with these bandits have been identified – namely Jiang Ning County’s Assistant Magistrate Wang Heng, along with city guards he instructed to coordinate with the bandits, two county clerks, and four servants. All suspects have been arrested. Wang Heng committed suicide, while the others confessed and submitted to punishment. The Jiang Ning Prefecture Magistrate, County Magistrate, and several other officials were also dismissed by the court for negligent supervision.”
“A Ninth Rank official like the Jiang Ning Assistant Magistrate, already elderly and about to retire – why would he risk so much for ill-gotten gains? And how could he command city guards? The guards belong to Jiang Ning’s regional army – logically, such a serious problem under army jurisdiction only resulted in punishing a guard. Are Zhong Ming and Wang Heng truly the masterminds of this case?” Lu Chang had reviewed the complete case files and analyzed them with furrowed brows, continuing, “There’s also the matter of the Simple family assets. Although their properties and shops are currently sealed and managed by the county office, these are all fixed assets. The bandits stole another portion of wealth whose whereabouts remain unknown. The Simple family dealt in gold and jade, with a treasury specifically for storing precious metals and valuables. When officials arrived, the treasury was empty. If my calculations aren’t wrong, this gold and silver would have been the largest portion of the Simple family’s wealth.”
Zhao Jing Ran’s brows also furrowed deeply at these words, but Lu Chang wasn’t finished.
“According to the case files, from when the robbery occurred until officials arrived, only about two hours passed. For bandits to extract the treasury’s location, empty it of valuables, kill people, burn the residence, and escape the city in such a short time… this seems impossible unless someone inside the Simple family collaborated with them, leaking the treasury’s existence and location beforehand. Who was this person? Besides Ming Shu, seventeen Simple family members died – nearly the entire clan – but two people connected to this wealth remain missing.”
Lu Chang continued.
“Ming Shu’s Concubine Aunt Zhou Yan Rou and her two-year-old son – both have vanished. I rescued Ming Shu at the foot of Cloud Flower Mountain. She must have fallen while fleeing on the mountain path. Cloud Flower Mountain only has a Cloud Flower Temple and a Water Fairy Nunnery. Cloud Flower Temple is a famous ancient temple in Jiang Ning Prefecture – likely nothing major there, but the Water Fairy Nunnery is different.” Lu Chang paused, telling Zhao Jing Ran about all the dark dealings at the Water Fairy Nunnery.
Zhao Jing Ran quickly understood: “You suspect Young Lady Simple discovered something, followed it to the nunnery, and overheard things she shouldn’t have, leading to attempts to silence her? That’s why she was chased until she fell from the cliff?”
Lu Chang nodded, “Last month, I sent a letter to an old friend in Jiangning County, asking him to secretly visit Yunhua Temple and Shuixian Nunnery. He has replied to me. The Shuixian Nunnery has been sealed by officials, and traces of that night’s events have been erased. While he couldn’t uncover much about what happened at Shuixian Nunnery, he did learn some details from Yunhua Temple. Monks at Nanhua Temple can confirm that Mingshu indeed appeared there with several people. What’s even more strange is that among the list of deceased from the Jian family, there was a maid called Little Dragonfly who was Mingshu’s attendant, never leaving her side. Logically, if Mingshu was at Yunhua Temple, this maid should have been with her – so how did she end up on the list of deceased at the Jian residence? And while all the culprits related to this case have been captured, none have confessed about the events at Shuixian Nunnery.”
This case appeared solved on the surface – the criminals had been caught and punished accordingly. Yet beneath remained many suspicious threads that couldn’t be explained away.
“It’s unfortunate that Miss Jian has developed soul-departure syndrome. Otherwise, we might know what transpired that night.”
“We don’t know when Mingshu’s condition will improve. Waiting for her to recover her memories to identify the culprit might be too late. There’s another key person in this case – the missing Concubine Zhou from the Jian family. I think we should focus our investigation on her.” Lu Chang bowed to Zhao Jingran, “Your Highness, Zixiao would like to request personnel to secretly investigate Zhou’s whereabouts in Jiangning.”
“No problem. I’ll arrange the personnel for you. Make sure you thoroughly investigate this matter,” Zhao Jingran nodded in agreement.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Lu Chang clasped his hands and bowed.
The carriage gradually came to a stop, having arrived outside the Duke’s mansion.
In the Hundred Flowers Garden, the ladies had already engaged in a round of conversation and laughter. They gradually set aside their initial underestimation of Mingshu and began to see her in a new light.
They had originally thought Mingshu stayed close to her mother because she was timid and inexperienced in social situations, unable to socialize with these noble young ladies. But now they realized they had misjudged her. Her staying behind was precisely the opposite of what they had thought – not because she depended on her mother, but because she wanted to be her mother’s support.
Strangely enough, despite being just an eighteen-year-old lady from an ordinary family, she showed remarkable sophistication in her social interactions and etiquette. She navigated effortlessly among these noble ladies with their varying intentions. Whether they discussed jewelry, fabric for clothes, or rare treasures, she could always keep up with the conversation. Not only could she participate, but she also spoke knowledgeably, managing to flatter the ladies while taking care of Madam Zeng, ensuring no one slighted her mother. She handled everything perfectly, without a single misstep.
Even Lady Xu had to reassess her opinion of her—she had initially thought Lu Mingshu was just an enthusiastic and straightforward young lady who, though likable, had never experienced such grand occasions and would surely be intimidated. She had planned to help Mingshu maintain her face but found she had no opportunity to do so.
In Mingshu’s mind, these noble ladies were all potential future customers of their grand hall. Running a business meant dealing with all sorts of customers, and not every customer would be to one’s liking. They came with different personalities and preferences. Mingshu treated them as future patrons, using all her skills to please them – whether she liked them or not, she needed to win them all over completely and properly.
“This young lady from the Lu family – I underestimated her. I quite like her demeanor. Do you know if she’s been promised to anyone?” The lady sitting closest to Lady Xu asked, growing increasingly fond of Mingshu.
Hearing this, Lady Xu revealed a knowing smile: “She is indeed, but… your family might not be suitable.”
The lady asked curiously: “What’s wrong with my family? Her brother is also a top scholar, and they have imperial connections…” Seeing Lady Xu’s meaningful expression, she stopped mid-sentence. “Could it be that you also…”
“Speaking of which, I hear her brother has also arranged a marriage. A top scholar in Bianjing is someone many families would want as a son-in-law. Your family’s young lady is about his age,” Lady Xu interrupted her.
The lady covered her mouth with a smile and merely nodded, saying nothing more.
This Dragon Boat Festival banquet wasn’t just for Mingshu’s sake Lady Xu had invited Madam Zeng – Lu Chang was another reason. In Bianjing, nobles were everywhere, their connections intricate and complex. Having more marriage alliances meant more support in the future.
“My joints are getting stiff from sitting so long. Wenni, call the young ladies back. Let’s all walk in the garden together,” Lady Xu called out.
Madam Meng agreed and summoned all the young ladies. Soon, the young ladies returned like a flock of swallows, chattering as they gathered around their elders. Madam Meng took the opportunity to introduce Madam Zeng and Mingshu to the young ladies from each family.
Upon hearing they were the mother and sister of the top scholar, they treated Madam Zeng with appropriate respect as an elder, but Mingshu found herself surrounded once again.
Mingshu was getting a headache from all the attention.
“Miss Lu, do you remember me?” A gentle voice rose above the chirping crowd.
Mingshu turned to see a familiar face, and with her good memory, immediately recognized her: “Miss Lu.”
It was the young lady who had first approached her at the Viewing Hall during the Imperial Examination announcement ceremony, the daughter of the Minister of Works.
As they were already acquainted, Miss Lu quickly became friendly with Mingshu. She spoke gently and carried herself with grace, standing out among the young ladies for her composure. Mingshu took a liking to her and walked alongside her, supporting Madam Zeng as they strolled through the garden, chatting and laughing.
After a short while, as the group reached the western flower gate of the Hundred Flowers Garden, they encountered the prince’s party.
Prince Zhao Jingran was accompanied not only by members of the Song family but also by many young talents from the noble families of Bianjing. Since Lady Xu’s group included many young ladies, when the two parties met, they stopped to exchange greetings. Both sides secretly observed the fresh faces in the opposite group. When eyes occasionally met across the distance, some blushed and lowered their heads while others nodded with smiles. The innocent feelings of these young men and women were like the misty moon over the river – ethereal and beautiful.
Among all the young people present, two individuals on Prince Zhao Jingran’s side attracted the most attention. Coincidentally, both wore blue robes today and stood out remarkably – one was naturally Song Qingzhao, the second grandson of the Song family, and the other was Lu Chang.
Mingshu’s sharp eyes immediately spotted her brother. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Miss Lu’s whisper.
“Top Scholar Lu is here too…”
She turned her head to see Miss Lu’s shy face – like many other young ladies around them, her eyes were fixed solely on Lu Chang.
Here we go again with her brother attracting admirers like flowers attract bees!
Across the way, Lu Chang had also noticed Mingshu in the crowd. Just as he was about to nod to her, something occurred to him, and he turned his head, only to catch Song Qingzhao gazing at Mingshu.
Song Qingzhao’s eyes, rarely showing emotion, were slightly curved with a smile as he looked at Mingshu from afar, his lips turning up slightly. Mingshu returned a bright smile.
Lu Chang’s smile instantly froze.
Seeing Lu Chang and Song Qingzhao standing together, Mingshu waved to greet them both. Unexpectedly, Lu Chang suddenly turned away, not only ignoring her but also stepping in front of Song Qingzhao, blocking their line of sight.
After everyone had paid their respects to Prince Zhao Jingran, Lady Xu invited him to lead the way. The two groups merged into one, with Prince Zhao Jingran leading the young men in front, while Lady Xu guided the ladies behind them as they toured the garden.
Mingshu watched as Lu Chang passed by her, also noticing the countless admiring glances that followed him, and silently shook her head.
As they followed the group through the garden for some time, Mingshu suddenly heard someone calling her from behind. Turning around, she saw Madam Meng standing under a peach tree, beckoning to her, apparently wanting to speak with her. Mingshu looked at Madam Zeng, who patted her hand and said, “Go ahead, I’ll stay with them. Don’t worry.”
Seeing that Madam Zeng had adapted quite well, Mingshu instructed Qingshao to stay close to her mother. Miss Lu also said, “I’ll keep Madam Zeng company, you go ahead.” Only then did Mingshu leave her mother’s side and hurry over to Madam Meng.
The peach blossoms had largely fallen, covering the ground in red petals like a thin carpet of flowers. When Madam Meng saw Mingshu approaching, she smiled, and Mingshu froze slightly as she noticed Song Qingzhao behind the peach tree.
The garden-touring group gradually moved away, their laughter drifting into the distance. Song Qingzhao stepped out from behind the peach tree, through the scattered petals, his cold demeanor completely transformed into gentleness as he said to her, “Mingshu, let me accompany you.”
Mingshu looked around, noting several maids and elderly servants nearby, so they weren’t truly alone. She nodded, and they followed at the rear of the group as they walked forward.
Suddenly, neither knew what to say, so they just walked slowly among the garden’s colorful flowers. After about a dozen steps, Song Qingzhao finally broke the silence.
“Mingshu, today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and this longevity thread is fitting for the occasion. I noticed this flower color is special, so I saved it for you.”
He took out a five-colored longevity thread from his sleeve, presenting it before her with both hands and continued, “I wish you a long life of peace and joy.”
Earlier in the morning, he couldn’t give her the gift because Madam Zeng was present, and in the afternoon he had to attend the banquet. After consideration, he realized this was the only time he could slip away to see her.
Another longevity thread?
Mingshu touched her wrist, expressed her thanks, and was about to accept it when he withdrew his hand.
“May I help you put it on?” Song Qingzhao asked gently.
“I…” Mingshu said awkwardly, raising both hands so her sleeves fell back, revealing a gold bracelet on one wrist and another five-colored longevity thread on the other. She had no free wrist for another one.
Seeing this, Song Qingzhao laughed, showing no signs of displeasure or disappointment. He simply offered the thread to her again, saying, “Very well, just keep it then.”
“Thank you,” Mingshu finally accepted, holding the longevity thread between her fingers.
Song Qingzhao continued, “Mingshu, there are some things I’d like to tell you…”
At the front of the group, they had stopped at a large flower bed, and everyone dispersed to admire the flowers. Lu Chang scanned the crowd several times but couldn’t find Mingshu. He looked again and noticed Song Qingzhao was also missing. He frowned, and just as he was about to call someone to ask about Song Qingzhao’s whereabouts, an unfamiliar young maid came running hurriedly along the small stone path.
This maid wasn’t wearing Song family attire; she must have been a personal attendant of one of today’s female guests.
“Top… Top Scholar Lu…” she called out to him.
Lu Chang remained silent, only fixing her with a sharp, questioning gaze.
Catching her breath, she pointed down the stone path and said, “This servant is the maid of Miss Lu from Minister of Works Lu’s family. Earlier, while my young lady was accompanying Madam Zeng in the garden, Madam Zeng accidentally stumbled on a stone and twisted her ankle.”
“Where is she now?” Lu Chang immediately asked.
The little maid pointed behind her at the path: “Not far, just about a dozen steps away. Top Scholar Lu, please follow this servant.”
“Lead the way,” Lu Chang said.