The Ke mansion had been exceptionally lively these past few days.

In just a few more days, it would be the birthday of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ke family, Qin Shi. Unlike the previously lowly-born Lu Shi, Qin Shi’s father was currently a Secretary in the Imperial Secretariat.

Though Secretary Qin’s official position wasn’t particularly prominent, he was still a cut above common people. For a merchant family like the Ke family, being able to form a marriage alliance with such a household was truly like finding treasure.

Therefore, the entire Ke household went out of their way to accommodate and please this newly married eldest daughter-in-law. Her birthday banquet preparations had begun half a month in advance.

Nanny Wan had spent the entire day arranging the ingredients for sweets to be used on the birthday banquet day, while Wan Fu was busy distributing utensils and coordinating Master Ke’s guest list. When the two finished their work and returned to their quarters, it was already deep into the night.

Wan Fu called for Wan Quan to pour him some water. After calling twice without hearing any response, Nanny Wan emerged from the sleeping chamber: “Quan’er isn’t in the room.”

Wan Fu’s eyebrows furrowed as he cursed: “It’s so late, and he’s run off to fool around again!”

“Maybe he was delayed by some matter,” Nanny Wan defended her son. “He’s not a child anymore—don’t always restrict him so much.”

“That scoundrel has been spoiled rotten by you!” Wan Fu was somewhat angry. After muttering “doting mothers raise wayward sons,” he undressed and went to bed by himself.

After sleeping through the night, when he woke again it was already the hour of the rabbit. Nanny Wan had accompanied their little daughter during the night and sleepily glanced at the adjacent room—Wan Quan’s bed was empty, with no sign of him.

He hadn’t returned all night.

Nanny Wan felt somewhat uneasy. When Wan Fu also awoke, she couldn’t help but tell him about this matter. Wan Fu said angrily: “He must have spent the night in some brothel girl’s bed. He’s becoming increasingly dissolute these days. When he comes back, I’ll see if I don’t beat that lewd wretch to death!”

They waited another half hour. The mansion’s maids and servants gradually began their daily activities, but Wan Quan still hadn’t returned. Instead, a familiar gatekeeper came over and slipped Wan Fu a letter, saying: “Someone left this at the gate this morning and told me to give it to Uncle Fu.”

Wan Fu took the letter, and for some unknown reason, his heart suddenly filled with unease. He quickly returned to his room and opened the letter. Nanny Wan, curious, asked while combing their little daughter’s hair in front of the mirror: “Who sent the letter?”

She asked once, but after a long while heard no response from Wan Fu. She couldn’t help but look up and saw Wan Fu’s face had turned pale, his lips trembling slightly, looking as if he’d been struck by a blade.

Nanny Wan was startled: “What’s wrong?”

Wan Fu said nothing, hurriedly entering the inner room and rummaging through the chests. The chest was hidden at the very bottom of the wardrobe, beneath winter clothing that was rarely disturbed. Now the chest had been opened, the clothes inside scattered in complete disarray, and the bottom was completely empty.

Nanny Wan, who had followed him into the room, asked upon seeing this: “What are you doing? What’s happened?”

Wan Fu felt around the bottom of the chest twice, his face growing even paler, his lips trembling as he said angrily: “That wretched son… that wretched son!”

Nanny Wan was completely confused: “Just explain clearly!”

Wan Fu said furiously: “Your precious son stole the two thousand taels of rent money I was keeping for the master and went to Kuaihuo Tower to gamble last night. Not only did he lose it all, but he also owes them three thousand taels. They say they won’t release him until the full amount is paid, and they’ve written demanding the money!”

Upon hearing this news, Nanny Wan was thunderstruck. She simultaneously blamed her unfilial son for doing such an outrageous thing, cursed Kuaihuo Tower for being predatory, cried about her bitter fate, and finally looked at Wan Fu in panic: “My husband, quickly think of a solution—Quan’er can’t stay there indefinitely!”

Wan Fu was already angry enough that his face was ashen, and hearing Nanny Wan’s crying and wailing made him even more furious. Yet he was also worried about his son—he only had one son and one daughter, and though his son was worthless, he still carried his blood.

But the debt was truly too large. Though he was Master Ke’s personal servant, the Ke family only gave him one tael of silver per month. Previously he could still skim some benefits, but since Qin Shi had entered the household, it had become much harder for servants like them to gain advantages.

Never mind three thousand taels of silver—even if he sold all his possessions, he couldn’t gather even one thousand taels.

Moreover, Wan Quan had also misappropriated Master Ke’s two thousand taels…

The crying of his wife and young daughter in the room gave Wan Fu a headache. He gritted his teeth and said: “They want me to go to Kuaihuo Tower to collect him. I’ll go plead first and see if we can get some time.”

Nanny Wan nodded repeatedly.

Wan Fu took two steps, then turned back to warn: “Stop crying! That scoundrel used the master’s rent money, but it hasn’t been discovered yet. Don’t spread this matter around—find a way to cover it up, otherwise if it’s exposed, I can’t protect him either!”

…

Wan Fu found an excuse, saying he needed to leave the mansion to buy some paper linings that Ke Chengxing needed for his shop, and requested half a day’s leave from Ke Chengxing.

With Ke Chengxing’s permission, Wan Fu hurriedly left the mansion.

His mind was troubled, filled with both worry and furious anger as he headed straight for Kuaihuo Tower. Just as he reached the entrance, a young attendant stopped him, saying his master was waiting to meet him at the tea house next door.

Wan Fu went to the tea house the attendant had indicated.

The tea house was called Bamboo Grove Pavilion, a tea room at the end of Qinghe Street. Though located in a busy area, it sought tranquility amidst the bustle, having specially created a bamboo grove. The tea room was situated within the bamboo grove—quiet and elegant, with tables and chairs all made of purple bamboo. Looking through the carved window railings, the courtyard was filled with gentle breezes and verdant pine and bamboo.

Wan Fu walked inside and saw that this elegant room was quite spacious, with a table by the window on the far left. On the table was a pot of lotus heart tea, two blue porcelain covered bowls, and jade-colored bean cakes arranged on a red lacquered gold-painted plum blossom tea tray—the colors coordinated perfectly.

It seemed deliberately prepared for his arrival.

There were no other people visible in the room, and Wan Quan wasn’t here.

Wan Fu sat down at the table, and just as he settled himself, he heard a woman’s voice: “Master Wan has arrived.”

His heart was already tense, and the voice startled him. He instinctively searched for the source of the sound, only then discovering that on the right side of the elegant room, behind hanging blue gauze bamboo curtains, a shadowy figure could be vaguely seen.

Someone was sitting behind those gauze curtains.

After his momentary panic, he gradually calmed down and said: “I dare not accept the title of master. Miss, you are…”

“Your son owes me three thousand taels of silver and hasn’t repaid it. I had no choice but to seek out Master Wan to discuss this matter,” the person said slowly.

Wan Fu’s heart tightened.

He found the voice from behind the gauze curtain very strange. It seemed vaguely to be a woman’s voice, but whether due to the acoustics of the elegant room or for some other reason, the other party’s voice was muffled and hoarse, rough as if ground with sand, making it impossible to determine the age.

He looked around and tentatively asked: “May I ask where Wan Quan currently is…”

“Master Wan can rest assured—he’s fine,” the other party replied calmly. “Your son is currently in a safe location, waiting for Master Wan to bring money to redeem him.”

Wan Fu felt slightly relieved. After hesitating for a moment, he smiled ingratiatingly and said: “Miss is kindhearted to indulge my unfilial son’s games. It’s just that our family is poor and cannot immediately produce three thousand taels of silver. Could you allow me some time? Let me take that unfilial son back first, and when I’ve gathered the silver, I’ll bring it to you. Would that be acceptable?”

Upon hearing this, the room fell quiet.

Wan Fu’s heart was in turmoil when he heard the person behind the bamboo curtain speak. She said: “Master Wan has a fine plan. You wouldn’t be thinking of taking the person back first, then finding some excuse to use the Ke family’s influence to forcibly default on that three thousand tael debt, would you?”

Wan Fu’s heart sank—he had indeed considered this. Though the Ke family wasn’t an official household, they had recently gained some connection to the Grand Tutor’s mansion, which was enough to intimidate people.

When the time came, he might well be able to default on this debt.

Before he could speak, the person behind the curtain laughed once more, the laughter carrying a hint of mockery: “Setting aside whether you could default on the three thousand tael debt contract, even if you did default, if Master Ke discovers the two thousand taels of private assets your son misappropriated, I’m afraid he still wouldn’t escape the death penalty.”

Wan Fu immediately lost color.

Since Qin Shi had entered the household, Ke Chengxing only had this small amount of private silver. If Ke Chengxing discovered it, how could Wan Quan escape?

However… how did this woman know that Wan Quan had misappropriated the master’s private assets?

Something flashed quickly through his mind, but before he could grasp it, Wan Fu heard the other party speak again.

She said: “Master Wan, let’s dispense with idle chatter. I want to ask you a few questions. If you answer well, I’ll tear up the debt contract right in front of you. The debt between your son and me will be completely canceled.”

Upon hearing this, Wan Fu’s eyes lit up. Too concerned to think carefully about the earlier strangeness, he quickly said: “Please ask, Miss.”

The shadowy figure behind the curtain raised her hand and picked up a teacup to drink. Her sleeve brushed across the table surface, making rustling sounds that made one’s heart uneasy.

In the complete silence, the woman spoke.

She asked: “Was the Ke family’s former eldest daughter-in-law, Lu Shi, murdered by your master?”