This day passed with particular anguish.

Perhaps having something weighing on her mind, Xia Rongrong was restless all day. Du Changqing came to check on her several times, but Xia Rongrong only claimed she was tired and needed rest.

When night fell, Du Changqing and A’Cheng went home, leaving only the master and servant pairs of herself and Lu Tong in the shop. Xiangcao lit candles and closed the room door. When she turned around, she saw Xia Rongrong huddled on the bed, tightly gripping a pair of silver scissors.

“Miss, you needn’t be so nervous.”

“She lives right next door,” Xia Rongrong lowered her voice. “Just seeing her face today made me feel unsettled. Xiangcao, what if she suspects we discovered what she did and decides to silence us?”

Xiangcao was helpless.

Her young lady was good in every way, except her courage was too small. At the slightest disturbance, she would frighten herself. Xiangcao wanted to change the subject to divert Xia Rongrong’s attention, so she pointed to the jade bracelet on Xia Rongrong’s wrist and smiled.

“Miss needn’t worry. Shopkeeper Bai already said there would be no trouble. Look at this jade bracelet Madam Bai gave you—the quality is translucent and must be worth at least a hundred taels of silver. Such generous spending shows they’re serious about the transaction and certainly won’t abandon you.”

Hearing this, Xia Rongrong complained: “Don’t mention it. If I’d known it would come to this, I should have moved out of the medical clinic with you this morning instead of seeking out Bai Shouyi and agreeing to watch Lu Tong.”

Though she spoke this way, her fingertips caressed the bracelet on her wrist. The jade was cool and smooth, glowing softly under the lamplight, making her reluctant to look away.

The decision to cooperate with Bai Shouyi to drive away Lu Tong had been made some time ago.

Speaking of it, that too was related to Lu Tong.

Previously, one night when Xia Rongrong went to the kitchen for water, she inadvertently saw Lu Tong staring at a dead rabbit. Though Lu Tong said at the time that the rabbit had accidentally eaten poisonous grass, Xia Rongrong always felt that Lu Tong had deliberately poisoned the rabbit.

Thinking that Du Changqing trusted Lu Tong and might not believe his cousin’s words, Xia Rongrong, at Xiangcao’s suggestion, wrote to inform Shopkeeper Bai Shouyi of Xinglin Hall about this matter.

Unexpectedly, Bai Shouyi had Wen You bring her a message.

Wen You said that Bai Shouyi already knew about this matter, but poisoning a rabbit wasn’t a serious crime. However, he completely understood Xia Rongrong’s shock and fear at the time. Bai Shouyi asked Xia Rongrong not to tell Du Changqing about this for now, to avoid alerting the enemy. Better to observe for a few more days—if she discovered other suspicious behavior from Lu Tong, she could still have someone bring word to the Bai family. He would be happy to help.

After Wen You finished speaking, he slipped Xia Rongrong a bank note.

Thanks to that hundred-tael bank note, when Xia Rongrong saw Lu Tong covered in blood last night, she hurriedly sent someone to Xinglin Hall with a message.

Xia Rongrong had originally planned to tell Bai Shouyi about this matter and then quickly move out of the medical clinic to hide for a few days. She never expected that this time, Bai Shouyi would personally seek her out.

Bai Shouyi stood before her, kind-faced and benevolent, one hand smoothing the colorful silk cord at his waist, his tone unusually serious: “Miss Xia, you suspect Dr. Lu of murder—do you have evidence?”

“That bloodstained clothing, and her going out in the middle of the night—can’t these serve as evidence?”

“They can, but it’s not enough.”

“Not enough?”

Bai Shouyi pondered: “Miss Xia, Bai has an unreasonable request and hopes you can help.”

She mumbled with her lips: “What?”

Bai Shouyi wanted her to stay at the medical clinic.

“If Lu Tong really killed someone, she must have left traces. Du Changqing goes home every evening—only you, Miss Xia, can watch her constantly at the medical clinic. Could Miss Xia stay at the medical clinic and immediately send word to Bai if you notice anything amiss? When we have both witness and evidence, things will be much easier to handle.”

Xia Rongrong instinctively wanted to refuse: “I can’t…”

Bai Shouyi took her hand, startling Xia Rongrong, then slipped a mutton-fat jade bracelet onto her wrist.

“Miss Xia,” he sighed deeply, “this isn’t just for Bai’s personal interests, but also for Young Master Du. You can’t just watch Young Master Du harbor a murderer by his side, can you?”

Xia Rongrong’s gaze fixed on that beautiful jade bracelet, and she couldn’t speak her refusal.

The lamplight flickered in the room, and the cool texture of the jade bracelet pulled the woman’s thoughts back to the present.

Xia Rongrong rubbed her forehead. To be honest, she wasn’t doing this for Du Changqing’s Renxin Medical Clinic or for Bai Shouyi’s sweet words, but for this beautiful, expensive bracelet that had bewitched her.

Xiangcao placed the candle on the small table: “Miss, rest now. It’s almost the hour of Hai.”

“Aren’t we supposed to watch next door?”

Xiangcao giggled: “Miss can’t go without sleep, can she? Besides, even if Dr. Lu is up to something, she can’t go out every night. You rest—I’ll keep watch here. If there’s any movement, this servant will wake you.”

Her tone was relaxed, perhaps because she hadn’t personally witnessed either Lu Tong poisoning the rabbit or Lu Tong removing bloodstained clothes at midnight. Therefore, she showed no fear, thinking Xia Rongrong was exaggerating.

Seeing Xiangcao’s composed expression, Xia Rongrong felt somewhat more at ease. She removed her shoes, got onto the bed, and lay down.

Having already agreed to Bai Shouyi’s request, it wouldn’t be good to back out midway. But thinking that a murderer might be living next door made her hair stand on end. She wanted to tell Du Changqing about this but worried he wouldn’t believe her. Yet if she didn’t speak up, she feared Du Changqing might one day become another victim under Lu Tong’s blade.

After all, Du Changqing was her cousin and treated her well.

Hesitating and thinking this way, drowsiness crept over her, and unknowingly, Xia Rongrong gradually fell asleep.

She didn’t know how long had passed when a muffled “thud” came from the courtyard. Xia Rongrong started and immediately opened her eyes.

The room was pitch black—the lamp had gone out, with only moonlight filtering through window cracks, casting weak light in the room.

She sat up and called softly: “Xiangcao?”

“This servant is here.” The maid groped her way over and grasped her hand on the bed.

“Did you hear any sound just now?”

“I heard it, Miss. Don’t make a sound—this servant will go look.” With that, Xiangcao felt her way toward the window.

Xiangcao was always bold, so Xia Rongrong wasn’t worried, only watching as the maid gradually made her way to the window.

Xiangcao didn’t dare light a lamp, fearing discovery, even suppressing her breathing. She pressed her face to the window, peering out through the crack, showing only her back to Xia Rongrong.

Dull sounds seemed to come from the courtyard—very faint, but in the dead silence of night, they sounded like drawn-out wooden clappers, carrying an eerie, prolonged quality.

Xia Rongrong waited a long time without hearing Xiangcao respond. Anxious but not daring to speak, she thought for a moment, then got off the bed and groped her way to the window like her maid.

When she got closer, she could see clearly that Xiangcao’s eyes were pressed tightly against the window crack. Her usually carefree expression now showed inexplicable shock, with large drops of sweat rolling down her forehead, making her look like a melting statue.

Xia Rongrong’s heart pounded as she bit her teeth, held her breath, and pressed her eye to the window crack, wanting to see clearly what Xiangcao had witnessed.

So she saw—

The moon was hidden by clouds, leaving only gray, dim shadows. Below the window next door, under that gnarled plum tree, someone was bent over, digging in the soil beneath the tree.

Xia Rongrong was stunned.

This was truly an eerie scene.

Why would someone be digging under a tree on such a deep night?

What was under the tree?

She leaned forward further, trying to see the person’s actions more clearly. She could see that a square, deep pit had already been dug beside the plum tree, the hole also pitch black. Two women with indistinct faces held iron shovels, calmly and steadily making the pit more complete.

Xia Rongrong vaguely saw that not far from them, there seemed to be a blurry mass of something.

Were they going to bury something?

The dull sound of shovels hitting soil was chaotic and desolate in the night. As Xia Rongrong wondered suspiciously, a strong wind suddenly rose outside. The wind bent tree branches askew and scattered the rolling clouds with a roar.

Instantly, moonlight saw daylight again, illuminating the night and also clearly showing the dark figures by the deep pit in the courtyard.

A sack half as long as a person.

The sack lay quietly under the courtyard tree, bulging with unknown contents. However, the pale moonlight was too bright, clearly illuminating the blood traces seeping from the fabric.

Xia Rongrong’s pupils contracted as she suddenly stepped back, cold sweat immediately beading on her forehead.

She trembled her lips, silently calling: “Xiangcao.”

Xiangcao turned back, her frightened gaze meeting hers directly.

That bloodstained fabric bag was crumpled in a heap, yet it vaguely outlined a blurred silhouette.

—It dimly resembled a human form.

The eerie tapping sounds in the courtyard stopped.

Someone stood before the dug pit, gave that bleeding sack a kick, and the bag rolled “gurgle-gurgle” into the deep pit with a muffled thud.

The woman unhurriedly picked up the iron shovel and began filling the pit with soil, shovelful by shovelful.

In the distance, there seemed to be the sound of some vessel falling, but it quickly returned to silence.

Someone nearby asked in a low voice: “Miss, was there some sound just now?”

The woman looked up toward the depths of the dark courtyard.

The small house before the stone steps had doors and windows tightly shut, without a trace of light, only the fierce wind rustling eerily.

She withdrew her gaze and said: “Nothing.”

…

Autumn in the capital was always magnificent.

A scholar died in the examination compound, Ministry of Rites officials were investigated, the Court of Judicial Review’s “Judge Fan the Blue Sky” was actually a shameless, greedy dog official… These ordinary matters were only spoken of briefly by common people, becoming after-dinner conversation topics. They couldn’t delay ordinary daily life, much less dampen folk enthusiasm for welcoming the Mid-Autumn Festival.

There were still three days until Mid-Autumn.

The wine shop on West Street had new wine, with customers coming continuously to buy alcohol. Du Changqing went to the fish market early in the morning to select crabs.

Crabs should be chosen large, with shells preferably dark green and shiny—such crabs had thick meat. In the eighth and ninth months, female crabs were superior to male crabs. Du Changqing was usually casual about other matters, but particularly attentive to eating, drinking, and entertainment.

Lu Tong was also called up to prepare Mid-Autumn moon cakes with Yin Zheng and A’Cheng.

During this time, every household was busy preparing moon-viewing banquets, so few people came to the medical clinic for treatment or medicine. Lu Tong’s cooking skills were quite ordinary, so the filling preparation fell to Yin Zheng and Xia Rongrong’s master-servant pair. Knowing Lu Tong liked sweets, Yin Zheng added extra honey and sugar syrup to the filling.

When Du Changqing returned from buying crabs in the afternoon, several people at the medical clinic were still making moon cakes in the shop.

He set down two baskets of crabs to one side and squeezed in sideways, seeing Lu Tong stuffing a large moon cake into a mold with such crude movements and clumsy behavior that it was hard not to stare.

He stood behind Lu Tong and spoke gloomily: “Dr. Lu, are you making mud pies?”

Lu Tong didn’t respond, pressing the mold firmly into the round dough ball.

The mold was chosen by A’Cheng and Yin Zheng together, painted with forms of moon palace toads and rabbits, signifying family reunion. After Lu Tong pressed down and peeled away excess dough, the complete pattern was imprinted in the moon cake.

Du Changqing watched with mixed feelings, finally turning his gaze to Xia Rongrong on the other side and sighing: “My poor cousin.”

Today Xia Rongrong wasn’t avoiding Lu Tong, but her complexion didn’t look good. Perhaps she’d caught cold from the recent weather changes—her whole demeanor seemed restless.

Du Changqing suspected she might be unwell and asked a few more questions. Xia Rongrong stood up, picked up the prepared raw moon cakes, and said with downcast eyes: “I’ll take these to the kitchen to bake first.” Xiangcao followed along, and they lifted the felt curtain to go to the inner room.

Du Changqing watched her retreating figure and rubbed his chin: “Why do I feel she’s been acting strange lately?” He asked Lu Tong and the others: “Do you have this feeling too?”

Everyone shook their heads.

He mused to himself: “Am I being overly suspicious?” Then slapped his forehead: “Never mind, let’s focus on business first.” He picked up an empty basket from the side, grabbed some oranges, tangerines, and chestnuts from the fruit plate, threw in several crabs with bound legs, and finally added a small jar of osmanthus wine. The empty basket became quite heavy.

Du Changqing cut a piece of red cloth from the shop’s banner, tied it to the basket handle with a beautiful knot, adding some color to the basket.

He set the decorated basket on the table and called to A’Cheng: “Come, follow me to Old Hu’s house. Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here, and I haven’t sent festival gifts yet.”

After Old Master Du’s death, every Mid-Autumn Festival, Du Changqing would send Master Hu some inexpensive festival gifts to repay his kindness in looking after the business.

This year the medical clinic had earned money, so the festival gifts were much more generous. In previous years, he couldn’t have afforded such large crabs.

A’Cheng scratched his head: “Boss, Master Hu isn’t home tonight.”

“Hmm? Why? At his age, he still dares to stay out all night?”

“Didn’t he say yesterday? Brother Wu’s body was returned, and he’s at the Wu family with people from the poetry society, helping with funeral arrangements!”

…

“Where is Wu Youcai’s body now?”

“It was sent back to the Wu family this evening.”

In the Palace Command Department, some were also discussing this case.

It was already autumn, and osmanthus trees in the courtyard had bloomed. Swaying tree shadows fell on bamboo curtains, and autumn colors carried a layer of cold fragrance.

Before carved windows, someone sat with half a window of beautiful moonlight casting clear rays, tinting the young man’s refined features with cool tones. The smile in his eyes wasn’t as genuine as usual, and he stared silently at documents in his hands, his gaze somewhat complex.

Opposite him, Palace Command Department Deputy Commander Xiao Zhufeng spoke in a low voice: “The Criminal Justice Department has made all arrangements. With His Majesty thoroughly investigating imperial examinations this time, a group of people from the Ministry of Rites have been implicated. It’s perfect timing for our people to take their places. What concerns do you still have?”

The imperial examination case had proceeded more smoothly than anyone had anticipated.

On the surface it was examination fraud, but actually the emperor was using this to thoroughly investigate recent corruption, bribery, and selling of official positions in court. With various factions involved, the Vice Minister of Rites belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction. Now with the Crown Prince and Third Prince in open and covert struggles, how could the Third Prince miss this opportunity? All implicated parties would certainly not be lightly pardoned.

For them, it was a fisherman’s profit, but Pei Yunying seemed completely unrelaxed.

Pei Yunying set down his documents, gazed at the candle on the table, and said mockingly: “Don’t you think it’s all too coincidental?”

“What’s coincidental?”

“A scholar commits suicide in his examination cell, causing a disturbance that happens to spread outside the compound. In a short time, apart from the Privy Council, both the Military Commissioner’s Office and Criminal Justice Department’s Three Offices all received news. Ministry of Rites officials were investigated, Court of Judicial Review officers went to the deceased’s home and caused trouble, stirring conflict between scholars and authorities. Then scholars blocked sedan chairs, censors memorialized the court, and the Court of Judicial Review was investigated…”

He picked up the candlestick from the table, staring at the dancing flame, a trace of deep meaning flickering in his eyes.

“No matter how much a scholar’s death might cause, it couldn’t reach such proportions. Each step seems to have someone behind the scenes pushing things along. Otherwise, from the very beginning when someone died in the examination compound, with the Ministry of Rites’ methods, they should have suppressed this matter.”

Xiao Zhufeng frowned: “You suspect the Third Prince is behind this?”

Pei Yunying shook his head: “The Third Prince is naturally arrogant—he wouldn’t place his safety in a commoner’s hands.”

Just then, Duan Xiaoyan entered carrying embroidered robes and interjected: “Speaking of which, we should thank the wife of the Grand Minister of Agriculture. If she hadn’t thought the poisoned person was her precious son and made a scene with the chief examiner at the examination compound entrance, then in a fit of anger called her brother-in-law from the Military Commissioner’s Office, the examination compound people wouldn’t have had a chance to cover things up. How could there have been this whole subsequent drama?”

He spoke casually, but Pei Yunying’s brows moved.

After brief contemplation, he glanced at Duan Xiaoyan and asked: “How much do you know about that dead scholar’s situation?”

Duan Xiaoyan usually enjoyed collecting such trivia. Hearing this, he immediately began talking volubly: “You mean Scholar Wu? He was also a pitiful man, depending on his mother for survival, usually killing fish at West Street’s fresh fish market to make a living. I heard he was originally top scholar material…”

He spoke with flying spittle until Pei Yunying suddenly interrupted.

“West Street?”

“Yes, West Street.” Duan Xiaoyan said: “What about West Street?”

But Xiao Zhufeng on the side seemed to understand something and looked toward Pei Yunying: “The Renxin Medical Clinic where that female doctor practices is on West Street.”

Duan Xiaoyan was stunned: “What does this have to do with Dr. Lu?”

Pei Yunying said nothing.

In an instant, the tangled thread seemed to find its end, and everything blurry became clear.

The dead scholar Wu Youcai was a scholar who killed fish at West Street’s fresh fish market.

Madam Dong of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, who made the examination compound suicide case explode, had once asked Lu Tong to treat her son’s lung disease.

Court of Judicial Review Official Fan Zhenglian, now imprisoned, had recently had Lu Tong visit the Fan residence to treat his wife.

At every connecting node, Lu Tong’s shadow appeared just right, just perfectly.

The flame in the candlestick swayed gently, stretching shadows long. The young man watched quietly for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

“So that’s how it is.”

So she had made such a large circle for this purpose.

What “Xianxian,” what medicinal tea—step by step approaching Zhao Feiyan, even earlier saving Dong Lin at Wan’en Temple. Perhaps from the very beginning, those within the situation had unknowingly stepped into her trap.

Truly patient and cautious.

Duan Xiaoyan’s voice came from the side: “You suspect the examination compound case is related to Dr. Lu?”

“Not suspect.”

Pei Yunying set down his candlestick and smiled coldly: “This matter definitely has her involvement.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Guard Qing Feng’s voice came from outside: “Master.”

“Speak.”

Qing Feng hesitated, then said: “Just now the Military Patrol Office received a report that someone accused West Street’s Renxin Medical Clinic of murder and burying corpses. The Infantry Patrol Inspector is leading people to West Street to make arrests.”

At these words, all three in the room paused.

They’d just said the imperial examination case was related to Lu Tong, and now they received news of inspectors going to the medical clinic to arrest people.

Duan Xiaoyan opened his mouth: “It couldn’t really be Dr. Lu’s doing, could it?”

Pei Yunying pondered a moment and asked: “Who made the accusation?”

“Shopkeeper Bai Shouyi of West Street’s Xinglin Hall.”

Bai Shouyi?

He raised his eyebrows slightly, immediately understanding.

Xiao Zhufeng looked at him: “Should I make a trip?”

City security patrol matters could actually be left to the Military Patrol Office, but since it concerned Renxin Medical Clinic and might relate to the imperial examination case, it inevitably required extra attention.

Pei Yunying smiled, stood up, took the long sword from the table and fastened it, saying lightly: “I’ll go.”

…

The sky darkened.

After entering autumn, once evening passed, lanterns along West Street lit up one by one.

West Street wasn’t as lively as the southern city. Tonight with clear moon, moonlight shone brightly, making even the old city wall gleam silver-white.

Du Changqing and A’Cheng stood at the medical clinic entrance, about to close up and go home, when they suddenly heard horse hoofbeats from the end of the street.

The hoofbeats were urgent, like rapid drums in the quiet autumn night, making hearts race. Du Changqing instinctively turned back and saw a group of black-robed patrol soldiers galloping from far to near, then reining their horses to a stop with a “whoa” right at the medical clinic entrance.

Leading was a hat-wearing inspector with a fierce, menacing appearance. Ignoring that Du Changqing and A’Cheng still stood before him, he dismounted and walked directly to the medical clinic entrance, pushing the main door—

“Hey hey hey, what are you doing, Officer?” Du Changqing managed a smile despite his confusion. “If you want to buy medicine this late at night, just let us know—no need to personally trouble yourself…”

The patrol officer shoved him aside and barked: “Patrol Inspector’s Office conducting official business—unrelated persons stand aside!”

Du Changqing was dumbfounded: “Official business?”

At this time, lamps lit up inside the medical clinic. Lu Tong came out carrying a lamp with Yin Zheng, apparently disturbed by the commotion outside. They stood at the entrance, looking puzzledly at everyone.

“What is this…”

Seeing two young women emerge, the officer’s expression was slightly gentler than before, though his tone remained cold: “Someone has accused your medical clinic of murder and burying corpses. The Patrol Inspector’s Office is conducting an investigation under orders!” He waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him swarmed forward, surrounding everyone.

Du Changqing steadied himself: “This must be a mistake. We’re a medical clinic—how could we murder and bury corpses…”

His words were interrupted by Lu Tong.

Lu Tong stood at the medical clinic entrance, looking at the leading officer, and spoke calmly: “Since this is official business, Renxin Medical Clinic will naturally cooperate. However, we are also a properly registered legitimate shop. If you’re conducting official business, could you show us the patrol warrant?”

Inspector Shen Fengying was stuck.

Upon receiving the news, he immediately led people rushing to West Street—where would he have time to get a warrant? Currently, with the imperial examination case causing upheaval in court, if he could handle a beautiful case at this time, promotion would be just around the corner.

Generally, when conducting official business, common people wouldn’t specifically ask about warrants. Who knew this woman would suddenly bring it up?

Just as they were at an impasse, a voice suddenly came from behind: “Here.”

This voice came suddenly, and everyone turned to look.

Osmanthus fragrance filled the air, bright moon slanted over treetops. In the long, beautiful night, someone rode approaching.

The young man reined his horse at West Street’s entrance, dismounted and walked toward the medical clinic. The surrounding soldiers gradually made way. The dim lamplight under the eaves illuminated his crimson robes and handsome features.

Shen Fengying was stunned, then overjoyed: “Lord Pei!”

Lu Tong’s heart sank.

That persistent ghost Pei Yunying again.

Pei Yunying stopped before Lu Tong, removed the command token from his waist, waved it before her, then smiled: “Dr. Lu’s knowledge of the ‘Liang Dynasty Legal Code’ is indeed thoroughly memorized.”

After a brief silence, Lu Tong looked up at the young man before her.

“Commander Pei.”