Dawn light glimmered faintly.

Autumn mist was thick and cold.

After a night of wind, frost urged the trees onward. A black dog in the courtyard stretched lazily, its paws treading on the golden fallen leaves with rustling sounds.

Tomorrow would be the fifteenth of August. Moon cakes and rice wine sent from the Inner Palace supply depot were piled in the open space before the Commander’s Manor. Inside the house, Pei Yunying turned and sat down in his chair, while beside him the round-faced, round-eyed youth had lost his usual cleverness, following behind with a dejected air.

Last night the military patrol office received a report that a strange male corpse had been discovered at the foot of Wangchun Mountain. The deceased appeared to have used a stone to pierce his own throat and died from excessive blood loss. What’s more, a purse was found on the body.

The purse was exquisite, embroidered with lifelike mandarin ducks playing in water, and also embroidered with the name of Palace Guard Duan Xiaoyan.

When Duan Xiaoyan learned of this, he could hardly believe his ears and hurried to Wangchun Mountain to meet with those from the military patrol office. With troubles abounding in these times and the Ministry of Rites officials’ case of colluding with examinees for bribes still unresolved, no one wanted to cross the Emperor at this juncture.

Though there were suspicious points, the coroner found nothing wrong within the deceased’s body. It had rained the night before, washing everything in the area clean, not even leaving half a footprint.

If Duan Xiaoyan had really killed someone, such clean handling of the aftermath would have suited him perfectly. But for the wrongly accused Duan Xiaoyan, the rain and apparent suicide only added to his suspicious circumstances.

Fortunately, aside from the purse, no other evidence had been found for now. After all, the deceased Liu Kun was just an ordinary shop owner of a noodle restaurant on Sparrow Street, and Duan Xiaoyan had no grievances with Liu Kun—they had never even met before, so there was really no reason for murder.

However…

Thinking of those suspicious looks from the constables, Duan Xiaoyan still felt somewhat dejected.

The youth hung his head, his tone sullen.

“Brother, why do you think Doctor Lu wanted to frame me?”

The pale gold purse had been lost when they last encountered Lu Tong by chance at the Fan Manor entrance. At that time, Pei Yunying had suspected the purse was picked up by Lu Tong and had gone with Duan Xiaoyan to test things at Renxin Medical Hall, achieving nothing.

Back then, Duan Xiaoyan thought Pei Yunying was being overly suspicious. After all, Lu Tong was a proper practicing physician—what would she want with his purse?

Now he understood. It was to be put to use at this moment.

But Duan Xiaoyan still didn’t understand why Lu Tong wanted to frame him.

From beginning to end, he had shown Lu Tong no disrespect and had even said countless good things about her in front of Pei Yunying.

Not only did Doctor Lu not show gratitude, but she repaid kindness with enmity?

The youth’s face showed clear grievance, looking exactly like the black dog in the courtyard that couldn’t get its bone—very heartbroken.

Pei Yunying glanced at him and chuckled coldly, his smile carrying a hint of mockery.

“She’s not framing you—she wants to frame me.”

A doctor who would hide rotting pig heads under her sleeping bed, a doctor who would bury half a pig carcass in her courtyard in the deep of night—last night’s events were nothing more than a performance she generously staged for everyone to see.

All the twists and turns were merely for the climax at the final moment—that male corpse at the foot of Wangchun Mountain.

Cold crows perched and settled in the courtyard, stopping on branch tips to call out twice. Pei Yunying lowered his head, picked up a lion-shaped paperweight from his desk to toy with, his eyes dark and inscrutable.

The accuser Bai Shouyi and the Du family’s cousin who appeared as a witness were merely roles she had already arranged in her play. How laughable that these two were in the game without knowing it. Military Patrol Captain Shen Fengying, along with himself, had been the audience for this performance.

This meant that at least from the last time, when Lu Tong picked up Duan Xiaoyan’s purse and pretended not to know, she had already arranged what would appear many days later.

She had already detected his suspicions yet continued pretending to have no way to deal with him, quietly planning and scheming, using everyone around her who could be used. She was determined to drag him into this muddy water as well.

The imperial examination case was related to her, and the corpse at the foot of Wangchun Mountain couldn’t escape connection with her either. In the end, last night’s search had cleared the medical hall of suspicion, made Shen Fengying dissatisfied with Bai Shouyi, and soured the relationship between Du Changqing and his cousin. Duan Xiaoyan was framed, and the Palace Command became passive overnight.

As for herself, she remained clean and pure.

Pei Yunying lowered his eyes, his expression growing cold and desolate.

This was a warning.

Beside him came Duan Xiaoyan’s hesitant voice: “But was that person who died on Wangchun Mountain last night really connected to Doctor Lu?”

“The coroner said he committed suicide. With Doctor Lu’s thin arms and legs, could she really kill someone? That doesn’t seem possible, right?”

Even at this point, he was still thinking of speaking up for Lu Tong. Pei Yunying smirked.

“Those thin arms and legs could kill ten of you and bury you where no one could find you.”

Duan Xiaoyan was speechless.

Pei Yunying paused, suddenly set down the lion paperweight, and stood up.

“Are you going out?”

Pei Yunying picked up the silver sword from the table: “The Three Courts have probably all received word. I’m going to handle this.”

He walked to the door, suddenly stopped, and looked back: “Don’t go looking for Lu Tong.”

“Eh?”

Pei Yunying smiled, his dark eyes seeming touched with light frost.

“She’s a madwoman. Stay away from her. Otherwise, if something happens, I can’t save you either.”

…

The morning mist gradually dispersed.

The sun slowly climbed up from the foot of Wangchun Mountain, crossed over the river water under Luoyue Bridge, and scattered golden light throughout the entire capital.

In the small courtyard of Scholar Wu’s home behind the fresh fish market on West Street, the mourning hall was crowded with scholars sleeping in disarray.

Wu Youcai’s body had been retrieved yesterday.

Led by Master Hu, the poetry society members pooled money to buy Wu Youcai a coffin, set up a mourning hall in the Wu family’s small courtyard, and invited the fortune-teller He Xiazi to perform a ritual for him.

He Xiazi said Wu Youcai had died by suicide, dying a violent death with deep resentment. The body needed to be kept for seven days, and an auspicious day chosen for burial to appease his resentment. During these seven days, it would be best to have several men keeping vigil in the mourning hall—abundant yang energy could suppress yin influences.

The young scholars thought He Xiazi was talking nonsense, just trying to cheat more money for performing rituals. But Master Hu readily agreed, saying all expenses during the vigil period would be on him. Since Wu Youcai had been his acquaintance, it was proper that his final journey in the human world should be dignified and respectable.

So everyone brought blankets and thin clothes, informed their families the night before, and came together to the Wu family to keep vigil for the deceased Wu Youcai.

Frost under the eaves condensed into dewdrops, suddenly falling on the face of someone near the doorway. That person twitched his nose, sneezed, and slowly opened his eyes.

Old Man Xun had awakened.

He and Wu Youcai were also old acquaintances. On examination day, Wu Youcai’s first examination booth had been next to his. Old Man Xun had witnessed Wu Youcai’s death with eyes that wouldn’t close, and he had wept bitterly over Wu Youcai’s tragic fate.

So despite his old bones, he had rolled up his bedding and come to the Wu family to see Wu Youcai off on his final journey.

The mourning hall was quiet, with only the faint snoring of young scholars.

Last night was the first night of the vigil. Master Hu had set up a tent in the courtyard and specially invited a opera troupe to the mourning hall to perform “The Eighty-Year-Old Scholar Becomes the Top Graduate” for Wu Youcai.

This performance with its music and singing—never mind how others found it—had Old Man Xun watching with tears and snot covering his face. Even after the opera finished, the performers left, and everyone had fallen asleep, Old Man Xun was still tearfully savoring the performance.

Old Man Xun wiped his face, sat up straight, rubbing his old back while looking around.

Master Hu was lying on a floor mat, hugging a hot water bottle and sleeping soundly. Scattered on the flowered cloth spread on the ground were some cloud cakes, red dates, and assorted candies—leftover snacks from watching the opera last night.

In the very center sat a black lacquered coffin. Wu Youcai had died suddenly, and there weren’t many ready-made coffins to choose from at the coffin shop, so Master Hu had decided to pick the one with the finest craftsmanship.

At this moment, that coffin sat quietly in the center of the mourning hall, black and cold. For some reason, Old Man Xun suddenly shivered.

He thought he was cold from wearing too little and turned to look for a thin blanket. As he turned his head, he heard a “rustling” sound from behind.

Old Man Xun froze.

The sound was very faint, sharp and thin, like the sound of mouse claws scratching against a wall.

But perhaps because the West Street morning was too quiet, or perhaps because the wind in the mourning hall was too cold—in any case, in the deathly silence, this thin scratching sound seemed to scratch at Old Man Xun’s scalp, causing a chill to suddenly arise from head to toe.

Wait, this sound… why did it seem to be coming from inside the coffin?

Old Man Xun stiffly turned around.

The scratching sound continued. This time he heard clearly—the sound was indeed coming from inside the coffin.

In an instant, Old Man Xun was drenched in sweat.

Fortune-teller He Xiazi had said Wu Youcai’s resentment was hard to dispel and he might become a vengeful ghost. Everyone had thought the blind man was just talking nonsense to make money, but could it actually be true? After all, Wu Youcai had died so unjustly—how could he willingly reincarnate? Perhaps in his overflowing resentment, his soul lingered, wanting to turn this entire area into a haunted house.

Old Man Xun’s tree-bark-like face trembled incessantly as he spoke in a shaking voice:

“Youcai, I know you’re unwilling, but what’s done is done. You can’t be obsessed with the past… Those who harmed you have all been sent to Zhao Prison. Reincarnate properly and be an official or young master in your next life. After suffering comes sweetness—don’t cling to the mortal world…”

The scratching sound grew louder.

Old Man Xun steeled himself to continue: “If you really can’t let go and insist on becoming a vengeful ghost, don’t find the wrong people… Wrongs have perpetrators and debts have debtors. We all came to help you, and I even contributed money for your coffin…”

His rambling voice woke Master Hu nearby. Master Hu rolled over and sat up, looking drowsily at Old Man Xun.

“Old Xun, what are you muttering to yourself about?”

Old Man Xun ignored him, staring straight ahead with unblinking eyes, his legs shaking constantly.

Master Hu looked suspicious and followed his gaze, immediately feeling his scalp tingle.

The black coffin lay heavily in the center of the mourning hall. The coffin lid had somehow been pushed half open, and a hand was resting on the coffin’s edge, as if trying to sit up from inside.

As if sensing the fear of the two men in the mourning hall, the next moment, a face appeared before them.

Wu Youcai wore a brand-new silk square cap and newly made large green round-collared burial clothes embroidered with gold ingots. His face was painted red and white as he looked at the two men and spoke eerily:

“Hu…”

A scream pierced the sky above the Wu family home.

“Ghost! There’s a ghost!”

“Youcai has returned from the dead—”

…

When news of Wu Youcai’s return from the dead reached Renxin Medical Hall, Du Changqing was sweeping the courtyard. Last night the constables had made a mess of the medical hall, leaving them to clean up.

A’Cheng stood before him, his eyes bright with excitement, gesticulating wildly as he spoke to Du Changqing.

“…They say the Ox-Head and Horse-Face took Brother Wu’s soul, blue-faced, fang-toothed ghost soldiers put chains around his neck and dragged him to the underworld. The Ten Yama Kings had clerks bring case files, and when the court drum sounded and they examined the case, they found Brother Wu had lived an honest life, buried in his studies, putting filial piety first—he hadn’t done a single bad thing. It turned out his natural lifespan wasn’t up and he had mistakenly entered the Yama Hall, so they had little ghosts send him back.”

Du Changqing frowned as he listened: “Wu Youcai said this himself?”

A’Cheng nodded vigorously: “Exactly! You can see that the Yama Kings of the underworld truly distinguish between good and evil and don’t wrong any good person! Because of this incident, the incense at the City God Temple has become much more prosperous. Boss, shouldn’t we go offer some incense too?”

This story sounded both real and unreal. Du Changqing turned to call out: “Doctor Lu—”

A’Cheng stopped him: “Boss, have you forgotten? Doctor Lu went out early this morning to buy things, didn’t she?”

Du Changqing was speechless.

Lu Tong had indeed left early in the morning. Last night those constables had entered Lu Tong’s room and scattered paper and brushes everywhere, breaking quite a few vessels.

Lu Tong usually needed paper for writing prescriptions, so she had gone out in the morning with Yin Zheng, saying they were going to browse the paper and ink shops.

Of course, she had left so early also to avoid the scene of Du Changqing sending Xia Rongrong away.

Du Changqing had sent Xia Rongrong away that morning.

Before leaving, Xia Rongrong had tearfully grabbed his arm, admitting her mistakes and saying she wanted to personally apologize to Lu Tong, but Du Changqing had refused.

Du Changqing had known Xia Rongrong since childhood and had turned a blind eye to her harmless selfishness over the years. Everyone in this world had selfish motives—thinking more for oneself wasn’t wrong.

But Xia Rongrong’s mistake was in secretly allying with Bai Shouyi, which violated Du Changqing’s taboo.

Since Xia Rongrong had known him since childhood, she should have understood the underhanded methods Bai Shouyi used when dealing with Renxin Medical Hall. For Xia Rongrong to secretly associate with Bai Shouyi behind his back was to join with outsiders against her own people. If Xia Rongrong had even half a thought for him as her cousin, she couldn’t have done such a thing.

Xia Rongrong wiped her tears, standing before the carriage and looking at him mournfully, trying to evoke some past affection.

“Cousin, have you forgotten how close we used to be? When you were seven and fell ill, no one in the Du family noticed. My mother went to fetch a doctor for you at night and took care of you all night. The next day, her eyes were red from staying awake…”

He smiled bitterly: “But cousin, we’ve both grown up.”

They were no longer children. Back then he was the young master of the Du family who could give Xia Rongrong toys, cosmetics, and money, but that was all. Now he was just the small owner of a broken-down medical hall—what Xia Rongrong wanted, he couldn’t provide.

Xiangcao helped Xia Rongrong into the carriage. He gave Xia Rongrong a sum of money, enough for her to stay in the capital for some more time. As for whether Xia Rongrong would continue staying in the capital or return home afterward, he didn’t know and didn’t want to know anymore.

Du Changqing threw down his broom, looked at the distant sky, and smiled self-mockingly.

Whatever. He wasn’t a living Buddha—how could he take care of everyone?

Renxin Medical Hall having one living Buddha like Lu Tong was enough.

…

The living Buddha of Renxin Medical Hall was currently walking through the marketplace with Yin Zheng.

Last night the constables’ search had damaged quite a few vessels. Moreover, Du Changqing felt Lu Tong had been frightened, so he simply granted her a day off, letting Lu Tong and Yin Zheng wander outside and purchase some things the medical hall needed.

Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the city’s marketplace was especially lively, crowded with people everywhere. Stages were set up in the entertainment districts, with performances that captivated onlookers.

Yin Zheng walked beside Lu Tong, carrying newly bought sugar sweets and apricot slices, her gaze hesitating several times on Lu Tong’s face.

Lu Tong asked: “What is it?”

Yin Zheng smiled, her eyes curving like crescents.

“Miss, you put on rouge today!”

Lu Tong was naturally beautiful with red lips and white teeth. Usually at the medical hall she never wore any cosmetics, but today she had unusually applied a thin layer of rouge to her face.

The rouge was a gift from Du Changqing, who said it was new merchandise from Mingyu Studio last month that had cost him nearly half a string of cash. Du Changqing complained that Lu Tong dressed more plainly than his deceased grandmother every day and told her that as a young lady, she should occasionally dress herself up.

As a result, Lu Tong had immediately locked it in her trunk. It was Yin Zheng who had secretly taken it out and placed it on the dressing table.

Unexpectedly, Lu Tong had used it on her face today.

Lu Tong frowned: “Does it look strange?”

“Not strange at all!” Yin Zheng quickly waved her hands and smiled: “Very beautiful!”

This wasn’t false. Lu Tong’s features were naturally well-formed, but she usually appeared cold and distant and didn’t like to dress up, so her beauty was inevitably somewhat concealed. However, today in a tea-yellow Chang’an bamboo-patterned silk cotton dress, with fresh osmanthus flowers adorning her braided hair, snow-white skin and black hair, willow eyebrows and almond eyes, with light rouge subtly touched to her lips, she surpassed orchids in elegance and chrysanthemums in fragrance.

Yin Zheng thought that such a beautiful young lady, if she weren’t practicing medicine at a medical hall and were instead of marriageable age in her boudoir, those seeking to propose marriage would probably break down her door.

Just as she was thinking this, Lu Tong beside her stopped walking and looked up ahead.

Yin Zheng followed her gaze.

Before them was an empty mansion.

Outside the vermillion gate, the exquisite carved large lanterns that had once hung under the eaves had all been torn down and lay scattered on the ground. Official seals were like two light yet heavy chains, tightly locking the gate. On the lintel, half a golden plaque hung askew, as if it might completely crash down at any moment.

It seemed that not long ago this had been a luxurious and imposing vermillion door, but in just a few days it had become desolate and dilapidated, deserted and cold, like an empty haunted house that others avoided.

Lu Tong lowered her eyes.

This was the mansion of Court of Judicial Review Detail Official Fan Zhenglian.

Fan Zhenglian was now in Zhao Prison, and his family members along with various relatives had all been implicated. The servants in the mansion had fled or scattered. Though the Ministry of Justice hadn’t yet reached a conclusion on this case, every family had officials serving in the capital, and with a little inquiry they knew the Fan family’s situation didn’t look optimistic.

Even the Vice Minister of Rites was beyond help, let alone a mere detail official of the Court of Judicial Review. The officialdom indeed required ladders to climb up, but when the people building the ladder met with disaster, those on the ladder had no reason to escape unscathed.

Fan Zhenglian’s prospects this time were grim. The falling of that other half of the plaque was just a matter of time.

Lu Tong looked up at the Fan family plaque and spaced out for a while, when suddenly she heard someone calling her from behind.

“Doctor Lu?”

Both Yin Zheng and she were startled, then turned around.

A few steps away from the Fan mansion stood a tall man. This man had thick eyebrows and large eyes, his complexion haggard and weary, looking at Lu Tong with eyes full of surprise.

Lu Tong’s gaze flickered as she said: “Clerk Qi.”

It was that Court of Judicial Review clerk, Fan Zhenglian’s most valued subordinate, Qi Chuan.