Yan Qing shook her head. “It’s not a telephone number. The three sequences have different numbers of digits — no telephone number works like that. Besides, there’s no such strange combination of digits anywhere in the country.”

“Then what is it?” Jing Zhi was intensely curious.

“Over the past week, three dance hall girls have been murdered in succession. Their heads were severed and removed, their upper bodies encased in big-headed doll props, and these numbers were carved into their backs.”

Jing Zhi raised her eyebrows. “It seems the Military Police Division has deliberately kept this out of the news — the papers haven’t reported it widely at all.”

Yan Qing recalled how a large crowd of reporters had gathered outside the dance hall that day. They knew there was a case, but the details were entirely vague to them. Shi Ting had been worried that if the case grew into a public sensation it would affect the upcoming dance, so he had not disclosed anything to those reporters.

“Miss, I heard that the Elder Miss has returned.” The Elder Miss Jing Zhi referred to was Shi Ting’s mother’s daughter, Shi Yuan — the legitimate eldest daughter of the Shi household, who had married far away to Xi Nan.

Jing Zhi made good use of her natural gift for gathering information, regularly circulating among the servants of other courtyards and using small favors to coax gossip from them. As a result, she knew quite a bit about the goings-on throughout the inner compound.

“Shi Ting’s Elder Sister didn’t even come back for his wedding. Why has she suddenly returned now?” Xi Nan and Bei Di were separated by a great distance, and the journey between them was long and costly. Moreover, the two regions fell under the control of different warlords, and travel between them required special travel permits.

“From what I hear, she had a quarrel with her husband.” Jing Zhi brought over a towel. “Her husband took a concubine without telling her, and that concubine bore him a son not long after being brought into the household. Her husband is absolutely doting on this child — he’s been spending the night in the concubine’s rooms almost every day.”

“That sort of thing isn’t so unusual.” Setting aside distant examples, the Marshal himself had taken two concubines, both of whom had enjoyed his favor at one point or another. The Second Concubine’s time in favor had been short-lived, while the Third Concubine’s hold had proven enduring — even now that the Third Concubine was pregnant, the Marshal still chose to spend his nights in her quarters rather than with the First Madam.

The First Madam must have resented it bitterly at the beginning, but as the years passed, she had grown powerless to change anything, and could only watch helplessly as the Third Concubine monopolized the Marshal’s affections.

“The Elder Miss brought her little boy back with her too — he’s already walking.” Jing Zhi said, “Poor little thing, dragged all this way because of his parents’ quarrel. Hard luck for such a young child.”

“Where is Elder Sister staying now?”

“With the First Madam.”

The First Madam still showed great fondness for her daughter. When she heard that her daughter had suffered at the hands of her in-laws, she had immediately installed her at her side and assigned several people to attend to her.

The trouble was that Xi Nan was not Bei Di. The First Madam’s reach didn’t extend that far, and even if she was displeased with Shi Yuan’s in-laws, there was little she could do about it.

Yan Qing took the towel and wiped her face. She had not forgotten the harm that had been done to her father, Yan Laoye. If Shi Yuan hadn’t worked to arrange things from within, how could her father have had the charge of colluding with foreign enemies pinned on him? That batch of white medicine had been destined for Xi Nan, and Shi Yuan’s in-laws were one of Xi Nan’s major merchant families.

Shi Yuan must have been involved in the First Madam’s scheme from the beginning — or rather, she may well have been the one who devised it. After all, she knew the situation in Xi Nan far better than the First Madam did, and even if she didn’t, her in-laws were right there.

For those who had once harmed her and the Yan family, Yan Qing had kept an account in her heart. Even if she didn’t settle the score now, she would not waste a drop of sympathy on whatever misfortunes befell them.

“When the medicine is ready, go over to Mother’s.”

Even though she had no affection for Shi Yuan, Shi Yuan was still the Elder Miss of the Shi household, and she was the new daughter-in-law. Certain surface courtesies still had to be observed — better to go through the motions than to hand anyone an excuse to find fault.

Yan Qing went to Luo Huaimeng’s room and found her directing Xiang Xiu to bring out two boxes.

“Mother, time for your medicine.” Yan Qing held the medicine bowl out to Luo Huaimeng.

Luo Huaimeng drank the medicine and followed it with a preserved fruit, then said in her usual subdued tone, “Open these boxes.”

When Xiang Xiu lifted the lids, inside lay a collection of gold accessories for a small child — gold locks and gold bangles, each one finely crafted with intricate patterns, unmistakably precious at a glance.

“How beautiful.” Yan Qing couldn’t help picking up one of the bangles. It was a tiny thing, carved with two carp, so vivid and lifelike they almost seemed to move.

“Take these to give to the Elder Miss.” Luo Huaimeng’s tone remained as cool as ever. “You are the new daughter-in-law of the Shi household, and she is Xingzhi’s elder sister. These proprieties cannot be neglected — otherwise people will say you don’t know how to conduct yourself properly.”

Yan Qing was surprised. So Luo Huaimeng had prepared these on her behalf. Even though Luo Huaimeng still looked as though nothing pleased or delighted her, Yan Qing felt a warmth settle in her chest.

“Thank you, Mother.”

Yan Qing set the little bangle back down. “Mother, did you buy these specially?”

Before Luo Huaimeng could answer, Xiang Xiu spoke up from the side. “Young Mistress, these were actually prepared by the Second Concubine for you.”

“For me?” Yan Qing startled, but understood a moment later. These were things Luo Huaimeng had set aside for her future grandchildren. Now that Shi Yuan had come back, she was worried Yan Qing wouldn’t have time to prepare a gift, so she had brought these out to help in a pinch.

Having the matter of heirs brought up in front of her mother-in-law made Yan Qing’s cheeks color. She quickly reached for a cup of tea and took a sip, using it as cover to hide her fluster.

Fortunately, Luo Huaimeng wasn’t looking at her. She turned and told Xiang Xiu to close the boxes.

“I’ll go with you to Zhuoxin Courtyard in a little while.” Luo Huaimeng finally looked up. “Shi Yuan is the First Madam’s daughter, and the two of them have always been close. The First Madam already holds certain prejudices against the occupants of our courtyard. In her presence, you must be careful — do not say more than necessary.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Mother.” Yan Qing answered obediently.

After a cup of tea, the two of them set out for Zhuoxin Courtyard, with Xiang Xiu carrying the boxes and Murong following close behind.

As they reached the entrance to Zhuoxin Courtyard, Yan Qing heard what sounded like muffled weeping from inside. A maid stood guard at the gate, and upon seeing them approach, she immediately stepped forward. “Second Concubine, Seventh Young Mistress.”

“We’ve come to see the Elder Miss.”

“Please wait a moment, Second Concubine and Seventh Young Mistress. I’ll go announce you right away.”

The maid went inside and didn’t return for half an hour. Yan Qing and Luo Huaimeng waited outside the whole time.

Luo Huaimeng glanced at Yan Qing and found her quietly observing the flowers and trees in the surrounding garden, her expression entirely untroubled.

Shi Yuan had come back and wasted no time in making a show of dominance — this was exactly what Luo Huaimeng had expected. After all, Shi Yuan and the First Madam were very much of one mind.

“Mother, shall I help you over to the shade of that tree to wait?” Yan Qing was unconcerned for herself, but she was worried about Luo Huaimeng’s health.

“Does your leg bother you if you stand for too long?”

Caught off guard by Luo Huaimeng’s sudden question, Yan Qing felt a quiet happiness stir within her, though she kept her expression mild and smiled gently. “Not at all.”

“I heard that when you were young your leg couldn’t bear your weight, and that your father brought in many renowned physicians who were unable to cure you. How did you ultimately recover?”

“I’m almost embarrassed to say — I researched ancient medical texts myself and devised a treatment combining different methods of traditional medicine.”

Luo Huaimeng listened to her speak of it so lightly, yet even with only the barest outline she could tell the ordeal must have demanded tremendous pain and perseverance.

She looked into those eyes, clear and luminous as still water. Only someone with a sharp and unclouded mind could have eyes like that.

Just then, a maid dressed in blue came walking up from outside, a paper bag in her hands from which drifted the fragrance of pastries.

Yan Qing turned, and she and the maid came face to face. The maid didn’t seem to recognize her, however, and walked straight into the First Madam’s courtyard without pausing.

“Miss.” Murong said in a low voice. “That maid knows martial arts — she walks without making a sound.”

Yan Qing saw that no one had stopped the maid from entering the courtyard, and said, “She looks unfamiliar. She must be someone Elder Sister brought with her, there to keep her protected.”

“Second Concubine, Seventh Young Mistress, you may come in now.” As they were speaking, the maid who had gone to announce them finally reappeared. “The Young Master was just feeling a little unwell, and the Elder Miss was busy looking after him. Please do not take offense at having been kept waiting.”

Luo Huaimeng said nothing and led Yan Qing inside.

Reclining on a low couch in the sitting room was a woman dressed in a black-and-pale-yellow floral qipao, her hair set in large waves, her complexion fair, her features delicate — her whole appearance one of fragile softness.

Behind her, a wet nurse held a round-faced, lively little boy who was looking about the room with bright, curious eyes.

“Oh, it’s the Second Concubine.” Shi Yuan spoke without rising from the couch. Her gaze swept over Yan Qing, and surprise flitted across her face. “So this is my Seventh Sister-in-law? I heard that Seventh Sister-in-law had been disabled since childhood — her leg unable to carry her. Has she recovered?”

Though Shi Yuan hadn’t said anything overtly wrong, her tone carried a sharp and pointed edge that was distinctly unpleasant to hear.

Luo Huaimeng smiled. “Thanks to the Elder Miss’s concern — Yan Qing’s leg has indeed recovered.”

“How curious. When exactly did Seventh Sister-in-law’s leg recover? Did she suddenly find herself able to stand up overnight?” Shi Yuan turned toward the First Madam seated nearby. “Mother, could it be that my Seventh Brother was simply not good enough, and Seventh Sister-in-law was deliberately concealing her recovery to avoid marrying him? I wonder if the Second Concubine was aware of any of this?”

She asked the question with a smile, those upturned eyes fixed on Luo Huaimeng.

At the time, it hadn’t only been members of the Shi household waiting to see Shi Ting made a laughingstock — there had been many others as well. When Yan Qing walked down the red carpet with graceful, steady steps, every one of those people felt as though they had been given a hard slap across the face.

Shi Yuan had heard the First Madam’s account of it too, and it had stayed with her quite clearly. So she was seizing today’s opportunity to put Yan Qing in an unflattering light.

If her leg had been healed all along, why had she kept it hidden? Had she wanted to see them made a fool?

Yan Qing hadn’t anticipated that Shi Yuan would not only keep them waiting half an hour but ambush her the moment she walked in the door. In a few pointed words, Shi Yuan had managed to cast doubt on whether she had hidden her recovery all along, while simultaneously implying she had wanted to avoid marrying Shi Guang. The intent to find fault was all too plain.

Bearing Luo Huaimeng’s warning in mind, Yan Qing didn’t want to engage in open conflict with Shi Yuan. But since Shi Yuan was clearly using her story to make things difficult for the Second Concubine, Yan Qing parted her lips, ready to speak — only to feel Luo Huaimeng’s hand close firmly around hers.

Without drawing attention to the movement, Luo Huaimeng shifted her position just enough to place herself between Yan Qing and Shi Yuan’s gaze. Then she met Shi Yuan’s eyes with a smile.

—