The reception hall had filled with quite a few more ladies and young misses. They sat in small groups of two or three, sipping tea, nibbling at refreshments, and exchanging idle conversation.

When Yan Qing and Ling’ai returned, several pairs of eyes fell upon them — some filled with admiration, some with envy, and others with simple curiosity.

Under the collective gaze of the room, Yan Qing walked back to her seat with natural composure. Luo Huaimeng looked over and asked, “What took you so long?”

“The scenery in the Qian estate was so lovely, we walked around a little longer than expected without realizing it.”

Luo Huaimeng quietly let out a breath of relief. She had been worried that Yan Qing might have encountered some unpleasantness on the Qian family’s turf.

But thinking about it again, she realized her worry had been unnecessary. With Yan Qing’s intelligence, any scheme or trap could be turned back on those who set it.

The two of them — mother-in-law and daughter-in-law — sat close together, speaking in hushed voices that no one else could hear. To onlookers, it would simply appear as though the two were whispering secrets to each other.

Yan Qing recounted everything she had seen and heard, leaving out not a single detail.

Luo Huaimeng was greatly surprised. “This is the first I’ve heard of a First Young Miss in the Qian household. How is it that no one has ever mentioned her before?”

“Mother, do you truly believe this Young Miss is Madam Qian’s own daughter, found again after twenty-four years?”

“If that were indeed the case, it would be quite extraordinary — a child lost for twenty-four years, and yet found again.” Luo Huaimeng clearly had her doubts as well.

“Mother, have you ever heard of someone called Huiyuan?”

Upon hearing the name, Luo Huaimeng’s complexion immediately drained of all color. The hand holding her handkerchief tightened involuntarily.

Seeing her reaction, Yan Qing knew at once that Luo Huaimeng was familiar with Huiyuan.

“I heard of Huiyuan from the First Madam, only some years later.” Luo Huaimeng let out a soft sigh, filled with a weight of old feeling. “You must have heard that the Marshal’s marriage to the First Madam was entirely a political alliance — the Marshal had no affection for her whatsoever.”

“I know that.”

Meng Qiu was a daughter of the Meng family. The Marshal had married her solely to consolidate his position and draw the Meng family into alignment with him. Whatever feeling he showed was nothing more than surface performance. When the Meng family fell, the Marshal had naturally cast Meng Qiu aside like a worn-out shoe. The fact that Meng Qiu had been confined to the Meng estate all this time made it plain — the Marshal had long since regarded her as a stranger.

“Before all of this, the Marshal had a woman he loved. This woman was immensely gifted — she played the piano beautifully. In those days, a piano was already a rare and unusual thing, and she was also strikingly beautiful, with a gentle temperament. The Marshal fell in love with her the moment he saw her. The Marshal in his youth was also handsome and full of spirit, so the two of them quickly came to know and love each other.”

Yan Qing could already imagine what kind of sorrowful love story this would turn out to be.

“But their relationship met with fierce opposition from the old patriarch and matriarch, because the woman’s father was nothing more than a small merchant, and the old patriarch had his heart set on the only daughter of the Meng family.” Luo Huaimeng shook her head gently. “Their love faced many obstacles. In the beginning, the Marshal fought against them. But in the end, seeing that the old patriarch and his wife were utterly without limits in their methods, the Marshal relented.”

“He was afraid they would harm Huiyuan, wasn’t he?”

Luo Huaimeng nodded. “The Marshal was at the age when hot blood runs high and one throws everything aside for love — but he could disregard himself, not her. Under those circumstances, leaving her was the only choice he had. So the Marshal proposed that he and Huiyuan part ways, and agreed to the Meng family’s marriage proposal. Devastated and in despair, Huiyuan’s hair turned white overnight. She composed a piece called ‘Love Unattained,’ which happened to fall into the hands of a very famous singer of the time and spread across the land practically overnight. The song held within it a young woman’s longing and sweetness for love, as well as her despair over it and fury toward the conventions of the world. When the song became famous, Huiyuan shaved her head and became a Buddhist nun, taking permanent residence at the Baiyun Convent, turning her back on worldly affairs and devoting herself entirely to the Buddha.”

“Did the Marshal never go looking for her?”

“Once the Marshal had reached the position he now holds, the very first thing he did was go to the Baiyun Convent to bring her back — because by then he had absolute power, and no one could stop him from marrying the woman he loved. But Huiyuan refused to see him, keeping her doors firmly shut.”

“I imagine the Marshal did not give up so easily.”

“He did not. He stood vigil outside the Baiyun Convent day and night, refusing to eat or drink, hoping he could change Huiyuan’s heart. But three days later, when the Marshal was on the verge of collapse from hunger and exhaustion, what greeted him instead was the news of Huiyuan’s death.”

Yan Qing was deeply shaken. “Huiyuan died?”

“Huiyuan hanged herself within the Baiyun Convent. By the time she was found, she was already gone.” Luo Huaimeng took a sip of tea. “When the Marshal received the news, he was overcome with grief. Combined with the days of not eating or drinking, he collapsed on the spot. When he came around, he fell gravely ill, and seemed to have aged by a decade in the span of just a few days. After Huiyuan passed, the Marshal had a statue made in her likeness and placed at the entrance of the Baiyun Convent. But it was struck and destroyed by lightning not long after it was erected. The Marshal understood — Huiyuan had made clear, even in death, that she would never accept his devotion.”

“Mother, why do you think Huiyuan chose to take her own life?”

“Perhaps from grief and despair.”

Yan Qing shook her head. “Huiyuan was an intelligent woman. Though she might have resented the Marshal, she would also have understood that he had had no choice. Given that the Marshal had never forgotten her and loved her so deeply, why would she still choose to end her life? Even if she had no wish to return to the secular world with him, there was no need to resort to such an act. She knew clearly that no matter what choice she made, the Marshal would never force her.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“This may be my professional instincts showing,” said Yan Qing. “With every life that is lost, I always want to find the root cause. People who take their own lives always have a reason that drives them to it — without that reason, no one ends their life without cause. If Huiyuan killed herself out of a dead heart and despair, then that death would have come when the Marshal married Meng Qiu, would it not?”

“You believe there is something more behind all of this?”

“So many years have passed, and even if one wanted to investigate, it would likely be impossible now. But as the saying goes — whoever stood to benefit most from an event cannot be separated from it.”

Luo Huaimeng’s mind moved quickly. “You mean the First Madam?”

“She is the most likely suspect. She was one of the key parties in all of this. She understood clearly the depth of feeling between the Marshal and Huiyuan. Once Huiyuan returned to the Shi household, the First Madam would have had no standing left. She was a clever and ambitious woman — how could she possibly have allowed such a time-bomb to remain at her side?”

“You make a reasonable point. But the matter is long past, and it can no longer be untangled. Even if the First Madam was responsible, she is now confined to the Meng estate and has received her due punishment. The Marshal could hardly have her executed — and for Madam Meng, living on is more of a torment than death.”

Yan Qing nodded. “True, it’s no longer about the First Madam. But, Mother — this matter may yet be closely tied to us.”

Luo Huaimeng frowned gently. “You believe the Qian family has ulterior motives?”

“This so-called Qian family’s First Young Miss is a disciple of Huiyuan — she studied the piano under her.”

“I never heard of Huiyuan taking on a disciple,” Luo Huaimeng said, “but she was genuinely accomplished in music. If she wished not to let her talents be buried with her, taking a disciple would not be entirely unlikely.”

“I have never seen what this Qian family’s First Young Miss looks like, but instinct tells me she must be a great beauty.”

“If she has truly inherited Huiyuan’s abilities, the Marshal will certainly regard her in a different light.” Luo Huaimeng recalled the past with deep feeling. “Do you know why the Third Consort was so favored in the beginning? The Third Consort had once been a dance hall girl, making her living singing and dancing among men. One evening the Marshal went there for entertainment, and as chance would have it, she was performing ‘Love Unattained.’ The song stirred something in the Marshal, and combined with the Third Consort’s skill at pleasing and catering to him, she quickly captured his heart.”

“Did the Third Consort perform that song on purpose?”

“Not exactly — it was her signature piece, one she sang often. The Marshal simply happened to be visiting that particular dance hall for the first time.” Luo Huaimeng set down her teacup. “If a single song was enough to make the Marshal take special notice of the Third Consort, how much more so when this woman was Huiyuan’s own disciple?”

“This daughter the Qian family has found — I doubt she is as simple as she appears.” Yan Qing raised one of her slender brows. “She must be aiming for the position of official wife.”

“The Qian family has come prepared this time, and it seems they are quite certain of their success.” Luo Huaimeng thought for a moment. “This Miss Qian is only twenty-four — just a little older than you. If she truly marries in, everyone will have to address her as First Madam, even I will have to bow and pay respects to her.”

Yan Qing smiled. “With her status and position, we would naturally have to show her every courtesy. But I still feel that this Miss Qian of the Qian family is not so straightforward.”

“You think she is after more than just the position of official wife?”

Yan Qing tilted her head slightly. “If she were only after that position, things would actually be simpler. What I fear is that she has other designs beyond it.”

“The position of official wife is already second only to the Marshal himself — above tens of thousands of others. What more could she possibly want? Surely she doesn’t intend to drive all of us concubines out?” Luo Huaimeng gave a dismissive sniff. “We’re all getting on in years — she’d have to have the ability to pull it off first.”

Just as they were speaking, Madam Qian came walking in with a bright and cheerful expression. “Apologies for keeping everyone waiting, ladies. Please make your way to the main hall — luncheon is served.”

Yan Qing offered her arm to Luo Huaimeng as they rose, and as everyone else filed toward the door, she couldn’t help leaning in to say quietly, “Mother, what do you suppose is going to happen at the banquet?”

Luo Huaimeng let out a soft huff. “I’m rather curious to see what tricks the Qian family has up their sleeves.”

Yan Qing gave a faint smile and walked out side by side with Luo Huaimeng.

Ling’ai, who had been cracking melon seeds the entire time without knowing a word of what the two had been discussing, now scrambled hastily to follow after them.

—