Qin Yao nodded and hurried to A’Han’s side, stood on her toes to retrieve a large bundle from his back, and the two of them crouched down together to take out the Wuya Mirror.
Noticing how naturally and unselfconsciously the two of them moved together, Lin Xiao paused and studied A’Han with serious attention. Though A’Han was tall and strongly built with striking features, his every movement and expression radiated a guileless, unworldly innocence — one could not say he was intentionally drawing close to Qin Yao, so much as he simply had no awareness of the difference between men and women where the two of them were concerned. Even if one had wanted to find fault with him, there was no foothold from which to do it. When A’Han noticed Lin Xiao studying him, he turned around and beamed at him with complete candor. Lin Xiao’s expression relaxed despite himself, and he returned a faint smile.
Qin Yao was entirely unaware of the undercurrent that had passed between Lin Xiao and A’Han. She found the Wuya Mirror and carried it carefully over to her master’s side.
Qing Xuzi took two talisman papers from within his robe and affixed them to the foreheads of the two female corpses. He then had Qin Yao hold the Wuya Mirror steady, gave his horsetail whisk a sweep, and called out in a clear, sharp voice: “Rise—”
The Wuya Mirror burst forth with a dazzling radiance in an instant, rising slowly into midair — like a full moon suspended in the sky, flooding the previously dim mortuary with the brilliance of broad daylight.
Lin Xiao had witnessed Qing Xuzi and Qin Yao perform their arts before, and this was no longer unusual to him; but Liu Zan’s face broke into an expression of alarm and fear. “What — what is this?” Lin Xiao quickly said a few words of explanation, and the color gradually returned to Liu Zan’s face.
The two bodies lay bathed in the radiance of the Wuya Mirror, an indistinct current stirring faintly in the air around them.
Qin Yao stared at the corpses with intense concentration, barely daring to breathe — yet to her disappointment, after the time it took to burn half a stick of incense, the talisman papers on the foreheads of the bodies showed absolutely no change whatsoever.
She could not resist glancing up at the Wuya Mirror again. The mirror was just as clear and luminous as before; none of the anomalies she had anticipated appeared.
Qing Xuzi shook his head, swept his horsetail whisk, and retrieved the Wuya Mirror. After deliberating for a moment, he raised his head to address Lin Xiao and Liu Zan: “If this humble Daoist is not mistaken, the deaths of these two women were not caused by any malevolent spirit.”
Having witnessed Qing Xuzi’s demonstration of his art, Liu Zan’s demeanor underwent a subtle shift. He heard this conclusion, considered it briefly, stroked his beard and nodded: “The manner of the two women’s deaths is, indeed, horrifying — but Pingkang Ward, where they lived, has always been a place notorious in Chang’an for its mix of all manner of people, with all kinds coming and going, and violent, desperate individuals would not be rare there. Since, as the Daoist Master says, this is not the work of malevolent spirits, it is most likely a human crime — and to find the person behind it will most likely require beginning in Pingkang Ward.”
At that moment, from outside the door came a frantic knocking: “Lord! Lord! There’s been an incident in the prison!”
Everyone froze. Liu Zan swept up the hem of his robe and strode out rapidly.
The night was dark as pitch, and in the distance thunder rolled faintly. The rain had not lessened; the moment the door was opened, a bitter wind swept in laden with driving rain and struck those standing there like a cold slap, sending a chill through them from head to toe.
The yamen runner was already half soaked through; his expression was ghastly. Seeing Liu Zan and the others come out, he bent low: “Lord! One of the female prisoners has just hanged herself!”
Liu Zan was jolted. He fired off question after question without pause: “How could this have happened? Which female prisoner is it? Where is Assistant Justice Li? Has he been informed?” And as he spoke, he walked swiftly in the direction of the prison cells.
The yamen runner kept pace: “Assistant Justice Li was just informed and has already gone to the prison. The deceased was one of the prisoners transferred this morning from the Imperial Censorate’s prison — she was to be brought before the court tomorrow morning for interrogation. According to Prison Warden Xiao, her name was Wen Niang.”
At those last words, Liu Zan’s footsteps came to a sharp halt. He turned quickly to look at Qin Yao and the others, who were equally stunned, and exclaimed aloud: “Her?!”
All prisoners taken into custody by the Court of Judicial Review were subjected to a thorough search by the guards before being placed in a cell. No sharp implement of any kind was permitted inside; nor were female prisoners permitted to keep their gold or silver jewelry.
Wen Niang had hanged herself with the cloth band tied at her waist.
When the prison warden found her, she was kneeling with her head slightly bowed before the barred window, her body rigid as a crouched shrimp — in an attitude that looked like prayer, or perhaps supplication. The features of her face were all grotesquely contorted and displaced, her eyes — more white than black — bulging far out of their sockets, as though she had witnessed something so utterly terrifying at the moment of death that it had frozen upon her face.
Liu Zan ordered his subordinates to conduct a thorough examination of every inch of the area through the night. They ultimately confirmed there were no signs that any outsider had entered Wen Niang’s cell. The coroner, having examined the body, likewise concluded: it was without doubt a case of self-hanging.
By the time daylight came, Liu Zan had reluctantly settled on a tentative verdict of “suicide prompted by fear of punishment,” and gave orders for Wen Niang’s remains to be temporarily placed in the mortuary.
As Lin Xiao and the others emerged from the Court of Judicial Review, their faces all bore the mark of exhaustion. Qin Yao, feeling a pang of guilt, said to Lin Xiao: “Last night was truly a great deal of trouble for the Young Lord. What a pity it all came to nothing in the end — we were not able to be of any help whatsoever.”
Thinking that he did not know when the next time he might see Qin Yao would be, Lin Xiao was sorely tempted to find some pretext to stay with her a little longer. But with Qing Xuzi and A’Han standing right there, and the hour growing late indeed, he could only say: “There are certain suspicious aspects to the circumstances of Wen Niang’s death — I fear this matter is not so simple. I will keep an eye on how this case develops, and will contact you immediately if anything seems amiss.” He turned it over in his mind: he decided to shamelessly make use of Qin Yao’s curiosity to engineer a reason for them to meet again.
True to expectation, Qin Yao gave a serious nod at this and said: “The Young Lord thinks exactly as I do. Wherever we are able to be of assistance, do not hesitate to call on us.”
Since this matter was not the work of a malevolent spirit, her master would certainly refuse to have anything more to do with it. If Lin Xiao was willing to pursue the case further, so much the better.
Standing to one side, Qing Xuzi watched Lin Xiao, and a knowing look gradually crept into his eyes. The man was Prince Lan’s heir, and was now moreover the Commander of the Feathered Forest Guards — how many affairs inside and outside the palace required his attention on any given day? And yet he would take time out for the deaths of three bond women? Hmph. It was plain as day that he was using this as a pretext to draw my dim-witted disciple closer to him. Unfortunately, Yao was far too young to be on any guard against the ploys of young men — and this man, on top of being powerful and of high rank, was absurdly good-looking. Who could say but that one day Qin Yao might actually fall for his tricks.
The thought brought a flash of an image across Qing Xuzi’s mind — a face radiant as a hibiscus in bloom, from years long past — and a sharp pain stabbed at his heart. No. Men raised in wealth and privilege were all practiced smooth-talkers, every one of them fickle and faithless, and genuine devotion was a rarity among them. Qin Yao must never be allowed to repeat the tragedy of that poor foolish girl from all those years ago.
He let out a cold, emphatic harrumph, and without so much as a word of farewell to Lin Xiao, took Qin Yao firmly by the arm and marched off toward the Qingyun Temple’s carriage: “Matters of the government are no concern of a child like you. If you don’t return home soon, your Father and Mother will have disowned you! You’ll be coming of age next year — from now on, behave yourself, stay home, and stop gallivanting about all over the place.”
Qin Yao was at a complete loss as to the reason for her master’s sudden burst of irritation: “What has come over you now? When have I been gallivanting? Ow, Master, loosen your grip — you’re hurting my hand — let me walk on my own.”
Half dragged, half tugged all the way to the carriage, Qin Yao managed to turn back and flash Lin Xiao a quick smile: “Young Lord, thank you for everything yesterday — we’ll take our leave now.”
Lin Xiao knitted his brow in private displeasure, and stood watching the Qingyun Temple’s carriage disappear into the distance. After a long moment he finally withdrew his gaze, mounted his horse, and rode back toward the palace.
After the morning court session, the Emperor continued his discussions with Wu Xingzhi and Mo Cheng regarding the matter of the Yunyin Academy, and glancing at the list of enrolled students, he added Xia Yuan’s name: “My seventh sister was herself once a student at the Yunyin Academy. Yuan is now fourteen or fifteen, and as yet unbetrothals — just the right age to enter the Academy. I’ve heard she has been gifted in poetry and verse since she was small and has a fine reputation in Shu — let her demonstrate the accomplishments of our imperial family’s daughters before the celebrated teachers there.”
Now that he had resolved his ill feeling toward Derong, he could not do enough to make up for all the hardships her family had suffered. That very morning at court he had not only restored Xia Hongsheng’s ducal title of Wei Guo at the first rank, but had also granted him ten thousand acres of farmland, a hundred grand residences, and countless rare and precious objects besides. The officials at court quickly learned that the Wei Guo Ducal Household had been restored to its former eminence, and congratulations poured in from all sides — in all likelihood, before long the threshold of the Wei Guo Ducal Household would once again be worn smooth by the constant stream of visitors.
Adding Xia Yuan’s name, the Emperor thought of something and scanned the list from top to bottom: “How is it that Kangping’s name isn’t here?”
Wu Xingzhi and Mo Cheng quickly exchanged a glance. The Imperial Consort Yide had sent word to them just two days prior, saying she could no longer bear Kangping’s incessant fussing and asking them to remove Kangping’s name from the list — she herself would handle things with the Emperor — and so they had removed that little troublemaker’s name. Could it be that the Imperial Consort Yide had not yet reached an understanding with the Emperor?
Both men quickly begged his pardon and said it must have been an accidental oversight.
“Don’t try to placate me,” the Emperor suddenly raised his voice. “Is it that Kangping herself doesn’t want to attend school?”
Neither man dared answer.
“Such a fine child, and she has been indulged into this state — and her mother goes along with whatever she wants? Add Kangping’s name to the list at once, and convey our decree: Kangping is to be the first to enter the Academy, and no one need come before us seeking clemency on her behalf!” The Emperor rose and took a few brisk paces. “The Academy opens next month. Starting tomorrow, Kangping is to rise each morning and practice her calligraphy — by our order!”
Lin Xiao, having finished handing off matters to his subordinates, returned to his duty room and had hot water prepared for a bath.
The palace duty room was naturally no match for his private study back at the residence, and without Nanny or Chang Rong at hand, many of his usual preferences had to be dispensed with — but he was by nature fastidious about cleanliness, and a day without bathing left him feeling thoroughly ill at ease.
He had just finished bathing and was in the middle of tying his clothes when a thunderous crashing sound erupted at the door of the duty room, like a young calf hurling itself at the door: “Eleventh Elder Brother! Eleventh Elder Brother! What are you doing in there? Open up!” The door shuddered under the battering as though on the verge of giving way, accompanied by a softer, gentler voice outside urging restraint.
Kangping! Lin Xiao’s temper flared at once. He dressed at maximum speed, then wrenched the door open.
Kangping, caught completely off guard by the sudden opening of the door, let out a cry of alarm and pitched forward, landing flat on the ground.
Before she could get up, Lin Xiao seized the back of her collar and hauled her upright, then marched briskly outward: “Today your Eleventh Elder Brother will teach you what it means to behave with propriety!”
Xia Yuan, standing beside the door, noticed that Lin Xiao’s collar was still loosely fastened with a glimpse of pale chest visible, his hair still damp, and realized he must have been bathing moments before. She felt a flush rise to her cheeks and privately regretted letting Kangping drag her here — and seeing that Lin Xiao appeared to be genuinely angry, she quickly lifted her skirts and hurried after him: “Eleventh Elder Brother, please don’t be angry — Kangping didn’t mean any harm. Put her down first, and let us talk things over calmly.”
Lin Xiao carried Kangping straight to a large tree in the courtyard, tilted his head back to survey its branches, found the sturdiest fork he could, gathered his energy and leaped up into the tree. Ignoring Kangping’s desperate pleading, he hooked the back of her collar over the branch: “Stay up here and think about what you’ve done!”
With that, he leaped back to the ground, and made as if to leave.
Xia Yuan quickly caught his arm: “Eleventh Elder Brother, this isn’t right — what if Kangping falls?”
“If she falls, it serves her right — at least it might teach her a lesson!” Lin Xiao’s fury had eased slightly, but he kept up the pretense of leaving.
“Eleventh Elder Brother! I was wrong! Please get me down! I didn’t know you were bathing — I swear I’ll never barge into your room uninvited again! Spare Kangping this once, please!” Kangping screamed, sounding very much like a pig being slaughtered.
Lin Xiao had made up his mind to give her a proper lesson, and did not even turn his head.
At this point a crowd of palace attendants had gathered, all of them frightened out of their wits — some had formed a human wall beneath the tree in case Princess Kangping fell, while others were on their knees before Lin Xiao begging on the Princess’s behalf. The whole scene was in utter chaos with no order whatsoever.
“Eleventh Elder Brother! If you don’t get me down this instant, I’ll tell Father which girl you have your eye on!” Kangping, seeing that the sympathy approach had produced no results, switched to a vicious threat.
“By all means go and tell him.” Knowing Kangping as well as he did, Lin Xiao was confident: if she had truly dug up the details about Qin Yao, she would have been trumpeting it out already, not speaking in such a hesitant and roundabout way. He was certain she knew nothing at all.
“Eleventh Elder Brother, I was wrong — I was truly wrong. I promise I’ll never dare to cause you trouble again. Please, I beg you, get me down.” The threat having failed, Kangping backed down once more.
“What is all this? Kangping—” A sharp female cry suddenly rang out from outside. “Sixth, Seventh — quickly go get your sister down!”
A group of people had appeared at the entrance without anyone noticing. The one who had cried out was a strikingly beautiful woman in full palace regalia, her complexion as white and flawless as jade. It was none other than the Imperial Consort Yide, who had enjoyed considerable imperial favor for the past twenty years.
Behind her followed the Crown Prince, Prince Wu, and a retinue of palace attendants. Princess Derong was also among them, as were Xia Lan and Xia Di.
The Crown Prince and Prince Wu, the moment they took in the scene in the courtyard, knew immediately what had happened. Seeing their little sister hanging from the tree unable to move, unable to climb up or down, they were both exasperated and amused in equal measure.
Prince Wu kept his laughter in check and walked to the foot of the tree, leaped up, and brought his sister safely down.
The instant Kangping’s feet touched the ground, she charged headlong straight into Lin Xiao: “Eleventh Elder Brother is so mean! I don’t like you anymore!”
Prince Wu had never imagined she would still have the energy to make a scene, and quickly grabbed hold of her: “Kangping! Stop causing trouble!”
Kangping was no match for her brother’s strength; she struggled for a long moment without breaking free, and could only squirm in her brother’s arms, lashing out in Lin Xiao’s direction with kicks and flailing: “I didn’t do anything wrong today — why would Eleventh Elder Brother treat me like this!”
In a few steps, Imperial Consort Yide was at her daughter’s side, pulling her into a tender embrace and cooing over her. Then she raised her head to look at Lin Xiao: “Eleventh! When your younger sister makes a fuss, it’s because she’s still young — why couldn’t you just let it go? Was there any need to frighten her like that? What if she had fallen out of that tree?”
Derong, who had been standing to one side without a word, quietly shook her head. Imperial Consort Yide asked no questions, passed no judgment on right or wrong, and simply spoiled Kangping without reservation — no wonder the girl had been indulged into such a state.
She smiled and stepped in to smooth things over: “These are children who have grown up together, and their affection for one another is deep — a little roughhousing between siblings is perfectly natural. As long as the child is unharmed, that is what matters.”
Imperial Consort Yide then remembered to question her daughter’s fault, and looked down at her: “What did you do, that put your Eleventh Elder Brother in such a temper?”
“Insufferable! Insufferable! You’re all on Eleventh Elder Brother’s side!” Kangping thrust her lips out in an exaggerated pout, broke free of her mother’s embrace, and ran off toward the garden gate.
“And where are you going now?” Imperial Consort Yide called after her.
“I’m all sweaty — I’m going back to change my clothes,” Kangping called back from a distance.
Imperial Consort Yide shook her head and turned to look at Lin Xiao, speaking in a gentle tone: “Eleventh, not that I’m criticizing you — when Kangping does wrong, it’s right that you correct her, but you mustn’t be quite so reckless about it. Do be more careful in future.”
Lin Xiao made a noncommittal sound of acknowledgment. Inwardly he laughed coldly — if he didn’t discipline her like this, would she ever learn?
Derong noticed that Lin Xiao’s clothes were less neat than usual and assumed it was from scuffling with Kangping. She stepped over and straightened his collar, smiling with warm affection: “Today Imperial Consort Yide mentioned to me that the return of our family to Chang’an is a cause for great celebration, and that it calls for a proper gathering. I agreed with Imperial Consort Yide, and we decided that the fifteenth of this month is an auspicious date — we’ll hold a banquet at the residence and properly entertain family and friends in Chang’an. Once you have your duties at the palace in order on that day, come to your aunt’s residence early.”
Lin Xiao replied warmly and promptly: “I’ll be sure to arrive early and help out at Aunt’s residence.”
Xia Yuan came to stand beside her mother and slipped her arm through hers, smiling sweetly: “Daughter already said she’d pass the message to Eleventh Elder Brother — why did Mother have to come all this way herself?”
Derong lightly tapped her daughter’s nose: “And you’re no less trouble than the rest of them!”
Prince Wu’s gaze lingered on Xia Yuan’s lovely face and he could not quite bring himself to look away. He smiled: “With a temperament as gentle and agreeable as Younger Cousin Yuan’s, if she still can’t set Aunt’s mind at ease, I doubt anyone could.”