“The Purple Bamboo Grove?!” Fuling’s eyes widened. “Why is Young Miss asking about the Purple Bamboo Grove?”

Noticing Fuling’s unusual expression, Qin Wan hesitantly said, her eyes shifting, “I vaguely remember there was a Purple Bamboo Grove in the manor… but I can’t recall where it was…”

Fuling nervously replied, “There is indeed a Purple Bamboo Grove in the manor, in the northeast corner of the inner courtyard, but that place is forbidden ground. Young Miss must never go there.”

Qin Wan raised her eyebrows. “Forbidden ground? What do you mean?”

Fuling glanced out the window and lowered her voice, “Young Miss must know that our Master is quite romantic and has many concubines. It’s said that our Second Concubine hanged herself in that Purple Bamboo Grove eight years ago. Before that, the grove was a beautiful spot in the manor, but since then it has become forbidden ground. People even say it’s haunted.”

Fuling shuddered. “Now, not just the masters, even the servants won’t go there.”

A few days ago, Fuling had mentioned that Zhongyong Marquis’s third branch family head, Qin An, was a romantic man who had taken many concubines. Currently, there were four concubines in the manor. Qin Wan frowned as she listened, then suddenly couldn’t help but sneeze.

Fuling quickly grabbed Qin Wan’s arm. “Young Miss, come inside quickly and change out of these wet clothes. Your body can’t handle this stress right now. Fifth Young Miss and Sixth Young Miss are truly cruel, knowing you just fell in the lake, yet still playing such tricks on you today!”

Qin Wan obediently went into the inner chamber to change clothes, but her thoughts didn’t stop.

That bamboo branch was fresh and green, with a rough break and purple markings on the stem—undoubtedly purple bamboo.

Fuling said the Purple Bamboo Grove was in the northeast corner of the inner courtyard. From the northeast corner to Half Moon Lake was quite far—purple bamboo couldn’t appear at the bottom of the lake without reason. It must have been carried there with Ninth Young Miss’s body.

Could Ninth Young Miss have been killed in that Purple Bamboo Grove?

But Ninth Young Miss was timid—why would she go to a supposedly haunted forbidden area?

Though questions multiplied in Qin Wan’s mind, she couldn’t immediately investigate the Purple Bamboo Grove.

First, she had just been released from confinement. Going to Half Moon Lake was one thing, but going to the Purple Bamboo Grove was another. If Ninth Young Miss was indeed killed there, such a visit would surely raise the killer’s suspicions. Second, Fuling wouldn’t let her go.

“These past few days, has anyone been spying on us from outside the courtyard?”

After changing clothes, Qin Wan asked while reclining on a low couch by the window.

Fuling, who was brewing tea, snorted lightly at the question. “Many! A few days ago, before the memorial service was even finished, when I went to the courtyard gate to get food, Madam Liu from the kitchen asked how you were doing. I saw clearly that there was a group of people behind her…”

Qin Wan coughed lightly twice. “How did you answer?”

Fuling sighed. “Well, Madam Liu is one of the few kind people in this manor. I told her the truth—that although Young Miss had survived this brush with death, you seemed to have injured your head and couldn’t remember things clearly.”

Qin Wan suddenly understood why the killer hadn’t made any moves lately—they must believe she had lost her memory, and thus had lowered their guard.

This gave her more time.

“Cough, cough, cough.” As Qin Wan thought about this, she couldn’t help but cough again. She inwardly cursed—she must have caught a cold.

“Young Miss has coughed so many times in just this short while. Young Miss must be sick.”

Fuling grew worried. “I’ll go ask Madam Liu to help us get some medicine from the manor’s pharmacy. However, getting medicine from the manor is very expensive, and we don’t have many items left from what Madam gave us…”

Qin Wan frowned at these words. So this was how the servants profited from their mistresses?

“Can’t we go out to buy medicine?”

Fuling smiled bitterly. “The personal maids of Fifth Young Miss and Sixth Young Miss can leave the manor, but when we tried to go out, we were stopped. That was two years ago. Since then, Young Miss hasn’t mentioned leaving the manor again. We’re truly worse off than servants.”

Qin Wan’s eyes darkened. “We’re not even allowed out the gate?”

Fuling spoke up for Qin Wan indignantly. “In the few years since Young Miss came to the Qin Manor, you’ve rarely left. In the first two years, Old Madam would take you along during festivals, ancestral worship, and temple visits, but these past two years, it’s as if they’ve forgotten about Young Miss…”

Qin Wan stood up and began arranging her hair.

Fuling stared at Qin Wan blankly. “Young Miss is going to…”

“Go buy medicine.”

Not only did she need to buy medicine, but after being awake for so many days, it was time she saw Jinzhou City for herself.

Fuling hadn’t expected Qin Wan to act so decisively. By the time she came to her senses, Qin Wan had already put on her cape and was walking out. Fuling hurried to follow. Though somewhat anxious, seeing Qin Wan’s straight posture made her unease dissipate, replaced by a hint of excitement.

Leaving their courtyard, they headed south, then turned west, arriving at the western side gate used by the manor’s female family members and servants.

Before they got close, the gatekeepers were startled into stillness.

The news of pushing Sixth Young Miss into Half Moon Lake had just spread, and they never expected Ninth Young Miss would try to leave the manor. Instinctively, they blocked Qin Wan’s path.

“Ninth Young Miss, without Madam’s orders, you cannot leave the manor.”

“Even Old Madam has lifted my confinement, yet you dare stop me?”

Qin Wan wore a moon-white gauze dress with a matching moon-white cape embroidered with orchid branches and kingfisher feathers. She raised her chin slightly, fixing the young gatekeeper with a deep gaze. Though her voice wasn’t loud, each word fell heavily on the gatekeeper’s heart.

He knew Old Madam had lifted the confinement of the western rear courtyard, but this Ninth Young Miss had always been docile and stayed in her courtyard. He couldn’t be sure of Old Madam’s intentions.

The gatekeeper hesitated. Looking at Qin Wan again, he saw her frail figure standing straight as bamboo, her presence commanding. It seemed that if he stopped her again, he would be defying Old Madam’s orders!

The gatekeeper grew nervous and became flustered.

Seeing their reaction, Qin Wan walked out with dignified steps. The two gatekeepers exchanged glances, neither daring to stop her.

As Qin Wan passed through the gate, one person came to his senses. “Quick, report to Old Madam!”

After speaking, this gatekeeper wiped the light sweat from his forehead and looked in the direction Qin Wan had gone.

Was this that timid Ninth Young Miss?

Walking onto the main street outside the Qin Manor, Fuling couldn’t contain her excitement. “Young Miss was so imposing just now, you scared them speechless! Young Miss wasn’t like this before, how did you…”

“After dying once, one can’t remain as useless as before.”

Qin Wan replied. Fuling nodded with tears in her eyes. “It’s wonderful that Young Miss thinks this way. Young Miss is a proper master after all, though you didn’t like being like this before, today…”

Today, Qin Wan had already done two things: first, pulling Qin Shuang into the lake, and second, forcefully leaving the manor.

These two actions were very different from the formerly kind and timid Qin Wan.

“People are just like this—know you’re kind, and they’ll take advantage increasingly. Know you’re fierce, and they’ll respect and retreat instead.” As Qin Wan spoke, she looked at Jinzhou City under the warm sun.

Jinzhou was in the southern part of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a month’s journey by fast horse to the capital, and was considered a border city. Despite this, Jinzhou was an important southern stronghold. The city walls were majestic, agriculture and commerce flourished, and the Qin Manor was located in the east, the most prosperous area of Jinzhou. Looking out, the endless flying eaves and decorative brackets displayed Jinzhou City’s magnificent presence.

Following the main street outside the west gate, they soon reached a very busy market area. Qin Wan had no interest in the bustle and looked around for medicine shops, but only saw ornately decorated restaurants and teahouses.

Just as she was wondering if they should try another street, Qin Wan suddenly noticed a crowd gathered about ten zhang ahead.

“Young Miss! What’s happening over there?!”

Fuling had a lively personality, and having been confined to the manor for nearly two years, she was now extremely curious about anything novel outside.

Seeing her eyes full of curiosity, Qin Wan walked over.

As soon as they got close, they heard a young woman’s anxious crying voice from within the crowd, “My elderly mistress has fallen ill! Please, would any kind person help find a doctor—”

Qin Wan’s brows furrowed as she entered the crowd.