“Young Miss, do you remember? Sister Cai He is the Old Madam’s maid. Though she’s a servant, she’s the housekeeper of the inner courtyard. Even the Madam has to show her some respect. When you enter the Buddha Hall later, you can ask her if there’s anything you don’t understand…” Cai He might have said it was good news, but Fu Ling was still very anxious, walking alongside Qin Wan while giving instructions in a low voice.
Qin Wan watched Cai He leading the way ahead, her eyes deepening slightly. Cai He had a tall, slender figure, with fair skin, red lips, and delicate features. Her simple yellow dress swayed gracefully, and her entire bearing was unlike that of a servant, carrying instead an air of authority. More notably, even Qin Li was somewhat afraid of her.
Yet she looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. How had she earned such trust from Jiang Shi at such a young age? The Qin Manor was vast and prosperous, and what Qin Wan had seen in the past few days was merely the tip of the iceberg. If even a managing servant was so remarkable, one could only imagine how unfathomable the Third House’s Old Madam Jiang must be.
Thinking of her previous encounter with Jiang Shi, Qin Wan’s heart grew anxious.
“Ninth Young Miss hasn’t been to the Buddha Hall since she first arrived in Jin Zhou, so you probably don’t remember the way. We’re almost there.” After a while, Cai He suddenly turned back to speak. Her demeanor was friendly and her tone gentle, smiling like a girl next door. Even Qin Wan couldn’t help but lower her guard, though she hadn’t forgotten Cai He’s sharp command at the bamboo grove entrance earlier.
Qin Wan remained cautious and nodded, “Thank you.”
“This servant doesn’t deserve such courtesy.” After a slight pause, Cai He suddenly added, “The Second Young Master has quite an unruly nature, and the Old Madam is very displeased with him. Ninth Young Miss should keep her distance from him in the future.”
Qin Wan felt warmth in her heart at these words. She would indeed be wary of Qin Li’s frivolous behavior.
The path to the Buddha Hall was longer than Qin Wan had expected. From the purple bamboo grove, they passed by the lotus pond heading south, then reached Half Moon Lake, before turning southeast. Along the way, they passed dozens of pavilions and towers, all exquisitely carved and painted.
Walking from the secluded area toward the front courtyard, they inevitably encountered many servants. Seeing Cai He leading Qin Wan, everyone showed surprised expressions. Qin Wan could tell that no one had expected Jiang Shi to summon her.
“We’ve arrived. Fu Ling, wait outside. Ninth Young Miss, please come with this servant.” Following a quiet path to its end, several towering ancient pine trees appeared before Qin Wan’s eyes. Beneath the pines stood a small courtyard, solemn like an ancient temple, filled with the scent of incense.
Fu Ling acknowledged, and Qin Wan followed Cai He through the gate. Though it resembled an ancient temple from the outside, inside there were orchids, osmanthus, and blue lotus flowers, with green vines elegantly covering an entire wall, dispersing some of the stern atmosphere.
It was a two-section courtyard, with the front for receiving guests and the back housing the Buddha Hall and Jiang Shi’s resting quarters. Seeing Cai He return, the young maid at the main hall’s entrance hurriedly lifted the curtain. However, before they got close, Qin Wan heard Qin Shuang’s voice from inside:
“Why bring her? She’ll only embarrass our Qin family on such an occasion!”
“Shuang’er, don’t speak nonsense. The invitation has been sent, how can we not go?”
“Grandmother, Mother, can’t we make up some excuse? Why would An Yang Marquis’s Manor specifically invite her? Could it be that the incident has spread, and they want to make a mockery of us?”
“Nonsense! What kind of household is the An Yang Marquis’s Manor? How could they have such thoughts?”
Qin Wan heard the gist of it and frowned. Invitation? An Yang Marquis’s Manor?
“Old Madam, Ninth Young Miss has arrived.” Cai He announced with a smile, and the room suddenly fell silent.
After a moment, Qin Wan finally heard Jiang Shi’s deep, ancient voice. “Let her in.”
Cai He stood at the doorway, “Ninth Young Miss, please enter.”
Qin Wan took a shallow breath and stepped forward through the door. As soon as she entered, the fragrance of premium agarwood incense greeted her. With a glance, Qin Wan took in everyone in the room.
There were four people inside. Jiang Shi sat cross-legged on the main couch in a deep purple jacket and skirt, holding a string of prayer beads, her eyes half-closed as if in meditation. Lin Shi wore a crow-black robe, standing beside Jiang Shi. On this side, the sisters Qin Shuang and Qin Xiang sat in chairs. Upon Qin Wan’s entrance, Qin Xiang’s expression remained neutral, while Qin Shuang’s eyes showed clear wariness, though she still gave a cold snort.
“Greetings to Old Madam and Madam.” Qin Wan bowed to each in turn, keeping her eyes lowered, quietly waiting for Jiang Shi to speak.
Jiang Shi opened her half-closed eyes, her cloudy gaze still sharp with alertness. She examined Qin Wan, recalling what Lin Shi had learned from Doctor Huang.
A short pulse and exhausted qi could indeed give the impression of death, and there were many tales in the city of people who had died and come back to life. As Doctor Huang had said, these were all cases of short pulse and exhausted qi rather than true death.
Jiang Shi turned her head, her gaze falling on the side table. “Show it to her.”
Qin Wan looked up and saw a booklet on the table. Lin Shi walked over to pick it up, and then came to Qin Wan. “Wan’er, take a look. This is an invitation sent by An Yang Marquis’s Manor this morning.”
Qin Wan raised her eyebrows slightly and opened the invitation.
Lin Shi continued, “The An Yang Marquis’s heir is to be married in two days. They sent our Qin family an invitation half a month ago, but today, they sent another one specifically for you.”
Lin Shi glanced at Jiang Shi after speaking, and seeing that Jiang Shi had half-closed her eyes again, she questioned Qin Wan directly.
“We called you here first to inform you that you will attend the An Yang Marquis heir’s wedding banquet with us in two days, and second, to ask if you have any connection to the An Yang Marquis’s Manor?”
Closing the invitation, Qin Wan also frowned. She had heard of the An Yang Marquis’s Manor.
The An Yang Marquis’s family had risen to prominence through military achievements, with their main residence in the capital. In the past decade, they had withdrawn from capital circles and returned to their ancestral home in Jin Zhou. Nevertheless, because the old Marquis had married Princess Jia Yi, the An Yang Marquis’s Manor’s position remained formidable.
Having spent years in the capital before, Qin Wan was somewhat familiar with the notable noble families, but how could the Ninth Young Miss have any connection to the An Yang Marquis’s Manor?
Shaking her head, Qin Wan replied directly, “In response to Madam, Qin Wan does not know anyone from the An Yang Marquis’s Manor.”
Lin Shi was puzzled, and Qin Shuang gave another cold snort from the side. “I told you, how could she know anyone from the An Yang Marquis’s Manor? They’ve always kept a low profile, and even we rarely interact with them, let alone her…”
Lin Shi carefully observed Qin Wan for a moment, and seeing she didn’t appear to be lying, turned back to look at Jiang Shi. Jiang Shi had completely closed her eyes, seemingly unwilling to speak further. Lin Shi sighed, “Very well, regardless, we cannot decline the An Yang Marquis’s Manor’s invitation. Go back and prepare, we’ll attend the wedding banquet together in two days.”
Qin Wan nodded, “Yes, Qin Wan understands.”
“Mm, you may go.”
Lin Shi’s tone was relatively gentle. Qin Wan nodded, politely curtsied again, and turned to leave.
Once Qin Wan left, Lin Shi puzzled, “Mother, this child doesn’t seem to be lying…”
Jiang Shi turned her prayer beads, speaking slowly, “Whatever the reason is, we’ll know in two days. The An Yang Marquis’s Manor wouldn’t send an invitation without cause. Go to the manor’s treasury, don’t let her disgrace the Qin family’s propriety.”
This meant giving her gifts. Lin Shi hurriedly agreed.
Beside them, Qin Shuang wanted to speak again, but Lin Shi gave her a warning look. Qin Shuang blinked her eyes pitifully, lowering her head with a frustrated expression. She would avenge being pushed into the lake!
“What! An Yang Marquis’s Manor?!” Fu Ling exclaimed joyfully, “Young Miss has been invited to attend a banquet at An Yang Marquis’s Manor?!”
Qin Wan nodded, and Fu Ling began excitedly spinning in circles. “The An Yang Marquis’s Manor is the highest-ranking family in Jin Zhou, Young Miss! Do you know? The Old Madam of An Yang Marquis’s Manor, that Princess who’s over sixty years old, is currently residing in Jin Zhou!”
Qin Wan frowned, feeling that some thought was emerging in her mind, but before she could grasp it, it slipped away. Qin Wan was suspicious about the reason for this invitation, but undeniably, she wanted to attend this wedding banquet.
She needed to return to the capital, and she couldn’t miss any opportunity related to that goal.