“How preposterous! How preposterous…”

Lady Jiang stood by Princess Tai Chang’s bedside, trembling with anger. Looking at the dignified Yue Jia beside her, Lady Jiang’s eyes were almost red with hatred. As a daughter of a noble family herself, she knew that a daughter like Song Rou was the greatest disgrace to a family. Though her upbringing prevented her from speaking venomous words, she truly despised the Song family.

Her son was such a fine man, and she had never sought to marry him to a woman of high status. She only wanted a virtuous and educated daughter-in-law who could live harmoniously with her son, assist with his studies, and help continue the family line.

Her wishes were modest. When the marriage arrangement with the Song family was decided, she wasn’t even excited about their high status – she simply believed that as a prominent family in the capital, they would have raised their daughter well.

But unexpectedly, the Song family had brought such shame to the An Yang Marquis Manor.

“My Lord, this matter cannot be left unresolved!” Lady Jiang gritted her teeth. Beside her, Yue Jia merely frowned slightly while maintaining a calm expression.

Yue Qiong nodded and looked toward Princess Tai Chang. “Mother, should we immediately send someone to the capital—”

Princess Tai Chang gave another cold laugh. “The Song family is one of the capital’s prominent families, but in the capital, the more prosperous and wealthy a place is, the more filth and degradation it contains beyond imagination.” The Princess’s expression became fixed. “This matter has two parts – our grievance with the Song family is our private affair, but Miss Song’s death is a public matter. Let’s handle public matters before private ones.”

To Yue Qiong’s surprise, Princess Tai Chang wasn’t enraged. His concern for her health could be set aside. He nodded, “I will follow Mother’s instructions and wait for the murder case to be concluded before addressing other matters.”

Princess Tai Chang turned to Magistrate Huo. “You proceed with your investigation. Don’t concern yourself with the Manor’s private affairs.”

Magistrate Huo felt somewhat nervous inside, wishing he didn’t know about these private matters. He cleared his throat and said, “Princess Tai Chang, please rest assured, this official understands what’s important. This is no small matter. This official suspect’s Young Master Wei must know the reason, so I’d like to summon him for questioning if you approve?”

Princess Tai Chang’s face still showed signs of illness, but now there was also a stern, decisive air about her. She nodded. “Very well, call him for questioning. I’d also like to hear what young nephew Wei has to say.”

Magistrate Huo nodded and turned to look at Yue Qiong. Yue Qiong then ordered the servants outside, “Go and invite Young Master Wei here.”

Magistrate Huo’s eyes flickered. He walked to Yue Qiong’s side and whispered a few words. Yue Qiong raised his eyebrows, pondered briefly, then nodded. “Very well, go ahead and handle it.”

Just as he finished speaking, Yang Xi announced from outside, “My Lord, Magistrate, Captain Qi has arrived.”

Magistrate Huo and Yue Qiong exchanged glances before walking out. They returned shortly after, and though the others didn’t know what arrangements Magistrate Huo had made, he wore a look of certainty. Soon after, Wei Yan Zhi arrived.

“Nephew pays respects to Princess Tai Chang, Lord Marquis, Lady, and Magistrate!” Wei Yan Zhi performed a round of courtesies, then bowed to Yan Chi and Yue Jia. Magistrate Huo and Yue Qiong sat on chairs on opposite sides of the room. While Yue Qiong remained silent, Magistrate Huo spoke first, “Young Master Wei, did you know about the fire at the public burial ground last night?”

Wei Yan Zhi was startled. “A fire? The burial ground caught fire?”

Magistrate Huo remained unmoved by Wei Yan Zhi’s surprise, though his expression carried a hint of a knowing smile. “It seems Young Master Wei was unaware of this. If you didn’t know about that matter, there’s another matter you must certainly know about.”

Wei Yan Zhi had already sensed the hostility in Magistrate Huo’s tone. He straightened his back, maintaining a composed expression. “What matter is the Magistrate referring to?”

Magistrate Huo pressed his lips together and lowered his voice, “Young Master Wei must know about Miss Song’s previous pregnancy?”

Wei Yan Zhi’s eyebrows twitched, and his eyes flickered involuntarily. “Previous… pregnancy…”

Magistrate Huo stared intently at Wei Yan Zhi, and everyone else in the room focused their attention on him as well. Standing exposed in the room under everyone’s gaze, Wei Yan Zhi’s face finally showed signs of bitterness. “Magistrate, this… this matter, nephew is not clear about… nephew…”

“You’re not clear about it? Your Wei family has close ties with the Duke’s mansion, otherwise, you wouldn’t have been sent to escort the bride.” Magistrate Huo leaned forward, his gaze and tone becoming more pressing. “Before Miss Song’s marriage, did she not fall seriously ill? You don’t even know about this? Miss Song was with child – who was the father? Miss Song was kept in seclusion, and those who could have contact with her must have been from families close to the Duke’s mansion. The Wei family was one of them. Could it be that you, Young Master Wei…”

Magistrate Huo’s accusation pointed directly at Wei Yan Zhi, whose expression instantly became stern. “No!”

Wei Yan Zhi’s fists were clenched tightly in his sleeves, standing as rigid as a wooden post. “It wasn’t me, of course, it wasn’t me. I’m merely a son of a concubine – how could I possibly catch the eye of the Duke’s legitimate daughter…”

As he spoke, Wei Yan Zhi lowered his head, his voice revealing traces of pain. “This matter… nephew truly doesn’t know clearly, but… but Xiao Rou did fall seriously ill for half a month before her marriage, about… about a month before the wedding escort. At that time, she was confined to her quarters in preparation for marriage, though I heard she was seeing doctors and taking medicine…”

After a brief pause, Wei Yan Zhi continued, “It was also during that time that my legitimate brother broke his leg. My nephew only found it somewhat suspicious – my brother was always skilled at horse training, renowned for his expertise, how could he break his leg? When my nephew went to visit, I only saw people from the Duke’s mansion there, though their expressions were very unfriendly. At the time, my nephew didn’t know why. After my brother broke his leg, he was confined, and then I was chosen to replace him as the wedding escort…”

Magistrate Huo frowned. “So you’re saying the person who had relations with Miss Song was your legitimate brother?”

Wei Yan Zhi shook his head. “Nephew isn’t certain, but since you’ve asked, the only person nephew can think of is my legitimate brother. He grew up with Xiao Rou since childhood and was very caring towards her. In our family, there were even jokes about the Wei family and the Duke’s mansion becoming doubly related by marriage,… but the Wei family’s status had declined, and though the Duke’s mansion loved their grandson, they didn’t wish to promote this marriage.”

“Oh, right!” Wei Yan Zhi suddenly raised his head. “My legitimate brother is left-handed.”

At these words, Magistrate Huo’s eyes widened. “What did you say?!”

Wei Yan Zhi smiled bitterly. “When I first heard the Magistrate mention a left-handed person that night, nephew wanted to say something, but… but after the wedding escort departed southward, while my brother remained in the capital, so… so nephew didn’t mention it.”

Magistrate Huo and Yue Qiong exchanged glances. Magistrate Huo asked incredulously, “Your legitimate brother is truly left-handed?”

Wei Yan Zhi nodded. “Many among the Song family’s escorts know this. Some people are naturally left-handed from birth, and though they’re viewed as unusual for being few, my brother later learned to write with his right hand through practice.”

Magistrate Huo fell silent. They had searched for the left-handed person for so long, even suspecting Yan Chi, but Wei Yan Zhi suddenly revealed that his legitimate brother was left-handed. Could it be that his brother had deep feelings for Song Rou and, unable to accept her distant marriage, had followed her? Then killed her out of love turned to hatred?

Jin Zhou was a thousand li from the capital. This point could be verified simply by sending someone to check if Wei Yan Zhi’s legitimate brother was in the capital. Magistrate Huo’s brows furrowed tightly – the distance between Jin Zhou and the capital was too great. Such a journey would take considerable time, and it involved two powerful families, making it truly difficult for him to handle.

“What did Young Master Wei do after returning last night?”

Magistrate Huo suddenly asked. Wei Yan Zhi frowned and replied, “It was too late when we returned last night. Nephew went directly to the East Court to wash up and sleep, nothing else. Others in the East Court can testify to this.”

Magistrate Huo’s brows immediately furrowed. Wei Yan Zhi looked at him and asked, “Could it be that the Magistrate suspects his nephew?”

Magistrate Huo’s brows relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly into a smile. “Of course not, I was just asking.” He then settled back and said, “Well, that’s all I needed to ask. This official is quite grateful for Young Master Wei’s thorough answers.”

Wei Yan Zhi hurriedly bowed. “I wouldn’t dare, it’s what I should do.” After speaking, he added with difficulty, “Magistrate, this matter… this matter nephew isn’t entirely certain, please…”

“Don’t worry, we will naturally investigate these matters, and we know what should and shouldn’t be said.” Magistrate Huo exhaled. “That’s all we needed to ask. You may go back now. We already have many clues in this case and will conclude soon.”

Wei Yan Zhi nodded, then turned to look at Yue Qiong. “My Lord, in this matter, the Duke’s mansion has wronged the An Yang Marquis Manor. Nephew… nephew has failed the Manor. Perhaps, nephew should take the Song family’s escorts and stay elsewhere, to avoid…”

Yue Qiong’s gaze toward Wei Yan Zhi no longer held its former warmth, but this matter had nothing to do with Wei Yan Zhi. As he wasn’t from the Duke’s mansion, he couldn’t make any decisions. Yue Qiong shook his head. “These words shouldn’t come from you. This matter has nothing to do with you. Just tell the Magistrate what you know and go rest.”

Wei Yan Zhi seemed to want to say more but hesitated several times. Faced with the cold expressions of Princess Tai Chang and Yue Qiong, he dared not say more. After another bow, he turned and left. As soon as he left, Princess Tai Chang’s chest heaved with anger!

However, Magistrate Huo looked toward Yan Chi, who had been standing silently to the side. “Prince Yan, earlier the Marquis asked Prince Yan to send someone back to the capital. May I ask when news from the capital will reach Jin Zhou?”

Yan Chi replied solemnly, “It will arrive tomorrow at the latest.”

Magistrate Huo nodded and turned to look at Princess Tai Chang. “You’ve heard it too – could the left-handed person we’ve been investigating be Young Master Wei’s legitimate brother? And could the person who had relations with Miss Song also be his legitimate brother?”

Princess Tai Chang exhaled. “These matters, I, an old woman, shouldn’t interfere with. You are the Magistrate, you go investigate. I only need to know the result.” She waved her hand, showing fatigue. “You may all go now. I need to speak with Jing Shu and Qiong.”

At these words, everyone understood she wanted to instruct Yue Qiong and Lady Jiang on how to proceed.

As this was ultimately the Manor’s private matter, Magistrate Huo immediately rose to take his leave. Qin Wan also withdrew along with Yan Chi.

As soon as they exited, Yue Qing and Yue Ning were already waiting. They had received news of the fire at the burial ground early in the morning and thought the autopsy couldn’t be performed, but unexpectedly, Qin Wan had still gone to the burial ground. Yue Ning grabbed Qin Wan’s hand and pulled her aside. “How was it? What were the autopsy results? Why was Young Master Wei called for questioning? Young Master Wei looked very troubled, and when I asked what happened, he even said he was sorry to me. What exactly was discovered?”

Qin Wan pressed her lips together, looking somewhat troubled by the presence of Yan Chi, Magistrate Huo, and the others. Yue Jia then said to Magistrate Huo, Yan Chi, and the others, “Magistrate, Prince Yan, Qing’er, let’s go sit in the front flower hall.”

Yue Jia’s attitude was open-minded, and he didn’t mind Yue Ning knowing about this matter. Such affairs were usually kept from younger generations in ordinary families, but the An Yang Marquis Manor had different family customs and wasn’t so strict with rules.

After Yan Chi and the others left, Qin Wan briefly told Yue Ning what she had learned and heard today.

Yue Ning’s eyes widened, and she remained speechless for a long while. “This… the Duke’s mansion is truly audacious…”

She gritted her teeth in anger but couldn’t bring herself to say anything unsavory. She could only clench her fists angrily. Qin Wan pulled her sleeve. “Princess Tai Chang and the Lord and Lady will handle this matter. You just need to know about it, don’t say too much.”

Yue Ning struck the corridor pillar beside her. “No wonder Young Master Wei said he was sorry earlier. I was wondering what he had to be sorry about since the Song family should be the most grieved party…”

Yue Ning’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Could it be that the Wei family’s eldest young master came to Jin Zhou?”

Qin Wan shook her head. “I don’t know, though it’s possible. If the Wei family’s eldest young master did come to Jin Zhou, it would explain the previous events.”

“If it was him, how did he kill her? Was he also the one who pretended to be a ghost?”

Qin Wan tilted her head. “The Wei family’s eldest son from the Court of Judicial Review is also skilled in martial arts. He could have scaled walls and buildings. Moreover, he likely planted trusted people among the escorts to keep him informed.”

Yue Ning frowned deeply. “This matter keeps getting more complicated.”

Qin Wan felt heavy-hearted too. The case was indeed becoming more complex, but just as the darkest night precedes dawn, perhaps the more complicated things became, the closer they were to the truth.

“Oh, Captain Qi—”

Yue Ning suddenly called out. Qin Wan looked up and indeed saw Captain Qi approaching from the east. After asking a maid outside, he went directly to the flower hall.

Qin Wan and Yue Ning exchanged glances and hurriedly followed.

Just as they reached the hall entrance, they heard Captain Qi saying, “He was indeed in the East Court last night. He spent half the night writing – many people saw his shadow on the window. This morning he got up at his usual time…”

Qin Wan suddenly understood – Magistrate Huo had sent Qi Lin to investigate Wei Yan Zhi.

It seemed he had also begun to suspect Wei Yan Zhi.

…

After talking with Yue Ning for a while, when Lady Jiang and Yue Qiong came out from the inner chamber, Qin Wan went back in to check Princess Tai Chang’s pulse again. The Princess had been greatly angered by this matter and was quite unsettled. Qin Wan wrote another prescription and then took her leave. Princess Tai Chang, sympathetic to Qin Wan’s early morning autopsy work, let her go. Yue Ning accompanied her to the manor gate and watched Bai Feng drive the carriage away with Qin Wan before returning to the manor. Yan Chi did not appear.

“Young Lady, are you tired? Would you like to rest for a while…”

Qin Wan was indeed somewhat tired and leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes. Fu Ling tucked her cloak around her and sat quietly beside her, not disturbing her rest. Bai Feng drove very steadily, and without realizing it, Qin Wan’s consciousness began to drift between sleep and wakefulness. However, just as she was about to fall asleep, the carriage suddenly jerked to an abrupt stop.

Qin Wan’s body swayed, her back hitting the carriage wall, instantly waking her. Outside the carriage, Bai Feng’s horse let out a piercing neigh as he pulled the reins, while the street was filled with noise and chaos, with intermittent shouting and cursing!

“Young Lady, are you alright?”

Qin Wan shook her head. “What happened? Why did we stop?”

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly heard someone shouting outside—

“Stop! Stop right there! Thief! Help catch the thief—”

It was a man’s voice, shouting so forcefully that it became shrill and cracked, but Qin Wan found it somewhat familiar. Just then, Bai Feng called from outside, “Ninth Young Lady, someone ahead had their belongings stolen, several people are giving chase, and the street is quite chaotic.”

Qin Wan responded with an “Mm.” “No matter, we can wait a while before proceeding.”

Bai Feng acknowledged while Qin Wan moved her stiff neck. At that moment, the voice outside rang out again, “That’s him! Stop! Catch the thief—”

The shouting person was now out of breath, his voice not as loud as before. Though still shouting, his tone carried a hint of dejection, clearly indicating the thief had run too far to catch. Because of this, the man’s voice had become more normal, and Qin Wan’s heart stirred as she quickly lifted the carriage curtain.

About twenty feet ahead on the street, a man wearing a brown robe was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Though Qin Wan only saw his back, she couldn’t fail to recognize someone she had just seen that morning.

“Bai Feng is that… Coroner Xu ahead who lost his belongings?!”

“It seems… yes, it is Coroner Xu.” Bai Feng had likely taken a closer look and recognized Xu He. He had seen Xu He very few times, which was why he hadn’t recognized him at first glance.

Qin Wan then said, “Drive the carriage forward—”

Bai Feng followed her order, and the carriage slowly began to move, quickly reaching Xu He’s side.

Xu He was still bent over with his hands on his knees. His earlier shouting had attracted quite a few people around him, and two had even helped chase for a few steps, but the thief had run too fast, disappearing in a flash. In the end, the crowd only cast sympathetic glances his way. Xu He looked at the bustling street ahead with a bitter expression – the thief had escaped with his box, which contained two taels of silver, half a year’s worth of his spending money!

Lost in the grief of losing his livelihood, Xu He hadn’t noticed the carriage stopping beside him. After catching his breath for a few more moments, he finally straightened up. Just then, a clear, gentle voice called out beside him.

“Coroner Xu—”

Xu He started, turned around, and found himself facing Qin Wan in the carriage window. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he quickly bowed. “Ninth Young Lady—”

As he finished speaking, realizing Qin Wan must have witnessed what had just happened, his face turned bright red!

Seeing his embarrassment, Qin Wan’s lips curved into a smile. “Bai Feng, drive the carriage to the street corner. I want to speak with Coroner Xu for a moment.”

Bai Feng complied, and Xu He followed along.

After leaving the burial ground that morning, Xu He hadn’t gone to the Marquis Manor. When Qin Wan left the Manor and came out, she naturally hadn’t expected to meet Xu He here. “Did Coroner Xu lose his belongings?”

Xu He’s face showed bitterness, and he didn’t try to hide it. “Yes, Ninth Young Lady. You see, I lost my box – or rather, it was stolen. I was just eating noodles at the stall up ahead and hadn’t even finished a bowl of plain noodles when someone grabbed my box and ran off. I reacted as quickly as I could and gave chase, but that person ran like a rabbit. I chased for half a street but couldn’t catch up.”

Looking at his deeply furrowed brows and tearful expression, Qin Wan felt both sympathy and amusement. “Were your autopsy tools in the box?”

“Yes!” Xu He was too embarrassed to mention the silver, and continued, “That set of tools is how I make my living. Though not valuable, they’ve been with me for many years. Now that they’re gone, I don’t know what to do. Fortunately, the yamen doesn’t need me for any autopsies at the moment, otherwise, Magistrate Huo might make me pack up and leave.”

“Was it just the tools?”

Xu He shook his head. “Not just that – there was also the spirit-dispelling incense, examination papers, and writing materials, and… some of my savings, plus some official documents. Various things, nothing valuable, but I’m distressed about it. Those official documents and today’s examination report – I’ll have to rewrite them all. Fortunately, my memory is good.”

Qin Wan sighed and glanced at Fu Ling, who immediately took out three taels of silver and offered them.

Seeing this, Xu He quickly waved his hands. “No, no, I didn’t mean… I…”

“Take it. I understand that wasn’t your intention. If you feel uncomfortable accepting it, consider it a loan – you can return it when you receive your salary,” Qin Wan said gently, making it impossible for Xu He to refuse.

“Ninth Young Lady truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva… Then… I’ll accept it. When I receive my salary, I’ll return it to Young Lady.” Xu He accepted the three taels of silver, his eyes full of genuine gratitude.

Qin Wan nodded. “There’s no rush about that. Just be more careful next time you eat on the street.”

Xu He nodded vigorously. “Rest assured, Ninth Young Lady, I’ll be more careful in the future.” He gave a bitter smile. “Speaking of which, I must have hit a streak of bad luck lately. Four or five days ago I lost a package, and today I’ve lost my entire box. I just feel these thieves don’t know how to pick their targets – I don’t look like someone with money…”

As Xu He made fun of himself, Qin Wan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “How did you lose things twice in a row?”

“Yes, that package I lost before was my usual one for carrying yamen documents. It happened on my way to the yamen, while I was buying medicine, fortunately, it only contained two official documents and examination reports, no silver.”

“Buying medicine?” Qin Wan noticed this detail in his words.

Xu He shook his head. “Not for me – it was for the old man who rents me my rooms. He was sick, but he’s better now.”

Qin Wan nodded. Seeing that Bai Feng was driving the carriage and they were headed toward the east of the city, Xu He knew Qin Wan was returning to the Qin Manor. He immediately stepped back and said, “Ninth Young Lady must be returning home. I dare not delay you further. I will never forget your generosity. Please return home now, I’ll respectfully see you off.”

Qin Wan found his deep gratitude for a small kindness touching. She smiled in acknowledgment and lowered the curtain. Bai Feng raised his whip, and the carriage slowly pulled away from the street side, heading toward the Qin Manor in the east of the city.

…

The Qin Manor had been newly decorated today, but upon Qin Wan’s return, it wasn’t as bustling and festive as one might imagine. Qin Wan didn’t concern herself with such matters and first went to Lin Feng Court to check Yao Xin Lan’s pulse. Unusually, Yao Xin Lan’s mood seemed much improved.

“Sister, did you go to the Autumn Evening Lantern Festival last night?”

Yao Xin Lan reclined against her backrest. Though she wore new clothes, she still appeared sickly, but her delicate features looked so pitiful that even Qin Wan unconsciously lowered her voice when speaking with her.

“Yes, I went. It was indeed very lively.” Qin Wan briefly mentioned it – though it had been lively, she had also had a frightening brush with death.

“What a pity. I don’t have such good fortune. I heard Jin Zhou City’s Autumn Evening Festival is the liveliest, much more so than in Jian Zhou Prefecture. I wonder if I’ll ever have the fortune to see it.”

“Sister-in-law, what kind of talk is that? Of course, you will. After you give birth to the child, you can go next year.”

Yao Xin Lan’s lips curved slightly. “I hope so. The child kicked me this morning – that’s a sign of the baby’s health, isn’t it?”

Seeing Qin Wan nod, Yao Xin Lan contentedly rubbed her belly. “As long as the child is healthy, I’m satisfied. Everything in this world truly follows karma and retribution. I sent people to donate fifty shi of relief grain, all to pray for my child’s blessing. Ninth Sister, my child will surely be born safely, won’t they?”

“Of course.” Qin Wan carefully observed Yao Xin Lan’s expression but saw no signs of confusion or bewilderment in her features. It seemed that day when she had repeated her question twice might have been Qin Wan’s imagination. “Sister-in-law’s health has improved greatly, you will have a smooth delivery. In a few days, Sister-in-law should start moving around more. The weather has turned cold, and staying in bed too long can let the cold enter your body. It’s good to move moderately to keep your energy and blood flowing.”

Yao Xin Lan nodded. “I’ll follow Ninth Sister’s advice, don’t worry.”

Qin Wan nodded. “We don’t need to change the prescription for now. If you run out of medicine pills, I’ll make more for you.”

Yao Xin Lan was deeply grateful and quickly had Mo Shu bring out two jade hairpins. “It’s the festival season. This is a small token from me to you, Sister. Please don’t refuse – you must accept them.”

Qin Wan meant to decline, but Yao Xin Lan’s eyes immediately reddened. “Is Ninth Sister looking down on them?”

Seeing this, how could Qin Wan say anything more? She nodded and accepted them. After chatting a bit longer, she left Lin Feng Court for Ting Lan Court. They hadn’t walked far when Fu Ling softly said, “Young Lady, things aren’t peaceful in the manor.”

“Oh? Not peaceful?”

Fu Ling nodded. “Yes. For this year’s Autumn Evening Festival, the Qin Manor had booked boats as usual. The whole family was supposed to go see the lanterns and tour the lake, but yesterday neither the Master nor Madam went out. Not only that, but last night Madam invited a master from Ling Yin Temple outside the city to perform rituals, saying there were fox spirits causing trouble in the manor, making the Master ill.”

While Qin Wan was talking with Yao Xin Lan earlier, Fu Ling had been chatting with the young maids of Lin Feng Court. Given Qin Wan’s current status, the maids didn’t dare disrespect Fu Ling and even tried to get on her good side.

“The Master is ill? Has a doctor been called to the manor?”

Fu Ling shook her head. “No, but the Master’s courtyard has been sealed off and is heavily guarded. Last night they only let Doctor Qian go in for one visit, then performed the rituals. The Old Madam and Madam probably think the Master’s illness is caused by fox spirits.”

Qin Wan took this information to heart but didn’t say much. Qin An was lustful and had already damaged his health. Whatever illness he had now was the result of his misdeeds. If it was truly an illness caused by drink and women, he probably wouldn’t want someone of her generation to examine him. That was fine – she didn’t want to get involved in the Qin Manor’s troubled waters. Yao Xin Lan alone was enough for her to worry about.

“Also, Second Young Master is ill too,” Fu Ling suddenly added.

Qin Wan’s heart tightened. “What happened there?”

Fu Ling sighed. “Among the manor’s maids, those serving the Second Young Master used to be the most envied. Though the Second Young Master is flirtatious by nature, he treats servants very well. His maids are all beautiful, and he never lets them want for anything. They were almost like half-masters themselves. But yesterday, he suddenly sent two of them away…”

Qin Wan frowned. Could her speculation have been correct?

“The other maids in the manor felt vindicated about this, saying those two must have served him poorly to make Second Young Master fall ill. Yesterday his courtyard doors were closed, and they say his illness is quite serious.”

Qin Wan’s thoughts stirred, remembering what she had seen that day, increasingly certain of her suspicions. “Has a doctor been called?”

“No,” Fu Ling shook her head. “With the Master ill, Madam and Old Madam are focused on him. Second Young Master has never been Old Madam’s favorite, and Madam isn’t his birth mother. When Second Young Master closed off his courtyard, no one else would inquire about it.”

Qin Wan naturally understood these dynamics. After returning to Ting Lan Court, she had Wan Tang close the courtyard gates.

The four “Wan” servants paid their respects outside, while Qin Wan only took Fu Ling into the room. Fu Ling removed Qin Wan’s cloak, and just as Qin Wan turned to go to the warming room, she didn’t take two steps before stopping.

Fu Ling had just hung up the cloak when she saw this and hurriedly asked, “Young Lady, what’s wrong?”

“Someone has been in here—”

Fu Ling’s brows furrowed. “What?!”

At this thought, Fu Ling immediately looked toward the door, but Qin Wan raised her hand. “Don’t make a sound.”

She walked slowly toward the warming room, entered, and swept her eyes around the interior. Then her lips curved slightly. Qin Wan turned and walked toward the inner chamber, casually looking around as she went. Fu Ling quickly walked to the tall cabinet with the black sandalwood box that contained the sapphire ornaments from Qin Chen and two sets of jade accessories from Lady Jiang – currently Qin Wan’s most valuable possessions. Opening the box, Fu Ling let out a long sigh of relief. “Thankfully nothing was stolen.”

Qin Wan ignored the black sandalwood box and instead walked to the desk nearby.

She didn’t have a study, only a moon-shaped doorway on one side of the inner chamber. Behind it was a side room with a desk, writing materials, and a modest bookshelf. She wasn’t Qin Chen – for the Qin family, these items were enough for a young lady’s chambers. She examined the writing materials on the desk, her eyes narrowing.

“Young Lady, did the intruder come here?”

Qin Wan slowly nodded. “They certainly wouldn’t dare steal anything. If I discovered a theft, there would have to be an investigation, and if I became displeased, all four of them could be driven out.”

“Then what did they come in for?” Fu Ling tilted her head, looking around. “How did Young Lady notice someone had been here? Nothing seems different to me.”

Qin Wan stepped forward. “The paperweight on my calligraphy practice sheets – I always place it on top of the papers, pressed tightly against the edge. Now it’s still on top, but the edge is exposed.”

She then pointed to the bookshelf. “I’m particular about keeping books perfectly aligned, their outer edges forming a straight line – not protruding, not recessed. But look, what’s wrong?”

Fu Ling looked, not noticing anything different at first. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, this time spotting it. “The upper left! Three books in the upper left corner are pushed in!”

Qin Wan nodded. “Most people are satisfied with books being roughly aligned, but I’m extremely particular. When I say a straight line, it must be perfectly straight. This person probably noticed how neatly my books were arranged and, worried that protruding books would be obvious, pushed these three in forcefully. But they overlooked the details – even if it’s pushed in just a fraction, I can tell.”

Speaking of this, Qin Wan walked to the bed. When she reached it, she couldn’t help but give a derisive laugh.

“Young Lady, what is it? Was this disturbed too?”

Fu Ling asked as she looked over. The bed appeared perfectly made, with both the brocade quilt and pillows neatly arranged, showing no signs of having been disturbed…

“Young Lady always has the lotus pattern facing up on the pillow, which it is now. Young Lady keeps exactly three fingers’ width between the brocade quilt and the pillow, which it also is now.”

Fu Ling hadn’t previously noticed these small habits of Qin Wan’s, nor had Qin Wan told her about them. She had learned them while attending to Qin Wan’s daily needs, noticing how Qin Wan would readjust the bed after she had made it. Over time, she came to understand exactly how Qin Wan liked things. In contrast, since Qin Wan preferred to arrange her desk and bookshelf herself, Fu Ling wasn’t as familiar with those habits.

Without answering Fu Ling, Qin Wan leaned forward and lifted the pillow.

With this motion, Fu Ling immediately saw the wrinkles in the mattress pad beneath—

Fu Ling exclaimed, “But I made it perfectly smooth!”

Qin Wan raised her hand and smoothed out the wrinkles. Soon the mattress pad was as flat as a mirror. She replaced the pillow. “This person must be very skilled at making beds and quite detail-oriented in this area. But they came in secretly, in a hurry. When rushed, one inevitably makes oversights – these hidden places would be overlooked.”

“Young Lady, who do you think it was? They didn’t steal anything, only went to the warming room, checked the bed, and looked at your study. What were they trying to do?”

Qin Wan walked out and went directly to the warming room. “Perhaps they were curious. The warming room contains my daily interests, the bed might hide secrets, and the study shows my learning and thoughts – my handwriting style, favorite prose, and writings. All these things represent who I am – they just wanted to investigate.”

Fu Ling exhaled. “That’s good then. At least they had no ill intent. It doesn’t matter if we can’t figure out who it was right now. Otherwise, I would have been terrified…”

Qin Wan’s hand, just lifting a teacup, paused slightly.

Fu Ling was wrong. Investigating her was the greatest ill intent.

In the entire Qin Manor, the person most interested in investigating her now would be the murderer of the Ninth Young Lady.

Qin Wan didn’t say this aloud, as she wasn’t certain who had entered her main chamber. She simply acted as if nothing had happened, staying behind closed doors, drying out the residue she had brought from the burial ground in the evening, and having Fu Ling give some silver to the four Wan servants as a reward. She believed that when Fu Ling approached the side room, that person must have been nervous, but upon hearing Fu Ling’s purpose, they must have felt greatly relieved. And then, at some future time, they would slip into her study again…

Qin Wan remained outwardly calm, while Fu Ling seemed to have gained some understanding of Qin Wan’s intentions. After a good night’s sleep, early the next morning, Qin Wan finished breakfast and left the manor as usual.

Bai Feng was indeed waiting outside. Qin Wan got into the carriage and headed straight for the An Yang Marquis Manor.

Today was when Yan Chi’s people would bring news from the capital. Though not part of the investigation, Qin Wan was curious about how the case would develop. At the An Yang Marquis Manor, Lu Xiu personally came to welcome her, and Qin Wan went directly to Princess Tai Chang’s courtyard.

While Qin Wan was wondering when they would receive news, she unexpectedly saw Magistrate Huo striding out with Qi Lin just as she reached the courtyard gate. Seeing Qin Wan, Magistrate Huo stopped.

Qin Wan curtsied. “Greetings, Magistrate.”

Magistrate Huo raised his hand. “No need for formalities. Ninth Young Lady, this case is about to be solved!”

Qin Wan raised her eyebrows. “How so?”

Magistrate Huo puffed out his chest. “Prince Yan’s people brought news – the Wei family’s eldest young master didn’t break his leg from falling off a horse, it was broken by people from the Duke’s mansion. He was the one who had relations with Song Rou. Moreover, while the Wei family claims their eldest young master is recovering from his injury, Prince Yan’s people investigated and found no trace of him in the Wei family compound. Even the Wei family has been secretly searching for their eldest young master!”

After a brief pause, Magistrate Huo declared excitedly, “So now I have reason to believe the Wei family’s eldest young master is most likely in Jin Zhou Prefecture! He was the one who killed Song Rou!”