Wei Yanzhi committed suicide at the Ten Li Temple?! Qin Wan’s brows furrowed as her gaze turned cold. “He…”
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, “It was too late when they found him. He had taken a guard’s blade. The guards thought he had escaped, but when they gave chase, they found him dead in the birch forest.”
“The birch forest? The same grove where he killed Song Rou?”
Yan Chi nodded, and Qin Wan’s expression grew complex. “If he had known it would come to this, why did he do it in the first place? Was this his way of atoning for his sins, or was he merely trying to escape his upcoming punishment?”
Yan Chi’s gaze suddenly deepened, “Perhaps both. Such a person is both extremely arrogant and deeply insecure. While cautious in his actions, he harbored inner turmoil and resentment. This partly explains why he ultimately killed Song Rou.”
Qin Wan nodded, and Yan Chi looked at her, asking, “Why did you rush over here so urgently?”
At this question, Qin Wan’s expression immediately brightened. She glanced around, seeming conscious of the people nearby. Noticing her demeanor, Yan Chi took a few steps aside, “Do you have something to ask me?”
Qin Wan felt relieved. While Yan Chi’s perceptiveness made her easy to read, it had its advantages – he often understood her thoughts without requiring explanation and would simply cooperate with her.
Qin Wan lowered her voice, “I suddenly remembered, Young Lord, there are two points you haven’t told me yet.”
Yan Chi blinked, and Qin Wan continued, “First, Young Lord must have interrogated Xiu Qin. Did she mention when Eighth Concubine started having her fetch the medicine? You must have also questioned Qian Bairen – was he the one who provided the prescription?”
A flash of realization crossed Yan Chi’s eyes. “Xiu Qin did speak about it. She said she first started fetching the medicine twenty days ago. The Eighth Concubine gave her the prescription; she was just following orders. Even for brewing the medicine, initially, Concubine Liu brewed it herself. Later, when Xiu Qin accidentally discovered this, she found that Concubine Liu would specifically take out several herbs to brew separately. Concubine Liu claimed this was a method she had learned from medical books, and Xiu Qin believed her without question and followed suit.”
After a pause, Yan Chi continued, “As for your household physician, we’ve questioned him. He never prescribed Liu. Her maid brought the prescription to him, and after looking at it, he merely thought it was for women’s ailments and didn’t inquire further.”
Qin Wan collected her thoughts, “Young Lord, could the prescription have come from someone she was intimate with? She likely discovered her illness but wasn’t initially certain it was a venereal disease. Later, when she confirmed it, she became anxious and wanted to seek treatment but feared exposure. So she sought help from that person, or even threatened them, saying if they didn’t cure her, she would expose everything. After all, such an illness was largely incurable. Perhaps some argument or conflict arose from this, leading to murderous intent.”
She continued, “We discussed before that one of the people who might have been intimate with Concubine Liu was Qin Li, but Qin Li came to me for medicine. He never asked me for a prescription, and even if he had recognized the prescription himself, it was entirely different from Eighth Concubine’s prescription.”
Looking around the courtyard, she asked, “How is Young Lord’s investigation progressing?”
Yan Chi shook his head, “Still investigating, nothing substantial yet. You’re suggesting there are two main suspects: Qin Li and Manor Steward Liu?”
Qin Wan nodded, “Exactly.”
Yan Chi looked back at the courtyard, his expression showing doubt, “But Steward Liu isn’t here.”
Qin Wan frowned, “He’s not here?”
Yan Chi nodded, “When all the servants were gathered earlier, Steward Liu was the only one missing. His attendant said he was in the manor this morning, but when the incident happened in the inner court, Steward Liu said he would go check and hasn’t been seen since. No one else has seen him either.”
Qin Wan’s eyes narrowed, and Yan Chi’s expression grew solemn.
“Why is Ninth Miss here?” Huo Huaixin walked out from the courtyard, seeing Yan Chi and Qin Wan talking, his brows furrowed, “Did something happen?”
As Huo Huaixin approached, Yan Chi briefly considered before telling him half of what Qin Wan had just said. Huo Huaixin frowned, “I too find the missing Steward Liu highly suspicious. Since Ninth Miss shares this view, we must thoroughly investigate his whereabouts.”
Yan Chi hadn’t told Huo Huaixin about Qin Li’s venereal disease and its circumstances, for which Qin Wan was grateful. Huo Huaixin continued, “Could that handkerchief be a token between Eighth Concubine and Steward Liu?”
Yan Chi nodded, “It’s possible.”
Huo Huaixin’s expression became determined, “Young Lord, shall this official make arrangements?”
Yan Chi nodded, and Huo Huaixin immediately turned and entered the courtyard.
After Huo Huaixin left, Yan Chi asked, “Where are Qin Li’s quarters?”
Qin Wan understood Yan Chi’s intention – with the case still unsolved, all suspects needed to be investigated. She pointed toward the west of the inner court, “Over there…”
Yan Chi nodded, speaking softly, “It’s late, you should return. I’ll take some men to investigate.”
Qin Wan hesitated for a moment before curtseying and leaving.
She hadn’t told Yan Chi that she had seen both Liu Chun and Concubine Liu visit the Purple Bamboo Grove. If she had mentioned it, given Yan Chi’s astuteness, he would surely have noticed her particular attention to the Purple Bamboo Grove’s activities.
The night had indeed grown deep, with a pitch-black sky devoid of stars and moon. The autumn chill was increasingly apparent. Qin Wan tightened her collar and exhaled heavily. If they could discover who had been intimate with Concubine Liu, would that reveal the killer of Ninth Miss? Liu Chun… was it him?
His greedy and explicit gaze when looking at her, and the day after discovering the strange shadow in the Orchid Garden, she had seen Liu Chun’s boots covered in the garden’s gray soil – was he also the person from that night?
With her thoughts in turmoil, Qin Wan returned to Tinglan Court with no appetite for dinner.
“Fu Ling, keep watch on the movements outside.”
After giving these instructions, Qin Wan went to practice calligraphy, though her mind was on how the Qin Manor would likely not have a peaceful night.
Half an hour later, Fu Ling entered the small study, “Miss, the male servants from the steward’s quarters have dispersed, seemingly without finding anything. Then the Magistrate led some men to Steward Liu’s quarters.”
Qin Wan paused, “What about the Young Lord?”
Fu Ling shook her head, “We don’t know yet.” After a brief pause, she continued, “Miss, was Steward Liu the one intimate with Eighth Concubine? Why did he disappear as soon as this happened?”
Qin Wan put down her brush and walked to the water basin to wash the ink from her fingertips. As the ink dispersed in the water, she spoke in a deep voice, “We’ll know when we find Steward Liu.”
[…]
“Miss, the Magistrate, and his men have searched the entire manor thoroughly but still haven’t found Steward Liu. Everyone in both the inner and outer courts says they haven’t seen him. Miss, has Steward Liu fled?”
Qin Wan frowned. They couldn’t find him anywhere?
If so, he might have escaped…
This thought made Qin Wan’s brows furrow deeper. If Liu Chun had been intimate with Concubine Liu, then he might have been the one who killed Ninth Miss in the Purple Bamboo Grove. Perhaps Ninth Miss had discovered their affair and met with this fatal consequence!
A cold glint flashed in Qin Wan’s eyes – if it was Liu Chun, how could they let him escape?!
“What did the Magistrate say?”
Fu Ling quickly replied, “The Magistrate left several guards at the manor gates because he found all of Steward Liu’s belongings still in his quarters. They’re worried Liu Chun might sneak back, and also fear more incidents in the manor. Since it’s too late today, the Magistrate said they’ll begin searching for Liu Chun throughout Jinzhou City tomorrow morning.”
Qin Wan frowned, “What about the Young Lord?”
Fu Ling was shaking her head when Wan Tang’s voice suddenly came from outside, “Miss, someone is looking for you outside.”
Qin Wan’s thoughts stirred, and she hurried outside – it must be Yan Chi!
Seeing this, Fu Ling quickly grabbed a cloak nearby, “Miss, be careful not to catch a cold…”
It was almost midnight, and the Qin Manor shrouded in the mystery of Concubine Liu’s death, appeared desolate and bleak. Qin Wan walked quickly, and Fu Ling had to run to drape the cloak over her shoulders.
Fu Ling ran ahead to open the courtyard gate, and sure enough, Bai Feng stood outside.
Seeing Qin Wan approach, Bai Feng said, “Ninth Miss, my master is waiting for you.”
Qin Wan nodded and walked out of the gate, indeed seeing Yan Chi standing at the earlier path junction. He held no lantern, with only distant dim lights casting his shadow askew. Qin Wan walked toward him, curtseyed, and couldn’t help asking, “Did Young Lord meet with Qin Li?”
Yan Chi nodded, “I did—”
As he spoke, his brows furrowed, noticing that Qin Wan’s cloak had slipped from her shoulders during her curtsey. He naturally pulled it back up for her, then continued, “He said he came to see you last night, took some medicine, went back to brew and drink it, then slept until this morning. He was among the last in the manor to learn about Concubine Liu’s incident. He also said his venereal disease came from a courtesan and had nothing to do with Concubine Liu. His two servants can testify to this.”
Qin Wan nodded upon hearing this, “He did come to see me last night, but I don’t know what happened after that.” She looked at Yan Chi probingly, “Does Young Lord believe him?”
Yan Chi neither nodded nor shook his head, “Let’s wait until we find Liu Chun. For now, he’s not entirely free from suspicion.”
Qin Wan nodded; if she were Yan Chi, she would think the same.
Qin Wan scanned their surroundings. It was late, and the inner quarters of the Qin Manor had grown quiet, with large sections of the compound in darkness. She asked, “Is Young Lord returning to the Marquis Manor?”
As she spoke, Qin Wan glanced at Yan Chi’s shoulder, “How is Young Lord’s wound?”
Yan Chi narrowed his phoenix eyes, seeming about to say something, but upon meeting Qin Wan’s gaze, he held back. His tone was casual, “Much better. It’s late, I just came to inform you before returning to the manor.”
He paused before adding, “Until Liu Chun is found, we can’t be careless in the Qin Manor.”
Qin Wan glanced at Yan Chi for a moment, said “Please wait, Young Lord,” then turned and ran toward the courtyard gate. She ran so quickly that Fu Ling didn’t even react. After just a few steps, her cloak fell to the ground. Fu Ling hurried to catch up, picked up the cloak, and called out softly to Qin Wan, but Qin Wan didn’t break her stride and quickly disappeared inside the courtyard gate.
Yan Chi stood in place, a smile slowly curving his lips.
Qin Wan went quickly and returned just as fast, running back with a medicinal salve in her hand. Reaching Yan Chi, she said, “I made this these past few days. Young Lord, please take it back to change your dressing.”
Yan Chi looked at her slender, scallion-like fingers, “How thoughtful of you to remember.”
As he took the salve, Qin Wan was momentarily speechless, “Young Lord was at the military camp these past days, I couldn’t inquire about your wound…”
Yan Chi’s expression remained neutral as he asked, “Are you confident about Qin Li’s illness?”
At this question, Qin Wan’s usually bright expression dimmed notably, “I’m not confident. Although I’ve prescribed several medicines, none have been very effective. I’ve been worried about this these past few days.”
Qin Wan frowned, her lips tightly pressed together, the dimple at her cheek faintly visible.
Seeing this, Yan Chi sighed inwardly – it seemed she had truly encountered a difficult problem…
“His condition isn’t a typical illness, you needn’t be too anxious. The more anxious you are, the harder it becomes to solve.”
Qin Wan raised her eyes to look at Yan Chi; this was the first time she’d heard him speak so gently. Seeing her gaze, Yan Chi added, “I believe in you.”
Qin Wan blinked, and Yan Chi, noticing her bare shoulders without the cloak, said, “Go inside.”
Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi for a moment, nodded, and turned toward the courtyard gate.
As she walked step by step toward the gate, she could feel Yan Chi’s gaze on her back. Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat, and she had a strange urge to look back, but somehow managed to resist. Instead, she lifted her skirts and walked even faster. Only after entering the gate was she finally shielded from Yan Chi’s gaze.
Qin Wan stopped walking, perhaps from walking too quickly, and had to catch her breath before her heartbeat slowed.
While smoothing the wrinkles in her skirt, she entered the main room with an unperturbed expression.
The night was cool as water. After entering the main room, Qin Wan went directly to the warm chamber. Qin Li would likely come tonight, and she wanted to see for herself how he would react after Concubine Liu’s incident.
“Miss, there’s still some time.”
Fu Ling poured a cup of tea and brought it over, but Qin Wan sat in a daze. Fu Ling thought about calling out again but decided against it. After an unknown amount of time, there was suddenly a tapping sound at the window.
Both master and servant came to their senses at the same moment.
Fu Ling went forward to open the window, and outside was Qin Li, still in his earlier disguise.
Fu Ling said nothing and went to guard the door.
Qin Wan composed herself and stood up, staring directly into Qin Li’s eyes.
“Second Brother must know about Eighth Concubine’s matter?”
Qin Li looked calmly at Qin Wan, “Of course.” Then he added, “Young Lord Yan has already come to see me. Did Ninth Sister tell him about my illness?”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, but before she could speak, Qin Li bowed deeply to her.
“Thank you, Ninth Sister, for preserving my dignity.”
This showed that Qin Li understood Qin Wan’s good intentions, contrary to her expectations that he would be ungrateful.
Qin Wan’s expression remained unchanged, “Second Brother said before that this illness wasn’t contracted within the manor. Though I’ve helped to cover for you, I still have doubts. Is there truly nothing between you and Concubine Liu?”
Qin Li straightened up with a bitter smile, “Ninth Sister, though I frequent brothels, I’m selective about whom I like. Let alone that Concubine Liu belongs to Father, even if she didn’t, I wouldn’t fancy someone like her.”
He continued, “Ninth Sister might not know, but Concubine Liu originally came from a brothel background. She entered the manor as a clean entertainer, but she had thoroughly learned the ways of the brothels. Though beautiful, she was vulgar, her conduct entirely unrefined. Even the servants in the manor barely liked her.”
Qin Li had a bitter expression as if Qin Wan’s misunderstanding made him both amused and exasperated. “I’ve never even spoken to her, how could there be any improper relations? Ninth Sister doesn’t believe me? Fine, I’ll swear to Ninth Sister – if I had any involvement with Concubine Liu, may I die from this disease with my intestines rotting…”
Curses and oaths held no persuasive power over Qin Wan.
Qin Wan looked straight at Qin Li, “Then why did you stop me from going to the Purple Bamboo Grove?”
At this question, Qin Wan indeed saw a flash in Qin Li’s eyes. He no longer met her gaze directly, only saying, “The Purple Bamboo Grove is a forbidden area in the manor, Ninth Sister shouldn’t go there.”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes at him, “Only because it’s forbidden?”
Qin Li nodded, then suddenly extended his wrist, “Please check my pulse, Ninth Sister.”
Qin Wan looked at Qin Li – in just a moment, a thin layer of sweat had appeared on his temples. Seeing her staring, Qin Li’s brows furrowed even tighter. At a certain point, Qin Wan withdrew her gaze and placed her fingertips on Qin Li’s wrist. She felt Qin Li breathe a sigh of relief.
“Based on your pulse, the condition hasn’t worsened, but it hasn’t improved either.”
Qin Wan frowned, “There’s no new medicine today, continue with the previous prescription, and don’t stop washing the affected area.”
Qin Li withdrew his hand and nodded, “What about tomorrow?”
Without hesitation, Qin Wan said, “Come again tomorrow.”
“Good, I’ll come at this time tomorrow night.”
Qin Li was about to leave when Qin Wan suddenly called out to stop him, “Second Brother—”
Qin Li’s half-turned body paused slightly, his back tense. Meanwhile, Qin Wan suddenly softened her tone, “Though Second Brother’s illness is difficult, it’s not incurable. Second Brother needn’t worry too much.”
Qin Li’s back immediately relaxed, “Yes, I trust Ninth Sister.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Li strode off into the night.
The window remained wide open, letting in the cool breeze. Qin Wan stood by the window, her brows tightly furrowed.
Qin Li’s behavior was so strange – there must be something unusual about the Purple Bamboo Grove!
[…]
For an entire night, the Qin Manor remained as peaceful as usual. However, early the next morning, when everyone in the manor woke up to see the magistrate’s guards stationed there, they immediately realized that the Qin Manor was different now – someone had died, and the killer hadn’t been caught!
“Miss, are we going to the Marquis Manor?”
Qin Wan made her usual rounds in the courtyard, eating breakfast faster than usual.
“Yes, we’ll go check on the Imperial Princess’s pulse and return.”
Fu Ling nodded and hurried to prepare Qin Wan’s traveling cloak.
True to her word, Qin Wan finished her meal quickly, put on her cloak, and left.
Today she wore a smoke-gray stand-collar short jacket with a matching pleated long skirt, covered by a crow-black hooded cloak. Her figure was graceful and elegant, her movements causing her skirts to sway with poise. Even the servant women of the Qin Manor couldn’t help but glance at her several times as she passed. After leaving the gate, Qin Wan got into the carriage and headed straight for the Marquis Manor.
“Miss, they say Steward Liu didn’t return to the manor last night. They’ll probably search throughout Jinzhou City today.”
“The more Liu Chun disappears, the more likely it is that he’s responsible.”
Qin Wan replied, lifting the carriage curtain to look at Jinzhou City in the early morning. Sure enough, she saw several teams of yamen runners patrolling the streets. Qin Wan silently praised Huo Huaixin but wondered: if Liu Chun truly was the one intimate with Concubine Liu, and they killed Ninth Miss because she discovered them, then catching Liu Chun would solve the case. But if so, what connection did this have to the secret of the Purple Bamboo Grove?
Purple Bamboo Grove… Purple Bamboo Grove… these three words lingered in Qin Wan’s mind.
“Miss, could Steward Liu have already fled the city?”
Qin Wan came back to her senses and shook her head, “If he left the city, someone at the city gates should have noticed. Even if he did escape, once the search in Jinzhou City proves fruitless, the Magistrate will distribute his portrait to the surrounding counties. Unless he hides in the deep mountains and never comes out, he’ll eventually be found.”
Fu Ling snorted lightly, “Steward Liu always looked lecherous, and never seemed like a good person. Oh, what about Eighth Concubine?”
“Once the yamen finishes examining the body, they’ll release it to the family for burial. Today or tomorrow, the Qin Manor will be able to bury Concubine Liu according to custom. They’ll probably buy a burial plot outside the city.”
Hearing this, Fu Ling couldn’t help but sigh, “I didn’t meet Eighth Concubine many times, and the one or two times I did, I didn’t particularly like her. But for a perfectly fine person to suddenly be gone – it’s still saddening. Steward Liu was too bold, killing someone right in the manor. Didn’t he think that once it was reported to the officials, they would discover Concubine Liu’s illness and easily trace it back to him?”
Qin Wan had been listlessly looking at the streets through the raised curtain, but hearing these words, she frowned.
“No, that’s not it…”
Fu Ling frowned, “What’s not?”
Qin Wan suddenly sat up straight, “No, initially we weren’t certain it was him – it was only after he suddenly disappeared that we became convinced…”
Fu Ling tilted her head, still not quite understanding, while Qin Wan’s expression grew serious!
Liu Chun didn’t know that she had seen both him and Concubine Liu enter the Purple Bamboo Grove. In such circumstances, he should have tried to hide his involvement. Could it be that he knew once the Qin Manor reported to the officials, he would be discovered, so he fled?
Qin Wan slowly leaned back against the carriage wall. While that explanation made sense, she felt something was off.
By the time the carriage stopped at the Marquis Manor’s gate, she still hadn’t figured out what exactly was wrong.
Alighting from the carriage, Qin Wan composed herself and entered the manor, heading straight for the Imperial Princess’s small courtyard.
Inside the courtyard, both the Imperial Princess and Lady Jiang were present. As soon as she entered, Yue Ning grabbed her, “We’ve been waiting for you all morning, quickly tell us, what happened at the Qin Manor?”
Qin Wan first paid her respects before saying, “A concubine has passed away.”
Lady Jiang looked disapprovingly at Yue Ning, “Why are you so anxious? Whether this matter can be discussed depends on Wan’er herself. Your behavior is quite improper!”
Hearing this, Yue Ning looked somewhat helpless, “I’m asking her, she can choose not to answer.”
Qin Wan shook her head with a slight smile, “It’s alright, Lady Jiang. Everyone in Jinzhou City will probably know about this matter sooner or later. If I tell her now, it will satisfy the Princess’s curiosity, and she won’t be anxious anymore.”
Yue Ning gave a light snort, “That’s more like it…”
Qin Wan continued, “A concubine was murdered in the manor. From what we can tell, it seems this concubine had an improper relationship with someone. Young Lord Yan and the Magistrate are still investigating; the killer hasn’t been identified yet.”
The Imperial Princess frowned, “The Qin family has always maintained strict moral standards, how could…”
Then, as if remembering something, she said, “Oh, Master Qin was ill before…”
Qin Wan gave a bitter smile, “That’s probably part of it. It’s not a good matter, but there’s no harm in telling the Imperial Princess and Lady Jiang.”
Lady Jiang hurriedly said, “Don’t worry, Wan’er, this will only reach our ears today and won’t leave this room.” She shot a reproachful glance at Yue Ning, with a hint of warning.
Qin Wan had come to check the Imperial Princess’s pulse, so after a few words, she turned the topic to the Imperial Princess’s illness. After checking her pulse, Qin Wan wrote a new prescription based on the Imperial Princess’s condition. After sitting for half an hour, Qin Wan took her leave. The Imperial Princess and Lady Jiang, knowing the Qin Manor was in a difficult time, didn’t try to keep her, only asking Yue Ning to see her out.
Upon leaving the Imperial Princess’s courtyard, Yue Ning said, “Have you heard about Wei Yanzhi’s suicide?”
Qin Wan sighed, “Yes, Young Lord Yan told me last night.”
Yue Ning shook her head, “This man… if he was truly devoted, how could he have done such a thing back then? Now he feels remorse – most likely because he realized what future awaited him, so he died at the Ten Mile Temple to avoid facing Song Rou in the underworld. One tragedy follows another, and this is how he ended up.”
Qin Wan’s tone was melancholic, “This was his own choice. Now that he had lost everything, perhaps death is a release rather than facing all the torment ahead.”
Yue Ning turned to look at her, “Did you know? He wrote down every detail of how he killed Song Rou. Because of this, there was no escaping the execution sentence from the Justice Court and Magistrate.”
Her eyes turned cold as she continued, “He decapitated Song Rou, stole her wedding dress, and waited until her head stopped bleeding before placing the body in the wedding sedan. He tied a handkerchief around her neck, covered her with the bridal veil, and deceived those maids. The maids were already afraid of Song Rou, and that morning, he had scolded them harshly. They were terrified all day and noticed nothing was missing. Halfway through, he deliberately created chaos with the carriages and sedan chairs, and while everyone was resting, he took her head out through the window and put it in his bundle. After doing all this, he could still act normally with everyone at the Marquis Manor that evening…”
After calmly relating these details, Yue Ning exhaled, “It’s truly chilling.”
Having seen little of the world, Yue Ning found the details increasingly horrifying as she learned more about Wei Yanzhi. Qin Wan sighed softly, “It’s over now, Princess, try not to dwell on it.”
Approaching the manor gate, Yue Ning paused, “Now that there’s been a murder at the Qin Manor, are you safe there? If not, why don’t you stay at the Marquis Manor for a few days?”
Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly, “Thank you, Princess, but I’m perfectly fine. The manor is currently guarded by many yamen runners, just waiting for the killer to reveal himself. Please don’t worry.”
Yue Ning said no more and saw Qin Wan to her carriage.
[…]
Fu Ling had been listening to Qin Wan and Yue Ning’s conversation. On the way back to Qin Manor, she sighed, “You truly can’t know someone’s heart by their face. A person might wear a thousand masks to deceive others. Who would have thought Young Lord Wei was a killer? Poor Master Wei, the Wei family, and the Duke’s family. Song Rou died, and a grand wedding turned into such a tragedy…”
Qin Wan took a shallow breath, “Perhaps… they don’t deserve such pity.”
Fu Ling raised her eyebrows, “What does Miss mean?”
Qin Wan turned to look at the passing street scenes through the carriage window, “A person’s past shapes their present. Wei Yan was a concubine’s son who suffered much mistreatment, and his mother’s death transformed him into what he became. Master Wei… even if he had no ill intent back then, he must have been careless. Then there’s his mother, Lord Wei, and the Duke’s family – they all share some blame. The Wei family and Duke’s family knew Song Rou had been intimate with someone else, yet they still arranged her marriage – that was their selfish, grievous mistake. So their current situation is deserved. They needn’t be pitied. If anyone deserves pity, it’s the An Yang Marquis Manor, who did nothing wrong yet suffered such turmoil. Let’s hope heaven doesn’t let misfortune strike them twice.”
Fu Ling nodded at Qin Wan’s words, “Miss means Wei Yanzhi doesn’t deserve sympathy.”
“Wrong.” Qin Wan’s tone was gentle but firm. Fu Ling looked at her with clear, questioning eyes, “Isn’t that what Miss meant?”
Qin Wan’s expression grew serious, “I’m not telling you Wei Yanzhi doesn’t deserve sympathy. You can feel sorrow but don’t make excuses for him. Now he sought death and found it, not worth the Princess’s grief. What I was telling you is never to underestimate the power of evil. Any crime or malice can drive people to unimaginable extremes.”
Her eyes narrowed as her voice grew cold and solemn, “We can’t control whether others will harm us, but we can ensure we don’t become evil ourselves. The wounds we inflict on others persist forever. Even twenty or thirty years later, when the scars seem healed, nothing truly disappears.”
Fu Ling stared at Qin Wan in amazement. She had never heard such words from Qin Wan before nor from anyone else. These principles that usually seemed profound became simple and clear when explained this way. Moreover, Qin Wan’s tone carried an inexplicable sadness that made Fu Ling shiver.
Her mistress had changed, changed greatly from before.
The carriage fell silent except for Qin Wan and Fu Ling’s breathing. After a long while, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Fu Ling lifted the curtain to look outside and quickly said, “Miss, we’re back!”
Qin Wan alighted from the carriage to find the yamen runners at Qin Manor’s west side gate had disappeared.
Approaching, she asked the gatekeeper, who hurriedly replied, “Half an hour ago, the yamen called everyone away, saying they would conduct a thorough search throughout Jinzhou City today.”
Qin Wan nodded and entered the gate. After a few steps, she saw several servants carrying a coffin toward the inner courtyard.
Qin Wan frowned at the sight. Seeing her deep gaze, Fu Ling went to inquire, returning shortly to report, “Miss, Concubine Liu’s memorial hall is set up in a side courtyard to the west. They say they’ll invite priests to the manor this afternoon, hold a ceremony tonight, and bury Concubine Liu tomorrow.”
Listening to this, Qin Wan found the procedure strangely familiar!
Then her brows furrowed – wasn’t this exactly how they had handled Ninth Miss?!
An inexplicable chill ran through Qin Wan’s heart, and she quickly returned to Tinglan Court without further comment.
The courtyard was quiet. Entering the main room, thinking of Qin Li’s illness, she had to continue studying medical texts, and after much effort, made some modifications to the original prescription.
Qin Wan wrote out four or five medicine names separately, “Fu Ling, take Wan Xing to fetch these medicines!”
Fu Ling came over to take the list, nodded, and left.
Watching Fu Ling’s silhouette disappear through the doorway, Qin Wan tiredly rubbed her sore neck. Venereal disease was extremely difficult to cure – even during her studies at Medicine Valley, she hadn’t heard of any definitive cure. Yet she vaguely remembered her master mentioning an ancient prescription, though it had been just a passing reference and she couldn’t recall it now. She could only proceed by trying different combinations based on her knowledge of medicinal properties.
She just hoped Qin Li’s condition wouldn’t worsen too quickly, or all medicine would prove futile.
With these thoughts, Qin Wan stood up. She had sat for so long that her back ached. Hearing the silence in the courtyard, she walked out to stand under the corridor. She glanced at the side room where her maids usually gathered to chat when idle. Other masters might think servants were being lazy staying in their rooms, but Qin Wan preferred it this way – too much movement in the small courtyard would be too noisy for her.
Taking a few more steps outside, she saw the gold-painted decorative paintings on the roof beams and the two ornate lanterns under the eaves. Stretching her limbs, Qin Wan casually scanned her surroundings and suddenly frowned.
From her position, she could see the side door next to the Orchid Garden was half-open!
Annoyed, Qin Wan strode toward the side door.
Who had opened the door this time? Was it Wan Tao again?!
Qin Wan quickly reached the side door and, sure enough, found it open. As she pushed it wider to see who might be in the Orchid Garden, she caught a glimpse of a figure in blue-gray robes disappearing at the far end of the garden.
Qin Wan froze. That figure wore the most common servants’ attire in the manor – who could it be?
Wan Tang? Wan Tao? Or Wan Li?!
Her courtyard’s main gate faced south, the side door east, and that figure had headed north.
Why use the side door instead of the main gate? What secret needed hiding?
Determined to find out, Qin Wan followed with large strides. Leaving the Orchid Garden, she turned in the direction where the figure had vanished. She had expected to lose sight of them, but surprisingly, the figure was still visible!
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes and hurried after them.
North from the Orchid Garden, following the winding corridor westward, Qin Wan increasingly felt something was wrong. The figure ahead was heading toward the Small Lotus Pond. Her heart began to race!
The Small Lotus Pond wasn’t far from the West Rear Courtyard where she had initially lived, and now Concubine Liu’s memorial hall was set up nearby. Was someone from her courtyard going to the memorial hall?!
With growing suspicion, Qin Wan followed the figure around the corner after corner. No matter how many turns they took, the figure remained just within sight, yet she could never catch up. Each time she spotted them, they would turn another corner. She could only tell they were slender, not even catching a glimpse of their profile!
At one point, the view suddenly opened up before Qin Wan – the Small Lotus Pond she hadn’t visited for days was right ahead!
However, when Qin Wan looked carefully, the blue-gray figure she had been following had vanished!
Her heart jumped as she scanned the area. Suddenly, her eyes fixed on the small path leading to the Purple Bamboo Grove!
She had walked that path before – it was the only path from the west to the Purple Bamboo Grove. Now, among the clusters of short bamboo, Qin Wan saw a shadowy figure moving…
Qin Wan’s heart pounded – the Purple Bamboo Grove! That person had gone to the Purple Bamboo Grove!
She had missed seeing Steward Liu Chun enter the grove, and hadn’t dared investigate when Concubine Liu went there!
Now Concubine Liu was dead, and Steward Liu Chun had vanished. Qin Wan’s gaze turned cold – this time, she must not let such a good opportunity slip away…
With this thought, she lifted her feet to follow!