The autumn rain fell in an endless drizzle. The dilapidated courtyard to the west appeared particularly desolate under the curtain of rain. Fu Ling stood at the doorway, alternating between gazing at the gray-blue sky outside and glancing back at Qin Wan, who stood beside the long table.
Her Young Lady had been standing by the table for nearly half an hour, meticulously arranging Second Madam’s teeth and carefully fitting each small bone that had been set aside into the skeleton. Now, only one bone remained before her Young Lady.
Fu Ling looked back again. The courtyard was in ruins, with tattered window paper on the doors. Though half-closed, the door panels couldn’t keep out the cold wind. Fu Ling pulled her clothes tighter and finally couldn’t help but walk to Qin Wan’s side. “Young Lady, it’s getting late, and this room is cold. We should head back soon.”
Not only was the room freezing, but the stench from Liu Shi and Liu Chun’s corpses was unbearable. Qin Wan hadn’t even brought a face covering today and had been standing there inhaling the putrid smell for who knows how long. What if she got poisoned?
Qin Wan stood sideways to the door, half her face hidden in shadow, making her emotions unreadable. She lowered her face slightly, focusing intently on the thumb-sized bone on the table. “Are you cold? Why don’t you head back first?”
Fu Ling smiled bitterly. “How could your servant be cold? I’m worried about Young Lady. You’ve been standing here for so long. Even the two constables couldn’t stand the smell, let alone you.”
In this courtyard, the main hall held the corpses, while the side hall had been temporarily furnished with tables, chairs, and tea for the yamen guards to rest. Fu Ling sighed and touched Qin Wan’s shoulder. “Young Lady, you’re ice cold! If this continues, you’ll surely fall ill!”
Qin Wan shook her head and returned to examining the skeleton she had assembled.
Without the connecting tendons, most of the bones couldn’t properly join together. Qin Wan could only loosely fit them together for the show. She carefully examined everything again and frowned.
Previously, she had found these bone fragments too small and difficult to secure, and just arranging the teeth in order had taken considerable time. Since these details were useless for the case, and the bones would all be buried together when Second Madam was laid to rest, there was no point in arranging them into a human form. Finding it purposeless, Qin Wan had skipped that effort—until she discovered this small bone…
It was a bone roughly the thickness of a thumb. Qin Wan examined it up and down, initially unable to identify its origin. After placing the other fragments into the skeleton, she couldn’t find any place where it might be missing. If so, wasn’t this bone extra? Then Qin Wan carefully examined the small bone, and though it wasn’t large when she weighed it in her hand, she felt it was most likely human…
If it was a human bone, why was it mixed with Second Madam’s bones?
Qin Wan couldn’t make sense of it and couldn’t help but wonder—could there be another body in that well?
Thinking this, she shook her head again. The yamen runners sent by Prefect Huo had searched for a long time and confirmed there were no other bones.
Qin Wan picked up the bone from the felt blanket and held it close to examine it carefully for several moments.
Had she made a mistake? Was this perhaps an animal bone?
Qin Wan suspected there might be other mysteries in the well, yet worried she might be wrong, leaving her hesitant.
As she pondered this, the autumn rain suddenly grew heavier. The autumn rain was bone-chilling, and the damp wind that rushed into the room made Qin Wan shiver. She turned to look—the overgrown courtyard was shrouded in a curtain of rain, and beyond its walls, the connected eaves and pavilions of the Qin mansion were all wrapped in a gloomy mist. Qin Wan sighed and turned around.
“Let’s go back. We’ve indeed stayed too long.”
As soon as Qin Wan spoke, Fu Ling brightened and hurried to get an umbrella—a bamboo umbrella with a red-lacquered handle and blue paper covering, decorated with an elegant ink lotus at the top.
Qin Wan pulled her clothes tighter and carefully closed the door before following Fu Ling out. The yamen runners in the side hall heard the movement and came out. Seeing Qin Wan leaving, they hurriedly bowed to her. After giving them some instructions, she left the courtyard.
This was the first autumn rain in the southern lands. Qin Wan had often traveled west and north with her father but had never been to the south before. Though it was autumn, the water pavilions and flower gardens of the Qin mansion remained verdantly green, with only occasional patches of withered yellow weeds visible along the secluded western paths. Lost in thought, Qin Wan looked up into the distance, seeing the mansion’s ornate eaves and brackets barely visible through the rain mist. The already desolate sky had grown even darker, with gray clouds piling up on the horizon as if brewing an even heavier downpour. The dampness had soaked Qin Wan’s skirt hem and made her heart feel just as wet and gloomy.
As the rain grew heavier, Fu Ling carefully held the umbrella for Qin Wan, and the pair walked more slowly. With no one around, there was only the pitter-patter of rain on the umbrella. While the South of Da Zhou experienced rain in all four seasons, in the Northwest at this time there would only be the face-chapping northwestern wind.
They slowly made their way back to Tinglan Court. Just as they entered the courtyard, Qin Wan saw Wan Tang coming out of the main house.
If Qin Wan saw her, naturally Fu Ling did too, and her brow furrowed in annoyance.
Wan Tang came down a few steps to stand under the eaves and bow. Seemingly noticing Fu Ling’s irritation, she quickly said, “Forgive me, Young Lady. I saw the rain getting heavier and noticed two windows in your warm room were open, so I went in to close them.”
Fu Ling couldn’t tell if Wan Tang was being truthful, but she had previously quite admired Wan Tang, so she looked to Qin Wan and saw her mistress’s face showed only cool detachment, her expression as calm and undisturbed as the autumn rain.
“I was worried about rain getting in. It’s good you closed them.”
Wan Tang glanced up at Qin Wan, appearing relieved, and smiled. “The rain is getting heavier. The Young Lady should mind her health and quickly go inside. I’ll go boil some hot water so Sister Fu Ling can make fresh tea for Young Lady.”
Qin Wan nodded and walked up the steps with Fu Ling, maintaining her composure.
Seeing Qin Wan’s demeanor, Fu Ling couldn’t be sure what she was thinking, but after giving Wan Tang a look, she smiled as usual and said, “Then bring a new tea set as well…”
Wan Tang’s lips curved up as she happily accepted the task and left.
Upon entering the room, Fu Ling put down the umbrella and stepped forward. “Young Lady, was anything amiss?”
But unexpectedly, after washing her hands, Qin Wan simply entered the warm room without investigating. “Don’t worry about it.”
Fu Ling privately marveled but, thinking that Qin Wan had caught a chill, went to prepare tea as Wan Tang had suggested. Soon after, Fu Ling entered with fresh tea. As she handed it to Qin Wan and turned around, she gasped in shock.
“Young Lady, why… why did you bring that back…”
Qin Wan sat on the long couch by the bed, lounging somewhat lazily against the welcoming pillow, but in her hand lay a small bone—wasn’t it the extra bone from the long table earlier?
Fu Ling tremblingly set down the tea and whispered, “Young Lady, why did you bring this back? It’s inauspicious!”
Qin Wan held the small bone between her fingers, even raising it to the light as she tilted her head to look. “The bone quality doesn’t seem like that of other animal remains, yet I can’t tell which part it’s from. I looked several times—almost all of Second Madam’s bones were recovered, so where did this one come from?”
Fu Ling had no idea where it came from. Looking at the bone and hearing Qin Wan say it was human, she felt a cold sweat break out on her back. While examining corpses and treating illnesses was one thing, bringing a human bone back to their rooms felt deeply unsettling. However, seeing Qin Wan’s focused expression, Fu Ling knew she couldn’t dissuade her.
Fu Ling brewed tea while Qin Wan examined the bone. This small bone had stumped Qin Wan—she studied it until nightfall without determining its origin, while the autumn rain continued endlessly outside.
Fu Ling had just remarked how each autumn rain brought more cold when, by evening, the weather had indeed turned much cooler. Qin Wan rarely went out, so the rain didn’t particularly bother her. On the contrary, when it rained, the sound blanketed everything, blocking out other noisy disturbances. The world became vast and uniquely quiet. Such moments were perfect for practicing calligraphy and burning incense, yet even by evening, Qin Wan still hadn’t let go of that bone…
“Both His Highness the Crown Prince and the Prefect have returned to the yamen without coming by, so they must not have reached any conclusions,” Fu Ling said while clearing Qin Wan’s table. But Qin Wan had already anticipated this.
Second Madam had died eight years ago, and she had already been in the household for two years by then. Since Qin An said he had bought Second Madam from kidnappers, the records they needed to check would be at least ten years old.
So much time had passed, and each day the yamen generated vast amounts of documents—not just criminal and litigation papers. Just finding these records in the yamen’s archive would be difficult, let alone matching a missing person to Second Madam among the smoke-like sea of documents.
Qin Wan knew the enormity of this task. Since documents were passed up through levels of government from county to prefecture, cases like missing persons might be overlooked by lower county offices. Moreover, the Second Madam might not have been from Jin Prefecture at all—her family might have reported her missing in Jian Prefecture, Sheng Prefecture, or even farther away in Feng Prefecture. Even if the Second Madam was from Jin Prefecture, those searching the records might miss it and assume she wasn’t local. Such detailed matters required utmost caution and care, which necessarily took more time. Within three days, Qin Wan wasn’t expecting results.
After the evening meal, Qin Wan finally remembered she needed to make medicine for Qin Li and began preparing the salve with the new herbs Fu Ling had brought earlier. Just as she finished, there came a knock at the warm room’s window.
Fu Ling, long accustomed to this, went forward to open it. Outside stood Qin Li, his body carrying a layer of cold dampness. When he saw Fu Ling, his eyes lacked their usual teasing gleam. Qin Wan came forward with the medicine packet and salve. “This is the new medicine—one for external use, one for internal. The external one still needs one more herb. I’ve written it all down—you can have someone fetch it when you return.”
Qin Li nodded. Though he was ill, he could still direct others.
“Ninth Sister, is there any progress on Liu Shi and Manager Liu’s case?”
After so many days without asking, he suddenly brought it up. Qin Wan raised an eyebrow. “Why does Second Brother ask?”
Qin Li’s eyes flickered. “With such a matter in the household, one should naturally show concern.”
Qin Wan looked at Qin Li for a moment. “We’re investigating Second Madam’s background.”
Qin Li’s brow furrowed. “Second Madam’s background?”
“Indeed.” Qin Wan’s tone carried a hint of probing. “When Second Madam entered the household, Second Brother must have been old enough to remember. Does Second Brother recall where she was from?”
Qin Li lowered his eyes and shook his head. “Mother forbade us from speaking to Second Madam or going to play there. I don’t know.” Then, somewhat anxiously, he added, “It’s raining—I won’t stay long. The weather has turned cold, Ninth Sister should mind her health. I’ll take my leave.”
Qin Wan quietly watched Qin Li turn and leave, waiting until his figure disappeared before slowly closing the window.
After standing silently for a moment longer, Qin Wan finally walked to her inner chamber to retire.
……
……
Though the rain had pattered outside her window all night, Qin Wan slept exceptionally well. When she opened her eyes at daybreak the next day, the rain still hadn’t stopped. With the rain continuing, Qin Wan couldn’t walk around the courtyard, so she lazily stayed in bed.
Fu Ling rose as usual, carefully carrying washing items and fragrant cream to the side room. Soon after, she approached Qin Wan’s window, and hearing her breathing, sensed something was amiss. She slowly drew back the bed curtain.
As the curtain opened, Fu Ling couldn’t help but gasp.
“Young Lady! How are you still examining that bone?!”
On the bed, Qin Wan leaned against the headboard, still holding that bone in her palm.
Though Fu Ling had initially found it inauspicious, she had grown accustomed to it now. Qin Wan sighed, “I still can’t figure out where this bone is from. Could I have remembered wrong?”
As she said this, her eyes suddenly brightened. “Are there any medical texts in the mansion’s library?”
This question stumped Fu Ling. “Your servant doesn’t know, but the First Young Master would certainly know. Should Young Lady ask him?”
Qin Wan had read about bone patterns in medical texts before and had memorized them for a long time. She had thought her memory would never fail her, yet now she couldn’t identify this bone!
Qin Wan immediately threw back her covers and got out of bed. “Quickly help me dress. We’ll go find Big Brother.”
Fu Ling knew this side of Qin Wan’s personality but still smiled wryly. “Young Lady should at least have breakfast first.” Despite her words, she efficiently helped Qin Wan with her morning toilette.
After washing and dressing, Qin Wan only drank a bowl of soup from the breakfast that had been brought in. Outside, the rain showed no signs of stopping or slowing, continuing to fall like transparent silk curtains. Fu Ling took another blue bamboo umbrella and accompanied Qin Wan to Linfeng Court. Just as they reached the entrance, Qin Wan saw Qin Shuang enter the courtyard ahead of them.
Seeing this, Fu Ling lowered her voice, “Young Lady might not know, but Fifth Young Lady and Sixth Young Lady have fallen out. Last night Madam called Sixth Young Lady in and said something—she came out crying and accused Fifth Young Lady of slandering her in front of the servants.”
Qin Wan shook her head. The conflict between Qin Xiang and Qin Shuang naturally stemmed from yesterday’s events outside the Purple Bamboo Grove. Qin Xiang defended her mother while Qin Shuang felt wronged, so of course they would argue. “Don’t concern yourself with these matters.”
After Qin Wan spoke, she continued walking forward. Fu Ling whispered, “Yes, we needn’t concern ourselves. Young Lady’s position is quite high now—we need not fear any of them.”
Qin Wan smiled at these words and walked straight into Linfeng Court’s courtyard. The servants saw them arrive and immediately went to announce them. Soon after, Mo Shu came out to welcome them. “It’s been several days since we’ve seen Ninth Young Lady. Please come in…”
Mo Shu was as enthusiastic as ever. As Qin Wan walked inside, she saw Qin Shuang at the entrance to the inner chamber, her eyes slightly red as she spoke about something, but upon seeing Qin Wan appear, she wiped her eyes and fell silent.
Qin Wan smiled. “Sister-in-law, I’ve come to trouble you.”
Yao Xinlan reclined on the couch. “I wish you would come every day. Is it because His Highness the Crown Prince and the Prefect haven’t come to the mansion today that you have time to visit?”
Qin Wan sighed. “I didn’t even know. I’ve come to trouble Sister-in-law because I wanted to find Big Brother, but it seems he’s not here.”
Yao Xinlan looked at Qin Wan with slight surprise—Qin Wan had never actively asked for their help before.
“Ninth Sister, quickly tell us what’s happened?”
Qin Wan spoke directly. “I wanted to find some medical texts and wondered if the mansion’s library had any. Since I saw Young Master Huo borrowing books before, I thought if the library had them, it would be more convenient than looking elsewhere.”
“Oh, is that all?” Yao Xinlan smiled. “It’s just borrowing books—how could that be considered trouble? Your Big Brother went to visit Father—heard this morning that Father isn’t well. But I can make decisions about the library. The key is in our courtyard. Shall I have Mo Shu get the key and take you there? I don’t know what books you’re looking for, and I don’t understand them—would you like to look yourself?”
That would be perfect. Qin Wan quickly expressed her thanks. “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
Yao Xinlan waved her hand and immediately instructed Mo Shu, who shortly returned with the key to escort them to the library.
Leaving Linfeng Court, Qin Wan remarked, “Sister-in-law’s complexion looks much better.”
Mo Shu exhaled deeply. “Yes, Young Lady has been in good spirits these past days, and her health has improved with it. She takes daily walks now and has much more energy than before. First Young Master accompanies her daily—your servant can finally rest easy.”
The rain continued to drizzle, and a layer of thin mist had gathered among the lush flowers and trees in the distance. Hearing Mo Shu’s words brought Qin Wan some peace of mind, but the previous incidents of Yao Xinlan being poisoned and her nightmares still hung over her thoughts like the rain mist—hazy and indistinct from afar, intangible up close, yet undeniably present.
Mo Shu walked ahead holding an umbrella, while Fu Ling held one for Qin Wan as they followed, the three making their way to the library. The Qin family was wealthy and naturally maintained some cultural refinements. Entering the library, Qin Wan found the collection far exceeded her expectations. Mo Shu said at the door, “Ninth Young Lady, please look around yourself. There should be medical texts, though I’m not sure if they’re what you’re looking for.”
Qin Wan nodded and entered alone. Though the library wasn’t large, each bookshelf was packed full. After a few steps, she found the medical texts section, but these were a minor category. All the books Qin Wan could see were ones she had read before, mostly focusing on herbal medicine rather than the bone theories she sought. She walked another lap around the library, finding increasingly valuable ancient texts and paintings toward the back, some even under lock and key. She couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
Fortunately, she hadn’t placed all her hopes here. Seeing she couldn’t find what she wanted, she headed out. Seeing her empty-handed, Mo Shu and Fu Ling knew she had been unsuccessful. Mo Shu apologetically offered, “What book was Ninth Young Lady looking for? Shall we send someone to buy it?”
Medical texts were typically passed down secretly, and what she sought likely existed only in rare copies now. Qin Wan shook her head. “No need to trouble yourself. It’s not essential—if I happen to come across it in the future, that would be fine.”
Qin Wan spoke sincerely, and Mo Shu sighed. “Very well. Would Ninth Young Lady like to return to Linfeng Court?”
The library was in the eastern part of the mansion. Hearing this, Qin Wan glanced westward. “I’m afraid I need to go look over there.”
Mo Shu knew she was helping Crown Prince Yan Chi and Prefect Huo Huaixin investigate the case and nodded. “Yes, then your servant will take her leave.”
After saying this, Mo Shu left first. Qin Wan and Fu Ling watched her leave before heading west, taking a shortcut through the flower gardens. Soon they saw several osmanthus trees.
The osmanthus cakes they had eaten yesterday still left a lingering fragrance. Seeing the delicate yellow buds on the trees, dampened by rain and threatening to fall, Qin Wan felt rather distressed. Since she was only planning to examine Second Madam Liu’s remains, and Yan Chi hadn’t arrived at the mansion yet, she was in no hurry. She stopped and said, “These buds are about to fall. We might as well pick some to make wine or incense.”
Fu Ling smiled happily at these words. “Young Lady, hold the umbrella—your servant will pick them.”
Qin Wan took the umbrella while Fu Ling cheerfully bounced away. It was clear she loved such pleasant tasks, though she had been strictly restrained while serving the Ninth Young Lady before. The rain fell gently, and those precarious buds fell at Fu Ling’s gentle touch. She took out her sachet and handkerchief, first filling the sachet, then catching more with the handkerchief. They hadn’t brought any containers, and seeing Fu Ling being so careful amused Qin Wan, bringing back memories of the past.
She hadn’t always been so gentle and quiet. In her childhood, following her father between posts, she had no proper governesses to teach her feminine arts, nor did she learn the full range of arts like other noble daughters—the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She only loved chess and books because her father enjoyed them. Her calligraphy and chess skills were all learned from him. Though her mother loved the zither, her poor health meant she rarely played herself, let alone taught her daughter. As for painting, she was truly a complete novice.
In the second year, her father served as the Criminal Investigation Commissioner of the Northern Liangzhou Circuit, there were two osmanthus trees in his small courtyard. That September and October, the two trees were covered with tiny, brilliant yellow osmanthus flowers.
Those tiny flower buds, fragrant and graceful, were autumn’s most eye-catching sight in the bleaker, harsher north. She was just a child then, and when the old family servant wanted to pick Osmanthus to make cakes for her, she stopped him. The little girl stood under the tree with a handkerchief, eagerly waiting for the buds to fall. Her mother laughed at her foolishness, but her father lifted her to touch the osmanthus branches.
Her small white hand cupped underneath while the other touched the branch tips. With just a slight movement of the branches, golden osmanthus flowers fell into her palm. White palms, golden flowers—she buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath, nearly intoxicated by the sweet, warm osmanthus fragrance even at such a young age…
“Young Lady, Young Lady, shall we go back and get a large basket to collect them?”
Fu Ling’s magpie-like call pulled Qin Wan from her memories. Coming back to herself, she saw Fu Ling’s sachet was already full, and her handkerchief was laden with osmanthus flowers—so full she had to cup it with both hands.
Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly. “Good, let’s have Wan Tang and the others come pick some!”
Fu Ling smiled brightly, closing her eyes to inhale the scent. “It smells so wonderful! I want to eat Madam Liu’s osmanthus cakes!”
Qin Wan laughed, seeing her still standing in the rain under the osmanthus tree. She walked forward to hold the umbrella over her. “If you want to eat them, we can go over later and ask her to make some for you tomorrow. Remember to bring some snacks too…”
As Qin Wan finished speaking and the umbrella covered Fu Ling’s shoulders, suddenly there was a ripping sound.
Both mistress and servant froze in their smiles and looked up. To their dismay, the blue bamboo umbrella had been torn by a protruding tree branch. Qin Wan frowned, and Fu Ling pouted. “Ah… this was the prettiest umbrella in our courtyard. I always used this one because it matched Young Lady so well…”
Qin Wan also felt regretful. “It’s my fault, I didn’t see…”
“No, no, no, it’s your servant’s fault for standing under this tree…”
As the mistress and servant were arguing, a group of people approached from the small path to the left of the osmanthus tree. The person in front immediately came forward upon seeing Qin Wan and Fu Ling. “Greetings to Ninth Young Lady…”
Qin Wan turned, slightly surprised—it was Cai He. “Why are you here?”
Cai He looked back at the male servants standing not far away. “Ninth Young Lady doesn’t know yet? Yesterday His Highness the Crown Prince and the Prefect said there was no need to investigate the Purple Bamboo Grove further, but the Old Madam still has misgivings about that well, so she ordered it filled in.”
Qin Wan looked at the male servants whose boots were speckled with mud. “Is it finished?”
Cai He nodded. “More or less complete. The tiles under the flower trellis have also been laid. Old Madam should be able to rest easy now. Ninth Young Lady doesn’t know, but Old Madam hasn’t been sleeping well these past two days.”
Qin Wan found it strange—had Madam Jiang become so superstitious about ghosts and spirits?
As Cai He spoke, she noticed Qin Wan and Fu Ling standing oddly, and looking up, saw the tear in Qin Wan’s umbrella. “Ah, the umbrella is damaged. Shall your servant bring you a new one, Ninth Young Lady? This one should be thrown away.”
Qin Wan stepped forward, examined the tear, and shook her head. “It’s fine, just a small tear.”
Cai He noticed Qin Wan’s fondness for the umbrella. “This umbrella is indeed elegantly beautiful. Shall your servant have some similar paper umbrellas sent from the storehouse to you?”
That would be perfect. Qin Wan suddenly understood why Madam Jiang valued the young Cai He.
“That would be wonderful, thank you for your trouble.”
Cai He curtsied. “How could I deserve such thanks? Please wait a moment, Ninth Young Lady.”
Qin Wan nodded, and Cai He left with the male servants. Watching her leave, Fu Ling whispered, “Sister Cai He knows how to handle matters and people—she immediately understood what the Young Lady wanted.”
Qin Wan smiled. “That’s why she can serve as Old Madam’s close attendant. Let’s hurry back—fortunately, the umbrella only has a small tear, it can still cover us…”
Qin Wan spoke lightly, her smile genuine. Fu Ling ducked under the umbrella with her handkerchief full of osmanthus flowers, feeling happier than ever before. “Young Lady, do you remember? In autumn, Master and Madam used to have people pick osmanthus flowers too. I picked the most back then, and Master even rewarded me for it.”
Qin Wan made a sound of interest. “What did you get?”
Fu Ling’s lips drooped. “Ah, I knew Young Lady wouldn’t remember. But that was so long ago. Master gave your servant a pendant! I always wore it, but last year when Young Lady fell ill, Qian Bai Ren took it away.”
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed. “Such a thing happened?”
Fu Ling snorted. “Indeed! That’s why I say he’s not a good person!”
Qin Wan sighed. “Next time I’ll buy you an even better one…”
“Your servant doesn’t want one! Your servant only hopes Young Lady stays well!” Fu Ling spoke while puffing out her chest. “If a pendant could cure Young Lady’s illness, your servant thinks it was completely worth it!”
Qin Wan said no more but kept the matter in her heart. Earlier thoughts of the past had brought some melancholy, but seeing Fu Ling had lightened it considerably. However, her thoughts turned to the distant capital.
More than a month had passed since that incident. The King of Yong had assumed the position of Crown Prince—surely everything had concluded. Yet here she remained in storm-tossed Jin Prefecture. When would she have the chance to return to the capital?
Mistress and servant returned to their courtyard. Fu Ling first went to put away the picked osmanthus flowers, then called for Wan Tang and the others. After giving some instructions, Wan Tang led Wan Xing and Wan Tao to pick flowers. In the room, Qin Wan placed fresh osmanthus flowers on the incense burner, letting their fragrance mingle with the agarwood smoke throughout the entire room.
“Is this how Young Lady makes incense?”
Fu Ling watched with curious wide eyes, and Qin Wan explained, “The ancients burned pine, cypress, and dried citrus peel as incense. Though there are proper methods for making incense, our way also makes the room fragrant—isn’t that achieving the same goal by different means?”
Fu Ling’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Qin Wan. “How does Young Lady know so much…”
Before she finished speaking, there was a light sound at the courtyard gate. Fu Ling stood up. “That must be the umbrella paper being delivered!”
With these words, Fu Ling quickly went out. Qin Wan heard her exchange a few words with someone, and soon Fu Ling returned carrying a stack of umbrella paper. However, as soon as she entered, Fu Ling smiled wryly. “Young Lady, this is really… we wanted blue umbrella paper, but that little servant brought water-red paper. What should we do?”
Qin Wan looked up, and indeed, the paper in Fu Ling’s arms was water-red in color.
Fu Ling sighed. “Cai He must not have specified what color we wanted, or maybe the storehouse servant did it on purpose. Young Lady, shall we go ask for new ones?”
Qin Wan looked at the paper for a moment, her lips curving slightly. “No need.”
Fu Ling made a surprised sound, and Qin Wan stood up. “Bring scissors, and the leftover white apricot cream from yesterday.”
Though Fu Ling didn’t know what Qin Wan intended, she complied. She watched as Qin Wan took the water-red paper and made several cuts, then asked Fu Ling to bring the umbrella. By now, the bamboo umbrella had dried. Fu Ling opened it, and Qin Wan leaned over with the red paper pieces. After a moment, Qin Wan straightened up. “Look…”
Fu Ling immediately lifted the umbrella to look. Where there had been only an ink lotus, now there was also a water-red lotus, faintly visible among the ink marks. The elegant ink painting suddenly had color and vitality. Fu Ling’s smile broadened. “Young Lady is really… too amazing!”
Rare pleasure showed in Qin Wan’s eyes, though not ostentatiously—the smile just reached her eyes, bringing life to her usually cool countenance. She glanced outside. “No one from the yamen came today?”
Fu Ling replied, “That’s right, His Highness hasn’t come yet.”
Qin Wan turned to look at Fu Ling for a moment. “I meant the yamen…”
Fu Ling was putting away the umbrella and spoke absently. “Oh, I thought Young Lady meant His Highness. These past few days, Young Lady has been talking with His Highness much more than before.”
At these words, Qin Wan seemed to realize something. After learning of Yan Chi’s true identity, he officially comes to investigate this case. Unlike his previous role as an observer, this time he was the case’s chief official, and their connection immediately increased. Yan Chi was quick-witted and brilliant in strategy—though this was his first investigation, whenever she figured something out, he often understood without her having to explain fully. They had never had much interaction before, but this time they seemed to have developed some tacit understanding.
Since Yan Chi hadn’t arrived and they had already delayed so long, Qin Wan decided not to go to the Western Court yet. Just then, the courtyard gate opened again, and several laughing voices entered. Qin Wan knew Wan Tang and the others had returned, so she stood up to go look.
In the courtyard, Wan Tang and the others each carried a small bamboo basket and held an umbrella. Even just standing there in the rain, they made a delightful sight. Seeing Qin Wan emerge, Wan Tang came forward first. “Young Lady, as instructed, we didn’t pick too many.”
Qin Wan nodded. Wan Tang and the others closed their umbrellas and presented their baskets.
Fu Ling looked through them one by one, suddenly noticing several small white daisies in one basket. Her eyes brightened. “You picked Snow Sea flowers too…” After a pause, Fu Ling said uncertainly, “Ah, are these Snow Sea or Jade Phoenix flowers?”
Both Snow Sea and Jade Phoenix were premium white chrysanthemums of Da Zhou. In full bloom, they were as large as bowls and as white as frost and snow, essential varieties for wealthy families’ chrysanthemum appreciation. Looking at the flower buds, Fu Ling couldn’t be sure which variety they were, as the two types of white chrysanthemums had very slight differences and were particularly hard to distinguish when still in bud.
Wan Tao stepped forward, her eyes showing excitement. “They’re Snow Sea flowers. Sister Fu Ling, look—these are Snow Sea flowers that haven’t fully bloomed yet. If you open the flower center, there are yellow stamens inside, though you can’t see them now. I cut them with the stems so they can be placed on Young Lady’s desk. They’ll bloom in a few days!”
Fu Ling looked carefully at where Wan Tao pointed. “Ah, they are…”
Seeing Wan Tao’s expression of waiting to be praised, Fu Ling was about to compliment her when Qin Wan suddenly turned and entered the room. This sudden movement startled those looking at the flowers, and Wan Tao blinked, her excitement fading to anxiety. “Did I… did I do or say something wrong…”
Fu Ling put down the basket. “I’ll go look. Wait here, it’s fine.”
Fu Ling turned and entered the room, walking to the inner chamber before finding Qin Wan. Qin Wan had her back turned and head slightly lowered, looking at something. Fu Ling walked puzzled to Qin Wan’s side, and upon seeing what she was looking at, felt somewhat caught between laughter and tears.
Qin Wan still held that bone in her hands—her sudden departure had been to come to look at the bone!
Fu Ling felt helpless, thinking her Young Lady had become obsessed. She was about to speak when she saw Qin Wan raise her head with bright eyes!
“How did I not think of it… so that’s what it is…”
Qin Wan’s eyes shone like the moon, her face suddenly animated, her features radiant with insight. However, Fu Ling couldn’t understand her words.
Fu Ling stared blankly. “What is it, Young Lady? What didn’t you think of?”
Qin Wan looked down at the bone once more, as if confirming something, then turned to look at Fu Ling. “I hadn’t thought… I kept assuming this was an adult’s bone, so I couldn’t identify it… but who says it must be an adult’s bone? It could be… the bone of a little girl who hadn’t finished growing…”