“Ninth Young Lady, is there something wrong with this letter?”
Qin Wan’s delicate brows furrowed in deep thought, making Xu He’s heart tighten. After a moment, Qin Wan turned to look at Xu He. “What’s written here reminds me of something.”
Looking toward the front courtyard, she asked, “What are the Prefect and Young Lord doing?”
Xu He’s face showed difficulty. “Earlier, the Prefect brought someone back, but now both the Prefect and Young Lord have left the mansion. It seems the pawnshop manager ran away, and they went to chase after him.”
Yan Chi and Huo Huai Xin weren’t in the mansion?!
Qin Wan’s heart sank immediately. Seeing her grave expression, Xu He quickly said, “What has occurred to Ninth Young Lady? Is there anything I can do? We don’t know when the Young Lord and Prefect will return.”
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed deeper. She gestured to the letter in her hand. “This mentions that Second Madam’s husband, when running his silk shop, often mistook colors – seeing indigo as red, azure as black. Constable Xu, do you know why this happened?”
Xu He blinked. “Could it be… his eyesight was poor?” Seeing Qin Wan’s expressionless face, Xu He scratched his head and added, “What else could it be? Or perhaps he had an eye condition?”
Qin Wan finally nodded. “Yes, an eye condition. Moreover, it’s incurable and can be passed down to children.”
Xu He’s eyes widened. “It can be passed to children?”
Qin Wan nodded. “I saw in a medical… in a medical text that some people are born unable to distinguish colors correctly. They see indigo green as crimson red, and azure blue as dark black. It’s an illness that cannot be cured, though it’s rarely seen. However…”
Qin Wan showed slight difficulty. “This illness is quite peculiar. Sometimes, if both parents have it, their children will inherit it. But if only the father or mother has it… then it’s uncertain… The book didn’t explain why. This letter only mentions that Second Madam’s husband had this condition, and despite all our inquiries, no one mentioned Second Madam having it, which suggests she likely didn’t…”
“So it’s hard to determine,” Qin Wan sighed, her words hesitant. “But could it be such a coincidence?”
Fu Ling stood listening but didn’t understand. “Miss, what are you talking about?”
Xu He was half-understanding and half-confused. “Ninth Young Lady means that the Second Madam and her husband’s daughter might have inherited this condition. But one of their daughters is presumably dead, and the other perished in the fire…”
Qin Wan pressed her lips together. “If their daughter is still alive, might she seek revenge?”
Xu He’s eyes widened. “If it were me, I probably would…”
Qin Wan nodded and looked at Fu Ling. “Remember our umbrella?”
Fu Ling nodded. “Yes, it was damaged, but Miss skillfully repaired it and made it even more beautiful than before.”
Qin Wan’s voice deepened slightly. “It wasn’t my skill – someone delivered the wrong umbrella paper.”
“Wrong umbrella paper?” Fu Ling’s eyes lit up with realization. “Yes! Our umbrella was cyan-colored, and Sister Cai He said she’d have the storehouse send us umbrella paper, but they sent watermelon red instead…”
Fu Ling’s eyes suddenly widened. “Miss, are you saying Sister Cai He has that color blindness condition?!”
Qin Wan thought for a moment, her voice becoming faint. “Only she could command the storehouse, and that day she was accompanied by a male servant. The order must have come from her. She said to take cyan, so it was cyan; she said to take watermelon red, so it was watermelon red. And cyan is such an obvious color – she wouldn’t have mistaken it…”
Fu Ling was already shocked by what she’d heard from Qin Li but never imagined that from this single letter, Qin Wan would deduce even more. Cai He… not only was Cai He involved with Qin Chen, but more significantly, could she be Second Madam’s daughter?
Fu Ling’s breath tightened as her mind was suddenly flooded with information, leaving her unable to process it all. “But… but the age doesn’t match, and… if she were Second Madam’s daughter, shouldn’t she hate the Eldest Young Master? How could she…”
Qin Wan shook her head. “No, it’s not certain. We can’t be sure she’s Second Madam’s daughter. This condition has uncertainties, and even if Second Madam’s daughter truly had this condition, we can’t be certain it’s Cai He. It’s just that there are only so many people connected to this matter, and she happens to have this condition – it only increases her suspicion.”
Xu He stood dumbfounded for a while before finally reacting. “Is the Lady Ninth Young Lady speaking of the most capable attendant by Old Madam’s side?”
Qin Wan nodded, and Xu He couldn’t help but be surprised. “She holds quite a position by Old Madam’s side and has been in the mansion for quite some time. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be too…”
Xu He was so anxious he couldn’t find the right words, and after a while, he waved his hand and said, “That would make her spine-chilling!”
If Cai He was the Second Madam’s daughter, did she know when she entered the mansion that her mother and sister had died in the Qin mansion? Or did she learn it later? If she knew from the beginning, then she entered the Qin mansion for revenge. If she learned later, her ability to maintain her disguise without exposure showed formidable cunning.
Qin Wan understood Xu He’s meaning and pressed her lips together even more tightly. “We can’t be certain yet. If only we could find Second Madam’s portrait—”
After a moment’s thought, Qin Wan’s expression became determined. “Let’s put this away for now and make another trip to the front courtyard.”
Qin Wan folded the crucial letter and handed it to Xu He, who carefully placed it in his official document bundle. Seeing Qin Wan turn toward the front courtyard, Xu He followed.
“I’m in no hurry to return to the yamen. I’ll accompany Ninth Young Lady.”
Qin Wan neither agreed nor disagreed. Fu Ling followed Qin Wan and spoke softly, “Miss, we’ve already searched the front courtyard. Will we find anything if we go now?”
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t find anything. We can ask those two old servants if there are other places in the mansion where Second Madam’s portrait might be kept.”
Qin Wan spoke as she walked, but questions slowly rose in her mind: Qin Li and Cai He were involved, Cai He might be Second Madam’s daughter, but why didn’t Second Madam’s daughter die in that great fire years ago?
And if Cai He was the Second Madam’s daughter, she should hate the Qin family intensely, so why was she with Qin Chen?
The person who poisoned Yao Xin Lan, killed Liu Shi and Liu Chun, and poisoned Qin An – could they all be Cai He?
With Cai He’s years of accumulated knowledge within the mansion, she could discover Liu Shi and Liu Chun’s affair. After discovering this secret, she could have lured Liu Shi out. As for Liu Chun, given Cai He’s status, it wasn’t surprising that Liu Chun would trust her. She could access Yao Xin Lan’s medicine, but what about Qin An? How did she poison Qin An?
Qin An’s medicine was prescribed by Qian Bai Ren, fetched by a small servant from the front courtyard, and brewed by those two old servants. Then what?
Cai He never came to the front courtyard; she stayed in the Buddhist hall and had no opportunity to touch the medicine.
Lost in these heavy thoughts, Qin Wan looked up to see dusk approaching. The night lamps throughout the Qin mansion were lighting up one by one. As night fell, the cool autumn breeze penetrated to the bone, making Qin Wan unconsciously pull her clothes tighter.
“Miss, why don’t we wait for the Young Lord and others to return? Wouldn’t it be perfect to bring Cai He in for questioning then?”
Fu Ling spoke softly to Qin Wan, who shook her head. “Cai He won’t talk. We need to find more evidence.”
As they spoke, the three arrived at the front courtyard. Earlier when Qin Wan came, she had seen Qi Lin standing guard, but now only two yamen runners were on duty. Seeing Qin Wan and Xu He approach, they hurried forward to bow.
Qin Wan asked, “Where is Captain Qi?”
One runner stepped forward and said, “The Prefect needed more manpower and temporarily reassigned Captain Qi.”
Huo Huai Xin had gone to investigate the Qing Yuan Pawnshop, and many people were likely involved. Qin Wan nodded. “I’m going in to look around. You don’t need to follow…”
The two runners naturally dared not stop Qin Wan and Xu He, immediately nodding, “Please proceed, Ninth Young Lady—”
Xu He exchanged greetings with the two before following Qin Wan into the courtyard.
As soon as they entered, they heard angry shouting.
“All day long, just lazy and cunning! Do you still want your monthly wages?!”
“You can’t even wash a jar properly, wasting good medicine!”
“Useless little thing, kneel here and don’t dare get up!”
The voice was very familiar – it was one of the old servants who cared for Qin An. Qin Wan’s brows furrowed slightly as she walked around the screen wall. Under the dim yellow eaves, there were indeed two people – the old servant she’d seen during the day standing, and a child of about ten or eleven kneeling on the ground, quietly sobbing…
Qin Wan’s footsteps startled the old servant, who turned to look and was immediately shocked. “Why has Ninth Young Lady come?”
The old servant came forward, ignoring the kneeling child, who became even more frightened upon seeing Qin Wan and lowered his head even further, stifling his sobs.
“What’s happening here?” Qin Wan glanced at the child.
The old servant wore a placating smile. “Ninth Young Lady doesn’t know, but with the current situation, people in the mansion are somewhat nervous and increasingly careful about their work. This little servant is just like that – he can’t even wash the Master’s medicine jar properly.” He sighed. “Ninth Young Lady need not worry. A bit of punishment will teach him.”
Qin Wan naturally had no interest in interfering with internal household matters and didn’t pursue it further. She only said, “I came to ask you, besides the study and the mansion’s library, where else might the Master’s paintings be kept?”
The old servant, hearing this, knew Qin Wan was still pursuing the matter from earlier that day. He thought for a moment and said, “Some might be in Old Madam’s storage. Sometimes when the Master acquires especially valuable paintings, he gives them to Old Madam.”
Qin Wan shook her head. “Think again—”
No matter how inadequate Qin An might be, he would never dare give Second Madam’s portrait to Jiang Shi.
The old servant thought for a few more moments. “There’s also the main hall in front – that’s where the Master receives guests. There’s also a study there for receiving guests, though the Master rarely goes there.”
Hope flickered in Qin Wan’s eyes. “Take us to see it.”
The old servant nodded. “Please wait a moment, Ninth Young Lady. I’ll fetch the key.”
Qin Wan acknowledged, and the old servant turned to enter the main room. The three stood in the courtyard with complex expressions. Xu He looked around, then at the kneeling child, his eyes showing sympathy.
Qin Wan noticed but said nothing. The Qin mansion had its own rules – anywhere you go, mistakes must be punished. She didn’t want to interfere with the rules, and besides, some punishment wasn’t entirely bad.
Soon, the old servant returned, gesturing, “Ninth Young Lady, please follow me.”
He walked toward the moon gate on the east side of the courtyard. The main reception hall wasn’t in Qin An’s area – they had to walk east for a while to reach it. As Qin Wan walked over, she realized this was where Yan Chi first met her when he came to the Qin mansion.
“Ninth Young Lady, the outer study is this way—”
The old servant led the way, with the three following. They first entered the reception hall, then turned left through a door, discovering another courtyard beyond. This was what the old servant meant.
Since no one used this place, no lamps were lit at night. The old servant carried a bright lamp, entering to light the corner lamps before letting them in. Qin Wan entered to find a layer of dust on the tables.
The old servant set down his lamp and pointed to two tall cabinets. “Ninth Young Lady, there are some paintings and calligraphy works in here.”
Qin Wan looked over, uncertain. These cabinets mostly contained books, with very few paintings. Nevertheless, she stepped forward to open the cabinet doors.
Fu Ling immediately came to help. Qin Wan opened scroll after scroll, but they were all landscapes and flower-and-bird paintings. As they neared the end without finding any portrait, Qin Wan sighed in disappointment.
“Miss, there’s still one at the very bottom—”
Just as Qin Wan thought this search would be fruitless, Fu Ling suddenly pointed to a scroll pressed at the bottom. “This one— let me pull it out—”
Fu Ling crouched down, almost crawling into the cabinet. Soon, she emerged with a yellowed scroll. Looking at the paper, Qin Wan’s heart stirred slightly – at least the paper looked old.
Fu Ling untied the scroll’s binding with hope and began to unroll it. But suddenly, there was a tearing sound that startled her. Looking closer, they saw the paper had somehow stuck together, and Fu Ling’s attempt to open it had torn a large hole. Fu Ling’s face tightened. “Miss—”
Qin Wan quickly said, “It’s alright, let’s see what’s painted on it.”
Rather than trying to unroll it further, since the scroll was rolled backward, she could faintly see a corner of a skirt through the tear. Her eyes brightened slightly. “Though we don’t know what it depicts yet, it seems to be a portrait.”
Fu Ling said anxiously, “But what can we do about the stuck paper?”
Qin Wan shook her head reassuringly. “No matter, I have a way. Roll it back up first, we’ll take it with us.”
Hearing this, Fu Ling quickly re-rolled the scroll. Meanwhile, Qin Wan turned to the old servant. “We’ll take this scroll for now and return it after we’ve examined it…”
The old servant dared not object. “Very well, Ninth Young Lady may do as she pleases.”
Having found a painting but glimpsed only a corner, Qin Wan was eager to see its true contents. They promptly left, with the old servant extinguishing the lamps and locking the doors. The group returned along their original path to Qin An’s quarters.
Upon arrival, Qin Wan intended to take her leave, but her eye caught the child still kneeling under the eaves.
She finally couldn’t help but say, “The autumn air is cold, and he’s still young. Kneeling like this could make him ill. The courtyard isn’t short of people – a brief punishment should suffice.”
The old servant understood her meaning and quickly beckoned, “You may rise. Ninth Young Lady has spoken for you. Quick, come thank Ninth Young Lady.”
The child immediately stood and ran over to Qin Wan.
“Thank you for your great kindness, Ninth Young Lady—”
It was just one sentence, hardly a great kindness. Qin Wan looked at the child reassuringly. “It’s nothing.”
The old servant looked at Qin Wan with admiration. “Ninth Young Lady is kind-hearted. If other masters knew he couldn’t even wash a medicine jar properly and wasted medicine, one session of kneeling wouldn’t be enough.”
Then he glared at the child again. “He deserved punishment – couldn’t even wash off such obvious medicine residue.”
The child ducked his head. “But I did wash it clean…”
Qin Wan had been about to leave, but hearing this, she instinctively grew suspicious. “What medicine residue?”
Washing a medicine jar was the simplest task. Qin Wan had assumed he hadn’t cleaned off the grime, but failing to wash away medicine residue was quite strange…
Hearing Qin Wan’s question, the old servant quickly answered, “Today when brewing medicine, I hadn’t noticed at first. After putting in the medicine and adding water, a black residue floated up. That’s when we discovered burnt medicine residue at the bottom of the pot.”
“Burnt medicine residue?”
Qin Wan asked again, and the old servant said uncertainly, “If not medicine residue, then some other dirt. Either way, he didn’t clean it properly. Though the Master is in his condition, we can’t be so careless about these things.”
Qin Wan frowned. “Where is the residue? Let me see it.”
The old servant was surprised, and both Fu Ling and Xu He were puzzled – why examine someone else’s medicine residue?
Though confused, the old servant dared not question her and led Qin Wan to the side room. “When we saw the dirt, this old servant disposed of it in the usual medicine residue basin.”
As he spoke, he led Qin Wan into the side room and pointed to a basin in the corner. “It’s there.”
Qin Wan handed the scroll to Fu Ling and walked to the basin.
Looking down, she indeed saw medicine residue, with the burnt residue the old servant mentioned scattered throughout. Unafraid of the dirt, Qin Wan picked up some of the black residue, rubbed it gently, and brought it to her nose. Soon her brows furrowed. She stood and looked at the child. “You washed the medicine pot?”
The child, startled by her sudden serious expression, nodded dumbly.
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “Where did you wash it? Did you meet anyone?”
The child’s eyes widened slightly, and he said softly, “I… I washed it at the well on the east side. When I went to wash it, Huan’er from Old Madam’s side was there too. Old Madam has been taking medicine these days, so all the medicine pots and bowls need washing after the last dose each day. I meet her every time.”
Huan’er! Qin Wan’s eyes immediately darkened. So that was it, so that was it—
Seeing Qin Wan’s dark expression, Fu Ling hurried forward. “Miss, what’s wrong?”
Qin Wan shook her head without elaborating, only looking at the old servant. “Keep this medicine residue.”
Seeing Qin Wan’s sudden change in demeanor, the old servant seemed to realize the seriousness of the matter and quickly nodded in agreement. Seeing his nod, Qin Wan turned to the child. “Where is Huan’er now?”
The child blinked. “Huan’er must still be attending to Old Madam. She’s a second-rank maid by Old Madam’s side, one of the few allowed to stay in the Buddhist hall.”
Jiang Shi was devoted to Buddhism and lived simply. There weren’t many maids in the Buddhist hall, and Huan’er was one of them. Qin Wan nodded and said to the child, “Stay in this courtyard. Don’t leave.”
The child was unsettled by Qin Wan’s gaze. Qin Wan seemed to realize this and softened her voice. “It’s nothing. Just watch over the Master well. The Prefect will come to see him when he returns.”
The child was bewildered but, meeting Qin Wan’s clear eyes, nodded hesitantly.
Qin Wan curved her lips slightly, bid farewell to the old servant, and turned to leave. Fu Ling and Xu He hurried after her. At the courtyard gate, she specifically instructed the two yamen runners. Xu He’s eyes remained fixed on Qin Wan, and once they were beyond the front courtyard, he urgently asked, “Ninth Young Lady, what is it? Is there something wrong with the medicine residue?”
Qin Wan suddenly halted her steps and nodded. “Indeed there is. That’s not black medicine residue – it’s metallic poison. We’ve been questioning everyone involved in prescribing, obtaining, and brewing the medicine, but we forgot about the medicine pot. The poisoner must have tampered with it when the child was distracted, and Huan’er is the prime suspect.”
Xu He’s eyes lit up. When Qin An was poisoned, it greatly troubled Huo Huai Xin, as they couldn’t determine how the poison was administered. Now that they knew the method, that maid must be the poisoner!
“Was it Huan’er who poisoned Master Qin?”
Qin Wan hesitated slightly. “We’re not certain yet. Let’s not alert them prematurely.”
She glanced at the scroll in Fu Ling’s hands. “Once we open this scroll, perhaps we’ll know for sure. But the longer we wait, the more complications might arise. Constable Xu, can you find a way to notify the Young Lord and the Prefect? Even if just one of them returns to the mansion – there are several matters we need to inform them about. It wouldn’t be good to delay.”
Hearing this, Xu He immediately nodded. “I know where they went. If necessary, I’ll find them myself!”
With that, he turned and ran. Qin Wan couldn’t stop him in time. After considering, she decided to let him go. At the very least, they’d found who poisoned Qin An, though since Huan’er was in the Buddhist hall, Qin Wan wasn’t sure if they could arrest her.
“Do you know this Huan’er?”
Qin Wan looked at Fu Ling, who shook her head. “I don’t know her. Old Madam doesn’t have many maids. Cai He handles all of Old Madam’s matters, while the other maids just handle cleaning, laundry, and such tasks. Huan’er must be one of them – not a high-ranking servant.”
Qin Wan became increasingly certain that Huan’er was likely acting on someone else’s orders.
“Miss, what should we do now?”
Qin Wan collected herself. “Go back and open this scroll first—”
She headed toward Tinglan Court. Just as they reached the inner courtyard area, Fu Ling suddenly said, “Oh right, Miss, weren’t we supposed to ask at the gatehouse?”
Qin Wan started, somewhat annoyed at herself for forgetting.
But after brief consideration, she shook her head. The Ninth Young Lady’s case was already hidden in darkness, and right now opening this scroll was most urgent. It was too late to go to the gatehouse without causing a stir.
“We’ll go tomorrow. Let’s return first—”
Qin Wan made her decision decisively, but as they approached Tinglan Court, she saw a figure standing at its entrance – it was Qin Chen…
Qin Wan slowed her steps. Fu Ling also saw Qin Chen. “Eldest Young Master…”
Qin Chen seemed to be specifically waiting for Qin Wan. Seeing Qin Wan and Fu Ling appear, he walked over with a slight smile.
Qin Wan turned to Fu Ling and said softly, “Keep today’s matters to yourself for now.”
This warning referred to the affair between Qin Chen and Cai He. Fu Ling nodded, clenching her jaw to maintain composure. As she watched Qin Chen approach with a lamp, her eyes no longer held their previous admiration.
“Why is Elder Brother here?”
Qin Wan asked brightly. Qin Chen’s gaze fell on the scroll in Fu Ling’s hands. “I came looking for you. They said you weren’t here, so I waited a while.”
Qin Wan blinked. “Why was Elder Brother looking for me? Is Sister-in-law…”
Qin Chen shook his head, his eyes warm. “No, she’s much better. This afternoon… we had a small argument, but then I realized I was wrong and went back. She truly likes you – seeing you improved her mood greatly, and she received a letter from Jian Province.”
Qin Wan’s dimples showed as she smiled. “Though it’s not my place as a younger sister to comment on the Elder Brother and Sister-in-law’s relationship, the Sister-in-law is with child and her emotions are unstable. Elder Brother should pay more attention to her. When I visited today, she was quite distressed.”
Qin Chen smiled helplessly, though his tone was reassuring. “Wan’er has grown up. Don’t worry, Elder Brother understands.”
After a brief pause, he looked at the scroll in Fu Ling’s hands again. “Were you looking for paintings again?”
Qin Wan’s heart tightened slightly. From his words, he likely knew she’d been to the library.
“Yes, I went to the front courtyard to look.”
Qin Chen sighed. “If you were looking for paintings, why didn’t you ask me? I’ve been managing all the mansion’s books and paintings for years. Is there anything I wouldn’t know about?”
He looked at the scroll in Fu Ling’s hands. “What’s this?”
A battle raged in Qin Wan’s mind, but meeting Qin Chen’s steady gaze, she finally spoke frankly. “This is Third Uncle’s painting. We don’t know who it depicts, but it might be Second Madam.”
Qin Chen seemed slightly surprised. “Second Madam? You’re looking for paintings related to Second Madam?”
Qin Wan appeared somewhat embarrassed. “Not exactly. I just heard people say Second Madam was extremely beautiful, so I became curious. But it seems there aren’t many paintings of her in the mansion.”
Qin Chen looked somewhat amused. After looking at Qin Wan for a moment, he suddenly asked, “Does Ninth Sister want to see?”
Qin Wan hesitated, looking at Qin Chen uncertainly. “Are there paintings of Second Madam?”
Qin Chen sighed, his eyes lowering briefly. “Of course there are. Father doted on Second Madam so much back then, he naturally painted countless portraits. But after the incident, all those paintings were put away.”
He continued softly, “There’s another small storehouse in the mansion where we keep scholarly items and elegant decorations like screens and paintings. If I remember correctly, Father’s paintings of Second Madam are there.”
Hearing this, Qin Wan’s heart began to race. They hadn’t yet opened the scroll in Fu Ling’s hands, and Qin Wan didn’t know if it contained what they sought, or if the face would be clear even if it did. If they could find more paintings from that time, it would certainly be helpful.
“Where is it?” Qin Wan asked instinctively.
Qin Chen pointed eastward. “Not far from the library.”
Qin Wan recalled that there were indeed storehouses around the library. It seemed Qin Chen was telling the truth.
“If Ninth Sister wants to see, I can take you to get them now.”
Qin Chen offered voluntarily. Qin Wan felt both tempted and hesitant – tempted by the chance to see Second Madam’s paintings, but hesitant because of her suspicions about Qin Chen. Though she hadn’t yet questioned the gatehouse, once seeds of doubt were planted, they were hard to uproot.
“Ninth Sister doesn’t want to look anymore?” Qin Chen smiled. “That’s fine too. After all, they’re all from the past.”
Qin Wan looked back at Fu Ling, whose eyes also sparkled with excitement. Qin Wan steeled herself and nodded. “Of course, I want to look. I want to see what kind of beauty Second Madam was.”
Qin Chen’s eyes darkened slightly as he turned around. “Then let’s go.”
Qin Wan followed Qin Chen, with Fu Ling following her. Though Qin Wan felt somewhat nervous, knowing Fu Ling was with her gradually put her at ease. She glanced sideways. “What are Elder Brother’s plans?”
Hearing this question, Qin Chen looked back. “Most likely going to Jian Province first.”
Jian Province… Qin Wan maintained a neutral expression, but inside she knew Yao Xin Lan still hadn’t found her courage.
She sighed inwardly. Since Yao Xin Lan had made her decision, she couldn’t say anything more.
“Would Ninth Sister like to visit Jian Province?” Qin Chen suddenly asked.
Qin Wan looked up to see Qin Chen watching her with concern. Her heart wavered slightly, wondering if she had misjudged him. She replied, “I’ve never been to Jian Province and don’t know what it’s like, so I can’t say whether I want to go or not.”
Qin Chen turned back, his voice light and admiring. “Jian Province is a land of abundant treasures, more prosperous than Jin Province. It’s where the Xu and Wu Rivers meet, with thriving river commerce.”
Places with developed water transport were naturally wealthy. Recalling what she’d read, Qin Wan formed a general impression of Jian Province and asked, “Does Elder Brother plan for everyone to go together?”
Qin Chen nodded. “Naturally. Grandmother and Mother probably won’t want to leave Jin Province, but the younger generation should leave. Grandmother and Mother think so too.”
He turned back to look at Qin Wan. “Your Sister-in-law wants you by her side.”
The evening breeze blew gently. The further east they went, the dimmer the mansion’s lamps became. Yet Qin Chen held his lamp steady, and with his warm tone and concerned gaze, Qin Wan’s guard against him lessened slightly. Looking at his seemingly sincere face, she suddenly wondered if Qin Chen had made a decision. Had he resolved to abandon his past with Cai He and truly devote himself to Yao Xin Lan for the sake of his family and career?
Perhaps from seeing too many of Yao Xin Lan’s tears, this thought brought an inexplicable bitterness to Qin Wan’s heart. Though as an outsider she still saw little true sincerity in Qin Chen’s actions, might this be exactly what Yao Xin Lan wanted?
Qin Wan recalled Yao Xin Lan’s dazed expression that afternoon. She had thought Yao Xin Lan would change her current situation, at least investigate her suspicions, but she had changed her mind instead.
A sense of melancholy lingered in Qin Wan’s heart. It wasn’t quite a disappointment, but rather a mix of anger at Yao Xin Lan’s passivity and pity for her misfortune. Finally, she thought bitterly that perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad if Qin Chen was now planning to be wholehearted toward Yao Xin Lan.
“Sister-in-law still wants Elder Brother’s company most. She loves you deeply.”
Qin Wan couldn’t help but make this meaningful comment. Qin Chen, walking ahead, seemed to laugh softly. “You’re still young and don’t understand these things. But don’t worry, I know everything.”
He turned back again. “However, Ninth Sister is about the right age to consider such matters. These days I’ve noticed the Young Lord taking very good care of Ninth Sister, even letting you participate in investigating the mansion’s cases. What does Ninth Sister think of the Young Lord?”
Yan Chi’s image floated in Qin Wan’s mind, and she was about to seriously consider Qin Chen’s question when her rationality brought her back to clarity. “Elder Brother misunderstands. We merely met twice at the Marquis’s mansion, and the Young Lord trusted me somewhat because I saved the Imperial Princess. It’s not what Elder Brother imagines.”
Qin Chen smiled and shook his head, turning away. “Does Ninth Sister know that men in this world, never treat a young lady well without reason? If they treat her well, it means they have feelings for her.”
Qin Wan’s cherry lips parted to speak, but Qin Chen pointed ahead. “We’re almost there—”
The night was ink-black, with lamps dotting the Qin mansion. Qin Wan looked up at the sky, surprisingly finding many stars scattered across the heavenly river. Her heart felt suddenly clear, and she stopped thinking about Qin Chen’s words, simply following him past the library and further ahead until they stopped before another storehouse.
“Here we are.”
This place was more secluded than the library, surrounded by an almost frightening silence. Qin Wan looked around but couldn’t see any yamen guards. Then she suddenly realized they hadn’t seen any guards the entire way.
Had Huo Huai Xin reassigned all the mansion’s guards?
With a “click,” Qin Chen unlocked the storehouse door. “Ninth Sister, please come in.”
This storehouse was much larger than the library, and as Qin Chen had said, it contained many screens and paintings. From the doorway, Qin Wan could see an eight-panel landscape and beauty screen. Qin Chen stood inside, gesturing inward. Qin Wan lifted her skirts and entered. Qin Chen lit two lamps by the door, brightening the room.
“The screens in the main courtyards are usually changed yearly, and most here are the replaced ones. There are also purchased ones, gifts, and some valuable jade screens. When furnishing new quarters, we come here to select items. Many of the decorations in Ninth Sister’s rooms came from here. Look around – if you like anything, you can take it.”
As Qin Chen spoke slowly, Qin Wan smiled and declined. “No need. Everything in my quarters is already perfect.”
“Ninth Sister doesn’t like extravagance – Elder Brother knows. But the things in this room probably can’t be taken away anymore.” Qin Chen’s voice was heavy. “The paintings Ninth Sister seeks should be up ahead. Please go get them—”
Qin Chen stood inside the door, Fu Ling outside. Qin Wan looked back once, feeling somewhat reassured.
She walked a few steps in the direction Qin Chen indicated. Sure enough, a wall-mounted shelf held scattered paintings and calligraphy works. Most had yellowed paper, their preservation suggesting they weren’t precious items.
Qin Wan stepped forward, dusted off the top one, and opened it. She immediately saw a painting of a beauty in a bamboo grove. Her heart stirred, recognizing the purple bamboo grove of the Qin mansion. A beauty in white robes ran lightly through the bamboo, her skirts flowing, ethereal as an immortal…
Liu Da Niang had said Second Madam favored plain colors. Qin Chen hadn’t lied – there were indeed paintings related to Second Madam here.
Though she’d found paintings, these weren’t the portrait-style images showing clear features that Qin Wan wanted. She put away the first scroll and hurried to check the second. From behind at the doorway, Qin Chen suddenly asked, “Did Second Sister go anywhere else besides looking for paintings just now?”
Busy opening the scroll, Qin Wan answered automatically, “No, I only went to the front courtyard to look for paintings.”
She hadn’t finished speaking, though of course the discovery about the poisoning method could only be told to Yan Chi and Huo Huai Xin.
“Didn’t you go to ask at the gatehouse—”
Qin Wan instinctively wanted to ask “What would I ask at the gatehouse?” but before the words left her mouth, she froze.
How did Qin Chen know she planned to go to the gatehouse?! Only she and Fu Ling knew about this!
The scroll was only half-opened when a snake-like sense of danger crawled up her spine. She no longer cared about the painting. Turning around, she looked toward the door, and her pupils contracted.
Fu Ling, who had been standing at the doorway, now lay silently on the floor inside the room.
And Qin Chen stood at the door with an expressionless face, pushing the half-open door shut.