When Qin Wan returned from the palace early in the afternoon the next day, Nanny Yu was already waiting at the mansion gate. Upon seeing her, she smiled and said, “Ninth Miss, Miss Meng, and Young Master Meng have been waiting for you for a while!”
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened. “Where are they? Take me to them!”
Nanny Yu smiled and said, “Miss Meng took Young Master Meng to the garden. We originally wanted them to rest in the warm rooms, but Miss Meng said Young Master Meng hadn’t been out for a long time. She also mentioned how beautiful our mansion’s scenery was, so she took Young Master Meng for a walk. Sixth Miss is accompanying them.”
Hearing this, Qin Wan hurriedly followed Nanny Yu toward the mansion’s garden.
Following the winding corridors forward, soon Qin Wan saw several figures standing in the mansion’s garden. Meng Yao wore a light blue pleated jacket and skirt with a lake-blue lotus-patterned brocade cape over it. Beside her stood Young Master Meng Zichen, now dressed in fine clothes that revealed his clear, handsome features. Next to them, Qin Shuang was smiling and saying something.
“Ah, Ninth Sister is back—”
Qin Shuang was the first to spot Qin Wan and quickly called out. Meng Zichen and Meng Yao both turned around, their eyes brightening. Qin Wan hurriedly smiled and went forward to meet them. “I’m late returning. You’ve waited long.”
Meng Yao curtsied in greeting, and Meng Zichen also respectfully cupped his hands in salute to Qin Wan.
“Ninth Sister—”
Qin Wan’s smile deepened. “How is Young Master feeling today?”
Meng Zichen looked at Qin Wan with his beautiful eyes, smiling brightly. “Since taking Ninth Sister’s prescription, I’ve gotten much better. That’s why Sister brought me out today.”
“Much better?”
Qin Wan asked while turning to look at Meng Yao—she would only believe it was truly better if Meng Yao said so.
Meng Yao nodded reassuringly. “What Zichen says is true. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought him out for a walk. These days are still cold—in the past, I would only take him to warm places.”
Only then did Qin Wan believe it. Looking at Meng Zichen again, she said, “This means you must have been good about taking your medicine. Young Master is very impressive!”
Meng Zichen’s smile grew wider. Though he was more frail and mature than other children his age, he was still a child—and what child doesn’t like being praised?
“How long have you been walking? Is Young Master tired?”
Meng Zichen instinctively shook his head, but Qin Wan heard his somewhat hurried breathing. She smiled and said, “Shall we continue later? Let’s sit at Sister’s place first, and I’ll check your pulse.”
Meng Zichen immediately nodded. Meng Yao smiled and said, “He listens to you more now.”
Qin Wan smiled. “Because I’m the doctor. If he doesn’t listen to me, I might prescribe bitter medicine for him—”
Hearing this, Meng Zichen wasn’t afraid. “Even if Ninth Sister’s medicine is bitter, I’ll still drink it.”
Qin Shuang laughed at Meng Zichen’s sweet words and followed Qin Wan’s group to Pine Wind Court. After entering, Fu Ling and Bai Ying served tea. Qin Wan had Meng Yao and her brother sit on the window couch, while Qin Shuang sat beside Qin Wan, watching as she checked Meng Zichen’s pulse. Soon, Qin Wan’s expression lightened as she said, “There is some improvement, but this illness needs gradual treatment and dietary restrictions. I’ll write a new prescription for Young Master—”
Qin Wan spoke while writing a new prescription. After finishing, she also checked Meng Yao’s pulse. However, this time her brows furrowed slightly. “Have you not been sleeping well these past few days?”
Meng Yao smiled bitterly. “You really can tell everything with just one check.”
With this admission, Qin Wan immediately knew something must have happened at the Meng residence again. She asked, “What happened?”
Meng Yao sighed softly. “Yesterday, the Crown Prince of the Rui Prince’s household brought people to our mansion and summoned Third Aunt and Third Brother and Sister-in-law. He questioned them all and even tested whether Third Brother knew martial arts.”
A flash of contemplation passed through Qin Wan’s eyes. She wanted to say something but held back. “And then?”
Meng Yao smiled bitterly. “Naturally, they found nothing. How could Third Brother know martial arts? If Second Brother hadn’t died, one might believe he knew martial arts, but Third Brother is so weak—how could he practice martial arts?”
Hearing this, Qin Wan understood that Yan Chi must have found clues in the paintings that made him suspicious of the third branch. Seeing Meng Zichen present, she hesitated to speak—some things she couldn’t even say to Meng Yao, let alone to Meng Zichen.
“His Highness must have had his reasons for doing this. With the murder case unsolved, naturally, he wants to investigate all possibilities. Since they’ve tested that Third Young Master doesn’t know martial arts, they should be able to rule him out as a suspect.”
Meng Yao sighed. “That’s true. This case depends on the Ministry of Justice and Lin’an Prefecture to investigate.”
“Is this why you can’t sleep well?”
Meng Yao smiled bitterly. “Yes. The prefecture suspects the third branch, and I’ve also thought about it. Second Uncle’s and Big Brother’s deaths were indeed likely done by someone in the household. Thinking about this makes my heart feel blocked.”
Qin Wan looked at her and sighed. “You’re already weak. This won’t do. You should try to do other things to distract yourself, otherwise, even medicine won’t be effective.”
Qin Shuang also said, “Yes, yes, Miss Meng, do other things during the day.” Then, as if remembering something, she said, “I’ve gotten many flower seeds these past few days, preparing to plant flowers. Miss Meng, have you ever planted flowers?”
Meng Yao had a very good nature, and Qin Shuang was lively. Additionally, since coming to the capital, Qin Shuang hadn’t made any friends, so she was very enthusiastic toward Meng Yao. Seeing Qin Shuang’s suggestion, Meng Yao showed some interest and couldn’t politely refuse, so she said, “I’ve never planted flowers myself. What flowers does Sixth Miss plan to plant?”
Hearing this, Qin Shuang eagerly began introducing flowers to Meng Yao. When she heard Meng Yao say she needed to buy flower seeds, Qin Shuang immediately said, “Why do you need to buy any? I have plenty! Come, I’ll get some for you.”
They had been sitting in the room for a while, so Meng Yao looked at Qin Wan, who smiled and said, “Let’s go, I’ll come too.”
Looking at Meng Zichen, who quickly stood up, “I want to go too!”
Thus, the group left Pine Wind Court and headed toward Qin Shuang’s River Moon Court. Qin Shuang and Meng Yao walked in front, with Qin Shuang having opened up and sharing all her knowledge about flower planting. Meng Yao couldn’t refuse and could only listen. Behind them, Qin Wan and Meng Zichen walked side by side. After a few steps, Meng Zichen suddenly spoke.
“Ninth Sister—”
Qin Wan looked at him sideways. “What is it?”
Meng Zichen said softly, “Third Brother sometimes acts strange.”
Qin Wan’s steps halted, and her expression deepened. “How do you know?”
Meng Zichen tilted his head and thought. “It was before the new year when I wasn’t seriously ill yet. That was my last time visiting the third branch to play with Third Brother. At that time, Third Brother was enjoying the cool air in the courtyard with Third Sister-in-law. After I arrived, my Third Aunt brought snacks to serve us in the courtyard. We talked for a while, then Third Brother and I wanted to draw, so we went inside to get paper and brushes. When we came out, we saw Second Uncle and Big Brother outside the courtyard. Third Sister-in-law seemed somewhat frightened, standing up with her head lowered in fear, and… and I saw with my own eyes, Third Brother forcefully snapped the brush in his hand…”
Qin Wan frowned. “Which hand?”
“Left hand.” Meng Zichen was very certain, his brow furrowed and his small face full of confusion. “It was a thick wolf-hair brush. The handle broke, and I saw Third Brother’s hand was red from the splinters, about to bleed. I said something, but Third Brother didn’t care at all. I was shocked because I had always known Third Brother’s left hand couldn’t exert any strength, but at that time he broke the brush.”
Many possibilities flashed through Qin Wan’s mind. “Then what happened?”
Meng Zichen pressed his lips together and said, “I was a bit scared then because Third Brother’s expression wasn’t good, and Third Sister-in-law was acting strange too, so I went home. Then I got sick and never went to play with them again.”
After thinking for a moment, Qin Wan looked into Meng Zichen’s clear eyes and asked softly, “Why are you telling me all this?”
Meng Zichen secretly glanced at Meng Yao’s back. “Because… because I told Sister about this at the time, but Sister didn’t believe me at all… Sister knows better than I do that Third Brother’s hand was disabled after his injury. Usually, when we eat together, Third Brother’s left-hand trembles even holding a teacup lid, let alone other things. That day when we went to get paper and brushes, he held the paper roll with his right hand and only a brush in his left hand. If someone else told me this, I wouldn’t believe it either, but I saw it with my own eyes.”
Qin Wan frowned and looked toward Meng Yao. When Meng Zichen first told this, naturally Meng Yao didn’t believe it, but after Yan Chi brought people to investigate the third branch family, Meng Yao recalled what Meng Zichen had said, which was why she was now restless and unable to sleep.
Qin Wan sighed inwardly. This matter had likely become a psychological burden for Meng Yao. Although Yan Chi hadn’t discovered anything, she still had suspicions, yet she had no way to verify them, needlessly giving herself more worries.
Seeing Qin Wan silent, Meng Zichen anxiously said, “Ninth Sister, you don’t believe me either?”
“I believe you.” Qin Wan looked at Meng Zichen. “But you don’t need to think too much about this, alright? And your sister—she’s simple-minded, it’s normal that she doesn’t believe it.”
Meng Zichen nodded repeatedly. “I still remember Third Brother’s eyes were very fierce then. I had never seen him like that. He was staring so hard at Second Uncle and Big Brother, I didn’t know why. I only knew Fourth Uncle and Second Uncle had conflicts…”
Qin Wan couldn’t help but recall Meng Ziyi at the court that day. Though he was holding Madam Xu’s hand, his face was full of tension, hunched and withdrawn, appearing somewhat timid and weak.
Could such a person have such fierce eyes that would frighten Meng Zichen?
Qin Wan’s mind was full of questions. Meng Zichen tugged at Qin Wan’s sleeve. “Ninth Sister, are the mansion’s matters related to Third Brother?”
Qin Wan smiled slightly and reassured him, “I don’t know either, but you did right to tell me these things. Let’s wait a bit—the authorities will investigate and get results. Then you’ll know. You’re just a child; after saying these things, don’t keep them in your heart, alright?”
Meng Zichen nodded, and Qin Wan asked again, “Then what did you think of your Third Brother before?”
“Third Brother is timid and doesn’t like to talk, maybe because of his stutter. I don’t like seeing people when I’m uncomfortable because of my asthma, let alone him. But he treats me and Sister very well, and so do Third Aunt and Third Sister-in-law—they’re all good to us. That was the only time I saw him when he was angry.”
Meng Ziyi wasn’t incapable of anger; he just hadn’t reached his breaking point.
Just as Qin Wan was thinking this, Meng Yao turned around ahead. “What are you two talking about?”
To talk, Qin Wan and Meng Zichen had stopped walking and fallen behind quite a bit. Hearing this, Qin Wan pulled Meng Zichen forward, saying, “I was discussing with Young Master whether he could plant flowers.” Then she added, “You can plant flowers, but be careful not to get pollen on you in spring. Those things might make you uncomfortable.”
Meng Yao nodded, glancing at Meng Zichen. Seeing no unusual expression on his face, she finally felt relieved.
Qin Shuang led everyone to River Moon Court and generously shared flower seeds with Meng Yao. The group sat there for a while longer, with Qin Wan choosing other topics to discuss. Meng Zichen and Meng Yao temporarily forgot about the Meng family matters. When they saw it was getting late, Meng Yao finally left with Meng Zichen.
After they left, Qin Wan returned to Pine Wind Court. She walked to her writing desk and took out the brushes from the brush holder one by one. Meng Zichen was Meng Zhou’s son, and both he and Meng Yao were very well educated. Because of this, he wouldn’t mistake a thin wolf-hair brush for a thick one. So Qin Wan selected all the brushes that could be considered thick wolf-hair brushes and tested them one by one. She found that even using all her strength, she could only break the thinnest of the thick wolf-hair brushes.
Qin Wan then gave the brushes to Fu Ling, who tried them all and achieved similar results. Then, Qin Wan gave the brushes to Bai Ying, a martial artist with considerable strength. In her hands, the brush handles all broke.
Fu Ling and Bai Ying didn’t understand why Qin Wan was doing this. Qin Wan only asked Bai Ying, “Was it difficult?”
Bai Ying nodded. “The better brush handles are made of hard green bamboo, and these thick wolf-hair brush handles are also very thick. Just now, if I hadn’t used some internal force, this servant wouldn’t have been able to break them.”
Hearing this, the questions in Qin Wan’s mind became clear. If Meng Ziyi were a normal adult man like Yan Chi or Qin Yan, since men naturally have greater strength than women, breaking a brush might not be anything special. But for Meng Ziyi, it was very strange. Moreover, Meng Ziyi’s left hand was injured, and everyone in the Meng household knew his left hand was weak—he even struggled to hold a teacup, let alone break a brush handle with his bare hands.
If so, where did the problem lie?
Meng Zichen said that at the time, the father and son Meng Wei stood outside the third branch’s courtyard, and Madam Xu was very nervous.
Qin Wan frowned and thought for a moment. Adding what was seen in the paintings, she became increasingly certain that the relationship between the second and third branches wasn’t so simple. However, how could such a private matter be verified?
“Bai Ying, prepare to send a letter to His Highness—”
After speaking, Qin Wan quickly wrote a short letter and handed it to Bai Ying. Bai Ying summoned a messenger hawk and quickly sent the letter out. After waiting for about two hours, the hawk returned to the rear hall of Pine Wind Court. Bai Ying retrieved the letter and gave it to Qin Wan. As Qin Wan opened and read it, a glint of strategy flashed in her eyes. “Tomorrow, we shall pay a visit to the Meng residence.”