On a dark and windy night, a black cat agilely darted onto a rooftop. It walked lightly along the eaves where a snow-white Siamese cat was resting. Hearing the movement, the Siamese cat opened its eyes alertly. Upon seeing the black cat, the Siamese cat slightly arched its back, its fur standing on end as it snarled and hissed. Before one could blink, the black cat pounced, its sharp front claws gouging out the Siamese cat’s bright blue eyes while its teeth bit into the Siamese cat’s neck. The Siamese cat let out a miserable cry, then tumbled off the eaves.
A woman inside the house heard the commotion and came out wearing a hastily donned robe. She was immediately terrified: “Li Nu! Li Nu!”
The Siamese cat lay on its back, its eye sockets bloody hollows, its limbs futilely clawing upward as it shrieked in agony. Within moments, it stopped breathing. The woman couldn’t help but look up. On the eaves, the black cat was chewing on the dead Siamese cat’s eyeballs, its eerie green eyes gazing at the woman with satisfaction. But the woman seemed not to see it at all, instead turning her head and bewilderedly searching for the culprit: “Who killed Li Nu? Who?”
The black cat gave a smug growl, then continued along the eaves, darting onto the roof of another house.
In the study of Cui Manor, Li Ying was bent over a desk, working on something. It was already the third watch of the night, and she was drowsy with sleep, but she still forced herself to stay awake as she worked at the desk. About half an hour later, she finally sighed with relief: “It’s done.”
Just as she spoke, there came a knocking sound from outside the wooden door. Li Ying jumped with fright: “Who’s there?”
But then she found her question amusing—in this Cui Manor, besides Cui Xun, who else could see her?
She got up and went to open the door with a smile. In the moonlight, Cui Xun stood outside, slender as bamboo, beautiful as cold jade.
He said, “I heard some movement in the study and thought you might not have retired yet.”
“I haven’t,” Li Ying said forthrightly. “I was making something to give to you.”
Cui Xun was taken aback: “For me?”
“Yes.” Li Ying led him into the study where, on the desk, lay a wooden crossbow with his old bow mounted in the middle of the stock.
Li Ying picked up the wooden crossbow and gripped the curved handle at the back, turning it to gradually tighten the bowstring of the old bow. When she triggered the mechanism, the bowstring sprang forward. Li Ying said, “With this wooden crossbow, you can use your old bow again.”
She handed the crossbow to Cui Xun: “Try it.”
Cui Xun took it. The other day, when she had asked him for his old bow, he had said that since it was a bow he could no longer draw, what harm was there in giving it to her? She had replied that he would be able to draw it.
Cui Xun couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart. He lowered his head, staring at the wooden crossbow in his hands: “So when you asked for my old bow, it was to convert it into a crossbow.”
Li Ying sheepishly scratched her earlobe: “I was being a bit presumptuous, but I thought that rather than having the old bow hanging in your room, making you sad every time you see it, it would be better to modify it so you could use it.”
As she spoke, she grew nervous: “I know this bow has significant meaning for you. If you’re unhappy with it, I can change it back.”
“No need to change it back.” Cui Xun suddenly looked up and smiled slightly: “I like it very much.”
This was the first time he had ever said such words to Li Ying. As he spoke, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and there seemed to be a hint of warmth melting the frosty coldness in his eyes. Li Ying was stunned. She lowered her head, again embarrassedly scratching her earlobe, wanting to say something but unable to find the words. Finally, she simply asked with her head down: “By the way, why did you come looking for me so late? Is something the matter?”
Cui Xun nodded, and Li Ying led him to sit at the desk. On the ebony desk burned a brazier filled with charcoal, and atop the brazier simmered a white-glazed medicinal pot. Li Ying took down the white-glazed pot and ladled out a bowl of dark medicinal broth: “Ginger and licorice soup, Sun Simiao’s recipe, good for dispelling cold.”
Cui Xun couldn’t help but look down at the black crane-feather robe wrapped tightly around him. He pressed his lips together and silently accepted the medicinal soup, using a jade spoon to take a sip. The medicine was sweet upon entering his mouth, going straight to his heart. Cui Xun drank a mouthful and said: “Today I had a confrontation with Shen Que. You must be especially careful in the coming days.”
“Me? Be careful?” Li Ying was puzzled. “But Shen Que can’t see me.”
“He can’t see you, but someone can.”
“Who?” Li Ying probed. “Do you mean…”
Cui Xun nodded: “Jiang Liang.” He paused, then added: “And the cat ghost he keeps.”
Li Ying recalled how the cat ghost had nearly torn her throat open that day, and she couldn’t help but feel lingering fear: “But what is the relationship between Jiang Liang and Shen Que? Could it be…”
Cui Xun nodded: “The Empress Dowager’s elm-plume headdress was stolen from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, and the female official guarding the storehouse died from fear of punishment. This matter was certainly not planned by Jiang Liang alone; there must be someone else of high status involved. The person I suspect most is Shen Que.”
Li Ying suddenly remembered something: “When I was tracking Pei Guanyue that day, Shen Que was there too. He said something very strange—he said that soon, he and Pei Guanyue wouldn’t need to guess what mother was thinking. Why wouldn’t he need to guess what his mother was thinking? Unless he plans to harm Mother with the cat ghost!”
Cui Xun frowned in deep thought: “It seems it is indeed Shen Que.”
He was so lost in thought that he stopped drinking the ginger and licorice soup. The wooden window in the study wasn’t closed tightly, and the cold night wind blew through the gaps. Cui Xun couldn’t help but cough lightly. Li Ying tapped on the desk and said, “The case is important, but your health is more important.”
Cui Xun smiled slightly. He used the jade spoon to sip the ginger and licorice soup, one mouthful after another, and soon the celadon medicinal bowl was empty. Only then did Li Ying smile. She got up, closed the wooden window, then returned to the ebony desk and said: “Now tell me, what have you figured out?”
Cui Xun set down the celadon bowl and said, “Shen Que resents the Empress Dowager for Lady Shen’s death. Jiang Liang resents the Empress Dowager for Wan Xiang’s death. But Wan Xiang’s death is also inextricably linked to Lady Shen.” He paused, then said: “If my guess is correct, Jiang Liang not only wants to take revenge on the Empress Dowager but also Lady Shen’s only son. After escaping from the palace, he lay low for decades and finally succeeded in creating the cat ghost. So he exploited Shen Que’s desire for revenge and colluded with him to harm the Empress Dowager. If they succeed, he can continue to use the cat ghost to take revenge on Shen Que. If they fail, his death matters little, but Shen Que will be dragged down with him, bearing the charge of conspiring to harm the Empress Dowager and accompanying him in death.”
Li Ying listened in astonishment: “Jiang Liang is so calculating. Hasn’t Shen Que realized this?”
“I think Shen Que has gone mad,” Cui Xun said quietly. “Knowing that his mother and sister were killed by the Empress Dowager, yet unable to take revenge, only able to survive by the Empress Dowager’s grace—if he were simply numb, that would be better, but this man has lofty ambitions. So even if he sees through Jiang Liang’s intentions, he’s willing to be used by him.”
Li Ying frowned slightly: “Then what will he do next? Continue to use the cat ghost to harm mother?”
Before Cui Xun could answer, he suddenly felt a chill. He pulled his crane-feather robe tighter and coughed twice, then said: “If all goes well, everything can end tonight.”
Li Ying didn’t quite understand, but Cui Xun picked up the wooden crossbow she had made from the desk and said: “This will come in handy.”
Li Ying looked at him in confusion, about to ask what he meant, when Cui Xun hushed her. He then took out a sharply whittled peach wood arrow from his sleeve and placed it on the bowstring. He gripped the curved handle of the crossbow and turned it, gradually tightening the bowstring. He aimed the crossbow at the window and watched intently for a long time. Li Ying dared not breathe. Suddenly, a misty black shadow appeared on the window screen. As the shadow leaped toward the window, Cui Xun triggered the mechanism, and the peach wood arrow shot forward, piercing the shadow clean through.
Li Ying heard a painful wail. She hurriedly got up and opened the window to look. On the ground, a black cat with its abdomen pierced by the arrow was rolling and screeching. Li Ying exclaimed in surprise: “The cat ghost!”
Seeing that it had been discovered by the two, the cat ghost disregarded its severe injury and staggered away, dragging its wounded body. Li Ying was about to give chase when Cui Xun said: “No need. I’ll take the guards to pursue it. You wait for me here.”
Li Ying stopped in her tracks. Cui Xun didn’t want her to give chase, surely out of concern for her safety. So she nodded: “All right.”
Cui Xun had already opened the door. He was still holding the wooden crossbow, the familiar cool temperature of the old bow in his palm. He suddenly stopped, turned back, and said two words to Li Ying:
“Thank you.”
Cui Xun, leading the Investigation Bureau guards, followed the cat ghost’s blood trail to a large mansion in Anren Ward. Cui Xun looked up at the characters “Duke Shen’s Mansion” on the plaque, furrowed his brow, and waved for the guards to surge forward. The fierce-looking guards kicked open the vermilion main gate. Cui Xun led his men, following the red blood trail to Shen Que’s bedroom.
Shen Que had already put on clothes and gotten up. When he saw Cui Xun, he was stunned: “Cui Xun?”
Cui Xun pushed him aside and stepped into the bedroom. Shen Que was momentarily dumbfounded, then angrily said: “Cui Xun, you break into a duke’s mansion at night—what are you trying to do?”
But Cui Xun didn’t want to waste words with him. The blood trail disappeared once it reached the bedroom. Cui Xun searched around, his gaze finally settling on a yellow-glazed plum vase on the desk. Seeing this, Shen Que became somewhat flustered. He stood in front of Cui Xun, outwardly fierce but inwardly fearful: “Cui Xun, you dare to break into my mansion—this is completely lawless!”
Cui Xun looked at him with disgust and said coldly, “The Empress Dowager has ordered me to investigate the cat ghost case. Princes and nobles alike may be arrested first and questioned later. If you have any objections, take them to the Empress Dowager!”
Shen Que was taken aback, then sneered: “Don’t try to pressure me with the Empress Dowager! I am His Majesty’s cousin—how dare a mere male favorite like you insult me?”
Cui Xun couldn’t be bothered to waste words with him. He glanced at the guards beside him, who understood and moved forward to pull Shen Que away. Shen Que was furious and shouted at the dumbfounded servants outside: “These people have gone too far! Are you all dead?”
The servants finally reacted and surged forward to confront the guards. The guards drew their swords from their scabbards: “The Investigation Bureau is conducting an investigation—who dares to interfere?”
Amid the commotion, Cui Xun had already walked to the desk. He tried to lift the yellow-glazed plum vase but found it was embedded in the desk and couldn’t be moved. He frowned, rotated his hands around the vase, and after a click, a secret chamber suddenly appeared before everyone.