“Master, everything you ordered has been arranged. We’ll act tonight. Would Master like to go see for herself?” Manager Zhong’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Such a spectacular scene, naturally I want to witness it. However, it’s inconvenient for someone of my status to stay out for long. Perhaps I should find a way to get my father’s approval first.”
Qin Yining’s fair hands, adorned with a hibiscus jade bracelet, caressed the white porcelain teacup. Her pink and lustrous nails tapped lightly against the cup wall as she suddenly smiled. “Never mind. My father is wise and resourceful. Trying to hide things from him or temporarily deceive him wouldn’t be wise.”
Manager Zhong nodded approvingly and smiled. “In this old man’s opinion, Master might as well go directly to the Marquis and tell him the truth. Otherwise, causing misunderstandings would be even worse.”
“Exactly so.” Qin Yining then carefully confirmed a series of arrangements with Manager Zhong in low voices before returning to the mansion.
In the afternoon, Qin Yining brought Ji Yun to the outer courtyard study.
Qi Tai was crouched by the corridor’s potted plants, trimming the branches and leaves of a jasmine plant. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Qin Yining approaching, quickly bowing in greeting. “Fourth Miss.”
“Is Father in?”
“The Marquis is indeed present. This servant will immediately go inform him.”
Qi Tai set down his pruning shears, turned to lift the light blue bamboo door curtain and entered the room. Soon after, he came out to respectfully invite Qin Yining inside.
The study remained unchanged. Qin Huaiyuan wore casual light gray fine cotton robes, sitting cross-legged on an arhat couch by the window reading. Seeing Qin Yining enter, he smiled. “Yining has come. Please sit.”
Qin Yining sat on the other side of the square table, waved to dismiss the servants, then said, “Father, your daughter has a good performance she’d like to invite you to watch.”
Qin Huaiyuan looked up in surprise, setting down his book. The blue cover bore the two characters “Zuo Zhuan.”
“Your daughter has set up the stage and found the actors. Everything is ready except for Father as an audience member. Would you like to come watch with your daughter?”
Looking at that fox-like smile on Qin Yining’s face—so similar to his own in youth—Qin Huaiyuan couldn’t help but laugh. “Come now, tell me, who are you scheming against this time?”
At evening in Cixiao Garden, the Old Madam sat cross-legged on the arhat couch in a sullen mood, holding a brass pipe with a green jade mouthpiece in her hand, yet hadn’t taken a single puff for quite some time.
Sun Shi, Second Madam, and Third Madam stood to one side.
Third Miss, Sixth Miss, Seventh Miss, Eighth Miss, and Qin Huining all gathered around her, either standing or sitting, trying to amuse her with jokes and laughter to cheer the Old Madam up.
“…I’m also preparing to make soft shoes for Grandmother to wear indoors. The patterns are already sketched out. I’ll bring them for you to see later. If you don’t like them, I’ll alter them.” Qin Huining took the Old Madam’s arm and smiled.
Though the Old Madam’s attitude toward Qin Huining wasn’t the same as before, for Cao Yuqing’s sake, she had grown considerably closer to her.
On any other day, she would have already been smiling, but now she remained displeased, pushing away Qin Huining’s hand and casually handing her tobacco pipe to Nanny Qin, who was attending nearby.
“What exactly did they say? Everything was fine, then suddenly they’re so busy. What matter requires taking Yining out with him? It’s been so many days since she came to pay her respects to me! I think he’s almost forgotten he still has me as his mother!”
“How could that be? The Marquis is so busy—others might not know, but how could the Old Madam not know?” Nanny Qin smiled consolingly.
Qin Huining also said, “Yes, Grandmother, don’t be angry. Besides, Madam was ill recently, so it’s natural for the Marquis to care for her more.”
The Old Madam glared at Sun Shi and snorted coldly.
Though Sun Shi no longer held expectations for Qin Huining, seeing her disregard years of affection and continue badmouthing her before the Old Madam still left her deeply disappointed.
But she had always been fiery-tempered—how could she yield to anyone?
“Old Madam needn’t mind. The Marquis is not only busy with government affairs, but household matters also have their limits. Moreover, Yining is exceptionally intelligent, and the Marquis delights in how she resembles him. This daughter-in-law sees that the Marquis almost treats Yining like a son in his guidance. Today there’s probably some serious matter that required taking Yining along, leaving no time to visit the inner quarters.”
Though Sun Shi spoke with a smile, every word struck at the hearts of the Old Madam and Qin Huining.
Their son (father) focused all his attention on court affairs, and when he had leisure time, he doted on Qin Yining, leaving them all behind. But Sun Shi wasn’t wrong—Qin Yining did indeed resemble her father and was more worthy of cultivation.
The Old Madam snorted coldly. “Give her three colors and she thinks she can open a dye shop.”
“Fortunately, I raised such a good daughter back then. I’m not as blessed as the Old Madam with children and grandchildren surrounding her. I only have Yining as a daughter. If she were unfilial, whom could I depend on?” Sun Shi returned the cold smile, looking mockingly at Qin Huining.
Qin Huining bit her lip, her lowered eyes hiding her resentment. Indeed, only Qin Yining was the biological daughter—she no longer counted as Sun Shi’s daughter. Since Sun Shi was unkind, she couldn’t be blamed for being unrighteous!
As Qin Huining hung her head appearing wronged and silent, her mind was already formulating plans.
Naturally, Qin Yining and Qin Huaiyuan knew nothing of the household disputes, and Qin Yining had no idea that Qin Huaiyuan’s regard for her had stirred jealousy in the Old Madam and Qin Huining.
At the third watch of the night, just after the night drum had sounded, a fire broke out in a residence on Yongkang Street in Bei Juxian Ward.
Fortunately, this location was close to both the Fire Brigade Bureau and the Five Cities Military Commissioner. Soon, people from the Fire Brigade Bureau arrived pushing water carts, rushing in to extinguish the flames.
Who would have thought that just as they sprayed water on the fire, it blazed up with a “whoosh,” burning even more fiercely as if a pot of hot oil had been poured on it.
The Fire Brigade Bureau men watched in panic, hurriedly continuing to spray water to extinguish the fire. But the more water they sprayed, the more vigorous the flames became. Only then did they realize something was wrong and hastily checked their water cart, discovering that someone had somehow poured oil into it. Because oil is lighter than water, the floating layer they had just pumped out for firefighting was actually all oil! The remaining water in the cart still had a thin layer of oil floating on top.
Thus, what had been an accidental fire became deliberate arson.
Both the Five Cities Military Commissioner’s men and the Fire Brigade Bureau people grew anxious. The fire that had just been fed by oil now spread throughout the entire inner courtyard.
The flames grew more and more intense. Though there was hope of extinguishing them, surely the people in the courtyard couldn’t just wait inside to be burned to death?
Tall men kept running out of the courtyard in disheveled clothing, and occasionally women’s screams could be heard.
Qin Yining and Qin Huaiyuan, wrapped in black cloaks, hid their entire forms in the shadows of the back alley.
Manager Zhong ran over and whispered, “Master, it’s done!”
Qin Yining whispered back, “Good. Make sure to guard the front and back alleys well. Tell our people not to hold back—capture everyone who comes out. First dislocate their jaws to prevent them from biting their tongues to commit suicide. For those who run fast, simply break their legs. While they’re busy fighting the fire inside and the outside doesn’t know yet, capture all these people and send them to the place we prepared beforehand.”
“Yes! Master can rest assured!” Manager Zhong rubbed his hands together and hurried off.
Qin Huaiyuan smiled and looked down at his daughter standing beside him. “We should go too.”
“Yes, Father.”
The figures of father and daughter then quietly melted into the depths of the alley.