On the vividly colored stage, as the curtain falls for the first time, the lingering melody fills the air with a festive atmosphere. The large red “Double Happiness” character on the door of the chamber flaps in the wind, emitting a rustling sound. One can see a beautifully dressed maid lying on a carved wooden bed through the doorway. However, her large almond eyes are lifeless, staring blankly. Her delicate dress is torn and disheveled, her face and body covered in bruises, and crimson blood flows from the back of her head, staining the brocade beneath her.
Xiao Du’s expression is grim. It’s difficult for anyone to maintain a cheerful demeanor when a murder has occurred amid wedding celebrations. And when he discovers that the person sitting beside the corpse, disheveled and bewildered, is his cousin, General Zheng Long of the Xiao family’s military guard, his expression darkens even further.
At this moment, a chaotic crowd is gathered at the door, some covering their eyes in horror, others daringly peeking inside, and others clamoring to report the incident to the authorities. Xiao Du clenches his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms. Finally, he manages to calm himself down. He quickly locates the steward, Zhou Jingyuan, amidst the crowd and asks, “Have all the guests in the front yard left?”
Zhou Jingyuan hurriedly replies, “As soon as Lady Wang heard about this, she arranged for them to leave one by one. Some guests who were supposed to stay overnight have also been sent to the farthest Pear Fragrance Courtyard by Lady Wang.”
Xiao Du breathes a sigh of relief. His aunt has always handled such matters well. He looks around and notices that the onlookers are all servants and attendants from the mansion. He sternly asks, “Who was shouting about murder just now?” The surrounding area immediately falls silent, everyone looking at each other, no one daring to speak up. Xiao Du, annoyed, waves his hand impatiently and commands, “All of you, go back!”
With their master’s command issued, the servants dispersed slowly. However, Xiao Du squints his eyes and spots his newlywed wife, Yuan Xi, who should have been waiting for him in their new chamber. Yuan Xi stands at the edge of the crowd, her gaze fixed on the corpse. Xiao Du tries to detect fear or disgust on her face but only sees her furrowing her brows as if deeply pondering something. Moreover, there’s a hint of excitement in that focused expression, similar to when she was staring at his body just now!
Xiao Du quickly shakes his head, dismissing the strange thought. However, he can’t shake off his curiosity: why would a daughter of a noble family, who should have been sheltered in the inner chambers, show such an expression in the presence of a gruesome corpse?
Yuan Xi stared blankly for a long time. It wasn’t until her sleeve was nearly torn by the frightened little maid, Anhe, that she finally came to her senses and looked up. She inadvertently met another probing gaze, which startled her so much that her heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head in shame. As a new bride caught in such a scene, it was hardly a dignified situation. She quickly put on an innocent look, covered her face, and hurried back to her room. Xiao Du’s gaze lingered on her retreating figure for a moment before he turned around and glared fiercely at Zheng Long inside the house.
It was only then that Zheng Long realized the situation. He jumped off the bed, grabbed Xiao Du’s arm, and shouted, “Marquis, I didn’t do anything!”
With a grim face, Xiao Du shook off his hand and strode over to the corpse. Upon close inspection, he saw that beneath the tattered skirt was a pair of bare legs. The once smooth and fair skin was now covered in bruises and some sticky white substance. Xiao Du turned back, gritting his teeth, and said, “Didn’t do anything? Really?”
Zheng Long hung his head in shame and muttered, “I was with her, but I didn’t kill her!” Before he could finish speaking, a heavy slap landed on his face. Xiao Du, seething with rage, pointed at his nose and roared, “I asked you, were you drunk just now? Do you remember what you did?”
Covering his face, Zheng Long replied in grievance, “I did drink a bit too much. This girl helped me to my room and kept teasing me. I lost control and went along with it. Later, I fell asleep… but I didn’t kill her!”
Xiao Du fought the urge to beat him up and said coldly, “Three years ago on Xiaoping Mountain, you were also dead drunk and dragged a village girl into your tent. She fought you off, and if I hadn’t intervened, who knows what you would’ve done! Can you honestly say you did nothing this time?”
Zheng Long was stunned by his outburst, his head throbbing with pain as he struggled to recall what had happened. With a tearful expression, he said, “It was this girl who seduced me first. I didn’t kill her, you have to believe me.”
Xiao Du, his chest aching with fury, was about to give him a good beating to vent his anger when he suddenly smelled a mix of sandalwood and medicinal herbs coming from outside. His expression changed abruptly, and he quickly looked towards the door.
At the entrance stood a delicate and beautiful woman, wearing a dark sandalwood-colored cloud-patterned robe, panting heavily while supported by a Nanny. Upon seeing the person on the bed, her face turned deathly pale as she clutched her chest. Fortunately, the Nanny beside her held her up, preventing her from collapsing to the ground.
Xiao Du hurried over, taking her hand gently. “Mother, why are you here?” he asked softly. Then, turning to the Nanny beside her, he barked, “Nanny Yu, you’ve been with Mother for years. How could you bring her here so late knowing she’s not well?”
Princess Rui’an merely waved her hand dismissively, her voice weak but cold. “My maid is dead. How could I not come and see?” Xiao Du, choked by his mother’s words, wanted to say something but dared not speak further, sulking silently to the side.
The princess took a moment to steady her breath, then fixed her gaze firmly on Zheng Long, demanding sternly, “Was it you who killed Ping’er?” Despite his years of battle experience, Zheng Long shuddered at her words and quickly protested, “Aunt, you must believe me, I truly didn’t do it!”
“Silence!” Xiao Du snapped, glaring at him. He then took off his coat and draped it over his mother, speaking softly, “The night is windy, Mother. Please take care of yourself. I’ll handle this, and I’ll give you an answer by morning.”
Princess Rui’an’s expression softened slightly. She spoke gently, “Ping’er served me for many years. Today, on your wedding day, I lent her to help out, but who would have thought…” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked up. Nanny Yu quickly handed her a handkerchief, which the princess used to wipe her tears. After a few soft coughs, she fixed her gaze on Xiao Du. “I know he’s your cousin and your trusted general. I won’t force you, but this matter must be clarified. I cannot let Ping’er die unjustly.” With that, she let Nanny Yu support her as she turned to leave.
Watching his mother’s retreating figure, Xiao Du felt the situation growing increasingly complicated. Just then, Zhou Jingyuan hurried over, saying, “Marquis, the lord is asking for you immediately.” Xiao Du’s brows furrowed, realizing that there was no hiding this matter from his father. He quickly led Zheng Long to Fenghe Courtyard, where the old Marquis resided.
Since stepping down from his title, Old Marquis Xiao Yunjing spent his days gardening, reading, and practicing calligraphy, even creating a small Xiang bamboo grove behind his study. Though it was already past midnight, the reflections of the scattered bamboo in the Autumn Fragrance Pond resembled a star-studded sky, a scene of utmost elegance. Xiao Du and Zheng Long, however, had no interest in the midnight scenery. They hurriedly crossed the covered walkway and entered Xiao Yunjing’s study.
Turning past a painted screen of flowers and birds, Xiao Yunjing sat behind a huanghuali wood desk carved with auspicious patterns. Beside him was a freshly brewed cup of tea, and serving him tea was a woman with delicate makeup, her hair adorned with golden hairpins. She wore a narrow-sleeved jacket of misty hues, her eyes showing slight wrinkles, yet her charm was undiminished. Xiao Du glanced over and quickly grasped the situation. He bowed to the two and greeted, “Father, Aunt Wang.”
Aunt Wang stood up immediately upon seeing him and grasped his hand. “Tonight is supposed to be a happy occasion for you, so how could something like this happen!” Tears welled up in her eyes as she sighed repeatedly, her face filled with worry. Zheng Long, standing to the side, felt increasingly uncomfortable, wishing he could slap himself.
“Enough,” Xiao Yunjing said to Aunt Wang from behind the desk. “Shuyao, you should go back to your room. You’ve been exhausted from all the preparations for Du’er’s wedding. Get some rest.”
Aunt Wang shook her head quickly. “We’re family; what’s there to be exhausted about? Should I inform my brother? If this blows up, he can be prepared.”
“No need,” Xiao Du said calmly. “It’s just a maid who died. No need to trouble Official Wang.” Aunt Wang glanced at Xiao Yunjing’s expression, then smiled and said, “I was being overly concerned. I’ll leave you to discuss this.” She bowed and left the room.
Once Aunt Wang closed the door and dismissed the servants outside, Xiao Yunjing asked Xiao Du, “Who is the deceased?”
“It’s Mother’s maid, Ping’er,” Xiao Du replied.
Xiao Yunjing took a sip of tea and asked with his eyes closed, “What do you plan to do?”
Xiao Du frowned. “Under normal circumstances, we could suppress it, but today the mansion is full of guests. It’s hard to keep things quiet. I’ve ordered that no one is to approach that room. We’ll deal with it at dawn.”
Xiao Yunjing sighed and turned his gaze to Zheng Long, who immediately knelt, tears streaming down his face. “Uncle, I was wrong, but I didn’t kill anyone!”
Xiao Yunjing shook his head and sighed again. “Do you realize that as the General of the Xiao Army, many eyes are on you now that you’re back in the capital? If this incident is exploited, it won’t just be you who suffers.”
Zheng Long finally realized the gravity of the situation. Could someone be manipulating events behind the scenes? He felt a chill down his spine, filled with regret and fear, and dared not argue further.
Xiao Du stepped forward to reassure his father. “Father, don’t worry. I will investigate this thoroughly and ensure the Xiao Army is not implicated.”
Xiao Yunjing closed his eyes, appearing extremely tired. “As long as you understand. Handle this matter properly. And remember, tonight was supposed to be a joyous occasion. Make sure to comfort your wife and not frighten her.” Xiao Du thought of Yuan Xi’s reaction to seeing the corpse and felt that this wouldn’t be difficult. He nodded, agreeing, and left the room with Zheng Long.
Following behind Xiao Du, Zheng Long hesitated for a while before summoning the courage to ask, “Marquis, should we return to the bridal chamber?”
“Return to what?!” Xiao Du snapped, unable to contain his anger, and kicked Zheng Long. However, neither of them noticed the shadow in the Xiang bamboo grove behind them. As they walked away, the shadow quietly moved east and vanished into the night.
The fourth watch drum sounded “dong,” echoing through the cold and desolate night around the incident’s room, creating an eerie atmosphere. Suddenly, two shadows appeared under the gauze lantern outside, peering into the room by moonlight.
After a while, a timid female voice trembled, “Miss, we should go back. It’ll be bad if someone finds us.” It was none other than Yuan Xi’s maid, Anhe.
Yuan Xi quickly gestured for her to be quiet, her own heart pounding with fear. She knew that if they waited until morning, once others entered the room, it might be impossible to verify many things. Knowing Xiao Du wouldn’t return to their room tonight, she couldn’t hold back any longer. After Nanny Li fell asleep, she brought Anhe to the room’s door.
She pushed the door tentatively and found it unlocked. Delighted, she whispered to Anhe, “Stay here and keep watch. If anything happens, call me immediately.” Seeing Anhe on the verge of tears, she reassured her, “Don’t worry, the people in the Marquis’ Mansion are exhausted. No one will come to this haunted room.”
Anhe reluctantly nodded, hugging herself as she stood guard at the door. Yuan Xi carefully lifted her skirt and entered the room, lighting a candle to examine the bed.
At that moment, a voice came from the doorway. “Why isn’t my wife in our room, and what is she doing here?”
Yuan Xi was so frightened she nearly screamed. The candle slipped from her hand, plunging the room into darkness…