Since the seventh day after death had not yet passed, several mourning banners had been hung in Concubine Cai’s room. The pale white cloth strips swayed and fluttered constantly in the cold wind pouring in through the doorway, looking from afar like soul-summoning talismans, accompanying the wind’s voice in narrating unwillingness and grievance.

Following Xiao Du’s orders, no one was permitted to enter this room after Concubine Cai’s death, so except for the calligraphy copybooks on the floor that Xiao Du had collected, the fallen flower stand, the chaos scattered everywhere, and even the desk that Concubine Cai had crawled across, everything remained unchanged from that day.

Yuanxi followed behind Xiao Du as they stepped into the room. Upon entering, she immediately felt some chill creep up the back of her neck, making her involuntarily shiver. Xiao Du noticed her discomfort and turned to ask, “What’s wrong? Are you very cold?”

Yuanxi shook her head, but her gaze fell upon the charcoal brazier placed beside the bed. She pulled her outer garment closer and slowly walked over, discovering some unburned charcoal remnants inside. She turned to ask Xiao Du, “When you came in that day, was this brazier lit?”

Xiao Du thought for a moment, then shook his head. “The fire had already died out, but it had obviously just been burning recently, because there was still some smell lingering in the room, and the brazier body was still warm.”

Yuanxi turned around and said, “I just find this matter rather unusual. Concubine Cai died just after mid-autumn, and I remember those few days were still somewhat hot and dry – there was no need to burn a charcoal brazier for warmth. Moreover, she was already preparing to leave the mansion at that time, so why would she think to go to the storehouse to fetch charcoal to burn before her death?”

Xiao Du frowned. “It is indeed somewhat strange. What do you think the reason might have been?”

Yuanxi slowly walked to the window and stared at the yellow pear wood flower stand that was positioned right against the window frame, examining it up and down for a long time. She then crouched down to inspect it carefully before standing up and pointing to the base of the flower stand. “If I’m not mistaken, there should have been a puddle of water here at that time.”

Xiao Du recalled more carefully and nodded. “There was indeed a puddle of water. At the time, I only thought it was water spilled from the flower pot, so I didn’t pay it much attention. Why do you think there’s a problem here?”

Yuanxi pointed to the foot of the flower stand. “There are obviously traces here of being soaked by water. If it had spilled from above, the entire flower stand should have water marks – why is it only here?” Without waiting for Xiao Du’s answer, she continued in one breath, “And don’t you find it strange? Why did this flower stand fall so conveniently, just perfectly blocking the window, making us conclude that the murderer couldn’t possibly have entered or exited from here?”

Xiao Du began to understand. “You’re saying this was all deliberately arranged by someone.”

Yuanxi nodded, her face showing some excitement. “Exactly. Actually, this method isn’t too complex – anyone could have done it. The murderer only needed to climb in through the window from outside, kill Concubine Cai, then place a block of ice under the foot of the flower stand, and then light the charcoal brazier in the room. When the brazier fire burned vigorously, the ice block would slowly melt, and without support, the flower stand would fall down. As long as the initial angle was positioned correctly, it would fall to perfectly block the window, so everyone would think this window was sealed shut and impossible to enter or exit through.”

Xiao Du’s eyes lit up, finding this deduction very reasonable. He went through the entire incident from the beginning again. “So you’re saying that day, the murderer first climbed in through the window from outside, then used some unknown method to force Concubine Cai to take poison and made her write the suicide note. Then this person retrieved the incriminating evidence that Concubine Cai had hidden in the calligraphy copybooks and took it away. Using the method you just described, they escaped through the window. After the ice block melted, the window would be blocked shut. So no one would think that an outsider had been in the room, and would only believe that Concubine Cai had committed suicide.”

Yuanxi nodded. “But she certainly didn’t expect that Concubine Cai would leave a message in her suicide note, pointing out the murderer to us.”

At this point, Xiao Du’s face showed a hesitant expression. “But I’ve investigated – Nanny Yu was indeed staying in Mother’s room all day. Perhaps this matter truly has nothing to do with her.”

Yuanxi understood that he was reluctant to implicate someone close to the Princess. After some hesitation in her heart, she finally spoke up: “But Nanny Yu could also have bribed other people in the mansion to do this.”

Xiao Du’s eyes dimmed, and he said slowly, “Then who do you think did this for her?”

Yuanxi looked at his face, and suddenly felt some reluctance in her heart. She walked to the window and gazed out at the desolate courtyard, sighing softly before speaking: “Last month, before it was time to distribute charcoal to the various quarters, I asked at the storehouse. Before that day, only one person’s courtyard had gone to the storehouse to fetch charcoal. The maid who went to fetch the charcoal said her master feared the cold and always started using the charcoal brazier early every year. And you had also told the storehouse that no matter what this person wanted, they should not question it and just give it to her.”

She suddenly paused and didn’t continue, but Xiao Du’s expression had already changed.

Yuanxi turned back and looked deeply at him, then continued: “After Concubine Cai’s death, anyone who had appeared around her courtyard that day would certainly be suspected, especially those who shouldn’t have been there. But only one person could do this without attracting attention, because… she was already considered mad.”

Xiao Du’s body suddenly swayed. He pressed down on his somewhat trembling hands and suddenly laughed bitterly. “You want to tell me that Yunniang did all this. What reason would she have for doing such a thing?”

Yuanxi saw his condition and understood that he was suffering inside, so she walked over and held him tightly. “I also don’t want to believe she did it, but do you remember that incident at the farm estate? I suspect that Yunniang isn’t actually mad at all, and this entire plan could indeed only have been accomplished by her.”

Though Xiao Du was reluctant to believe it in every way, he had to admit that Yuanxi’s deductions were logical and well-reasoned. Only at this moment did he realize that compared to someone close to the Princess being involved, it was actually Yunniang’s crime that caused him more heartache and unease.

Yuanxi raised her head and said softly, “What do you plan to do now? If you’re unwilling, we could let this matter pass. After all, everyone thinks Concubine Cai simply committed suicide… I can explain things to Xuan’er…”

Xiao Du closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his face showed resolute determination. “Don’t worry. Since I promised Xuan’er and promised you, no matter who the real murderer behind this is, I definitely won’t let her off easily.”

Outside the window, startled birds took flight, flapping their wings as they soared over the treetops. When they returned to their nests, Yunniang was sitting dazedly under a withered tree in the courtyard, her head lowered as she concentrated on mending a jacket.

The breeze stirred several strands of white hair at her temples, making the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes even more pronounced. At this time, the little maid from her room came out carrying a bowl of medicine, preparing to approach and feed her, but someone had already quickly walked to her side, took the medicine bowl from her hands, and slowly walked to crouch beside Yunniang.

When Yunniang raised her head and saw this person, a strange light suddenly appeared in her eyes. “Young Master, come quickly and see – Yunniang has finished mending this jacket for you!”

Xiao Du looked at the somewhat worn indigo jacket in her hands with surprise, suddenly feeling his nose grow sour. That jacket had been specially made for him by his father when he was in his teens, and he had loved it greatly, wearing it almost daily. Who knew that after a few days, it would accidentally be torn. Fearing his father’s punishment, he had begged Yunniang, who had excellent embroidery skills, to help mend it. After Yunniang agreed, it was delayed because she was asked to help with other matters in the mansion, and he had gradually forgotten about this jacket.

He suppressed the bitterness rising in his heart and brought the medicine in his hand to Yunniang’s mouth, saying gently, “Yunniang, Du’er has grown up now. This jacket… no longer fits.”

Yunniang seemed unable to understand his words. After swallowing that mouthful of medicine, she turned back and began seriously mending the jacket in her hands again. Xiao Du didn’t speak further, waiting until he had finished feeding all the medicine before handing the bowl to the little maid and telling her to go back inside and not come out.

Xiao Du brushed off his robe hem and stood up. Seeing that only the two of them remained in and around the courtyard, he finally spoke: “Yunniang, do you still remember that when I was small, you always taught me that in life, one must never step astray. If one accidentally does something wrong, even if everyone else doesn’t know, one cannot escape their own conscience. And your conscience will torment you day after day, until the day you can atone.”

Yunniang’s hands doing needlework paused momentarily, but quickly returned to normal, as if she couldn’t hear anything, only continuing with her handiwork.

But Xiao Du bent down and grasped her hands, his body trembling slightly. “Yunniang, can you tell me one honest word – are you really mad or not?”

Yunniang’s dull pupils shifted, but she still didn’t respond, only gently freeing her hands and spreading out the jacket to look at it as if nothing had happened. Then, seeming quite satisfied, she began humming a nursery rhyme.

Xiao Du recognized that the nursery rhyme was the very one Yunniang used to hum when putting him to sleep as a child. Many memories suddenly flooded in, causing a dull pain in his heart.

He grasped Yunniang’s hands again and said softly, “If you still want me to remember the Yunniang of the past, then tell me now – was Concubine Cai’s matter your doing or not? Have you been pretending to be mad all these years?” He closed his eyes painfully, his tone turning cold and hard. “If you insist on not speaking, I can only have someone take you away for interrogation. Don’t blame Du’er for being heartless then.”

The song in Yunniang’s mouth stopped. She suddenly stood up and held the jacket against Xiao Du’s body to measure it, then smiled bitterly. “You really have grown up. You no longer need Yunniang to mend jackets for you.”

Then she finally put down the needle, thread, and jacket in her hands, reached up to tidy her hair that had been blown about by the wind. Those eyes that had been cloudy for so long gradually became clear, staring at Xiao Du as she spoke word by word: “Yes, I did everything. However the Marquis wishes to deal with me, Yunniang will have absolutely no complaints.”