Yuanxi and Yunniang walked out of her room, taking a deep breath. The chilly air pierced her lungs, causing her to cough a few times.
Adjusting her clothes, she walked slowly on the stone path. The sky, tinged with a fetal blue hue, pressed down heavily. Everywhere she looked, there were only bare branches and withered flowers. The once grand mansion had become desolate and cold. It felt as if there was a lurking abyss in the darkness, silently devouring all vitality.
Suddenly, she felt a chill creeping over her body, originating from within, like winding vines, entangling her, making it hard to breathe. Someone approached her from behind, draping a cloak over her. The familiar scent filled her senses, and strong arms enveloped her, dispelling her sadness and fear.
Surprised, Yuanxi turned back and said, “You’re back.”
Xiao Du, clad in moon-white attire, with eyes filled with tenderness that could melt ice, rested his chin on her forehead and smiled, “Missed me?”
Unaccustomed to such intimacy in public, Yuanxi quickly avoided his warm breath on her face and said, “We parted just this morning, what’s there to miss?”
Xiao Du’s lips curved slightly, saying, “But it feels like it’s been ages.”
Blushing, Yuanxi maintained a serious expression, “Stop teasing. Speaking of serious matters, did you find anything at the Yizhuang today?”
Xiao Du’s eyes gleamed, but instead of answering, he asked, “What about you? Did Yunniang say anything?”
Sighing, Yuanxi recounted her encounter with Yunniang, and Xiao Du tightened his grip on her hand, saying, “So you’re saying she entered the room after Aunt Cai’s death. But why would she insist on taking all the blame and not explain to me?”
Yuanxi shook her head, “If Aunt Cai’s death wasn’t related to her, then why would she go through the trouble of getting the papers? She must have been influenced by someone. But I still can’t understand why she would confess to everything if she entered the room after Aunt Cai’s death.”
Xiao Du’s face showed a thoughtful expression, “I went to see Aunt Cai’s body again today and found something unusual. Fortunately, I had the Yizhuang preserve her body with ice, so they didn’t tamper with it.”
Yuanxi knew he had a crucial clue, urging, “What did you find?”
“I noticed that her nails were stained yellow, which wasn’t the case before. I suspect she might have come into contact with some liquid before she died, and the cold temperature caused it to change color. So I wanted to ask you, with your knowledge of medical books and travel journals, if you know of any common plant that is highly poisonous and leaves traces on the skin, turning yellow when frozen.”
Yuanxi furrowed her brows, trying to recall, but couldn’t remember clearly. She said, “There aren’t many highly poisonous plants, even fewer common ones. Let me check, and I’ll find out soon. But why are you sure it’s this plant, and how does it relate to Aunt Cai’s death?”
Xiao Du nodded, “The investigators couldn’t determine what poison Aunt Cai was killed with. Her symptoms didn’t match common poisons like arsenic. Plus, if it were those, there would be clues from purchases made in the mansion. So I suspect the culprit used a plant that’s commonly found here. During my military expeditions, I learned about many plants with poisonous roots. Perhaps we have such a lethal plant in the mansion.”
Yuanxi found his speculation reasonable and nodded, “Alright! Wait for me a day, and I’ll help you find out!” She hurried to leave.
Xiao Du stopped her, saying softly, “I’ll accompany you.”
Together, they delved into the room, poring over numerous books on herbs. They even had their dinner brought to the room. Finally, Yuanxi found a book and excitedly pointed to a page, saying, “Look at this!”
Taking the book, Xiao Du saw a plant named “Dripping Guanyin.” If cultivated properly, it drips water from the tips of its leaves, resembling Guanyin. It’s favored by wealthy families. However, its roots are highly poisonous. If the liquid is ingested, it causes the skin to darken, lips to swell, and death occurs within moments. The liquid turns yellow when exposed to extreme cold.
Xiao Du’s face lit up, slamming his fist on the book, “It must be this! Aunt Cai’s symptoms match the description of poisoning in the book. I’ll go ask the mansion’s gardener if we have this plant.”
Indeed, according to the gardener, there were many “Dripping Guanyin” plants in the mansion, and there happened to be one outside Aunt Cai’s room. Xiao Du then summoned the maid, Guihe, who had been detained for days, and she, her mind hazy, burst into tears upon seeing Xiao Du. She sobbed, “Master, I didn’t do anything wrong. Please let me go!”
Xiao Du’s face darkened, saying, “Answer my questions truthfully. Whether you’re innocent or not, I know in my heart.”
Guihe wiped her tears and trembled, saying, “Master, what else do you want to ask? I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Xiao Du showed her the illustration of “Dripping Guanyin” in the book and asked, “Take a good look. Do we have this plant in our courtyard?”
Guihe approached and examined the picture closely, then exclaimed, “It’s this one! It’s called ‘Dripping Guanyin’!”
Sensing something amiss in her tone, Xiao Du pressed, “Do you recognize it? Where did you see it?”
Guihe recalled, “On the day Aunt Cai died, she said she wasn’t feeling well and asked us to bring in two pots of plants from the courtyard to freshen up the room. She specifically mentioned a plant that drips water from the leaves, saying it’s interesting and insisted we find it. It was this ‘Dripping Guanyin’.”
Xiao Du tightened his grip on the book, his mind racing through the events. Finally, exhausted, he massaged his temples and said, “I understand now. You may leave.”
Guī Hé was escorted out of the room by two guards, while Xiao Du sat alone in the flickering candlelight for a long time. It wasn’t until a candle flickered out that he seemed to snap back to reality. Slowly, he stood up, pushed open the door, and walked back into the room shrouded in darkness.
“What! You mean Aunt Cai committed suicide!” Yuexi exclaimed, rising from her seat and accidentally knocking over the stack of books beside her.
Xiao Du stooped to pick up the fallen books one by one, his voice muffled. “Yes, she had Gui He moved a pot of Dripping Water Guanyin into her room, then extracted the juice from its stems, inadvertently getting some on her nails. She then ingested the poisonous liquid and quickly succumbed to its effects. The pot of Dripping Water Guanyin was deliberately placed there by her, and no one entered her room during that time. Since Yunniang never touched the juice, she is naturally not involved.”
Yuexi became even more puzzled, furrowing her brows. “But why would she do that? Why go to such lengths to stage a suicide, yet leave a letter accusing Nanny of harming her?”
Xiao Du finally picked up all the books and turned to look at her, a hint of self-mockery in his eyes. “I suppose, besides Aunt Cai herself and Yunniang, no one else would know.”
Aunt Cai was already dead, while Yunniang was still alive, although, at the moment, she was no different from a dead person.
As she listened to Xiao Du recounts the whole story with hollow eyes, Yuexi only tugged at the corners of her lips lightly. “So what? What does His Highness intend to do with me now?”
Xiao Du looked at her silently for a long time, his voice tinged with sorrow. “Yunniang, even now, you still refuse to tell Du’er the truth?”
Yunniang’s once plump cheeks had long since withered, her eyes like deep pools of stagnant water, devoid of any ripples. She rubbed her stiff legs and said, “I’ve pretended to be crazy all these years, and His Highness has taken care of me. The bond between you and I, master and servant, should come to an end. If His Highness thinks I’m guilty, then send me to the authorities and let me fend for myself. If he thinks I’m not deserving of death, Yunniang is willing to shamelessly request to go to the Water Moon Nunnery outside the city, willing to eat vegetarian and recite Buddhist scriptures every day, keeping vigil under the green lamp, to atone for the sins of my life. I also want to pray for His Highness and Madam’s future peace and prosperity, longevity and blessings.”
Xiao Du closed his eyes heavily and suddenly stood up, picking up a wooden comb next to him. “When I was young, Yunniang used to comb my hair and dress me every day. I couldn’t repay her kindness. Today, let me comb Yunniang’s hair one last time.”
With that, regardless of Yunniang’s astonished gaze, he untied her already loose hair bun and gathered up her dry, tangled hair, clumsily combing it for her. As the black and white strands slid through the teeth of the comb, he seemed to see many years of companionship slipping away in the palm of his hand.
He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, a hint of choking in his throat. “When I was young, I often suspected that perhaps you were my biological mother. Otherwise, why would you be so good to me? When I was ten, I secretly overheard Father’s servants saying they wanted to redeem you and vowed to marry you as a proper wife and treat you well.
But you said you had no intention of it, preferring to stay behind to take care of the young master. But I knew that after he left, you cried in the room all night. At that time, I vowed that when I grew up, I would respect you like my own mother,” he sighed heavily, his hand holding the wooden comb trembling slightly. “No matter what happens, Yunniang will always be my Yunniang. I’m sorry, Du’er can’t take care of you anymore. Take care.”
At this moment, Yunniang’s shoulders were trembling like fallen leaves in the wind. Xiao Du tied up her crooked hair bun, put down the wooden comb in his hand, and strode out of the room without looking back. Yunniang covered her mouth tightly, emitting a low sob, and in the distance, Xiao Du’s voice with authority came, “Send her to the Water Moon Nunnery, take good care of the abbess there, and don’t make things difficult for her.”
The wooden comb fell to the ground at some point, entangled in the early white hair, as if those irretrievable years were slipping away.
##
As the sunset gradually dyed the sky, Nanny arranged dinner for tonight and walked alone towards the room. Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the side path and pounced on her.
Nanny was startled, unable to dodge in time, and the person had already slapped her hard in the face. Nanny’s eyes swam with stars from the blow. When she finally saw the person clearly, she couldn’t help but stare in disbelief, “Third…Third Miss, what’s happened?”
Xiao Zhixuan’s eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Nanny. “It’s you, isn’t it? I know it’s you! You killed Aunt!”
Nanny panicked, covering her face. “What is Third Miss saying? I don’t understand at all.”
Xiao Zhixuan’s body trembled with anger, and she held onto a tree trunk, saying, “Some time ago, you went to see Mother, and I happened to be sleeping in her room. At the time, I only felt the voice was somewhat familiar, but didn’t think much of it. Yesterday, when Eldest Sister mentioned the letter Aunt left behind, I remembered, it must have been you. Isn’t that right!”
Nanny put down her hand covering her face, a hint of fierceness flashing in her eyes, but quickly regained her composure, saying, “There’s no evidence, Third Miss. You can’t just say whatever you want. His Highness said it himself, Aunt Cai committed suicide, how can you blame others? If Third Miss wants to vent, whether it’s hitting or scolding, this old servant accepts it. But this accusation can’t be randomly placed.”
“You!” Xiao Zhixuan was shaking with anger, but she also realized that she indeed had no evidence. Moreover, a princess was standing behind Nanny, and she couldn’t do anything to her. Just then, she heard Nanny say in a low voice again, “This old servant also advises Third Miss, don’t be too willful in the future. Aunt Cai’s suicide was all for you…”
Xiao Zhixuan suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief, while Nanny straightened her disheveled hair and turned away slowly.