When Magistrate Wang returned to his residence from Huakui Tower, it was already midday. The gloomy weather that had persisted for half a month showed some change – the fine rain had finally stopped, and even a vague sun appeared in the sky.

Magistrate Wang, looking rather unwell, had just entered his residence when he saw his elderly and fastidious mother sitting in the main hall drinking tea. The magistrate sighed inwardly with some irritation, but he couldn’t pretend not to see her and walk around her, so he steeled himself to enter the hall and pay his respects. However, upon entering, he discovered that the old madam was not sitting alone in the hall – there was also a white-robed gentleman sitting in the chair to the right, drinking tea.

Magistrate Wang had not seen anyone who could sit peacefully with Old Madam Wang since his father’s death ten years ago, let alone someone who could taste tea and converse with her in such refined manner. The magistrate couldn’t help but look the man up and down with great puzzlement. The man had slanting eyebrows that swept upward like flying birds, bright starlike eyes, and was not only handsome and refined in appearance, but possessed an otherworldly noble temperament.

“Mother, this is…” Magistrate Wang asked sideways after paying his respects to Old Madam Wang.

“This is Young Master Yan Qi. Today, when I was returning from offering incense at the temple, my carriage broke down halfway, and Young Master Yan escorted me home.” Madam Wang rarely showed a smile as she introduced Yan Qige to Magistrate Wang.

Yan Qige slightly nodded to Magistrate Wang as a greeting.

Although Magistrate Wang wasn’t considered much of a figure in terms of court rank, in Yunsui City he was the local authority. Anyone who met him would put on a three-part smile, bow, and flatter him. Though his mother called this man a guest, such a lack of understanding of proper etiquette still made him quite displeased. He was about to reproach Yan Qige for not bowing when meeting a court official, when he noticed Yan Qige’s fingers inadvertently hook up a corner of his sleeve, and a piece of decorated item flashed briefly before Magistrate Wang’s eyes.

Though it was only a brief flash, it was enough to leave Magistrate Wang stunned in place, forcibly swallowing back the words that had reached his lips. When he came to his senses again, he realized fine sweat had appeared on his forehead at some point.

Yan Qige rose from his chair, walked a few steps, and said: “I hear there have been strange cases occurring consecutively in the city recently. Take care not to let the old madam be frightened.”

“Thank you for Young Master Yan’s concern. This official thanks you on behalf of my mother.”

“I have matters to attend to today, so I’ll take my leave first.” Yan Qige casually raised his wrist toward Magistrate Wang in salute, then departed directly. After walking a few steps, he turned back and used his gaze to direct Magistrate Wang’s attention to the dressed little maid who had been standing behind Old Madam Wang, saying: “The tea brewed by the young lady in your household is quite delicious.”

Then, without waiting for Magistrate Wang to respond, Yan Qige had already departed. Magistrate Wang raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow, then turned his gaze toward the dressed maid behind Old Madam Wang.

The maid looked quite clever and pretty, but seemed very unfamiliar. He roughly guessed this was the new maid Steward Wang had hired to serve Old Madam Wang.

“You’re new to the household, aren’t you? What’s your name?”

“In response to the master, this servant is called Yusang.”

After accompanying Old Madam Wang through her midday meal, Magistrate Wang returned to the front office to work. Yusang served the old madam while she finished half a pot of tea, then the old madam became drowsy and went for her afternoon nap.

Once the old madam was sound asleep, Yusang quietly left the room and walked along the residence’s corridors, carefully examining the flowers, leaves, and groves outside the corridors. From the East Garden, where the old madam lived, to the West Garden at the other end, Yusang stopped at the flower pond in the West Garden.

The lotus leaves in the flower pond were very dense, but there wasn’t a single lotus flower. Yusang walked most of the way around the flower pond, finally stopping beside the artificial mountain next to the pond. She approached the hollow stone cave of the artificial mountain and peered inside, but could see nothing. She only felt a cold wind blowing out from within, seemingly present yet absent. Yusang casually plucked a grass leaf from beside the artificial mountain and placed it at the cave entrance. The leaf began to turn yellow and wither, and the moment she released her fingers, the withered leaf was immediately sucked inside.

Yusang frowned slightly. Just as she was about to find a stone to throw into listen for sounds, a gaunt hand suddenly reached out from behind and pressed on her shoulder. Cold sweat broke out on Yusang, and she immediately gripped the person’s wrist with her backhand, locking it tight. With just a bit of force from her, the person behind her would have their pulse gate severed.

“Instead of serving the old madam in the East Garden, what are you doing running to the West Garden?” Steward Wang reproached Yusang irritably, his wrist caught.

Hearing this voice, Yusang quickly released her grip and put on the demeanor of a frightened little girl, turning back timidly and saying: “Steward Wang, I know I was wrong. I’ll go back right away.”

“Hmm, you’re new to the household – don’t run around randomly, lest you displease the masters and get scolded for nothing.” Seeing Yusang’s pitiful appearance, Steward Wang couldn’t help but soften his tone somewhat.

“I’ve said many times that servants are not permitted to come here. Get out.” A very sharp and piercing female voice came from across the way.

Yusang looked up and saw across half the flower pond a very thin woman pointing at her and Steward Wang.

“Madam, forgive us. I’ll take her away immediately.” Steward Wang hurriedly replied, pulling Yusang along as they left. Only then did Yusang notice that Steward Wang’s palms were completely covered in sweat, and looking at his face, it was also pale with fine sweat covering his forehead.

After leaving The West Garden, Steward Wang immediately relaxed considerably. While wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said: “Never again enter The West Garden privately. Today’s matter must not be spoken of to anyone.”

Yusang tentatively wanted to ask Steward Wang who that woman was, but Steward Wang only glared at her, then hurriedly departed.

Although Steward Wang wouldn’t speak about the matters in The West Garden, during the evening meal Yusang didn’t have to expend much effort to learn the whole story from Cook Song in the household.

As expected, that thin and fierce woman was indeed Magistrate Wang’s first wife, Lu Shi. After Magistrate Wang achieved the rank of Third Place Scholar, he married Lu Shi into the family. He had also served as a capital official with great honor for several years, but due to involvement in a case concerning imperial relatives some years ago, he was dismissed from office. Later, it was only because his reputation for clean governance in his daily conduct reached the emperor’s ears, and because the imperial relatives’ case had long passed, that the emperor allowed him to come to Yunsui City as a county magistrate. Though he no longer enjoyed great wealth and status, compared to other officials who were also implicated, he was extraordinarily fortunate – at least he had no worries about food and clothing, and his reputation remained clean.

Speaking of this, someone would surely ask what this had to do with Lu Shi. The problem lay precisely in Magistrate Wang’s dismissal from office. When Magistrate Wang got into trouble that year, Lu Shi was already pregnant. Originally thinking their household would be confiscated, unexpectedly, the imperial edict that came the next day only mentioned dismissal from office. Lu Shi was so overjoyed that she gave premature birth to a stillborn child. After one night, she could not take in a grain of rice or touch a drop of water. Everyone thought she wouldn’t survive, but unexpectedly, after several days, Lu Shi suddenly recovered. However, from then on, Lu Shi developed a mental disorder, forgetting many past events, and her temperament became irritable and easily angered.

“Has she remained like that ever since, never improving?” Yusang asked.

Cook Song looked around while clearing the bowls and dishes everyone had finished eating, then leaned close to Yusang and said: “How could we expect her to get better? She’s gotten progressively worse. She doesn’t allow servants to enter the garden, and no one has ever seen her come out to walk around. If people hadn’t caught distant glimpses of someone in that garden, everyone would think it was just an empty courtyard.”

Yusang didn’t ask further, only secretly gripped the white jade brush in her sleeve tightly. After chatting casually with the old cook about a few other matters, she departed.