“Yesterday at Old Fourth Huang’s shop, I noticed he had a plate of peach blossom pastries and a jar of tribute wine on his table. These aren’t items normally sold in the marketplace. I found it strange how Old Fourth Huang got hold of these things,” Shu said hurriedly to Ying Xun as they rushed toward Old Fourth Huang’s house.

“Lu Chunlian sent them to Old Fourth Huang,” Ying Xun quickly replied.

The peach blossom pastries were too exquisite to be made by ordinary taverns or pastry shops, and the tribute wine was something the imperial court bestowed upon military commanders. Neither item was readily available to common people in the marketplace. It seemed Lu Chunlian had obtained them from the Wei family to curry favor with Old Fourth Huang.

She had approached Old Fourth Huang early on.

It was past noon, and the morning market in Jingkang Ward had already closed. The mess had been cleaned up, though the lingering scents remained. With several clicks of their tongues, a group of people hurriedly splashed through the not-yet-dried puddles on the ground, running toward Old Fourth Huang’s shop, heedless of the mud spattering their robes.

Pedestrians on both sides of the street made their way, while people in the roadside shops curiously stood at their doorways, watching this group of runners dart past the constables, wondering what had happened on the street to mobilize so many yamen runners.

The street ahead was already packed with people. When Ying Xun and Shu arrived with their men, they had to stop at the edge of the crowd, which had gathered precisely around Old Fourth Huang’s shop.

Countless citizens surrounded the shop, pointing and discussing.

“Make way, make way! Official business from the Kaifeng Prefecture!” Two yamen runners came forward to disperse the crowd.

The crowd quickly parted to both sides, and two officers responsible for security patrols in Jingkang Ward emerged with worried expressions. Upon seeing Ying Xun, they clasped their hands in greeting with evident relief: “Brother Ying, thank goodness you’re here.”

“What happened?” Ying Xun asked while walking inside. After a few steps, he saw Old Fourth Huang’s shop.

Shu followed behind him and quickly caught sight of the shop as well.

Neither needed the patrol officers to explain anything – they could see it all.

Old Fourth Huang’s shop stood wide open, its interior as disheveled as yesterday with its disordered counter, but the formerly oily-faced man was now tied firmly to a round chair, facing the crowd that had packed the storefront. Lu Chunlian stood beside Old Fourth Huang. She was dressed neatly, maintaining the same strict appearance as when she was at the Wei residence. Her face showed no expression, only her eyes emitted a cold gleam matching the dagger in her hand.

The dagger was already bloodied. Old Fourth Huang’s arms and legs bore stab wounds, blood steadily flowing and staining his clothes. These wounds, though not fatal, avoided vital areas.

“I was wrong, I was wrong! Please spare me, spare me!” Old Fourth Huang, both in pain and fear, had a face full of tears and snot as he begged continuously.

“Tell the neighbors what you did wrong,” Lu Chunlian said coldly. Seeing Ying Xun arrive with his men, she showed no fear, simply holding the dagger against Old Fourth Huang’s neck. “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll kill him!”

“Lu Chunlian, I know you’ve suffered greatly these years. Please calm down and put down the dagger. Let’s talk this through,” Ying Xun slowly approached but stopped at the shop entrance, as Lu Chunlian’s blade had already drawn blood on Old Fourth Huang’s neck, making him wail in terror.

Shu stood to the side, noticing Ying Xun’s left hand behind his back signaling to his colleagues. Two constables quickly disappeared into the crowd, rushing into the shops adjacent to Huang’s Wine and Tea Shop. These street-front shops were connected, and the two constables presumably planned to climb from the neighboring roofs onto Old Fourth Huang’s shop and quietly enter from above.

“I have nothing to say to you. I only want to hear him speak!” Lu Chunlian completely ignored Ying Xun, coldly watching Old Fourth Huang as she raised the dagger and brutally stabbed his thigh before quickly withdrawing it and returning it to his neck.

Blood immediately gushed forth. Old Fourth Huang howled and trembled, his face changing color completely.

“Speak.” Lu Chunlian uttered just one word.

The spectators surrounding them were shocked by the scene. Children began crying, several women turned away, and the smell of blood wafted out, nearly making people vomit.

Shu’s stomach churned as well, but she forcefully swallowed down the nauseous feeling.

“Yes, yes, yes, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have been such a slave to alcohol, beating and cursing you and Xingzhi. I shouldn’t have been addicted to gambling and sold you to pay my debts. It was all my fault. Please… spare me… they say even one night of marriage creates a hundred days of affection, Chunlian, please…”

Before Old Fourth Huang could finish speaking, another scream erupted as Lu Chunlian’s dagger plunged into his other thigh.

Shu closed her eyes briefly, hearing Ying Xun’s urgent, angry whisper: “At this rate, Old Fourth Huang will die from blood loss. You’re clever – quickly think of a way to persuade her.”

The thigh contains arteries; once stabbed, the bleeding would be hard to stop.

“Mother Lu never intended to spare Old Fourth Huang,” Shu replied softly. “Today, she’s risking her life to judge Old Fourth Huang before everyone. Someone who still has attachments to this world can be persuaded, but Mother Lu… came for revenge, willing to sacrifice everything. She doesn’t even want to escape. What do you think we could use to move her?”

Lu Chunlian had planned this revenge for years, and today’s events weren’t spontaneous. She must have rehearsed this scene countless times in her mind over many days and nights. She was mad, yet extremely calm. From the day she killed Wei Xian, she had placed life and death beyond consideration, wanting only to see this final act play out according to her plan.

How could such a person be persuaded with mere words?

Shu had no solution.

Ying Xun also understood, now only hoping his colleagues would move quickly enough. In his many years as a constable, he had encountered all sorts of criminals, but never someone like this – someone without any weak points to exploit.

“Husband and wife? You dare speak of marital bonds?” Lu Chunlian’s lips twisted into an ugly cold smile.

“No, no… won’t mention it…” Old Fourth Huang had already half-collapsed in the chair, having lost too much blood, his face pale.

“Tell everyone what else you did,” Lu Chunlian raised the dagger again, hovering it over Old Fourth Huang’s chest. “My Xingzhi…”

“I… I might not have treated Xingzhi well enough, but I didn’t wrong her… Yes… I did receive a large betrothal gift from the Wei family to send Xingzhi as a concubine, but… the Wei family is a great household. Marrying into the Wei family meant a life of luxury for Xingzhi.”

Before Old Fourth Huang could finish, his face received another cut from Lu Chunlian, making him howl immediately.

“Luxury? She didn’t even last two years in the Wei household before she died!”

“That… that wasn’t my fault. I didn’t harm her, it was her weak constitution… after giving birth… AAH—”

Lu Chunlian’s knife viciously pierced his arm: “Nonsense! I investigated everything thoroughly. You knew her death in the Wei household wasn’t natural, yet you used her death to extort money from Wei Xian, taking his money and letting Xingzhi’s death pass quietly. This shop was opened with your daughter’s life! How can you live so comfortably with yourself? That was your flesh and blood, your daughter! Do you know what kind of place the Wei household is? Do you know what Xingzhi encountered there?”

“No, no… don’t know…”

“On the day she gave birth, Wei Xian killed her newborn child by throwing it down, then that beast strangled her to death!” As she spoke, tears rolled from her aged eyes. She addressed the crowd gathering at the door, “Everyone, do you know that Wei Xian was a beast who strangled my daughter Xingzhi to death out of spite, killed her newborn baby, starved another concubine to death, and imprisoned and abused his legal wife for years!”

After she finished speaking, Shu heard countless gasps and discussions erupt from the crowd.

“And you! You exchanged your daughter’s life for that pitiful amount of silver! How are you any different from Wei Xian?” Lu Chunlian’s dagger returned to Old Fourth Huang’s neck. “Tell me, do you deserve to die?”

“He deserves to die!”

A thunderous shout suddenly erupted from the crowd, quickly followed by a chorus of agreeing voices from righteously indignant citizens.

“They deserve to die! Wei Xian deserves to die! Old Fourth Huang deserves to die!”

The voices rose like a tide, gradually becoming uncontrollable. Ying Xun’s brows furrowed deeply. To prevent the situation from escalating further, he could only have his men try to calm the crowd.

Lu Chunlian turned back to Old Fourth Huang, who was too frightened to speak: “You hear that? Even they say you deserve to die!”

“Mother Lu!” Suddenly someone called out to her in a clear, bright voice, “Lady Wei says you’re a good person.”

Upon hearing these words, Lu Chunlian suddenly turned around, tears streaming from her clouded eyes: “I’m not a good person. I failed her. When I first returned to Bianjing and discovered suspicions about Xingzhi’s death, I thought it was the primary mistress who had harmed her out of jealousy over her bearing a son. That’s why I entered the Wei household and became an accomplice, helping Wei Xian torment the Lady for years. The Lady originally had a chance to escape, but I… I informed Wei Xian, causing her great suffering. Only later… later did I learn it was all Wei Xian’s fault! I wronged the Lady, I too am guilty…”

“Was it you who killed Wei Xian? Was Lady Wei involved?” Shu asked further.

“Lady Wei had nothing to do with it! Killing Wei Xian was my spontaneous decision. Wei Xian was extremely cautious – even after lying low in the Wei household for years, I couldn’t find any opportunity to strike until that day when I happened to see the Commander switch the wine cups, and I knew my chance had come.”

By then, she understood Wei Xian’s character and methods well enough that one glance told her something was wrong with the wine. However, evil may stretch a zhang but righteousness stretches further – she hadn’t expected the Commander to discover the switch and reverse it, causing Wei Xian to drink the poisoned wine himself. She hurriedly returned to the residence, using the pretense of reporting confidential matters to have Lingxue keep watch over Wei Xian. When she learned that Wei Xian and Wei Chao had quarreled and entered the East Garden, with Wei Xian not emerging for a long while, she guessed the poison had taken effect. She quietly slipped out of Du Wenhui’s room, using her familiarity with the residence to avoid detection, easily entered the East Garden, drowned Wei Xian, and silently returned to Du Wenhui’s room.

When Ying Xun came to question Du Wenhui about the sachet that had fallen from Wei Xian’s body, Mother Lu was present. She immediately guessed about the luminous powder, so before they could search the premises, she quietly wiped her shoes clean on the room’s velvet carpet.

“Then why did Lady Wei ask you to testify and help conceal the fact that you had left the room?” Ying Xun asked.

Hearing this, Lu Chunlian revealed a smile more painful than crying, her eyes tinged with warmth: “The Lady… thought I killed Wei Xian for her sake. She didn’t know I was avenging Xingzhi. She always thought I was like Ding Xuan, helping her, so… The Lady is a kind person, don’t blame her.”

She paused briefly before continuing: “From the moment I killed Wei Xian, I never intended to continue living this wretched life. After I settle things with this man, I’ll go join my poor child. Lady Lu, please tell the Lady for me that Wei Xian is dead, she can live well from now on. Don’t be like me… don’t be like me…”

With these words, she raised her dagger and violently stabbed toward the vital organs of Old Fourth Huang, who had already fainted from blood loss.

“No!” Shu suddenly threw herself forward without thinking.

Accompanied by Ying Xun’s alarmed and angry shout: “Lu Shu!” an arrow whistled through the air from the upper floor, aimed at Lu Chunlian’s back.

The Da’an legal code stipulated that when law enforcement officers encountered criminals holding hostages while performing their duties, they could shoot to kill. The men who had sneaked into the upper floor of Huang’s Wine and Tea Shop had already taken a position with drawn bows, and Ying Xun made the decisive order.

In that critical moment, Shu’s mind went blank as she lunged forward to push Lu Chunlian away.

With a clear clang, the dagger fell to the ground. Lu Chunlian was pushed to the floor by Shu, but the arrow grazed Shu’s arm before embedding itself in the wall. By the time Ying Xun rushed into the shop, Shu was already clutching her left arm, with bright red blood seeping between her fingers.

The other officers all rushed into the shop – some to arrest, some to rescue – while only Ying Xun angrily berated Shu.

“Lu Shu, have you lost your mind?”

“I’m sorry.” Shu didn’t say much else, just stood by the door holding her wound.

Ying Xun stared at her for several moments before suddenly saying: “You weren’t trying to save Old Fourth Huang, you were trying to save Lu Chunlian?”

Shu remained silent.

“Murder is a crime! Regardless of any reason or excuse, it’s something the law cannot tolerate! You showed mercy to a murderer and risked your life – do you know how foolish that was?” Ying Xun demanded.

“I know.” Shu glanced at Lu Chunlian, who was being held down by the officers. “But what should be done when the law fails to provide justice?”

“Lu Shu, your thinking is dangerous. If everyone took justice into their own hands like this, if everyone became their judge, what justice would there be? Under no circumstances should emotion override the law,” Ying Xun said coldly.

Shu’s mind was in chaos. She didn’t understand why she had rushed forward at that moment, her head filled with words like “revenge” and “retribution,” while a voice unexpectedly echoed in her mind.

“Lady Lu, have you ever experienced the taste of having your family destroyed? If your family was destroyed, would you seek revenge?”

That was what Tang Li had asked her the night she left Songlin Academy.

If she faced such hatred, yet found the law unable to provide justice, would she seek revenge? Or rather, how would she seek such revenge?

She had no answer to these questions.

She only knew that strange feeling was creeping over her again.

“Lu Shu?” Ying Xun noticed her odd expression, and seeing blood still dripping from her wound, blamed himself for not protecting her better. Feeling his words had been too harsh, he turned to instruct his subordinates, “Has the doctor arrived yet? Quickly check on her and Old Fourth Huang.”

The doctor had already arrived and first examined Old Fourth Huang, checking his eyelids and pulse before shaking his head as he came over: “He’s lost too much blood, can’t be saved.” Then he said to Shu, “Young lady, please lower your hand and let me examine your wound.”

Shu obediently released her arm and sat aside, allowing the doctor to examine and bandage the wound. Meanwhile, when the restrained Lu Chunlian heard that Old Fourth Huang couldn’t be saved, she let out a series of hoarse laughs.

The curtains were drawn, blocking the crowd’s view of the shop’s interior as they were gradually dispersed by the officers. Ying Xun directed his men to handle the chaotic scene – Old Fourth Huang’s body was carried away, Lu Chunlian was taken into custody, and evidence was collected one by one. When he returned after finishing his tasks, he found Shu sitting against the wall, grimacing as she let the doctor treat her wound, constantly making hissing sounds of pain with her beautiful eyebrows knitted together.

“Now you know it hurts?” Ying Xun said irritably, then asked the doctor, “How is her injury?”

“It’s a flesh wound, nothing serious, though it may leave a small scar. It needs some careful tending,” the doctor replied.

Shu had emerged from her earlier emotional state and was now actually feeling the pain. Hearing Ying Xun’s words, she only glared at him.

Finally, after the doctor finished bandaging, Ying Xun had someone take Shu’s statement for the record. After all this commotion was settled, Shu let out a long sigh and was about to take her leave when she suddenly heard someone announce: “Lord Lu Chang has arrived.”

Shu turned to Ying Xun in shock: “Why did you summon my brother?”

Ying Xun replied: “You were injured here. How could I not inform your family?”

“…” Alarm bells immediately rang in Shu’s mind.

Lu Chang didn’t wait for a response from inside but directly lifted the curtain and ducked in. His eyes immediately fell on Shu, her torn and bloodied sleeve, and the bandages beneath.

Lu Chang’s eyes gradually frosted over.

Shu swallowed – she knew this expression all too well.

It was like the calm before a storm.