Zhou Ziqin ultimately never got to taste that Sichuan pepper chicken that had enchanted all of Songhua Lane.

That afternoon, the constables who went to Hanzhou to gather information returned, looking dejected as they reported to Zhou Ziqin: “That servant Tang Zhuniang fell off a cliff on her way back to Hanzhou from Chengdu Prefecture and died.”

Zhou Ziqin was shocked and immediately asked, “Really dead? Was the body found?”

“Yes, we found it! When we looked down from where the accident happened, we saw an old woman lying on the riverbank below, blood all under her body. We servants of the law, taking the lead without hesitation, tied ropes around our waists and climbed down the cliff to examine the corpse.”

“Was it her?”

“It was her. Though her face was completely smashed from the fall, acquaintances said she had a large mole behind her ear, and we saw it – one inch behind the right ear, absolutely no mistake!”

Zhou Ziqin turned back, exchanging looks with Huang Zixia: “Dead?”

Huang Zixia frowned, unconsciously pulling out the hairpin from her head again, drawing several lines gently on the table.

Zhou Ziqin quickly sat down in front of her and asked: “What have you thought of?”

She pointed at the intersecting lines and said: “First is the reason for their suicide pact. Two people who finally got together after various hardships – why would they commit suicide? Second, those pages in the study – if they were meant to be bound in butterfly style for his Buddhist readings, why was half left at Fu Xinruan’s place?”

Zhou Ziqin finally understood: “So that’s what you meant earlier about the scripture being strange! Then what are the third and fourth points?”

“Tang Zhuniang’s death and the origin of the gelsemium poison.” As Huang Zixia spoke, still pondering with the hairpin in her hand, a constable ran in, beaming: “Chief, Chief, something terrible has happened!”

Zhou Ziqin gave him a look: “Something terrible and you’re wearing that expression?”

“Yes, a victim’s family member has come demanding answers! Looks like we won’t be able to leave today unless we console her properly!”

Zhou Ziqin’s look turned to one of pity that seemed to say “So you’re an idiot.”

The constable quickly leaned close to his ear and whispered: “The family member is a great beauty!”

Zhou Ziqin suddenly understood and hurried to the door to look. Indeed, there was a stunning beauty – dressed entirely in green, standing in front of the yamen without any decorations, but her figure standing in the ordinary street was like standing among spring flowers in March, incredibly moving.

She gracefully bowed to Zhou Ziqin, her expression melancholic: “I wonder if Constable Zhou called me here today because there have been developments in my little sister’s case?”

“Oh, so it’s Lady Gongsun!” He quickly went out and said, “My lady, we’ve been investigating all day and have made quite some progress. Come, come, we wanted to ask you some things…”

Before he could finish, someone coughed lightly nearby.

Zhou Ziqin quickly turned to look and immediately deflated, quickly standing at attention with hands at his sides: “Father.”

Zhou Xiang gave him a disapproving look and said: “So this is indeed Shu Prefecture’s famous young Constable Zhou, with such broad associations among all sorts of people!”

Zhou Ziqin hung his shoulders, respectfully and submissively agreeing before his father: “Yes, Father is right, your son will certainly live up to Father’s expectations, with broad associations among all sorts…”

“Hmm?” Zhou Xiang glared at him.

Zhou Ziqin looked at him bewilderedly, completely unaware of what was wrong with his words.

Zhou Xiang left with a wave of his sleeve, saying: “Unfilial son! You’ll be the death of me!”

Someone behind him quickly said with a smile: “Father-in-law, please don’t be angry. Ziqin’s innocence and pure heart are good things.”

Seeing his father turn to leave, Zhou Ziqin immediately stuck out his tongue and grabbed the person behind him: “Brother Qi, you’re here! Come quickly, let me introduce you to two friends!”

Zhou Ziqin pulled him inside and, seeing Huang Zixia and Li Shubai talking with Gongsun Yuan, quickly said: “Brother Wang, Young Yang, let me introduce you – this is Brother Qi Teng, an official from the Western Sichuan Military Commissioner’s office. Brother Qi, these are… temporary helpers I’ve invited, Brother Wang Kui and Young Yang.”

Qi Teng was around thirty years old, with very proper features that appeared even more gentle when he smiled. He cupped his hands and smiled at them: “I am Qi Teng. Are you here for the case in Songhua Lane?”

Huang Zixia quickly returned the greeting, while Li Shubai merely nodded slightly.

Huang Zixia turned back to see Gongsun Yuan’s gaze lowered, slightly flickering. Following her line of sight, she only saw the five fingers of Qi Teng’s left hand showing no abnormality beneath his lowered sleeve.

Seeing her look back, Gongsun Yuan quickly asked: “I wanted to inquire if… there has been any progress in my little sister’s case?”

“My lady, may we speak privately?” Huang Zixia gestured to her.

Zhou Ziqin quickly apologized to Qi Teng: “Sorry, Brother Qi, please have a seat first, we need to conduct an interview.”

Qi Teng’s smile slowed slightly as he asked: “Is this about the case in Songhua Lane from the other day? Wasn’t it said that Wenyang committed suicide with a young lady? How is it now involving this lady?”

Zhou Ziqin suddenly remembered and said: “Oh, right, did Brother Qi also know Wenyang?”

Qi Teng nodded: “Yes, a few years ago Chen Lunyun initiated a poetry society, we were all members, so we often exchanged verses. However, last month we had an unpleasant disagreement and argued. He later wrote me a letter of apology, but unexpectedly… we’re now separated by life and death.”

Huang Zixia listened while carefully observing Qi Teng. She saw that he maintained a constant smile, with a gentle disposition, but his shoulders were broad and his build tall, appearing very reliable and masculine.

For an official in the Military Commissioner’s office, his position was quite high, yet he was still so young, and without any of the crude habits typical of the military – quite rare indeed.

But then she thought of how Duke Li Shubai had actually led troops to suppress the rebellion before, and Wang Yun was also a rare military man among the Wang family’s children, yet they both maintained an air of refined nobility, showing no martial mannerisms at all.

Gongsun Yuan was led by them to the next room, showing slight unease. Seeing their serious expressions, she quickly asked: “May I ask if there is something improper about this case?”

“I would like to ask Lady Gongsun, do you truly want Fu Xinruan’s case solved quickly?”

Gongsun Yuan’s expression suddenly changed, her transcendent figure also stiffening slightly as she hesitantly asked: “May I ask why you say this?”

“Then why, my lady, do you choose to conceal things from us rather than being honest?”

Gongsun Yuan frowned, turning her uneasy gaze toward the courtyard outside, avoiding their eyes.

Huang Zixia then said: “Please be honest with us, Lady Gongsun. That bracelet in your hand when we first met – where did it come from?”

Gongsun Yuan lowered her head and said quietly: “This matter… is truly difficult to speak of.”

Huang Zixia looked at her and said softly: “Please be candid with us, otherwise, even if we want to help you, we won’t know where to begin.”

As Gongsun Yuan hesitated to speak, Huang Zixia continued: “Don’t you want to discover the truth about your little sister’s suicide pact soon? If you cannot clear our doubts, how can we clear yours?”

Gongsun Yuan sighed and said softly: “Young sir, you speak true – I shouldn’t hide things from you. But this matter… I think it should have no connection to my little sister’s death… That wasn’t the bracelet I meant to take.”

She had actually been carrying that double-fish jade bracelet with her, and now placed it on the table before them, saying: “What I was looking for was actually a mutton-fat jade bracelet, without decoration, very simple.”

Huang Zixia immediately thought of that rare jade bracelet found in Fu Xinruan’s dowry. She hesitated briefly before carefully asking: “May I ask what was important about that bracelet?”

“That bracelet was given to Aruan by a noble from Chang’an, it was his mother’s keepsake, so he treasured it deeply.” Gongsun Yuan sighed softly, “However, Aruan was many years older than him, and didn’t take him seriously in her heart. Although she accepted the bracelet at his earnest request, her heart belonged to another. When Aruan was preparing to marry this time, she mentioned in her letter to me about having me return that bracelet to him – it was his mother’s keepsake after all, and shouldn’t be misplaced.”

Huang Zixia recalled Li Shubai’s words and couldn’t help but look at him, both of them shocked internally.

Although they had suspected the bracelet belonged to Duke E Li Run’s imperial consort mother, they hadn’t imagined that Li Run had personally given it to Fu Xinruan, who didn’t reciprocate his feelings.

But thinking carefully, Li Run was a current royal duke, while Fu Xinruan was merely registered as an entertainer. Even if she entered the duke’s household, she would ultimately have to watch Li Run marry a noble lady as his duchess. Moreover, she was many years older than Li Run – after youth and beauty faded, how many men could still remember their youthful attractions and affections?

She gave up being a duke’s concubine and chose to be the wife of a commoner of similar age – besides emotion, it was also a calm and natural choice.

However, she probably hadn’t imagined that even though she wasn’t greedy or unrealistic, she would still end up following her chosen one to Yellow Springs.

Gongsun Yuan raised her hand to support her face, covering the tears in her eyes with her palm as she said tremulously: “After I arrived in Chengdu Prefecture and went to Songhua Lane looking for Aruan before I even entered the lane I heard commotion, with crowds of people discussing in the alley. I quickly asked around and learned that a woman in the Fu residence had died in one room with someone during the night, and the officials had just taken away the bodies… I was shocked and grief-stricken then, not knowing why my little sister would suddenly die at what should have been her happiest moment. I could only stand there weeping loudly, completely at a loss…”

Even now, when Gongsun Yuan spoke of that day’s events, that grief and bewilderment was still moving. Her breathing was unsteady, and her throat choked for a long while before she could barely continue: “I don’t know how long I cried before someone beside me asked why I was crying there. I looked up and saw someone who appeared to be a servant. She said her name was Tang Zhuniang and she was a servant from the Fu residence. I asked if I could go in to see where Aruan had lived. But she shook her head, pointing at the constables and runners going in and out, saying the officials were about to seal it off, and that she had been sent home by Aruan some days ago, just coming back now to get her things.”

Zhou Ziqin quickly asked: “So you asked her to help you secretly retrieve that bracelet?”

“Yes… I thought if all of Aruan’s things were sealed off and the bracelet’s origin was investigated, the noble who gave it might face gossip. Moreover, Aruan had asked me in her letter to return the bracelet to him, so I gave that servant some money, asking her to secretly take a white jade bracelet from the jewelry box if she had the chance…”

“But she brought back this bracelet instead of the one you wanted, correct?” Huang Zixia looked at the double-fish jade bracelet and sighed softly, “We’ve seen your little sister’s dowry – there were many gold and silver ornaments. How would a servant know which bracelet you wanted?”

“Yes… but the officials were hurrying the servant to leave, so I couldn’t ask her to go back and exchange it, I could only take this bracelet and leave… At least it was also Aruan’s keepsake, so lustrous and clean – it must have been one she liked to wear daily, which is why the servant brought it to me.”

“My lady, this won’t do – during an official investigation, you bribed someone to take away the deceased’s belongings. This is highly improper,” Zhou Ziqin shook his head.

Gongsun Yuan nodded: “Yes, I know it was improper, but… that he could love my little sister – we are grateful for this affection in our hearts. Why create unnecessary complications that would subject him to criticism?”

Huang Zixia said slowly: “Ziqin, it’s nothing serious. It must have been some rich family’s son who rashly gave a family heirloom to Fu Xinruan. Lady Gongsun was considering their family’s reputation by returning the bracelet after her death. Though improper, it’s not a major transgression.”

Listening to Yang Chonggu’s words was Zhou Ziqin’s heartfelt habit, and defending a beauty was his unshirkable duty, so he immediately forgave Gongsun Yuan’s unauthorized taking of the deceased’s property, saying: “I understand this, and besides, when Fu Xinruan died by suicide, Lady Gongsun was still outside Chengdu Prefecture – she only entered the city the next day. I believe the lady has no connection to Fu Xinruan’s death!”

Having received his understanding, the matter was considered settled.

Huang Zixia lowered her head to look at the jade bracelet the servant had stolen, unconsciously reaching out to pick it up.

The jade bracelet was cool and pure white, carved with translucent skill. The jade, originally not very transparent, became extraordinarily lustrous after being hollowed out, its gleam like flowing water.

This exquisitely carved work had ultimately created a perfect pair of small fish, each biting the other’s tail, intimately and endlessly entwined.

She was momentarily lost in melancholy, her expression distant.

Li Shubai’s gaze slowly moved up from this double-fish jade bracelet to fall on Huang Zixia.

He saw her finally let out a long breath, pushing the bracelet toward Zhou Ziqin to indicate he should keep it safe, saying softly: “This bracelet… is related to the case, let the yamen keep it.”

Just this light movement made everything blocked in his heart instantly dissolve, bringing sudden clarity.

Without even realizing it himself, the corner of his lips curved in a slight smile.

Zhou Ziqin picked up the double-fish jade bracelet, giving it a casual look as he said: “This bracelet is quite beautiful, and it looks like it was cherished by its owner – see how well-maintained it is— oh, there’s a line of text inside the bracelet.”

He held the bracelet level with his eyes, slowly turning it to examine the inscription inside, reading it aloud: “The tallest of woods, what harm in small flaws… what does this mean?”

Huang Zixia lowered her eyes, slowly drinking the tea in her cup. The tea had gone cold, a thread of coolness going straight down her throat into her chest, with a bitter taste.

Li Shubai said calmly: “The tallest of woods refers to the catalpa tree.”

“Oh, catalpa… flaw… Zixia?” He was both shocked and delighted as he asked, “Huang Zixia? Does this mean this was Huang Zixia’s possession?”

Gongsun Yuan looked at him in confusion, not knowing who Huang Zixia was.

Li Shubai and Huang Zixia both acted as if they hadn’t heard.

Zhou Ziqin was overjoyed and, disregarding that this was evidence related to the case, directly tucked the bracelet into his chest, protecting it with his hand while laughing to the heavens: “Hahaha~ Who would have thought, a jade bracelet worn by Huang Zixia is now in my hands! From today on I’ll sleep with it every night, no one is allowed to touch it even with one finger! Whoever dares touch it, I’ll fight them to the death!”

Gongsun Yuan pressed her handkerchief to her tear-stained eyes and hesitantly asked Huang Zixia: “Constable Zhou… is he alright?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” Huang Zixia said without looking up, holding her tea and speaking slowly. “If he wasn’t having a fit, he wouldn’t be Zhou Ziqin.”