After discussing at the West Market gate, the three decided to split up. Zhou Ziqin ran off to Puning Ward to tell Zhang Xingying the good news, while Wang Yun and Huang Zixia headed to the Court of Justice first.
Huang Zixia said to Wang Yun, “I’ll look over there first,” and deliberately detoured to glance at the Lu family’s candle shop.
Old Lu was still in the back of the shop. He had made another giant candle, identical to the one that had been destroyed, though he hadn’t yet painted the patterns and colors.
Huang Zixia watched him from the side, neither entering nor speaking, just observing him calmly. He was already elderly, a man in his sixties, hunched over, squinting his cloudy eyes as he concentrated intensely on painting dragons, phoenixes, and flowers.
In such hot weather, he held an iron basin with several compartments containing different colored waxes. Fearing the wax would solidify, he occasionally moved closer to the nearby stove to reheat the liquid wax.
Steam rose upward as sweat covered his body, his brown short garment completely soaked through, yet he continued painting the candle with unwavering attention, meticulous to the point of reverence.
Wang Yun looked at him, then at Huang Zixia, asking softly, “What’s wrong?”
Huang Zixia let out a long breath, saying quietly, “Nothing. I was thinking, since Dicui is being released today, should we let her father know?”
“A father and daughter reunion is only natural, isn’t it?” Wang Yun said.
So Huang Zixia went into the shop with him and said to Lu Zhiyuan, “Elder Lu.”
Lu Zhiyuan squinted at her, perhaps not recognizing her, and muttered unclearly, “Oh, it’s you.”
“I’ve come to tell you good news – your daughter Lu Dicui is being released from the Court of Justice today. Would you like to go see her?”
Lu Zhiyuan’s hand paused briefly, then returned to painting his candle: “Released? That’s good, I was worried she might bring trouble to me.”
Knowing the old man’s temperament, Huang Zixia said nothing more, only standing by the giant candle in the back of the shop to look at it, saying, “Almost finished, isn’t it?”
Lu Zhiyuan completely ignored her, showing his contempt for eunuchs.
Wang Yun, looking at another pair of wedding candles in the shop, called out, “Chonggu, come look at these.”
The pair of wedding candles stood about a foot tall, with unique designs – one like a dragon, one like a phoenix. Each scale and feather was colored differently, with various shades of red alone including deep red, light red, cinnabar red, rose red, rouge red, and more. The old man’s color combinations were truly admirable. His carved candle shapes were even more exquisite – the dragon and phoenix pair appeared vivid and lifelike, with flowing energy. Each of their heads held a wick, and the candles were decorated with countless copper flower petals and bells. In the dim shop, they created a dazzling display of colors and flowing light, making one imagine how brilliant they would be when lit.
Seeing how intricate the wedding candles were, Wang Yun turned to ask, “Shopkeeper, are these candles for sale?”
“Not for sale,” he flatly refused.
Wang Yun’s temperament was excellent – even after being rebuffed, he could only smile and say, “Yes, having these in the shop makes for the best advertisement.”
As they walked outside, a fresh breeze caused the bells on the candles to sway gently, the copper flower petals chiming together with a clear, crisp sound like celestial music.
Huang Zixia unconsciously turned back to look at the pair of wedding candles once more.
Wang Yun stood beside her and suddenly said softly, “If you like them, when we marry in the future, we could have him make a pair like these for us.”
Upon hearing this, Huang Zixia felt a surge of heat mixed with embarrassment and shock rise in her chest, making her face instantly flush red. Yet within that redness was mixed a sharp, ice-cold pain like needles, piercing through her limbs, leaving her unable to move.
Seeing her rigid posture, Wang Yun smiled – a forced yet understanding smile – and his voice remained gentle as ever: “Of course, I’m just joking. That would have to wait until the truth about your family’s case comes to light, right?”
She didn’t know whether to nod or shake her head.
The person before her knew full well that her reputation was already so tarnished, that in all the rumors about her, there was always the presence of Yu Xuan – yet he deliberately ignored this.
After a long while, she finally responded with a dry throat: “Yes, when the truth about my family’s wrongful case comes to light…”
As if reminded by her own words, she seemed to suddenly awaken in that moment.
Huang Zixia, from the moment your parents and relatives died, didn’t you already vow that nothing in this mortal world could affect you again? Weren’t you going to abandon all tenderness and attachment, sever all ties and concerns, to live only for your parents’ blood revenge?
Yu Xuan, Wang Yun – these weren’t things she needed to consider right now.
So she looked up at Wang Yun with a smile, her voice slightly hoarse but tone very calm: “Commander Wang is joking. How could I, a eunuch of the Prince’s household, ever marry anyone?”
Wang Yun was stunned for a moment, then let out a self-deprecating laugh, saying, “Right… I shouldn’t have made such a joke.”
They left the candle shop and went to check the nearby Qian family inn. As soon as the innkeeper saw Wang Yun, he hurried out to greet them: “Oh my, Commander Wang! What an honor to have you visit today – I’m so sorry for not coming out to welcome you sooner!”
The Qian family inn had done several big deals with the capital’s Defense Bureau, so they were naturally familiar. Several people ushered them into the shop, bustling about brewing tea and preparing fruits.
Wang Yun stopped them, saying, “We’re just passing by to take a look, no need to fuss.”
“Ah, Commander Wang, we’re truly sorry. You see, with our Master Qian taken away, we don’t know what to do with the shop…” As the manager was speaking, Madam Qian and three children also rushed over, falling to their knees in tears, begging Wang Yun for help.
Wang Yun was always gentle and measured. Seeing them making such a commotion, he could only smile wryly and say, “I have no say in this matter. If you want to seek justice, go to the Court of Justice.”
“This… this official is the one who came looking for the master last time, supposedly from the Court of Justice!” Upon hearing this, the servant quickly pointed at Huang Zixia, telling Madam Qian and the manager.
So the whole family turned to plead with Huang Zixia, with Madam Qian crying the hardest: “Our master is truly a good person, usually so cautious and afraid of trouble – how could he possibly kill someone…”
Huang Zixia quickly helped Madam Qian up, saying, “Actually, I came to ask about something. Do you know which manager was in charge of repairing Sun Laizi’s house that day?”
The manager quickly said, “The repair accounts are in the shop next door. I’ll go right away to find out who went there that day.”
“If possible, once you find him, please have him go directly to Sun Laizi’s house in Daning Ward. I have some small matters to attend to, and I’ll go there to wait for him,” Huang Zixia said, then added after thinking, “Also bring along Zhang Liu’er who knows the sewers.”
“Yes, yes, we’ll send them right away!”
After all this back and forth, by the time Huang Zixia and Wang Yun reached the Court of Justice, Zhou Ziqin and Zhang Xingying were already waiting for her. Zhang Xingying held a child in his arms, with two unfamiliar people standing behind him.
“These are my elder brother and sister-in-law. They happened to be at my house with their child, and when they heard we were picking up Adi, they all came along,” Zhang Xingying explained.
Zhang Xingying’s brother was called Zhang Xingwei, and like his brother, he was tall and strong. He and his wife smiled nervously and said, “Adi is part of our family. Of course, we had to come when she’s being released today.”
Zhou Ziqin added, “Yes if Old Master Zhang hadn’t just recovered and been persuaded by us to stay home, he would have come too.”
Seeing the Zhang family’s sincere care for Dicui, Huang Zixia felt comforted and nodded with a smile, saying, “Please wait a moment while I go in to get Adi.”
Surprisingly, Cui Chunzhan hadn’t left yet today, and he seemed to be in a very good mood. As soon as he saw her, he called out with a smile: “Yang Gongong, running errands for the Prince again?”
Huang Zixia quickly bowed and presented the Prince of Kui’s warrant, saying, “His Highness said that since there is now another more significant suspect in this case, and Lu Dicui absolutely could not have committed the crime when the Princess died, he asked me to discuss with the Junior Minister whether Miss Lu might return home to await further questioning. After all, it seems inappropriate to keep a young lady in the Court’s detention cell.”
“Oh, that matter? Simple enough.” Cui Chunzhan had a clerk bring over a form for Huang Zixia to fill out, then personally led her to retrieve the person.
As they walked past several empty detention cells, Huang Zixia asked, “Where is Qian Guansuo now?”
“Him? He’s been transferred to the Ministry of Justice prison,” Cui Chunzhan said carelessly. “With both witness testimony and physical evidence present, he confessed this morning.”
Huang Zixia was stunned and asked urgently, “He confessed?”
“Yes, he did.” Cui Chunzhan noticed her staring at him, those clear eyes seeming able to see through everything in an instant. He avoided her gaze uncomfortably and lowered his voice to say, “Yang Gongong, this case… is already closed. The case was solved quickly with conclusive evidence, and both the Emperor and Noble Consort Guo fully believed it. The Court of Justice has achieved great merit, and the Ministry of Justice can give an account. Isn’t this the best outcome?”
Huang Zixia stood under the dark eaves of the detention cell, silent for a long while before asking, “How did Qian Guansuo… confess?”
“How did he confess? Don’t you know, Gongong?” Cui Chunzhan stared at the bare gray brick ground under the eaves and sighed helplessly, saying, “The Ministry of Justice sent over their most skilled clerk with a complete set of tools. They say he’s interrogated over a hundred and twenty people, and not one failed to confess. Qian Guansuo also… couldn’t escape it.”
Huang Zixia frowned and asked, “Did he admit to the Princess’s death too?”
“He did. Yesterday afternoon he confessed to Sun Laizi, in the evening to Wei Ximin, and by dawn today, he signed a confession admitting he killed the Princess.”
Huang Zixia felt a chill in her chest and could only say woodenly, “Truly skillful methods indeed.”
“The case files have already been quickly copied and submitted to the Emperor. The palace should be sending back His Majesty’s decree any moment now,” Cui Chunzhan said.
So this was why he hadn’t gone home after lunch today – he was waiting for this.
Huang Zixia remained silent as the sound of chains rattled behind them. Dicui had been brought out. After spending several days in the detention cell, she looked quite haggard and dazed. When she raised her eyes to see Huang Zixia, she managed a slight nod.
“Lu Dicui, today you are being released on bail to Puning Ward under the guarantee of the Prince of Kui’s household. Until this case is concluded, you may not leave Puning Ward, and you must appear immediately if summoned by the Court of Justice or Ministry of Justice. Do you understand?”
“Yes… I understand…”
Huang Zixia helped her gather the bedding Zhang Xingying had sent and led her out of the Court of Justice.
As she walked out, she saw Zhang Xingying waiting outside. Her previously dazed and wooden expression finally showed both joy and sorrow as tears began streaming down: “Brother Zhang!”
Zhang Xingying put down the child and ran up the steps, clasping Dicui’s hands tightly in his own, holding them to his heart. He gazed at her for a long while before choking out: “Adi, let’s… go home.”
Those standing nearby watched them with knowing smiles. Even the child being held by Zhang Xingying’s sister-in-law raised his hand and called out to Dicui: “Auntie… Auntie…”
After calling out twice, he suddenly turned his face away, struggling to bend down and shouting toward the road beside the office: “Brother, Brother!”
Seeing the child almost breaking free from his mother’s arms, Zhang’s elder brother quickly came over to help hold him while turning to look at the street.
Passing by on the other side of the street was a tall, graceful man. As he walked past an elm tree, hearing the child calling out to him, he turned his head to look this way.
The ordinary street seemed to suddenly brighten with his turning head.
Huang Zixia’s gaze stopped on his face, and her breathing stopped as well. The summer sunlight and afternoon heat made her feel suffocatingly painful.
On such a hot summer day, that person maintained an unworldly clear presence. His slightly slender figure was like a newly cleaned bamboo stalk, still carrying a faint luster, the very essence of refined elegance.