Deputy Officer Hu was pacing back and forth. When he saw her, his expression became stern. “We are here under the Marshal’s orders to guard this place. No unauthorized persons may enter or leave.”

“I am not an unauthorized person,” Qiu Cao said urgently. “I am Second Young Master’s concubine.”

Deputy Officer Hu thought for a moment. “In that case, you are even less permitted to come out.”

“Why? I want to see Second Young Master.”

“Are you certain you want to see him?” Shi Guang was currently locked in the prison, awaiting execution at any moment.

“Yes. I want to see him. You have no right to detain me.” Relying on the child in her belly, Qiu Cao spoke with confidence. “I am carrying Second Young Master’s child — the Marshal’s grandchild. If anything were to happen to me, I’d like to see how you explain that to your superiors.”

The child Qiu Cao carried should theoretically have been the first grandchild of the Shi family. But the Marshal had already dismissed that notion entirely. For one thing, Shi Guang was a criminal; for another, the child was born of a concubine — with no legitimate standing — and so the Marshal would never acknowledge him or her as the first grandchild of the family.

Deputy Officer Hu looked at Qiu Cao as though she were simple-minded, and in the end chose to completely ignore her.

“Hey, did you hear me? I want to see Second Young Master.”

“You’ll regret this — mark my words. Hey, are any of you listening?”

But no matter how loudly Qiu Cao shouted and raged, Deputy Officer Hu maintained an attitude of complete indifference. It was like throwing punches at cotton — Qiu Cao felt frustrated and furious, and yet helpless.

Just as she was seething with rage, she suddenly spotted a familiar silhouette. What puzzled her was that this person should have been confined to the compound, and yet here she was, walking freely along the covered corridor of the Shi Mansion.

Qiu Cao was puzzled, but she called out nonetheless: “Second Young Mistress.”

Ling’ai heard the shout, said a few words to Hui Cun at her side, and then walked over.

Deputy Officer Hu, seeing her, dropped his cold demeanor and said respectfully: “Miss Ling’ai.”

“I’ll go speak with her for a moment.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Deputy Officer Hu escorted Ling’ai to the courtyard gate and then stepped back.

“Second Young Mistress, I want to see Second Young Master.” Qiu Cao said urgently. “And what’s going on out here? Why have Second Young Master’s men been replaced by the Marshal’s men? Didn’t the Marshal die from his severe wounds?”

Ling’ai looked at the woman before her. She didn’t know her particularly well, but she knew that any woman capable of holding her own before Shi Guang was no simple character.

By now, Qiu Cao should have been able to guess a general outline of what had happened — and yet she still refused to face it or accept it.

“Qiu Cao,” Ling’ai said. “The Marshal was never gravely wounded. He and Shi Ting have already returned to Shun Cheng. Shi Guang is now a prisoner.”

“What did you say?” Qiu Cao was taken aback. “How can that be? Wasn’t Shun Cheng firmly in Second Young Master’s control?”

“It was nothing but a trap set by the Marshal and Shi Ting. From beginning to end, Shi Guang never truly held the initiative.” Ling’ai gave her a calm look. “The Young Mistress asked me to pass on a message: out of consideration for the fact that you carry Shi family blood, she will not mistreat you — but from this day forward, you are not permitted to set foot outside this courtyard.”

“The Young Mistress wants to put me under house arrest? On what grounds?”

“Qiu Cao, Shi Guang is now a prisoner and will shortly be publicly executed. You and he are cut from the same cloth. This outcome is already a mercy from the Young Mistress. You should be grateful for the child in your belly — otherwise, you would be standing at the execution grounds alongside Shi Guang.”

“And what about you?” Qiu Cao glared at Ling’ai. “I’m only a concubine, but you are Second Young Master’s lawfully wedded wife. If Second Young Master goes to the execution grounds, how could it not include you?”

Ling’ai drew a document from her person and spread it open before Qiu Cao: “This is the divorce agreement between myself and Shi Guang. It bears Shi Guang’s own signature and seal. I am no longer Shi Guang’s wife, nor am I the Second Young Mistress of this mansion. I am simply Ling’ai.”

Ling’ai put the document away. “Qiu Cao, the Young Mistress has spared your life — you should be thankful. Do not stir up any more trouble, or no one will be able to protect you.”

Ling’ai said no more, and paid no heed to Qiu Cao’s cries, as she and Hui Cun walked away side by side.

“Qiu Cao Yitai, what do we do now?” Qing Mei thought over what Ling’ai had said and was immediately overcome with both panic and dread.

If they lost Shi Guang’s protection, they were nothing. The Young Mistress was now in charge — and they had once tried to harm her child.

Qiu Cao drifted back to her room in a daze, Qing Mei’s frantic chatter washing over her unheard.

Ever since Shi Guang had staged his rebellion, she had spent every day dreaming of wealth and luxury — imagining herself rising on the strength of her son, becoming the mistress of this household.

Even if she never became the official wife, she would have Shi Guang’s eldest son. Shi Guang, for the sake of that child, would never treat her badly.

From servant girl to where she stood today, she had fought hard for every bit of this life, and she valued it dearly. Likewise, she had harbored great ambition and hope for the future.

But now, Shi Guang had lost. The Marshal had returned, Shi Ting had prevailed, and the glory that had belonged to Shi Guang had lasted only a few short days.

Qiu Cao sat there, her face blank and hollow. She felt a threat and a terror she had never known before.

“Qiu Cao Yitai.” Equally worried was Qing Mei — a girl who had harbored the same dream as Hong Hua. She did not yet know Hong Hua’s fate; otherwise, her own dream might have already been shattered.

“Qiu Cao Yitai.” Qing Mei, seeing Qiu Cao sitting there like a stone statue, couldn’t help but give her a nudge.

Qiu Cao snapped back to her senses. She looked at Qing Mei, then said without preamble: “We have to find a way to escape.”

Qing Mei startled. “What?”

“Don’t listen to Ling’ai. She and Yan Qing breathe through the same nostril. She says the Young Mistress will spare my life out of consideration for the child — that’s just pretty words for outsiders. Think about it: I nearly caused her to die along with her unborn child. Er Yitai will certainly have told her about that. Even if the Young Mistress wouldn’t do anything to me herself, would Er Yitai let me off? If my child and I stay in the Shi Mansion, sooner or later we’ll be disposed of like garbage — quietly, without anyone knowing.”

Qing Mei listened and nodded vigorously. “Qiu Cao Yitai, you’re right. If we stay, we’re walking straight into a dead end.”

“So we run.” Qiu Cao took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, her mind racing through possible plans.

Soon, she pulled Qing Mei close and whispered a few words in her ear.

Qing Mei immediately went to pack up the gold and silver jewelry — for if they were to flee the Shi Mansion, they could not take too many things, only valuables small enough to carry.

By the time someone came to deliver their meal, Qing Mei had already packed a small case.

Though Qiu Cao was confined, food was still brought as usual. But faced with this specially prepared meal for an expectant mother, she had not the slightest appetite.

~

Yan Qing was in Luo Huaimeng’s room having a conversation when Murong knocked and entered.

Seeing the unusual expression on Murong’s face, Yan Qing asked: “What has happened?”

“Qiu Cao has run away.” Murong said. “Just now the kitchen went to bring her a meal, and shortly afterward she started crying out that her stomach hurt — said she’d eaten something bad. The guards outside said to fetch a doctor, but she insisted on going to the hospital. The guards saw her rolling on the floor in pain and so reported it to Deputy Officer Hu, who personally took Qiu Cao to the hospital.”

“She ran from the hospital?”

Murong nodded. “At the time, Qiu Cao was in the ward, and it wasn’t convenient for Deputy Officer Hu to go in. By the time he realized something was wrong, Qiu Cao and Qing Mei had already escaped through the window. It was the second floor. That Qiu Cao really has some nerve — six months pregnant, and she dared to jump from the second floor.”

Luo Huaimeng shook her head in disbelief. “That Qiu Cao — she really is bold.”

“She was afraid that if she stayed in the Shi Mansion, I would harm her.” Yan Qing understood Qiu Cao’s thinking perfectly. “She believed that since she had once tried to hurt me, I would surely take my revenge. To her mind, staying here would mean her death.”