The ink words on the letter were few. The first line, “Qianfang Pavilion,” made Lin Chan’s pupils tremble. She instinctively wanted to hide it from others’ view, but after stuffing it into her sleeve for a while, she took it out again for a careful read.
The letter writer referred to herself as “qie” and mentioned meeting Lin Chan alone at another estate. Lin Chan naturally assumed the letter was from Gu Rou. Terrified and stunned, she recalled how Gu Rou had often unintentionally remarked over the years, “You look like a lady but not like a mistress.” These words always displeased her, but she hadn’t thought much of them at the time, merely feeling secretly annoyed. Reflecting on them now, she feared Gu Rou had long known the truth!
But how could she know? She even knew about the matter of Qianfang Pavilion.
Lin Chan abruptly stood up, startling Nanny Wan. Nanny Wan asked in surprise, “Madam, what is it? This letter…”
Lin Chan frowned and urged her, “Go quickly, prepare a carriage.”
Nanny Wan took the letter, her expression also becoming grave, but she was not as flustered as Lin Chan. She said, “Yiniang Gu is using this matter to make a fuss now, probably as a last-ditch effort to force you to let her return to the manor. But, Madam, the person most unwilling to have that matter mentioned is the master. If the master knows, he will probably keep her tightly confined in the other estate. How could she have a chance to speak? Why must you subject yourself to her blackmail?”
Lin Chan shook her head and frowned, “Each matter should be addressed separately. The issue of Qianfang Pavilion… how can it be told to the master? Have I been living too peacefully? Besides, back then, only you and I knew about this. How did Gu Rou find out, and is there anyone else who knows? I need to find out clearly!”
After saying this, Lin Chan hurried out despite Nanny Wan’s attempts to stop her.
Nanny Wan chased after her halfway, looking up at the heavily clouded sky. It was likely to rain. She hesitated for a moment, sighed, and followed Lin Chan.
Meanwhile, as the Ji family’s carriage passed through Dongzhimen Street, Liyang was galloping by on horseback. They brushed past each other, and Liyang headed straight for the Zhenfu mansion.
He was disheveled, stubble sprouting, looking as if he hadn’t tidied himself for days. Nanyue, standing outside the study, was shocked to see him in this state and looked him up and down. “What’s happened recently? Why do you look like this?”
Still catching his breath, Liyang held a stack of files copied from the Ministry of Justice and was about to enter the study. “Where is the master? Is he resting?”
Nanyue made a sound of acknowledgment and shook his head, stopping him. Liyang’s hand froze as he was about to knock on the door. Hearing the extremely faint, restrained sounds of pain from inside, his expression turned extremely grim.
It’s the end of the month…
He cursed softly with lowered eyes, “That bastard Zhao.”
Nanyue pursed his lips. He had cursed this a thousand times already outside the door, growing weary of it. So he just hung his head silently.
For a while, both of them stood silently under the corridor, making the labored breathing from inside even clearer. The sound of each breath made their bones ache. To distract himself, Nanyue asked, “What are you holding? What important case have you been investigating at the Ministry of Justice? Did the master assign you another task?”
Liyang shook his head, glancing at the scar on Nanyue’s neck. “An old case. Last time, you mentioned the assassin’s method of injuring people. It suddenly reminded me of an assassination case three years ago in Yunyang Prefecture.”
Hearing this, Nanyue was startled.
If it were an ordinary case, he might have long forgotten it, especially since he was in the capital and had no time to concern himself with a case in Yunyang. But Liyang’s mention brought it immediately to mind.
The reason was simple. The case was too significant and too bizarre.
It was said that at that time, from the prefect of Yunyang Prefecture down to the clerks, everyone met an untimely death overnight. Some died in their homes, others in brothels or taverns. But they all had one thing in common: the fatal wound was on the side of the neck, inflicted by an accessory like a hairpin or a buyao, used by women. The attack was executed so cleanly that it was almost always fatal with one blow.
By the next morning, there were very few left in the prefecture capable of managing affairs.
Nanyue still remembered that the prefect’s surname was Wang. Not only did he die, but his mansion was also set on fire, killing his entire family with no survivors.
The case immediately alarmed the court. At that time, the late emperor was already gravely ill. Hearing the news, he was so enraged that he coughed up blood during the morning assembly and subsequently dispatched a central minister to strictly investigate the matter.
This incident caused quite a stir in the capital for a while. However, there were so many cases handled by the Jinyiwei that Nanyue did not follow up on its progress and didn’t know whether the culprit had been apprehended.
Liyang handed him the dossier, saying, “They did catch someone, but—”
Just then, the door creaked open from the inside. Huo Xian leaned against the door frame, calmly wiping his hands. Apart from the dense sweat on his temples, there was no sign of anything amiss. He looked as usual and said, “What interesting things are you looking at? Come in and talk.”
The heavy mist on the mountain, already dimmed by dark clouds, made the moonlight even more hazy. This faint light made Gu Rou appear very delicate and pitiable.
This time, she was not pretending to be pitiful.
In just a few days, Gu Rou had become sallow, her cheeks sunken. Her once-fitting clothes now seemed loose, but her expression remained calm. She was inevitably tormented after falling into Lin Chan’s hands.
She was, however, surprised by the arrival of Ji Yuluo.
The woman wore a thin bamboo-green silk dress, without even a small jacket against the wind, making her appear both light and unafraid of the cold. She brought a food box, took out some dishes and side dishes, and said gently, “Aunt, you have suffered these days. Please eat.”
Gu Rou had indeed been hungry for several days, and seeing the food made her mouth water. However, she was now very cautious, fearing that Lin Chan might want to eradicate her completely by poisoning her.
Thus, Gu Rou did not move her chopsticks and asked, “Why are you here at this hour, Eldest Miss? Does the madam know?”
Ji Yuluo set out the dishes and then sat down. The cold wind by the lake blew her hair around her temples. She tucked it behind her ear and shook her head. “Mother doesn’t know. I came without telling her. Aunt has always treated me kindly. Now that you are in trouble, I am restless and unable to sleep, knowing my mother is narrow-minded and won’t treat you well. I came to check on you.”
Her words were so sincere that Gu Rou almost believed she had treated Ji Yuluo well in the past. But then she remembered that although she had indeed given Ji Yuluo some face publicly, unlike others who would kick her when she was down, and occasionally scolded Kou’er when she bullied people, it wasn’t out of kindness. She was merely maintaining an image of gentleness in front of Ji Chongwang, while secretly using Ji Yuluo to provoke Lin Chan, causing Ji Yuluo much unwarranted trouble.
But these were things that this simple-minded eldest miss probably didn’t know.
Gu Rou’s expression changed several times, and she said, “You…”
Ji Yuluo blinked and said, “Aunt must think I’m stupid.”
Perhaps it was the embarrassment of having her thoughts guessed, or Ji Yuluo’s playful expression that was at odds with her usually quiet demeanor. Gu Rou was stunned for a long time before frowning and saying, “What does the eldest miss want to say?”
Ji Yuluo looked at Gu Rou, smiled, and sighed softly. “Aunt must know why my mother mistreats me, otherwise why would you repeatedly risk your life against me? It’s because you are certain that my mother has no affection for me, maybe even resentment, and wouldn’t easily stand up for me.”
Gu Rou was so shocked that she stood up. “You, you know…”
Ji Yuluo did not get up but instead propped her face on one hand and said, “I don’t blame you, Aunt. In this deep mansion, one must have some means. If a person doesn’t look out for themselves, heaven and earth will destroy them. Aunt wanting better for yourself, what’s wrong with that?”
Gu Rou stared at her, eyes wide, momentarily too frightened to speak.
At this moment, Ji Yuluo stood up and walked toward Gu Rou, gently tidying the hair blown by the wind. Her tone and movements were exceedingly gentle—so gentle, in fact, that they gave Gu Rou goosebumps. Gu Rou turned to leave immediately. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s late, Eldest Miss. You should return to avoid angering the madam.”
But Ji Yuluo wouldn’t let her go. She grabbed Gu Rou’s hand, causing her to stumble before she could steady herself. Behind her, she heard Ji Yuluo’s soft voice, “If you know how cold the lake is in mid-winter, you should understand what I’m talking about.”
The night was silent, making such murmurs especially eerie. Gu Rou shivered, knowing exactly what incident she was referring to!
According to her plan at the time, Ji Yuluo should have drowned in the lake that night, avoiding all the subsequent troubles. But Gu Rou never figured out what went wrong, suspecting only that Nanny Sun might have kidnapped the wrong person.
As she pondered this, she was suddenly dragged forward by a strong force. Gu Rou’s heart filled with dread as she finally understood Ji Yuluo’s intentions. She screamed, clutching Ji Yuluo’s wrist, “Ji Yuluo! Are you mad? What are you trying to do?”
Her shout startled a flock of birds in the forest. Ji Yuluo frowned and simply tightened her grip on Gu Rou’s throat.
Gu Rou’s face turned blue as she tried to make sounds to attract attention. Just then, a thunderclap drowned her cries for help in the dark night.
The lightning briefly illuminated the young girl’s face, revealing her pitch-black pupils filled with casual murderous intent. It was as if killing her was as simple as crushing an ant.
Realizing this, Gu Rou struggled desperately. When she finally caught her breath, she hastily said, “What do you want? Do you want to know what happened more than ten years ago? Let me go, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Ji Yuluo paused, her eyebrow arching slightly.
Gu Rou, half-hanging over the railing, dared not move recklessly. Seeing Ji Yuluo stop, she felt a glimmer of hope and said, “I don’t know how you learned about your background, but it’s not the whole story. You are indeed not the madam’s biological child. Your birth mother was a dancer at a music house in Fanan County.”
Fanan County was Ji Chongwang’s hometown, where he lived for twenty years before coming to the capital for exams.
Ji Yuluo fell silent, her eyes vacant as she watched Gu Rou’s lips move, a slender and soft figure surfacing in her mind.
She closed her eyes, pushing the image away.
Gu Rou, thinking she was unaware, continued more fervently, “The dancer and the master were not just a fleeting affair. As far as I know, the master married your birth mother before coming to the capital. But to marry his mentor’s daughter, he wanted to sever ties with her. Unexpectedly, your birth mother was already pregnant. When the madam fell seriously ill and was told she might never conceive again, she was so heartbroken that she took you from your birth mother. Her condition for the master was that your birth mother should never appear again.”
Ji Yuluo’s expression did not change upon hearing this. She merely tilted her head and said, “Aunt, you have truly worked hard, hiding such a big secret and pretending not to know.”
At that moment, Chaolu hurried over from a small path, excitedly saying, “Miss! Lin Chan and Nanny Wan have arrived and are heading this way.”
Ji Yuluo looked up and decided not to waste any more time with Gu Rou. She was about to let go when Gu Rou seemed to sense something and shouted, “No, don’t let go! I still know more. I know that your birth mother was pregnant with twins; you have a twin—”
Before she could finish, Gu Rou suddenly paused and looked at the girl in front of her. She suddenly remembered what Ji Yunkou had mentioned a few days ago:
“After getting engaged to Huo Xian, Ji Yuluo changed completely. That weak and delicate appearance was all an act.”
But to someone like Gu Rou, who had pretended to be weak for over a decade, she knew too well that Ji Yuluo’s timid and innocent demeanor was genuine, developed from years of isolation and helplessness.
However, the person before her now exuded a calm demeanor from the depths of her eyes, with a more dynamic expression that revealed a colder emotion.
Moreover, when had Ji Yuluo ever been so strong? She had always been frail, easily pushed over.
Recalling that day when Nanny Sun had tearfully defended herself, Gu Rou had initially thought it was just the dark and stormy night that led to Nanny Sun mistakenly binding the wrong person. But considering the possibility of abducting someone from the Ji family’s inner courtyard, if it had been a servant mistakenly taken, the absence would have been reported immediately.
If Nanny Sun’s account was accurate and she truly had bound someone and thrown them into the lake, then the person in front of her…
A buzzing sound went off in Gu Rou’s head, as if a string had snapped, leaving her momentarily stunned and unable to process. She looked at Ji Yuluo in disbelief, “You—”
As if understanding Gu Rou’s thoughts, Ji Yuluo gave her a slight smile and let go of her hand at the same time. Yiniang Gu seemed still lost in her shock, not reacting for a moment, forgetting even to shout.
The lake’s waters splashed, then quickly settled back into calm.
Huo Xian glanced up at the sky. Leaning on the chaise lounge, he gently stroked a small bug protruding from a vein on his wrist, as if to soothe it, and said, “Continue.”
Liyang was about to speak when Nanyue, beside him, excitedly closed the dossier and said, “Let me, let me! The assassin was caught quickly. It was said to be a young girl, not yet fully grown. She was held in the Yunyang Prefecture’s prison. After several days of interrogation yielded no results, they planned to execute her. But on the night before the execution, she was broken out of prison!”
Nanyue, full of dramatic flair, continued, “Saying ‘broken out’ is not quite accurate. It was more of a massacre. The place was almost entirely blood-washed. Strange, how did such a big case not make any news back then?”
Liyang replied, “The late emperor was gravely ill, and during the massacre, the court was in the midst of selecting a crown prince. The capital was in turmoil, so there was no attention given to this matter.”
Liyang looked at Huo Xian before continuing with details not recorded in the dossier, “This case remains unsolved to this day. However, there are rumors that it was the work of Cuixue Tower, but due to lack of evidence, the investigation was hastily concluded.”
As he finished speaking, Nanyue’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.
This was a conditioned reflex.
Ordinary martial arts sects generally did not interfere with court affairs and had no conflicts with the Jinyiwei. However, Cuixue Tower was different. It had repeatedly clashed with the government and was involved in several assassination cases of officials. Despite this, the organization had an excellent reputation among the common people, who regarded it as a “living Bodhisattva” that punished corrupt officials.
The worse the reputation of the Jinyiwei, the better the reputation of Cuixue Tower.
Nanyue had once encountered Cuixue Tower during an investigation task and barely escaped with his life—though it might have been better to die there, for when he came out, even his underpants had been stripped off.
It was a complete humiliation, and since then, whenever he heard the name “Cuixue Tower,” he had an odd reaction.
Huo Xian had once made him write “Cuixue Tower” three hundred times, which slightly alleviated the symptoms.
Still, he bore a grudge against Cuixue Tower, and over the years, he had gathered information. He said, “I heard that the sickly leader of Cuixue Tower always has a woman by his side, who protects him closely wherever he goes.”
Liyang was momentarily confused and asked, “Sickly?”
Nanyue gritted his teeth, “The leader of Cuixue Tower, Xie Subai.”
