By the time she returned to the Ji Residence, it was past midnight, and the entire mansion was enveloped in a serene silence. Biwu was sleeping on the couch outside. When Ji Yuluo entered the room, Biwu turned over in her sleep, murmuring “Miss,” but she did not wake up, as if still dreaming.
Ji Yuluo paused for a moment, then went straight into her inner room.
She had ridden all the way to the city gate, and Xie Subai’s umbrella had not been useful; she was soaked through. Bathing was inconvenient at the moment, so Ji Yuluo simply took off her wet jacket, wiped herself down briefly, and lay down.
But she was wide awake, without a hint of drowsiness.
The window was not tightly closed, and cold wind seeped in through the gaps, making the canopy above her head sway slightly, creating ripples. Ji Yuluo lay there watching, thinking of the lake at the villa where Gu Rou’s body had been floating, and then of Xie Subai admiring the lake in the rain.
He was always like that, looking at everything with deep affection. Even a lake with a dead body could be appreciated sincerely by him, yet the tenderness in his eyes was like a mist—intangible and unfathomable.
Even Ji Yuluo did not fully understand him.
Seven years ago, Xie Subai had saved her life.
He had taken her in, hired many tutors for her. She learned what typical ladies from respectable families learned; anything she liked but was not typically learned, he also let her study.
At that time, Xie Subai was only a young man, his features delicate and gentle, but his personality was already as steady as it is now. However, he indulged Ji Yuluo almost to the point of pampering. He said he should have had a sister, but she had passed away.
Ji Yuluo’s personality had always been rather sharp, and with Xie Subai’s tacit approval, she had thrived even as a young girl. People said that Xie Subai had a little lady by his side who was vengeful and not to be provoked easily.
In the past two years, as Xie Subai’s health worsened, miscellaneous affairs fell to her. Thus, Ji Yuluo knew better than anyone that Cuixue Tower was not the “Living Bodhisattva” the common folk believed it to be—it was merely a facade.
But to this day, she did not know the purpose behind Xie Subai’s actions.
He did not tell her, and she did not ask.
The rain tapped against the window late at night. Ji Yuluo turned over and glanced at the purple-gold incense burner engraved with Sanskrit on the corner of the table in the moonlight, her thoughts drifting far away like a stream. She couldn’t help but think of Xie Subai’s question again.
Hate…
Do I hate?
Sleepiness gradually crept in.
Perhaps she had thought too much that night. As soon as Ji Yuluo closed her eyes, she fell into a night of chaotic dreams.
First, she dreamt of You Daiyue strangling her, telling her to die. The woman’s beautiful face was twisted and ferocious as she cursed Ji Chongwang for being a hypocrite and Ji Yuluo for being an undeserving wretch.
Sharp nails dug into her flesh, and You Daiyue’s eyes were filled with madness.
The suffocating feeling in the dream was incredibly real. Just when she was about to wake up in a panic, the pressure on her neck suddenly vanished, and You Daiyue disappeared, leaving her in complete darkness.
It was the dungeon of the Qianfang Pavilion. The saltwater-soaked whip lashed against her body, causing pain so intense that she eventually lost all sensation.
Suddenly, a beam of light shone through, and she ran desperately toward it, running and running until she stumbled and fell into a fragrant embrace. The scent was as gentle as the flowers blooming on the branches in spring, making it impossible to leave.
She smiled so tenderly and said:
“Lu’er, from now on, this will be your home.”
“Lu’er, call us father and mother.”
“Lu’er, this is your younger brother.”
The courtyard full of parasol trees seemed like a paradise on earth, with the chirping of cicadas and birds and the babbling of streams. But when she reached out to grab a sycamore leaf from the stream, her hand was covered in blood.
The scenes shifted nonsensically: a mansion filled with bloodshed, refugees resorting to cannibalism, streets littered with corpses under a blanket of snow…
The heavy snow pressed down on her, nearly suffocating her. Her half-open eyelids saw a double image of the bright moon, her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and when she heard the sound of rolling wheels, she was suddenly brought back to reality. Ji Yuluo awoke with a start.
Biwu, holding a washbasin, exclaimed in surprise, “Miss, why are you crying?”
As soon as she asked this, Biwu was startled by the cold look in Ji Yuluo’s eyes, colder than the end of this harsh winter!
Biwu shivered, and the washbasin clattered to the ground, spilling water everywhere. When she looked at Ji Yuluo again, there was no trace of that chilling gaze. Ji Yuluo seemed just to have woken up, groggily asking, “What time is it?”
While cleaning up the mess, Biwu replied, “Miss, it’s the hour of the dragon (7am – 9am). You should get up quickly; something major has happened in the residence!”
She thought the news of what happened at the villa had spread.
Given Ji Chongwang’s character, he would likely prefer to suppress the matter first and then find a way to announce Gu Rou’s death in a manner that minimized the issue, avoiding any trouble from Ji Yunkou.
So, when she returned to the residence last night, Ji Yuluo had instructed Chaolu to spread the news early in the morning, especially making sure Ji Yunkou knew.
Seeing the silence outside, with not even a maid sweeping the yard, Ji Yuluo knew that the drama had probably begun.
Normally, she might have been interested in the spectacle, but after a night of nightmares, she had no energy for it. She got out of bed, walked to the dressing table, and listlessly combed her long hair, casually asking, “What happened?”
Biwu quickly recounted the events and then sighed heavily, “I never expected that Yiniang Gu… is just gone like that.”
Ji Yuluo raised her voice slightly in surprise, “How could such a thing happen? What a pity… Is Second Miss alright?”
Biwu shook her head repeatedly, whispering, “Second Miss somehow heard that Yiniang Gu was pushed into the river by Madam. So she summoned Nanny Sun, who serves Madam, but after a few questions, Nanny Sun turned pale and insisted she didn’t know. It was clear something was wrong, and Second Miss became even more convinced. She’s now making a scene at the pavilion, demanding that a coroner examine Yiniang Gu’s body. The Master wouldn’t have it and immediately scolded Second Miss and locked her in a room.”
Ji Yuluo styled her hair into a simple bun, securing it loosely with a silver hairpin. She said, “Go fetch Second Miss’s maid. Her name is… Juan’er, right? Bring her here. I want to see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Biwu hesitated, then sighed, “Second Miss has always treated you so poorly, yet now that she’s in trouble, you still think of helping her.”
Indeed, her young mistress had such a gentle nature.
Ji Yuluo gave her a faint smile, and Biwu quickly went to Fuxia Courtyard.
In the time it took to eat a bowl of porridge, Biwu returned with the maid named Juan’er.
Juan’er’s face showed no joy at receiving help; instead, she appeared somewhat hesitant. After all, the eldest miss had no real power in the household—how could she possibly help?
With a downcast expression, Juan’er listened as Ji Yuluo instructed Biwu to prepare some pastries in the small kitchen. Then Ji Yuluo led her to the inner room.
Juan’er followed nervously, watching as Ji Yuluo pulled out a small box from under the dressing table. Curious, she peered over and saw the box open, revealing a stash of silver pieces!
An entire box of silver pieces, likely the equivalent of two or three years’ worth of a maid’s monthly allowance!
It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Juan’er envious.
Given the current situation at Fuxia Courtyard, her monthly allowance was likely to decrease even further.
With a click, Ji Yuluo closed the box, and Juan’er’s eyes dimmed along with it.
Ji Yuluo smiled and beckoned her to come closer. Juan’er, unsure of what the eldest miss was up to, hesitantly leaned in. After hearing Ji Yuluo’s whispered words, her face changed instantly, “But if we do this… the master will severely punish Second Miss, and I’ll be implicated too.”
Ji Yuluo sneered, “Do you think your mistress’s current situation is any better? Without her brother and aunt, she’s just a concubine’s daughter. Can she fare better than I did before? When I marry, I’ll take a few dowry maids with me. You’re sixteen or seventeen now, you’re of age. If you handle this well, I’ll ask the steward to assign you to me, and I’ll give you your release papers, so you can leave.”
She casually rested her chin on her hand, “Weigh the pros and cons for yourself.”
Juan’er bit her lip, struggled internally, and then nodded firmly. However, as she left, she glanced back at this usually silent eldest miss with a complex expression, thinking to herself that a dog that doesn’t bark is more likely to bite. Fortunately, she had often advised Second Miss to ease up when she made things difficult for the eldest miss…
But this eldest miss, she had never seemed like someone with such a dark heart.
In the evening, the sky was ablaze with sunset colors.
The sky looked blood-red, strikingly vivid.
In the inner courtyard of the Huo residence, Huo Xian was feeding birds.
The man was still in his crimson official robes, suggesting he had just returned from the palace and had not yet changed into his casual clothes before sitting in the courtyard to feed the birds.
One leg was propped on a stone stool, his long legs seeming to have nowhere to rest. He held a handful of corn in his right palm, while his left hand stroked the red feathers of the bird. The red-crested, green-tailed bird obediently fed from his hand.
Huo Xian’s demeanor was somewhat lax, but if any of the court officials saw him like this, they might think he was plotting something nefarious again.
“Master! Master!” A sudden shout startled the bird, causing it to flutter its wings and shakily fly back into its cage, one wing covering its head, huddling like a quail.
Huo Xian glanced at the approaching Nanyue, tossed aside the corn in his hand, and gave him a cold look, smiling insincerely, “Do you know why Liyang can work at the Town Pacification Office while you can only hold my horse?”
Nanyue immediately stood at attention, placing the pastries given to him by the ladies of the household on the table, feeling somewhat wronged but quickly becoming excited. “Something happened at Lord Ji’s residence. That concubine-born daughter of his must have gone mad and accused Madam Ji at the county office, claiming she harmed a concubine and asking the county magistrate to conduct an autopsy. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Lord Ji always maintained such a dignified and unyielding facade, but now that this matter has blown up, he can’t possibly openly beg the magistrate for leniency. I saw his face turn green when he insisted the magistrate handle it impartially.”
Huo Xian wiped his hands, pondered for a moment, and said, “Get the case from the county office, and say that the Jinyiwei will handle it.”
Nanyue was momentarily stunned but then happily agreed.
He usually had a lot of respect for upright and honest civil officials, but Ji Chongwang was different. He was a person who valued fame and fortune highly, yet always spoke as if he were above it all, claiming to be incorruptible. Being a scholar, his eloquent and righteous speeches had won him many admirers, even earning the title “Future Ji” in reference to the great Tutor Xu of the past. This made him quite detestable.
Nanyue added, “This really hasn’t been a good year for Lord Ji. First, he was targeted by Zhao Yong and had a daughter schemed against by you, Master. Then there was the bandit incident, where his youngest daughter was injured and has not yet recovered. Now, his concubine is dead, and his concubine-born daughter is causing trouble at the county office, leading to Madam being detained. I heard that the elderly Madam, who’s already in poor health, fainted from anger, and I just saw the physician from their residence looking for medicine.”
Huo Xian paused and frowned, “Is she going to die?”
Nanyue replied, “It’s said that she’s been relying on medicine to sustain her life for years, so it’s not impossible if she succumbed to a sudden fit of anger.”
Huo Xian rubbed his brow in frustration and said, “Go to the palace and get an imperial physician to send to the Ji residence immediately. If the old madam dies now, what will become of the marriage?”
Nanyue was taken aback. Indeed, if the old madam passed away, the eldest miss of the Ji family would have to observe a mourning period of at least a year. During that time, who knows what other changes might occur? Zhao Yong might come up with some other devious scheme, and that would be troublesome.
Moreover, the household had far too many women. If a proper mistress wasn’t brought in soon, the task of managing all the concubines and maids would fall to him, and that was simply unbearable!
Realizing this, Nanyue no longer dared to dawdle and hurriedly took the palace pass and rushed to the palace.
At that moment, chaos reigned at the Ji residence.
Madam Jiang was indeed seriously ill, but fortunately, her life was not in danger. However, she had fainted and fallen flat on her back, resulting in partial paralysis and immobility.
The physician was administering acupuncture. After returning from the county office, Ji Chongwang paced back and forth under the corridor of Shouchun Hall, looking utterly exhausted. Ji Xianyu, who was in good health, was sobbing and kept asking him, “How is mother? When will she be back?”
Ji Chongwang covered his forehead with his hand, too worried to respond.
After inquiring about Jiang’s condition, Ji Yuluo calmly withdrew. When she returned to the other courtyard, she coincidentally encountered the steward delivering four dowry maids, including Juan’er.
Juan’er was naturally delighted, having received money and soon to gain her freedom. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Ji Yuluo.
Ji Yuluo, however, did not look at her. Instead, she glanced at the maid standing at the far right and, after a few formal words, instructed her to come inside and serve.
With the door closed, Hongshuang followed Ji Yuluo into the inner room. When Ji Yuluo stopped walking, Hongshuang bowed and said, “Miss Yuluo, I am here under the master’s orders to ensure your safety.”
