At that time, Xi’er stepped forward and handed over the agarwood box, “Old Madam, it is found in Xiuru’s room.”
Seeing the familiar agarwood box, Old Madam nodded. The truth was quite clear now. Xiuru had been a thief. Sun Baozhen appeared that she was going to put righteousness above her emotion to Xiuru.
“Old Madam, I’ve only heard that Third Young Madam lost the heirloom you gave to her. However, I don’t know what it is. It’s better to open the box to confirm it clearly.”
Qin Yunuan and Old Madam exchanged a glance with each other. They had both guessed what Sun Baozhen thought. She wanted to know whether what in the box was the fourth map that the Sun Family was looking for. Qin Yunuan made a small smile and agreed, “You are right. It will be very clear to open the box to see what is inside.”
Following Old Madam’s order, Yuanyang stepped forward and twisted the brass buckle on the box. In Sun Baozhen’s expectation and Qin Yunuan’s calmness, there was a good-looking, glossy, glassy specie of jade pendant appearing to them.
A little embarrassed, Sun Baozhen looked extremely disappointed. What she used to think easy to obtain was a jade pendant of no value to her now. The key was that she was going to lose…
“Old Madam, Third Young Madam, is it right?” lowering her head, Yuanyang asked.
Old Madam nodded. Qin Yunuan tipped Ting Xue a wink. The latter immediately shouted to Xiuru, who was still kneeling, “What sticky fingers you have! You dare to steal such a precious treasure like the heirloom of the mansion.”
Xiuru felt deeply wronged. She didn’t know why the box appeared in her house. However, since Sun Baozhen wouldn’t speak for her, she could do nothing but beg desperately, “I was wrong! Third Young Madam, Old Madam, please forgive me. I won’t do it anymore.”
“There should be nobody with sticky fingers in the mansion,” Old Madam was decisive, “Yuanyang, take her away. Punish her according to the family discipline. You shall not stop hitting her with a plank until her legs were broken.”
Qin Yunuan had asked Leng Shuang to observe the way Xiuru walked. She knew that Xiuru was a rare master-hand of light skills. Breaking her legs was equal to preventing her from using martial arts forever. Then Xiuru would be kicked out of the mansion. The Sun Family would definitely pay no attention to a useless person like her.
On the first day for Sun Baozhen to enter the mansion, Qin Yunuan had already destroyed her most capable helper.
Sun Baozhen’s lip twisted. However, she dared not to oppose Old Madam directly. So she only nodded obediently, “Old Madam has put the shoe on the right foot. Xiuru had asked it for herself.”
Old Madam glanced at Sun Baozhen imperturbably. Thinking that Qin Yunuan had shaken all the chess pieces to the ground aggressively with a flick of her sleeve just now, Old Madam closed her eyes, “All right. Now that the criminal is found out, everybody just quits. It has made the mansion restless. Everybody should know her own place.”
Qin Yunuan bent her knees and curtseyed, preparing to leave with Ting Xue and Xi’er. Sun Baozhen also took her little servant girl to Dongchun Courtyard. The servant girl was called Xiuying, looking young and timid when speaking. Although she entered the mansion together with Sun Baozhen just like Xiuru, she was only a chick that hadn’t grown up yet comparing to Xiuru, who could handle things neatly. Just looking at Xiuying would annoy Sun Baozhen.
The punishment was going on in the next courtyard. The dull voice of plank hitting Xiuru and her grieved cries stimulated people’s nerves.
“Third Young Madam, your idea is really good,” on their way home, Xi’er couldn’t control her feelings, “Second Madam was already watching you when you returned with the agarwood box. She thought that Old Madam must give you some treasure, so she has been concerned about it. Now there is such a case. Second Madam will no longer try to get the jade pendant. What’s more, the arrogant servant girl beside Concubine Sun was droved away.”
The matter of the map was a matter of Prince Ning’s Mansion’s survival. Qin Yunuan had mentioned it to nobody except Leng Changxi, so Xi’er, Ting Xue even Maner, who was closest to her, had been thinking that what inside the agarwood box was no more than a treasure. This was exactly what Qin Yunuan wanted. What she planned today aimed at cutting off Sun Baozhen’s helper as well as dispelling her desire to the agarwood box.
As for Second Madam, she had reminded Qin Yunuan of nurse Liao’s death. She knew that it was no coincidence for nurse Liao to occur in Second Madam’s courtyard. Or attend the suicide-like murder herself because of her temper. More likely, the Sun Family wanted to threaten Second Madam to cooperate with them through it.
Returning to Jiyu Pavillion, Leng Changxi had just come back from the imperial court, looking rather tired. He only ordered Leng Wu to unload the armor for him. He wore thin underpants, lay on the bed on his back, and refreshed his spirit by closing his eyes. Although the spring had come, silver charcoal was burned much in the room, making it quite warm.
Maner was now engaged with Leng Wu. According to the folk custom of Qi, the engaged couple should not see each other before the wedding. Adding that Maner was registered in General Shang’s Mansion with the help of Leng Changxi, she had moved here temporarily to avoid some unnecessary trouble and suspicion. She would ask servants of General Shang’s Mansion to take a message for her from time to time, telling Qin Yunuan that everything was alright.
When Qin Yunuan entered the house, she found that Leng Wu was out of his mind because he hadn’t seen Maner for ages. He hurried to curtsey and greet Qin Yunuan only when she was about to walk past him. Qin Yunuan smiled. When she was going to lift her legs, she turned back suddenly and said in a seemingly subconscious tone, “I’ve heard that General Shang will take his daughter separating for years to pray in Wan’an Temple tomorrow. Alas! There are so many people in Wan’an Temple! I’m afraid that nobody will know it even when a man with evil intentions abducts the delicate Miss Shang.”
Leng Wu went red at once. He said in embarrassment, “Third Young Madam, I…”
Pretending not to see him, Qin Yunuan raised her hand to call Ting Xue, “It’s so hot in the house. Ting Xue, bring the sweet pear soup on the cooking stove to me.”
The word “hot” made Leng Wu look redder.
Qin Yunuan entered the bedroom and sat on the bed. Leng Changxi, who was squinting, hugged her immediately, “You really care about Leng Wu and that servant girl. But you’d better care for yourself first.”
Qin Yunuan pouted, “When do I not care about myself? See, I’ve put on a lot of weight around my waist after a whole winter.”
Smiling, Leng Changxi nipped Qin Yunuan’s nose, “You really like to act against me now. I like you to be fleshy. You used to be so thin that I worry about your health.”
Qin Yunuan’s face reddened. She turned back, flung her arms around Leng Changxi’s neck, and kissed him on his face, “Sorry to make you worry about me.” Then she humped up towards Leng Changxi’s chest as a lovable puppy meeting her master.
Her action seduced Leng Changxi. Neglecting the fact that it was still daytime now, he turned over and put Qin Yunuan beneath him. At that time, however, Ting Xue called at the door with the sweet pear soup.
Leng Changxi straightened up and put on the cold bat-shaped mask again, “I’ll tell our child that without those servant girls in the courtyard, he may have several brothers and sisters. He should take it as a warning.”
The words were the result of sullenness. However, Leng Changxi said it in a serious tone.
Qin Yunuan shot a half-angry glance at him, “How can you teach him that?”
It was a mystery whether Ting Xue had heard their words inside. But when she came in, she didn’t look good.
“Third Young Madam, Consort Cao says that there is a guest to the mansion. Since the guest is your acquaintance, she invites you to come over and have a chat.”
Qin Yunuan glanced at Leng Changxi, who was enjoying the sweet pear soup.
“Okay. I’m on my way.”
After Ting Xue left, Leng Changxi raised his head and said, “I may know who has come.”
Qin Yunuan looked askance at him. Leng Changxi sank his voice, “I reckon that the guest has a connection to Prince Ray’s mysterious disappearance.”
“Is there any clue about him?”
“No,” Leng Changxi shook his head, “All the routes to the Imperial Mausoleum have been investigated. However, nothing is found except some signs of fighting and bloodstains which can prove that there has been a fight at that time. According to the emperor, he never expected Prince Ray to come back alive when sending him to the Imperial Mausoleum. Now the emperor only needs me to find proof that Prince Ray is dead. As for the rest, the royal family has its own method to make a reasonable explanation.”
“I reckon that you’ve already found the proof,” Qin Yunuan looked at Leng Changxi and said.
Nothing could be hidden from his “Little Hedgehog”. Leng Changxi nodded, “Indeed, I’ve already found one. The scene seems that it had been robbed and burned, making people feel in the first place that Prince Ray’s group had met brigands. However, the problem is that the scene is too real to be true.”
“Are you suspecting that Sima Ray had crafted all these?”
“I’m not suspecting. I’m sure,” Leng Changxi said firmly, “The only thing I worry is that all the information we get now is left by Sima Ray intentionally. It seems that he has external assistance besides the previous Qin Family and assassins from the Dou Family. What’s more, the assistance is terrifying, more powerful.”
Qin Yunuan shook her head, “Sima Ray is no more than a prince. How can he make these big families go to great lengths to help him? If it is through women, it is not likely that every woman will be smitten with him.”
Leng Changxi said calmly, “There is only one thing that can bind a group of people with different origins and backgrounds together closely.”
“Benefit,” the two people spoke with one voice.
Without knowing the reason, Qin Yunuan thought about the fourth map which had been transferred to another place for custody. She thought for a while, “Time to go. There is an honorable guest waiting for me in Consort Cao’s courtyard.”
It was peaceful in the Dongchun Courtyard. The tension in the morning had disappeared. Sun Baozhen was receiving the guest on the loft. Walking under the loft, Qin Yunuan saw only a woman chatting with Sun Baozhen happily with her back leaning the fence. It seemed that there was an unusual relationship between the two people.
“Third Young Madam, this way,” Xiuying led Qin Yunuan to go up along the stairs.
When seeing the “honorable guest” clearly, Qin Yunuan’s heart trembled. It was her!
