Elopement?
When that word flashed through my mind, my first thought was: if a woman truly intended to elope, she had best run far away and ensure her husband’s family never found her.
The laws of the State of Yantian were exceptionally harsh regarding crimes committed by women. A woman proven to have abandoned her husband and eloped would be sentenced to the Splint Torture. This involved placing the prisoner's arms and legs between steel plates lined with nails, which were then tightened relentlessly. Depending on the severity of the case, the execution of the sentence was divided into grades. The lightest was the first grade, where the plates were closed just enough for the nails to bite into the flesh. The most severe was the fifth grade, where the plates were pressed almost completely together, crushing the prisoner’s bones and flesh into a pulp. Few ever survived it.
Because the process was so gruesome, it had rarely been used in recent decades. However, this was a society where patriarchal authority reigned supreme; as long as the husband brought the grievance to the magistrate, the accused woman rarely escaped her fate.
The man who had lost his wife was still sobbing. I had rarely seen a grown man cry, and naturally, I had no idea what kind of comfort would make him stop. I turned to look at Chen Zhan, who was scanning the room’s furnishings. In a casual tone, he asked the middle-aged woman, "How do you know your mistress ran off with someone?"
The woman looked at the innkeeper on the floor with difficulty, appearing quite hesitant. She looked to be about forty, with a sallow complexion that suggested malnutrition. Judging by her coarse cotton robes, she was likely a general laborer here.
Though she said nothing, her gaze flickered toward the window. Following her line of sight, I saw the window was half-open, with a patterned bedsheet tied to the frame.
I pushed the window fully open and saw two bedsheets tied together, dangling all the way to the ground. I tugged on the sheets to test their sturdiness, then vaulted out the window.
I landed at the edge of a side courtyard. The doors and windows of the wing rooms were closed; it seemed there were no guests for the time being. Walking to the left led to a moon gate that curved toward the front yard. To the right were several single-story sheds used for storage, and in the corner was a small side gate. Generally, such gates were used by the staff to bring in firewood and supplies. At the moment, the gate was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I found a secluded little alleyway.
The storage sheds looked quite dilapidated. Only the innermost one had a large brass lock on its door. Of the other two, one was empty, and the other held a few bags of charcoal and bundles of firewood. There was nothing else.
Since it had been several days since the last snowfall, the footprints on the ground were a chaotic mess, revealing nothing of use.
I climbed back into the bedroom using the bedsheets. The innkeeper had finished his crying fit and was now sitting on the floor with a pale face, staring blankly.
I shook my head at Chen Zhan. While he knelt beside the innkeeper to offer some long-winded "ideological counseling," I took the opportunity to examine the bedroom thoroughly.
The room was small, containing a wooden bed with neatly folded quilts. Beside the bed was a simple wooden table holding a vanity box and an oil lamp. Two rosewood trunks sat against the wall, and there was a set of table and chairs.
I gently opened the vanity box. Inside were a few hairpins and a pair of jade bracelets—all very ordinary items. On the wall facing the head of the bed hung a portrait of a woman. Though the artist’s strokes were simple, the likeness was vivid: a clear-eyed young woman holding a bunch of wild flowers, turning slightly with a graceful smile. There was no poem inscribed on the painting, as was the custom; instead, there was only a small seal at the bottom with two characters: *Yu Yao*.
"Is this your wife?" I asked.
The innkeeper wiped his face and gave a muffled grunt of affirmation.
Seeing that he was willing to answer, I asked further, "Just because of a bedsheet, you’re certain your wife eloped?"
The innkeeper looked up at the portrait and said venomously, "There’s a fur merchant from the north who stays at our inn every year. Every time he comes, he brings rouge and powder for my wife. The moment he left, this slut vanished. She must have gone with him." At this, he began to curse the merchant roundly.
He was currently far too agitated to provide reliable evidence. Leaving Chen Zhan to keep him company, I wandered out, intending to chat with the others.
At the bottom of the stairs, the first person I saw was the lad who had called me "Officer Granny." He was wandering the empty hall, half-heartedly swiping at things with a rag. I beckoned him over and asked kindly, "What is your name? How long have you been here?"
The lad gave a shy bow, glanced cautiously toward the stairs, and lowered his voice. "My name is Shi Tou. I’ve worked here for two years."
"Who else lives in this inn?" I asked.
Shi Tou counted on his fingers. "Besides the Master and Mistress, there’s Auntie Wang, Brother Yu Zhong, and me. Brother Yu is the cook; he’s been here for over four years. Auntie Wang is the laborer; she’s been here for over a year."
I thought for a moment. "What guests have you had these past few days?"
"There was Master Yan, the fur merchant from the north," Shi Tou said. "He’s a regular and has a permanent room; he spends several months here every year. He left the day before yesterday. Besides him, there was an elderly couple visiting relatives; they stayed one night and left. Then there’s Mr. Wang, who teaches at the charity school on the back street. He’s alone in the capital and hasn't found a suitable house yet, so he’s staying with us for now. He’s out at the moment and won’t be back until dark." He shook his head. "No one else."
"Your master says the mistress ran off with that merchant, Master Yan..." Before I could finish my question, Shi Tou’s face turned bright red and he waved his hands frantically. "No, no, the mistress isn't that kind of person. Master Yan just liked to joke with her; there was never anything improper between them..."
His urgency didn't seem feigned. I considered this and asked, "Then where do you think she went?"
Shi Tou glanced around warily and whispered, "She must have run away on her own."
I lowered my voice to match his. "Why would she run away?"
Shi Tou said helplessly, "Why else? Our master has a foul temper; everyone on this street knows it. Every time he gets drunk, he beats people. I actually hope the mistress has managed to escape far away."
This was a new development. Seeing me nod, Shi Tou quickly added, "You mustn't say I told you..."
I nodded quickly, signaling that I understood.
Shi Tou sighed and said no more. Seeing I could get nothing else from him, I rose to find Auntie Wang. Unexpectedly, I ran into the cook, Yu Zhong, at the back door of the hall. He was holding a freshly sharpened steel knife, heading for the kitchen. I stopped him. "Master Yu, about your mistress..."
Before I could finish, Yu Zhong snorted with disdain. "That slut? She definitely ran off with Master Yan. They’ve been making eyes at each other for more than a day or two." Without waiting for further questions, he turned and entered the kitchen.
I hesitated over whether to follow him, but my eye caught Auntie Wang walking through the yard. She was placing a wooden basin by the well. Several garments were soaking inside—likely the guests' laundry. Despite the freezing weather, her sleeves were rolled up, and her hands were beet-red from the cold. Seeing me, she gave a shy smile.
"Why not add some hot water?" I asked.
She shook her head quickly. "The hot water in the kitchen is reserved for the guests."
"You’ve been here over a year?" I asked.
She scrubbed the clothes vigorously, letting out a sigh. "My husband died. I have a semi-paralyzed mother-in-law at home. If I don't work, we’ll both starve."
"Are your wages enough to support her?"
She didn't look up. "It’s just the two of us. If we’re frugal, it’s enough."
"How do you know your mistress eloped?" I asked.
She stopped her work and looked up at me. "The night before Master Yan left, he cornered the mistress at her door and said he’d be waiting for her at the Fulian Inn in Zhao Prefecture. I heard it with my own ears." Seeing my silence, she continued, "The master went back to his country estate the day before yesterday to see his old mother. When he returned early this morning, the bedroom door was bolted from the inside. He thought the mistress was unwell, so he didn't knock. But when the guests came down for breakfast and she still hadn't appeared, he went up to call her. He couldn't get an answer, so Master Yu broke down the door, only to find she was long gone."
I helped her lift a bucket of water. "What kind of person was your mistress?"
She sighed. "How to put it? She was young, beautiful, and clever with her hands."
"Was the master good to his wife?"
She glanced at me. "The master’s temper isn't great. But he’s a man who provides for his family and doesn't dally with other women. A wife should be content with that."
I brought her one last bucket of water and asked a final question. "When you found she was gone, did anyone go after her?"
She shook her head. "Master Yan is a wealthy merchant; his caravan has hired guards. We couldn't bring her back even if we tried."
"If you couldn't do it yourselves, why not go to the authorities?" I reminded her.
She sighed. "Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. Men care about their dignity."
Someone called for her from the front hall, and she hurried off.
I walked past the well to the area beneath the bedroom window. While the drop from the second floor to the ground wasn't high, it would be quite a feat for an ordinary woman, especially at night. Recalling the refined woman in the portrait, she didn't seem like someone so bold.
I went out through the side gate again. In the quiet alley, a few children were jumping around playing with stones. They stopped to watch me as I emerged. This alley had only one exit, leading to the main Zhaolin Street.
By the time I circled back to the front of the inn, Chen Zhan was waiting for me with two horses.
On the way back to the Ministry of Justice, I told him what Auntie Wang had said. He replied, "In that case, we’ll send men to Zhao Prefecture to intercept that fur merchant. We also need more people to canvas this neighborhood. There’s only one way out of that alley; someone must have seen her."
Having said that, he shook his head and sighed. "I’d bet eight or nine to ten that the woman really did run off."
***
When I slipped out of the back gate, a half-moon had just risen overhead.
Ming Shao was pacing back and forth in the pale moonlight. He wore light-colored robes, and in the hazy glow, his entire being seemed to radiate a faint, ethereal light. Hearing the door close, he looked up with a slight smile and opened his arms to me.
The night itself seemed to soften at his smile, and my heart began its irregular rhythm again.
Leaning into his embrace, I couldn't help but sigh. "Did you miss me?"
Ming Shao laughed. "What would you do if I said no?"
I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. "Then we’re even. Because I didn't miss you either."
Ming Shao leaned down and gave my ear a playful nip. Before he could pull away, I hooked my arms around his neck and kissed his lips firmly.
It wasn't enough.
I kissed him again. Ming Shao’s lips were cool and soft, the kind you never wanted to let go of once you’d tasted them.
Footsteps approached from the distance. I quickly jumped out of his arms and straightened my outer robe. For convenience, I was wearing one of Min Zhi’s old robes today. It wouldn't do for people to see two grown men being intimate in the street in the middle of the night.
"Come on," I said, taking his hand and giving it a tug. "I’ll take you somewhere nice for a drink."
To my surprise, the little Junyue Inn was quite busy at night.
I pulled Ming Shao to a corner seat. Perhaps because I was in men’s clothing, or perhaps because Ming Shao was simply too striking, Shi Tou didn't take the time to look at me closely.
We ordered a few small dishes and a jar of plum wine. When Shi Tou brought them over, Ming Shao asked him, as I had coached him to do, "I heard a teacher from the charity school lives here?"
Shi Tou nodded quickly. "Yes, Mr. Wang lives upstairs."
Ming Shao handed him a piece of broken silver and said politely, "I’d like to learn a bit about the charity school. Would it be possible to invite Mr. Wang down for a chat?"
Shi Tou took the silver and agreed readily.
I quickly poured wine for Ming Shao with a fawning smile. The plum wine had a faint fruity scent beneath the aroma of alcohol. Tasting it somehow reminded me of the milk wine brewed by the Linxi people. I looked up at Ming Shao; he was placing a piece of deboned grilled fish onto my plate. I caught his hand and gave it a little bite.
Ming Shao quickly pulled his hand back, scanned our surroundings, and turned back to glare at me reproachfully. I just grinned and raised my cup. "Brother Shao, cheers!"
Hearing me call him "Brother Shao," he suppressed a smile and said, "When spring comes, let’s go back to the grasslands."
The grasslands in spring—the green grasslands of spring. We could lie on the carpet-like soft grass and soak up the sun. *Love You Ten Thousand Years* and *Little White Dragon* could run free without worrying about hitting anyone...
Before my reverie could unfold, a refined voice spoke from behind me. "I am Wang Rong. I hope I am not disturbing you two gentlemen."
I pulled my thoughts back and stood with Ming Shao to greet Mr. Wang.
Ming Shao invited him to sit and began asking about the charity school. I took the opportunity to observe Wang Rong. He was between twenty-eight and thirty-five years old. His features were quite regular, and he carried himself with a scholarly elegance, though his brow was slightly furrowed as if he were weighed down by worries.
After Ming Shao finished his inquiries about the school, the conversation naturally turned to idle chatter. I said, "Since you live in an inn, Mr. Wang, I take it you aren't a native of the capital?"
Wang Rong let out a long sigh. "I originally came to seek out relatives and find a position, but I found they had moved away six months ago. I am stranded in the capital and had to find a livelihood first. I must save enough for my travel expenses before I can return home."
Ming Shao asked, "Where is your honorable home? Who else is in your family?"
Wang Rong sighed gloomily. "A wife and child below, and a widowed mother above."
I quickly refilled his cup. "How long have you been in the capital? Have you stayed here the whole time?"
Wang Rong nodded. "Chairman Dong of the Merchant Guild specifically allocated a resettlement fee for me to stay here. It’s clean and affordable, and there are people to look after things."
I lowered my voice. "I heard the mistress here eloped?"
Wang Rong’s expression darkened, and he gave me a displeased look. "Sir, you must not believe such idle gossip. I have lived here for months and know the mistress somewhat; she is by no means such a frivolous woman."
I said with a grin, "You say she isn't frivolous, but the word on the street is that she ran off with that fur merchant, Yan Qing."
Wang Rong snorted. "Yan Qing is a man reeking of copper coins. Why would Miao Xiu elope with him? It is absolutely impossible. In my estimation, it is nothing more than a marital spat, and the mistress has gone to the countryside."
"Where is her family home?" I asked, surprised.
Wang Rong set down his cup and sighed. "She is a pitiable soul. The mistress lost both parents as a child and was sold by relatives to the Wang family as a child bride. Where would she have a family home to go to?"
"You just said she went to the countryside..."
Wang Rong shook his head. "Innkeeper Wang’s mother still lives on a country estate. I heard she was quite kind to her daughter-in-law." Having said this, he seemed to realize he had spoken too much. He set down his cup, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and took his leave.
I had gathered what I wanted to know, so I lost interest in staying. I settled the bill and pulled Ming Shao away.
As we walked down the broad streets of the capital, the wine began to go to my head. I wrapped my cloak tight and practically hung off Ming Shao.
"I thought you had a high tolerance?" Ming Shao teased. "You didn't drink much today."
I had just started to say, "My mind is heavy, so my tolerance is light..." when I spotted a familiar figure swaying as he entered a grand gate. Several colorful lanterns hung from the gatehouse, and a gold-leafed plaque bore three characters in flamboyant calligraphy: *Linshui Pavilion*.
Ming Shao gave my head a light flick. "What are you thinking about now? Did you hear what I said? You promised to come out and help me relax, but instead, I’ve spent the whole time accompanying you on a case. How are you going to compensate me?"
The man’s back had already vanished into the doors of Linshui Pavilion. I withdrew my gaze and said with a grin, "I’ll compensate you, of course. I’ll take you right now—to a brothel."
***
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