As it happened, the chest of gifts Gu Shuguan had stolen for me turned out to be intended for Zhang Zhuyi. Her birthday fell on the seventeenth of the twelfth lunar month, a mere five or six days away. I consulted with Lu Kaifeng and devised a plan.
The following day, accompanied by Muyu, I carried the chest to the main gates of Gonglu and requested an audience with Miss Zhang. Luo Cheng had already briefed me on the situation within the Zhang household. Grand Secretary Zhang had contracted a cold in late autumn that refused to clear. Seeking the tranquility of Gonglu, he had moved there to convalesce, accompanied by several of his favorite children and grandchildren. While most of the younger generation merely paid perfunctory visits to his bedside, Zhang Zhuyi proved herself a paragon of virtue, both in appearance and character. Devoted to her filial duties, she resided at Gonglu full-time, personally attending to her grandfather’s tea, meals, and medicinal soups every day.
Miss Zhang was dressed simply today, her face free of makeup, which only served to highlight her natural, ethereal beauty. It was a sight that could intoxicate the soul. She politely invited me inside, meeting me in a small floral parlor used by the ladies of the house, and inquired about my visit. I smiled and said, "Yesterday, a gift arrived at my door, but strangely, it was not meant for us. Upon taking the liberty of opening it, I discovered it contained items sent from your ancestral home for your upcoming birthday. I suspect the messenger was unfamiliar with the roads and delivered it to the wrong place. Such a matter cannot be handled carelessly, so I have come today specifically to deliver it into your hands personally to set my mind at ease."
I added a birthday gift of my own on behalf of myself and Wei Qingming, offering it with a warm smile. Zhang Zhuyi bowed slightly as she accepted it, offering a faint word of thanks. She cast a casual glance at the gift chest placed to the side, seemingly indifferent. After a few polite exchanges according to etiquette, she offered a return gift and had a maid escort me out.
The moment I left Gonglu, I raced home and summoned the prepared Jade Mirror so everyone could watch. The gift I gave her was, of course, not simple; it was imbued with Lu Kaifeng’s illusionary vision. Zhang Zhuyi was naturally cautious; she didn't even open the items before having them tossed into the main storehouse to gather dust. Fortunately, that wasn't our main gambit. While Miss Zhang had appeared accustomed to the gift chest in my presence, barely sparing it a glance, she had a maid bring it to her private chambers as soon as I departed. There, she dismissed her attendants and opened the chest alone. The illusionary vision placed upon the chest was the true crux of the matter.
As for me, Su Zhenzhen, I had an identical chest—the real gift—which she had received as a manifestation of Canxia Realm illusionary arts. The reason for the haste was that this high-level sympathetic technique linked the two chests; whatever she did on her end, as long as I performed the same actions on mine, the effect presented before her would be identical.
With those slender hands meant for the zither and painting, she moved aside the top layers of items. With practiced familiarity, she found a hidden compartment in the wall of the chest, triggered the mechanism, and withdrew a small slip of paper. I performed the same maneuver and saw the note read: *"Xixi. Demon Zither. Suppress it with the Nine Heavens Ringing Jade."*
A trace of a calculating smile appeared on Zhang Zhuyi’s habitually frozen face, as if she had long anticipated this and had thus spent a fortune to acquire the Nine Heavens Ringing Jade zither. As for the name "Xixi," did it refer to Xixi Tower?
I immediately thought of the "Fair Maiden" banquet for noble youths at Xixi Tower, scheduled for four days from now. All eligible daughters of the Wen family would be attending, including Wen Jiang, Wen Gan, and Wen Qi. There had been no news of Zhang Zhuyi attending, but if she did go, it would confirm that the note’s instructions were indeed for that event.
The intelligence Luo Cheng brought regarding Wen Qi revealed nothing unusual. Since their encounter six years ago, Fourth Master Wen and his daughter had lived peacefully at the Myriad Demon Stockade. Their return to the capital seemed to be solely because Grand Secretary Wen had summoned the clan back due to news of the war, and naturally, he brought his daughter along. Their only other trip in six years had been a three-day stay in Anjing, Yuezhou, before returning immediately. Perhaps my suspicions, once aroused, were hard to quell, but it felt suspicious. I remembered when I first took the mission, Master had explained that Fourth Master Wen was a restless soul who loved traveling, which was why he couldn't stay in Pingjing. When I bid farewell to Old Madame Wen after Second Brother Wen’s wedding, she had also grumbled that he "never had a moment of stability." For such a man to not leave his home for years was, in itself, an anomaly.
After reading the note, Zhang Zhuyi destroyed it. Her expression returned to its usual calm as she selected a translucent green jade bracelet from the chest and slid it onto her arm. This made things interesting. Every item in that chest was imbued with an illusion, but since the bracelet was a personal item, we felt it improper to pry too deeply into her privacy. We only watched until she finished serving Grand Secretary Zhang his medicine before closing the Jade Mirror’s image. We left only the illusionary sound active and handed it to Luo Cheng, instructing him to have specialists monitor the eavesdropping.
Suddenly, Lu Lingfeng spoke up: "That old man is sick."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Of course he is. He's been bedridden on and off for nearly three months."
"There is yin energy on him," the Second Senior Sister added, offering a rare further explanation.
I calculated rapidly in my mind. I took the real version of the bracelet Zhang Zhuyi was wearing from my chest, had First Senior Brother imbue it with an illusion, and handed it to Lu Lingfeng. "Would Second Senior Sister like to go next door for a bit of fun? Swap this real bracelet for the fake one, and then see what kind of illness that old gentleman has? The place next door is much larger and more interesting."
Fearing that Lu Lingfeng’s invisibility illusion might not be enough, I asked Xuesu to accompany her. With her Snow Maiden lineage, Xuesu could become invisible whenever there was snow, which was why I hadn't noticed her following me before.
Lu Lingfeng loved such strange errands. She led her recently favored "little sister" away with great enthusiasm. When they returned, however, she shook her head dejectedly. "I cannot pull the ghost out of him."
After some discussion, Qiao Songlin said, "It is unknown if the Zhang family knows the truth of the Grand Secretary’s condition. The waters may be deep; it is unwise to act rashly."
Nie Xiaoyan asked in surprise, "Brother Qiao, do you mean the ghost might have been planted by his own family?"
"In great noble houses, such things are not uncommon," Nie Xueqing remarked. "Of course, Grand Secretary Zhang has many political enemies, and with war on the horizon, there are many possible reasons for this anomaly. His claiming illness to avoid court could be a passive stance to delay the war, or it could be his opponents' doing to facilitate the pro-war faction's operations. As for internal strife, it is said that Zhang You, the Grand Secretary’s eldest legitimate son, intends to replace his father. He has already gathered his own circle of retainers to challenge the old man."
It was my turn to be surprised. "Not bad, Sister Qing. You certainly know your way around court politics."
Nie Xueqing waved her hand dismissively. "It’s nothing. A businessperson cannot only look at business." Zhu Yixin nodded in agreement, patting Lu Kaifeng’s arm. "Sister Qing is right. We should pay more attention to these things too!"
Lu Kaifeng smiled and agreed. Nie Xueqing actually stared at him with a beaming, direct gaze, causing him to cough—a rare sight—and look away as he politely praised the Head Merchant's insight. Zhu Yixin and I were stunned. We looked from him to her, then at each other: *Could it be that our forty-something-year-old bachelor of a First Senior Brother is finally going to see his 'iron tree bloom'?*
Zhu Yixin was far more excited than I was. After the meeting, she clung to my arm all the way to my room, babbling incessantly about how "Sister Qing is a heroine among women" and how they were "a perfect match of handsome looks and great talent."
The next day, Miss Zhang returned the visit according to etiquette. Zhu Yixin and I hosted her together. Uncharacteristically, she stayed for a while, showing an inclination for small talk. Zhu Yixin was a master of conversation, especially skilled at breaking through the defenses of "icicles" like her. Before long, Zhang Zhuyi was actually engaging in back-and-forth conversation.
Zhu Yixin asked, "We heard that Grand Secretary Zhang has been bedridden. Is he faring any better now?"
A trace of worry flickered across Zhang Zhuyi’s face before vanishing. She replied calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Miss Zhu. He is showing signs of improvement."
Taking the opportunity, I adopted a mysterious air and lowered my voice. "Miss Zhang, forgive my womanly meddling, but a common cold rarely lasts this long. I wonder... have you considered inviting an Immortal Master to take a look?"
Zhang Zhuyi lifted her lashes slightly and shook her head. "My grandfather has never believed in talk of ghosts and gods."
Zhu Yixin smiled and pointed at me. "Her Master Wei is a proper disciple of the Wujing Sect. Unfortunately, he is not home at the moment. When he returns, perhaps he could visit the Grand Secretary under the guise of paying respects to an elder? The Grand Secretary’s health concerns the fate of the common people; every day he is ill is a loss for the nation. It really shouldn't be neglected."
It was a probe, and we both expected her to refuse. To our surprise, her filial piety seemed to outweigh her caution. She bit her lip, pondered for a moment, and actually nodded in agreement.
With the great banquet at Xixi Tower approaching, it seemed Hua Moli had been locked up by her family to prevent her from sneaking off alone. She only sent a letter praising my calligraphy, saying she had hired the best mounter to turn it into a masterpiece. she even joked that she looked at it every day in her room until she started to believe she had written it herself.
Wen Gan, as usual, was carefree. She often brought Yin Shuhong over to discuss the latest progress of their storybooks. Zhu Yixin was also a fervent fan of the author "Thousand-Year Sorrow." Whenever she met Yin Shuhong, they would talk endlessly. Eventually, she couldn't contain her curiosity and asked whether Thousand-Year Sorrow was male or female, old or young, handsome or plain.
Yin Shuhong shook her head with a smile. "To be honest, I have personally visited many of our authors, but with Thousand-Year Sorrow, we only correspond by letter. They have never agreed to a meeting." As she spoke, she pulled a recent letter from her robe to show us.
Zhu Yixin was ecstatic as she admired the handwriting. Seeing that the content only discussed publishing matters without any personal details, she asked if she could buy it for a high price. Yin Shuhong said generously, "We are all friends. If you like it, take it." Zhu Yixin thanked her sweetly and tucked it away with delight.
I also caught a glimpse of the writing. I felt the author was likely a young man, gentle and refined as jade, much like the world he constructed in his books.
Master Wang came to
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