When Master Wei turned around, she clearly saw the look on his face, yet she acted as if she hadn't noticed. Resuming her seat, she spoke coolly, "Who is investigating Li Ziduo's case?"
"I am." Chu Jiangheng sat as well, his expression returning to its usual cold rigidity. "The evidence is mostly gathered. It can basically be determined as a poisoning."
Wei Qingming gave a soft "mm" before finally offering a remark. "Which side does Brother Chu wish for me to support?"
"In terms of urgency, Miss Zhou is naturally the priority," Chu Jiangheng said. After a rare moment of deliberation, he added, "Everything will be subject to Master Feng’s deployment."
"Brother Chu’s current assignment is also important." Wei Qingming smiled faintly. "That this case has required the efforts of the four of us for three days without a breakthrough speaks volumes of the power of an ancient artifact."
Though her words were calm, she was subtly implying that Envoys Ye Shisan, Li Sanshili, Chu Jiangheng, and Chu Shiqi were not efficient enough. Including herself in that count was merely a way to save their face, as she had been ten thousand miles away from the capital when the incident occurred. Chu Jiangheng was by nature arrogant and cold, looking down on most people, yet he didn't feel offended in the slightest. He actually followed her lead, saying, "It was our lack of vigilance. Despite receiving your letter, we did not take this object seriously. We shall trouble you, Ninth Brother."
"Brother Chu is too kind," Wei Qingming replied. "If Brother Ye and Brother Li find no trail today, you and I shall meet with Master Feng tomorrow morning to make further plans."
Chu Jiangheng gave a crisp acknowledgment and took his leave.
Yin Deng rose and bowed, watching him depart before turning to face Wei Qingming. Lowering her head, she said, "I fear I can no longer pursue the lead on Prince Xuan. Before leaving the banquet that night, I barely managed to entrust the matter to Bi Han. Unfortunately, she was unaware of the full context, and in her haste, the intelligence she gathered was limited. There is only this." As she spoke, she stepped forward gracefully and placed an encrypted letter on the desk.
"It is no matter," Wei Qingming said tonelessly. "As long as Miss Yin Deng is safe, none of that is important."
Hearing this, Yin Deng lifted her eyes to look at her. For a moment, her expression wavered with confusion. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then lowered her head again. "I... it is no matter."
"I have already reported to the Bureau. During this time, you should find a quiet place to rest," Wei Qingming continued, ignoring her reaction. "Since Miss Yin Deng became famous, the New Year season has always been your most grueling time. This year, you have a rare chance for leisure. You can accompany friends and wander the Lantern Festival as you please."
With that, she extended a finger and slowly pushed a jade key to a certain residence toward her, intending for her to take refuge there.
We all understood the meaning behind her words. Yin Deng’s kidnapping meant she was essentially exposed. If she continued to operate out of Wangxiang Pavilion without protection, she would be in grave danger. The Envoy was merciful after all; she hadn't simply tossed her into some remote county to be done with it, but had found her a villa near the capital so she could still enter the city for amusement.
For the nobility, the Preliminary New Year, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, the Fifth Day, and the Lantern Festival were a continuous string of banquets and revelry. They enjoyed themselves thoroughly, while the Oiran could only remain confined within her pavilion or a manor, accompanying them with smiles and wine like a beautifully caged songbird. I once heard that a previous Oiran’s greatest wish was to step down from those thirteen stories on the night of the Lantern Festival to see the Ao Mountain lights up close. To her, the ultimate happiness would be to personally light a flower lantern and hang it by the street.
The pale green jade key lay quietly on the black lacquered desk, resting near Yin Deng’s slender hand like a verdant leaf. Yin Deng tilted her head and smiled, biting her lip as she gave the person behind the desk a mischievous look. "This is perfect. Before long, it will be known throughout the capital that you, Third Young Master Wei, have broken ties with me. Everyone will surely take my side and curse you for being heartless and ungrateful, adding another layer to your already scandalous reputation."
Wei Qingming chuckled. "Indeed. It is a pity my literary talent is poor; I cannot even compose a fine poem of parting. On that point, Miss Yin Deng should join others in mocking me more often."
I jumped up hurriedly and called for Yan Hui to fetch something from the study. Once it arrived, I personally opened the box and smilingly unfurled the hanging scroll within. "What a coincidence! She doesn't have a poem, but I do. Though it's just a collection of borrowed lines from the ancients... I wrote a piece by Little Yan in the same dimensions as the one you have. Now your scrolls won't be a lonely pair. You must hang this in your new home and let me stand shoulder-to-shoulder with old Master Yan Shuyuan!"
Tears welled in Yin Deng’s eyes as she slowly walked over to look. It read:
*With colorful sleeves, you diligently held the jade cup,*
*In those years, I risked all to flush with wine.*
*Dancing until the moon sank below the willow-shrouded tower,*
*Singing until the wind died behind the peach-blossom fan.*
*Since we parted, I remember our meeting,*
*How many times in dreams have I been with you?*
*Tonight, let the silver lamp shine upon us,*
*For I still fear this meeting is but a dream.*
I pointed at the words "Jade Cup" with a grin and said, "If we round it off, it’s 'Jade Zhi.' This poem has both our names embedded in it!"
This forced interpretation was too much even for Zhu Yixin, who laughingly scolded me for being "utterly shameless." Yin Deng, however, cherished the scroll, rolling it up and clutching it to her chest. She smiled and replied, "Yes. I believe that when you and I meet again, it will certainly not be in a dream."
Dinner had just been served, and Master Wei’s official business ended right on time. She quickly bathed and changed, sitting down beside me smelling fresh and fragrant. She habitually picked up a slice of fish sashimi, thin as transparent crystal, and placed it on my plate. Lu Kaifeng was finally able to eat normally, and with everyone gathered, I recounted the details of our kidnapping. When they heard the theory Yin Deng and I had about why Xia Ji had grouped us together to be sent to the Thousand Colors Palace, Zhu Yixin and Nie Xiaoyan gasped, covering their mouths. Nie Xueqing gritted her teeth, while Lu Kaifeng and Qiao Songlin’s brows were furrowed in fury. As men, they clearly felt it even more viscerally; their blood was boiling.
Wei Qingming, however, was very calm. Perhaps her blood had already boiled during that first half-hour when she saw me last night. She only smiled faintly and said slowly, "His estimation was correct. If that were truly the case, after the Thousand Colors Palace, it would be Xia Ji’s turn. Even if I have to fall into the demon path, I will cut him into a thousand pieces, eat his flesh, and sleep on his skin."
Her words were actually very light and casual, yet they inspired even greater terror. This wasn't some impulsive threat born of momentary heat; it was spoken as if it were a law of nature, requiring no second thought and no state of anger to resolve upon.
Zhu Yixin was stunned by her words and coughed, wanting to advise her against such thoughts. Falling into the demon path would cause immense damage to one's Dao heart. My eldest and fourth brothers said nothing. After the group ate and drank in silence for a while, Lu Kaifeng finally spoke. "It’s not just for Ah Zhi. Qingming, if you face difficulties, we will all support you with everything we have. Don't keep it to yourself. No matter how great the enemy, we will face them together." He was tactfully advising her not to take extreme measures on her own.
"Naturally," Wei Qingming smiled. "I have been estranged from familial affection since childhood, a solitary soul. It was Ah Zhi who gave me all of you. Let us cherish one another and share both fortune and woe." With that, she was the first to raise her cup in a toast. After clinking cups with my brothers and sisters, she smilingly toasted Nie Xueqing and Nie Xiaoyan. Though she said nothing, her expression was full of amusement.
Lu Kaifeng became uncharacteristically awkward. Nie Xueqing laughed loudly, "I'll boldly join in as well. Many thanks, many thanks!"
Nie Xiaoyan stared blankly as Wei Qingming tapped her cup against hers, the jade vessels ringing. Seeing Wei’s elegant bearing and her graceful, noble movements, the girl blushed and whispered, "Is this what it means to be the one who embodies the finest qualities of both men and women..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet everyone present heard her clearly. Except for Nie Xueqing, who didn't know the truth and looked both amused and confused, everyone else had a look of sudden realization. They all turned in unison to look at me, only to find that I was so embarrassed I had slammed my head into the table, leaving a dent. They burst into unceremonious laughter...
I was dying of embarrassment! Back then, when I was lovesick to the point of madness, saying such sentimental and devoted words was normal. But now we were like an old married couple, and everyone was tired of our public displays of affection. Why did she have to bring up this old "dark history" to humiliate me in front of her... But I felt I wasn't wrong at all! Though time had passed, those words had been tempered like gold in fire. Who among those present would dare disagree?
Zhu Yixin kindly tried to bail me out, though she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe—so perhaps she wasn't that kind after all. "Quick, dig Ah Zhi out of the table! She's blocking me from reaching the dishes!"
Wei Qingming laughingly helped me up, gently using a finger to test the heat of my face, which was hot enough to boil wine. She said softly, "I don't deserve such praise. It is merely Ah Zhi’s favor."
After the feast dispersed, we walked hand-in-hand back to our room. I stood on tiptoe, leaning against her shoulder, wanting to say something, but felt too shy and pulled back. After doing this several times, I finally whispered into her ear with a red face, "You do deserve it."
She held me in her arms in silence for a long time before answering softly, "It is because you love me that you only see my virtues."
After messing around in the room for over an hour, Hong Lu knocked on the door to report that Lu Lingfeng and Xuesu had returned. It was still far from tomorrow morning when the zither's mark would fade. Returning so early meant they had either found the zither or the mark hadn't even lasted until dawn and the trail was cold. I was actually very worried about Xuesu’s condition, so I felt a sense of relief and hurriedly rolled out of bed. Wei Qingming smiled faintly and caught my arm. "No rush. Let them rest."
Seeing that I nodded but still looked incredibly concerned for Xuesu, Master Wei became displeased again. Her eyes narrowed, and she casually stripped away the thin robe I hadn't even put on properly, insisting on making me "concerned" for a while longer... She even said, "You are not allowed to be distracted by others." How could I possibly be distracted!
This delay lasted more than fifteen minutes. By the time we entered Lu Lingfeng and Xuesu’s courtyard, I had been glaring at Master Wei the entire way. She pretended not to see, only smiling faintly as she pulled me into her embrace before we entered the room, holding the curtain open for me. To those inside, it looked as if she had been cuddling me the whole way...
My Second Senior Sister had been a tyrant on the mountain who insisted on her own courtyard, so I had specifically allocated her a private one. it was a bit far from us—to put it nicely, it was "secluded"; to put it bluntly, it was so she could play with ghosts however she wanted without us hearing.
After Xuesu arrived, she had been led directly into the courtyard by Lu Lingfeng and stayed in the west wing. At the moment, the two were at a small table in Lu Lingfeng’s room playing with building blocks. I watched as a cold-faced, white-clad beauty used a high-level movement technique to spiral upward, lightly placing an eight-sided wooden block atop a tower of over two hundred pieces that was taller than a person. Then, a cold-faced, white-clad loli also used a high-level movement technique to glide up and place a hexagonal block on top of that...
As I was struggling on tiptoe to look at this pillar of wood that nearly touched the ceiling, the loli landed on the ground and said expressionlessly, "You are too weak. That is why you were taken."
Before I could kick Xuesu, the beauty standing quietly nearby reached a hand out to me. "Where is my Da Zhuang?"
"Da Zhuang," I said crossly. "He entered the cycle of reincarnation long ago to enjoy his blessings!"
Lu Lingfeng frowned, looking extremely unhappy. Master Wei had to pay my debt, placing a bottle of high-grade Yin-Nourishing Pills in her palm. She had even carefully chosen the sweet-flavored ones to suit Xiao Guai’s preferences... and solemnly promised to get her another ghost tomorrow, though it might not be at the Meal-Cloud Realm. Only then did she nod grudgingly and sit back down at the table.
Wei Qingming then turned to Xuesu. She didn't even need to speak; the brat lowered her head slightly, indicating she knew she had failed to protect her beloved wife properly and was terrified that Wei would stop sparring with her... Sigh, what kind of world is this? It turns out virtue is empty; only fists are truly hard!
***
**Glossary**
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 黎子濯 | Li Ziduo | A character involved in a poisoning case. |
| 晏叔原 | Yan Shuyuan | The courtesy name of Yan Jidao, a famous Song Dynasty poet. |
| 养阴丹 | Yin-Nourishing Pill | A type of medicinal pill in cultivation settings. |
| 小乖 | Xiao Guai | Likely a nickname for Lu Lingfeng's ghost or a term of endearment. |
| 餐霞 | Meal-Cloud | A level of cultivation/power for ghosts or practitioners. |
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