However, Wei Qingming’s purpose for this trip was not to investigate the cause of Tang Xinghuai’s death, but to find the object she had overheard being discussed on the night of the banquet—the item a certain "Marquis" had ordered the Palace of a Thousand Colors to locate. Since Meng Tingwu and her two companions had only encountered Feng Baili’s group while searching the main burial chamber, it was highly likely the object was hidden there.
One had to admit, the "hounds" of the secret service had a keen scent. Even though Wei Qingming had been severely injured that night, she hadn't forgotten to immediately arrange for the men of Yingzhao Temple to guard Zhong He’s tomb. Since then, they had already repelled three waves of assassins sent by the Palace of a Thousand Colors... which only proved how truly important that item was.
"Don't you find it strange?" I whispered to Wei Qingming using an illusory transmission. "This time we came in, my illusions haven't been suppressed at all..."
"I’ve already confirmed with Senior Brother Bai; the runes of the official tomb’s array have nothing to do with illusions," Wei Qingming replied with a smile. "That is yet another mystery."
Nearly a month had passed, and the traces of destruction within Zhong He’s tomb had been thoroughly cleared. The damaged stone walls had been repaired with fresh Black-Sinking Stone. We arrived at the long corridor leading to the main burial chamber and paused once more to admire the twenty-four white marble sculptures.
Starting from the moment Zhong He bid his mother farewell to travel to the capital for the imperial examinations, each sculpture recorded a major milestone in his life, annotated with a time and place: passing the exams and meeting the Emperor, leaving the capital for an official post, providing disaster relief in Hanzhou, suppressing bandits in Yuzhou... Wait, the sixteenth year of Qianhua, suppressing bandits in Yuzhou?
"This—this isn't right!" I shouted, pointing excitedly at the sculpture. "Wasn't he supposed to be in Chuzhou, covered in mud while repairing river dikes to fight a flood?"
Wei Qingming walked over at my words. "During the reign of Emperor Taizong, there were three floods in Chuzhou: in the tenth, twenty-first, and twenty-fifth years of Qianhua. In the fifteenth year of Qianhua, the bandit leader Wan Kun started an uprising at Lion’s Gully in Yuzhou. Zhong He happened to be serving as the Vice Prefect there at the time, and he quelled the chaos in less than a year. It was because of this that he was promoted to a post in the capital. This sculpture records that event correctly."
"But when I was wandering lost in the tomb, I clearly read the epitaph on the stone wall! It was written plain as day: the sixteenth year of Qianhua, in Chuzhou... The first Shadow-Eater beast crawled out of that very stone. I’ll never forget that scene as long as I live!"
"Interesting." Wei Qingming actually smiled at this. She took out a map to calculate, circled the spot where we had first met, and summoned Captain Yuan. "Go to this location first and take a rubbing of the inscription. Tomorrow, bring me rubbings of every inscription in the tomb, as well as the transcript of the epitaph recorded in the Ministry of Rites' archives, and the merit records from the Ministry of Personnel regarding Zhong He’s appointments during the Taizong era."
Captain Yuan acknowledged the order. Before long, the man he sent returned, presenting a rubbing that was exactly as I had described.
"How can a person be in one place and another at the same time?" I asked in wonder. "Did the chronicler make a mistake?"
"Perhaps he lived two lives," Wei Qingming said cryptically before turning to leave.
I was even more confused. "Aren't you going to look for the item?"
"This clue is precious enough." She smiled, extending two fingers to flick the statue of Zhong He, who was depicted in full armor, pointing his whip at the bandit leader. "Thanks to Miss Su."
Captain Yuan looked rugged, but he was a sharp man. He smiled at me and said, "Miss, you might not know, but Master Wei already had us turn the main and secondary chambers, as well as every small stone room, upside down. We found nothing. Your discovery is truly like a pillow being delivered just as we were getting sleepy."
I scratched my head, grinning foolishly. "I only read one piece of proper writing this year, and it actually turned out to be useful!"
Her words made everyone laugh. Wei Qingming took my hand with a smile and said, "Once all the inscriptions are transcribed, the truth will come to light. By then, you’ll be reading more than just one piece."
I made a face at her. "I’m not reading them! You’re the one on the imperial payroll, yet you’re trying to press-gang me into labor. Dream on!"
The group left the underground tomb in high spirits. Wei Qingming waved for the investigators to go and rest, leaving just the two of us again. She asked me, "Your aunt surely didn't just punish you with a vegetarian diet; she must have grounded you. How will you get back, Miss Su?"
"Hehe!" I gave a devious laugh. "If I only thought of that now like you did, I’d be finished!"
"Ah, so you left an illusion-double in the manor," Wei Qingming said immediately.
"How do you know everything? You're no fun." I pouted. "Of course. Before I left, I said I had a headache and went to sleep without dinner."
"Good. Then we shall rest tonight in the small town at the foot of Cold Spring Mountain."
My face suddenly flushed hot. "What? Stay at an inn?"
"Is there an inconvenience?"
"Uh..." I stammered. "Doesn't your Wei family have a secondary residence at Cold Spring Mountain?"
"My mother once bought one, but it has been derelict for years," Wei Qingming said. "We could go to the main Wei family estate, but if people found out Miss Su was staying with me..."
"Enough!" I covered my ears. "An inn it is!"
Wei Qingming seemed to find my unusual reaction amusing and teased me further, "Miss Su seems to have many reservations."
"Because the last time I came here, Sister Xiang said those shops aren't places for decent people!"
Wei Qingming smiled faintly. "After spending half the day looking at beauties in Fengle Pavilion, is Miss Su a 'decent person'?"
"Hey, you!" I shouted. "Wei the Third, how come I never noticed you were so petty before?"
"Me? Why would I be petty?" Wei Qingming’s voice was husky, her low, slow words sounding almost like a murmur.
Unknowingly, she had stepped closer, squinting her eyes as she looked at me. The night wind carried her scent to me. We were so close that I could clearly see the slight trembling of her eyelashes, which were as thick as raven feathers.
I tried my best to suppress the urge to dodge, forcing myself to meet her gaze. But what could I say to her? Should I say that actually, the one I wanted to call beautiful back then was her?
Just as I was at a loss and on the verge of fleeing, Wei Qingming suddenly pulled back. She gave me a deep look and said with a light laugh, "Don't worry. I will find a 'decent' place."
She walked ahead on her own, while I wrapped myself in the cloak she had given me, following behind with a face hot enough to cook an egg.
Unlike the Ziwai Street area that never slept, the town's roads were empty of pedestrians. There were only lone women standing in front of various taverns with their maidservants, all clad in plain mourning clothes. At first glance, they seemed to be weeping, yet they all cast flirtatious glances at us—especially at Wei Qingming, each one acting more seductive than the last. I felt it was strange; were there really so many new widows near the official tombs? And what were they doing standing at the doors in the middle of the night?
It wasn't until one particularly bold woman reached out to solicit us that I suddenly understood. I felt embarrassed, yet I couldn't help but marvel at how "creative" the people of the capital could be...
As expected, Wei Qingming didn't go to those grand, ornately decorated establishments. Instead, she turned into a small alley and pushed open the courtyard gate of a modest inn. A large scholar tree stood by the entrance, and the inn was named "Huai Xiang." I remembered her directing Duan Jianbai to a certain place; it turned out this was a hideout for their Yingzhao Temple. While feeling comforted, I also felt I had been quite pathetic just now... No matter where we were, she would protect me, wouldn't she?
The waiter didn't wait for instructions, instinctively leading us to the second floor and opening a room. "I have stayed here before; it is reasonably comfortable. Please do not find it beneath you, Miss Su," Wei Qingming said.
"I don't, I don't!" I said hurriedly.
"Good. I am right next door. Call me if you need anything." With that, she added two layers of restrictive seals to the room for me and personally closed the door. I watched as the waiter held the lamp, and her shadow cast upon the window vanished in an instant as she indeed entered the room next door.
A place she had stayed...
I sniffed here and there in the room, but even with a nose as sharp as mine, I couldn't catch a hint of the scent I wanted to find. I flopped onto the bed in dejection. It made sense; so many people must have stayed here, how could she have left anything behind? I lay there in a daze for a while, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Finally, I sat up with a start and decided to go and peek at what Wei Qingming was doing.
I climbed out of the window with light steps, but the night was deep and the dew was slick. I accidentally misplaced a step and fell to the ground with a *thud*. This was the second floor! Why didn't it hurt?
I went to scratch my head, only to realize I had actually reverted to my original form... It seemed my instincts had kicked in during the moment of crisis, and I had landed on all fours!
My original form was certainly more comfortable. I shook my body smugly. Climbing the building now was child's play, and no one would recognize me. It would be much more satisfying to peek at her openly!
With two leaps, I was back on the second floor. I lurked by Wei Qingming’s window, crouched down, and cautiously poked my head out—
No one.
How could there be no one! Fury instantly flared in my mind. Could she be with one of those "pretty widows"...
My paws felt like they were on fire as I jumped inside and ran three circles around the room. I confirmed her scent was on the bed; the marks suggested she had meditated for a short while, but she hadn't touched any other items.
I nudged the door open and ran out, heading straight for the parlor on the first floor.
Before I even reached the stairs, I heard a middle-aged man’s voice: "...the borders are restless. I fear the various sects will have to contribute their strength as well."
Wei Qingming’s voice was cool and tranquil, much like this spring night: "Yes. Regarding the strange objects carried by the soldiers of the Shiying Kingdom, the sect elders have yet to reach a conclusion. Tonight, I encountered Senior Sister Liu Qing芜 outside the official tomb."
"Oh." The man’s tone seemed quite familiar. "Cang Jiang’s beloved disciple? Did she come in person?"
"Most likely."
"Sigh," the man said. "It seems the matter is indeed serious."
The two fell into silence. I poked my head out and saw Wei Qingming sitting sideways to me. Before her were two wine cups, a few small dishes of appetizers, and a coarse porcelain wine pot. She sat opposite a man who looked like a plump, amiable innkeeper. The innkeeper occasionally ate a peanut or a piece of pig’s ear, while Wei Qingming, of course, only drank. A noble scion like her, who usually wouldn't settle for anything but the finest food and drink, sat by this greasy table under a dim, flickering fluorite lamp that was running out of spiritual energy. Yet, it somehow brought out a sense of wild, unrestrained grace in her.
The night watchman’s clapper struck the fourth watch outside. Only then did the innkeeper speak: "You still can't sleep?" His tone was quite warm and concerned.
Wei Qingming’s eyes held a hint of a smile as she slowly took a sip of wine. Then she said calmly, "I slept for fifteen minutes today. It is the first time in several years."
"Ha!" The innkeeper’s face was also full of joy. "How were you able to sleep?"
"Because when the Pegasus galloped, I felt the world was vast and solitary. It was so exhilarating that my mind was free of external things, and I naturally fell asleep."
"A-Yun, you are following the example of the Great Ancestor; you're going to win the world!"
Wei Qingming scoffed at him. "Uncle Tong, you are the Emperor’s eyes and ears. How can you say such things?"
"Precisely because I am a spy! Only I report others; no one reports me!" Innkeeper Tong chuckled and gulped down some wine. The two sat in silence again, each eating their own food. It wasn't awkward, suggesting that Innkeeper Tong and Wei Qingming had known each other for a long time. But why did he call her "A-Yun"? Was it her childhood name?
"I feel like there's something in the courtyard, looks like a stray cat," Innkeeper Tong remarked. As the candle flame flickered in the wind, his short, stout figure flashed like a ghost before me. He reached out, intending to scruff me by the neck. With a muffled *thud*, Wei Qingming raised a palm to parry him, and in one swift motion, she pulled me into her arms.
My heart throbbed violently. My head was pressed against her chest, and I could feel her heartbeat—steady and powerful. *Thump, thump.* It almost made my own heart sync with hers...
Innkeeper Tong raised an eyebrow. "A-Yun, your palm strength has improved significantly!" He stared at me with suspicious eyes. I pretended to tremble with fear, burying my face in the folds of Wei Qingming’s robes, taking the opportunity to burrow shamelessly as deep as I could go...
Wei Qingming held me firmly with one hand while gently stroking my fur with the other. "This cat is delicate and clean, not like a stray. I might as well take it back to my room for now and ask tomorrow whose lost pet it is."
Innkeeper Tong gave a meaningful smile. "Beware the sharp claws."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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玄沉石 | Black-Sinking Stone | A type of heavy, dark spiritual stone used for construction in significant structures like tombs.
英招寺 | Yingzhao Temple | A secret intelligence or security agency of the imperial government.
千色宫 | Palace of a Thousand Colors | An antagonistic sect or organization.
阿云 | A-Yun | A nickname or childhood name for Wei Qingming.
槐乡 | Huai Xiang | "Sophora Home" or "Locust Tree Home"; the name of the inn.
矢鹰国 | Shiying Kingdom | Literally "Arrow Eagle Kingdom"; a neighboring country mentioned as having border tensions.
佟叔 | Uncle Tong | A familiar address for the innkeeper, Tong.
要想俏一身孝 | "To look pretty, wear mourning" | A traditional saying suggesting women look particularly attractive in white mourning clothes.
