As soon as Qin Jiuye spoke, everyone turned to look at her, their expressions filled with confusion.
She looked up and met Xu Qiuchi’s intrigued gaze. For a fleeting moment, she regretted speaking at all, but since things had come to this, she could only press on.
"When I entered the manor for the consultation that day, I saw that Kang Renshou carried an Imperial golden gourd with him. However, when his body was found at Ershui Bank, that golden gourd was missing. Therefore, there are two possibilities..."
Before she could finish, Tang Shenyan cut in.
"Perhaps it fell off when the body hit the water and was swept away by the current."
Qin Jiuye narrowed her eyes in thought, then shook her head.
"I thought so at first, but thinking back, that golden gourd was fastened to his waist with a specially made cord; it was incredibly sturdy. Furthermore, when I saw him at Ershui Bank, his boots were intact and the hairpin was still in his hair. This suggests the current wasn't particularly swift. It makes little sense for only the golden gourd to have been washed away."
Tang Shenyan spoke up again, the two of them falling into a strange sort of rhythm.
"If not that, then it must have fallen off during a struggle or resistance when he was murdered."
This explanation seemed plausible, yet something still felt off.
For instance, if the imposter had gone so far as to put on Kang Renshou’s clothes and carry his medicine chest, why would they leave such a thing behind? Or rather...
"There is another possibility: he took the golden gourd off himself," the young man, who had been silent for a long while, suddenly spoke. He looked up at Qin Jiuye. "Didn't you say so? A head manager of a pharmacy like Kang Renshou would carry his hall's life-saving golden pills on his person. He went to the Su Manor specifically to treat a patient. It is entirely possible that he removed the gourd from his waist to retrieve the medicine, and when he was killed, the gourd was no longer on his body. The killer might not have realized this until after they had disposed of the corpse."
The thin threads connecting in her mind grew vivid. Qin Jiuye reached a conclusion.
"If we follow the previous deduction that Kang Renshou was murdered within the Su Manor, then whether it fell off during an attack or was removed during the consultation, that golden gourd is most likely still inside the Su Manor."
Before her voice had even faded, Tang Shenyan brought up his previous concern.
"If Su Lin really is the killer, why would he wait for you to find it? He must have disposed of it long ago."
This time, Qin Jiuye clearly had other ideas.
"That’s easier said than done. Think about it carefully. The investigation is so tight right now, and that golden gourd is an Imperial gift. It wouldn't be easy to take it outside to destroy it; the best way would be to deal with it on the spot. But it’s a solid hunk of gold—it won't burn and it won't crush. One would have to dig a hole and bury it. If there really is something wrong with the Su Manor, finding that golden gourd would be our best evidence to turn the tables."
Qin Sanyou, who had been silent all along, was shocked. It took him a long while to find his voice.
"You want to go back to the Su Manor to steal something?"
Qin Jiuye corrected him.
"That belongs to Kang Renshou, not the Su family. We are merely retrieving it for him. How can that be considered stealing?"
"All this talk is useless; you can't even get through the front gates of the Su Manor," Qin Sanyou clearly didn't want to hear her quibble further. He cupped his hands toward the man in the seat of honor. "Our abilities are truly limited. This is as far as we can help the Second Young Master. As for what comes after..."
"Who says you can't enter the Su Manor?" Xu Qiuchi spoke leisurely, as if he had been waiting for those very words. "Tomorrow is the Su family’s Old Madam’s eightieth birthday banquet. Su Lin began sending out invitations over a month ago. There will be many guests. Even if someone slips in and takes something, it will be difficult to investigate afterward."
How was it that the moment she mentioned finding a way into the Su Manor, this dandy had a bridge and a ladder ready for her? Was it all too much of a coincidence?
"What are you still hesitating for, Manager Qin? If you find the evidence and identify the true killer, the suspicion on you and your grandfather will be cleared immediately. You can return to your normal life. Isn't that what you think about every day?"
His words pierced right through her thoughts. Qin Jiuye didn't want to waste breath arguing. She calculated the price and the risks involved before speaking circuitously.
"The Protector ordered that we are not to leave this place. Even if I wanted to, I fear I am willing but unable..."
"Since I can get in here, taking a few people out is no difficult task. Heaven never fails those who are diligent. Is Manager Qin willing to be one of those diligent people?"
*You are his brother and the Second Young Master of the Qiu Manor; even if something goes wrong, nothing will happen to you. But my poor grassroots friends and I would be ruined. Not only would new injuries be added to old wounds, but in the end, we might have nowhere to seek justice.*
Torn and pained, Qin Jiuye gritted her teeth and struggled.
"But I saw it with my own eyes during the last consultation. The Su Manor’s inspections are stricter than the guards at the West Feng Gate. I'm afraid it won't be easy to sneak in. If we don't have invitations..."
"How many do you need?"
Qin Jiuye didn't react for a moment.
"What?"
"Invitations. How many do you need?" Xu Qiuchi asked, then paused. After a moment of thought, he corrected himself. "Actually, you don't need that many. You can just follow me. So, how many of you are going into the Su Manor? I will make the arrangements."
The room fell silent. After a long while, Jin Bao looked at Qin Jiuye.
"A birthday banquet... can we eat as much as we want?"
She had been pushed to a dead end, yet the partner who had fought by her side for over a decade was only thinking about filling his stomach.
Overcome with a sense of tragic irony, Qin Jiuye slapped the back of his head, nearly knocking out the mouthful of overnight tea he had just sipped.
"Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eating! You're being sent in to steal a gourd, not to steal food..."
Before she could finish, the charlatan nearby suddenly "sprang" to his feet.
"What's wrong with eating? Food is the heaven of the people, and wine is the soul of poetry. I observed the stars last night; tomorrow happens to be the day my constellation is on duty. If you let me go, I will surely leave them with nothing..."
Du Laogou was about to say more when Tang Shenyan pulled him back.
"Brother Du is a man of temperament; he is truly unsuited for such tasks. I, too, am accustomed to a life of leisure and fear I would be of no use."
Qin Jiuye understood his thoughts perfectly. She shot him a sharp look and said with a fake smile, "Since it's a birthday banquet, there will surely be many eyes. Both my grandfather and I were summoned by Lord Fan, and we've both shown our faces in the Su Manor before. How could they not be on guard? Even if we sneak in through the front door, what then? I think it would be safest for Manager Tang to take the lead."
Tang Shenyan was not one to take a loss. He immediately fired back.
"I am in no hurry to clear my name; I simply wanted to give Manager Qin an opportunity. This matter is something you should put more heart into yourself. Others can only offer a meager amount of help..."
Seeing the two cowardly managers locked in a confrontation, someone finally spoke up.
"I believe Manager Qin is indeed the best candidate for this trip," Xu Qiuchi said, looking at her with a beaming smile. "May I ask, of everyone present, are you the only one who has been to the room where Kang Renshou performed the consultation? And are you the only one who has seen that golden gourd?"
Qin Jiuye fell silent.
She felt like a thin-skinned, plump piece of meat today, a fool to be handled at will, humiliated as this "flowery mosquito" bit her until her head was covered in bumps.
"As for the others..."
The young master in silk lightly fanned himself and scanned the room. The Tingfeng Hall, which had been filled with chatter just a moment ago, suddenly became deathly silent.
"This matter truly doesn't require too many people. If the rest are unwilling, it's better if you all stay here and wait for news..."
Just as Qin Sanyou clenched his fists and was about to stand up, a tall, thin figure stepped forward ahead of him.
"I will accompany Sister."
Qin Jiuye stared blankly at the youth's determined face. After a long while, she murmured, "Do you also want to go for the banquet food?"
****** ****** ******
Though she said it, Qin Jiuye did not truly believe that Li Qiao was like Jin Bao, wanting to go to the Su Manor just for a good meal.
In the past two months, although he had shared some of Jin Bao’s rations, he was by no means a man who cared for the desires of the palate. He ate whatever was available and was even less picky than she was.
But the Su Manor was not the Baoshen Pavilion, and the Su family’s Old Madam was not Yuan Shuqing, who loved alchemy and carried treasure chests. Aside from getting a bite to eat, she really couldn't think of any other reason for him to insist on following her.
Qin Jiuye hung her head, following behind Xu Qiuchi with a heart even heavier than when she had woken up that morning.
As they passed the courtyard, she finally couldn't help but speak.
"You can't just take us in; the key is that you must also bring us out."
The young master in front did not turn around, seemingly looking at the ducks in the courtyard pond.
"That goes without saying."
Qin Jiuye sighed, clearly not intending to take his answer seriously. She was utterly dejected.
Unexpectedly, he turned around and looked her up and down as if watching a spectacle.
"Does Manager Qin distrust me so much? Although I am usually a bit casual, I always remember what I have said clearly, and I always fulfill the promises I have made."
She didn't look up, nor was she in the mood to see his expression. She simply waved her hand.
"There is no need for the Second Young Master to say more. I have some self-awareness. If the day comes when our paths must diverge, I won't blame you even if you abandon me. Just make it quick when you leave; don't be as long-winded as you are today. Others might actually think there's something between us..."
She continued her grumbling as she escorted him out, but after a few steps, she realized he hadn't followed. Instead, he had walked over to the small pond in the courtyard.
Several ducks were currently huddled in the pond. Hearing the movement, they scattered, leaving only one that stubbornly tilted its tail up, reaching for a bit of pancake crumb on the mossy mud.
The man watched in silence for a moment, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the duck by its neck.
The duck was startled and let out a loud squawk. Perhaps because its meals had been quite good lately, its tail gave a shake in the next instant, and a glob of yellowish-green droppings landed right in the center of someone’s lapel.
The man was wearing smoke-purple silk today, which only made the yellowish-green spot exceptionally eye-catching. Qin Jiuye stared at it for a moment and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
At her laugh, he immediately turned around.
"This duck isn't bad. Why don't you give it to me as a token for today's agreement? I have a pond back home, and there happen to be many fish these days. It couldn't be more suitable."
*If you want to drink this free duck soup tonight, just say so. There's really no need for all these twists and turns.*
Qin Jiuye rolled her eyes internally, but she had to keep a submissive smile on her face, wanting nothing more than to quickly send this uninvited young master away.
"It's just a duck; if the Second Young Master likes it, take it. It's getting late; let me see you out." Her eyes darted around, and in the end, she couldn't help her sharp tongue. "May I ask if the Second Young Master is taking the front door or that dog hole..."
The man had already walked gracefully toward the weed-choked courtyard wall, seemingly entirely deaf to the sarcasm in her tone.
"Naturally, the same way I came."
Qin Jiuye lowered her head, following behind with small steps.
"I have one last question for the Second Young Master."
He turned around, cradling the duck in his arms and smoothing its feathers. He seemed to be in a good mood.
"Speak."
The woman slowly raised her head, and a sharp light, completely different from her outward appearance, flickered in her eyes.
"The Second Young Master wants to investigate Kang Renshou’s case, yet from beginning to end, have you never suspected that the killer might be among us?"
Holding the duck, Xu Qiuchi laughed. It was the kind of smile only a wealthy young master who knew nothing of hardship could have, but the words he spoke were far from that.
"You are indeed all suspects. But what of it? In this world of martial arts and schemes, is there anyone who is entirely innocent? I have simply made a choice between being stained by a drop of ink and being lost in total darkness. Isn't Manager Qin the same?"
Having said his piece, he stopped looking at her. Cradling the duck, he crawled out through the dog hole he had used to enter. His movements had gained a bit of proficiency; if he did this a few more times, he would be able to come and go as he pleased.
"Tomorrow, at the third quarter of the hour of the Sheep, be there or be square."
The swaying bushes finally returned to stillness. Qin Jiuye pressed herself against the base of the wall and listened for a while. After confirming she didn't hear the sound of Qiu Ling’s subordinates beating someone up, she turned and left with a hint of disappointment.
The Tingfeng Hall under the sunlight was quiet. Only a few small insects in the corner of the wall occasionally scratched their legs, so lazy they couldn't muster any energy.
****** ****** ******
In the afternoon, Youyang Street was deathly quiet. The shadows under the eaves formed a straight line. On one side of the line were high walls built of blue bricks; on the other were low, squat civilian houses.
This was the back street of the Qiu Manor. Aside from the manor’s carriages occasionally passing through, few people were seen here on ordinary days.
But which of the neighbors living nearby didn't know that the Second Young Master of that manor was a man who loved a life of pleasure? He was either lingering in the Red Finch District or spending his nights singing on the painted pleasure boats of the Daixiao River. Even when he returned under the cover of night, it was always with precious horses and fragrant carriages, accompanied by the scent of wine and the sounds of women playing lutes and laughing, making it impossible for people to sleep.
However, today there was no melodious singing of women in the carriage. Instead, there was the constant quacking of a duck.
Finally, the carriage stopped at the back gate of the Qiu Manor. The curtain moved slightly, and a hand reached out, unceremoniously stuffing a white, chubby, fluffy thing into the hands of the red-clothed woman standing before the carriage.
"Xin'er, come, give it a name."
Jiang Xin'er held the duck with stiff hands, her almond-shaped eyes glaring fixedly at him.
"...Young Master, isn't this just a duck?"
"It is," the young master in silk blinked his eyes, his tone entirely serious. "Can a duck not have a name?"
Jiang Xin'er barely managed to control her facial expression as she slowly shifted her gaze aside.
"Xin'er is not skilled in such matters. Please forgive me, Young Master."
The man, wearing the clothes stained with duck droppings, jumped down from the carriage. He took the duck back and examined it from side to side.
"Look at its dull and foolish appearance. It wobbles with every step, its voice is incredibly noisy when it's being loud, and it shows a sort of life-risking shrewdness when snatching food. Why don't we call it... Manager Qin?"
With that, he glanced at the ever-changing expression on the woman’s face and almost laughed out loud. Humming a little tune he had heard yesterday, he turned into the back gate with practiced ease.
The noon light was a brilliant white, making the pond look like a shattered mirror. The cicadas had not yet begun their din, and the air was thick with the heavy fragrance of early summer flowers and grass. Everything possessed a just-right sense of peace and leisure.
If possible, he hoped none of this would ever change, that it would go on like this for a long, long time...
"Second Young Master."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to look toward the end of the deep corridor.
Standing at the boundary between the scorching sunlight and the shadows was a grey-haired woman. Though her head was slightly lowered, her back was straight. Her face still bore traces of her youthful beauty, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes added a touch of softness. Combined with her resolute eyes, she possessed an indescribable sense of calm.
Xu Qiuchi stood there for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Is it... bad again?"
The woman didn't speak, only lowered her head deeply.
the smile that had lingered on the man's lips when he entered the gate remained, but the light in his eyes shattered in an instant.
His hand loosened, and the white-feathered duck fell to the ground. With two "quacks," it wiggled its tail and headed straight for the pond.
Not far behind him, the red-clothed woman watched this scene and tightened her grip on her scabbard, a dull pain blooming in her heart. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she could only stand there like a wooden post, unable to do anything.
A moment later, Xu Qiuchi finally walked through the long corridor toward the woman.
"Aunt Huaiyu, you've worked hard."
Shi Huaiyu shook her head. She reached out to pluck a piece of grass that had been hanging from his hair all the way and dusted off the hem of his robes.
"Don't say such things anymore. Steward Liu is already inside. Does the Second Young Master wish to go in and see?"
The man looked at the corridor ahead that disappeared into the darkness. After a pause, he spoke.
"No need. I am not a physician. No matter how many times I look, it is in vain."
Shi Huaiyu stepped back half a pace. Seeing the expression on his face, she let out a soft sigh.
"The Second Young Master need not blame himself. This illness hasn't just been for a day or two. Since it is not your fault, do not punish yourself or torture yourself, suffering along with it for nothing."
She spoke earnestly, and she had said similar things many times before, yet she didn't know how many times he had actually listened.
This Second Young Master of the Qiu Manor was born with a smiling face. Even those very close to him might not truly understand the emotions behind that smile. Thus, as time passed, everyone only saw the smile and no longer wished to delve deeper into anything else.
Now, that rare emotion on his face had already faded. When he turned to look at Jiang Xin'er, he seemed no different from usual.
"Xin'er, is there any of that Red Aconite we got from Miss Xiaozhou left?"
Xiaozhou was a master of the pipa at the Red Finch District. She was a free-spirited person who loved traveling and had even been summoned to the capital to perform for a prince's birthday. After a performance, she would always receive rare trinkets from those patrons; she kept the ones she liked and gave the ones she didn't to friends and guests she got along with. This Red Aconite was something Xu Qiuchi had previously traded several jars of fine wine for.
Jiang Xin'er’s expression was grave. After a long while, she murmured, "There is, but that isn't anything good. Miss Xiaozhou specifically warned the Young Master that eating too much of it will ruin the brain..."
"Just to get through this time."
The man spoke each word slowly, though it was unclear if he was saying it to her or to himself.
"Just wait a little longer. Just a little longer. I will surely find a way."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
御赐的金葫芦 | Imperial golden gourd | A golden gourd-shaped vessel gifted by the Emperor.
救命金丹 | Life-saving golden pills | High-grade emergency medicine.
西葑门 | West Feng Gate | A gate in the city wall.
未正三刻 | Third quarter of the hour of the Sheep | Approximately 2:45 PM.
赤乌头 | Red Aconite | A toxic medicinal herb (Aconitum), also known as Red Crow Head.
怀玉婶 | Aunt Huaiyu | A senior female servant or caretaker in the Qiu Manor.
石怀玉 | Shi Huaiyu | Aunt Huaiyu's full name.
柳管事 | Steward Liu | A manager or steward in the Qiu Manor.
小洲 | Xiaozhou | A famous pipa player in the Red Finch District.
