Chapter 3: The Injured Man
The courtyard for the wedding was the former residence of the Second Young Master.
Inside was the bedroom, and the outer room was the Second Young Master’s study, with books, account books, and other items displayed on the desk and in the cabinets.
The rustling sound grew more distinct.
I lifted the red veil.
Xiao Yin, who was beside me, curled into a ball and said, “Miss, could it be that the Second Young Master’s spirit has returned?”
I quietly instructed, “Blow out the candles.”
Ghosts?
I don’t believe in ghosts.
It is always people who cause trouble in this world.
After the room was completely dark, the commotion outside intensified.
I told Xiao Yin not to make a sound, then grabbed a wooden stick from behind the door, pushed open the bedroom door, and quietly went out. A dark figure was frantically searching for something.
Soft silk embroidered shoes trod on the ground, making no sound.
“Bang—”
I put all my strength into it and struck down with the stick.
The dark figure was stunned by the blow.
I seized the opportunity to grab him tightly and shouted loudly, “Help! There’s a thief in the manor!”
The house guards rushed in, “Second Young Mistress, what happened?”
I pointed at the man in black and said, “This person trespassed into the Cheng Residence at night, acting suspiciously. Quickly send him to the authorities!”
The man in black shook his head desperately, but his hands and feet were bound.
The commotion was significant.
Lights in all the courtyards of the manor were lit.
The Eldest Young Mistress, the Third Young Miss, and even the Old Madam were alerted.
The Third Young Miss walked up to me and asked, “Second Sister-in-law, are you alright?”
I shook my head.
The Eldest Young Mistress glanced at the thief, took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth, and said, “Second wife, you are truly capable. To catch a thief as a mere woman…”
The Old Madam’s face was ashen, and she said, “A thief in a widow’s room, what is there to make a fuss about? And to involve the government office, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at? Just beat this thief a few times and throw him out of the manor.”
I quickly said, “Mother, no.”
“What kind of rule is this for a daughter-in-law? When your mother-in-law speaks, you dare to contradict her.” The Old Madam seemed about to get angry.
I bowed and said, “Mother, Second Master died outside under unclear circumstances, clearly having been murdered. This thief entered the Cheng Residence, not stealing from the main hall or the master chambers, but specifically entering Second Master’s study, searching everywhere as if looking for something important. Your daughter-in-law believes this thief might be related to Second Master’s murder. Sending him to the authorities for severe interrogation might yield some clues. I hope Mother will see clearly.”
The man in black turned pale upon hearing my words.
The Old Madam looked at him, then at me, and after thinking for a while, sighed, “Fine, fine, fine, send him to the authorities.”
The house guards, having received the order, escorted the man to the government office.
I said to the Old Madam, “Mother, the main gate of the manor is guarded by about ten soldiers, but the side gate at the back only has two night-shift servant boys. If a thief were to sneak in, there would be an opportunity. In the future, more guards should be stationed at the side gate. Also, the house guards on night duty in each courtyard should rotate in shifts to avoid dozing off from exhaustion. With Second Master’s incident, the manor should be even more vigilant.”
The Old Madam remained silent.
I looked at her expression and said softly, “Your daughter-in-law’s humble opinion. Mother must have already thought of this.”
After a pause, the Old Madam said, “Let it be as the Second Young Mistress suggested.”
The servant boys and maidservants all said in unison, “Yes.”
Everyone dispersed.
This restless night had finally passed.
I lay on the wedding bed but couldn’t sleep.
I got up and sat at Cheng Huaishi’s desk. The desk was in disarray from the thief’s search. Several books were open, with annotations written in neat characters.
Every stroke, every dot, was very careful.
Judging by his handwriting, Cheng Huaishi must have been a meticulous and serious person.
In that case, how was he murdered?
By whom was he killed?
The next day, after waking up, I went to the North Courtyard to pay my respects to the Old Madam.
The Eldest Young Mistress had already arrived.
A young maidservant was serving the Old Madam rose water to rinse her mouth.
After rinsing, the Eldest Young Mistress handed over a handkerchief, and the Old Madam wiped her mouth.
“You’ve just arrived at the Cheng Residence, are you getting used to it?” she asked leisurely.
I lowered my head and said, “Thanks to Mother’s blessings, everything is fine.”
“In the manor, your elder sister-in-law manages the household. If you lack anything, ask your elder sister-in-law.”
“Yes.”
Outside, a servant boy announced, “Someone from the Yamen is here.”
The Old Madam rose to greet them. A man who looked like a strategist walked in and cupped his hands, “Greetings to the Old Madam.”
The Old Madam ordered a maidservant to serve tea.
The strategist waved his hand, “Old Madam, I am on official duty, so tea is not necessary. The Prefect ordered me to report that the person sent to the manor yesterday has been interrogated. He is just a common rogue from the marketplace who entered the manor to steal something. This person has now been detained, so please rest assured, Old Madam.”
The Old Madam nodded and said, “Thank you for your trouble.”
The strategist then left.
Several constables followed behind him.
I watched his retreating back and sensed something unusual.
The Old Madam’s face was full of disappointment, and tears flowed again, “My poor Huaier…”
She looked up, and her two daughters-in-law stood before her. The Eldest Young Mistress was in brocade clothes, while I was wearing a coarse cloth garment brought from my maiden home.
Comparing the two, she lamented the decline of the second branch even more.
She called the steward and said, “The marriage was arranged in a hurry, and besides the wedding attire, nothing else was prepared for the Second Young Mistress. The tailor only comes every ten days. You should take the Second Young Mistress to the silk shop to get a few good outfits made. With guests and relatives visiting the manor frequently, dressing like this would invite ridicule.”
“Yes.”
Yangzhou Prefecture is by the Grand Canal.
Canal transport goes north and south, with all kinds of goods from the world.
The steward took me to a large silk shop in the city, where I chose Jinling’s cloud brocade, Guangxi’s ramie silk, and Shu’s Huanhua satin. All were in plain colors.
Expensive but not ostentatious.
The tailor went to the inner room to take my measurements.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, “It will be ready tomorrow and delivered to the manor.”
The steward nodded.
As I left the shop, I saw a woman hurrying towards the pharmacy next door. The steward called out to the woman, who, upon seeing the steward, said, “His father, Chun Ge’er fell ill this morning and has a high fever that won’t subside.”
The steward was also anxious upon hearing this. He cupped his hands to me and said, “Second Young Mistress, this is my wife. Our son is ill, and I wish to return home. I will be back at the manor later. Please don’t worry, the coachman is familiar with the route, let him take you back to the manor first. What do you think?”
How could I not understand a parent’s love for their child?
I said, “You may go.”
The steward thanked me profusely and left.
At this point, I got back into the horse carriage and was surprised to see a young man lying inside. He had an injury to his chest, and his clothes were soaked with blood. His face was extremely effeminate, combining the handsomeness of a man with the charm of a woman. His narrow eyes, thin lips, and a pair of peach blossom eyes made him breathtakingly beautiful.
He held a knife to me and said, “Don’t make a sound.”
His voice was very strange, unlike any I had heard before.
Outside, carriages and horses passed by, and people came and went.
The strategist I saw this morning was leading constables in a search.
I thought for a moment, then calmly lowered the curtain, sat inside, and told the coachman, “Let’s go.”
The horse carriage started moving.
The man listened to the sound of the official boots receding before he let out a sigh of relief.
“Who are you?” I asked.
He remained silent.
“For what reason have you offended Prefect Liu?”
As soon as I finished speaking, his knife was at me again, “Don’t meddle in other people’s business.”
I smiled, “If I don’t meddle, who will save you?”
He was stunned for a moment.
The thief from last night was clearly suspicious, yet Prefect Liu was covering it up. There must be something fishy going on.
The enemy of my enemy might be my friend.
I decided to save this person.
“I must return to the Capital City immediately,” he whispered.
“To the ferry terminal.”
I lifted the curtain and instructed the coachman.
He looked at me, “The kindness of Elder Sister saving me today, Feng Gao will surely repay in the future.”
When we arrived at the ferry terminal, I sent the coachman to buy some food.
Then I lifted the curtain, “You may go.”
At this moment, several men rushed over. Looking at them, they were not part of the government soldiers from the Yamen; they were all wearing blue robes and looked like martial artists.
They shouted to make way, but I didn’t move an inch, standing at the narrow passage that only one person could pass through.
Feng Gao moved swiftly, leaped up, and boarded a ship heading north.
The man in the lead, wearing a mask, angrily placed his sword at my neck, “Foolish woman!”
I forced myself to remain calm and said, “Do not be rude, I am the sister-in-law of Cheng Cangshi, a fifth-rank commander of the Canal Troops, the Second Young Mistress of the Cheng Family!”
He seemed to hear the most unbelievable joke in the world.
“What? You said who you are??”
I felt the cold blade against my neck, pressing down with force.
