When they saw the puzzled looks on Jiang Cheng and the others' faces, Lu Qin asked, "What do you make of this courtyard?"
Remembering the white lanterns hanging in a row along one side of the covered walkway, the Fatty couldn't help feeling a chill. "Those white lanterns are pretty creepy. They look like they're for a funeral. Could it be... could someone have died in the marquis's residence, too?"
"You came in later, when it was already completely dark, so you might not have been able to see the courtyard clearly. But we saw it: green tiles and gray bricks, winding paths leading to secluded spots. The scenery is among the best in the entire marquis's residence, and everything gives off a gentle, refined air."
"And this room, too. Look at how it's furnished—the bed, the table, the embroidery on the screen, the carved details and workmanship on the wooden furniture..."
Following Lu Qin's lead, the Fatty and the others finally turned their attention to the room and began examining it carefully. The more they looked, the deeper their doubts grew. "This is a woman's room?" Yao Shunyu suddenly asked.
"The entire courtyard was designed for a woman," Zhu Jie corrected him. "And this woman was important to Zhennan Hou. Even if she wasn't his wife, she was one of his beloved concubines."
Jiang Cheng ran a hand over the tabletop's polished wood grain, then walked over to a wooden bed. He bent down and closely examined its edges. A moment later, he straightened, his brows drawing together slightly.
Seeing this, Tang Qisheng, who was sitting by the table, suddenly said, "You can't figure out why all this furniture is so new, can you?"
Jiang Cheng looked at him and nodded. His steady voice held a note of caution.