The Twelfth Chapter

"Ji Chan, how can you be so shameless!" Madam Xue snapped.

"Madam Xue, didn't you become the Marquis's concubine by being shameless? Your judgment just wasn't very good. You waited all these years and only entered the Marquis's household when you were already past your prime. Who knows, in another two years, someone might take your place." When it came to getting under people's skin, A Chan was every bit as good as anyone else.

"You..." Madam Xue felt her vision swimming. How had she never realized before that Ji Chan was so difficult to deal with?

If only she'd known, she should have killed her in the inner household back then! Now that she'd let her out, Ji Chan even dared to act so brazenly in front of her.

A Chan turned around. The petals embroidered on her skirt in gold thread shimmered in the sunlight, and she said lightly, "Madam Xue, don't keep me waiting too long."

A while after A Chan had left, the maid who'd been sent off to one side finally came forward cautiously to support Madam Xue.

"Madam, are you all right?" she asked, worried.

Madam Xue clenched her teeth and said each word through them. "I'm fine. We're going back."

"Yes."

A Chan carried the snacks she'd bought as she headed back. As for whether she could get Lady Lin's dowry back, there was no way this time. Someone like Madam Xue wouldn't part with a hawk until she saw the rabbit. She might have believed what A Chan said, but before there was proof, there was no way she would let go of what she'd already gotten her hands on.

When she would get the dowry back depended on when fate brought her and Lord Bai together.

After returning, A Chan shared the Hundred Flower Cake she'd bought with Lady Xiao Lin and Mama Sun. The two accepted it with smiles, but Lady Xiao Lin had barely taken a bite when she cried out and clutched her belly.

"Aunt, what's wrong?" A Chan was startled and hurried over to ask.

"It's nothing." Lady Xiao Lin waved a hand and passed the cake in her hand to Mama Sun. "I don't know what's gotten into this child lately. The baby's especially restless, kicking me every so often."

A Chan saw her belly bulge here and there and couldn't help frowning. "Have you seen a physician lately, Aunt? What did they say?"

"There's no need to see a physician. I've had two children already. Don't you think I know what's going on?" Lady Xiao Lin said, unconcerned.

"What two?" Zhao Wenyue had just finished burning incense and was walking out of the Flower Goddess Temple. Seeing the cakes in A Chan's hand and the chestnuts in her arms, she pursed her lips in distaste.

"Nothing. Do you and A Chan want to go play a little longer?" Lady Xiao Lin asked gently.

"No. I want to go home." Zhao Wenyue went to Lady Xiao Lin's side and linked her arm through hers, giving it a light sway as if acting coquettishly.

"All right. Whatever you say."

On the way down the mountain, several ladies came over to talk to Lady Xiao Lin. Her manner was somewhat cool, and she sent them away after exchanging only a few words.

Once they were gone, Lady Xiao Lin said to A Chan, "Those families are all below Fifth Rank. Perhaps they don't have many children and are hoping to get a bargain. They really have some nerve."

Everyone who'd come to ask had already looked into Ji Chan's background. They looked down on her reputation, yet thought that since the Marquis's household had raised her as a Legitimate Daughter for so many years, bringing her into their own household wasn't out of the question.

"What's wrong with being below Fifth Rank? Maybe they'll work hard and rise in rank," Zhao Wenyue muttered despite herself.

"You've been led astray by your father's stubborn thinking. Of course you should marry up. Do you really expect him to get promoted and make a fortune after you marry him? Dream on. Why should such a good thing happen to you?"

"But when you married my father, he was only a Jinshi," Zhao Wenyue retorted, unconvinced.

"If it weren't for your maternal family..." Lady Xiao Lin paused. "How many good men like your father do you think there are in this world?"

She tapped Zhao Wenyue on the forehead. Though her tone was sharp, she didn't start arguing with her like she had over this topic before.

The mother and daughter supported each other, walking ahead amid a cluster of maids, while A Chan and Mama Sun followed behind.

By the time they returned to the city, it was already past noon. Though they'd eaten chestnuts and Hundred Flower Cake along the way, they hadn't had a proper meal, and their stomachs still felt empty. The aroma of food drifting from the restaurants along the road was enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Lady Xiao Lin called for the carriage driver to stop, and the carriage behind them stopped as well.

Mama Sun hurried out and went to Lady Xiao Lin's carriage to ask, "Madam, has something happened?"

"Nothing. We've been traveling all this time, and everyone must be hungry. Let's have lunch at Zhiwei Building today." She pointed to a restaurant by the road.

Zhiwei Building was one of the best-known restaurants in Shangjing. As soon as the carriages stopped, a waiter came over with a smile. He arranged for the carriages to be taken care of while leading them inside.

Lady Xiao Lin wasn't a demanding mistress. She sent a few maids and the coachmen to eat at another table, then asked Mama Sun to stay and sit with them.

She ordered six dishes, two of them fish: fish soup and pan-fried fish. Mama Sun said the other four were all dishes Zhao Wenyue liked.

A Chan had no particular preference for food other than chicken. The chef at Zhiwei Building was skilled, and she thought every dish tasted good.

Zhao Wenyue seemed pleased too, but after taking a sip of the fish soup, Lady Xiao Lin spat it right back out.

"Madam, what's wrong?" Mama Sun hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth.

"What kind of fish soup is this? Why does it have no taste at all?" Unhappy, Lady Xiao Lin called over the waiter. The waiter went to fetch the manager, who finally carried the soup away with an apologetic smile, promising to replace it with another bowl.

When the second bowl arrived, she still said it had no taste.

Zhao Wenyue curiously ladled herself a bowl of milky-white fish soup and took a sip. Then she looked at Lady Xiao Lin in confusion. "Isn't it really savory? Why do you say it has no taste, Mother?"

Hearing Zhao Wenyue's words, A Chan and Mama Sun each tried a spoonful too. Just as Zhao Wenyue had said, the fish soup was delicious and savory.

"Perhaps the fish here is cooked too lightly and doesn't suit your taste, Madam. Let's have the cook prepare fish for you when we get back to the manor," Mama Sun soothed.

She figured that the fish Lady Xiao Lin usually ate was cooked in rich, heavily seasoned sauces. Since fish could be quite fishy, cooking it that way masked the smell, and the madam loved it. Small wonder she found this clear, watery soup tasteless.

"All right."

When the golden, crispy pan-fried fish arrived, Lady Xiao Lin only took a bite of the fish before putting down her chopsticks. Clearly, the dish still hadn't pleased her.

Perhaps because she hadn't been able to enjoy the fish at lunch, Lady Xiao Lin stayed glum.

After lunch, she had the carriage take A Chan back to Changping Quarter first.

When they arrived, A Chan climbed out of the carriage. Seeing Lady Xiao Lin lift the curtain, she stepped forward.

Lady Xiao Lin didn't look well, but her voice was still gentle as she spoke to A Chan. "Mama Sun mentioned you caught a chill a few days ago. Make sure you take care of yourself when you get back."

"I will, Aunt. Please take care of yourself too."

"All right. You've been out all day, so go get some rest. I'll have Mama Sun bring you to the manor to play another day." Lady Xiao Lin finished speaking and lowered the curtain. The carriage from Zhao Manor rolled away at an unhurried pace.

A Chan thought it was just an ordinary farewell.

Until one day, several days later, just after Youshi. Darkness had fallen, and A Chan was at home studying incense recipes for driving away rats and insects, wondering where she could find the main fragrance, when Mingjing Division Guards suddenly showed up at her door.

The leader was a broad-shouldered stranger she'd never seen before, with a fierce look in his eyes and a Thousand Household Commander's badge hanging at his waist.

The man knocked impatiently. When A Chan slid back the door bar, he shoved the door open with a slap and glared down at her. "Are you Ji Chan?"

"I am. What can I do for you, sir?" A Chan was confused. Had she gotten into trouble again? She didn't think she'd done anything to provoke the Mingjing Division lately.

"Do you know Lin Xiaoqiao?"

"Huh?" A Chan desperately searched her memory, but she'd never heard that name before.

The man frowned and repeated, "Lin Xiaoqiao, wife of Zhao Ming, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. You don't know her?"

Only then did A Chan realize. She hurriedly said, "I know her. She's my aunt. What happened to her?"

"She's dead. Everyone who's had contact with her needs to be questioned."

"Do I have to go to the Mingjing Division for questioning?"

Jiang Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise. How could this girl stay so calm after hearing the Mingjing Division's name?

"No need. We're going to Zhao Manor. Our lord is there."

A Chan followed a group of Mingjing Division Guards out of the house and still couldn't quite process it. Lady Xiao Lin was dead?

The news felt intensely unreal. They'd celebrated the Flower Festival together only a few days ago. How could she just be dead?

Since the Mingjing Division had gotten involved, there must be something suspicious about Lady Xiao Lin's death. But who had killed her?

A Chan followed the Mingjing Division Guards to Zhao Manor. The gates stood open, but the gatekeeper was nowhere to be seen. The pair of red lanterns hanging by the entrance weren't lit, and after walking some way inside, she didn't encounter a single maid or servant.

Only when they entered the Main courtyard did they find the place brightly lit, with nearly all the masters and servants of the Zhao family gathered there.

Standing in the courtyard were A Chan's uncle, Zhao Ming, whom she hadn't had a chance to meet on her previous visits, and the Zhao siblings.

Zhao Ming had ordinary features, and both his children looked a little like him. He had a scholar's refined air and seemed far more composed than his children, who were huddled off to one side.

Mama Sun and several of Lady Xiao Lin's personal maids were there too. Mama Sun's hands and clothes seemed to be stained with blood, and her eyes were badly swollen.

Apart from the Zhao family, everyone else there was from the Mingjing Division.

Zhao Ming spotted A Chan as soon as she was brought in, but he didn't come over to speak. Everyone waited patiently.

Less than half an hour later, several people came out of the main room. Their shoes left bloody footprints on the steps.

The man at the front was tall and slender, dressed in a bright red official robe with a saber at his waist, his left hand resting on its hilt. It was Bai Xiuming.

The two men behind Bai Xiuming carried a large urn. Its mouth was sealed, and an official seal had been stamped onto the sealing strip.

No one knew what was inside, but it seemed to be alive, pounding against the walls of the urn again and again.