“Aunt, Cousin—”
When Jiang Li entered the front courtyard, Fang Xuan and Jian Siqin were drinking tea in the hall, accompanied by Fourth Madam Yang Baosheng, Madam Concubine Yao Yunzhu, and Xue Qin.
Fang Xuan’s gaze fell on the white cotton wrapped around Jiang Li’s hand, and she exclaimed in surprise: “Ah Ling, you’re injured?”
Back in early September, when she was “found” during disaster relief in Xuzhou, she was later brought to Xuzhou, where Jian Bocheng held office. At that time, Fang Xuan and Jian Siqin were also stationed there. Seeing her ill-fated circumstances, Fang Xuan cherished her like a daughter, while Jian Siqin treated her as a younger sister.
Fang Xuan stepped forward and clasped Jiang Li’s hand. “They said you went to Shou’an’s residence for treatment—what happened to your hand?”
Jiang Li answered lightly: “You need not worry—just a small accident. The wound has already been treated; it will heal in a few days. Did you come today because everything at your residence is settled?”
On the eighth day of the twelfth month, Jian Bocheng’s family sent Jiang Li back to the Xue household. Since they had not resided in Chang’an for the past two years, they had been busy refurbishing their estate these past few days. Fang Xuan nodded: “All is in order. Today I’ll take you around Chang’an, and tonight you’ll dine at my place. Your uncle has been tied up with the Ministry of Revenue, discussing flood control, so he cannot spare the time. He also wants you to visit the residence and get acquainted. Just now, I heard Princess Qingyang has sent you an invitation—would you like to attend?”
Jiang Li looked puzzled. At that moment, Madam Yao stepped forward with the invitation. “Since Eldest Miss left early this morning, the post arrived about an hour ago. Princess Qingyang will host a flower-viewing banquet the day after tomorrow. She has invited both you and Qin’er. You can go together, and it will be a good chance to meet people.”
Jiang Li accepted the post, opened it, and after a moment, nodded. “Very well…”
Seeing her calm demeanor, Xue Qin said, “Princess Qingyang is greatly favored by His Majesty. Her banquets are lavish affairs. But Eldest Sister need not worry—I will look after you. By the way, how is Miss Fu now?”
At this question, Madam Yao and Madam Yang’s eyes lit up, and even Fang Xuan fixed her gaze on Jiang Li. Jiang Li replied: “Miss Fu is doing well. Moreover, the Earl’s household has already asked the Court of Judicial Review to investigate the rumors. The culprit will soon be found.”
Since the Xu family had already seen Pei Yan at the Earl’s residence, Jiang Li no longer needed to conceal the matter. By invoking the name of the Court of Judicial Review, she could also silence idle gossip. As expected, her words startled everyone. Normally, cases would be handled by the local prefecture; for Earl Shou’an to bypass them and request the Court’s involvement meant he was truly enraged.
Fang Xuan, born into a military family and quick-tempered, immediately grew indignant: “Poor Miss Fu! Such vicious rumors—who is trying to destroy her?”
Jiang Li shook her head. “We don’t yet know. Let’s wait for the magistrate’s findings. Aunt, since you said you’d take me out, why don’t we go east of the city for a look?”
Fang Xuan had feared Jiang Li might remain overly formal with her, but hearing her suggestion, she readily agreed. Jiang Li instructed Huai Xi to hand the medicine chest to Ji Xiang, and the group once again set out, boarding the carriage bound for the eastern market.
Inside the carriage, Fang Xuan clasped Jiang Li’s hand. “How have things been at the household these past few days?”
Jiang Li smiled. “All is well. You needn’t worry—I can manage.”
Fang Xuan sighed. “That Madam Yao was originally the daughter of an official family. Later, when her clan was convicted, she was sent to the Music Bureau as a palace entertainer. At that time, your father was close to the Crown Prince, and by a twist of fate, she entered the Xue household as a concubine. Fortunately, she has kept her place over the years, and your mother has remained relatively secure. You need not fear—should any trouble arise, your uncle and I will stand for you.”
When Jiang Li first returned to the Xue residence, she had paid her respects to Jian Xian. Only then did she learn that Madam Xue, who had lived in seclusion for over a decade, had fallen into madness after her beloved daughter’s disappearance. For years, she had been cared for by her maids, unable to manage the household. Luckily, Jian Bocheng’s career had flourished, so the Xue clan dared not neglect them.
Thinking of her mother’s illness, Jiang Li said gravely, “I will find a way to treat her.”
Fang Xuan patted the back of her hand. “Good child. Your medical skills are remarkable, but you are not a deity. Back then, both the Jian and Xue families summoned countless physicians, yet none could cure her. Now your uncle and I only pray for her health.”
At this, Jian Siqin interjected: “Ah Ling, I heard you’ve gone twice to Shou’an residence. Is Miss Fu gravely ill? Isn’t she soon to wed Xu Lingze?”
Jiang Li replied vaguely: “Not too serious—she needs rest. Cousin, you know Xu Lingze?”
Jian Siqin nodded. “Three years ago we studied together at the Imperial Academy. Now that I’ve returned to Chang’an, I was hoping to congratulate them at their wedding. He is deeply devoted to Miss Fu. Hearing those rumors, I fear he must be furious.”
Jiang Li recalled Xu Lingze’s demeanor that day and shook her head inwardly. Then she said: “I’ve heard there is a famous brocade shop called Jinyun in the eastern city. I’d like to take a look…”
Fang Xuan smiled in agreement, instructing the driver to change course. “I was just thinking of having clothes made for you.”
Suddenly, Jian Siqin said: “Why does that shop sound so familiar… Ah, I remember! Didn’t something happen there a few months ago? Sister, have you heard of the murderer they call the Bride Butcher? They say his first victim was the eldest daughter of that very shop…”
Fang Xuan was startled. “Yes, now I recall—my mother mentioned it. That’s the one!”
Jiang Li followed smoothly: “I have indeed heard of it…”
Jian Siqin sighed. “That villain killed five young women. The first was Miss Wang of that shop. I even knew some of the others—especially the daughter of Qian Yongzhi, Prefect of Fuzhou…”
Jiang Li had intended to investigate herself, but hadn’t expected Jian Siqin to know the victims. Her eyes lit with anticipation. “Cousin, do you know more?”
Jian Siqin explained: “Qian Yongzhi was a fellow graduate with my father. He returned to the capital early to arrange his daughter’s marriage and even sent a post to my father. But last month she suddenly disappeared, and just days ago came the terrible news—she was slain by that butcher. Besides her, I had met the daughter of Lord Wu, an official of the Court of Imperial Banquets, and though I barely knew the daughter of Zheng of the Ministry of Rites, her fiancé, Lu Xian, second son of the Military Governor of Longyou, is a close friend of mine. While I was in Xuzhou, I heard fragments of this case and even asked my steward in Chang’an to make inquiries…”
Fang Xuan said, “Lord Qian and Lord Lu are both posted outside the capital, but they have long been acquainted with your uncle.”
Seeing Jiang Li’s eyes full of curiosity, Jian Siqin continued: “They say the first victim, Miss Wang, disappeared on her way to deliver an embroidery sample to her brother. Her brother was at the shop, only two streets from their residence. Miss Wang’s embroidery skills surpassed even the seamstresses at the shop. At that time, someone had ordered a phoenix coronet and a bridal robe, specifically requesting that Miss Wang design the embroidery. On the evening of the incident, she had just finished a pattern of paired phoenixes and was going to consult her brother—but she never returned.”
Jiang Li had not previously asked about the circumstances of the earlier victims, so now she listened with particular attention.
Jian Siqin went on: “By coincidence, the second victim was the eldest daughter of Ningxiang Pavilion, a shop that sold jewelry and rouge. On the day she disappeared, she left home early in the morning to deliver a newly blended rouge to a close friend nearby. She never came back.”
Jiang Li frowned. “One vanished at dusk, the other at dawn?”
Jian Siqin nodded. “Yes, both times when few people were about. Though the Wang family’s shop was in a busy district, Miss Wang took a shortcut through a dark alley. As for Miss Kang, she left too early, before the streets were lively. Later, the authorities found only her lost rouge box along the way…”
Jiang Li quickly asked, “And the other three young ladies?”
Jian Siqin sighed. “Miss Zheng’s case happened outside the city. She went to Xiangguo Temple to offer incense and became separated from her maid. Later, monks said they saw her heading toward the back mountain, but no one knew why, and no belongings of hers were ever found…”
Jiang Li’s heart tightened—this was strikingly similar to Fu Yunci’s recent ordeal. Could Zheng Ran also have been lured away?
“Miss Wu disappeared in broad daylight, on her way to deliver writing supplies to her younger brother. He was only eight, studying at a private school not far from home. She had a maid with her, but the maid stepped into a paper shop to buy xuan paper for the boy. When she came out, Miss Wu was gone. Later, the authorities found her book chest abandoned in a distant alley.”
Jiang Li shivered. “In broad daylight?”
Jian Siqin nodded. “Yes. And Miss Qian’s disappearance was equally strange. Her mother had died early, and on the sixteenth of every month she went to Ci’an Temple in the western city to light lamps before her mother’s memorial tablet. That day she went at noon. After the rites, her maid clearly saw her leave the main hall and then the temple gate. But though the maid followed her out, Miss Qian had vanished. A living person simply disappeared into thin air…”
Jiang Li shook her head slowly. “No one can vanish into thin air.”
Jian Siqin shrugged. “These are only accounts gathered from servants of the households. The true mystery lies with the authorities. Oh, by the way—didn’t you say the Shou’an residence sought help from the Court of Judicial Review?”
Jiang Li, distracted, replied: “The heir is close friends with the Assistant Minister of the Court, so…”
“You mean they asked Assistant Minister Pei?”
Jian Siqin grew a little excited, while Jiang Li, puzzled, asked: “Cousin, you know Assistant Minister Pei?”
Jian Siqin blushed slightly. “Not exactly.”
Fang Xuan laughed from the side: “He wished to know him. Four years ago, he went to study at Bailu Academy for half a year, all because of Pei Yan. But who would have thought that Pei Yan had already left the academy by then? So he returned to the Imperial Academy. To this day, he still has Pei Yan’s essay mounted in his study…”
Exposed by his mother, Jian Siqin was not annoyed. He said openly: “You may not know, but Assistant Minister Pei was already famous in Chang’an at the age of eleven. No one has surpassed him in all these years. I have admired him for long, though my own talents are mediocre, not even equal to Xue Zhan—”
Jian Siqin, nearly twenty-one, had refined brows and a gentle, scholarly air, fully embodying the Jian family’s literary tradition. He had gone to Xuzhou to study under a retired great scholar in preparation for next year’s examinations. By contrast, eighteen-year-old Xue Zhan was far more dazzling in talent—especially with last year’s *Rhapsody on the Cold Pine*, whose brilliance even won praise from Emperor Jingde. From then on, the second son of the Xue family became widely renowned, his fame reaching even the scholars of Xuzhou.
Jiang Li shook her head. “Cousin, your strength lies in steady accumulation. Such fleeting reputations cannot compare. Next year, your true ability will surely be revealed.”
Jian Siqin smiled warmly, then added: “Assistant Minister Pei previously served in the Ministry of Personnel, accompanying His Majesty on several southern tours. In May, he was promoted to Hanlin Attendant, drafting confidential edicts for the throne. Everyone said he was the youngest inner minister. But in mid-September, when the former Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, He Chong, was demoted for incompetence, Pei Yan boldly volunteered to take his place. From inner minister to a fifth-rank assistant minister—it was unexpected. This Bride Butcher case is actually the first major case he has taken on.”
Neither Jian Siqin nor Jiang Li had anticipated this turn. She was still wondering what to say when the carriage suddenly slowed.
Outside, the driver called: “Madam, we’ve arrived at Jinyun Shop!”
Jiang Li’s spirits lifted, and she lifted the curtain to look outside.
Jinyun Shop stood on Guangming Street, about the time of one incense stick’s walk from the eastern market. Because it was near the prestigious districts of Shengye, Chongren, and Pingkang, it was especially favored by noble families. Along the long street, besides the brocade house, were shops selling jade curios, jewelry, and ornaments. All the customers were wealthy or highborn.
As Jiang Li alighted, she saw many carriages already gathered outside. Remembering Wang Gan’s words about poor business, her sense of unease deepened. Fang Xuan took her hand and led her inside.
The shop clerks greeted them warmly. “Madam, Miss—what kind of fabric would you like to see?”
Fang Xuan replied, “Bring out your most fashionable materials.”
The clerk answered promptly, hurrying behind the counter to fetch several bolts of brocade from the shelves. Speaking rapidly, he said: “Please look, Madam—this is the newest Shu brocade of the year. See the jacquard, the sheen. Touch it, hold it to the light—isn’t it radiant as clouds at sunset…”
His words flowed endlessly, and Fang Xuan watched with keen interest. Soon, she pointed to a bolt of Moonlight Brocade. “Use this to make my niece a jacket and skirt, and add a cloak. Let your best master tailor handle it.”
Jiang Li hesitated, but Fang Xuan pulled her along behind the clerk to the second floor. In an elegant room, the clerk indeed summoned a master with white at his temples, accompanied by a seamstress, to cut the garments.
As the seamstress measured Jiang Li, she glanced toward the corridor. “It’s still early today, yet all the upstairs rooms seem occupied?”
The seamstress smiled. “Our reputation speaks for itself. Right now it’s still quiet. By afternoon, there will be more guests—you’d have to wait downstairs for half an hour at least.”
Jiang Li looked at the fabric before her. “I’ve heard your young mistress’s embroidery was the finest. It’s a pity…”
The seamstress’s face changed slightly. “You mean our young lady? You’re right. Many ladies used to request her embroidery. But sadly, she met with misfortune months ago, and there’s still no resolution.”
At that, the master said coldly: “Even if nothing had happened, by now she would already be married into the family of the Director of Waterworks. She wouldn’t need to rely on her needlework. Girl, what pattern do you want?”
The seamstress whispered, “He is our young lady’s embroidery master. Just tell him what design you want—there’s nothing he cannot stitch.”
Jiang Li thought for a moment. “Then let it be magnolia blossoms…”
When they left Jinyun Shop, Jian Siqin carried two bolts of brocade. Fang Xuan said cheerfully, “Come back in three days to see the embroidery. If you’re not satisfied, Ah Ling, we can change the master.”
Jiang Li nodded, then glanced back at the brocade house. “Aunt has gifted me clothes. I’d like to honor her in return. Why don’t we go to the Eastern Market to look at rouge and jewelry?”
Jian Siqin suggested, “Then let’s visit Ningxiang Pavilion?”
Fang Xuan immediately realized Jian Siqin’s interest was stirred because Pei Yan was investigating the case. She sighed. “As long as Ah Ling doesn’t mind.”
Of course, Jiang Li did not mind. The carriage left Guangming Street and headed straight for the eastern market. Within a quarter of an hour, the crowd’s noise swelled. Jiang Li lifted the curtain and saw before her a scene of imperial prosperity: painted towers and pleasure houses, flowered streets, wealthy households displaying rare treasures, carved carriages competing to stop, fine horses racing past.
The carriage slowed, turned halfway down the street, and Ningxiang Pavilion came into view. But seeing the crowd gathered before the shop, Jiang Li’s expression changed slightly. “It looks like something has happened.”
“…You were never fit to be entered into the family register. If not for your sister’s unmatched skill in perfumery, would this shop ever have been entrusted to you two siblings? Now your sister has been dead for half a year, and you’ve run this place into ruin. As head of the Kang family, am I to watch our good household fortune be squandered away?!”
As Jiang Li and her companions pushed through the crowd, they saw at the entrance of Ningxiang Pavilion a stout middle‑aged man shouting abuse. Seven or eight guards stood with cudgels, glaring fiercely at four men before them.
Among the four, the leader was tall and slender, dressed in a dark‑blue robe patterned with orchids, his bearing refined. The three attendants at his side bore bruises and swelling on their faces, clear signs of a recent fight.
The middle‑aged man, seeing the crowd grow larger, barked: “Kang Jingming, don’t blame me for being ruthless. This shop was under your sister’s name. Now that she’s gone, the closest blood relative in the family register is me, her uncle. If you had your sister’s skill in perfumery, I’d let you earn a living. But you don’t. On that alone, you’re no true son of the Kang clan. You’d best get out quickly, or I’ll show no mercy.”
Kang Jingming was seething. His young servant, unable to bear it, clenched his teeth and rushed forward. “How can you bully us so—”
Before he could finish, three guards struck. The servant was subdued before he could fight back, dragged by his collar and forced to kneel, his arms and neck already mottled with bruises. The middle‑aged man snarled: “Since you won’t listen, fine—beat this wretch to death for me!”
As the cudgels were about to fall on the servant, Jian Siqin stepped forward. “Wait—”
The middle‑aged man paused, startled by the voice of a young gentleman in fine clothes. Then he sneered: “And who might you be, sir? Best not meddle. This is my household slave. I’ll punish him as I please. Beat him to death—”
At that moment, a cold, clear voice rang out from the back of the crowd: “According to Article Fifty‑Two of the Zhou Code, killing a household slave without cause is punishable by one hundred strokes. Here in the capital, under the Son of Heaven’s gaze, I wonder who dares defy the law so openly.”
Jiang Li’s heart gave a jolt. She turned toward the edge of the crowd. Jian Siqin, taller than her, could see further—and his voice rose with delight: “Assistant Minister Pei—!”