"B-But… but I like Cousin."
The half-open window let the wind pour in, causing the candle flame to flicker and dance.
"Why did you send away the carriage driver and the maidservant?"
The two stood facing each other, and Song Langyu could see every subtle expression on Wen Jiao's face.
The young woman kept her head lowered, a few strands of hair falling loose beside her cheeks. A layer of mist had gathered in her eyes, and this mist quickly condensed into crystalline tears that fell, drop by drop, striking the cold floor tiles.
"Then let me ask another question." After waiting a moment, Song Langyu spoke again. "Why did you go to Changle Lane?"
The handkerchief in her hands was nearly twisted to shreds, yet Wen Jiao still remained silent.
"Did you consider the consequences before you went?"
"If Miaoshan had harbored malicious intentions, would you have had any means to resist?"
"Since you had no means to resist, why would you take such a dangerous risk?"
Question after question came, and Wen Jiao could only shake her head continuously, utterly breaking down as she sobbed:
"Cousin, I'm sorry! I-I just wanted to do something for you. I never thought, never thought it would turn out like this… wuuu!"
She covered her face and wept bitterly, her shoulders trembling violently.
"I know you think I came to the manor to sponge off the family, and that you don't like me, but I… I like you, Cousin. I wanted to help you investigate the Que Du Temple matter, wanted to make you see that I could be useful."
Confessing one's feelings to the object of one's affection is always embarrassing. A flush of red spread across the young woman's pale cheeks as she stole a shy, timid glance at Song Langyu.
Song Langyu had considered many possibilities, but this was the last thing he had expected.
To venture into danger alone for such a foolish reason—it wasn't just stupid, it was laughable!
Song Langyu took a step back, furrowing his brows as he said coldly: "I hold no romantic feelings toward you, and I never will. Please show yourself some respect and self-restraint, and stop entertaining such thoughts."
The color drained from Wen Jiao's face, and the springtime warmth in her eyes turned to ash. She stared blankly at Song Langyu, biting her lip: "Cousin…"
"Jiao Jiao… understands. I won't harbor any more vain hopes." She retreated two steps toward the door, and feeling utterly humiliated, covered her face with both hands and ran out.
A woman should conduct herself with dignity and self-respect—how could she so casually voice her affections? It was truly unbefitting of a proper young lady. Song Langyu found Wen Jiao contemptible, and his disdain for her only grew.
Once Wen Jiao ran out of the Changpu Courtyard, she stopped crying. Fearing the cold wind would roughen her face, she quickly used her handkerchief to carefully dab away the tears.
No matter what method she had to use, she first needed to dispel Song Langyu's suspicions.
As for her reputation, as for what Song Langyu thought of her—Wen Jiao didn't care in the slightest.
The only thing she cared about was that secret letter.
She wished she could go search for it that very night, but she couldn't even get out the door.
All night long, her heart burned like it was being fried in oil, and she tossed and turned without sleep.
In the following days, Song Langyu left early and returned late. Though Wen Jiao wanted to go out, Madam Wu came to see her every day, and she never found the opportunity.
After another three or four days, when Madam Wu took Song Xiangyu out of the manor to attend a banquet, Wen Jiao finally seized her chance to return to Changle Lane.
But now, constables were stationed outside that residence.
Constables from the Court of Judicial Review.
Wen Jiao's chest heaved with rage, and she gnashed her teeth: "You damned dog."
A carriage pulled up at the courtyard gate, and the person who stepped down was the "damned dog" himself.
Wen Jiao hesitated for a moment, then immediately hurried after him, calling out sweetly: "Cousin!"
Song Langyu stopped in his tracks and frowned: "What are you doing here?"
Wen Jiao's smile froze, and she lowered her eyes: "Miaoshan's private residence is in this lane. I wanted to come take a look—if I found something, I could… I could tell you, Cousin."
These past few days, Wen Jiao had been unable to eat or sleep, and had grown noticeably thinner. At this moment, worried about the secret letter, her expression carried a hint of unnaturalness, but Song Langyu assumed she was still haggard and embarrassed from having her confession rejected that day.
He wore a crimson official robe, his gaze cold and distant, with an air of keeping others at arm's length—as if afraid Wen Jiao might cling to him.
"I'm here to investigate. You should go back—"
"Miss Wen has a keen nose. Why not come in and take a look with us?" Sun Chengyuan stepped down from the carriage, cutting off Song Langyu's words.
Wen Jiao, afraid Song Langyu would refuse, quickly nodded in agreement.
Once inside the courtyard, Sun Chengyuan went to search the side rooms, while Wen Jiao followed Song Langyu to inspect the main house.
"That day you knocked Miaoshan unconscious with a vase. She still hasn't woken. The physician says she appears to have been poisoned. Tell me in detail what happened that day."
"That day, in a daze, I heard Miaoshan's voice…" Wen Jiao frowned deeply. "Then someone knocked at the door. While Miaoshan was distracted, I got up and tried to run out, but she pushed me down. My head hit the armrest of the arhat couch, and I happened to see a vase within reach. In my terror, I grabbed it and struck Miaoshan on the head, and she collapsed…"
Song Langyu now felt only disgust toward Wen Jiao. Even when speaking, he kept his distance from her.
"What did Miaoshan say that day?"
"I can't recall clearly…"
Wen Jiao's words caught in her throat, because Song Langyu had walked over to the curio cabinet. She forced herself to steady her nerves and spoke quickly: "I remember now! She seemed to mention Madam Wang—said Madam Wang hadn't been obedient, and that's why she met such an end…"
Her fingernails dug tightly into her palms. She wished she could find a vase and knock Song Langyu unconscious!
Song Langyu fiddled with the curio cabinet for a moment, and with a "click," a mechanism triggered. The cabinet slid aside, revealing a hidden chamber behind it.
A flash of ruthlessness passed through Wen Jiao's eyes as she followed him into the secret room.
"Oh? What are all these things here?" Wen Jiao's voice was light, but her eyes darted about frantically searching for Madam Wang's belongings, her heart already burning with anxiety.
Suddenly, Wen Jiao looked up and spotted a box. The paper pasted on it had yellowed, but the handwriting was still clear—"Madam Wang, wife of Li Ren, Vice Minister of Rites."
She reached out, but could only barely touch the corner of the box. Her heart pounded wildly, nearly leaping from her chest!
Just as Wen Jiao stood on her toes to try again, a hand with long, elegant fingers brushed past her ear and easily took the box down.
"It's Madam Wang's box." Song Langyu's voice was cold and clear.
He placed the box on the table, opened it, and took out a folded letter paper with yellowed edges.
Wen Jiao was like a moth drawn to flame—knowing she might arouse Song Langyu's suspicion, she still couldn't help leaning in.
Song Langyu was broad-shouldered and tall; Wen Jiao was a full head shorter than him. Even craning her neck, she only caught sight of a single name before the yellowed paper was returned to the box.
But even one name was enough for Wen Jiao to confirm this was the letter she had been searching for.
So close, within easy reach—separated only by Song Langyu.
She gently triggered the mechanism on her ring, and a thin, sharp silver needle sprang out. One light prick would be enough to put Song Langyu to sleep for days.
"He Gui, have you found anything here?" Sun Chengyuan's voice arrived before he did.
Wen Jiao was furious, already contemplating the possibility of poisoning both men at once. However, Sun Chengyuan had not come alone—three constables followed behind him.
Taking down five men simultaneously… utterly impossible.
Sun Chengyuan flipped through several boxes, and his expression grew grave.
The boxes contained secrets, and the owners of those secrets were all family members of officials.
These secrets could be used both to extort money and to coerce these officials' families into spying on intelligence from the various ministries of the court.
The deaths of those three officials' family members were likely connected to this.
What kind of ambition must the person behind this have, to lay out such a scheme?
At this thought, a chill ran down Sun Chengyuan's spine. He looked up at Song Langyu in shock, and Song Langyu had clearly reached the same conclusion. Both their faces darkened.
Everything in the secret chamber was carried back to the Ministry of Justice.
Wen Jiao's heart died completely.
She returned to the Duke's mansion in a daze and ran into Madam Wu at the entrance. Madam Wu scolded her for not taking care of herself, saying her wounds had not yet healed properly and she had gone out to brave the wind.
Wen Jiao felt so miserable she wanted to cry. She could not hear a word Madam Wu said, only nodding along in a daze.
Madam Wu pulled her into the mansion and lowered her voice: "Today I attended a banquet and saw the young master of the Vice Minister of Justice's household. He is handsome and refined, and treats people kindly. I heard he will sit for the imperial examinations this autumn. In a couple of days, I'll find an excuse to have the Vice Minister's wife bring the young master out, and you can meet him. How about that?"
Wen Jiao's soul was not with her body. Madam Wu's words went in one ear and out the other. She had no idea what the woman was muttering about and simply smiled along, while Madam Wu took it for maidenly shyness and assumed she had agreed.
That night, Wen Jiao tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, regretting her hesitation in the secret chamber. She should have knocked Song Langyu out!
She was so angry she bit the corner of her quilt, tears in her eyes, and rolled around.
The next morning, she rose early, washed, dressed, and went to pay her respects to Madam Wu. But Song Langyu did not come. Only upon asking Nanny Zhou did she learn he had not returned the night before and was likely still at the Ministry of Justice offices.
When she saw Madam Wu, Wen Jiao sipped her sweet tea and smiled: "Cousin is really something. No matter how urgent the case, he should still come home. If he doesn't change his official robes for days, won't they start to stink?"
Song Xiangyu let out a curious "Huh" and said: "Big brother loves cleanliness the most. If he doesn't even have time to come home and change, it must be a thorny case."
Madam Wu usually complained that Song Langyu had nothing but cases and official business in his eyes and heart, but when she actually saw him busy investigating, she felt a pang of worry. She instructed Nanny Zhou:
"It's still cold at night. Go to his courtyard and have the maids pack a change of clothes and a fur cloak. Then go to the kitchen and prepare some hot food. Find out where he is now and have someone deliver the things to him."
Nanny Zhou received the order and left. Wen Jiao had breakfast with Madam Wu and her daughter, then went to the kitchen. From a distance, she saw Nanny Zhou scolding a young servant in the courtyard, and she hurriedly called out with a smile: "Nanny!"
Seeing it was Wen Jiao, Nanny Zhou's expression softened slightly. She waved the servant away and came over to greet her: "Miss Wen, why have you come? Is there something you'd like to eat for lunch?"
"It's not that I'm craving anything. I just remembered that Auntie said this morning she wanted to send clothes to Big Cousin. As it happens, I'm going out in a bit—why don't I bring the clothes and food along the way?"
Nanny Zhou hesitated for a moment, but with a courtyard full of tasks waiting, she said: "I just sent that servant to find out where the young heir is, but he was too lazy to go and only guessed he might be at the Court of Judicial Review. If Miss Wen is going over there, you'll have to make some inquiries along the way."
Wen Jiao smiled sweetly and said, "Rest assured, Nanny. Court is already dismissed now. If my eldest cousin isn't at the Court of Judicial Review, he'll be at the Ministry of Justice. I'll make inquiries and see that the items are delivered into his hands personally."
"Then we'll trouble Miss Wen."
Once the kitchen had prepared the meal, Nanny Zhou ordered one maidservant to carry the food box and another to hold the robes and cloak, then had a carriage hitched to see Wen Jiao off through the gates.
Without needing to make inquiries, Wen Jiao went straight to the Ministry of Justice. She asked the guard at the entrance, who said Song Langyu was inside. Wen Jiao gave her family name, and was escorted in.
"Vice Minister Song and our lord are discussing matters in the back courtyard. Please wait a moment, miss."
Wen Jiao was about to reply when she suddenly heard a commotion from the back courtyard. Listening closely, she heard shouts of "Fire!"
The secret letter was in the Ministry of Justice offices. If the fire burned it, the Chen family's hopes of clearing their name would be dashed beyond recovery!
Black smoke rose above the back courtyard, and in an instant sparks began licking at the rooftop. The fire spread rapidly, and people rushed with buckets to put it out.
Taking advantage of the chaos in the courtyard, Wen Jiao slipped into the burning side chamber.
The heat inside was stifling. Wen Jiao looked up and spotted several wooden crates in the corner. Her heart leapt with joy, and she was about to approach when she heard a sound behind her.
She realized someone else was in the room, but it was too late. A muscular arm seized her neck in a brutal chokehold, and a cold male voice sounded by her ear:
"Who are you?"