The poor yamen runners had a hard time of it, searching the storeroom meticulously for half a day, only to conclude that the number of thieves numbered in the dozens. With so many robbers coming in silently and leaving without a trace, their methods were truly formidable.
Solving the case was far too difficult—there wasn't a single clue. Even a citywide manhunt offered no chance of recovering the stolen goods.
In fact, Xia Shimei had indeed ordered his men to do just that. Not only was the entire city placed under martial law, but they also searched for three days and three nights, yet still found not a single thread of evidence.
For a time, the theft at the county magistrate's residence became whispered gossip over tea and meals among the townsfolk. Strangely enough, though other households were on high alert, the thieves never paid them a visit.
As the rumors spread, they twisted and turned, eventually claiming that a band of notorious robbers had been moving from place to place and had surely moved on to other regions by now.
Xia Shimei and Lady Fang were stifling their anger, which festered into internal injury. Having lost such a vast sum of gold, silver, and valuables, Xia Shimei found everything irritating, yet he had to maintain a facade of calm indifference. His transfer was imminent, and at this critical juncture, he absolutely could not afford any misstep. Only the household servants knew to tread carefully and avoid provoking their master. Lady Fang, heartbroken, took to her sickbed.
After four or five days, Xia Shimei finally remembered Xia Qinghe and had her released from confinement, too lazy to bother with her further.
It was at this moment that Xia Qinghe, accompanied by Danxin and Cuilü, secretly slipped out of the residence.
As she left the estate, she took the opportunity to have Danxin handle a certain matter.
Danxin hired a carriage and arrived before a two-courtyard residence on Gezi Lane, knocking on the door.
"Who is it?"
An old woman cracked the door open, poking half her face out.
"I'm from the Xia residence."
The old woman's heart fluttered with panic, and she moved to shut the door, but Danxin held it fast with her hand. "No need to worry, mother. The master sent me to fetch the concubine."
The old woman sized her up, then glanced outside, confirming no one else was following behind. She relaxed her guard somewhat. "Wait a moment. I'll go inform the concubine."
Danxin nodded, in no hurry, letting the old woman close the door and hurry off to report to her mistress.
Inside, Lady Pan, upon hearing that someone from the Xia residence had come—sent by Xia Shimei himself to fetch her—was filled with uncertainty. She had long pestered Xia Shimei to let her into the household, but he kept putting it off, citing his career prospects. Now that he had already married Lady Fang precisely for the sake of his transfer, why would he suddenly agree to bring her and the children into the residence?
"Mother, has Father sent someone to take us home?" A pretty girl of six or seven came bounding in from outside, then noticed Lady Pan's hesitation. "Mother, aren't you happy?"
"Yun'er, Mother is happy, but your father never mentioned this to me. For him to simply send someone like this—could there be some problem?" Lady Pan spoke as if talking to herself, or perhaps consulting her daughter.
"Mother, since Father has sent someone, let's just go into the residence. At worst, we'll endure a bit of hardship—still better than being cooped up here, never seeing the light of day." Xia Qingyun lowered her head in thought for a moment, then urged Lady Pan. Her father was about to take up an official post in the capital. If they remained outside the residence, when would it ever end! She'd heard the capital was bustling and prosperous, and she and her brother were her father's eldest son and eldest daughter—why shouldn't they enjoy all that the Xia residence had to offer!
Lady Pan thought it over. "Mother Wu, have that maidservant come in first. I want to ask her a few questions."
"Mother, I'm going to find Brother!" Xia Qingyun, eager to share the news with Xia Qingming, dashed off like a gust of wind.
Mother Wu nodded and went off. After a while, she brought Danxin in. Danxin looked around the room and saw that Pan shi was delicate and charming, truly a fragile little white flower—utterly endearing.
Seeing her forcing herself to keep up appearances, Danxin gave a slight curtsy and said with a smile, "Concubine, I am Danxin, the senior maid in the household. I now manage the inner courtyard on behalf of the young lady. A few days ago, the master said he will soon be leaving for the capital to take up his post, and you are to pack up and return to the residence so we can all travel together."
"So Fang shi still isn't managing the household?"
Danxin thought to herself that Pan shi actually knew quite a lot about the Xia family's affairs.
"The master said we'll discuss it once we reach the capital. In any case, it's only a matter of a few days now. Our young lady has a message for me to pass on to you, Concubine." Seeing Pan shi still hesitating, Danxin did not want to say more—the more one says, the more mistakes one makes.
"Oh, please speak."
"Our young lady says, if you miss this village, there won't be this shop again. Once Fang shi takes charge of the household, it will be much harder for you to enter the residence."
Pan shi's eyes flickered. "Why does the young lady want to help me?"
Danxin smiled. "I heard you bore the master two children?"
"Mother! Is what little sister said true? Father sent someone to fetch us?"
"Brother, don't be hasty…"
A little boy burst into the room like a whirlwind, followed by a little girl, her face flushed with chagrin. Her brother usually liked to act mature beyond his years—who would have thought that today, after hearing just one sentence from her, he would rush over in such a panic? He must have made Mother lose face.
Danxin looked at the two of them. The boy was handsome, the girl delicate and lovely—they had inherited the good genes of Xia Shimei and Pan shi.
The little boy saw a strange maid standing in the room and felt he had been rash. But he steadied himself, calmed his breathing, and forced himself to recover his usual precocious composure.
"Mother, is this the person who's come to fetch us?"
"Greetings, young master. Greetings, young miss." Danxin was very careful with her wording, using nothing that could be taken as demeaning or upsetting. So the two felt that their father must have given special instructions.
But Pan shi knew things were not so simple. Yet one thing had struck a chord in her heart: no matter who had come to fetch her, as long as she entered the residence, it would not be so easy for Fang shi to drive her out.
So she made up her mind and said, "We leave today?"
Danxin's smile grew even more genuine. "Concubine, the sooner the better. The young lady says Qinghe Court will be given to you to live in. Nothing is lacking there—you need only pack your valuables and personal items."
"Then… Mother Wu, go and pack quickly. Also, call the others over. I have something to say." As soon as Pan shi heard this, her mind started working. She needed to decide which people to bring along. Xia Shimei had also provided her with several servants—it probably wouldn't be convenient to bring them all.
"If you wish to dismiss some servants, Concubine, there's no need. The master is about to leave for the capital to take up his post, and the household will likely only have more servants, not fewer. If you have a few trusted and familiar people attending you, then even if trouble arises, you won't suffer for it. Even if it seems beneath your status, since you have the master's favor, for the sake of this pair of children, you must think carefully on their behalf as well."
Dan Xin's words were veiled, but Pan Shi understood them clearly. She had already prepared herself for entering the household; given her status, some grievances were unavoidable, but if she had people by her side, she wouldn't suffer too much. More importantly, she had her children to rely on. Dan Xin's words essentially told her outright that once inside the household, keeping more people around her would make things easier.
So Pan Shi packed up her valuables, took all her people, and followed Dan Xin to the back gate, slipping quietly into the residence. Dan Xin also advised them to keep a low profile and so on.
In Gezi Lane, no sooner had they left than Cui Lü found someone to sell their dwelling at a low price, pocketing a tidy sum of silver for herself.
By the time Xia Shimei got word, three days had already passed. Fang Shi went to pick a fight with Xia Qinghe, only to discover that Qinghe Court had changed hands—it was now occupied by Xia Shimei's mistress, complete with two illegitimate sons and daughters. She was so furious she nearly spat blood, feeling that Xia Shimei had deceived her. How could she let it go? She immediately flew into a rage, threatening to fight and kill. But Pan Shi was no pushover either; relying on her two children for support, she showed no fear. On the surface, she appeared weak and submissive, but in reality, she gave no ground at all.
Xia Shimei flew into a towering rage. At that moment, Xia Si crept in trembling to report that the young lady had left a letter a few days ago and run away from home. When he dug out the crumpled, wrinkled note from the corner of the study, it read: "Where this place refuses a woman, there is always a place that will take her."
Xia Shimei's carefully maintained perfect image finally collapsed completely.
To think he'd been outmaneuvered by his own daughter—and the most infuriating part was that he couldn't search for her openly. Several days had already passed; in the vast sea of humanity, where could he even look?
Just then, his transfer order arrived, and Xia Shimei had no choice but to pull himself together and head to the capital to take up his post.