Zheng Yunni had been betrothed to the Second Prince since infancy. As soon as she was born, her birth date and eight characters of destiny were sent to the capital.
Huo Weilou ordered his guards to investigate. Before long, they returned, “Marquis, Miss Zheng’s birth date is the seventh day of the second month in the fifteenth year of Jianhe, at the early hours of the rabbit.”
He Cheng held a sheet filled with the Daoist’s calculations of ominous years and hours. Comparing them, he frowned and shook his head. “There is no such date as the seventh day of the second month. The closest is the fifth day of the second month, halfway through the tiger hour.”
Huo Weilou’s gaze sharpened. “What if the Marquis Anqing’s household reported a false birth date?”
He Cheng’s face changed. “That… that would be a crime of deceiving the Emperor. And the yin year and yin hour are considered inauspicious. Yet the Madam was favored by the Noble Consort, who agreed to the betrothal precisely because the Madam was seen as a lucky star for the Second Prince…”
The more He Cheng spoke, the more fearful he became. “No wonder the lords of the household always conceal matters. They feared this would be exposed, so they kept silent. The killer used those four lines of writing to trap them!”
If it were merely a struggle for titles, it would be ordinary. But now, Zheng Yunni’s marriage to the Second Prince was entangled in the case. He Cheng grew increasingly uneasy, looking to Huo Weilou, unsure how he would act.
Eunuch Fu’s expression also darkened. “The Marquis Anqing’s household likely falsified the birth date to preserve this marriage. The Noble Consort greatly valued such details. Marquis, should we send word to the capital to ask the palace’s opinion? The wedding is in March, decreed by His Majesty himself…”
A marriage decreed by the Emperor, involving the most favored prince—anyone would hesitate. If the investigation uncovered what should not be uncovered, the Marquis Anqing’s household losing face would be minor; the royal family being criticized would be disastrous.
Huo Weilou rubbed the black jade ring on his finger. “No need.”
Eunuch Fu hesitated, but Huo Weilou said: “This is a murder case. Three lives are no small matter. Though we suspect Zheng Yunni’s birth date was falsified, there is no proof. And whether she herself is connected to the murders remains unknown. Why inform the capital now?”
Eunuch Fu pursed his lips. “Marquis, you know how much His Majesty favors the Second Prince. Though the prince respects you now, would it not be safer to inform the court in advance?” His words carried subtle meaning.
Huo Weilou gave a faint smile. “When the killer is found, I will send a memorial to the capital. If the Marquis Anqing’s household truly concealed shameful matters, then Zhao Xi’s marriage need not proceed.”
Zhao Xi was the Second Prince’s given name. Huo Weilou spoke it openly, without hesitation. He Cheng trembled at hearing it, yet felt immense gratitude that Huo Weilou himself was overseeing the case. Without him, He Cheng would never dare press further—Zheng Wenyan and others already hindered him, and even if he uncovered such truths, he could not risk his career to pursue them.
“But His Majesty has already decreed the marriage…” Eunuch Fu muttered again, clearly worried for Huo Weilou. Yet seeing his resolute expression, he dared not continue. He Cheng then asked: “Marquis, should we summon Miss Zheng and Fifth Master Zheng to question them?”
Huo Weilou’s phoenix eyes narrowed. “You yourself said it is a crime of deceiving the Emperor. Without solid proof, how would they ever admit it?”
Since the case began, three people had already died. Even knowing he might be the next victim, Zheng Wen’an had not confessed. If death did not frighten him, how could ordinary questioning succeed?
“How goes the clearing of the ancestral hall?”
He Cheng quickly replied: “Slowly. Work has continued day and night, yet only half the clutter has been cleared.”
Huo Weilou’s gaze darkened. “Nanny Yu knew the truth of the past and chose to burn the ancestral hall. There must be evidence hidden within.”
He Cheng sighed. “But the ancestral hall is sacred to the clan. What evidence could be so damning that she would burn even the tablets of the ancestors?”
His question echoed the doubts of many.
Huo Weilou rose to his feet. “Let us see the ancestral hall.”
He strode out. Bo Ruoyou, however, did not move. Her eyes were heavy, her face deep in thought.
The killer lured Zheng Wenchen and Zheng Wenyan with a note written on gilt paper, marked with the words “yin year, yin hour.” This showed the killer knew of past events. Yet all the servants of the Marquis’s household had been replaced back then. By the household’s intent, most likely no one who knew the truth was left alive. Could it be that someone was implicated in those events and has now returned for revenge?
And what of Zheng Yunni’s accident at five or six years old? If the killer had already begun then, why was there silence for ten years afterward? But if it was not the killer’s doing, what truly happened the night Zheng Yunni disappeared? Did the Eldest Madam really lose a daughter in infancy?
Too many questions—Bo Ruoyou could not unravel them. Looking up, she saw Huo Weilou had already left the courtyard with He Cheng. Once he was gone, she relaxed, letting out a soft sigh.
Huo Weilou indeed disdained the notion of favors and repayment. Yet even if he did, her gratitude was sincere. Bo Ruoyou sighed again and stepped outside.
Chun Tao had accompanied her that morning and was now being questioned by the yamen officers outside. Seeing Bo Ruoyou emerge, she hurried over. “Miss, where are you going?”
“To the mourning hall.”
The mourning hall held the corpses. She had not gone there yesterday. Now, with her thoughts blocked, she wished to examine the bodies—perhaps she had overlooked something. Chun Tao had not expected this and showed a trace of fear, but followed nonetheless.
As they walked, the warm sun shone overhead. Snow that had piled for days began to melt, dripping steadily from the eaves. They had not gone far when Bo Ruoyou suddenly saw several maids hurrying eastward, as if something had happened.
Chun Tao said: “Miss, those are the Eldest Madam’s maids.”
Bo Ruoyou raised her brows and followed with Chun Tao. Before long, she saw several maids pulling the Eldest Madam back. One of them tried to soothe her: “Eldest Madam, don’t worry. Sha Gu isn’t in the plum grove—she’s waiting for you in the courtyard. Once we return, you’ll see her.”
The Eldest Madam smiled foolishly, yet still couldn’t help glancing back toward the plum grove. At that moment, the maids noticed Bo Ruoyou. One instructed the others to escort the Eldest Madam away, while she herself stepped forward to bow.
Bo Ruoyou quickly asked: “What’s wrong with the Eldest Madam?”
The maid, knowing Bo Ruoyou accompanied Marquis Wuzhao and dared not be disrespectful, explained: “The weather is fine today, so we brought Eldest Madam out for a walk. She insisted on seeing Sha Gu. When Sha Gu didn’t come after a while, Eldest Madam ran toward the plum grove.”
“She wanted to see Sha Gu, so she went to the plum grove?”
The maid gave a wry smile. “Eldest Madam loves plum blossoms. Each time she asks Sha Gu to pick them for her. Perhaps because of this, she believes Sha Gu lives in the plum grove.”
A strange feeling stirred in Bo Ruoyou’s heart—plum grove, bamboo grove, lotus pond…
Seeing she asked no more, the maid excused herself. Bo Ruoyou gazed toward the plum grove and could not resist moving her feet.
Chun Tao asked: “Miss, do you also want to pick plum blossoms?”
Bo Ruoyou shook her head. “Just to look around. Last night, when I met Sha Gu, she said she was going to the plum grove to pick blossoms. So late at night, yet she wasn’t afraid.”
Chun Tao lowered her voice. “Miss, you don’t know—Sha Gu is rather uncanny.”
Bo Ruoyou turned back to her. Chun Tao leaned closer and whispered: “She often runs about the estate late at night. Her temperament shifts—sometimes timid as a mouse, sometimes fierce. Some even say she pretends to be pitiful to win the Eldest Madam’s favor.”
“She has fierce moments?”
Chun Tao nodded, sighing. “Usually, before others, Sha Gu shrinks her head, as if afraid of everyone. But she does have a temper. Some older servants, instead of treating her kindly for the Eldest Madam’s sake, bullied her more because of it. At times, Sha Gu endured quietly, but at times she flew into rages. Once, she nearly injured someone. I didn’t see it myself, but I heard that the steward couldn’t get out of bed for several days afterward.”
Bo Ruoyou’s brows twitched. “She injured someone?”
Chun Tao nodded. “It was about a year ago. She pushed a steward down and beat him with a broom. Somehow, she left him covered in injuries. The steward called for help, but she ran off. When they found her later, she wore an innocent look, pretending to be pitiful. In the end, because of the Eldest Madam, she wasn’t punished much.”
Bo Ruoyou recalled the first time she met Sha Gu. Though there had been a mistake and the steward scolded her, when Sha Gu raised her eyes to look at her, there was no fear in them. On the contrary, she calmly nodded to her.
Bo Ruoyou found this very strange. Just then, Chun Tao tugged her sleeve. “Miss, this path won’t do. Let’s go around from the east.”
The nearest way to the plum grove was a small path through the flowerbeds. But today, much of the snow had melted, leaving the road muddy. Bo Ruoyou nodded and followed Chun Tao eastward. Soon, a lotus pond not far from the bamboo grove came into view.
The night before, the guards had said: east of the bamboo grove lay the lotus pond, west of it the plum grove.
Instinctively, Bo Ruoyou walked closer to the pond. It was large but long dried up. On the muddy bottom lay a crust of ice and snow. With the thaw, patches of water appeared where the ice had broken.
Chun Tao, seeing her gaze, explained: “This used to be an inner lake. Back in the days of the former prince, water from the Huahua Stream was diverted into the estate, forming several inner lakes. Later, when the stream dried up, the lakes did too. After the Zheng ancestors bought the residence, most were filled in, leaving only a few lotus ponds. This is one of them. Too remote to be tended, it has been dry for years.”
Bo Ruoyou already knew the estate’s grand history, so she wasn’t surprised. She walked along the stone path by the pond toward the plum grove. But as she went, her eyes suddenly caught something odd in the pond.
At the edge, a small pool of water had gathered from melted snow. Shallow and glimmering, its surface rippled faintly—as if stirred by an undercurrent. Beneath the water, something seemed to lie submerged.
Bo Ruoyou stepped closer, descending a few paces down the slope. From there, she saw clearly what lay at the bottom. Yellow petals, white stamens—many yellow plum blossoms lay sunken in the water.
A light breeze passed, carrying only the scent of bamboo to Bo Ruoyou’s nose. Her delicate brows furrowed. The yellow plum grove was so far away that, standing here, she could not even smell its fragrance. How then could plum blossoms be in this water?