Madam, truly courageous and resolute.
When Shen Fenghuo awoke, the sky had already darkened.
The surroundings were warm, a stark contrast to the chilly Jixue Fang she had just left.
She pushed herself up from the ground.
Where was the giant cat?
The image of its glass-like eyes and mouth full of fangs remained vividly in her mind.
But now, the giant cat was nowhere to be seen.
Shen Fenghuo dared not make a sound, cautiously surveying her surroundings with her peripheral vision.
This seemed to be a courtyard, and she could faintly hear the clear, murmuring sound of flowing water nearby.
There was a rustling in the grass, an unusual noise, and she instinctively held her breath.
By the faint light of a lantern hanging from the eaves, Shen Fenghuo could make out the appearance of the creature.
Leeches!
They were as thick as her arm, slithering slowly through the grass and foliage toward her.
Shen Fenghuo was accustomed to seeing leeches the length of a finger in the rural fields, but she had never encountered ones of such enormous size.
Leeches suck human blood, and at this size, just a few could drain a person to death.
Stay calm, stay calm.
She forced herself not to look, taking a deep breath.
But she was still terrified.
The giant cat was frightening, but the leeches before her were even more horrifying.
Shen Fenghuo’s sense of smell had always been keen, and in the wind, she caught faint traces of smoke, reminiscent of incense.
Was there a temple nearby?
There was no snow around the courtyard, which was planted with large patches of peonies. Despite the winter night, many were in bloom. Their colors were vibrant, rare and precious varieties she couldn’t even name.
This might be the courtyard of a noble.
She tried pushing the gate at the corner of the courtyard, but it wouldn’t budge. The courtyard walls were over two zhang high, smooth and unclimbable, far beyond her strength.
What to do, what to do?
She had just arrived in Chang’an, found a stable job, had Wanniang, and even a new family.
She couldn’t die here, not like this.
And certainly not in such a grotesque way.
The rustling sound behind her grew closer. The leeches seemed to have locked onto their prey, crawling steadily in her direction.
Shen Fenghuo’s gaze swept frantically across the courtyard. Though the peonies were delicate, the area was warm, and there were many dried branches and withered plants nearby.
At this point, she had no choice but to gamble.
Shen Fenghuo reached into her satchel and grabbed her flint. As a cook, fire-starting tools were always with her.
The scent of incense, a noble’s courtyard—there must be Jinwu Guards patrolling nearby.
Fear made her hands tremble so violently she could barely hold anything. She forced herself to pull out the flint, grabbed some mugwort tinder, and struck it hard. Fortunately, the courtyard was unusually dry and hot. A spark landed on the tinder, emitting a wisp of smoke.
Shen Fenghuo held her breath, cupping her hands around the tinder and blowing gently on the smoke. A flame suddenly leaped up.
Success!
She nearly wept with joy, wishing only for the fire to grow stronger and the smoke thicker, so the patrolling Jinwu Guards would surely notice.
Then, if she called for help, she might have a chance to escape.
But if the giant cat was drawn here, she would simply have to accept her misfortune.
She immediately tossed the fire onto the dried branches. The dry kindling caught fire instantly, and the flames quickly grew fierce, engulfing the rich and vibrant patches of peonies in a sea of fire.
Chang’an was unsettled at this time, and the Jinwu Guards would only patrol more diligently.
With such a fierce fire in this noble’s courtyard and thick smoke rising into the air, there was no way it could go unnoticed.
This thought lifted Shen Fenghuo’s spirits. She turned and began frantically pulling dry grass from the ground, gathering it into a pile and throwing it into the flames.
To make the fire burn even stronger, Shen Fenghuo took off the cloak that Wanniang had personally sewn for her. At this moment, she had no time to feel heartbroken—she threw the cloak into the fire. The fabric ignited upon contact with the flames, erupting into a blazing inferno, with thick smoke billowing upward.
Bigger, make the fire bigger!
The night was as dark as ink. Lu Heng clenched the crumpled piece of paper in his hand.
On it were the few hastily written words by Lu Jin, noting the possible routes Shen Fenghuo might have taken and the incident with the cat demon during the day. Yet, he had searched every street and alley from Wuben Fang to the Dali Temple without finding even a trace of her.
"Lu Jin, you useless fool."
He cursed under his breath, "What kind of Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review are you?"
It had only been a few days, and he had already lost her—and at a time when rumors of murderous ghosts and monsters were running rampant.
A terrifying conjecture rose in Lu Heng's mind.
An unfamiliar sense of urgency surged wildly within him. Without another thought, he turned and sprinted toward the direction of Yankang Ward.
"Damn, where is that fire? Look at all that smoke!"
The leader of the Jinwu Guard looked up and saw the distant night sky darkened by thick smoke, with flames shooting skyward, dyeing half the horizon red.
Another Jinwu Guard squinted and his expression changed abruptly: "It's Yankang Ward. Judging by the direction, it seems to be near Ximing Temple!"
"Not good, hurry over there!"
That was the temple built by His Majesty to pray for the Crown Prince's well-being. The Crown Prince's health was already fragile—absolutely nothing could go wrong.
A squad of Jinwu Guards, carrying torches, hurried toward the direction of the rising smoke.
Cui Zhi, the Central Commander of the Right Jinwu Guard, also saw the towering column of smoke and frowned. He reined in his horse, and the soldiers behind him came to a halt.
"Central Commander, it looks like a fire has broken out in the direction of Yankang Ward."
A soldier reported in a low voice.
"Ximing Temple is surrounded by the mansions of nobles. If the fire spreads, the consequences would be unimaginable. Let's go check it out."
Cui Zhi turned his horse around, and the soldiers behind him followed closely.
The fire in the courtyard had grown even more ferocious. The wooden pillars of the corridor eaves had caught fire, crackling and spitting sparks.
Even with her mouth and nose covered, Shen Fenghuo was choked by the thick smoke, coughing violently as tears streamed down her face.
Fear, terror.
Regret… She should have hurried home earlier or waited for Lu Jin to come and fetch her.
The flames grew higher, already licking the top of the wall. The scorching heat burned her face painfully.
The leeches, terrified of the fire, had long retreated into the weeds, no longer daring to approach. But if she wasn't discovered soon, she feared she would die not from blood loss but from suffocation or burning.
Amid the swirling smoke and searing heat, the door at the corner of the courtyard was kicked open by Lu Heng.
As he stepped inside, he was met with a wave of smoke and fire, causing him to frown.
"Chief Minister Lu! The fire is so intense—are you going in?"
Cui Zhi reined in his horse outside the courtyard. Seeing Lu Heng about to charge into the sea of flames, he hurriedly called out to stop him.
Lu Heng paid no heed, his steps unwavering as he pressed forward, his hand already resting on the sword at his waist.
The Jinwu Guards quickly dispersed to fight the fire—some carrying water pouches, others wielding long-handled fire hooks, and still others pushing fire engines to extinguish the flames.
"Move quickly! First, cut off the spread of the fire. We absolutely cannot let it reach the nearby Ximing Temple!"
The leader of the Jinwu Guards shouted commands, and everyone immediately set to work—some scooping water, others scattering sand.
Shen Fenghuo was nearly collapsed on the ground, filled with despair.
In her dazed state, she heard the sound of the door being kicked open.
Her eyes snapped open, and through her blurred vision, a familiar figure rushed in.
It was Lu Jin.
The instinct to survive gave her the strength to stagger toward the door.
Her ruqun sleeves were torn open from pulling at withered branches and grass, and red burn marks marred her forearms. She stumbled as she ran, like a panicked beast fleeing with all its might.
"Lord—!"
Shen Fenghuo could not hold back her sobs as she rushed toward Lu Heng.
Lu Heng stepped forward to meet her. Without waiting for her to steady herself, he swept her into his arms. He unfastened his heavy cloak and wrapped it around her in one swift motion, enveloping her completely.
"Madam, it's all right now."
His hand gently patted her back. "It's all right."
Tears welling in her eyes, Shen Fenghuo looked up at him. "What do you mean 'all right'? I almost died."
Thick smoke still lingered in the air. In the distance, a carriage had come to a halt.
Li Hong lifted the carriage curtain. He had originally come to investigate upon hearing of the fire in Yankang Ward, but his gaze fell upon the entrance to the burning site.
Someone had rushed out from the smoke and flames, like a butterfly.
He frowned. Had this lady caused the fire at Yichun Villa?
Cui Zhi looked at Shen Fenghuo, sheltered in Lu Heng's embrace, then at the mansion before him, and asked in confusion, "Assistant Minister Lu, is she your… wife? But this is Yichun Villa, His Highness the Crown Prince's private residence."
He found it hard to believe. Ordinary people could not even approach the Crown Prince's villa—why would Assistant Minister Lu's wife be trapped inside, and how could she have started such a massive fire?
She was completely shielded by Assistant Minister Lu, her face entirely hidden from view.
Lu Heng's expression darkened. "Once the fire is extinguished, search the entire place."
"Assistant Minister Lu."
Cui Zhi tried to dissuade him. "Entering and searching without His Highness the Crown Prince's decree is a grave offense!"
Lu Heng let out a cold laugh.
He tightened his arms, holding Shen Fenghuo more securely, and turned to Ming Yi, who had just arrived. "Go and inform them. This official requests an audience with Her Majesty the Empress."
Without looking back, Lu Heng headed toward the Lu Residence.
Noticing the faint silhouette of the Crown Prince's carriage in the distance, Cui Zhi coldly ordered the Jinwu Guard fighting the fire, "Everything you have seen and heard today, swallow it. Not a single word is to be leaked. The winter is dry—a residential fire in Yankang Ward accidentally spread to the villa, that is all."
His eyes sharpened. "If anyone lets slip even a hint, stirring up unnecessary rumors, do not blame me for dealing with them according to the law."
Along the way, Shen Fenghuo clung to Lu Heng's neck, neither of them speaking.
"Lord."
Shen Fenghuo was the first to break the silence. "For the next couple of days, I should still go to the Dali Temple with you."
"Understood."
"Today, I encountered a giant cat, and just now, in that courtyard, there were many large leeches, thicker than my arm. They seem related to the case."
"Mhm. I will investigate. First, I'm taking you home."
Lu Heng lowered his gaze to look at her. "Get cleaned up."
Her face was covered in soot, tear tracks streaking through the grime.
She had just narrowly escaped death, yet here she was, still offering him clues.
"Madam."
"Yes?"
His eyes were deep and solemn. "Truly courageous."
"…Next time, I definitely won't dare."
Upon returning to the Lu Residence, Mother Lu was filled with concern.
"Found at last, found at last."
She sighed in relief. "Shiji, what happened? A'He is covered in dust and dirt."
"Mother, don't worry. She had a bit of a scare, but she's fine."
Lu Heng walked toward the inner courtyard and called out, "Xiangling, is the hot water ready?"
"Reporting, Master, it's been ready for a while!"
Xiangling followed behind, carrying clean clothes. Seeing the state of the young mistress, her eyes reddened.
"Lord, aren't you supposed to go to the palace?"
Shen Fenghuo looked up at him.
He remained motionless.
Lu Heng replied, "I'll go after you finish bathing."
Shen Fenghuo let out an "Oh," then said, "Then… you can leave now."
But Lu Heng sat down on the chair beside the bathtub. "I'm not leaving."
Author's Note:
A'He: Nearly died