Su Ruolan sat before the bronze mirror, her fingertips lightly brushing her hair. Her almond-shaped eyes shifted.
“Jin’er, how many days has Mother been away burning incense?”
The maid Jin’er answered quietly, “Replying to the young miss, the Madam has been gone for over seven days.”
“Seven days…” Su Ruolan murmured, her fingertips pausing. Her reflection in the mirror was as delicate as ever, but a flicker of barely concealed anxiety passed through her eyes.
On the surface, her mother had gone to pray for the family’s blessings. In truth, she had secretly followed her real father, Duke An, to Jiangnan.
Duke An had been ordered by the current Emperor to go to Jiangnan and secretly investigate the people’s conditions. Every time Duke An went out on official business, her mother, Madam Shen, would find an excuse to go out and burn incense, quietly following after him, all for the chance to meet with him briefly.
Su Ruolan took up a sheet of letter paper and wrote several lines in a secret letter, urging her mother to return quickly. The Lu household’s birthday banquet was approaching, and she needed her mother to plan for her.
In Qingwu Courtyard, Qingdai threw the pale pink sachet into the brazier without hesitation. She was glad the young miss had finally seen through the Marquis’s heir Lu’s false affection. She clapped her hands and entered the main room. “Young Miss, that unlucky thing has been burned!”
Soon after, Minghui hurried in and said quietly, “Just now I passed through the front courtyard and saw the second branch’s maid Jin’er hurrying out the side gate. She gave a letter to a fast courier outside the city. This is the letter I intercepted.”
Su Ruoxi took the secret letter and unfolded it. Her brow tightened at once. The handwriting was indeed Su Ruolan’s. The contents pointed directly to plans for the Lu household’s birthday banquet. Between the lines lurked sinister scheming. It also mentioned “Father and Mother will return soon.” The signature read, “Your humble daughter, Lan.”
Her fingertip slowly traced over the words “Father and Mother will return soon.” Second Uncle had been strolling with his bird in the courtyard today. This “father” was likely someone else.
Su Ruoxi’s gaze darkened, her voice growing cold. “Minghui, did the courier say where the letter was being sent?”
Minghui answered, “Jiangnan, Huaizhou.”
Su Ruoxi’s eyes sharpened. Her fingertips pressed harder, creasing the edge of the letter. Huaizhou…
“Qingdai, where is Second Aunt now?”
“The Second Madam went to Ci’en Temple outside the city seven days ago to burn incense, saying it was to pray for the Second Master’s blessings. The Old Madam approved it.”
“That incense has been burned all the way to Huaizhou!”
Su Ruoxi’s lips pulled into a cold smile, a sudden chill in her eyes.
So that was it. She finally understood why every time Father left the capital on official business, Second Aunt would go out to pray. It was all to follow Father and carry on their affair.
This illicit affair had gone on for years, and she, her mother, and her brother had all been kept in the dark.
And clearly, Old Madam had tacitly approved. Otherwise, why would she agree every time to let her go out for so long?
How wonderful. Duke An’s household had become a den of filth, rotten to the root.
Her maternal grandfather’s home was in Huaizhou, Jiangnan. Her mother, Xie Wenjun, was in Huaizhou now. A month ago, her grandfather had fallen gravely ill, and her mother had rushed to Huaizhou to nurse him. She had not yet returned.
Second Aunt was truly bold. Huaizhou was the Xie family’s territory. She dared to carry on an affair with Father right under Mother’s nose!
All these years, Mother had managed Duke An’s household inside and out, using her own dowry to keep the entire estate afloat. Even the second and third branches’ food, clothing, and expenses depended entirely on Mother’s subsidies.
Yet Duke An’s household not only showed no gratitude, they deceived and concealed, tacitly allowing Second Aunt and Father to carry on this sordid affair, trampling Mother’s dignity and hard work!
Su Ruoxi slowly closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. When she opened them again, clarity had returned.
Minghui spoke. “Young Miss, should this letter be destroyed?”
Su Ruoxi shook her head. She took out paper and brush and wrote a letter to her mother. Then she copied out the contents of Su Ruolan’s letter and sealed both into a secret missive.
Su Ruoxi handed both Su Ruolan’s letter and the missive for her mother to Minghui. “Return Su Ruolan’s letter to the courier untouched. Send this missive at once with someone trustworthy, overnight to the Xie estate in Huaizhou, Jiangnan. It must be placed in my mother’s hands personally.”
Minghui took it, her expression grave. She was about to withdraw.
Su Ruoxi suddenly stopped her. She remembered what her cousin Su Ruolan had said before her death in her previous life. The traitor in Duke An’s household was someone else. And someone close had imitated her mother’s handwriting to forge evidence. She still did not know who was behind it. All she could do was warn her mother.
“Add one more message. The winds in Jiangnan are tight. Be sure to watch those around you.”
Minghui nodded solemnly and tucked the missive close to her body. She said quietly, “Rest assured, Young Miss. The second shopkeeper of Huichun Hall is my own younger brother. We have received the Xie family’s kindness since childhood. I will have him make the trip personally.”
Not long after Minghui left, Dongju came in carrying ginseng tea, her face full of eagerness. “Young Miss, the second young miss is having new clothes made and preparing birthday gifts. Zhiyun Courtyard is frantic over the Lu Old Madam’s birthday banquet. You are so calm. I wonder what birthday gift you have prepared for the Lu Old Madam?”
Su Ruoxi raised her eyes to Dongju, her expression calm and unruffled, as if she had long seen through everything. She said indifferently, “The Lu Old Madam has always loved worshipping Buddha. I recall there is a jade Buddha of excellent quality in my storeroom. Qingdai, go fetch it for me.”
Dongju’s eyes flickered. She quickly smiled. “Young Miss, this gift is truly precious.”
After setting down the ginseng tea, Dongju quickly withdrew, her steps light as she headed toward Zhiyun Courtyard.
Qingdai watched her retreating figure from the doorway and kicked the doorframe with a cold snort. “Putting on a show of eagerness before her mistress, then running straight to Zhiyun Courtyard. Pah. A two-faced thing.”
Su Ruoxi lightly blew on the ginseng tea, her gaze darkening, letting the steam blur her vision.
She had long known Dongju belonged to Su Ruolan. Today’s performance was simply turning the trick back on them.
Qingdai hesitated, then sighed. “Young Miss, are you really giving the jade Buddha away?”
“What? Are you reluctant to part with it?” Su Ruoxi smiled.
Qingdai frowned and brought the jade Buddha. It was an old Xie family treasure, of excellent quality, warm and translucent. It would be difficult to find another of such caliber.
Su Ruoxi reached out and flicked Qingdai’s forehead. “Enough. Your young miss has her own plans.”
“Wrap it up. We’re going to Jinlü Pavilion.”
Though Qingdai did not understand what her young miss was doing, she carefully wrapped the jade Buddha as instructed and followed Su Ruoxi out.
Jinlü Pavilion was a Xie family business. The other Xie family properties in the capital were part of her mother’s dowry. Only this Jinlü Pavilion had been opened in Shengjing by her uncle after her mother married.
Arriving at Jinlü Pavilion, Su Ruoxi removed her veil and walked straight into the back hall. The shopkeeper immediately came forward and bowed. “Why has the eldest young miss come in person?”
This shopkeeper was her uncle’s trusted man. For years he had managed Jinlü Pavilion on the surface in the capital, while secretly helping the Xie family protect her mother. He was extremely cautious.
Su Ruoxi personally handed the jade Buddha to the shopkeeper and spoke a few quiet words.
The shopkeeper understood. He quickly brought out a gold Buddha of the same design, similar in size to the jade one. Its golden light was contained within, and its carving was even finer.
The shopkeeper placed both the jade and gold Buddhas into a specially made sandalwood box, locked it himself, and took out a dark red wax seal, pressing it solemnly over the opening. “Young Miss, you may come retrieve it in a few days.”
Su Ruoxi nodded. Her fingertip brushed over the still-damp pattern of the wax seal. The corner of her lips lifted. “Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Zhang.”