Chapter 5: Wind Rises in Lan Pavilion
Yun Yuan knew full well that Yuzhu had been able to escape so easily, clearly because there was an insider in the courtyard. She said coldly, "How could I possibly deserve this? I'm afraid it's not my turn to look after my sister in this courtyard."
"Sister, what you said is really heartbreaking!" Yuzhu smiled. "To enter a house like the Feng family, how can we not be prepared? Without the help of others, how could you and I escape unscathed? Don't blame me, sister. These bastards who helped us are nothing compared to you. Even I'm afraid I'm not as meticulous as you."
"Sister escaped unscathed from this round, but I am walking on thin ice, trembling with fear. I am grateful to you for showing mercy to see the light of day today. But I don't understand why you chose to attack that maidservant."
Yuzhu said, "I have no grudge against that maid Ruyue. It's just that the food she gave to Third Young Master Feng was poisonous, so she made a big enough fuss to clear you and me of suspicion. But Third Young Master Feng is very alert, so he probably won't fall for it. I didn't hold out much hope either. Most maids take the initiative to taste the food for their masters. Ruyue asked for it, so the poison didn't go to waste. Unfortunately, the dosage was low. If she died on the spot, it would be better for us to take her place."
"It turns out that this move by my sister is just paving the way. It's really thoughtful."
"That day, the Feng family set a trap in the guesthouse and caught several assassins, but the Third Young Master Feng pretended to be poisoned. He suspected that Hao Fengwei's broken sieve was leaking chaff. He has been digging the ground to find the assassins, and he will never stop until he finds them. How long will he waste our time? They are the young master's people. Sending them away can only be said to be exactly what the Third Young Master wants." She snorted and laughed, "Besides, those two yellow-mouthed sparrows are very noisy. If we send them away, won't you and I have peace and quiet?"
"Sister, this series of twists and turns has only added a few more wronged souls. Aren't you afraid of causing more trouble?"
Yuzhu sneered, "Do you think the reward for the Wuliang Ranking is just for one head? Every point higher the reward, the more scapegoats will pave the way."
"Then why do you want to kill the cook? With your methods, it wouldn't be difficult to make her fail to see the mistake or even trick her into mistaking her for someone else."
"She's just a servant in the kitchen. Her fate has long been written into the register of slavery. What does it have to do with me?" Yuzhu said coldly, "But you, you're really concerned about the lives of these people. Have you ever killed anyone?"
"It's just a chill down my spine." Yun Yuan plucked out the pearl hairpin from her temples. "Who knows if the dew-seed and wild vetch-picking plant I'm looking for today won't be me someday?"
"The two evildoers in Zuixianlou are simply receiving retribution in this life. My sister is so smart and lovely, she would never do this." Yuzhu paused, then added, "Unless... I heard that the Feng family only selects servants with clear family backgrounds."
Their eyes met and there was silence for a moment.
Yun Yuan suddenly laughed and said, "Mrs. Lu is really not careful with her words. She told me to be careful, but she is so careless."
Yuzhu also smiled and said, "She trusts me and wants you and me to look after each other. Why do you have to misinterpret her good intentions?"
"If the Feng family finds me, what will happen to my sister?"
Yuzhu drank from the earthenware bowl, the water reflecting the corners of her lips. She smiled and said, "Sister, you have the hands of a sheep and the eyes of a deer, but you have the heart of an old official. Talking to you is not difficult at all." She grasped Yunyuan's hand holding the pearl hairpin and pulled it towards her neck. "If that time really comes, I hope Yuan'er will use this hairpin to open a hole for me."
"It's like cutting flesh to heal a wound." Yun Yuan pulled her hand back and sneered, "I have no way to defend myself. This is just groundless accusations. Sister, you're really calculating!"
"Don't blame me, sister," Yuzhu said softly, "Two jackals wrapped in lamb skins sneaked into the pasture. If one of them showed its claws, the other would have to pretend to be a bitten sheep. After the crazy jackal was slaughtered, the survivor could truly become a sheep..."
Yun Yuan picked up the pottery pot and poured water. "I'm afraid the one who tore the jackal's skin—" She sneered, "is another dog that the jackal buried in the pasture garden."
There was another commotion outside. Yun Yuan peeped in through the window. Caiwei clutched the iron bars of the prison carriage, wailing, "Unjust!" The muffled thud of the prison van rolling over the bluestone pavement couldn't drown out her hoarse voice. Luzhong huddled in the corner of the prison van, the scattered reflection of Caiwei's hairpins dangling in his pupils, like a puppet whose soul had been drained.
"Sister, you know the Feng family well. Do you know where Lu Zhong and Cai Wei will be sent? I saw that the Yuanfeng Guards seemed to be taking them out of the yard."
"Haofeng Courtyard," Yuzhu replied indifferently, "Believe me, whether you're killed by wolves or dogs in Yuanfeng Courtyard, it's better than going to Haofeng Courtyard." Yuzhu snorted coldly, "Feng Yanhao's nickname 'Black Judge' isn't in vain. It's not an exaggeration to say that the young master's dungeon is a living hell."
"What about here?"
"Yuanfeng Courtyard?" Yuzhu smiled faintly as she walked to the window, feeling the cool air seeping in through the cracks with her fingertips. "This place is quite strange... It's as if everything depends on that young master's mood. Even though these past few days have felt like the coldest of winter, even colder than down in the mountains, in a few days, perhaps even tomorrow, spring will arrive overnight, with verdant willows and the fragrance of orchids filling the air."
"Lanxiang?"
"Snap!" Yuzhu slammed the window shut, causing the teacup on the table to buzz.
"Sister, you don't know?" She leaned close to Yun Yuan's ear, her breath carrying the bitter taste of almonds: "Feng Yanyuan must soak in orchid soup every night for seven days before and after the Waking of Insects every year--" The cold fingertips suddenly pressed on Yun Yuan's carotid artery, "And then we can..." She applied force slowly with her fingertips, and seeing the man in front of her eyes look slightly panicked and his eyelashes tremble slightly, the corners of her mouth curled up in a sarcastic arc.
"Young Master is bathing, is there any mystery behind this?" Yun Yuan's fingertips holding the teacup tightened slightly.
Yuzhu sneered, "You should know that the Wuliang Ranking is more than just the red list. If someone's martial arts skills are mediocre, even if a reward of ten thousand gold is offered, they won't be on the list, let alone the top spot." She took the teacup from Yunyuan's hand and drank it all in one gulp. "With such skills, why does he hide away from the world for so many years?"
"You mean to say that Third Young Master Feng lives in seclusion because he has extraordinary achievements but is... difficult to control?"
"That's right." Yuzhu said, "The orchid soup is just a cover to deceive people. In fact, every year during the Waking of Insects, he is the weakest. He needs to use rare treasures to regulate his internal strength. If he is not careful..." A gleam of light flashed in Yuzhu's eyes.
Yun Yuan's heart was filled with emotion. "Sister actually knows all the secrets of the Feng family. The person hiding in this courtyard is definitely not a simple person."
Yuzhu snorted, "It may not be a 'human'."
Yun Yuan was stunned.
Yuzhu raised her eyes to look at the window, "Just wait, things are going to change in Yuanfeng Courtyard."
Yun Yuan stared at the white window screen, her brow furrowed. Now, there was no other option but to follow Yuzhu's advice for now and secretly observe who the dog was, or...find the spy hidden deep within the Feng family. At least she wouldn't be so controlled anymore.
Caught in a dilemma, the morning light seemed particularly dazzling.
In the next few days, she failed to get any clues.
Yuzhu was a man of few words. The servants in the courtyard considered her dull and honest, and she followed Yunyuan's lead in everything, choosing only the heavy chores to do. This humble, submissive attitude earned her sympathy. Ruyue, thinking she was being bullied, often found excuses to call her to her room to help clean it up. But what in the room needed cleaning? It was just an excuse to let her rest.
Yun Yuan struggled to move forward. If she continued like this, she would be just another dew-seed picking wild vegetables, scattered and crushed into dust.
Even this mountain courtyard seemed to have listened to Yuzhu's words.
A few days ago, the nights were filled with a biting, chilly wind, the clanging of copper bells under the eaves, and the cold kept people awake all night. These past few days, the world has suddenly changed. A warm breeze caresses my face, and even tender grass sprouts are emerging from the cracks in the stone steps. It should still be springtime down in the mountains, with withered branches barely reviving, but the magnolias under the corridor of Yuanfeng Courtyard are already eagerly opening their buds, as if they had stolen a few seconds and forcibly brought the Shangsi Festival forward by more than a month.
The servants in the courtyard were bustling about. One carried a bamboo basket to pick orchids, another squatted by the well washing orchid roots, and in the kitchen, orchid soup was brewed all day long. The white steam rose in the air, and even the flying birds were covered with the fragrance.
When Yun Yuan received Yuzhu's next order, she was picking orchids with a basket in her hand.
Yuzhu bumped into her as they crossed paths. Carefully picking away the orchid grass that had stained her, her voice was as cold as ice. "It's time tonight, please light a fire." She raised her eyes slightly. "Let's go to the woodshed. The servants all live there, so the guards will be distracted from saving people."
Yun Yuan pinched the orchid tightly, her fingertips stained with emerald green. She subconsciously looked around at the orchid-picking servants scattered all over the hillside, laughing and playing.
Before she could respond, Yuzhu said, "Don't worry, sister. Just blend in with the crowd of people putting out the fire, and no one will suspect you." She added meaningfully, "Whether we succeed or fail, it has nothing to do with you."
As Yuzhu left, a little girl happily sang a folk song, stirring up laughter. Yun Yuan looked up in the direction of Mulan Pavilion. In the twilight, the eaves were like hooks, catching a crescent moon.
This fire was probably used to lure Yuzhu away from the mountain.
She didn't care that Yuzhu had killed Feng Yanyuan. If he had truly perished, the chaos could have been used to her advantage—perhaps she could follow the clues to find more clues, or even connect with the long-hidden flower spy. Her concern was that Yuzhu couldn't kill him, and then... there would be trouble later.
Yun Yuan's fingertips stroked her waist. Where the sachet should have been hanging was now empty.
When the guests arrived at the appointed time, Yuanfeng Courtyard had already fallen into a dead silence. The servants, following protocol, had locked their doors and turned off the lights. Only the lights in Mulan Pavilion remained ablaze, with two rows of iron-clad guards standing outside. Yuzhu, dressed in her nightgown, coiled like a dormant venomous snake among the branches of the ancient tree behind the house, her gaze fixed on the motionless guards.
Sudden--
boom!
A loud explosion erupted in the distance, and flames instantly ripped through the night. Yuzhu frowned, "What a commotion!" A smile played at the corner of her lips. While it was unknown what tactics she had employed, judging by the panicked state of the Yuanfeng Guards, the effect was perfectly adequate. The guards at the corner of Lan Pavilion had already withdrawn to the courtyard to receive orders. Yuzhu's figure swayed, floating like a dead leaf against the window screen.
Yuzhu pulled three crimson centipedes from her sleeves. These were the poisonous insects she fed daily. Though not yet fully refined, the toxins would seep into her seven orifices with the moisture as soon as they came in contact with the orchid soup. If they could actually take a bite, the death would be truly "pleasing to the eye."
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
With a flick of his finger, an almost imperceptible crack appeared on the window screen.
Three centipedes crawled onto the window screen and fell into the mist through the cracks.
She listened for the approaching footsteps of the guards, and her curiosity piqued. With her index finger, she gently tugged at the window screen and peeked inside. The room was thick with mist, and a wave of heat washed over her. Squinting, Yuzhu could only vaguely make out a shadowy figure standing motionless by the bathtub.
The noise outside made the room feel eerily quiet.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew around her body, piercing her pores like ice needles. Her whole body stiffened, and for a moment she felt as if she was being stared at by a pair of cold eyes.
Cold sweat instantly soaked through her nightgown. She forced herself to calm herself. The house was still shrouded in mist, and the courtyard was still bustling with people. But the chill that pierced her back made her dare not stay a moment longer.
As she started to leave, she paused again—her fingertips trembling slightly as she pulled out a sachet embroidered with a crescent moon from her bosom—a scent bag she had taken from Yun Yuan's waist. With a flick of her fingertips, she found the sachet in the shadow of the corner.
If she failed, she would have to lie dormant for another year. The mountains behind Yuanfengyuan were full of exotic flowers and plants, enough for her to cultivate even more poisonous Gu.
But tonight, someone has to take the blame.
If Yunyuan left no traces when she set the fire, this sachet would be irrefutable proof. Thinking of the fearful expression that might appear on that usually calm face, Yuzhu couldn't help but chuckle.
Feng Jiu dispatched most of the guards to fight the fire. The remaining guards returned to their posts, but they frequently glanced toward the flames. The servants in the courtyard cried out, "Fire!" The once-quiet Yuanfeng Courtyard was thrown into chaos. No one noticed a dark figure blending into the night. Like a drop of ink falling into an inkstone, it vanished in an instant.
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