Before the morning mist had dissipated, Xin Jiuwei, carrying the Buddhist scripture she had copied by hand, trudged through the dew to the side courtyard of the Ye residence. She had spent three whole days copying this scroll of the Diamond Sutra, each character neat and each stroke devout—at least on the surface.
The side courtyard was eerily quiet, save for the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind. Xin Jiuwei had just turned the corner of the corridor when she suddenly heard a stern reprimand coming from the study ahead:
"Ridiculous! You can't even remember the three commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals? Is your brain just for show?"
Xin Jiuwei paused. That voice... was it Ye Daru? She tiptoed closer to the half-open window and saw her brother, Xin Yunzhou, standing with his head bowed in front of his desk, his clothes soaked through.
"The student is dull-witted..." Xin Yunzhou's voice trembled.
"Dull-witted? I think it's laziness!" Ye Qing slammed the ruler on the table, making the teacups clink. "With your aptitude, you think you can participate in next year's autumn imperial examination?"
Xin Jiuwei's heart tightened. Her brother had been studying under Ye Daru for over a month, yet he hadn't made the slightest progress? She hesitated, wondering if she should leave, when she saw Ye Qingzheng suddenly look up, his sharp gaze fixed on the window:
Who is spying on us from outside?
There was no way to avoid it. Xin Jiuwei straightened her clothes and gracefully entered, carrying the Buddhist scriptures: "Mr. Ye, please forgive me. I've come to deliver a copy of the Buddhist scriptures; I meant no harm."
Upon seeing her, Ye Qingzheng's expression softened slightly: "So it's Miss Xin the Second." He glanced at the scroll in her hand, "The handwriting is quite good."
This brief comment made Xin Yunzhou look up in surprise—Master Ye was always reluctant to offer praise.
"You flatter me, sir." Xin Jiuwei curtsied, her gaze sweeping over the homework spread out on the table. It was covered in red ink corrections, with hardly any correct answers. She sighed inwardly, but smiled gently. "Although my elder brother is slightly lacking in classical studies, his mathematics is excellent. The other day, there was a mistake in the Ministry of War's accounts, and it was he who helped check it."
"Oh?" Ye Qingzheng raised an eyebrow, his gaze towards Xin Yunzhou becoming more scrutinizing. "You can do arithmetic?"
Xin Yunzhou nervously rubbed his fingers together: "I...I know a little bit."
"Minister Zhao of the Ministry of War once praised my brother for his meticulousness," Xin Jiuwei added at the opportune moment, "saying he possessed the talent to govern the world."
This was partly true and partly false. Vice Minister Zhao did indeed praise him, but only after his brother in his previous life helped him verify the military pay accounts.
Ye Qingzheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly threw an account book in front of Xin Yunzhou: "Fix this account clearly. For each mistake, ten strokes of the ruler."
Xin Yunzhou hurriedly caught the ledger and looked to his sister for help. Xin Jiuwei gave him an encouraging look and quietly pointed to a few key points—skills she had learned from helping her father check accounts in her previous life.
"This humble woman takes her leave." Seeing her brother begin to bury himself in calculations, Xin Jiuwei tactfully withdrew from the study.
Just as they turned the corner of the corridor, a figure in pure white blocked their path. Xiao Xun—or rather, Jueming—stood beneath the bamboo shadows, holding prayer beads, the morning light filtering through the bamboo leaves and casting dappled shadows on his handsome face.
"Have you finished copying the scriptures?" His voice was cold, but his gaze fell on her slightly reddened fingertips.
Xin Jiuwei presented the scriptures, saying, "Please take a look, Master."
Xiao Xun did not accept it, but instead asked, "Why did you deliver it personally? A maid could have easily done so."
"The essence of worshipping Buddha lies in sincerity." Xin Jiuwei lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them. "Besides... I will never forget the Master's kindness in giving me medicine."
"Is that so?" Xiao Xun suddenly took a step closer, a faint scent of sandalwood emanating from him. "Then why only half a pill?"
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, but instead of backing down, she stepped forward, looking directly into his eyes: "Didn't the master also hold back a trick? What exactly was that pill he gave me that day?"
Their eyes met, neither willing to back down first. Finally, Xiao Xun scoffed, "Quick-tongued." He took the scroll and casually flipped through it. "Your brother is good-for-nothing."
This blunt assessment made Xin Jiuwei clench her sleeves tightly: "Master, were you eavesdropping?"
"Need to eavesdrop?" Xiao Xun sneered. "Old Ye's voice can be heard three miles away."
Xin Jiuwei pursed her lips. She knew she couldn't hide it from Xiao Xun, but she didn't expect him to make trouble at this time.
"My brother just... hasn't found the right path for himself yet." She carefully chose her words, "Like this bamboo, in the hands of a craftsman it's a flute, in the hands of a fisherman it's a fishing rod..."
"In your mouth, even rotten wood can be carved into flowers." Xiao Xun interrupted her, his eyes sharp as knives. "Xin Jiuwei, what exactly are you plotting? With your abilities, you shouldn't be in this situation in the Xin family."
Xin Jiuwei's breath hitched slightly. He saw through her? He realized she wasn't entirely powerless in the Xin family? She quickly adjusted her expression, revealing a perfectly timed vulnerability: "Master, you overestimate me. What good is my intelligence, a woman's worth? After Father's passing, if my brother can't uphold the family's honor..."
"So you need to find someone to back you up," Xiao Xun suddenly interjected, a flicker of emotion she couldn't decipher passing through his eyes. "Like... me?"
These words were so blunt that Xin Jiuwei's ears burned. She had indeed intended to use this opportunity, but to be so openly exposed...
"Master is joking," she said, forcing herself to remain calm. "I just... don't want to repeat the same mistake."
"What mistakes?"
Xin Jiuwei inwardly cried out in alarm. She absolutely couldn't reveal her rebirth, so she quickly came up with a plan: "I mean... what if I encounter someone like Qi Huaiyu again..."
Xiao Xun gazed at her silently, his eyes unfathomable. Just as Xin Jiuwei was about to collapse, he suddenly turned around: "I've accepted the scroll. Come and collect the annotations in seven days."
This was a gesture to see the guest out. Xin Jiuwei felt as if she had been granted a pardon, curtsied, and hurriedly left. Only after she stepped out of the Ye residence did she breathe a sigh of relief—Xiao Xun was too perceptive; lying to him was like dancing on a knife's edge.
Deep within the bamboo shadows, Xiao Xun gazed intently at Xin Jiuwei's departing figure, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Your Highness." A dark figure appeared silently behind him. "The antidote has been tested; its ingredients match the ancient records, but..."
"But what?"
"This poison is extremely rare; no one has ever seen a true antidote. I cannot guarantee... the medicine offered by that woman is absolutely safe."
Xiao Xun stroked the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, then suddenly asked, "Do you think she's trustworthy?"
The man in black hesitated for a moment: "Miss Xin is cunning, but... she doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards His Highness."
"Is that so?" Xiao Xun's lips curled slightly. "Then tell me, why is she so protective of Xin Yunzhou? She clearly has the ability to control the Xin family herself..."
The man in black couldn't answer.
"Investigate Qi Huaiyu's recent movements," Xiao Xun suddenly ordered. "And...find out how Madam Xin died."
"Your Highness suspects..."
"I suspect," Xiao Xun said, glancing towards the Xin residence, his voice as cold as ice, "that our little fox is hiding a huge secret."
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