Stealing paintings
On the last day of the first lunar month, a crescent moon hung in the sky, dotted with starlight. The night wind was as cold as ice, stinging one's face.
Mu Qing squatted in the corner, breathed warm air into her palms, covered her face, and listened carefully to the sounds behind the wall. According to Lu Fei, the guards would change shifts in no more than fifteen minutes.
At this time, she should have been sleeping soundly in bed, but during the day, she softened her heart and agreed to let Lu Fei steal the painting.
That guy was clearly still a child, but he was incredibly cunning and had countless wicked schemes up his sleeve. He had hidden sleeping potions in the house, figured out the guards' shift changes and patrol points, and even planned out the entire route for her in case she made a mistake.
The route wasn't long, but the night was cold and long.
Mu Qing recalled that there were many nights like this in the past, and she didn't find them difficult to endure at the time. She thought that she had probably spoiled her body in the past two years.
She shivered uncontrollably in the cold wind, her courage before leaving the house almost completely gone. She could only encourage herself again: retrieving the portrait of the Third Madam would save Lu Fei from being beaten, would put the elders of the Lu family at ease, and would maintain peace in the mansion...
"Tap tap, tap..." The footsteps behind the wall gradually faded, and the guards walked away.
She climbed over the wall and, finding no one there, took advantage of the guards not yet being on duty, ran across the garden, and tiptoed towards the guest courtyard.
Night had fallen, and the lights in the southeast corner room had all gone out, leaving it completely silent.
The person inside must be asleep. Thinking of this, Mu Qing felt a little relieved. Under the cover of night, she went to the window and used a silver needle to carefully poke a hole in the mulberry paper, creating a small opening. Then she took out the tube of sleeping potion that Lu Fei had given her, lit it, and pushed it inside. Afterward, she climbed onto the roof beam under the eaves and waited quietly.
She had already tried the sleeping potion; the maid on night watch fell into a deep sleep in no time, and the adult man should be in the same boat. Thinking that the person inside was Zhong Linlan, she increased the dosage and waited a little longer.
Mu Qing took out a damp silk handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, and then went to pry open the door. But as soon as she touched the door, she heard voices coming from outside the corridor.
"Lord Zhong, watch your step."
Before she could think about why he was back so late, Mu Qing quickly climbed back onto the beam and saw a servant carrying a lantern to light the way, leading Zhong Linlan from around the corner.
In the dim yellow light, he wore a black gauze hat and a dark blue official robe embroidered with xiezhi (a mythical beast), looking as if he had just returned from duty, yet showing no signs of fatigue. He walked to the door, pushed it open, and said to the servant, "That's enough. You've worked hard tonight. Go back and rest now."
The servant left with the lantern, but he didn't go inside. Instead, he leaned against the doorpost with his arms crossed and looked up at the night sky.
Mu Qing stood nervously on the beam, not daring to move an inch.
She was now the young lady of the Lu family; if she were caught stealing chickens and other petty crimes here, what would become of her? Just thinking about it filled her with remorse. But then she wondered what was wrong with Zhong Linlan, standing at the door so late at night—was she trying to count the stars? The stars weren't even that bright tonight.
In the silence, the cold wind blew for an unknown amount of time. Mu Qing shivered from the cold, and the damp silk scarf covering her face was almost frozen. She felt like sneezing, but she held it in several times, enduring the pain. Suddenly, a voice came from below.
"Isn't it tiring to squat on it?"
"……"above?
Mu Qing was puzzled when she saw Zhong Linlan raise her sharply defined face and look at where she was.
Had they already discovered it? Mu Qing was both shocked and furious. She wanted to make a quick getaway, but her legs were numb and wouldn't obey her commands. When she landed on the ground, she almost fell flat on her face.
Almost, because someone pulled her back.
Mu Qing turned around without any gratitude. The other person's face was hidden in the shadows as they leaned down, but their voice was clear: "Miss Lu, what brings you here so late at night?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk." Mu Qing said, then turned her head and sneezed. "Let go of me, I'm going back."
Zhong Linlan chuckled lightly, "Since you're here, how can you not come in and have a seat?"
Before she could answer, he grabbed her wrist, as if he wasn't forcing her, and without the slightest hesitation, walked straight into the room.
"Let go!"
When Mu Qing said it for the first time, the door closed; when she said it for the second time, all the lamps in the room were lit; and when she said it for the third time, the silk scarf on her face was removed.
Her cheeks, red from the cold, were exposed to the light. Mu Qing was both angry and ashamed: "How could you treat your mentor's daughter so disrespectfully?"
“Presumptuous?” Zhong Linlan stood in front of her, looking straight at her. “I thought that helping my mentor catch mice in his house was something that didn’t need to be polite about.”
Mu Qing was taken aback.
He knew who she was from the beginning, but he never humiliated her like this. His long, phoenix-shaped eyes had never looked at her so brazenly before; they were sharp as swords, making it impossible for her to look back.
Seeing her lower her eyes and bite her lip, Zhong Linlan also found it intriguing.
At this moment, she had no elaborate hairstyle or any adornments. Her glossy black hair was braided and coiled at the back of her head, somewhat like how she used to look in Tangli Lane. The purple satin shirt she wore made her skin appear as white as jade, and her plump face was flushed with a rosy glow, revealing her almond-shaped face and peach-like cheeks.
Her slender wrists had grown a bit fleshy and were fuller than before, but they were ice cold, probably from the cold. He took a silk coat from the clothes rack and draped it over her shoulders with one hand.
The moment they put on their coats, they both froze, recalling a scene from many years ago.
It was another cold night when she swaggered into his residence and exclaimed, "It's so cold, why don't you light the stove? Go get me a cotton coat!"
Faced with this uninvited guest, the still-young boy coldly replied, "There is no charcoal, nor cotton clothing."
The room was small, and the oil lamp on the table illuminated the desolate walls. At a glance, there were hardly any belongings, and the poverty was obvious.
"...Isn't what you're wearing just a cotton-padded coat?"
She cornered him with a dagger, threatening to tear his cotton-padded coat in order to force him to take it off so she could wear it.
Thinking of this, Mu Qing felt uneasy, and the robe draped over her shoulders felt heavy.
What do you want?
Zhong Linlan didn't answer, knowing she was fast, so she didn't let go of her hand for a moment, pulled her to sit at the table, as if she wanted to have a casual chat with her, and sighed softly: "It seems that you have been doing very well these past two years."
“Aren’t you the same? You’ve already become an Imperial Censor.” Mu Qing looked at him cautiously. “We’re both doing very well now, so let’s not think about the past anymore. Forget about it, let’s just pretend we don’t know each other, okay?”
Seeing that Zhong Linlan's expression was calm and she did not intend to refute, she reminded her, "Your past is not exactly glorious either."
She used to call him a useless scholar because all he could do was read, do laundry, and cook; he couldn't do anything else.
He gets stones thrown at him when he goes out, but he doesn't throw them back. He gets bullied when he goes to the market to buy things. If it weren't for her, his life would be incredibly difficult.
Although he helped her conceal her identity and healed her injuries, she instructed him on how to gather herbs and make medicine. She also taught him how to fish, hunt, and grow vegetables, and helped him... In short, they should be even.
Zhong Linlan's expression changed slightly, but it seemed to have gotten worse. Mu Qing had a bad feeling when she heard him say, "You're living a good life now as Miss Lu, but what about the real Miss Lu?"
This was a question Mu Qing didn't want to think about at all, but Zhong Linlan looked at her quietly, seemingly waiting patiently for her answer.
Mu Qing tried to pull her wrist away, but to no avail. She could only reply, "The Lu family has been looking for her for more than ten years but has not found her. Perhaps she is long gone."
Zhong Linlan loosened her grip slightly, her fingertips tracing across her icy palm. "You said it yourself, maybe. If she's still alive and wants to reunite with her family, how are you going to return it to her?"
"..." Mu Qing thought to herself, "I shouldn't have said 'maybe'."
Seeing her slightly furrowed brows and trembling rosy lips, unable to speak for a while, she looked quite pitiful, and Zhong Linlan did not intend to let her go.
He stood on his moral high ground, scrutinizing her conscience: "Wouldn't you feel uneasy taking everything from someone else?"
Mu Qing's lips trembled, ready to give up entirely, "I was never, never was a good person."
"If you admit you're a thief, I can send you to turn yourself in. The government office still has the wanted posters for you from back then."
What's the difference between that and sending her to her death?
Mu Qing's eyes reddened, and she looked up at Zhong Linlan. Seeing that he still had a gentle expression and did not have the righteous air of someone who really wanted to send her to the yamen, she lowered her eyes and began to think.
Yes, those words he said in front of the young prince earlier made it seem like he still had feelings for her and wouldn't be willing to send her to pay for her crime.
Mu Qing felt more at ease and her mind became clearer. She looked at him and said, "Haven't we found the real Miss Lu yet? If I leave the Lu family now, it will not do them any good. It will only cause them heartache."
“That’s right.” Zhong Linlan nodded in agreement.
Mu Qing's face lit up with joy, relieved that it was a false alarm. But then she heard him say, "But if you marry into the royal family under her identity, she will be unable to return."
Mu Qing was stunned. "Why?"
Zhong Linlan explained to her, "The Prince's Mansion values its reputation. How could they let people know that the Princess Consort is the fake daughter of the Lu family? In that case, they would probably just go along with the mistake, and the real Miss Lu would be in danger of losing her life."
Mu Qing didn't quite understand and whispered, "The engagement was set a long time ago. It's too late to talk about this now."
“The engagement can be cancelled.” Zhong Linlan glanced at her expression, trying to gauge her attitude. “If you don’t want to cancel it, you can discuss with the young prince about postponing the wedding for a while. Everyone says he loves you dearly, so it shouldn’t be difficult to do.”
Mu Qing immediately refused: "Marriage is a major life event that requires the consent of parents and the words of a matchmaker..."
Zhong Linlan stared at her coldly, her narrow eyes carrying a hint of threat.
Are those your parents?
Mu Qing choked for a moment, "How long do we need to postpone it?"
Without hesitation, Zhong Linlan said, "The young prince has not yet come of age; we can postpone it until after he does."
There are still nearly two years until the young prince comes of age. Who would postpone their wedding for so long for no reason? Asking her to persuade the young prince would be tantamount to saying she doesn't want to get married.
Mu Qing suddenly realized, "You just want to ruin my marriage, don't you?"
But the person beside him seemed completely oblivious to being exposed. He smiled gently and uttered a kind word: "It's good that Qingqing knows."
He had said these words when they first shared their pasts to show that they understood each other and to please her. But now, hearing them again frightened her.
Calling her by her real name is a way of getting to know her background, while saying "I know" implies that while you know, you still have to do as she says.
Mu Qing's face turned deathly pale, and she was speechless.
Gazing intently at her face, Zhong Linlan spoke again, "What brings you here tonight?"
"What are you doing?" Mu Qing snapped back to reality. "Lu Fei said he left the portrait of the Third Madam here with you and asked me to come and retrieve it for him."
Zhong Linlan was taken aback, and squeezed her soft hand tightly, "You don't even dare to say the word 'steal,' yet you go and help others?"
As if accused of being useless, Mu Qing lowered her head.
Zhong Linlan released her and said, "I take inventory of the things in the room every day, and there are no paintings right now. I moved some of the luggage to the Censorate earlier, but I did manage to slip a few paintings in, and the Third Madam's portrait might be mixed in. I'll look for it tomorrow, and you can come back tomorrow night."
Mu Qing rubbed his hands, which were finally free, and looked suspicious. "When you were checking the scrolls, didn't you find a portrait of the Third Madam?"
Zhong Linlan met her gaze. "If someone gives me a portrait of a beautiful woman, should I examine each and every one of them carefully?"
"...Once you find the portrait of the Third Madam, you can give it directly to Lu Fei."
“I’ll be back late at night, so it’s inconvenient for me to hand it over to him. It’s safer for you to come and get it.”
For a moment, Mu Qing thought that this made sense, but upon reflection, it was clearly inappropriate for him to ask her to come see him at night.
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