Chapter 31: Whose Scheme

The moment the torches were quietly lit in the Wisteria Courtyard, they caught not only the eyes of the servants in the Su family mansion but also another pair of eyes.

Third Mistress Su stood outside the courtyard for a moment. Suddenly, peering through the window lattice, she felt a sharp, piercing gaze strike her as if through the wall. Terrified, she shuddered violently and hurried back toward her own residence in the eastern wing.

Once inside her quarters, Third Mistress Su was still trembling, which irritated her husband, Su Yu, a man accustomed to ease and indulgence. "What is wrong with you? For the past two days, you have been acting like a thief—cowering in fear, consumed by guilt."

"You still dare to ask?" she replied indignantly. "You spend your days wallowing in luxury and debauchery, oblivious to the fact that your second brother's daughter has returned to the Su household, don't you?"

"That child... she feels even more uncanny than she did eight years ago. To think she was abandoned at the rural estate for eight years with nothing—no clothes, no food—and not only did she survive, but she also mastered some truly bizarre skills. It is terrifying. I peeked into her courtyard just now, and it was as if she knew I was watching. Her gaze shot toward me like an arrow piercing my heart. It was chilling."

Su Yu gave a dismissive laugh. "What terrifying skills could she possibly have learned? To me, it sounds like you’ve done something shameful and are simply scaring yourself."

"You didn't see it! This morning, she guessed exactly where Magistrate Lu had been, what he had eaten, and what he had drunk, claiming she could determine it all by scent alone. Not only that, she could sketch the appearance of Magistrate Lu in his youth. Furthermore, she claimed she could draw the faces of the dead from their bones and capture the wicked souls of murderers!"

"Drawing the faces of the dead from bones? Capturing the souls of murderers?" Su Yu couldn't help but laugh loudly. "Is the person you're describing even human? Could she be a ghost messenger crawled up from the underworld?"

"I am telling you the truth! She even deduced the place where Zhou Jiulang died and the existence of the corpse submerged at the bottom of the well. It is a case within a case!"

When she reached this point, Su Yu’s laughter faltered. The case of the corpse in the well at the Prince Huo mansion was already creating a massive stir. He had heard that it had even alarmed the Emperor; he had heard the Vice Minister of the Secretariat speak of it while listening to Lady Xiaolian play the zither at the Shaohua Pavilion earlier that day.

"Can she truly draw the faces of the dead from their bones and the wicked souls of killers?"

"Yes! And you... if it weren't for you informing the Prince of Wei back then, would your second brother, Su Minghe, have fallen victim to those people? Would Lady Murong have died? Would Minghe have succumbed to grief and passed away so suddenly?"

"Hah..." Su Yu’s mouth twisted into a grotesque smile. "Now you’re blaming me? Weren't you the one who seduced me? Weren't you the one who said that if you couldn't have what you wanted, you wouldn't let anyone else have it either?"

"When did I ever say such a thing?" Third Mistress Su rose in a fit of rage, shouting, "Su Yu, do not slander me!"

"We have shared a bed for so many years; I remember every word you spoke in your sleep. You knew long ago that my second brother and that Murong woman were together, wed under my father’s witness. You were unwilling to accept it, so you came to the Su family to curry favor with my mother, claiming you were sacrificing yourself to marry me just to protect our family from being implicated."

"Is marrying me such a grievance for you? For all these years, in your dreams, and even when we are intimate, the one you whisper about is my second brother. Tell me, does the unattainable really haunt you that much?"

"You—" Third Mistress Su lunged to slap him, but Su Yu grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the bed.

"Why bring up the past? Don't say I seduced you; you were the one who proactively sought to please my father, even revealing that your second brother had secret correspondence with the Crown Prince Zhanghuai."

"You were willing to betray your own brother for the sake of your own glory. What is there to be proud of? It’s a pity you were never cut out for officialdom. My father granted you the position of Judicial Adjutant of the Golden Guard, yet you lost it because of your drinking. Now, you can only rely on what my second brother left behind..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yu finally lost his composure and slapped her across the face. He seemed to regret it immediately, hastily apologizing, "Forgive me, my lady, I was impulsive. We are husband and wife, tied together on the same rope—why bring up these things? She is just an orphaned, abandoned girl. Why not use your talents again to win over my mother, whisper in her ear, and have the girl driven out of the Su house?"

"It would just be repeating what we did eight years ago. What could be difficult about that?"

"Su Yu, how dare you hit me? Do not forget who is responsible for the fact that the Su family remains unscathed to this day! The things you have done are enough to warrant the execution of our entire clan! And you dare to shout at me? Are you not afraid I will tell my father everything?"

"Please, don't! My lady, I was wrong, I was truly wrong. If you are angry, hit me—hit me! I am willing!" Su Yu grabbed her hand and forced it against his own face.

Third Mistress Su seemed to calm down, secretly thinking: *No, I must ask my father for his advice. I must clarify exactly who that Murong woman was. Why was the Prince of Wei so determined that she must die? And this girl, Murong Huan—can she really be allowed to live?*

***

Murong Huan woke up from her dream in a cold sweat. This time, the dream had been long and vivid; she could even see Zhou Xing crouching in a jar, his eyes wide with resentment as he begged for mercy!

After that came chaotic images: pursuing soldiers, a cold and beautiful woman, several youths composing poetry, and... Xiao Muchen.

She had actually seen the young Xiao Muchen in her dream—a boy of eleven or twelve, kneeling on the execution platform, his white robes stained with blood, playing a melody with his hands that moved the officials to tears and shook the heavens and earth.

"What is the difference between being killed by a man or a ghost? Why stoop to such petty conduct as informing? Even if my entire Xiao clan is wiped out today, I will never do it!"

Murong Huan opened her eyes abruptly and sat up.

Seeing her shaken state, Ashu rushed to the side of the couch and consoled her, "Ahuan, you're awake? Was it another nightmare?"

Murong Huan was still struggling to regain her composure, thinking, *Why would I dream of Xiao Muchen? I don't know his past, so how could I see his childhood experiences? Yet everything in the dream felt so real.*

After a moment of silence, she suddenly recalled the matter of Zhou Xing and asked, "Is Zhou Xing dead?"

Ashu nodded. "I heard that he is! Last night, we were chased by a group of men in black. She told me to hide in the Xingyun Pavilion, and then she disappeared. Later, a group of people arrived at the pavilion, saying they were from the Golden Guard and the Inner Guard investigating a murder—they claimed the killer had fled into the pavilion after murdering Zhou Xing."

With that, Ashu handed a scroll of silk to Murong Huan. "She told me to give this to you. She said the trap has been set, and the rest depends on you, Ahuan!"

Murong Huan opened the silk; it was titled "The Biography of Huo Xiaolian."

*Huo Xiaolian, granddaughter of Prince Huo, in order to avenge her blood feud, willingly submitted herself to her enemy, enduring humiliation until she finally assassinated him and cleared the Prince's name!*

"Ahuan, what does she mean by writing this?"

"She has rewritten the ending for Huo Xiaolian..." Murong Huan mused, closing her eyes to recall the dream from that night.

Zhou Jiulang died at the Prince Huo mansion, but it was a woman in white who had lured Zhou Jiulang and the two young masters, Hou and Guo, to that house.

*No! Perhaps it wasn't a woman at all, but an illusion created by hallucinogenic incense.*

*And who would use such incense to lure Zhou Jiulang to the Prince Huo mansion?*

Murong Huan opened her eyes and looked at the wooden doll on her desk.

*Apart from my master, I am the only one who can craft such incense!*

*So, this trap was set by me from the very beginning? Li Linghuan, what exactly are you trying to do?*

Murong Huan scanned the scroll to the end, where she saw the final words clearly written:

*Next: Qiu Shenji, Wu Chengsi!*

"Ahuan, what is it?" seeing the shock in her eyes, Ashu asked with concern.

"It's nothing. Let's go out!"

"Ah? We're going out again today?" Yesterday's outing had been full of treachery and narrow escapes; Ashu didn't think she could handle such terror again. "Ahuan, we haven't had breakfast yet. Let me make you something to eat, and then we can go, okay?"

Murong Huan smiled and agreed.

Ashu ran happily to the kitchen to fetch food, only to be berated and driven away by the old matron in charge.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, they just wouldn't give me any food. But we still have money, plenty left from the fee the Fifth Miss of the Wang family gave us! Let's go out and buy something to eat!" Ashu said with a smile.

Murong Huan nodded. "Very well! But from now on, whoever bullies you, you must pay them back. Ashu, we didn't come to the Su family to be bullied!"

Ashu nodded vigorously, laughing through her tears. She didn't feel wronged for herself, only for Ahuan.

Though they were supposedly back at the Su home, no one in the family except the head, Su Qing, considered her one of them. Despite being in her own home, they lived like parasites.

"Ahuan, do you feel sad?"

"Why should I be sad?" Murong Huan retorted, flicking the young girl's forehead. "Enough, don't let your imagination run wild. Life is for us to live; how I fare is something only I know. It has nothing to do with others, and I will not be sad because they treat me poorly, for it is not worth it, nor will I beg for their favor."

"It is enough that we are good to ourselves!"

"Yes! Ahuan is right!" Ashu agreed again.

"Then let's go buy some meat buns."

As the two were about to step out of the Wisteria Courtyard, they saw the Old Mistress Su leading a group of people, rushing toward them.

Leaning on her cane, the Old Mistress Su reached the gate and shouted, throwing her cane at Ashu, "Where did you go last night? Did you cause more trouble? Why did you bring the people from the Supreme Court here again?"

She then glared at Ashu. "It is this lowly maid who has corrupted you!"

Murong Huan caught the cane, her eyes flashing with a cold light as she looked at the old woman. "Grandmother, is it that no matter what I do, or do not do, it is a mistake?"

"Do you feel that I am born guilty because of my father's death? Is that it?"

"Then why did my father die? Grandmother, do you not bear a shred of responsibility? Or is it that you cannot process your own guilt, so you blame it all on me?"

The Old Mistress was stunned into silence. Murong Huan continued, "If you truly dislike me, I can leave the Su house. However, I want the inheritance my father left behind!"

Su Minghe had practiced medicine with Lady Murong and, through the reputation he had built, had engaged in the herb trade. Because he was well-loved by the people, he had a group of loyal managers and staff, growing the Su pharmacy business until it was bringing in vast sums of money.

When Su Minghe died, he had indeed intended to leave the business to his daughter, but she was only seven at the time. How could she manage such things? Thus, the Old Mistress had taken it upon herself to let her eldest and third sons manage it. The eldest, Su Qing, was an honest man who only knew how to be a low-level official, so the business fell to the third branch, with the eldest branch's Madam Qin assisting.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Your father was a scholar; what assets could he have? And even if he did, what could a young girl like you manage?"

Murong Huan clenched her fists, her gaze sharpening. There was truly nothing left to say to this grandmother who held no affection for her.

"Grandmother, I will say this only once today. The things my parents left me—if you do not give them to me, I will come to take them myself one day. Once I step out of this door today, I will establish my own household, and from then on, I will have no connection to your branch of the Su family!"

"And one more thing: no one is to touch my maid, not even a hair on her head!"

With that, Murong Huan tossed the cane aside, took Ashu's hand, and walked quickly toward the main gate of the Su mansion.

The Old Mistress was left stunned, unable to utter a single word.

"Old Mistress, this girl's temper..."

"This wicked creature! To threaten me for the sake of a maid—she has absolutely no filial piety!"

Just then, Su Qing hurried over. Seeing Murong Huan striding toward the gate, her anger still visible, he realized something was wrong and rushed to stop her. "What is it? Ahuan, did your grandmother say something to you? She is just like that—her temper is poor—please don't take her words to heart."

"It's nothing!" Murong Huan did not want to continue this topic. She turned and asked, "Uncle, did the people from the Supreme Court come again? What for?"

Su Qing's expression changed abruptly, a mix of joy and concern flashing across his face. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I heard that Zhou Xing was killed last night. Magistrate Lu is likely looking for you to draw a portrait."

"Ahuan, where exactly did you go last night?"