"My wife, how could you doubt her?" Dugu Leng simply addressed me as "my wife."
"That day in the garden, I met Third Sister and Zhu'er. Xiao Die'er said that she was different from Alan. I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but later I realized that Zhu'er was different from the other maids. The handkerchiefs used by ordinary maids were made of coarse cloth, but Zhu'er was carrying a fine Suzhou embroidered handkerchief."
The fifth wife lunged at him, nearly going mad: "Why did you try to harm me? Why did you appear and tell me all this after I came to this house? Who exactly are you?"
"That's right. Pearl is so young, it's impossible for her to know about the Fifth Madam's past. So, there must be a mastermind secretly planning all of this."
"Who is he?!" everyone asked.
I smiled and pointed to the person sitting silently in the corner: "She's the mastermind!"
15
The Second Madam sighed and gently stood up. Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, I revealed the truth: "The women of the Dugu family have always had silver-white hair, not because of a curse, but because the Second Madam instructed the cook to add saffron to the young ladies' porridge. Saffron is a very precious medicinal herb, but this saffron was mixed with a herb called 'grass saffron,' differing by only one character in name. Combined with a poison from the Tang Clan, it causes hair to turn white." I turned to the Fifth Madam and asked, "Yan Hong, your hair only turned white after you came to the manor, and only then did you believe what Zhu'er said, right?"
The Fifth Madam nodded blankly.
The second madam smiled at me, then spoke elegantly: "Ruyan is right. Zhu'er was also someone I arranged. It's just that I was too soft-hearted back then and kept Yan Hong and threw her out of the brothel. Perhaps it was the bond between father and daughter, but the master actually bought Yan Hong from the brothel the first time he saw her and put her in Jinxiu Garden, feeding and drinking her well. So I had Zhu'er pretend to be an old man and teach her some methods of poisoning, and told her the truth about her own background. Yan Hong is a simple child, and she really thought that a hermit was helping her, so she foolishly believed it."
"The most vicious heart is that of a woman. I have treated you well, how could you do such a heinous thing, even killing your own son?" The uncle pounded the table in anguish. He never expected his wife to do such a thing.
The second wife smiled nonchalantly: "I killed Leng'er because she was too clever, so I had to kill her. I once promised my mother that if things were exposed, I would dig up the dusty book of our ancestral grandmother and let it see the light of day again, and then the curse of the Dugu family would be broken."
"What do you mean?" my uncle asked.
The second madam just shook her head. She said, "I don't know either. Mother said that the jar is buried under the only cherry blossom tree in the Hidden Beauty Pavilion. Leng'er, you and Han'er go and dig that jar out."
Dugu Leng and Dugu Han left and returned shortly afterward, carrying a jar.
Opening the jar revealed a book inside, or more precisely, a notebook. The notebook recorded everything that had happened that year. It was written by Dugu Aoran's second wife, and it recounted a romantic yet tragic love story.
My name is Chu Shuang'er. When I was eighteen, I fell in love with a legendary man. He lay poisoned at the entrance of a dilapidated temple, and I saved him. I am a disciple of the Tang Clan, and for him, I resolutely left my sect to come with him to this beautiful, idyllic place. His name is Dugu Aoran, and he has a wife. His wife is a virtuous and kind woman; he doesn't love her, nor does he love me. He doesn't love anyone, but he treats us very well, and loving him is enough for me.
I wish I could stay by his side like this for the rest of my life. If... she hadn't appeared, all of this would have become a reality.
Aoran went hunting in the mountains that day, and when he returned, there was a woman on his horse. The woman was incredibly beautiful, with a face that could launch a thousand ships. She was badly injured. Her old and new wounds were piled up together, a truly gruesome sight.
He stopped going hunting every day and instead stayed by her bedside, caring for her day and night. His eyes held both pain and fervent love. My heart ached silently; I wished the woman would die overnight.
The woman eventually recovered, and her beauty was so dazzling that it put both me and the First Madam to shame. Her name was Liangyue.
Liangyue was indeed a good woman, gentle and kind. She liked quiet, so she moved into the most secluded Hidden Beauty Pavilion in the mansion. Every night, I would secretly run to her courtyard and watch their shadows reflected on the window by candlelight. He learned to paint for her sake, only painting her likeness.
I loved that man so much, and could only watch with a broken heart as he squandered his brilliance to please other women. Then one day, the arrival of a distinguished visitor shattered my inner peace. This visitor claimed to be the Emperor, and his eyes shone like stars when he saw Liang Yue. As I expected, that day, while Ao Ran was away, he went to Liang Yue's private chambers. I hid outside the window and overheard their conversation.
“Princess Liangyue, you can choose to come back with me and become my concubine, or stay here and wait to collect Dugu Aoran’s corpse.”
"Since I've married him, I won't change. I'm his in life and in death. You should just give up on that idea."
"Don't forget, it was Dugu Aoran who led his troops to destroy your country and capture your people."
"And don't forget, I escaped after being imprisoned by you for two years, and I met Dugu Aoran. I don't care about worldly matters or power, as long as I can be with him, that's enough. The original Princess Liangyue is dead. I am just Liangyue."
"I'll give you a month. I'll come to visit again then, and you can give me your answer then."
I feel like my chance has come.
The First Madam was ill for several days, and Liangyue complained that the medicine prepared by the servants was too coarse, so she cooked it herself every day. My heart was torn apart. I knew that if Aoran found out about this, he would never let Liangyue go, even if it meant death. But I couldn't live without him. So, while Liangyue was out getting a drink of water, I secretly added the Tang Clan's most deadly poison, the Thousand Ants Devouring Heart Powder, to the medicine. Those who ingest this poison suffer excruciating pain, like ten thousand ants gnawing at their hearts, yet their faces remain smiling. Seeing the First Madam die with a smile on her face, I wept uncontrollably. I'm sorry, I'm not a good woman, but I can't live without Dugu Aoran.
Everyone in the manor knew that Liang Yue had poisoned the First Madam.
In the courtyard of Cangjiao Pavilion, Dugu Aoran pointed his sword at Liangyue's throat and said, "I don't care what others say, as long as you say it's not true, I will believe you."
I thought I had misread or misheard, but Liang Yue actually smiled and nodded. She said, "Yes, I poisoned her. I can't allow the man I love to have other women by his side."
The sword pierced Liang Yue's throat almost without hesitation. In an instant, Liang Yue's long hair flew up as if startled, and in the blink of an eye, her black hair turned as white as snow illuminated by the moonlight.
In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared, cherry blossoms fell one after another, and a torrential downpour began.
Dugu Aoran drew his sword and plunged it into his own abdomen. They lay down together in the courtyard where the cherry blossoms had faded, and fell peacefully asleep.
My screams were swallowed by the sound of the rain. The man I loved was a heartless man; he only loved Liang Yue. At the moment of his death, he had no idea how the woman named Chu Shuang'er would go on living. He couldn't live without Liang Yue, and I had no reason to live without him.
I need to find a reason to live.
I hate him.
I cannot take revenge on him, but I can take revenge on his descendants. I will make him suffer and never have peace.
So I told the young children that they were cursed, that they were innocent children, and they believed me. I recorded in the family genealogy that the child in my womb died in the womb, but in fact I gave birth to a daughter named Chu Xiaowan. She will inherit my business. In the future, Xiaowan's children will also inherit my business, until the Dugu family is wiped out, or the Dugu family discovers this secret. Then this note I wrote will be made public, and the curse I cast will no longer exist.
If the descendants of the Dugu family learn this secret, please don't make things difficult for my children. They are only seeking revenge for their poor great-grandmother's heartless man.
If my children, the last descendant of the Dugu family, also die, please give them a proper burial, because I love them very much, even though I killed them.
There are many devoted women in this world. If you don't want to hear it, so be it.
In the end, the fallen flowers were willing, but the flowing water was indifferent.
(iv) Mulberry by the Roadside
1
A white dove flew across the dark gray sky and landed in front of the window of Cold Smoke Cottage. It cooed and wearily preened its feathers. I opened the window, carried the white dove inside, and untied the paper tube from its leg.
Like smoke:
Go to Sangxiang Town, thirty miles west of Fan Hua City, to find Old Man Qi. He's hailed as a reincarnation of Hua Tuo (a legendary Chinese physician), but this old man's temper is as peculiar as his name. The closer someone is to him, the less likely he is to offer help; so don't mention my name. Whether he heals or not depends entirely on his mood—that's up to the Fourth Young Master's fate.
Written by Canghai himself.
Dugu Leng sat outside the window wiping his sword: "I'll go to the flower hall to say goodbye to Father, Mother and the old lady in a little while. It's a ten-day to half-month journey from this Prosperous Flower City to Fulong Town. There's no better time than tomorrow."
Cuiyi, who was tidying up her clothes, finally couldn't help but interject: "But what if that strange old man refuses to treat the Fourth Young Master? Wouldn't that be a wasted trip?"
"If this little devil doesn't go, won't we have absolutely no chance of winning?"
"Then could the young master allow Miss to take Cuiyi along? She said that this journey is too bumpy and she doesn't want to take me to suffer like that."
“Since it’s Ruyan’s decision, there’s no point in me saying anything.” Dugu Leng sheathed his sword with satisfaction and looked at me with a smile: “Ruyan, let’s do as you say.”
Ever since the Fourth Young Master went mad, it had become a great worry for the Old Madam. She had sought medical help everywhere, but no doctor could diagnose her. The Old Madam was getting old; her constant sighing and lamenting would only make her ill. My master, Master Canghai, had many old friends, including some who were once renowned in the martial arts world but later went into hiding. Among them were masters of detoxification and poison application, as well as healers reborn as Hua Tuo (a legendary Chinese physician).
This city of flowers is famous for its flowers. Due to its warm and pleasant climate, it is full of flowers all year round. The fragrance of flowers can be smelled as far as 30 miles west of the city, making it a beautiful sight.
Fourth Young Master Dugu Liang jumped around on the carriage like a child. He hadn't been out for a long time and had forgotten the joy of going out. Seeing his current miserable state, I couldn't help but sigh, recalling the first time I saw him at the Dragon and Phoenix Inn, his white robes and dashing appearance.
"Ruyan, what's wrong?" Dugu Leng lowered the curtain and said, "Take it easy on the wind, or you'll catch a cold."
"Dugu Liang was a figure feared throughout the martial arts world, yet now he acts like a child. If people in the martial arts world hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they probably wouldn't have believed it."
"Fourth Brother has always been very lucky. This Old Monster Qi is probably not a quack doctor who can only treat colds and weakness. Let's try to think positively."
Hearing his name called, Dugu Liang chuckled and leaned closer, asking, "Is Seventh Brother calling me?"
Upon seeing me, he clapped his hands happily again: "Excellent! Where does the young lady live? I am Dugu Liang, the fourth young master of the Dugu family. How about we choose a day to propose marriage?"
Dugu Leng and I exchanged a helpless glance and turned our heads to look out the window.
Around noon, after dozing off in the carriage for an hour, the driver called out from the front, "Seventh Young Master has arrived in Sangxiang Town."
The town was bustling with activity; it was market day, and vendors selling candied hawthorns, cosmetics, and fabrics filled the air with shouts, calls, and haggling. Dugu Leng stopped a passing auntie and asked, "Excuse me, ma'am, is there a miracle doctor in this town named Qi Laoguai?"
The aunt looked us up and down: "We have an old man here called Qi Laoguai, but he's probably not the person you're looking for. I've only heard that the town's doctor Jiang treats his injuries all day long, but I've never heard of him treating anyone else."
"So where does this old monster Qi live?"
The aunt covered her mouth and chuckled: "Everyone in the town knows that he loiters around the Shen mansion all day, always looking for a chance to sneak in and steal something valuable, but every time he gets beaten out by the servants guarding the courtyard. That old man is really strange; if he's going to steal something, he can't just steal from one place. It made Master Shen spend a lot of money to hire several strong martial arts practitioners to guard the courtyard."
I said happily, "Then it must be him. My master said in the letter that he has a very strange temper, and it seems that he is not just strange in an ordinary way."
We first found an inn in the town to stay in and settled Dugu Liang in. After making all the arrangements, we went to the Shen residence with Dugu Liang. After circling around the entrance of the Shen residence, we saw an old man dressed in a coarse cloth shirt sitting in the scorching sun, meditating with his eyes closed. There was a bruise on the corner of his eye, and his gray hair was tied up messily on his head.
"Grandpa," I called softly as I stepped forward.
The old man remained seated motionless, seemingly asleep. In my anxiety, I went over and nudged him, saying, "Grandpa..."
"Hey!" The old man suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up from the ground: "What's all the noise about? Can't a person get any sleep?!"
I was startled; his voice was like a thunderclap from the sky, making me dizzy. I took a big step back and fell into Dugu Leng's arms.
The old man opened his eyes, dusted himself off, and was about to leave when Dugu Leng stepped forward and stopped him: "May I ask if you are Senior Qi the Old Monster?"
"You've mistaken me for someone else." The old man turned to leave without even looking up.
"Senior, please wait." Dugu Leng teleported back to block his way. "My wife has offended you with her rashness and impatience, but I do have an important matter to ask of you. Considering that we have come from afar, please let us finish speaking."
"Hmph." Old Qi turned his face away: "Speak quickly if you have something to say, this old man doesn't have time to get involved with you."
"My elder brother was murdered by a villain and ingested a poison that drives people mad. Now he's acting like a clueless child. I beg you, senior, for your generous help. I would be eternally grateful!"
"What does his madness have to do with me? I didn't poison him, how would I know how to cure him?"
Seeing Dugu Leng's humble and submissive demeanor, and the old monster's amused expression, I gritted my teeth and devised a plan. I pulled Dugu Leng aside and said with a forced smile, "Husband, look at this old man, he seems quite eccentric. He's nothing like the legendary, righteous, and universally praised hero of the martial world. How could such a fame-seeking scoundrel be a divine healer? We've truly mistaken him for someone else; let's find someone more capable."
As I was speaking, I turned around, but before I could take two steps, the old man blocked my way.
His face turned bright red and he jumped up and down: "Hey, young lady, don't underestimate this old man. We only treat people we like. We hate rich young masters and ladies like you who are all adorned with jewels."
I sighed softly: "It doesn't matter if he can't cure diseases. When we get back, we'll tell the truth to the people in the martial arts world. This old man originally had no skills. Those stories about him in the martial arts world are just rumors."
"What rumors?! If I don't show you what we're capable of, you ignorant little wench won't know how many eyes Lord Ma has!"
This provocation worked as expected. Dugu Leng smiled and said, "Senior, please come this way."
"Hmph." Old Qi glared at him defiantly and then followed me toward the inn.
2
Dugu Liang stayed in the room, and before leaving, he instructed the waiter to take good care of him and not let him go out and cause any trouble. The waiter had been squatting in front of the door, and when he saw us return, he happily opened the door and said, "Guests, please come in."
Pushing open the door, the room was completely quiet, and the blankets on the bed were askew. Dugu Leng immediately noticed something was wrong, went over and lifted the blankets, revealing a pillow underneath.
I turned to look at the trembling waiter: "Didn't the person not step out of the room? Did they take the money without even noticing?"
"Sir, I certainly haven't left your side even for a moment. You can ask our manager if you don't believe me."
The room was perfectly tidy with no signs of a struggle. Although Dugu Liang had gone mad, he wouldn't have been so easily captured if he encountered an enemy. If the waiter truly hadn't left the room at all, as he claimed, then Dugu Liang was taken away without any ability to resist.