"How can I not be angry? Welcoming the bride is a custom. For a wealthy family like ours to be so unconventional will only make us a laughingstock, and it will also drag Ruyan down with us. The child may be ignorant, but are you, as her father, also ignorant?"
The uncle dismissed the maids and paced back and forth in the ancestral hall. After a long while, he finally said, "Mother, things have come to this point, and the truth can't be hidden anymore. Leng'er, he..."
Before she could finish speaking, her aunt began to sob. Seeing this, the old lady became even more anxious: "What's wrong with Leng'er?"
"Leng'er, he's dead."
3
Dugu Leng died.
This was the first piece of terrible news I heard upon arriving at the Dugu family. Of course, I wasn't saddened, but Dugu Leng's death was far too strange—he died in the carriage on his way to his wedding. The coachman at the Dugu family's residence was still shaken when he recounted it. It was late, and seeing no sound from inside the carriage, the coachman assumed the young master was asleep and didn't think much of it. When they found an inn and called for the young master to get out, he called for a long time without getting a response. The coachman lifted the curtain, and there lay Dugu Leng in the carriage, his face deathly pale, as if he had died from some kind of shock. His body was already cold. The coachman immediately sent someone back at top speed to report the news.
After crying for a while, my aunt and uncle sent a messenger with a message: bury the seventh young master on the spot. Also, this matter must be kept secret; absolutely no outsiders should know.
Even now, when I talk about it, my aunt still cries and holds me, saying, "Ruyan, you are such a pitiful person. You became a widow right after you got married. How am I supposed to explain this to your father?"
I asked curiously, "Didn't Mother say that no one knows about this yet? You told everyone else in the manor that the Seventh Young Master went to visit friends in another place. As long as the coachman keeps his mouth shut, they won't suspect anything for a while."
"But you can only hide it for a while, not forever," Uncle said, his brow furrowed in worry.
I became even more curious: "Why keep it a secret? The dead can't be brought back to life, and keeping it a secret isn't a solution."
Uncle sighed, "Ruyan, you don't know this, but if the people in the household find out about this, it will definitely cause panic."
"Panic?" I asked cautiously. "I'm rather slow-witted, please explain, Father."
Upon hearing this, the aunt secretly gave the uncle a wink, and the uncle immediately said, "Ruyan, things have come to this point, just do as your father says, and don't say anything more. You will understand these things in time."
Seeing this, I didn't say much and quickly excused myself. But the matter was too strange; a mystery seemed to be growing larger in my mind. The old lady, upon learning of this, remained remarkably calm. She knelt before the Buddha statue and asked, "Does no one else know about this?" My uncle replied, "Ruyan is not an outsider; no one else knows yet." The old lady closed her eyes and began to twirl her prayer beads: "That's good then. You may leave."
Could there be some unspeakable secret behind Dugu Leng's death?
I was walking alone in the garden, increasingly confused, when suddenly I heard soft, light footsteps behind me. I stopped, and the footsteps stopped too, but when I turned around, there was no one there. I quickened my pace and leaped up to the cherry blossom tree in full bloom. A small head peeked out from the hidden blossoms, looking around as if searching for something. I jumped down from the tree, smiling and waving at her: "I'm here."
The little girl was quite exquisite and beautiful. When she saw me, she immediately clapped her hands and jumped up, saying, "Great, great! We've been caught red-handed by the fairy auntie."
"Fairy Auntie?" I laughed, "Whose child are you?"
“My name is Die’er. My father is the Third Young Master, Dugu Han. I heard from my nanny that my Seventh Aunt is as beautiful as a fairy. When I saw her today, she really is like a fairy. When Die’er grows up, she will be just as beautiful.”
This child is beautiful and articulate; it's impossible not to like her. I pulled her to sit down under the cherry blossom tree: "When Butterfly grows up, she'll definitely be even prettier than her aunt."
Butterfly's big eyes sparkled with anticipation: "Really?" Her little hand landed on my long hair that cascaded down to my legs, then instantly dimmed. "But my hair isn't as black and beautiful as Auntie's."
"Silly girl, what are you saying? Your hair is black too, isn't it?" I gently stroked her little bun.
"But……"
A servant in a green jacket rushed over, flustered. "Young Miss, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Seeing me, she hurriedly knelt down. "Alan didn't know the Seventh Young Mistress was here. I've offended you, Young Mistress. Please forgive me." I smiled and nodded. "It's alright, get up." "Thank you, Seventh Young Mistress." "Your name is Alan?" "Yes." "Would you like to take the Young Miss to my Cold Smoke Abode often?" "Alan remembers."
I smiled at Die'er: "Good girl, don't run around anymore. Let Alan take you to my place."
The child bowed respectfully: "Fairy Aunt, I'll be going now. Also, Aunt, if you have time, you can bring some plum blossom cakes made by Chef Li for Uncle Qi to eat. He's always so happy whenever I give him some."
Watching them leave, I suddenly felt uneasy. The footsteps I'd heard were indeed light and quick, but Die'er's footsteps were disordered, unlike what I'd heard earlier. Was someone following me?
4
Cuiyi fetched some clean water, washed a towel, and wiped my hands, all the while scolding me, "Miss, you're so naughty! You're such a grown-up, and you still brought back your hands covered in charcoal."
I stared blankly at the charcoal in my hand, but Cuiyi snatched my hand away: "Miss, isn't it strange? The servants here are looking at me strangely, but I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about it."
I laughed and asked, "What's strange about it?"
"Who knows? I think the whole mansion is full of weirdos. The fourth young master is even stranger. I ran into him in the garden today and he was fighting with some children for buns. He even made the sixth young master's son cry."
Fourth Young Master Dugu Liang?
Legend has it that Dugu Liang, the number one swordsman in Jiangnan, would actually fight with a child over steamed buns? Come to think of it, Dugu Liang has been renowned in the martial arts world for seven or eight years. He's a womanizer, and some even described his charm with the phrase, "Amidst the allure of beauties, his sword's chill runs deep." But in the last two years, he's vanished from the martial arts scene. This is truly astonishing. However, the power of the Dugu family is truly remarkable; they can even keep such news under wraps. It's clear that everyone in the household, from masters to servants, is extremely discreet.
I said, "Cuiyi, go to the kitchen and find Chef Li. Tell her that the Seventh Young Mistress wants to try her plum blossom cake."
Cuiyi exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, you've never liked desserts!"
"It's what Seventh Young Master likes to eat."
"Seventh Young Master is already dead, what are you still thinking about, Miss?" Cuiyi is such a thoughtless person. I glared at her and made a shushing gesture, saying, "I have my reasons for asking you to go."
After Cuiyi left, I sat alone in front of the mirror, doing my hair. I thought of my husband, whom I had never met, who once lived here. Every detail here was just as it had always been. He must have been a quiet and wise man; his study was filled with books and notebooks, all arranged meticulously. He must have loved flowers; otherwise, why would the courtyard be filled with peach trees, cherry blossoms, crabapple trees, and winter plum blossoms? The maids here told me that the Seventh Young Master's Cold Smoke Abode was filled with the fragrance of flowers all year round, though he himself wasn't particularly fond of them. It was only over time that the Seventh Young Master would tell her stories about them. He said flowers were for remembering loved ones, so these flowers had to bloom.
Halfway through my makeup, I noticed that my clothes were also smeared with a dark, charcoal-like color. Where did this black come from? I was completely baffled. My wardrobe was overflowing with clothes, all made of the finest silks with exceptionally fine workmanship. The old lady doted on me, giving me so many gifts that I couldn't possibly use them all.
I closed the doors and windows tightly, took off my clothes, and picked out a white dress embroidered with cherry blossom patterns to change into.
"Snap!" A sound startled me, and I quickly covered my chest, shouting, "Who's there?!" The voice came from behind the screen. I cautiously approached, but there was nothing there except for a fan lying on the ground. I looked around warily and picked it up. The fan had been hanging on the screen, but the ring hadn't broken; the fan had simply fallen down. Strange things kept happening, and I gradually became less surprised.
Just as she changed her clothes, Cuiyi walked in carrying steaming hot plum blossom cakes: "Miss, these plum blossom cakes are so exquisitely made, come and have a taste."
These plum blossom cakes are truly exquisite. I picked one up and smelled its wonderful aroma, which included the scent of plum blossoms. I asked, "Cuiyi, do you know how these fine plum blossom cakes are made?"
"It involves sealing plum blossoms and pure snow in jars during the dead of winter, burying them underground, and then taking them out the following year to make plum blossom wine or plum blossom cakes."
"Not bad. What do you think of this plum blossom cake?"
Cuiyi took a bite and said, "It has a refreshing fragrance, is sweet but not cloying, and melts in your mouth. It is a rare delicacy."
I laughed and said, "Okay, take it out and eat it. Consider it a reward."
"Miss Xie, then I won't stand on ceremony!" Cuiyi said happily, sitting down and starting to eat heartily. I watched Cuiyi eat with worry, a pang of pain in my heart. Dugu Leng, no matter what, you are still my husband, and I will definitely find the murderer who killed you!
5
I haven't been sleeping well for several days in a row, having nightmares. I dream that a dark figure is standing behind me with a shiny knife. When I wake up, it's still night, and I can't fall back asleep.
I got up in the morning to pay my respects to the old lady, my aunt, uncle, and second aunt. In the garden, I met the third madam, followed by a graceful young woman. I curtsied and said, "Ruyan greets the third madam."
The young woman gave a slight curtsy in greeting. The Third Madam smiled faintly, "Ruyan, you're too kind. This is my daughter, Yuanyang. She's not very good at speaking, though."
I don't mind: "Yuanyang is about my age and speaks to me in a friendly manner. I'm used to being cooped up in this mansion. If you don't mind, Third Sister, would you be willing to lend me Yuanyang for a day?"
Yuanyang glanced at me in surprise, clearly not expecting me to make such a request. Of course, with the Third Madam present, she couldn't refuse and had to agree. I could tell she was quite unwilling, but the Third Madam was very happy. I understood her thinking: a concubine who wanted to establish herself in a large family definitely needed to maintain good relationships with others.
Yuanyang followed me to Lengyan Xiaozhu. She was quite reserved and didn't talk much. But when she saw the cherry blossoms all over the courtyard, she showed a surprised expression: "Everyone says that Seventh Brother's courtyard is full of fragrant flowers. It's true."
I was surprised: "You haven't been here before?"
Yuanyang nodded and smiled shyly: "That's not surprising. There's a world of difference between girls and men. Besides, Seventh Brother is used to peace and quiet and doesn't want to be disturbed. Especially since he was seriously ill two years ago and almost lost his life. Since then, he has refused to let anyone into his courtyard."
"A serious illness?" I gasped.
“Yes, Seventh Brother has become even more withdrawn since then.” Yuanyang suddenly laughed and said, “Am I talking too much?”
"No, I want to hear it." I smiled and pulled her to sit under the cherry blossom tree.
Yuanyang stared straight at me, her hand landing on my cascading hair, and exclaimed, "So beautiful!"
"You're beautiful too." I looked at her hair; it was very black, but something felt off. The color was too dull, lacking any shine, like a layer of charcoal was on it. Charcoal? A thought flashed through my mind. In the sunlight, Yuanyang's black hair seemed to have a hint of silver. I said softly, "There's a white hair; let me remove it for you." Yuanyang clearly hadn't realized what was happening yet, but my hand had already reached out, and the moment I lifted her hair, the shimmering silver hurt my eyes.
“Mandarin ducks…this…”
Yuanyang pushed me away in alarm, clutching her hair tightly with both hands; she looked like she was about to cry. I grabbed her hands and asked, "What happened? Why is it all white?"
Yuanyang seemed to be greatly shocked and pushed me away forcefully, then ran out of Lengyan Xiaozhu crying.
I suddenly remembered that day when my hands, covered in charcoal, had touched Xiaodie'er's hair. I had a bold idea: were all the women of the Dugu family with white hair? Of course, this reasoning was absurd and not very reasonable.
Cuiyi had been listless and listless for several days. Seeing Yuanyang leave in tears, she came out of the study and asked, "Miss, why is she crying?"
"You might be the next one crying."
"Why would I cry when I'm perfectly fine?"
"To be honest, have you been secretly asking Chef Li for plum blossom cakes these past two days?"
She scratched her head sheepishly: "You know about this, Miss?"
I placed my hand on Cuiyi's wrist, and as I expected, her pulse was irregular and weak. Her lips were noticeably pale, and she seemed listless and lethargic all day. She asked me, puzzled, "Miss, am I ill?"
I shook my head: "No, you're poisoned."
6
If it weren't for Xiao Die'er's words, I would never have realized that there was more to this plum blossom cake than met the eye. When I first entered the manor, the Second Madam, wanting me to please the Seventh Young Master, specifically told me about his dietary restrictions, such as not eating sweets. But Xiao Die'er said that if I gave him the plum blossom cake, he would be very happy.
There's only one quick way to get someone who doesn't like desserts to fall in love with them: put dried poppy seeds ground into powder in the pastries. No matter how strong one's willpower is, one bite will be addictive. Moreover, this plum blossom cake contains a colorless and odorless slow-acting poison. The person who takes this poison will become weaker day by day without realizing it, and most doctors won't be able to find the cause.
Strangely, since the Seventh Young Master liked this dessert, nothing happened to him in the past two years, except that he suddenly died on the way to his wedding.
All of this seems to have happened deliberately.
I took out the Cold Fragrance Pill and applied it to Cuiyi's clothes. Soon after, she was sweating profusely and fell asleep. When I was little, I was also frail and sickly. One year, I went with my mother to a temple in the mountains to burn incense and fulfill a vow. While playing in the temple, I met my master. He said, "This girl has a well-proportioned figure and bright, star-like eyes; she's clearly a good candidate for martial arts." The Cold Fragrance Pill was a secret antidote my master had made. Before we arrived, he carefully instructed me, "Remember, you must not have the heart to harm others, but you must be wary of others."
I decided not to tell my uncle and aunt about it yet, and went to the kitchen to find Chef Li by myself.
The servants in the kitchen were flustered when they saw me. Cook Li seemed a little flattered and said, "Seventh Young Madam, is the kitchen, a place filled with the smoke and fire, something your delicate body can handle?"
So, Chef Li followed me all the way to Lengyan Xiaozhu.
I invited her to sit down and offered her a cup of tea, which she picked up and drank in large gulps. Cook Li was only in her thirties, and seemed shrewd and capable, yet she didn't appear guilty. I smiled coldly and said, "Cook Li, your plum blossom cakes are truly excellent. Not only Seventh Young Master, but I love them too."
"Thank you for your kindness, young mistress. I will have someone deliver the food to your room every day from now on." Her eyes darted around, and her hands unconsciously rubbed against her clothes.
"Of course." I picked up my cup and slowly sipped my tea. "Did you make those pastries yourself?"
“Yes, it’s a family recipe for pastries.” Cook Li glanced at me awkwardly and wiped the sweat from her brow. I smiled slightly. “Alright, have a maid bring a plate of pastries over in a bit.” I placed a silver ingot on the table. “Here, this is your reward.”
She thanked the young mistress and happily went home.
At this time, my aunt and uncle were mostly enjoying tea in the flower hall. When I rushed over, I found the Third Madam and Yuanyang there as well. Yuanyang looked at me with fear in her eyes. She lowered her head deeply. A handsome and refined man was also sitting in the flower hall. Little Die'er was playing on his lap. When she saw me, she exclaimed with delight, "Fairy Aunt!" I calmly greeted everyone.
My uncle seemed very happy. He had rarely laughed so happily since Dugu Leng's death, and thinking of this, I felt a little sorry for him. My uncle asked, "Ruyan, you rarely come to the flower hall. Is something the matter?"
"Yes, Father."
I looked around at the people around me, hesitant to speak, but my uncle smiled and gestured, "Speak freely, we're all family."
I sighed: "Since that's the case, Ruyan will tell you. Ruyan discovered that someone in the manor was poisoning the food, but the purpose is unclear."
These words shocked everyone present. The uncle jumped up from his chair, trembling with emotion: "Poisoning? How could that be? No one in the household has died from poisoning!" He then suddenly thought of Dugu Leng's death and felt a pang of sadness. The refined-looking man stood up; he must be Xiaodie'er's father, Dugu Han. He slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Who did this? I'll skin him alive and tear his bones out!" Xiaodie'er, terrified, ran to her aunt's arms and hid.