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As Di Jiang was contemplating the recent string of murders that were likely to occur in the capital, the bloodstained bird, which had flown away from home less than half a day ago, returned on its own.
At noon, it landed stiffly on the windowsill in front of Di Jiang and threw a metal token at her.
Di Jiang caught it and examined it closely. She discovered that the token bore the emblem of the Right Chancellor’s Longsun Family Troops.
“So... you want me to go to the Longsun Residence?” Di Jiang pondered for a moment and asked.
The bird nodded and chirped twice.
“Hmm, this is getting more and more interesting...” Di Jiang stroked her chin, her face breaking into a sly smile.
After lunch, Di Jiang took the token and headed to the Wu王府 (Wu Royal Residence). She thought that if she wanted to enter the Right Chancellor’s residence, it wouldn’t be possible with just a servant’s token; she needed to find some connections.
Among the high-ranking officials she knew, there was only one—Wu Rui’an.
When Di Jiang arrived at the Wu王府, the guards didn’t recognize her and said, “There are dozens of women like you coming every day. If we let everyone in, wouldn’t our Lord Wu be overwhelmed?” With that, they blocked her from entering.
Di Jiang sighed, thinking that she wasn’t in a hurry anyway, so she leaned against the stone lion at the entrance of the Wu王府, idly playing with her hair.
Passing officials who saw her couldn’t help but look at her with strange expressions, as if to say, “It’s true that there are always women lingering outside Lord Wu’s residence, but to be so openly seeking his affection—what boldness!”
Di Jiang remained unfazed and didn’t pay attention to their remarks.
However, other passing women would cast murderous glares at her, making her feel uneasy and nervous from time to time.
After waiting for half an hour, Di Jiang grew tired and couldn’t help but stretch lazily.
At that moment, a general dressed in military attire emerged from the gate and immediately noticed the shiny bracelet on her wrist.
That golden hue… could it be the same one Lord Wu had been fondling during his military campaigns?
“Miss, are you waiting for someone?” Lü Chenfei walked up behind Di Jiang and joked.
Di Jiang, still stretching with her hands raised above her head, looked at him awkwardly.
Slowly lowering her hands, she smiled back and asked, “Is there something?”
“It’s like this…” Lü Chenfei casually circled around to face her, resting one hand on the stone lion and partially encircling her, smiling. “My friend recently lost a bracelet, and it looks very similar to the one you’re wearing. If it’s convenient, could I take a look?”
“This one?” Di Jiang extended her arm generously and waved the bracelet in front of his eyes.
Lü Chenfei examined it closely and found that whether it was the water-like luster, the smoothness, or the gold threads inside, it was identical to the one Lord Wu had been fondling!
Lü Chenfei suddenly jumped back a step, drew his sword, and pointed it at her neck, angrily shouting, “You thief! Return our Lord’s bracelet at once!”
“What? What?” Di Jiang was stunned.
“The Lord said the bracelet disappeared somewhere. So it was you who stole it!” Lü Chenfei pressed harder, the tip of his sword about to pierce Di Jiang’s skin.
“You’ve got it wrong!” Di Jiang waved her hands frantically. “I didn’t steal this bracelet! It’s...”
“Not stolen?!” Lü Chenfei raised his voice, interrupting her. “I don’t care if you stole it, found it, or bought it—it belongs to our Lord! He spent three years crafting it for his future bride! And now, right after returning to Taiping Prefecture, it gets stolen! Since I’ve seen it, I can’t let you go!”
By this point, Di Jiang finally understood what was going on.
Evidently, this bracelet held great significance for Wu Rui’an. After she had thrown it into the lake that day, Wu Rui’an, to save face, simply told his close friends, “The bracelet was stolen, vanished without a trace.”
Later, when Di Jiang retrieved the bracelet, Wu Rui’an never explained it to anyone below him. Hence, today’s misunderstanding occurred—she was mistaken for the bracelet thief.
Di Jiang took a deep breath, about to explain, but before she could, Lü Chenfei bound her hands behind her back and dragged her toward the mansion gates.
The guards at the entrance saw them and did not stop them; they opened the gates immediately.
Thus, after waiting for over half an hour, Di Jiang finally entered the mansion.
Seeing this, she suddenly didn’t want to explain anymore. Though misunderstandings weren’t pleasant, the outcome was good.
She no longer had to wait outside the gate, feeding mosquitoes under the scorching sun.
Lü Chenfei escorted Di Jiang and stormed into the council hall.
Inside, Wu Rui’an was seated with three or four officials. In front of them were piles of documents as tall as small mountains. Each person held several books, flipping through them diligently. They didn’t even notice the two of them entering.
“Lord! I’ve caught the thief who stole your bracelet!” Lü Chenfei shouted, startling everyone.
Especially Wu Rui’an, who looked up in shock. His initial confusion turned to astonishment when he saw Di Jiang next to Lü Chenfei.
He immediately stood up from behind the mountain of documents, smacking Lü Chenfei on the back of his head and angrily saying, “You blind fool! What thief stealing a bracelet? Could there possibly be such a beautiful thief? This is Lord Wu’s…”
Wu Rui’an suddenly blushed.
Clearing his throat, he paused for a moment before continuing, “This is my close friend, the owner of Jiansu Medical Hall, Di Jiang!”
At this point, Lü Chenfei finally understood—the bracelet in Di Jiang’s possession wasn’t stolen; it was personally given by Wu Rui’an.
Lü Chenfei’s legs went limp, and he nearly knelt before Di Jiang. Before he could utter the words “Royal Consort,” Di Jiang supported him.
Di Jiang forced a laugh and said, “No need for alarm, Master. This bracelet was originally used to settle a debt since Lord Wu owed me money a few days ago. There’s no other meaning to it, so please don’t overthink it.”
Lü Chenfei knelt halfway before Di Jiang, his hand resting on her arm. He didn’t know whether to stand up or remain kneeling, and everyone in the room felt uncomfortable watching him.
“How long do you plan to hold her hand?” Wu Rui’an said coldly, his expression even darker than before.
Lü Chenfei was startled awake and quickly released Di Jiang.
Standing straight before Wu Rui’an, he saluted and then apologetically laughed, “Lord, I was just worried for you. When I saw the Royal Consort…”
“Hmm?” Wu Rui’an glared sharply.
Lü Chenfei immediately corrected himself, “When I saw Miss Di Jiang, I was so excited… Please forgive me, Lord…” By the end, his voice carried a hint of crying.
“What are you still doing here? Get out!” Wu Rui’an glared furiously.
“Yes! Your servant takes leave!”
With Wu Rui’an’s command, Lü Chenfei felt as though he’d been pardoned. Without another word, he slipped away and soon disappeared without a trace.
Wu Rui’an sighed, lifting the corners of his mouth, and turned to Di Jiang, saying, “Miss Di, please don’t take offense. He’s just impulsive. He joined the army at twelve and has followed me ever since. Now, at fifteen, though young, his martial skills are exceptional, and he’s honest—a rare talent indeed.”
“I can see he’s very loyal to you,” Di Jiang said with a smile and a nod.
“How did Miss Di meet him?” Wu Rui’an asked curiously.
“It’s actually a misunderstanding…” Di Jiang recounted how the bird had returned and how she had been stopped at the gate.
“I’ll teach those blind guards a lesson!” Wu Rui’an rolled up his sleeves and started walking out.
Di Jiang hurried after him and said, “It’s understandable that they didn’t recognize me since I haven’t been in or out of the mansion for three years. Besides, the most urgent matter now is to investigate any strange occurrences in the Longsun Residence, not to bother unrelated people!”
“Oh, you’re right.” Wu Rui’an nodded blankly and immediately sent a few men to inquire at the Longsun Residence.
Soon, they received the answers they sought.
Longsun Wugou was a founding elder of Xuanwu. Forty years ago, he was the Prime Minister of Xuanwu, and forty years later, he still firmly held that position.
He didn’t abuse power, form factions, or pursue private interests. His reputation was high both inside and outside the court. Even Empress Chen Zhao showed him respect, addressing him as “Chancellor Duke.”
Now, Longsun Wugou was very old. Attending court had become a luxury for him. The current head of the Longsun Household was his eldest son, Longsun Qi.
Longsun Qi was average in ability, but he had a beautiful daughter from his main wife, named Longsun Yuming, who was renowned throughout the court.
Longsun Yuming was only fourteen, well-educated, knowledgeable, and known for her humility and grace. She was highly regarded as a potential daughter-in-law by many noble families.
But recently, she had suddenly fallen ill and hadn’t left her bed for half a month. Many famous doctors from inside and outside the palace had been consulted, yet no one could diagnose her illness. Instead, she continued to grow thinner day by day.
Therefore, when Wu Rui’an brought Di Jiang the next day, presenting a visiting card under the pretext of treating her illness, they were quickly welcomed as honored guests into the Longsun Residence.
Longsun Qi had only one wife, Lady Shen, and Yuming was Shen’s youngest daughter.
With her daughter unwell, Lady Shen was naturally the most anxious. Di Jiang and Wu Rui’an sat in the front hall for less than half a cup of tea’s time before being led to Yuming’s chambers.
Due to gender segregation, Wu Rui’an had to wait in the front hall while Di Jiang accompanied Lady Shen into the inner chambers.
Beyond the screen, on a carved flower bed, lay a frail girl, barely breathing. This was Longsun Yuming.
Longsun Yuming’s complexion was pale, her lips devoid of color, and she appeared weak and powerless.
Di Jiang approached, checked her pulse, and then lifted her eyelids, discovering that her eyes were covered with a grayish haze, exuding a deathly aura.
Lady Longsun sat by the bedside, her eyes red, visibly worried but maintaining composure.
Yuming’s wet nurse, however, was already tearful. Seeing Di Jiang finish checking the pulse, she anxiously asked, “Doctor, is there any way to save our young mistress?”
“Let’s talk outside,” Di Jiang said calmly and stood up to leave.
The old woman immediately helped Lady Shen follow her out.
They passed through the screen and returned to the front hall.
“How is it? Have you found the cause?” Wu Rui’an immediately approached.
Di Jiang shook her head. “The symptoms are clear, but I need to ask a few questions.”
“Ah... alright,” Wu Rui’an glanced at Lady Longsun, refraining from acting rashly in front of her, and patiently sat back down at the table.
“Doctor Di, please sit and speak,” Lady Longsun kindly gestured for Di Jiang to sit.
Without hesitation, Di Jiang sat next to Wu Rui’an.
After pondering for a moment, Di Jiang asked the old woman, “The young mistress seems to have lost too much blood... Has she sustained any injuries recently?”
Lady Longsun shook her head. “Our young mistress doesn’t leave the house, doesn’t carry heavy loads, so how could she get injured?”
“This is strange...” Di Jiang frowned, deep in thought.
The old woman, seeing Di Jiang’s puzzlement, urgently said, “The cause of the blood loss... might be...”
“Might be what?” Di Jiang asked.
The old woman hesitated, glancing at Wu Rui’an.
Wu Rui’an bellowed, “Speak up! Stop being so hesitant! Do you want to save her or not?”
Startled by his shout, the old woman lowered her gaze and sighed, “The young mistress’s menstruation... has lasted non-stop for three months.”
“What!” Di Jiang exclaimed, knocking over the hot tea in front of her.
Seeing Di Jiang so agitated, Wu Rui’an was surprised and asked, “What is ‘menstruation’?”
At Wu Rui’an’s words, the expressions of all the maids and servants in the room turned peculiar.
“Lord, despite your experience in pleasure quarters, you don’t know what a woman’s menstruation is?” Di Jiang looked at him incredulously.
Even more perplexed, Wu Rui’an asked directly, “Do I need to know?”
“Hmm... It seems Lord is truly innocent.”
“Please enlighten me, Doctor Di,” Wu Rui’an bowed respectfully, appearing very humble.
Di Jiang didn’t hesitate. Clearing her throat, she explained, “In the Shennong Bencao Jing , it states: ‘Within a woman’s abdomen lies a place for nurturing offspring, with two branches forming the womb. For those not pregnant, it has a regular function of shedding and renewal, bleeding for three to five days each month, known as menstruation.’ Lord, do you understand now?”
Upon hearing this, Wu Rui’an was momentarily stunned, then blushed. Slamming the table, he pointed at the old woman’s nose and scolded loudly, “You old hag! You should’ve just said that Miss Longsun’s flow hasn’t stopped instead of going on about ‘menstruation’ and wasting my time!”
Wu Rui’an’s shout echoed throughout the courtyard, reaching everyone’s ears. Even Miss Longsun inside the chamber turned bright red with embarrassment.
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