QYT - 18

The carriage jolted along for nearly two hours before finally coming to a stop.

Presently, someone outside the carriage urged, “Everyone out!”

Qing Wei and several courtesans squeezed inside the carriage descended one by one. What greeted their eyes was an estate. The estate occupied a vast area, built against a mountain, with white walls and dark tiles, and lush vegetation.

The courtesans were led into the estate by several servants dressed as guards. They passed through a bamboo grove and stopped before a crescent moon-shaped gate. Above the moon gate was a plaque with three large characters, “Fengcuiyuan.” Beneath the plaque stood several matrons. Upon seeing them, one who seemed to be in charge spoke loudly: “From now on, you will live here. The guests here are unlike those outside; there are no lowlifes or commoners here! Those who come here are all distinguished guests. Be clever, abide by the rules, and serve them well, and you will enjoy endless blessings in the future. But if you don’t follow the rules, remember, this is not a place to support idlers. I, your matron, have many ways to make you remember!”

At this, the courtesans understood.

The brothels outside were too conspicuous, and high-ranking officials and nobles valued their reputation and disliked going there. Yet, unable to suppress their romantic natures, what could they do? Some catered to their preferences and built estates. On the surface, these estates resembled the residences of wealthy families, but in reality, they were places exclusively for these nobles to drink, enjoy themselves, feast, and frequent courtesans.

There were many such estates in the capital. The locations were usually hidden, varying in size, and one needed an introduction from an acquaintance to enter. Qing Wei had only vaguely heard about these before, but she never expected to witness one today.

The leading matron then instructed, “Line up and come over, one by one, state your names. If a name doesn’t sound good, it will be changed. After registering, wait in another room in the courtyard for someone to come and inspect your bodies.”

There were guards following close by, and Qing Wei, unsure of the situation, dared not act rashly. She lined up with Meiniang. Upon reaching the moon gate, the registering matron asked, “What’s your name?”

“This is a new girl from our Shifang Pavilion, we haven’t had time to name her yet...” Meiniang, worried that Qing Wei might not know how to handle the situation, answered for her from the side.

“I asked her, why are you interjecting?” The matron interrupted sternly and asked again, “What’s your name?”

Qing Wei casually made up a name. The matron nodded and was halfway through writing when her brush suddenly paused. She looked up, scrutinizing Qing Wei closely, then exchanged a glance with the leading matron beside her. She picked up a seal nearby and stamped a beautiful peach blossom mark under Qing Wei’s made-up name.

Upon entering the courtyard, the guards stopped following. Fengcuiyuan was very large, with a pond in the middle. Behind the pond was a two-story small building. The room for body checks was the main room on the first floor of the small building, and there were also people guarding the entrance, seemingly to register names again.

Meiniang reached the corridor and, seeing that the courtesans behind hadn’t yet followed, quietly asked Qing Wei, “Miss, Official Xue, he...”

“He left,” Qing Wei knew what Meiniang wanted to ask and replied, “That day, we were pursued by the Black Eagle Division. After leaving the city, we escaped to Ningzhou territory. I turned back to the capital, and he escaped.”

Qing Wei didn’t tell the whole truth, not because she didn’t trust Meiniang, but simply because it wasn’t necessary.

Meiniang breathed a sigh of relief: “He had always wanted to come to the capital these past few years, lingering around several prefectures near the capital for many days. It’s good that he reached Ningzhou; he’s very familiar with the wilderness there and will surely escape safely.”

Qing Wei had snuck in and shouldn’t stay long at the estate. She looked around and, seeing no one noticed them, went straight to the point: “Uncle Xue has been investigating the truth behind the collapse of Xijintai all these years, you know this, right?”

Meiniang nodded.

“Uncle Xue left this for me before he departed,” Qing Wei said, reaching into her sleeve and revealing the Shuangfeiyan jade hairpin to Meiniang, “Do you know the origin of this jade hairpin?”

The jade hairpin was something from the wooden box. Meiniang had indeed seen it when she was keeping the wooden box for Xue Changxing, but...

Meiniang shook her head: “I only remember Official Xue saying that this jade hairpin was closely related to Xijintai and should not be shown easily to others. He didn’t mention anything else to me.”

Qing Wei was already prepared for Meiniang’s lack of knowledge. She didn’t get discouraged and continued to press: “Or, unrelated to the hairpin, he risked coming to the capital, besides seeing you, he must have had something very important to do. When he gave you the wooden box, did he mention anything else?”

Anything else?

Prompted by Qing Wei, Meiniang instantly remembered: “Zhezhi Residence!”

“Zhezhi Residence?”

“It’s a small wine shop in Liushui Alley, near Donglaishun. Official Xue asked me about this wine shop and said he wanted to go there,” Meiniang said. Seeing Qing Wei hadn’t reacted, she told her the location, “Walk straight along Yanhe Avenue. Near Donglaishun, there’s a fork in the road. Turn into the fork, and it leads to a dead-end alley. Zhezhi Residence is at the end of the dead-end alley.”

At Meiniang’s mention, Qing Wei immediately remembered.

That night, she and Xue Changxing escaped from Shifang Pavilion, with the Black Eagle Division in hot pursuit. She had intended to avoid the small alleys and leave Liushui Alley by the way they came, but Xue Changxing walked directly towards Donglaishun without looking back. This left them with no escape route, forcing her to devise a plan to bump into Jiang Cizhou, spilling his wine, and covering Xue Changxing’s escape.

Thinking back now, Xue Changxing wasn’t a reckless person. He knew Jiang Cizhou was drinking at Donglaishun, so why would he choose to go there?

Or, was everything as Meiniang said, that Xue Changxing’s real target was not Donglaishun, but the wine shop in that dead-end alley, Zhezhi Residence.

At such a life-and-death moment where one wrong step could be fatal, he still thought of going to that wine shop. There must be a mystery there!

Qing Wei said, “I know now, thank you.”

In a few words, the two had already reached the end of the corridor. A curtain was drawn in front of the room for body checks, with a long line forming outside. Several matrons guarded the doorway, one of whom was lecturing: “After your body checks, someone will lead you to your respective living quarters. In the evening, someone will come to teach you skills. If you learn your skills well—” The matron raised her hand and pointed towards several individual pavilion courtyards behind Fengcuiyuan—”See that? Our courtesans, the courtesans and top performers here, all live in places like that! This is a blessing you couldn’t even dream of outside!”

Having said that, she asked a guard beside her: “Has the register been delivered yet?”

“It should be here soon,” the guard said, glancing at the courtesans. “They were released from prison. The yamen, you know, has many procedures, and the register won’t be delivered in a hurry. Let’s just count them first, register their names, and then cross-reference later.”

The matron said coldly, “It is precisely because they come from an irregular background that we cannot be careless. If there’s one more or one less, it could easily cause trouble.”

Qing Wei’s heart sank upon hearing this. She hadn’t expected the rules of this estate to be so strict, even requiring a check of the courtesans’ numbers.

She had sneaked in on the spur of the moment, and once these matrons got the Black Eagle Division’s roster, it would be too easy to expose her.

It was dusk, and twilight was gradually setting in. Qing Wei, unnoticed, quietly stepped back. Meiniang, seeing Qing Wei about to leave, grabbed her wrist.

She looked at Qing Wei with some concern, made a gesture to cover her face, and handed her the silk gauze she was wearing.

Qing Wei took the silk gauze and nodded to Meiniang.

Retreating to the very end of the courtesan line, Qing Wei used a pillar in the corridor to conceal herself, then leaped onto the corridor roof. Although her movements were light, if one were to observe carefully, it wouldn’t be difficult to spot her. Fortunately, the guards of Fengcuiyuan seemed not to have anticipated anyone sneaking into the estate, and their attention was focused on the corridor below.

As dusk deepened, Qing Wei used the cover of night to quickly reach the higher eaves.

She looked around. The estate was larger than she had imagined. Fengcuiyuan, where she was currently located, was on the west side of the estate. Looking from west to north, immediately next to Fengcuiyuan were the pavilion courtyards where the courtesans and top performers lived, as the matron had just pointed out to them. Further north from the pavilion courtyards was a wide alley. Behind the wide alley was a large kitchen, outside of which beautifully dressed maids carried various delicacies in and out. Passing through a camphor forest, one would reach the front courtyard of the estate.

Tonight, the front courtyard seemed to be hosting a banquet. From her vantage point, she could see a myriad of lights, winding streams with floating wine cups, and occasionally, the sounds of music and drums, a continuous stream of decadent melodies. As for the east side of the estate, it appeared to be the residence of the estate’s owner and distinguished guests, while the south side housed the estate’s guards and servants.

Qing Wei had entered the estate from the west gate earlier. Given the current situation, both the east and south sides had too many guards and couldn’t be used. Returning to the west gate and blending out from there would be the best option, but once the Black Eagle Division’s roster arrived and they discovered an extra courtesan, the west gate would surely be sealed off immediately. She couldn’t risk that.

That left only the main gate to the north.

Qing Wei’s gaze fell on the kitchen behind the camphor forest. For now, her only option was to impersonate a serving maid, get to the front courtyard, and then, amidst the hustle and bustle of the banquet, blend in and leave the estate.

Qing Wei moved across the rooftops in a few leaps, quickly passing over the pavilion courtyard and reaching the kitchen roof.

Night had fallen. However, she wasn’t wearing night clothes today. Although she had Meiniang’s silk gauze to cover her face, she dared not show herself casually. She lay hidden behind a flying eave, waiting for the right moment. Suddenly, she heard voices from below the eaves: “If Young Master Jiang likes ‘Fresh Fish Comes,’ he only needs to send someone to the estate to say so. There are so many errand boys and idle eaters down here; it’s truly a sin to trouble Guard Chao to fetch it himself.”

“The Young Master sent me to get acquainted. In the future, when he’s free, he’ll certainly visit often.”

Qing Wei was startled.

That voice... why did it sound so familiar?

She looked down.

The two who had just spoken had already emerged. One, by his attire, seemed to be the estate’s steward. Walking behind him was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a blue and white close-fitting outfit, with flat eyebrows and narrow eyes, a clean face, and a saber at his waist. Who else could it be but Chaotian?

How could Chaotian be here?

The steward said, “That’s wonderful then! In the future, if Young Master Jiang wants to visit, just say so beforehand, and the estate will simply prepare ‘Fresh Fish Comes’ and wait! I’ll see Guard Chao off.”

“No need,” Chaotian said politely. “Master He is hosting a banquet, and it’s still busy up front. I won’t delay Steward Xu any further. I know the way to the side gate; I’ll go out myself.”

After bidding farewell to the steward, Chaotian, carrying the food box, walked away by himself.

Qing Wei stared at Chaotian’s retreating back, feeling that something was amiss.

Meiniang’s arrest was related to the prison break in the south of the city, which was a major case. Jiang Cizhou couldn’t possibly be unaware of it. Yet, he had just released Meiniang, and then immediately sent Chaotian to this estate to fetch some ‘Fresh Fish Comes.’ This couldn’t be a coincidence.

And the “Master He” Chaotian just mentioned, wasn’t that He Hongyun?

Could it be that He Hongyun stayed with Jiang Cizhou that day specifically to demand Meiniang and these courtesans from him?

Qing Wei vaguely felt she had found the crux of the matter. She refused to let go of this opportunity. Seeing that Chaotian hadn’t noticed her, she secretly followed him.

Chaotian left the kitchen, passed through the wide alley, and rounded a corner. Seeing no one around, he hastily put down the food box.

He manipulated a mechanism beneath the box and, from a hollow, wide hidden compartment, retrieved a black cloak. He draped it over himself, blending into the night, and leaped onto the wall, quickly heading towards the pavilion courtyard where the courtesans and top performers lived.

Qing Wei immediately followed.

In the pavilion courtyard, each pavilion was specially guarded. Chaotian’s objective was clear. He reached a building called “Fuxia Pavilion.” Before the two guards could react, he used his hands as blades, delivering a heavy blow to each side, causing both guards to faint.

Chaotian leaped to the second floor of the pavilion. After a slight hesitation, he pushed the door open and entered.

Qing Wei was astonished by this scene. She hid herself in a tall camphor tree in the courtyard and glanced at the building’s name again—

Fuxia Pavilion.

Was there something unusual about this Fuxia Pavilion?

Never mind, she couldn’t figure it out by just thinking.

Qing Wei used her toes to push off the treetop, silently landing outside the second-floor bedroom. The night was dim, but candlelight illuminated the room. Chaotian, likely to facilitate his departure, hadn’t completely closed the door after entering. Qing Wei peered through the crack in the door, seeing gauze curtains hanging around the round bed in the bedroom, with someone seemingly sound asleep inside.

Chaotian approached the bed and called out to the person: “Miss Fuxia?”

But there was no response from the bed.

Chaotian moved a little closer, intending to reach out and pull aside the gauze curtain. His movements were extremely careful, almost as if he was holding his breath.

Outside, Qing Wei also held her breath.

Just as Chaotian’s hand touched the gauze curtain, a guard’s anxious voice suddenly echoed from Fengcuiyuan: “There’s an extra one? How can there be an extra one?!”

“Absolutely true, your humble subordinate has verified it repeatedly; there is indeed one more person mixed in among the courtesans who were sent!”

“Search immediately! Find out who exactly snuck in! Seal the back gate; no one is allowed in or out!”

Qing Wei’s heart went cold; her whereabouts had been discovered!

She no longer cared about Chaotian and was about to leave. At that moment, Chaotian, hearing that the guards weren’t looking for him, breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to lift the gauze curtain.

Just then, something heavy seemed to fall onto the bed, accompanied by a “click” — the sound of a mechanism being triggered. Chaotian, alert, immediately arched backward, and dozens of arrows shot out from within the bed—it turned out there was no one on the bed at all, only a bulging bundle of bedding.

Simultaneously, on the roof of Fuxia Pavilion, a segment of fireworks shot into the sky, exploding in a dazzling array of colors against the night.

It was a whistling arrow!

At this moment, Qing Wei understood everything. Chaotian must have used the pretense of fetching ‘Fresh Fish Comes’ to sneak into Fuxia Pavilion to find someone, but unexpectedly, the other party was already prepared, catching him in a trap and turning the tables on him.

What kind of place was this estate anyway?

It didn’t matter that Chaotian triggered the mechanism; the problem was that she had also snuck in, and since he drew attention, she was in trouble too.

The arrows just now didn’t hit anyone, and then there was another “click.” Qing Wei, without thinking, immediately leaped up, flying to hide in a tall camphor tree nearby. Almost simultaneously, Chaotian also broke through the window, quickly assessed the terrain, and leaped towards the same camphor tree.

The two stood in the tree, their eyes meeting, still shaken as they glanced at the small building again.

If they had been a step slower, they would likely have been riddled with arrows by now.

Chaotian looked at Qing Wei again. In the night, she had a silk veil covering her face, revealing only her eyes. Furthermore, without the birthmark above her eye, he couldn’t recognize her at all.

Not recognizing her didn’t prevent him from knowing roughly who she was—he had heard the guards’ shouts earlier: a female thief had infiltrated the estate.

Qing Wei resented Chaotian’s rashness, hesitating whether to kick him off the tree before escaping.

But Chaotian moved first.

He quickly untied his cloak, threw it over Qing Wei’s head, and said, “Take care!” He allowed Qing Wei to kick him in the abdomen, sending him falling from the tree, landing on his backside.

Chaotian rubbed his backside and urgently shouted to the approaching guards, “Did your estate get a thief? I just saw a female thief breaking into Fuxia Pavilion! She’s hiding in the tree right now!”

Qing Wei: “...”