After listening to Wu Wei’s account, Gao Ningxue had already clenched her fists. Wu Wei had phrased things quite mildly, but as one of the people directly involved, Gao Ningxue naturally understood all the mysteries hidden within the incident.
Those soldiers who had been haphazardly buried at Qinglu County’s Desolate Burial Mound were very likely the very escort who had been transporting the auspicious omen!
Had she not been kidnapped and woken up inside a coffin at the Charity Mortuary while she slept, would she herself be buried in the Desolate Burial Mound right now?!
Bearing Wu Wei’s reminder in mind, Gao Ningxue rose to her feet. “Come out with me for a moment.” In the end, the matter of the auspicious omen was just a guess on her and Wu Wei’s part. They couldn’t drag the innocent Embroider Maiden too deeply into it. That was also why Wu Wei had always called her “Second Boss” instead of “County Princess.”
Wu Wei understood immediately. She turned to the Embroider Maiden and said, “Embroider Maiden~ I’m hungry. Could you make some braised pork, steam some white rice, and stir-fry a vegetable?”
“Mm, I’ll get right to it.” The Embroider Maiden rose calmly and headed to the main hall. Out of her absolute trust and respect for Wu Wei, she never pried too much. Even if Wu Wei and Gao Ningxue occasionally held secret talks behind her back, the Embroider Maiden never felt the slightest discomfort.
Because she knew Weiwei would never harm her. When the time came for her to know something, Wu Wei wouldn’t hide it from her.
Gao Ningxue and Wu Wei returned once more to that open patch of ground. Wu Wei couldn’t help sighing. “Your master’s eye is truly sharp. She found this spot for secret talks back then. Look—it’s wide open all around without a single place to hide. But if someone comes from over there, it’s a cliff-like little dirt mound, putting us right in their blind spot. Yet from here, we can spot anyone approaching first. Not for nothing they’re called The Jade-Faced Divine Strategist~.”
“Of course! My master is a godlike figure!” Just mentioning Dongfang Rui made Gao Ningxue soften all over, and she didn’t stint on her praise.
Gao Ningxue slowly withdrew her smile and said seriously, “I suspect the person you examined is one of the Forbidden Army soldiers transporting the auspicious omen and elixirs back to the capital. The other corpses must be buried under those fresh graves at the Desolate Burial Mound—twenty people in all, and seven pits are just enough.”
“I had the same vague suspicion. But didn’t you say you’d already reached Clear River County by then? How could the bodies end up in Qinglu County?”
Gao Ningxue furrowed her brows, thought for a moment, and replied, “That’s exactly why I can’t be completely sure they were Forbidden Army. But according to your description, the corpse had postmortem livor mortis from leg bindings and wrist guards. Ordinary folk wouldn’t use either.”
Wu Wei analyzed, “Leg bindings alone make sense—hunters heading into the hills often wrap them to fend off snakes and bugs. But wrist guards are usually leather, which commoners can’t afford. Their main purpose is to stop enemy weapons from hacking your wrist and making you drop your own. If he were a hunter, his calluses would be on his fingertips, not the palm or the base of the thumb. Hunters also tend to have dark scars from insect bites, but that body had none.”
Gao Ningxue fell silent for a moment before replying, “Maybe… the Forbidden Army noticed I was missing and doubled back to search. I trust your judgment. By clan regulations, a vassal prince’s mansion guards can’t leave their fief. My grandfather has always been one to keep his head down and follow the rules, so these soldiers could only be from the Imperial Court. Qinglu County’s magistrate is bold as brass! Murdering Forbidden Army on imperial business is a huge deal. And they want to cover it up and fool the heavens? Despicable!”
Wu Wei spoke in a calm tone. “I suspect I’m not far from being silenced myself. Once they think the storm has blown over, they’ll probably arrange some ‘accident’ for me. Luckily, aside from you and the Embroider Maiden, no one knows Lord Dongfang gave me that token. That’s my key to turning the tables—it all comes down to whether Lord Dongfang arrives first or the county yamen men do.”
Gao Ningxue immediately declared righteously, “Don’t worry, you’ve got me! I refuse to believe a puny magistrate would really dare rebel outright!”
Wu Wei merely chuckled lightly. “I’m afraid it’ll drag you and the Embroider Maiden down with me.”
“They dare?”
“They’ve already buried bodies, bribed the coroner, faked testimonies, and plotted murders to silence people. What’s one more? If the County Princess’s whereabouts were clear and she had guards with her, they naturally wouldn’t dare. But right now, you’re alone and stranded at my home. What proof do you have of your identity? They’ve done so many evils already—letting you go means certain death for them. They might as well go all in. Don’t underestimate the evil in human nature.”
“They dare? Scheming against imperial kin is a crime that exterminates nine clans!”
Wu Wei gazed into the distance and said faintly, “In some backwater place where one man’s power rules unchecked without oversight… who knows what it turns into?”
These years, Gao Ningxue had been well protected by Dongfang Rui. Though she did come into contact with some cases, as long as she stayed by her master’s side, she only saw law-abiding folk. As long as she bore the title of County Princess for one more day, everything she encountered seemed “just.” In Gao Ningxue’s logic, by the laws and precedents, the magistrate and his advisor would obediently face punishment—just the two of them. If they stubbornly tried to harm her… that would be the nine-clans crime.
But for some reason, after hearing Wu Wei say all this in the calmest of tones, Gao Ningxue felt a chill creep out and slither through her entire body.
Did Gao Ningxue dare to bet her life on “justice”? Wu Wei didn’t think so.
“…So what do we do now?”
Wu Wei turned her head and looked straight into Gao Ningxue’s eyes. “By my calculations, it’ll be at least ten days before the Tongguang Money House in the Capital Region receives my letter. Which means… even if Lord Dongfang rides flat out, it’ll still take nearly a month to arrive. By then, the bodies will have rotted away, the evidence cleaned up, and it’ll be my execution date. Which do you think comes faster?”
Gao Ningxue swallowed hard and asked nervously, “Then what?”
“Call for reinforcements. From Prince Yan, Your Highness.”
“But Grandfather’s mansion guards can’t leave the fief… and besides, I don’t want to go back!”
“Play a long game to hook a big fish. You can borrow three or four skilled guards from Prince Yan, Your Highness, in your capacity as Bright Mirror Division Left Commander. Have them hole up temporarily in the Charity Mortuary to protect you until Lord Dongfang arrives. If you’re on official business, His Highness can’t just drag you back by force, right? Besides… haven’t you considered how serious this is?”
Gao Ningxue’s face lit up with delight. She thought Wu Wei’s plan was perfect—it guaranteed her safety without getting dragged back by her grandfather. As long as she didn’t return to Taizhou Prefecture, as long as she could see her master, she’d do anything!
“What problem?” Gao Ningxue asked.
“The auspicious omen and the tribute are gone—what crime do you think that puts Prince Yan, Your Highness, under?”
…
After dinner, the Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei sat at the kang table. Wu Wei held a copy of the Records of Qinglu County and read it intently. She’d bought it to relieve Gao Ningxue’s boredom, but since Gao Ningxue had no interest in books, Wu Wei ended up benefiting instead.
The Embroider Maiden quietly sewed soles onto shoes. Wu Wei had been running around nonstop these past few days, wearing through her footwear at an alarming rate. Though Wu Wei always advised her that they had money now and could just buy a couple pairs at the market for cheap, the Embroider Maiden insisted homemade shoes were made with more care and wore more comfortably, so she persisted in sewing soles for her.
Gao Ningxue, meanwhile, was restless, pacing back and forth in the narrow passageway.
Wu Wei rubbed her brow and said, “Second Boss, our place is small enough as it is. If you need to walk off your meal, go do it in the main hall. You’re making my eyes spin.”
Gao Ningxue clapped her hands lightly. “I’ve figured out how to word it! Wu Wei, grind some ink for me!”
“Got it~” Wu Wei set the book down. The Embroider Maiden fetched the Four Treasures of the Study and placed them on the kang table, then stepped aside.
Once the ink was ground, Gao Ningxue took up the brush and wrote a letter to Prince Yan. She mostly followed Wu Wei’s suggestions to avoid unnecessary trouble, stating only that she needed to borrow men for sudden official business. She made no mention of the possible theft of the auspicious omen and elixirs—after all, it wouldn’t do for a vassal prince to learn of such a thing before the Imperial Court.
Gao Ningxue generously handed the letter to Wu Wei. “Take a look. Need any polishing?”
“Looks good to me. Let’s go with it.”
Wu Wei had already folded her own letter into an envelope. She slipped Gao Ningxue’s in as well and sealed it with wax.
“Do you have a token?” Wu Wei asked.
Gao Ningxue slipped off her silver bracelet. “Here, use this. Who’s delivering it? And don’t you dare leave!”
Wu Wei chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you and the Embroider Maiden alone at home. I’ve already got a reliable person in mind. No time to lose—I’ll head out now.”
“Where to?” the Embroider Maiden asked.
“I’m heading to Zhang Family Village to find Second Brother-in-law. Besides you, you’re the only one I trust—Second Sister’s whole family. If outsiders get their hands on this letter and open it, the consequences don’t bear thinking about.” Noticing the worry in Embroider Maiden’s eyes, Wu Wei reassured her. “Don’t fret. I’ll just tell Second Sister it’s a quick job with good pay—it won’t take long at all! If I set out tonight, I should get there around noon tomorrow. They’ll send Second Brother-in-law back by cart, and the reward money will be generous, right, Second Madam?”
Gao Ningxue nodded vigorously. “My grandfather agrees too. The one who sent the letter was incredibly generous!”
“You two, make sure to lock up tight. I’ll call out when I get back.”
“Mm-hmm.”
…
Wu Wei set off with the letter in hand. Now that spring had fully arrived and the earth had thawed, the mountain paths were far easier to traverse than they had been in winter. She reached Zhang Family Village before nightfall. By her calculations, Second Lady Liu should be showing her pregnancy by now.
Old Lady Zhang was delighted to see Wu Wei and eagerly invited her inside to sit. But Wu Wei just smiled and shook her head. “I’ll come properly once Second Sister has given birth. For now, could Old Madam please call Second Brother-in-law for me? I’ll wait right here.”
Old Lady Zhang let out a sigh. She understood Wu Wei’s reservations all too well and felt a deep pang of regret from the bottom of her heart that Wu Wei had been driven to take up work as a coroner. Their whole family wouldn’t dream of looking down on her for it, of course—but what would become of her in the future?
A few moments later, Zhang Shuisheng emerged from the house, bundled up in his outer robe. The moment he spotted Wu Wei, he didn’t waste a word. He grabbed her arm and started ushering her toward the courtyard. “You’ve come all this way—why stand on ceremony out here? Your Second Sister’s been feeling heavy these past few days and couldn’t come out to greet you herself. She told me to bring you inside!”
