The room was as warm as spring, hot air surging, completely unlike the icy, snowy world outside.
The simple furnishings held nothing remarkable. The drab colors served only to highlight the stunning beauty of the woman on the couch. Layers of drapes before the bed concealed the spring scenery within.
The drunkenness gradually faded. Fragments of memory from before she got drunk flooded her mind. Summoned back to the capital to report on her duties, she had encountered a group of bandits ambushing a convoy on the road. Out of kindness, she saved the convoy.
The convoy belonged to Song Changyu, the wealthiest man in the city. Several people in the convoy had brushed past the gates of death. Among them was a child, the Song Family’s only son.
Song Changyu had many daughters, but only one son, barely five or six years old. In that era, there was a method for women to marry, though it was rare and scorned by society. But Song Changyu, in his ‘kindness,’ insisted on marrying his eldest daughter, Song Ling, to her.
The eldest daughter’s marriage came with a grand dowry of ten miles of red splendor, the envy of all. Shen Sheng vehemently refused, but she couldn’t withstand the pressure from the Song family. Amidst the pushing and shoving, she was forced to bow to heaven and earth and enter the bridal chamber.
A wave of heat surged up, and she felt as if a fire was burning in her throat, making her unbearably thirsty.
The faint scent of alcohol in the air subtly mingled with the ambiguous, intimate aroma, emitting an indescribable, suggestive atmosphere.
A single lamp in the room illuminated the scene within the brocade canopy. Shen Sheng finally sobered up a bit and looked at the woman before her. Her exquisite features made one want to look again. A strong nose bridge and thin, alluring lips hinted at a natural, innate coldness.
Shen Sheng shook her head, trying hard to prop herself up. But the other’s eyes grew colder and clearer, her expression showing no trace of panic or shyness—it was Shen Sheng who felt like she was overreacting.
It was just a first time, and there might even be a second.
She blinked and lay down conveniently, reaching out to snatch the blanket. “The Song Family matter… I’ll have someone look after it once I return to the capital.”
The Song Family marrying off their daughter—gratitude was a pretense; seeking connections and power was the truth.
But she didn’t care anymore.
The woman’s hand rested on the brocade blanket, her fingertips rubbing back and forth. After Shen Sheng lay down, she shifted further inside, trying to keep her distance.
Shen Sheng never imagined the woman was trying to keep her distance. She felt a strange sensation in her heart but didn’t dwell on it. Her mind was straining to figure out what in the world Lovesickness Gu Poison was.
Both were outwardly composed, but their thoughts were in turmoil. Both were contemplating what to say next when a loud ‘bang’ sounded from next door.
“Is there someone next door?” Shen Sheng asked, surprised.
The Song Family, being extravagant, had booked the entire inn, choosing the best suite for the bridal chamber. Logically, the adjacent rooms should have been empty.
The woman turned her back to Shen Sheng. The brocade blanket shifted, revealing faint red marks on her back. Shen Sheng, ever chivalrous, covered her eyes, hastily pulling the blanket up to cover her. “I’ll go take a look.”
“You won’t come back if you go,” the woman’s voice was cold and deep.
Shen Sheng scratched her head helplessly. “Why not? Is there a ghost next door?”
The woman didn’t answer. The response was a mournful wail, “Ah Ling… Ah Ling…”
The woman slightly closed her eyes, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips—cold, heartless, and indifferent.
Shen Sheng stared at the fair skin on the back of the woman’s neck. The crying from next door grew louder, from one person wailing to a chorus of cries intermingling, as if some major event had occurred.
“Ah Ling… Ah Ling… Where’s Shen Sheng… Shen Sheng…”
Shen Sheng, being named by the people next door, furrowed her brows deeper and deeper. The woman sat up, the brocade blanket slipping down, revealing her shoulders and the red marks that could no longer be concealed.
The woman spoke slowly: “Young General Shen Sheng, went to the border at fifteen, taking command in place of her father and brothers. Fought countless battles, large and small, guarding a whole region. At sixteen, in a single battle, recaptured Juzhou City, the city her father and brothers had lost. Became famous in one battle, striking terror into the hearts of the enemy. It’s said that in that battle, the Shen Family Army entered the city and massacred Juzhou City, not even sparing the babies in swaddling clothes—truly cruel methods.”
“Did you think you could return to the Imperial Capital alive?” The woman smiled openly, a gentle, soft light in her eyes. “The Song Family wants your life.”
Her smile was like the cold moon, and also like an icy blade.
Shen Sheng blinked. “Even if your father treats you badly, you can’t slander him like this.”
The woman’s hair was loose. Perhaps from the intimacy, the corners of her eyes were tinged with red, yet she liked to smile—her contempt was evident.
“Let’s make a bet. Put on your clothes, and we’ll go see together.” The woman’s face held a mysterious smile, her eyes curved like a crescent moon, so beautiful it took one’s breath away.
As she finished speaking, the noise next door grew even louder, followed by the sound of chaos descending the stairs. By this time, the sky was still dark.
Shen Sheng’s face hardened. She turned to get off the bed. Looking around, she thought—oh no—the floor was a complete mess.
The fault of the alcohol… the fault of the alcohol…
She picked up her own clothes, then the other’s garments. She turned back to look at the woman. The woman’s eyes shifted slightly, waiting for her to speak.
“You’re not the eldest daughter of the Song Family… Which daughter are you?”
“Song Changyu as my father? Is he worthy?”
Shen Sheng’s whole body trembled. The other smiled vividly, radiant and alluring. She realized something was very wrong. “Why are you here?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“And what exactly is your Lovesickness Gu Poison?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
Shen Sheng: “…” This person is so annoying.
Listening to the crying next door, Shen Sheng’s head began to ache. She’d drunk far too much the previous night, entered the room in a daze, and still had no idea what had really happened.
She asked again: “What’s your name?”
“An illusion, a flower in the mirror, the moon reflected in water—just a hollow name to address someone by.” The woman replied.
Shen Sheng frowned. “Speak plainly. What’s your name?”
“My parents called me Anu. Others call me Jiang Wan.”
“I knew you weren’t a girl from the Song Family.” Shen Sheng felt deflated, her heart a tangled mess. She likely wouldn’t be able to leave in the next couple of days.
They hurriedly dressed. Shen Sheng lifted the brocade canopy. Anu was already dressed, her long hair simply tied with a gray silk ribbon. Shen Sheng was curious: “Why use gray?”
“I’m not in a good mood.” Anu stood on the footrest, raising her chin slightly.
Shen Sheng: “…” Sure enough, beautiful women have bad tempers.
Exactly like her mother.
She asked a tactless question: “Were you poisoned by the Gu last night?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
Shen Sheng grumpily shut her mouth. Fine, if she wouldn’t say, she wouldn’t ask. It wasn’t like she herself had suffered a loss.
In the adjacent first-class ‘Tian’ room, half of the red candles had burned down, the melted wax on the table already solidified.
The Song Family members were crying so hard they couldn’t lift their heads. The previous night, the bride, Song Ling, had been stabbed to death. She lay face-up on the bed, the bed boards stained red with blood.
Shen Sheng had changed into a waiter’s coarse clothes and was quietly standing by the doorway while Anu stood beside her openly, watching the excitement.
The county’s constables had arrived. The coroner stepped forward to examine the body. The Song Family’s eyes were red with grief. The family head, Song Changyu, was speaking with the constable chief.
“After the ceremony last night, my daughter was sent up here. Shen Sheng was drinking in the main hall until the Hai hour. I stopped the guests from urging her to drink more, and she conveniently came upstairs to enter the bridal chamber. The maids saw her go upstairs and withdrew. Who knew, half a shichen ago, when the maids knocked on the door, there was no answer for a long time. They pushed it open to find my daughter… killed.” Song Changyu wiped his tears, his expression filled with pain.
The constable chief asked him: “Did you see General Shen enter this room with your own eyes?”
“Naturally. Otherwise, why would I have dismissed the maids from the bridal chamber?” Song Changyu answered.
Shen Sheng frowned. She instinctively asked Anu: “How can he lie with his eyes wide open? I didn’t even enter the bridal chamber.”
She looked up at the sign hanging outside the room—the ‘Tian’ character room—then glanced towards the adjacent room, which had the sign ‘Wei’. She had been too drunk to see clearly last night and had entered the wrong room.
Inside the room, the constable chief’s expression turned grim. “General Shen is already gone. Perhaps she went to pursue the murderer. I’ll send men to find her immediately.”
“Chief Zhang, when we entered, all the doors and windows were shut. If there had been a struggle, how could the maids downstairs not have heard? In my opinion, Shen Sheng killed my daughter and fled in secret. Chief Constable, I beseech you to send men to find her and deal with her according to the law.” Song Changyu spoke urgently.
Hearing this, Shen Sheng hid behind Anu. Yesterday, Old Master Song was so kind and benevolent; today, he had completely changed his tune.
She was puzzled and asked Anu: “The Song Family is willing to sacrifice a woman just to frame me?”
“I don’t know,” Anu replied.
Shen Sheng was so anxious her head hurt, but the person beside her remained perfectly composed.
After a discussion between the constable chief and Song Changyu, men were ordered to arrest the suspect, Shen Sheng, throughout the county.
A while later, the coroner reported back: “A single fatal knife wound. The killer is a trained martial artist.”
“Who else but Shen Sheng around here?” Song Changyu said irritably.
At that moment, Anu’s hand landed on Shen Sheng’s ear. Her slender, distinct-jointed hand was pale and delicate, her fingertips carrying a chill. Shen Sheng trembled all over, a numbing sensation spreading through her heart.
Anu took the opportunity to lean close to Shen Sheng’s ear. “Look at the table just inside the door.”
On the table sat a small, triangular incense burner. There were too many people inside the room. Shen Sheng lowered her head and walked in. As she passed the table, she ‘accidentally’ knocked the incense burner over.
The burner overturned, and the ash spilled out directly. Lowering her head under the pretense of cleaning it up, Shen Sheng scooped up a handful.
The constable chief now looked at the incense burner. “Is this your incense burner?”
“Everything here was arranged by my Song Family.” Song Changyu’s eyelid twitched, his cheeks stiff.
The constable chief walked over. Song Changyu stepped forward as if to stop him, but suddenly his knee gave way, and he dropped to one knee, wincing in pain. At this moment, the constable chief reached the burner, examined it, and said: “Take it back and check what incense it is.”
Shen Sheng pulled Anu back to the adjacent room and opened her palm. “Is there some kind of mesmerizing incense here?”
Anu looked down, dipped her fingertip into the incense ash, brought it to her nose, and sniffed. A hint of playfulness flickered in her eyes. “You guessed right. Mesmerizing Butterfly Incense. The question is whether those mediocre officials can discover it.”
“Meaning, the moment I entered last night, I might have been knocked out by the incense, and when they broke down the door, they would have caught me red-handed?” Shen Sheng was seething with hatred. She’d saved them out of kindness, only to be framed like this.
Anu suddenly remarked: “Perhaps the convoy was never attacked at all. It was just a play.”
Shen Sheng’s heart sank. She asked: “What should we do?”
Unexpectedly, Anu lightly brushed the ash from her fingertip, then wiped it on Shen Sheng’s clothes, heartlessly refusing her: “It has nothing to do with me. Why ask me?”
Shen Sheng choked, her face flushing bright red. “Last night, we at least… at least… How can you be so heartlessly cold now?”
