Chapter 213: Spring Equinox
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Qin Momo was stunned.
This person looked very young, even younger than Xu Zhiheng, but when his gaze fell on her, it was like a chilling abyss, cold to the bone. She had never seen this person before and didn’t know his identity, but her instincts screamed danger louder than with Xu Zhiheng.
Qin Momo had remained a widow at a young age. In her youth, she was attractive, and even after her husband’s death, she could have remarried. However, she was unwilling to send her son to distant relatives, and other men who were willing to marry her were not interested in raising someone else’s child. Only Niu Tiejiang was willing.
But Qin Momo looked down on Niu Tiejiang’s status, thinking that he was a bit poor. Later, after entering the He family, her life improved, and she gave up the idea of remarrying. However, there was also some unclear relationship between her and Niu Tiejiang. Initially, Qin Momo didn’t pay much attention to Niu Tiejiang, but after He Wanru’s incident, Niu Tiejiang pointed out a way for her to survive. During the days of hardship they faced together, Qin Momo did develop some genuine feelings for him. This young man was directly threatening Niu Tiejiang’s life, which put Qin Momo in a more passive position.
She said, “Concubine He made a mistake, was punished by the mistress, got beaten, and couldn’t endure it, so she left.” After speaking, she looked at the young man, scrutinizing his expression.
The young man’s expression remained indifferent, and he spoke calmly, “I don’t have the patience to listen to your rambling. If you think this man’s life is not enough, I can add the lives of Wu Han, father and son.”
At these words, Qin Momo exclaimed, “No!”
Wu Han was her son, and this person was using the lives of her descendants to threaten her. He wasn’t Xu Zhiheng; if Xu Zhiheng had killed her son and grandson, he would still fear that Qin Momo might reveal the truth and create a big scene. However, this unfamiliar man seemed indifferent.
He had no leverage over her, yet he knew everything about her.
Qin Momo slumped to the ground, and for a moment, a feeling of despair surged in her heart.
“Don’t worry; I don’t intend to take your life.” He leaned slightly forward, staring into Qin Momo’s eyes. In his clear eyes, there seemed to be a sharp edge, “Xu Zhiheng’s people have been watching Wu Han and his son to force you to show up. But if you tell what you know, I can save their lives.”
Qin Momo trembled. This condition was indeed tempting.
For the first time in her life, she dared to be bold. “How can I trust you?” she asked.
He responded with a nonchalant smile, extending his hand. The black-clothed man behind him approached and handed a bracelet to him. The young man waved the bracelet in front of Qin Momo.
Qin Momo was greatly shocked.
This bracelet was crafted for her grandson when he was born. She had it made by someone and even sought the blessings of a high monk to ensure the well-being and health of her grandson. Now, it had fallen into the hands of this person. She knew she had no possibility of negotiating conditions with him. The best she could do was to say whatever would satisfy him and plead for the safety of her family and Niu Tiejiang.
“I’ll… I’ll tell you everything,” Qin Momo said sorrowfully. “Concubine He was executed by Master. The family law was just a pretext; Concubine He was confined in the mansion, fearing that outsiders would catch on. She was given medicine daily, and in just a few days, she was gone.”
The young man was not surprised and only asked, “Why did Xu Zhiheng have He Wanru executed?”
“Because… because Concubine He made a grave mistake and had to die.”
“What mistake?”
Qin Momo’s hand trembled, and she took a deep breath, as if summoning courage. After a while, she spoke, “Because Concubine He killed the Grand Madam.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Luan Ying and Fei Nu were both shocked. Everyone in Shuojing knew that the previous Grand Madam of the Xu family had accidentally fallen into a pond and drowned due to her blindness. Now, they were hearing that Concubine He had killed the Grand Madam. How absurd? No matter what, Miss He, the younger sister of He Rufei, had a noble status. If she died due to jealousy or resentment toward a concubine, it would be too ridiculous.
No wonder Xu Zhiheng was eager to execute He Wanru and everyone who knew about it. If the censor filed a complaint about the lax management of the family, Xu Zhiheng might lose his official position. But if the He family didn’t know about it, why would they willingly send another daughter over? If the He family did know, why was everything passed over so easily?
Xiao Jue’s eyes flickered slightly, confirming his speculation with Qin Momo’s words.
“Why did He Wanru want to kill the Grand Madam, or rather,” he rephrased, “why did Xu Zhiheng want to kill the Grand Madam?”
Qin Momo was startled and hastily said, “No, sir, Concubine He killed the Grand Madam. It’s a matter within the women’s chambers and has nothing to do with others. Master is kind and gentle; how could he possibly do such a thing?”
Xiao Jue looked at her indifferently, “I’ve said it; I have no patience for your lies.”
In the next moment, Fei Nu’s sword was already against Niu Tiejiang’s neck.
Blood streaked down his neck, and no one could remain indifferent when facing a life-or-death situation. The sturdy man, who had always been calm and composed, now revealed a hint of panic in his eyes. Qin Momo was even paler, pleading, “Stop!”
The sword didn’t move further, and Xiao Jue said, “I’ll ask again: why did Xu Zhiheng want to kill his wife?”
At this critical moment, Qin Momo hesitated, unwilling to reveal the truth. It seemed that the concealed information was not a trivial secret.
Closing her eyes, seemingly in great distress, Qin Momo finally spoke, “I don’t know… I don’t know… I’m too scared. I advised her not to do it. But she said it was Master’s will, and it was fine; she would be safe if she followed Master’s orders. I was far away at the time; I was terrified. I only vaguely heard Concubine He say to the Grand Madam, ‘General He…'”
Xiao Jue suddenly lifted his gaze, and for a moment, his eyes were as sharp as blades, making Qin Momo hesitant to speak. He asked, “What did you just say?”
Trembling, Qin Momo said, “Concubine He said to the Grand Madam… ‘General He.'”
At that moment, she was terrified. Although there were many shadows of blades and swords in the mansion, she had never directly taken a life. She also wanted He Wanru to have a stable position in the Xu family, but Qin Momo could see clearly that He Wanru could never become Xu Zhiheng’s official wife. When He Wanru mentioned killing He Yan, Qin Momo was shocked. She had tried hard to dissuade her to give up such thoughts.
But He Wanru remained determined, unwilling to listen to Qin Momo. In the end, He Wanru finally revealed the truth: Xu Zhiheng had ordered it, and he wanted He Yan dead. But why Xu Zhiheng wanted He Yan dead, she never revealed. She only said it was a secret between Xu Zhiheng and her.
At that time, Qin Momo had already realized that something was wrong.
Unfortunately, He Wanru was spoiled by her family from a young age. Marrying into the Xu family, Xu Ziheng was also a gentle person, and even the head mistress, He Yan, was someone who didn’t manage affairs. Having ambitions without much intelligence, Qin Momo’s words fell on deaf ears, and when she finally wanted to do something, it was already too late.
On the day He Yan drowned, Qin Momo hid among the onlookers, terrified. He Wanru’s influence was too great, and so many people… it was as if they had no reservations. She vaguely heard the conversation between He Wanru and He Yan, like a cryptic puzzle. Although the details were unclear, one sentence stood out to Qin Momo: He Wanru referred to He Yan as “General He.”
“General He” was He Rufei, He Yan’s elder brother. What was the connection between He Yan and General He? Qin Momo couldn’t understand at the time. Even when she fled the Xu family and traveled with Niu Tiejiang, she didn’t understand the situation. It was only later, upon careful consideration, that she sensed something unusual. She seemed to have glimpsed a bit of the secret, but… it was too shocking. Once this secret was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
So, unless absolutely necessary, Qin Momo would never reveal this matter. Now, whenever she thought of that day, she felt a chill.
On that day, in front of everyone, Madam Xu was forced into a pool of cold water with sticks. She never came out. Even those arrogant people present at the time were already considered dead in the eyes of others. He Wanru also didn’t expect that soon after Xu Ziheng took his wife’s life, he would turn his attention to her.
It was all cause and effect, destined in the divine plan.
No one spoke in the room. Qin Momo couldn’t help but raise her head to glance at the other party, feeling uneasy. This was her biggest secret, and she didn’t know who the other person was or why he was asking about this.
“Continue,” said Xiao Jue.
Speaking was still better than remaining silent. Qin Momo decided to reveal everything. “After Madam Xu’s death, I anticipated that Concubine He would likely be silenced by Master. I was afraid and wanted to persuade Concubine He to escape with me, but she refused. At that time, the servants in the mansion, especially those who were present in Concubine He’s courtyard, were already prohibited from leaving the mansion. When I later escaped, I inquired through someone and learned that now all the people in Concubine He’s courtyard at the Xu family had been replaced… they were all dead.”
“Sir…” Qin Momo wiped away tears as she spoke, “That’s all I know. Although I served Concubine He before, I don’t know why Master wanted to kill Madam Xu. Concubine He never told me. I’m just a servant of the Xu family. I know nothing. I beg you to spare us!”
Xiao Jue stood up, looked at the two of them, and said, “You will stay here temporarily.” He walked out of the room.
The guards outside followed him in. Xiao Jue walked to the end of the courtyard where there was a flower wall. He stopped. It was already spring, but there were only green leaves on the flower wall, no red flowers. His voice carried a chilling coldness in the wind. “Luan Ying, when is He Rufei and Madam Xu’s birthday?”
Luan Ying replied, “It’s the spring equinox. On that day, Madam He and Second Madam He both gave birth. He Rufei and Madam Xu were born at the same time, and their birthdays are on the spring equinox.” She and Fei Nu exchanged glances, both seeing the astonishment in each other’s eyes.
While in Jinling, they had already learned from Youhua Fairy that the “He Rufei” at that time was a woman. Now, He Rufei’s actions in the battle in Huayuan hinted that he was indeed not the same as the “He Rufei” from back then. Xiao Jue had ordered Luan Ying to investigate the women who were close to He Rufei. However, it seemed that there was no need for further investigation now. Although Qin Momo only mentioned “General He,” those words made everything clear.
The original He Rufei, who studied at Xianchang Academy, the He Rufei who went to Cloud Pavilion in Jinling with the young men, the He Rufei with outstanding military achievements in the Fuyue Army, was actually Madam Xu, the cousin born at the same time as He Rufei. And now, Madam Xu is already dead. No one in the world knows this secret, so He Rufei has become the real “Flying Phoenix General.”
“You continue to collect information about everything related to Madam Xu’s life.” Xiao Jue said, “The relationship between Xu Ziheng and He Rufei may not be simple. Xu Ziheng should know about the swapping identities between He Rufei and his cousin.”
Luan Ying nodded and hesitated for a moment before speaking, “But, Master, Miss He bribed the little servant guarding the Xu family’s gate to inquire about Qin Momo’s whereabouts, probably for this matter. The swapping of identities between He Rufei and Madam Xu is a secret. How did Miss He know? And why investigate this matter? He Rufei and the Xu family both set their sights on Miss He. Earlier, subordinates thought their true purpose was you, but now it seems that maybe not.”
“What role does Miss He play in this?”
Luan Ying is much older than Xiao Jue, almost watching him grow up. Many times, she is not as nervous about Xiao Jue as Fei Nu. She speaks her mind.
Xiao Jue remained silent. It was Fei Nu who couldn’t hold back and finally said, “Miss He has the same name as Madam Xu.”
“That’s just a coincidence.” Luan Ying continued without much thought, “I checked. Miss He is Miss He, with no replaced identity. Moreover, Miss He’s name has been the same from the beginning. There are no other possibilities. I originally thought whether Madam Xu had a twin sister or something, but the age is not right. And the neighbors of the He family can testify that Miss He looks like her mother.”
So, He Yan is impossible to be the twin sister of Madam Xu.
“Let’s stop here regarding He Yan’s matters,” Xiao Jue said. “I have my plans.”
Fei Nu and Luan Ying looked at each other, not expecting that one thing would lead to so many follow-ups. Not only did they discover the earth-shattering secret of He Rufei swapping identities with his cousin, but now even He Yan’s actions seemed mysterious.
But since Xiao Jue had spoken, they could only follow his instructions.
Xiao Jue said, “Keep an eye on these two people and don’t let them escape.”
The two nodded.
When Fei Nu and Luan Ying went their separate ways to carry out their tasks, Xiao Jue looked at the quiet sky.
In Shuojing’s winter, there were only a few lonely stars scattered on the black velvet, like some moment by the clear spring, the faint light in the sky. Both the water surface and underwater were brightly lit by lanterns.
On the boat, the longevity noodles steamed, and the syrup rolled in the cups made of leaves was as sweet as honey. The girl’s face was hidden behind the lantern, the night was so beautiful at that moment, the wind was too cold, making people ignore the reddening of her eyes caused by the rising heat.
He raised his eyebrows and asked, “Isn’t it your birthday today?”
The girl smiled with her eyes, “Commander, you are really good to me. Thank you.”
He slowly lowered his head, his gaze falling on the edge of his boots and the reflection on the water’s surface.
That day was the Water God Festival in Jiyang, spring equinox.
…
He Yan’s mood was really not good.
Unable to find Niu Tiejiang, following the trail to find Qin Momo’s whereabouts made He Yan suspicious. If Xu Zhiheng found Qin Momo before her, Qin Momo would undoubtedly be in danger. For her, losing an important eyewitness would be a setback.
She originally wanted to visit Fuwang, but her current financial situation was tight, and the servants of the Xu family were particularly greedy. Going empty-handed, she was afraid she wouldn’t obtain any useful information. So, from the second day after returning from the market, everyone in the He family noticed her low spirits.
“He Yan, today, when Dad passed by Dong Street, he heard that a new scented ointment is popular among the young ladies of Shuojing. Dad bought one for you. You can apply it on your hands, and it will have a nice fragrance.”
He Yan replied listlessly, “Thank you, Dad.”
He Sui was also distressed. Originally, his daughter was beautiful and charming, and although she had a somewhat willful temperament, as a girl, she was adorable. Colleagues and friends all knew that his daughter was delicate and beautiful. Now that He Yan had returned, her temperament was completely different from before. She got up every morning to practice martial arts and chop wood. She didn’t use the rouge and powder he had bought for her before, and she went about with a plain face every day, even wearing a dress didn’t stop her from working.
Although this was good in a way, the gap was too big. Sometimes, when He Sui looked at her, he missed the past delicate daughter. So, he tried to buy some small things to remind He Yan that she was a woman. Although he felt that He Yan was fine like this, General Fengyun was marrying a wife, not a brother. He couldn’t let He Yan go out with Xiao Jue, and outsiders say that He Yan looked more like a man than Xiao Jue. What would that look like?
He Yan didn’t know that her actions had distressed He Sui to this extent. She was single-mindedly thinking about Qin Momo’s situation. Although she knew that Niu Tiejiang probably wouldn’t appear at Changmao Ironworks again, there was still a trace of hope in her heart. After two more days, early in the morning before He Sui and He Yunseng had left the house, He Yan quietly got up, folded the bedding, and took Xiang Xiang to the town again.
So when Qingmei got up to feed the horse, she once again uttered the same exclamation as a few days ago. This time, she was much more composed than the last time. Instead of crying when she saw that the house was empty, she walked to Chiwu’s room and knocked on the door quite politely.
Chiwu opened the door, “What’s the matter?”
Qingmei smiled and accused him, “Young Master Chiwu, did you sleep too soundly? Miss is out again with Xiang Xiang. Haven’t you noticed?”
Chiwu: “…”
***
Author’s Note: Recommend my friend Miao Zi’s new book “Affairs of the Mansion,” classical Chinese, one-on-one, for sisters who like it, you can save it~
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 5 chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
