In Yanfu Temple, the door to a private chamber quietly opened. Ruan Hongjiao stepped forward and took Consort Wei’s outstretched hand.
Consort Wei crossed the threshold and exhaled a long breath.
From the moment she had entered until now, a full hour had passed. Ruan Hongjiao watched her without betraying any emotion. She found the consort’s clothes perfectly neat, her hair not at all disordered, yet her eyes shone with tears and her cheeks still glowed with a lingering flush of passion.
Even one experienced in the ways of the world could not be sure at a glance whether two unmarried people, secluded together in a room, had just shared the secrets of Mount Wu.
She hesitated, then asked softly, “Your Highness, will you go back to the main hall now, or return to the palace?”
Consort Wei turned her head to look at her; an unquiet ardor still rippled beneath her eyes, her voice carrying a thread of lingering excitement. “Tell me — what matters most to a woman?”
Ruan Hongjiao followed the current of her thoughts: “To find a faithful heart, and grow old together without parting?”
Consort Wei shook her head. “That’s merely gilding the lily. I finally understand why a woman would stake her life on some man and gamble on an impossible promise of unwavering devotion. Even if that man is the emperor, it’s not worth it. If there is any man in the world truly worthy of my trust and entrustment, there is only one now—”
—is it Mr. He in the house? Ruan Hongjiao’s eyes flicked toward the door.
Consort Wei shook her head again. “He is my own son, Zhao’er.”
“Mr. He’s words were right: you cannot have both fish and bear paw. If I cannot discard distractions and single-mindedly pave the way for Zhao’er—if my heart remains full of reservations and attachments—then in the end I will be left with nothing.” She looked down at the bright vermilion on her fingertip; the lacquered color on her pale fingers seemed like fallen petals nobody cared for. “I cannot wear this exact red openly in the palace because the Empress Dowager favors it.
“What the Empress Dowager likes, no command is needed—people will rush to procure it, from rare flowers sent across a thousand li to monks and Taoist priests coming and going through the palace gates. Has her son, who puts state affairs first, once scolded her for it? Yet he is harsh toward my maternal clan. In the end, Mother and child are the ones truly of one mind!”
Consort Wei laughed softly. “Why do I tell you this? You, a courtesan, are unlikely ever to bear a son who could stand on a formal stage—so you are spared the need for these schemes and exertions.”
Ruan Hongjiao felt a bitter hatred in her chest so sharp it could make her weep blood, but on her face she kept a look of indifferent composure. “Your Highness speaks truly. Born of my low station, I only ask for a life of steady food and clothing—how could I worry over heirs? If I were to conceive, I would instead have to fret over how to deal with it.”
Consort Wei smiled: “I value you because you know the times and occupy your proper place. Help me accomplish one thing, and I will erase your ignoble status and grant you the rank of a noblewoman.”
Ruan Hongjiao seemed stunned by this unexpected boon. “Your Highness! What virtue or merit have I to deserve such grace… I will repay it with my life and loyalty!” She dropped to her knees and bowed repeatedly, thanking the consort.
Consort Wei pressed a hand on her shoulder. “I have not finished speaking.”
Ruan Hongjiao, weeping with gratitude, said, “Please instruct me, Your Highness.”
Consort Wei said, “This matter is both difficult and not. Given your skills, it could not be handed to a more suitable person. But it will risk a full household execution, even implicating nine generations. Do you dare?”
Ruan Hongjiao froze for a moment, then her face hardened with resolve. “Fortune comes from risk. With my lowly status, one day when age and disfavor come, I might not even have a full meal. Besides, what household do I really have? My parents sold me while alive; my brother was exiled for crime; my clan is ashamed of me. Why should I care for their lives? Better to grasp at this chance!”
Consort Wei nodded with satisfaction, helped her up, and produced a small porcelain vial from her sleeve, placing it in Ruan Hongjiao’s hand.
“What is this?” Ruan Hongjiao asked.
Consort Wei replied with a question: “Are you aware of the prophecies carved on the stone pillar?”
Ruan Hongjiao hesitated: “I have heard some rumors in the market… But Your Highness need not worry; such things are absurd—most people would not believe them.”
Her words, however, were the reverse of the truth—most folk loved gossip and would eagerly embellish and spread it.
Consort Wei no longer cared about that; she had weightier matters to arrange.
“The Crown Prince is investigating this matter. Hah—thief crying ‘stop thief.’ But he must produce results to show his father; for that, he dares offend the Ministry of Revenue and has examined many officials connected to the Disaster Relief Bureau. Some officials, feeling guilty, have tried by all means to curry favor with the Crown Prince. Gifts of jewels and beauties sent clandestinely were kept by the Crown Prince as evidence of bribery—truly, they have hoisted stones to drop on their own feet.”
Ruan Hongjiao said, “It seems the Crown Prince, though young, accepts neither hard nor soft pressure.”
Consort Wei said, “No one is beyond fault, especially at fifteen. Tonight the Crown Prince is still at the Disaster Relief Bureau reviewing records; he has not returned to the palace. This is your golden opportunity.”
“What must I do?” Ruan Hongjiao asked.
Consort Wei drew close and whispered: “Tonight you will appear as the daughter of the official who threw himself into the well. Go to the Crown Prince privately and say that your father, on his deathbed, confided secrets to you and asked you to seek redress. With that plea, the Crown Prince will certainly see you.”
Ruan Hongjiao nodded as she listened. “I shall not only see the Crown Prince, but must find a way to be alone with him… And this vial?”
“Snake venom,” Consort Wei’s voice chilled. “If you can inflict a scratch that draws blood and let the venom touch it, one drop into an open wound seals the throat by blood.”
Ruan Hongjiao’s heart thudded. Controlling her expression, she forced a light laugh. “Your Highness is right—no one is more suitable than I. I am a weak woman, yet I have scratched many strong men; they still sought me out, as though wanting more of such strikes.”
Consort Wei’s lips curved. “I know your abilities. The Crown Prince, full of youthful vigor, will be more easily struck. After the deed, I will have someone fetch you. You will leave the Disaster Relief Bureau through the secret passage beneath. Then place a young girl’s body beside the Crown Prince, to frame the scene as a father’s revenge and a mutual demise. In this way, Zhu Helin will not only die, but his name will be utterly ruined.”
Ruan Hongjiao picked up the thread: “And the common folk will only gain another strange tale to chatter about—who will still bother with the stone pillar then?”
Consort Wei squeezed her fingers. “You truly are this palace’s confidante.”
Ruan Hongjiao thought inwardly: I fear this so-called confidante, once the deed is done, will die faster than anyone.
“Rest assured, Your Highness, this servant will not fail in her mission.” She tucked away the vial, once again supporting Consort Wei’s hand as they walked toward the main hall.
Seeing the Consort depart, the palace maids and guards, without summons, could only follow at a distance.
Having reached her decision, Ruan Hongjiao feigned worry: “This servant just recalled something. When I was young, villagers used to say that snake venom spoils easily, and the hotter the weather, the harder it is to preserve. Might the venom in this vial already spoil before nightfall?”
“That I cannot say. But since it was extracted and prepared by Mr. He himself, he must have considered that. When you return, test it on a living thing and you will know.”
“And if I find it spoiled after testing, where will I find more of the same venom? Could I go directly to Mr. He?”
Consort Wei thought for a moment. “Of course, seek him. Now that you mention it, I suddenly recall—the little mouse he once asked for… so it wasn’t for release, but for killing.”
She covered her mouth, laughing softly. “And he calls himself a lay devotee—such conduct is… all the more amusing. After all, if he truly abided by precepts, how could he—” She swallowed the rest of the sentence.
“Little mouse?” A spark lit in Ruan Hongjiao’s mind. “Mr. He keeps snakes? What kind, and where?”
“He seldom leaves home, so perhaps he keeps them in the guest quarters of the Marquis’s estate. Didn’t you visit him? You didn’t see them?”
Ruan Hongjiao shook her head. “Never saw. This servant fears snakes—better not to.”
“What’s to fear?” said Consort Wei. “When I was little, a snake slithered across the boundary wall. I grabbed it by the tail and gave it a shake—its bones scattered in a snap, slippery as anything…” She caught herself, coughed quickly, and entered the Grand Buddha Hall with stately grace.
—
As soon as she stepped into her chamber, Ruan Hongjiao ordered her maid: “Boil me a pot of tea.”
The maid at once lit a small red-clay stove, filling the kettle with water and setting it to boil.
While waiting for the boil, Ruan Hongjiao told her to fetch two chickens from the back courtyard. Taking the rooster first, she slit its neck, then drew out the porcelain vial from her bosom and carefully smeared its foaming pale yellow liquid. The rooster gave a few shrill cries, then convulsed and died in moments.
When the water bubbled, Ruan Hongjiao tossed the vial into the kettle and let it gurgle for some time before fishing it out with chopsticks.
She then treated the hen the same way. Frightened, the hen flapped wildly around the room—but came to no harm.
So it truly was snake venom—rendered useless once boiled. Lowering her gaze in thought, Ruan Hongjiao summoned her personal maid and told her to slip out after dark to deliver a message to Lord Su.
As for herself, she changed clothes, freshened her appearance, took up the porcelain vial, and set out by carriage toward the Marquis Xianan’s residence.
That Mr. He had dared incite Consort Wei to plot against the Crown Prince—such a man could never be a mere household retainer. Ruan Hongjiao suspected his quarters held not only snakes and Consort Wei’s secretly gifted tokens of affection, but also clues to his true identity. If she could find such evidence—even just a note exchanged with an accomplice—it would be enough to condemn him.
There was no time to lose. If she delayed until the appointed hour when she was supposed to set out for the Disaster Relief Bureau to meet the Crown Prince, suspicion would surely fall. Her own death mattered little; if the Crown Prince came to harm, that would shake the heavens.
Her carriage vanished into the deepening dusk.
—
As night fell, lanterns lit the courtyard, glowing over a barbecue set beneath the old peach tree.
Su Yan was mixing a homemade sauce, from time to time reminding Xiaojing to turn the lamb ribs on the rack so they wouldn’t burn.
“Why hasn’t Brother Xiaobei come back yet? At this rate the ribs will be cooked through before they soak up the flavor!” Xiaojing muttered, dissatisfied.
The courtyard gate opened and Su Xiaobei strode in, a small peddler hurrying behind him.
“I told you to buy pepper—why’ve you brought the peddler too? Hurry, hurry, give me the pepper… hey, little peddler, where’s your carrying pole?”
Su Xiaobei pulled Su Yan toward the hall, and the peddler followed right up the steps.
From behind them, Xiaojing shouted, “What’s going on? Where’s my pepper powder?”
“Shut up.” Su Xiaobei tossed back an oiled paper packet.
Xiaojing caught it and was about to grumble further when he suddenly smelled burning. “Oh no—my ribs!”
Inside the hall, the peddler removed a headscarf, revealing a delicate young girl’s face. Nervously she said, “Lord Su, I am maidservant to Miss Ruan. The last two notes, it was I who delivered them through this young master. This time my lady bade me come myself, to deliver her words face to face—”
—
“Quick! Xiaobei, gather all the guards Yu Wang left us, have them wait at the back gate!” Su Yan rushed down the steps, heading for the stables even as he shouted orders. “Ah Zhui! Ah Zhui!”
Xiaobei reminded him, “Brother Zhui has already left, my lord…”
Su Yan’s stride faltered, pain flashing across his face before he changed course: “Then send Xiaojing to summon the guards, and you—ride to the Shen estate at once and tell Shen Qi—”
Before he could finish, a voice called from above: “Lord Su! If you need to reach Lord Shen, why not use me?”
Su Yan looked up. On the eaves next door—no, the deed was already in his hand, so it was his own roof now—Gao Shuo was craning his neck, peering down at them.
“Gao Shuo? Why are you still sprawled on my roof… never mind, this isn’t the time. I’m short of men, and you came just right.”
Seeing Su Yan not blame him, Gao Shuo quickly leapt down. “Whatever you need, my lord, just say the word.”
Su Yan gave him a quick once-over. “How are your martial skills?”
“My lord, you saw for yourself on the road through Shaanxi. Have I ever shamed Lord Shen? To be frank, I’m no worse than that black-faced Chu Yuan.”
Su Yan was not versed in martial arts and could not tell the difference between the “first-class” or “second-class” fighters that Jinghong Zhui spoke of. But since Qilang could fight Ah Zhui to a standstill, then surely his trusted scouts would not be weak either. He said, “Very well, I’ll have you do something for me. Do you know Ruan Hongjiao from Rouge Alley?”
Gao Shuo grinned. “The courtesan? Of course I know her. I’ve gone to Rouge Alley a few times to hear her sing—no, I mean, to gather intelligence.”
“Good. Then I’ll trouble you to slip into the Marquis Xianan’s estate, find Ruan Hongjiao, and bring her safely here.”
“The Marquis’s estate is vast. Does my lord have more precise information?”
Su Yan replied, “Among the Marquis’s retainers, there is one called Mr. He. Ruan Hongjiao should have gone to meet him. You can start by searching his quarters. The matter is urgent—move quickly! Otherwise, I fear Ruan Hongjiao’s life will be in danger.”
Gao Shuo nodded. “Rest easy, my lord. I will do all in my power to complete the task.”
Su Yan cautioned, “Be careful. This Mr. He is no ordinary figure. See if you can bring a few helpers.”
Gao Shuo said, “No worry, my lord—there are still two Embroidered Uniform Guard scouts nearby. I’ll call them to go with me. As for Lord Shen, I’ll have someone notify him as well.”
Just then, Su Xiaobei came running, panting. “My lord, the guards have assembled.”
“Good. We head to the Disaster Relief Bureau.” Su Yan exited through the back gate and swung onto his horse. “Whether or not Mr. He is that ‘Player,’ we must prepare for him to act on multiple fronts. I fear Ruan Hongjiao is just one piece of his game; he must have a backup plan.”
“The Crown Prince must not come to harm!” He raised his whip, spurred his horse, and galloped away with a squad of guards, wind whistling past.
Hearing the commotion, Su Xiaojing chased after them to the back gate, brandishing the long skewer in his hand. “What about me, my lord? What can I do?”
But Lord Su was already gone. Xiaobei glanced at him. “You? Keep roasting your lamb ribs.”
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