Volume One, Chapter 18: The First Sign of a Flaw

Yu Xuanyao clutched the edge of her clothes tightly, her voice trembling. "When Grandmother passed away, I was so grief-stricken that I fainted, so that's why..."

There was a hint of guilt beneath her words.

Shi Zhao had been observing Yu Xuanyao closely and noticed that she kept glancing out the window into the courtyard from time to time.

Her heart skipped a beat as a suspicion arose within her. She remained composed and said, "If that's the case, there's nothing more to say. I still need to personally oversee the tidying of Grandmother's chamber, so I won’t be seeing you off."

Shi Zhao raised her hand lightly, signaling Xiao Lu to escort them out, her movements imbued with an unmistakable finality.

Yu Xuanyao suddenly lifted her head, unease flickering across her face. She opened her mouth but found no words.

Lady Wen Anhou, seeing Shi Zhao’s resolute demeanor, finally turned and walked outside, carrying a trace of loneliness and reluctance.

At the door, she stopped and said to Shi Zhao, "Zhao’er, I’m very disappointed in you."

Shi Zhao raised her brow slightly and replied calmly, "Madam Hou, I have changed my name to Shi Zhao. I am no longer the second young lady of the Hou residence. Henceforth, the title of second young lady belongs to Yu Xuanyao. I hope you will inform the entire household accordingly."

She was merely a cultivator temporarily residing in the Rong’en Hall.

Lady Wen Anhou could not hold back her tears any longer; they streamed down her cheeks, falling onto the stone floor with soft, clear sounds. "Zhao’er, my daughter..."

Yu Xuanyao pressed close to her mother’s side, taking her hand silently to provide comfort.

Lady Wen Anhou said nothing further to Shi Zhao and led Yu Xuanyao out of Rong’en Hall, murmuring, "Nurtured grace and born grace are never the same. With eldest sister gone, Xuanyao, you are all I have left..."

Yu Xuanyao lowered her head, her eyes flickering uncertainly. In a low voice, she said, "Mother, rest assured, I will always be by your side..."

—————

Late at night, Rong’en Hall was shrouded in darkness, with only a faint flicker of candlelight in Qingyun Pavilion.

A slender figure clad in black clumsily scaled over the wall into Rong’en Hall.

Like a ghost in the night, the silhouette approached the main building silently, nervously glancing around to ensure no one was watching. Then, clutching a small copper key tightly, she unlocked the door and slipped inside stealthily.

The figure hurried straight to the old matriarch’s bed, lifting the mattress to reveal a red embroidered pouch. Just as she reached out to grab it, a cold gust of wind brushed past, followed by a strong hand gripping her wrist.

Her eyes widened; she struggled desperately but could not move an inch.

Suddenly, the entire room was flooded with light, revealing the terrified, flushed face of the black-clad figure.

It was Pei Hong, Yu Xuanyao’s personal maid.

She had come back to the mansion with Yu Xuanyao, having been rescued by her during a famine in the countryside.

—————

"Pei Hong, what are you doing in the old matriarch’s chamber at this late hour?"

Sweat beaded on Pei Hong’s forehead as Tian Yong gripped her arm tightly, refusing to let go.

She looked up to see Shi Zhao standing before her, her expression cold and severe.

Everyone from Rong’en Hall had gathered there.

Shi Zhao stared at her coldly, as if looking at an insignificant insect. "Did Yu Xuanyao send you? What is your purpose in coming to Rong’en Hall?"

Pei Hong trembled all over, unable to meet Shi Zhao’s gaze. Her eyes flickered anxiously, searching for an excuse to escape.

"My mistress misses the old matriarch. She sent me to take some of her belongings, just as a keepsake..."

Shi Zhao sneered. Even Yu Xuanyao herself wouldn’t believe such a flimsy excuse.

She stepped forward slowly and took the embroidered pouch from Pei Hong’s hands. The pouch was somewhat worn, lacking delicate embroidery, and its scent was faint, indicating it had been kept under the mattress for a long time.

Nanny Lan was quite surprised. "Miss! This calming sachet was a gift Yu Xuanyao gave to the old matriarch after entering the mansion!"

Shi Zhao frowned. "How come I didn’t know about this?"

"At that time, Miss Xuanyao said her needlework was crude and unworthy of display, so she told the old matriarch to keep it carefully and not let anyone else know, which is why it was placed under the mattress."

Shi Zhao examined the pouch thoroughly but found nothing crude about it.

Inside Rong’en Hall, the candlelight flickered in the night breeze, casting long, eerie shadows of Shi Zhao.

"Do you want to take this pouch? It was a gift from Yu Xuanyao to Grandmother. Why do you want it back now?"

Pei Hong trembled violently, her voice barely audible. "I... I came to take it because my mistress thinks the pouch is old, so..."

Shi Zhao’s gaze sharpened. She keenly caught the panic and evasiveness in Pei Hong’s eyes, and her suspicions were confirmed.

There was something unusual about this pouch.

Shi Zhao smiled faintly. "Pei Hong, I think you took advantage of Rong’en Hall’s renovation to steal something, didn’t you?"

Pei Hong froze, shaking her head desperately. "No! It’s not like that!"

Xiao Xi jumped forward, pointing at Pei Hong’s nose. "You little thief, I noticed you steal a key to the main house when the carpenters weren’t paying attention. Now you’re caught red-handed and still deny it?"

Pei Hong’s heart pounded like a drum. Realizing she had fallen into Shi Zhao’s trap, she stopped explaining and started shouting desperately, "I’m innocent! Mistress! Miss! Please come save me! Ugh..."

Before she could finish, Nanny Lan stepped forward and covered Pei Hong’s mouth. Xiao Lu rushed over with a cloth, and Tian Yong restrained Pei Hong’s struggles. In no time, they wrapped her up tightly like a dumpling.

—————

Shi Zhao said coldly, "Pei Hong was brazen enough to steal from her master’s household. Lock her up and see if she confesses."

After speaking, Nanny Lan and the others carried Pei Hong away.

Shi Zhao opened the pouch and found various medicinal herbs inside. She recognized only a few, while others were entirely unfamiliar to her.

After Grandmother’s passing, Shi Zhao had stayed in Rong’en Hall for a long time, yet Yu Xuanyao had never come to retrieve this pouch.

But today, right as Shi Zhao began renovations, Yu Xuanyao had nervously sent someone to steal this pouch.

Shi Zhao even suspected that Yu Xuanyao had come to Rong’en Hall specifically to steal this pouch.

She recalled the pot of flower soil the old master had discarded, which had also contained several herbs.

Shi Zhao closed her eyes briefly; her intuition told her she might have uncovered something.

She spent the night sleepless.

When daylight came, Shi Zhao began searching Rong’en Hall for anything that might have been infused with herbs or emitted unusual scents.

Days passed, and after thoroughly ransacking the entire hall, she found nothing else.

Lost in thought with her head bowed, Nanny Lan reminded her, "Miss, it’s time to go to Jimin Hall for your acupuncture and medication."

Shi Zhao rubbed her temples, deciding to set aside the tangled mess for now. "Nanny Lan, have Tian Yong prepare the carriage. You don’t need to come today. Xiao Lu will accompany me."

She instructed, "You and Xiao Xi keep watch over Rong’en Hall. If anyone tries to force their way in, tell them Mimi can’t bear the noise."

At that moment, a little yellow oriole began singing cheerfully, as if responding to Shi Zhao calling its name.

Nanny Lan smiled and said, "Naming the little yellow oriole Mimi—Miss, I don’t know what you’re thinking."

Shi Zhao stroked Mimi’s tiny head and was about to step out when a noise came from outside the hall’s door.

Xiao Lu hurried in hesitantly. "Miss, the heir has arrived with Miss Xuanyao. The heir’s expression doesn’t look too good..."

Before she finished, commotion broke out at the courtyard gate. "Shi Zhao! Come out this instant! What’s going on with you binding Xuanyao’s maid?!"