Chapter 24

Before the news of Gu Chi’s disappearance arrived, Grand Princess Zhaoming had already left the capital.

Last time, a group of bandits caused trouble in Pingyang Prefecture, and Grand Princess Zhaoming led troops to suppress them. It was later discovered that the bandits had come from the south, originating from Guide. So, Grand Princess Zhaoming took people south to eliminate the bandits and train the soldiers.

With Grand Princess Zhaoming gone, the administrative duties she had taken over temporarily returned to Lin Que. It coincided with the triennial local officials’ audience, which was still a month away, but preparations were already in full swing. The Ministry of Personnel’s Examination Office and the Censorate were busy collecting reports from all over the country and summaries of local officials’ performance.

When Lin Que reviewed Li Mu’s homework, he would mention it, and Li Yunxi, who came to study, listened with great interest. Lin Qiwu boldly asked Lin Que to review her homework too, but he refused.

Lin Qiwu called her brother “stingy” and ran off with Li Yunxi.

As soon as they left, someone from the Princess’s mansion arrived, saying that Gu Chi hadn’t returned all night and couldn’t be found at the Tianxu Camp headquarters.

Lin Que sent people to investigate, and soon, the pigeon house sent news that Gu Chi had gone to a teahouse before disappearing. Gu Chi had been investigating a case there, and when the Jinyiwei arrived, the teahouse was empty. One of the tea rooms showed signs of a struggle and blood, and the incense burner in the room had been laced with a muscle-relaxing agent. It was likely that Gu Chi had been poisoned and ambushed, resulting in a fight. The Jinyiwei followed the traces of the struggle to a riverside, where the trail went cold.

Lin Que ordered his men to verify the case files Gu Chi had borrowed and the offices he had visited. He also went to the teahouse himself. Although the Jinyiwei were meticulous and perceptive experts unlikely to miss any crucial clues, since it was his brother who was missing, Lin Que had to go personally to confirm everything.

As Lin Que left, Li Mu took out a map of the capital to locate the teahouse.

At first, Li Mu was unsure. It couldn’t be such a coincidence that Li Zhi had just gone to Mingyue Nunnery in September, and Gu Chi had an incident at the end of October. Without more clues, she couldn’t just suggest Lin Que check Mingyue Nunnery. Now that she knew the location of the teahouse and the river, Li Mu traced the path on the map from the teahouse to the river and then downstream… but there was no Mingyue Nunnery.

Could it really not be the scene from the book where Gu Chi and Li Zhi first met?

Li Mu double-checked several times, and her gaze finally landed on an orchard near the river.

Lin Que would definitely investigate there. Thinking this, Li Mu read out the name of the orchard: “Shifeng Garden.”

Feixing, a Jinyiwei with a good memory, said, “Last time I delivered something to the second young lady, I think I passed by this estate.”

The weather was gradually getting colder. Li Mu knew that the Li family would take care of Li Zhi, but she still asked Nanny Zhao for two bottles of osmanthus sauce, along with winter clothes and bedding, and had Feixing deliver them to Mingyue Nunnery.

Li Mu quickly turned her head: “Passed by?”

Feixing came over to look at the map and confirmed: “Passed by. Mingyue Nunnery is right here.”

Feixing pointed to a blank spot on the map, not far from the river.

In the book, Li Zhi drowned herself in the river. Could it be this river?

“Do we need to inform the King?” Feixing asked Li Mu.

Li Mu nodded: “Yes.”

Feixing quickly went to inform him.

Later that night, Lin Que returned and lifted Li Mu, spinning her around twice.

Li Mu: With such strength, I really don’t believe you won’t live past these two months.

Lin Que put Li Mu down and led her to sit at the table.

“We found A Chi. He’s fine.” The dinner that had been prepared earlier was reheated and served. After everyone left, Lin Que continued, “He was at Mingyue Nunnery. He managed to crawl out of the river and met your second sister, who was washing clothes by the river. She saved him.”

That’s good, that’s good.

Lin Que washed his hands and served Li Mu her favorite hibiscus tofu: “I brought him home and Qiwu over. They will stay until my mother returns to the capital, then they will go back to the Princess’s mansion.”

Li Mu had no objections and nodded. She was already familiar with Qiwu. Gu Chi was still injured and probably bedridden. It would take ten days to half a month for him to recover, so she wouldn’t meet him soon.

As Li Mu expected, Gu Chi took nearly half a month to get out of bed. When she saw him, he greeted her as usual, calling her “sister-in-law” without showing how he felt about being saved by her second sister.

Li Mu didn’t dare to explore further, but she learned from Lin Que what case Gu Chi was investigating before he disappeared.

It was a corpse theft case from a few years ago. This case initially had nothing to do with Gu Chi, but it eventually came to his attention. One of the stolen corpses had six fingers.

“Among the feudal lords I killed in the past, King Yi of Luoyang was born with six fingers, and his son also had six fingers,” Lin Que said while sitting in Li Mu’s study. Li Mu was practicing calligraphy at a larger desk, while Lin Que was drawing at a smaller table, both facing each other.

As Lin Que drew, he continued, “A Chi was on good terms with King Yi Heir. Later, when I went to Luoyang to kill King Yi, his son escaped with a servant. Half a year later, we found the servant and the son’s remains, supposedly dead from illness on the way.”

Having watched many modern suspense dramas, Li Mu immediately thought, “The person didn’t die? The body was stolen?”

“A Chi suspected the same. The timing and location matched, so he investigated the teahouse and fell into a trap—someone deliberately brought the corpse theft case to his attention and arranged a series of clues to capture him and threaten me,” Lin Que paused, “or perhaps to kill him and make me experience the pain of losing a loved one.”

“But there were some gains from this incident.” Lin Que finished his drawing and felt thirsty. Since the small table couldn’t hold a cup, his cup was on Li Mu’s desk. He got up, walked over to Li Mu, and drank some water.

After drinking, his attention was drawn to Li Mu’s calligraphy practice, which looked familiar: “Is this Pei Siyuan’s handwriting?”

Li Mu: “!” Who did you say?

Li Mu looked puzzled, and Lin Que helplessly pinched her ear: “This is your calligraphy practice sheet. How do you not know whose handwriting you’re practicing?”

Li Mu confessed, “Master An gave it to me.”

Master An, An Ying, was the scholar who taught her, Lin Qiwu, and Li Yunxi.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Lin Que said. “Pei Siyuan is An Ying’s student. He will probably be transferred back to the capital next year. His handwriting is good, and An Ying loves to show it off.”

Li Mu swallowed hard. Pei Siyuan, the chief assistant of the cabinet who sided with the tyrant in the book, was An Ying’s student and would only return to the capital next year to take office. Considering the timeline, he became the chief assistant in five or six years, or even less, making him an extraordinary talent.

Right. Li Mu brought Lin Que back to his unfinished words: “What gains?”

Don’t leave it half-said; it’s frustrating.

Lin Que obliged and continued, “A Chi discovered that the teahouse was also related to the Yian Sect. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Yian Sect is connected to King Yi Heir’s son.”

“Where Yan’an can infiltrate, King Yi Heir can too. He’s much older than Yan’an and entered earlier. With a little guidance, he can use the Yian Sect as a knife in his hand to strike at me, his father’s killer.”

Lin Que guessed correctly. In the future, this knife would fall into Lin Yan’an’s hands, sharpened to an unimaginable degree, causing great turmoil in the country.

Li Mu: “Then the Yian Sect…”

Lin Que: “Initially, I thought they were just targeting me, but now I see it’s better to eliminate them as soon as possible.”

Li Mu felt a sinking feeling.

In the book, Lin Que also discovered through Gu Chi who was behind the Yian Sect and intended to eliminate them quickly. However, the Yian Sect still existed because Lin Que died too early to act.

In a few days, it would be the winter solstice, and then in about ten days, it would be the twelfth lunar month. The days were drawing closer.

Li Mu: “Lin Que…”

Lin Que put down his cup: “Hmm?”

Li Mu didn’t know what to say, her gaze slowly lowered, and she pressed her lips together.

Lin Que squatted by the chair, one hand on the armrest, the other poking her cheek: “Why are you suddenly sad?”

Li Mu looked away but couldn’t find a suitable spot to focus on. Finally, she asked randomly, “What were you drawing just now?”

Lin Que saw that Li Mu was changing the subject and didn’t press her. He got up to fetch the drawing he had just finished.

It was a “Nine-Nine Dispel Cold Chart,” depicting a plum blossom branch in black ink, with many lifelike flowers outlined, some in full bloom, some in bud. Eighty-one petals were to be colored, one each day from the winter solstice to the next year’s awakening of insects. Once completed, winter would be over. It was a common winter pastime.

“Winter solstice is coming. Have it mounted and hung in our room.”

Li Mu: “…I have a bad memory. I’m afraid I’ll forget.”

Lin Que smiled: “I’ll remind you.”

Li Mu: “Then it’s a deal.” From the winter solstice to the next year’s awakening of insects, remind me.

However, Lin Que couldn’t keep his promise. On the morning of November 26th, a seemingly ordinary day, Li Mu woke up earlier than Lin Que. After lying there for a while, wondering why Lin Que was still asleep, she reached out to push him but couldn’t wake him. When she touched his forehead, it was burning hot.

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T/N: The “Nine-Nine Dispel Cold Chart” (九九消寒图) is a traditional Chinese method used to mark the passage of winter days. It consists of a drawing, often of a plum blossom branch, with 81 petals or sections. Starting from the winter solstice, one petal or section is colored each day for 81 days, which corresponds to nine periods of nine days each. By the time all the petals are colored, winter is over, and spring has arrived.

T/N: “惊蛰” (Jīngzhé), also known as the “Awakening of Insects,” is one of the 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendar. It usually falls around March 5th or 6th each year. This term signifies when the weather warms up and hibernating insects awaken from their winter slumber. It marks the beginning of spring when farmers start preparing for the planting season.