Chaos roared outside. Shen Linyi didn’t hesitate—she pivoted and darted back into the guest chamber.
At that moment Steward Lao still didn’t know what had happened. Liuyun had tripped him up and stalled him in the kitchen for nearly half an hour before he finally came out. According to Wen Heyu’s plan, Lao had meant to burst into the room with witnesses and expose a compromising scene. He’d dashed about looking for people to play the part, yet the only ones he could find were a few serving maids carrying trays.
A person is a person, he thought, and hauled the maids to the guest room. Feigning accident, he pushed the door open—only to find Shen Linyi “asleep” on the bed and nothing else.
Liuyun followed, putting on a show of alarm. “Miss, what are you doing asleep here? Wake up!”
Under Liuyun’s gentle shaking Shen Linyi roused, blinking sleep from her eyes. She took in the flustered Steward and the bewildered maids, and frowned. “Steward Lao, what is the meaning of this?”
Lao’s face was bewildered; his head felt as if it had been turned to porridge. The day’s events had ambushed him at every turn. Things weren’t going according to plan—
There was nothing amiss in the room. Shen Linyi’s clothes were whole, untouched. She looked no worse for wear. Lao cleared his throat and forced an explanation. “Your maid thought to rouse you and fetch help with your dressing, so I called for attendants.”
“But—” his voice turned anxious, as if accusing rather than explaining, “you were drinking with my master and entered this room together. Why I see only you? Where is my master?”
“Shut up.”
“Liuyun!”
Shen Linyi snapped at him, the command hard and unmistakable.
Liuyun didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward and slapped him across the face with all the force she had, sending Steward Lao sprawling to the floor.
“You insolent old servant,” she spat, folding her hands primly in front of her. “Mind your tongue before you soil my lady’s name. Where did you see my lady enter this room with your master? You fling accusations like that—has the Wen family taught you nothing?”
Her tone was strict, her bearing severe enough to rival the graying matrons who ran the inner quarters. The maids Lao had dragged along thought they’d offended someone important; they kowtowed and begged for forgiveness, then fled at Liuyun’s nod, each casting a sharp glare at Lao as they hurried out.
Lao sat up, furious and trembling. He’d taken a beating from Wen Heyu earlier and now this—yet his mind kept drifting back to Wen Heyu’s disappearance, a cold dread settling over him. He blurted, desperate, “But—she drank that wine! After drinking that, how could she even stand?”
“Oh? The wine?”
“Was there something wrong with it?”
Shen Linyi raised a single brow and waited, unhurried.
Lao’s face went white. He’d almost let the secret slip. Swallowing his anger, he apologized profusely. “N-no… nothing’s wrong with it. It’s just very strong—makes a person unsteady.”
“Is that so?” Shen Linyi drawled, letting the words hang.
Lao didn’t want to waste time. “If my lady doesn’t know where my master went, then this old servant will go find him!” With that he scrambled from the room and ran.
In his panic, Lao even went to the tea room to deal with the questionable wine. By then the area had been tidied up and he didn’t know what to do—so he dumped the wine into the pond that kept the redfish.
A few days later the people of Qin'an House noticed the fish were unusually lively. Months on, the redfish spawned in obscene numbers, covering the surface of the pond in a dense, writhing mass that gave everyone the chills. The owner, at a loss, swallowed his pride, expanded Qin'an House and built more ponds.
After Lao left, Liuyun helped Shen Linyi to her feet. “Don’t worry, Miss. I answered Steward Lao exactly as we planned. Nothing will give us away.”
Liuyun’s round eyes shone with pride; from some angles she almost resembled Shen Linyi.
Shen Linyi felt a lightness that surprised her. She’d handled Wen Heyu perfectly today. Whatever reputation he still had in the capital would be tarnished now; officials at the Ministry might make his path harder. But that was no concern of hers. Having held out kindness to a wolf, she no longer felt obliged to continue.
“I knew you were clever. There’ll be a reward for you,” she said, tapping Liuyun on the nose. Liuyun beamed in response.
Shen Linyi rose and went to the front door. The disturbance was being brought under control. Wen Heyu was nowhere to be seen; a few sword-bearing constables stood about. People clustered, whispering—apparently someone had stripped naked and ranted in front of Qin'an House, embarrassed several young gentlemen and ladies, and had been hauled away by the guards.
She pursed her lips and left without lingering, taking Liuyun toward the side gate.
“Liuyun—what about that wine boy earlier…” Shen Linyi had intended not only to set Wen up but to have Liuyun thank the boy who’d slipped the wine. But Liuyun looked down, guilty. “Miss, he turned a corner and I lost him. Steward Lao caught up with me; I couldn’t get away to thank him.”
Shen Linyi felt disappointed but not upset. It wasn’t Liuyun’s fault. She patted her hand. “It’s fine. If we have another chance we’ll come again. If not, ask Jingxian to go in our stead.”
Over the past weeks Shen Linyi and Liu Jingxian’s relationship had grown fast, close as long-time confidantes. Shen Linyi trusted that Jingxian would be glad to help; she’d even given money for new clothes for Madam Mo and had Liu Jingxian do the shopping.
“Let’s go. There’s one more thing to do today,” Liuyun said, nodding.
They left through the alley and found a gray, dust-streaked carriage waiting—the same one that had brought Shen Linyi to Qin'an House. The coachman was a mute footman in Liu Jingxian’s household, sent because he couldn’t speak and thus wouldn’t gossip.
They rode out of the alley and onto the main street. Noise and bustle surged around them, then gradually dwindled as they traveled. After nearly half an hour even the hawkers’ cries fell away.
When the carriage stopped, two knocks sounded on the outer gate. Liuyun helped Shen Linyi down.
Before them rose a stately residence with an ornate gate. The plaque read: Dingguo Marquis’s Mansion.