Something Is There
When Bai Jingyan returned to Qinghui Garden, Chun Tao hurriedly ordered the maids to bring warm water and attended her as she bathed. Then she had them prepare a few plain snacks, and begged Bai Jingyan to eat at least a little before sleeping.
"Qi Zhengyu woke up this afternoon?"
Bai Jingyan asked as Chun Tao wiped her face with a warm handkerchief.
Chun Tao, who was straightening the covers on the bed, bit her lower lip hard. She gripped the blanket so tightly that it was clear she was struggling to keep her nose from stinging with tears. Instead of answering, she changed the subject.
"Qi Zhengyu's wife came to visit today, too. She said she came to tend to him herself — I sneaked a peek, and she's a truly beautiful woman!"
Nanny Dong had told Chun Tao to keep silent about it. Qi Zhengyu had suddenly fallen into a coma, but she was not to inform the Grand Princess just yet. Qi Zhengyu was a hero of the Bai family, and Physician Hong would do his utmost to treat him — better not to burden the Grand Princess with needless worry. She had been sleeping barely one or two shichen a night these days, and her body was already at its limits.
A few days earlier, Bai Jingyan had heard from Nuo Ping that Qi Zhengyu had held his wedding before the New Year's festival.
Bai Jingyan handed the handkerchief back to the maid and turned to Chun Tao.
"Qi Zhengyu has no elders in his household. His bride must have felt quite anxious alone at home. It's good that the couple has met. Tell the servants to show his wife every courtesy."
"Don't worry, my lady. When the Grand Princess learned of Qi Zhengyu's wife's arrival, she gave instructions to Nanny Zhang. She told the servants to treat her respectfully."
Chun Tao lowered the bed curtains.
"My lady, please eat something and rest. I've lit an incense that aids sleep. Tomorrow looks to be a very busy day."
Ever since the news arrived on New Year's Eve, troubles had been erupting one after another. Bai Jingyan was utterly exhausted. Yet the words from Jin Dong — that Nanny Zhang had hurried into the Grand Princess's Longevity Garden with a group of people — kept nagging at her mind.
"Chun Tao, bring Nanny Dong to me. There's something I need to ask her."
"Yes, my lady."
Chun Tao bowed and withdrew.
Bai Jingyan sat down at the table, took two sips of the warm water Chun Tao had set before her, and swallowed two of the snacks. Just then, Nanny Dong entered.
"My lady."
Nanny Dong bowed in greeting.
"Did you find out what happened?"
Bai Jingyan took another sip of the milk in her cup.
Lady Dong had entrusted all matters within the estate to Bai Jingyan, and since Nanny Dong attended her at close hand, investigating things had gone far more smoothly than before.
"I did. That old servant Nanny Zhang brought into the estate today is from the outer residence — a woman of the Ji clan. Nanny Zhang sent several old women to the mansion to bring back the second son's concubine, and that Ji woman was one of them! But then this Ji servant came back alone to meet with Nanny Zhang, and Nanny Zhang took her with her into the Longevity Garden. After leaving the Longevity Garden, the woman returned to the mansion and brought the concubine back. Later, when a housemaid went to look for her, she could not be found no matter how they searched. The other servants and grooms who had gone to the mansion with her have all vanished as well."
When Nanny Dong finished, she added one more remark.
"Oh — and Qi Zhengyu's wife came to the Duke's estate together with old woman Ji and the second son's concubine. The Ji woman lives in that very village, it seems."
Sent to fetch the concubine, she had returned alone and rushed to meet her grandmother, then gone back and brought the concubine — strange enough already. But now the servants and grooms who had gone along to fetch her had all disappeared. Something was most definitely wrong.
It was not that she was being overly cautious. The Bai family could not afford even the slightest misstep right now.
The second son's concubine had never been an obedient creature to begin with. Only by learning exactly what trouble she had stirred up — what offense she had committed — could they prepare a countermeasure. Only then could the Bai family avoid being seized by the throat by others, or caught in disaster while standing idly by.
Every servant sent to the mansion had vanished. Something must have gone wrong there. Someone was trying to hide it — and the more they tried, the less she could pretend not to see. This was not something to be brushed past with closed eyes.
Bai Jingyan lifted her head and looked at Nanny Dong.
"Nanny, does Nanny Zhang know nothing of this?"
"If you hadn't sent Chun Tao to fetch me, my lady, I was on my way to stop by the Longevity Garden and ask Nanny Zhang myself. I thought it only natural that you'd worry about the Grand Princess."
Nanny Dong answered in a low voice.
"Then go, Nanny. Whatever Nanny Zhang says, remember every word and report it back to me without leaving out a single syllable."
"Yes, my lady."
Once Nanny Dong had gone, Bai Jingyan set down her spoon and forced herself to gather her thoughts.
"Chun Tao, bring my cloak. I must go see Qi Zhengyu's wife."
She happened to be in the very village where the concubine had been staying — she would know what had happened there.
The reason she had ordered Nanny Dong to bring back Nanny Zhang's words without missing a single one was that she had no way of knowing which side Qi Zhengyu's wife had decided to stand on.
If the wife's account matched Nanny Zhang's perfectly, word for word, then the two had clearly rehearsed it beforehand and memorized it to deceive Bai Jingyan. In that case, she would have to send someone to investigate thoroughly what had occurred at that mansion.
"My lady!"
Chun Tao's eyes reddened.
When Bai Jingyan turned her head, Chun Tao stood frozen in place, clutching the cloak and biting her lip so hard it trembled. Bai Jingyan reached out and took the cloak from her, asking quietly.
"What is it?"
"My lady!"
Chun Tao suddenly dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face, and wept aloud as she confessed.
"The truth is, Qi Zhengyu is not well! Before his wife came this afternoon, he suddenly fell into a coma — he won't wake no matter how we call him! Nanny Dong has already sent someone to fetch Physician Hong! She felt so sorry for all you have endured, my lady, and feared it would worry you for nothing, so she told me not to speak of it……"
In that instant, Bai Jingyan felt all the blood in her body surge toward her head. Her spine went rigid, then slack again. She swept out of Qinghui Garden at a pace far too fast.
"My lady!"
Chun Tao ran after her, supporting her by the arm, weeping and begging forgiveness.
"It's all my fault, my fault! It wasn't that I meant to hide it from you — my lady, please, walk slowly!"
When she entered Qi Zhengyu's chamber, Physician Hong was nowhere to be seen. A strange young physician she had never laid eyes on dozed under the lantern on the table.
At the sight of Qi Zhengyu lying on the bed with his eyes closed, his face drained of every trace of color, a fury surged up in Bai Jingyan and her temples throbbed.
"Where is the physician? Where is Physician Hong? Who was supposed to be tending Qi Zhengyu here?"
The young physician jolted awake in such fright that he nearly tumbled to the floor. Seeing a woman in mourning dress staring at him with darkened eyes, he realized she was the mistress of this house and scrambled to bow in greeting.
Just then a young woman hurried in through the entrance carrying a bowl of medicine, her eyes going wide as she looked at Bai Jingyan in flustered confusion.
As Bai Jingyan turned, the woman opened her mouth, gazing at her with panicked eyes. Bai Jingyan could not keep the edge from her voice.
"Are you Qi Zhengyu's wife?"
"This humble one is Lady Ji-Liu, my lady."
The young woman bowed hastily, head lowered, not daring to look up at Bai Jingyan.
"Where is Physician Hong?"
Bai Jingyan asked, suppressing her fury.
"Someone said they'd gone to fetch him……"
The young woman answered.
Bai Jingyan stared at the woman who dared not meet her eyes, her gaze turning as cold as ice.
"Chun Tao — stop by my mother's courtyard, take her name placard, and bring Imperial Physician Huang here!"
"Yes, my lady!"
Chun Tao rushed out into the courtyard.
"What has become of Qi Zhengyu?"
Bai Jingyan asked the physician, choking down the anger boiling in her chest.
"He — he…… this man has lost too much blood, and…… was not treated in time……"
Nothing this quack said matched what Physician Hong had told her. Bai Jingyan had no patience to hear more. She threw back the screen and shouted at the top of her voice.
"Someone, come here!"
An old servant who had been in attendance at the outer residence came running at a quick pace.
"My lady!"
Nuo Ping, making his rounds on night patrol, had seen Chun Tao sprinting madly toward Lady Dong's courtyard and realized something had happened to Qi Zhengyu. He had hurried over at once, and the moment he entered the courtyard he heard Bai Jingyan's furious voice and rushed inside to bow.
"My lady!"
"Who took Physician Hong away?"
Bai Jingyan demanded of the old servant.
Terrified by the murderous aura radiating from her, the servant dropped to his knees on the spot.
"My lady, the young master of the Marquis of Yongding's estate broke his leg and has not yet regained consciousness. When the Marchioness of Yongding heard the rumor that Physician Hong is the sworn brother of Imperial Physician Huang, head of the Imperial Medical Academy, she pleaded her case to — to Her Highness the Grand Princess. Physician Hong said he would only go confirm the matter and return at once, but somehow he still has not come back! We sent people from the estate to bring him home, but — but the Marquis of Yongding's household said their young master is too precious, and they would not release Physician Hong until he woke up!"
At those words, Bai Jingyan's fists clenched tight. Had the Marquis of Yongding's household lost their minds?
Her voice grew louder.
"Nuo Ping, take two squads of guards to the Marquis of Yongding's estate and bring Physician Hong back. If Imperial Physician Huang is there as well, bring him too! If they try to stop you, deliver this message exactly: Qi Zhengyu risked his life to carry the memorial tablet back for our Bai family, for our grandfather, and for the tens of thousands of the Bai Army. He is a man of loyalty and courage who proved their innocence. He is the benefactor of our entire Bai family! If they dare steal Qi Zhengyu and his physician, it means they have declared themselves enemies of the Bai family — and I will spend my entire life hunting that house down to its last soul! And tell them not to stop at the young master — every beast they keep on that estate will be taken as well! Whether you must kill or dye the Marquis of Yongding's halls red with blood, bring Physician Hong back within half a shichen. Every sin will be mine alone to bear."
"I receive your command! My lady, do not worry. If I fail to bring him back within half a shichen, I will deliver my own head to you!"
Nuo Ping bowed to Bai Jingyan, then gave his orders to the guards who had followed behind.
"Wait here for my lady's command!"
"Yes, sir!"
The guards' answer rang out thunderously.
They had heard every word Bai Jingyan had spoken. For Qi Zhengyu, who had carried the memorial tablet back at the risk of his life, the lady of the Bai family was willing to make an enemy of the Marquis of Yongding's household to seize back his physician — how many houses in all of Dadu cared for their servants to this degree? The Bai family guards felt their chests burn with pride.
In the room behind them, the young woman sat huddled in a corner, trembling violently. The hand holding the bowl of medicine had lost all control and shook without cease.
She cast an anxious glance at the man lying colorless on the bed. Her legs gave out beneath her.
Bai Jingyan clenched her fists, steeled her heart, and gave her orders.
"Bring a chair! And drag that Lady Ji-Liu and the physician out of the room!"
When Lady Ji-Liu and the physician were brought out, Bai Jingyan was seated beneath the eaves. Guards with drawn blades stood in two flanking rows across the courtyard, their presence radiating a menace that was anything but ordinary.