"Young miss! The sixth young miss has truly been locked away!" Fuling entered the room, speaking excitedly.
Qin Guan lifted her head from the low couch by the window and glanced at her, simply asking, "Were all the medicinal pills delivered?"
Fuling nodded, "They were delivered. The young mistress kept thanking us repeatedly." As she spoke, she moved closer to Qin Guan. "Young miss, I heard from Mo Shu that the sixth young miss was beaten so severely that day that her flesh split open. Then she was confined to her quarters—no one can enter her Frostfall Courtyard except those delivering meals. Even the fifth young miss isn’t allowed to visit. The Old Madam was truly furious this time."
Qin Guan frowned slightly. "What else have you heard?"
Fuling smiled. "How did you know I heard more? When I was leaving, I overheard two maids outside Windward Courtyard talking. They said Third Master brought someone back from outside again last night. Everyone thought the manor would gain a new concubine, but unexpectedly, the person was carried out early this morning. They also said Third Master somehow fell ill."
Though Third Master Qin An had not inherited the family title, he still held a nominal official post in the capital thanks to the ancestral prestige of Loyal Marquis Manor. After returning to Jinzhou, he expanded his properties and settled down. Qin An had always been a libertine—restrained in the capital but increasingly unrestrained in Jinzhou. Even at his current age, his dissolute behavior remained unchanged.
Qin Guan immediately recalled the rolled-up mat she had seen Liu Chun and others carrying out that morning. She also remembered that when she left Qin Manor that day, she had seen Liu Chun wearing Hua Ni’s boots. Could the eerie figure from that night have been Liu Chun?
It had been over half a month since her reincarnation, yet she still hadn’t met this third uncle. Just thinking of the concubines she had seen that day, she already felt a deep dislike for him.
"Qin Manor... has many secrets. It’s enough for you to know them in your heart. Do not gossip about them."
Hearing this instruction, Fuling quickly nodded. "I understand, young miss. I only speak of these things with you. Although we’ve changed residences in the manor, we are still outsiders. You’ve warned me before that some in the manor bear ill will toward us, so I’ll be careful."
Qin Guan’s eyes showed approval. "Being outsiders is one thing. Another is that many matters remain unclear to us. Since that’s the case, it’s better to remain observers for now. Whatever we hear or see, keep it in your heart for the time being."
Her voice was heavy, as if speaking to Fuling—or perhaps to herself.
"Don’t worry, young miss. I understand. I just think the eldest young master and Third Master are so different. Third Master is already in his forties, yet he still has so many concubines. But the eldest young master, despite his youth, only loves the young mistress. I’ve heard he doesn’t even keep anyone in his quarters. Compared to him, the second young master is just like Third Master."
At the mention of Qin Li, Qin Guan’s heart sank. That day, when he had followed her into the Purple Bamboo Forest, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
"I’ve heard the second young master often visits brothels, but because the Old Madam is strict, he hasn’t brought anyone into the manor. He’s a regular at several pleasure houses in Jinzhou."
Pausing briefly, Fuling looked at Qin Guan and said, "Speaking of which, you’re already sixteen, young miss—old enough for marriage talks. The fifth and sixth young misses still haven’t been betrothed, likely waiting for word from the main branch in the capital. The Old Madam and Madam naturally hope they’ll marry into noble families in the capital, but they probably won’t make any arrangements for you."Qin Guan frowned deeply. Marriage proposal? Indeed, at her age, it was time to consider such matters.
Seeing Qin Guan lost in thought, Fuling couldn't help but chuckle. "What's the matter? Is the young lady feeling shy? In the Great Zhou dynasty, girls can be betrothed at fifteen. If one remains unmarried by eighteen or nineteen, people start calling her an old maid. The young lady still has two years. If only Old Madam and Madam could arrange a marriage for you in the capital..."
Qin Guan's clear spring-like eyes gradually darkened. Marriage was a common practice in the world, and she certainly wouldn't feel shy about it. Moreover, she had been betrothed before—it was merely a matter of weighing family statuses. Two strangers could be bound together without even meeting, not knowing what the other looked like until the wedding day.
But in this life, whether or not to be betrothed no longer mattered. The wrongful case against her father weighed heavily on her heart, and she hadn't yet entertained thoughts of marriage, children, or living a harmonious life.
"If not the capital, at least find a well-off family in Jinzhou. We can't let the young lady suffer a hard life. Actually, the magistrate's family in Jinzhou is already one of the best choices, but..."
Qin Guan frowned and cast a cool glance at Fuling, who quickly stuck out her tongue. "What I mean is, we must find a family that can provide the young lady with a life of wealth and comfort. Of course, the most important thing is that they genuinely cherish her, just like how the young master dotes on the young mistress. Otherwise, even if it were a prince or marquis of the court—hmph!—our young lady wouldn't marry them."
A prince or marquis of the court... Qin Guan lowered her gaze, her thoughts drifting far away again.
Seeing Qin Guan lost in silent reverie, Fuling quieted down. Before long, the courtyard gate was suddenly knocked. Fuling stood up briskly and, upon opening the door, immediately smiled. "Sister Mo Shu! What brings you here?"
Qin Guan snapped out of her thoughts. Soon, Mo Shu, dressed in a fresh green Ru skirt, arrived at the doorway.
Fuling opened the door wider. "Sister Mo Shu, come in quickly! Is something the matter with the young mistress?"
Mo Shu entered, first curtsying to Qin Guan before smiling brightly. "After the acupuncture this morning, our young mistress is feeling much better. Right now, I'm here to invite Ninth Miss to Windward Courtyard to select gifts. The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and the marquis's household in the capital has sent festival gifts. Presents for the young masters and misses have all been delivered to Windward Courtyard—there's plenty of fine silks and satins. Second Young Master and Fifth Miss have already gone to choose. Ninth Miss, please come with me quickly, or the best ones might be gone!"
Qin Guan raised an eyebrow. In previous years, Ninth Miss likely wouldn't have received such treatment. But now, things were different. Glancing at Fuling, she saw the girl's eyes sparkling with excitement. Qin Guan herself cared little for such things, but refusing to go now would seem like putting on airs.
Nodding, Qin Guan said, "Very well, I'll go now."
Fuling hurried over to tidy Qin Guan's appearance. Moments later, the three of them set out.
Fuling was in high spirits along the way, feeling that their current life was much better than before—all thanks to Qin Guan's display of medical skill that had saved someone. With this thought, her expression grew resolute, further solidifying her determination to study medicine diligently with Qin Guan.
As they approached Windward Courtyard, they saw steward Liu Chun standing outside with two matrons, along with several servants carrying two large chests, seemingly headed toward the Buddhist shrine.
Noticing Qin Guan's arrival, Liu Chun bowed with a smile. "Ninth Miss—"Liu Chun was of medium height, with a lean and lanky frame. His face was square-jawed, but his cheekbones protruded sharply. His small eyes gleamed with shrewdness, and his habitual ingratiating smile carried an unsettling air of scrutiny as he looked at Qin Guan.
Qin Guan was also observing Liu Chun. Though it was early autumn, he wore a high-collared robe that covered him completely, even tucking his hands into the overly long sleeves.
The attire wasn’t particularly strange, yet for some reason, Qin Guan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
She nodded slightly, not intending to engage with him further, and turned toward the courtyard gate. Even as she walked away, she could feel Liu Chun’s gaze boring into her back like a physical weight, making her scalp prickle. Abruptly, she stopped and turned around—only to catch a glimpse of unmistakable greed flickering in his small eyes. Qin Guan frowned.
Perhaps sensing his own lapse, Liu Chun hunched his shoulders in an attempt to conceal it, his hand instinctively brushing down his robe. The motion briefly exposed his sleeve-covered hand, and in that fleeting moment, Qin Guan’s sharp eyes caught sight of what looked like scars or wounds.
Just as quickly, his hand was hidden again. Qin Guan wanted another look but couldn’t without raising suspicion, so she forced herself to turn away calmly.
She walked slowly into the courtyard, but her mind was in turmoil.
Was it Liu Chun? Could those wounds on his hand have been left behind when he killed Ninth Miss?
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