"Purple Bamboo Forest?!" Fuling widened her eyes. "Why does Miss ask about the Purple Bamboo Forest?"
Noticing Fuling's strange expression, Qin Guan hesitated before saying, "I vaguely remember there being a Purple Bamboo Forest in the manor... but I can't recall where exactly..."
Fuling said nervously, "There is indeed a Purple Bamboo Forest in the manor, located in the northeast corner of the inner courtyard. But that place is forbidden—Miss must never go there."
Qin Guan raised her eyebrows. "Forbidden? What do you mean?"
Fuling glanced out the window and lowered her voice. "Miss must know that our master is quite the romantic and has many concubines. It's said that our Second Concubine hanged herself in the Purple Bamboo Forest eight years ago. Before that, the forest was a scenic spot in the manor, but ever since, it's become forbidden. Some even say the place is haunted."
Fuling shivered. "Now, not even the masters go there, let alone the servants."
A few days earlier, Fuling had mentioned that Qin An, the head of the third branch of the Loyal Marquis Manor, was a libertine who had taken many concubines. Currently, there were four concubines in the manor. Qin Guan frowned as she listened, then suddenly sneezed.
Seeing this, Fuling quickly pulled Qin Guan inside. "Miss, come in and change out of your wet clothes. Your body can't take any more strain. Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss are truly vicious—knowing you just fell into the lake, they still tormented you like that today!"
Qin Guan obediently went into the inner chamber to change, but her thoughts didn't stop.
The bamboo branch was fresh and green, with a rough break and purple spots on the stem—undoubtedly from a purple bamboo.
Fuling said the Purple Bamboo Forest was in the northeast corner of the inner courtyard. From there to Crescent Lake was quite a distance—it was unlikely for a purple bamboo branch to appear at the bottom of the lake without reason. It was more likely that Ninth Miss's body had carried it there.
Could Ninth Miss have been killed in the Purple Bamboo Forest?
But Ninth Miss was timid—why would she go to a forbidden place rumored to be haunted?
Qin Guan's mind swirled with doubts, but she couldn't immediately investigate the Purple Bamboo Forest.
First, she had just been released from confinement. Going to Crescent Lake was one thing, but if she went to the Purple Bamboo Forest as well—especially if Ninth Miss had indeed been killed there—it would surely arouse the killer's suspicion. Second, Fuling wouldn't let her go.
"These past few days, has anyone been spying on us outside the courtyard?"
After changing, Qin Guan leaned against the low couch by the window and asked.
Fuling was brewing tea and snorted at the question. "Plenty! A few days ago, when the ritual wasn't finished yet, I went to the courtyard gate to fetch food, and Aunt Liu from the kitchen even asked how you were doing. I saw clearly—she had a whole crowd behind her..."
Qin Guan coughed lightly. "What did you say?"
Fuling sighed. "To be honest, Aunt Liu is one of the few in this manor who treats us kindly. So I told her the truth—that though Miss survived this ordeal, it seems you hit your head and can't remember things clearly."
Qin Guan suddenly understood. No wonder the killer had been quiet these days—they must have thought she couldn't remember anything and let their guard down.
This actually gave her more time to work with.
"Cough, cough." Qin Guan coughed again as she thought, realizing with dismay that she might have caught a cold.
"Miss has coughed so many times just now—you must be ill."
Fuling grew anxious. "I'll go ask Aunt Liu to help us get some medicine from the manor's pharmacy. But... but medicine from the manor is so expensive. There's hardly anything left of what Madam left us..."Qin Guan frowned upon hearing this. Were the servants in the manor really taking advantage of her and her maid like this?
"Can't we go out to buy it?"
Fuling gave a bitter smile. "The personal maids of Fifth Miss and Sixth Miss are allowed to leave the manor, but when I tried to go out with you, we were stopped. That was two years ago. Since then, you never mentioned leaving the manor again. We're truly treated worse than servants."
Qin Guan's eyes darkened. "They won't even let us leave the manor gates?"
Fuling spoke indignantly on Qin Guan's behalf. "In all these years you've been at Qin Manor, you've barely left. In the first two years, Old Madam would still take you along for ancestral rites and temple visits during festivals. But these past two years, it's as if she's forgotten about you..."
Qin Guan stood up and began tying up her own hair.
Fuling stared at her blankly. "Miss, are you...?"
"Going out to buy medicine."
Not to mention needing medicine, after being awake for so many days, it was time she saw what Jinyang City looked like.
Fuling hadn't expected Qin Guan to act so decisively. By the time she regained her senses, Qin Guan was already dressed in her cape and heading out. Fuling hurried after her. Though somewhat apprehensive, seeing Qin Guan's straight-backed figure made her unease fade away, replaced by a surge of excitement.
Leaving the courtyard, they headed south before turning west toward the side gate used by the Qin family members and servants.
Before they could approach, the gatekeepers froze in surprise.
News of Ninth Miss pushing Sixth Miss into Crescent Lake had just spread. They never imagined Ninth Miss would now want to leave the manor. Instinctively, they blocked her path.
"Ninth Miss, without Madam's permission, you cannot leave."
"Old Madam never confined me. How dare you stop me?"
Qin Guan wore a moon-white gauze dress with a matching cape embroidered with orchid branches. She lifted her chin slightly, her gloomy gaze fixed on the young gatekeeper. Her voice wasn't loud, but each word struck heavily in his heart.
He knew Old Madam had lifted the confinement on the western rear courtyard, but Ninth Miss had always obediently stayed in her own quarters before. He couldn't quite grasp Old Madam's intentions now.
The gatekeeper hesitated. When he looked at Qin Guan again, her slender figure stood as straight as bamboo, her presence imposing. It seemed that if he dared obstruct her further, he would be defying Old Madam's orders!
The gatekeeper grew nervous, suddenly at a loss.
Seeing their hesitation, Qin Guan walked past them with dignified steps. The two gatekeepers exchanged glances, neither daring to stop her.
As Qin Guan stepped out of the manor, one of them finally reacted. "Quick, report this to Old Madam!"
Wiping sweat from his brow, the gatekeeper stared in the direction Qin Guan had gone.
Was... was this really the same timid Ninth Miss from before?
Once they reached the main street outside Qin Manor, Fuling couldn't contain her excitement. "Miss, you were so imposing just now! They didn't even dare talk back. You weren't like this before. How did you...?"
"Having died once, I can't afford to be as useless as before."
Fuling's eyes reddened as she nodded. "It's so good that you think this way now, Miss. You are a true mistress of the house. But before, you disliked acting like this. Today..."
Today, Qin Guan had already done two things: first, dragging Qin Shuang into the lake, and second, forcing her way out of the manor.
Both actions were completely unlike the kind, meek Qin Guan of the past.
"People are like this. If they know you're kind, they'll take advantage. If they know you're fierce, they'll fear and retreat." As she spoke, Qin Guan's gaze swept across Jinyang City basking in the warm sunlight.Jinzhou was located in the southern part of Great Zhou, a month's fast ride from the capital, already counted among the border cities. Despite this, Jinzhou was a major southern stronghold with towering city walls and thriving agriculture and commerce. The eastern district where Qin Manor stood was the most prosperous area of Jinzhou. Looking around, the endless rows of upturned eaves and bracket sets displayed the city's majestic grandeur.
Following the main street outside the western gate, it wasn't long before they reached a bustling market district. Qin Guan had no interest in the lively scene and instead searched the roadside for any apothecaries. After scanning the area, she only saw ornately decorated restaurants and teahouses.
Just as she was considering whether to try another street, Qin Guan suddenly noticed a large crowd gathered about thirty meters ahead.
"Young Miss! What's happening over there?!"
Fuling, lively by nature and having barely left the manor in the past two years, was now brimming with curiosity about anything new outside.
Seeing the eagerness in her eyes, Qin Guan walked toward the commotion.
As soon as she approached, the distressed cry of a young girl rang out from the crowd, "Our Old Madam has fallen ill! Please, someone kind, fetch a physician—"
Qin Guan's brow furrowed as she stepped into the throng.
OpenNovel