Chapter 3: The Winds Rise and the Clouds Scatter—Part 3

When Magistrate Wang returned to his residence from the Courtesan’s House, it was already noon. The weather, which had been gloomy for half a month, showed some signs of change. The light rain had finally stopped, and there was even a faint, blurry sun appearing in the sky.

As soon as Magistrate Wang, with a displeased expression, stepped into his residence, he saw his elderly and picky mother sitting in the main hall, sipping tea.

Feeling somewhat irritated, Magistrate Wang silently sighed, but knowing he couldn’t pretend not to see her, he braced himself and went into the hall to pay his respects.

To his surprise, he found that his mother wasn’t the only one there.

A young man dressed in white was also sitting on the right side, drinking tea.

Since his father’s death ten years ago, Magistrate Wang had never seen anyone able to sit quietly with his mother, let alone converse calmly over tea.

Curious, he scrutinized the young man, who had slanted eyebrows and bright, star-like eyes.

Not only was the man handsome, but he also exuded an air of refined nobility.

“Mother, this is…?”

Magistrate Wang inquired after paying his respects to his mother.

“This is Young Master Yan Qi. My carriage broke down on the way back from the temple this morning, and Young Master Yan was kind enough to escort me home,” the old lady explained, unusually smiling as she introduced Yan Qige to her son.

Yan Qige gave Magistrate Wang a slight nod as a greeting.

Although Magistrate Wang was not considered a significant figure in the court, he was still the head of Yunsui City. Anyone who met him had to offer a respectful smile and flattering words.

Even though this man was a guest referred to by his mother, his apparent lack of decorum left Magistrate Wang feeling quite displeased.

Just as he was about to reprimand Yan Qige for failing to show proper respect to a government official, he noticed something—Yan Qige’s sleeve had inadvertently lifted slightly, revealing a patterned object beneath, which flashed briefly in front of the magistrate’s eyes.

Though it was just a fleeting glimpse, it was enough to shock Magistrate Wang, causing him to swallow his words.

When he regained his composure, he realized he was sweating slightly.

Yan Qige stood up, took a few steps, and said, “I’ve heard that strange incidents have been occurring in the city lately. It would be wise not to alarm the elderly.”

“Thank you for your concern, Young Master Yan. I thank you on behalf of my mother,” Magistrate Wang replied.

“I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Yan Qige casually waved his hand as a gesture of farewell and then walked away. After taking a few steps, he turned back and glanced at the maid standing behind the old lady, saying, “The tea served by the maids in this residence is quite good.”

Without waiting for Magistrate Wang to respond, Yan Qige had already left.

The magistrate wiped the sweat from his forehead and then turned his gaze toward the maid behind his mother.

The maid was indeed clever and pretty, but she seemed unfamiliar.

Magistrate Wang guessed that she was probably a new servant brought in by the steward to attend to his mother.

“You’re new here, right? What’s your name?” he asked.

“Sir, my name is Yusang,” the maid replied timidly.

After accompanying his mother through lunch, Magistrate Wang returned to county magistrate office.

Yusang attended to the old lady as she drank half a pot of tea before she became drowsy and retired for an afternoon nap.

Once the old lady was asleep, Yusang quietly left the room and walked along the corridors of the residence, carefully inspecting the flowers and plants outside.

She moved from the east courtyard, where the old lady resided, to the west courtyard.

At the edge of the pond in the west courtyard, Yusang stopped.

The pond was filled with dense lotus leaves, but not a single flower bloomed.

Yusang circled the pond and eventually stopped by a rock formation on the side.

Leaning close to one of the hollowed-out stones, she peered inside but could see nothing, only sensing a faint cold breeze coming from within.

She plucked a leaf from a nearby plant and held it to the opening, where it quickly withered and turned yellow before being sucked inside.

Yusang frowned slightly and was about to throw a stone inside to listen for any sound when a withered hand suddenly reached out from behind and pressed on her shoulder.

Cold sweat broke out on Yusang’s skin as she reflexively grabbed the person’s wrist, ready to break it if necessary.

“What are you doing here in the west courtyard instead of attending to the old lady in the east courtyard?” The steward demanded, displeased.

Recognizing the voice, Yusang quickly released her grip and adopted the demeanor of a timid young girl, turning back to him and saying, “Steward Wang, I realize my mistake. I’ll go back right away.”

“Yes, you mustn’t wander around as a new servant. You don’t want to upset the master and get scolded for no reason,” the steward softened his tone a bit as he noticed her pitiful appearance.

“I’ve told you many times not to come here!” a sharp, piercing female voice suddenly called out from across the pond.

Yusang looked up and saw a very thin woman pointing at her and the steward.

“Madam, please forgive me. I’ll take her away right now,” Steward Wang hurriedly replied as he pulled Yusang away.

It was only then that Yusang noticed his palm was drenched in sweat, and his face was pale, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

Once they left the west courtyard, Steward Wang seemed much more at ease. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he warned, “From now on, don’t ever enter the west courtyard on your own. And you’re not allowed to speak of what happened today.”

Yusang cautiously tried to ask who that woman was, but Steward Wang merely glared at her before hastily leaving.

Although Steward Wang refused to discuss the matter, Yusang didn’t have to work too hard to learn the truth from Song the cook during dinner.

As expected, that thin and fierce woman was indeed Magistrate Wang’s first wife, Madam Lu.

After scoring high in the imperial exams, Magistrate Wang married her, and they enjoyed several prosperous years in the capital.

However, a few years ago, he got entangled in a case involving a member of the imperial family and was dismissed from his post.

Later, due to his reputation for integrity, the emperor appointed him as the magistrate of Yunsui City.

Though he no longer enjoyed great wealth and power, compared to other officials who were implicated in the same case, he was considered very fortunate, with a stable life and an untarnished reputation.

At this point, one might ask what this has to do with Madam Lu.

The problem arose when Magistrate Wang was dismissed.

Madam Lu was pregnant at the time and, fearing the worst, was overjoyed when the imperial decree only ordered her husband’s dismissal.

However, the stress caused her to go into early labor, resulting in a stillbirth.

She fell into a state of severe depression, unable to eat or drink.

Everyone thought she wouldn’t survive, but a few days later, she suddenly recovered.

Unfortunately, she developed a mental disorder, forgetting much of her past and becoming irritable and quick-tempered.

“Has she never recovered since?” Yusang asked.

As Song the cook cleaned up the dishes, she glanced around to ensure no one was listening, then leaned in close to Yusang and whispered, “There’s no hope for her to get better. She’s only gotten worse. She forbids anyone from entering the courtyard, and she never comes out either. If it weren’t for a few people catching glimpses of someone inside, everyone would have assumed it was an abandoned courtyard.”

Yusang didn’t ask any further questions. Instead, she quietly clenched the white jade brush hidden in her sleeve.

After exchanging a few more words with the old cook, she took her leave.