Murderous intent arose.

When it came to investigating a case, Chen Haizhou was undoubtedly more skilled than she was.

As to who had tampered with the cage holding the tiger, and who had instigated it, it would not be difficult to find out with a little interrogation.

Hearing him speak in this manner now, Xia Yunhe could not be sure of Chen Haizhou’s true intent. Recalling his earlier flippant behavior and his heavy tone of mockery, she felt an immediate sense of disgust.

After a brief moment of thought, she replied, "Lord Chen is well-versed in the ways of criminal law; surely you know better than I how to investigate this case. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

She had not gone far when Chen Haizhou blocked her path. Xia Yunhe looked up at him.

Chen Haizhou smiled wantonly, his hawk-like eyes carrying an intense, oppressive weight. His words were half-joking and half-threatening: "My men are everywhere; no matter how anxious you are, Lord Xia, you won't be able to leave this courtyard. I am genuinely asking for your advice on how to resolve this matter, and I am also genuinely interested in befriending you."

"I have heard that in Jiangnan, there is a place called Taoxi where a family named Xia resides. They moved there during the Chunle era of the late Emperor. It is said they have deep ties to the Founding Emperor, who once promised them, 'No misfortune shall befall you, and your title shall remain untouched'..." Chen Haizhou’s smile faded as he bowed his head, closing in on her. "For a woman to walk the halls of court as an official, is this a mistake or not? If the Emperor were to find out, how would he treat the Xia family?"

The sky was overcast, and a chill gathered in the air.

Cold wind bit at the nape of Xia Yunhe's neck. Her fists, hidden in her sleeves, were clenched until they turned bruised and pale. She straightened her back, her eyes growing increasingly indignant, and met Chen Haizhou’s probing gaze with unwavering composure.

She said nothing.

The two remained in a standoff for a long time. The courtyard was so quiet it felt as if they were the only two souls in existence, save for the occasional muffled shout of a street vendor from beyond the walls.

As the stalemate persisted, Xia Yunhe suddenly smiled and spoke: "Lord Chen, you serve the Son of Heaven; why are you so timid? Who in the capital has not heard of Lord Chen? Who does not tremble in fear before him? As a dignified Fourth-Rank Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief, are you truly afraid to investigate even a minor case?"

She tilted her head to look directly at the man before her. Her fists, hidden in her sleeves, trembled slightly. The Xia family was no longer the flourishing house it once was, yet for Chen Haizhou to still dare to target them, his reach was far too long.

"Investigate?" Chen Haizhou savored the word, clicking his tongue a few times. "Lord Xia, do you believe this matter warrants a deep investigation? Why do you think it would involve so much? Why not just an accident? Hmm?"

Xia Yunhe paused, caught off guard by his counter-attack, and felt a flash of annoyance at her own oversight.

The mastermind behind the incident at Changle Garden was Consort Wan. To investigate it was to inevitably lead the inquiry to her doorstep. The Prince of Ding, Xie Xuan, was the Emperor’s fifth son, born to Consort Wan. At the Lushan Autumn Hunt, the Prince of Ding and Chen Haizhou had long held a grudge. If a real investigation were to proceed, there would be much to exploit—whether by watching the fire from across the river, exacerbating the conflict, or shaking the foundations of the court. Any of these would leave Chen Haizhou in a precarious position.

Yet, she had never considered how she, an outsider who had been ill, would know the full sequence of events regarding the escaped tiger.

Given Chen Haizhou’s methods, he had likely already grasped the details of the case. He would know the stakes involved, and he certainly would not pursue the truth to the end.

So why ask her?

Xia Yunhe glanced at Chen Haizhou. His sharp, predatory eyes were locked onto her, scrutinizing her every move, which was chilling. Her heart skipped a beat, and fine beads of sweat began to seep from her palms.

"Whether the tiger escaped by accident or by someone's deliberate design, Lord Chen must know clearly; why bother making things difficult for me?" She took a breath and continued, "You asked me how to resolve the Changle Garden affair. I only thought of your own words—that you 'only take orders from the Emperor alone'—so I assumed you were fearless and did not fear anyone. That is why I said what I said."

Chen Haizhou watched her, the corners of his mouth curling up. "Are you afraid of me?" He took a few steps toward her, narrowing the distance between them. "I am truly willing to stop seeing other men for your sake; would you be willing to..."

"Does Lord Chen think I am afraid?" Xia Yunhe cut him off, stepping back to widen the distance again. A mocking smile played on her lips, a silent warning to him. "If Lord Chen thinks I am afraid, then I am afraid. If you think I am not, then I am not."

"I suppose you are not," Chen Haizhou said with a smile. "Xia—Yi—Zhi, we have a long road ahead."

Unable to listen to another word from him, and unwilling to stay a moment longer, Xia Yunhe bowed, her face dark, and walked away.

"Stop!"

"Does Lord Chen have any other business?"

Chen Haizhou brushed past her and called the shopkeeper over, ordering him to get two bags of stove candy for Xia Yunhe.

"Lord Xia, don’t forget your stove candy."

...

Returning to the front hall, the area was filled with guards in black robes carrying swords. The stove candy shop’s door was half-closed, and the shopkeeper was behind the counter, carefully wrapping the sugar gourds in mulberry paper.

She walked toward the exit but was blocked by the guards, so she sat down to wait.

Before long, the shopkeeper brought over two large bags of stove candy, his face full of smiles. "Lord Xia, these were prepared for you at Lord Chen’s instruction."

Xia Yunhe picked up the two bags, thanked him, and left the shop with a smile.

The street was as bustling as before. She wiped the smile from her face and resolutely turned back against the crowd, retracing her steps.

Just as she exited the narrow alley, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and realized it was Zhen Niang, and she exhaled in secret relief.

Zhen Niang was carrying a small basket containing a small paper package tied with string and a few stalks of green onions. Seeing the unusual expression on Xia Yunhe’s face, she gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead and noticed the two bags of candy in her fingers. "Did you go buy candy, Master?"

Xia Yunhe shook her sore wrist and wiped the cold sweat from her neck, giving a vague response.

"If I had known you were buying candy, I wouldn't have bought any," Zhen Niang said, taking the two bags and placing them in her basket. "Malt candy shouldn't be kept too long. It's only for the Kitchen God sacrifice. You can't eat that much on your own, Master. Why buy so much today?"

Since leaving the Tian Family Stove Candy Shop, Xia Yunhe had felt slightly dizzy. She whispered, "It’s fine, we can take it back and eat it slowly."

Zhen Niang, however, wrinkled her nose, grabbed her wrist, and sniffed. She then picked up the two bags of candy tied together in the basket... Zhen Niang frowned, looked up at her, and lowered her voice: "This candy is not right. Where did you get it, Master?"

Xia Yunhe’s heart trembled. After a moment of silence, she answered truthfully, "The Tian Family Stove Candy Shop."

"This..." Zhen Niang grabbed Xia Yunhe’s arm and whispered in her ear, "This candy smells of wolfsbane. Did you buy this yourself, Master? Or did someone give it to you?"

Xia Yunhe was horrified. Chen Haizhou’s sinister eyes flashed through her mind. She looked down at the basket in Zhen Niang’s arms, where the two bags lay quietly. She opened her mouth, swallowed her words, and spoke only four:

"We'll talk when we get back."

...

The vast, dark night closed in from all sides, like a black fire burning across the horizon until twilight deepened and the stars flickered as embers.

One household after another lit their lanterns, dispelling the gloom of the long street. Yet, Wulv Alley was frighteningly quiet; the houses, shaded by gnarled branches, remained in a miserable silence. At the end of the alley, a warm yellow lantern was lit, with the character "Xia" written upon it.

When she knocked on the wooden gate of the Xia residence, it was Sanniang who came to open it.

Upon seeing them, Sanniang’s face lit up with joy. "I've been waiting for you, Master, for a long time. Zhen-jie, I don't know where they sell gold-foil paper, so I went to East Street to buy some. The stove is already set with fresh fruits, fragrant tea, and various pastries. Dinner is ready, too..."

Xia Yunhe clutched her forehead, took the two bags of candy from the basket, and returned to her room with a grave expression.

Sanniang fell silent, pulling Zhen Niang into the kitchen and asking in a whisper, "Good sister, what is wrong with the Master? Did I do something wrong?"

Zhen Niang put down the basket, handed the stove candy to Sanniang, and looked at the pastries and tea neatly arranged on the stove. She smiled at Sanniang and said, "It’s nothing. The Master isn't feeling well. Keep an eye on the fire and don't let the food get cold; I’ll go check on him."

The young girl nodded, took the candy, and found a delicate porcelain plate, carefully arranging the sugar gourds one by one.

Zhen Niang left the kitchen and walked quickly to the main room. Lifting the curtain, she saw Xia Yunhe sitting under the lamp. Beside her was an open wooden box; she held the package of wolfsbane in one hand, comparing it to the two bags of stove candy, and sniffing carefully.

She rushed over and stopped Xia Yunhe, saying softly, "Master, don't smell it. This thing is addictive."

Xia Yunhe looked up at Zhen Niang and asked, "Addictive? Isn't this a poison?"

"In the dosage you have in your hand, Master, it is enough to kill a strong ox. If taken in tiny amounts over a long period, it leads to addiction. At first, one feels nothing, but when the illness truly manifests, it is deep in the marrow, beyond the reach of medicine."

"It's that powerful?" Xia Yunhe rubbed the candy wrapping soaked in wolfsbane. After unwrapping it, a rich, intoxicating aroma instantly filled the room.

She felt dizzy and weak, yet the scent lured her to keep smelling it. The words Chen Haizhou had spoken at the Tian Family Stove Candy Shop flooded her mind again: "Would you be willing to..." and "Xia—Yi—Zhi—"

Her ears turned bright red, and her cheeks burned with an unbearable heat.

Zhen Niang quickly wrapped the stove candy back up, lifted the curtain, and opened the doors and windows. She walked to Xia Yunhe’s side and gently rubbed her back. "This is a harmful thing, Master. It would be best to dispose of it as soon as possible."

The night breeze suddenly blew away the intoxicating scent in the room. Xia Yunhe shivered and snapped back to her senses. Thinking of Chen Haizhou’s base conduct, she gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, "Despicable villain."

"Master?" Zhen Niang reached out to touch her forehead, feeling it slightly hot, and exclaimed, "Why are you so hot!"

Xia Yunhe brushed Zhen Niang’s hand away and looked at the woman. "It's nothing. How can these things be disposed of safely?"

Seeing that Xia Yunhe seemed to be fine, Zhen Niang closed the doors and windows and lowered the curtains again. After a moment of thought, she said, "It's not difficult. Just soak them in lye water."

Xia Yunhe pushed the two bags of stove candy toward Zhen Niang. "Dispose of these tomorrow."

The woman agreed and picked up the two bags of candy, preparing to leave.

Xia Yunhe suddenly called out to stop her. "Zhen Niang, how did you know all this?"

"I don't remember." Zhen Niang looked a bit dazed and slowly shook her head. "I used to follow the Mistress, and I read many medical texts. Perhaps I read it in a book back then."

"Is that so?" Xia Yunhe’s shoulders slumped. She lowered her eyes and sat blankly in her chair, forgetting for a moment what she was supposed to do.

Suddenly, Sanniang’s voice came from outside.

"Master, today is the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the day to sacrifice to the Kitchen God. I’ve finished everything Zhen-jie arranged for the ritual, and the food is warming on the stove. When would you like to eat?"

Xia Yunhe rubbed her temples, put the package of wolfsbane back into the wooden box, and told Sanniang to set the table.

After eating, Xia Yunhe sat cross-legged on the kang with a small table in front of her.

She spread out a blank memorial, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote on the paper: "Xia Yunhe, compiler of the Hanlin Academy History Office, respectfully submits this memorial. The year is coming to an end, and the new year is near... Wolfsbane has flowed into the capital, mixed into malt candy. Long-term consumption threatens to destroy a person's foundation without them being aware, and harms life without one knowing... This matter is of great importance. I dare not speak lightly, but the Minister Chen mentioned is aware of this. I submit this with all due respect. Your servant, Xia Yunhe, bows again."

...

After finishing this memorial, Xia Yunhe fell ill. Two days later, when she went to see the Emperor Hehui with the document, she happened to run into Chen Haizhou leaving the Imperial Study.

There was a gash on the man's forehead, and a trickle of red blood wound its way down his brow to his chin.

Chen Haizhou looked at her, let out a soft laugh, wiped away the bloodstain, and walked away.

Once she entered the Imperial Study, she saw Li Fushun ordering people to clean up a mess. An inkstone lay shattered on the floor, and ink had stained a large patch of the felt rug.

Thinking that Chen Haizhou must have been hit by the inkstone, Xia Yunhe felt a sense of delight and could not help but press her lips together.

After Emperor Hehui read her memorial, his expression grew grave. He asked, "Where in the capital has this substance flowed?"

"The Tian Family Stove Candy Shop."

Emperor Hehui asked again, "Yi-zhi, did you discover the wolfsbane when you bought the candy yourself?"

Xia Yunhe lowered her eyes and said, "It was not that I took the initiative to buy the candy, but that someone deliberately blocked my path and gave it to me."

"Who gave you the candy?"

Xia Yunhe suddenly raised her eyelids. Every word was slow, clear, and distinct.

"Chen Haizhou, the Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."