The winter of the ninth year of Minghui seemed colder than any before. The north wind howled like a starving wolf, whipping snow-laden gusts against the lattice windows of the Su residence.
After helping Su Wan to bed, Gu Liang carefully checked the window bolts. Only then did he pull his thin garments closer around him, lift his small horn-handled lamp, and set off down the path to his own quarters. The Third Young Miss's courtyard lay some distance from the rear quarters where lowly maidservants like her resided. To reach it, one had to pass through an artificial hill and a small bamboo grove. Serene by day, the place took on an eerie, desolate quiet after nightfall.
The lantern's glow flickered in the wind, illuminating only the immediate ground beneath her feet. Gu Liang felt a chill run down her spine, unconsciously quickening her pace. She seemed to hear faint sounds that couldn't possibly be the wind. Remembering Sister Emma's warning, her heart sank further into dread.
Just as she was about to pass through the rockery, a faint crackling sound suddenly came from behind her, like a dry branch snapping underfoot. Before she could turn around, a rough, large hand suddenly clamped over her mouth and nose. An acrid, sweet-smelling, fishy odor instantly flooded her senses!
"Mmmph!" Gu Liang's eyes widened in terror as she struggled desperately. The horn-shaped lamp in her hand clattered to the ground, extinguishing instantly. Darkness swallowed her whole, and overwhelming terror seized her heart. The cloth covering her mouth and nose contained a potent drug. She felt her strength rapidly drain away, her vision blurring. The last things she saw were the grotesque outline of the rockery and the cold, starry sky above. Then, she plunged into endless darkness.
...
Meanwhile, in the cold room at the rear annex, Emma glanced toward the doorway for the third time. Gu Liang had never been this late returning. Miss Su Wan retired early; by all accounts, Gu Liang should have been back long ago.
A powerful unease coiled around her heart like a vine, tightening with each passing moment. She recalled overhearing the maidservants whispering earlier that day—the eldest young master had dined out tonight and seemed rather displeased upon his return. Then there was the shadowy figure of that sneaky servant boy she'd glimpsed in the night just days ago.
All the clues instantly connected in her calm mind, pointing to the worst possible scenario!
She sprang to her feet so abruptly she knocked over the low stool behind her, the sudden clatter echoing through the silent night. The maid sharing her room mumbled something in her sleep. Emma, however, seemed oblivious. Without even pausing to put on a thick coat, she slipped out the door in her thin quilted jacket, moving like a silent shadow.
The cold wind lashed her face like knives, yet she felt no chill. Her mind raced: Where was Su Che's courtyard? Which route was the shortest? Where was Gu Liang most likely to have met with trouble? She remembered that secluded path, remembered the rockery...
She didn't rush blindly forward. Instead, she circled around to the kitchen area, where odds and ends were piled. Swiftly, she found a small can of lamp oil and a scrap of cloth, deftly fashioning a makeshift torch. Lighting it with a tinderbox, she then ran toward a corner where fodder was stacked—opposite Su Che's courtyard but close to the estate's stables.
That spot was far from the main living quarters. Once the fire started, it would inevitably cause a commotion, drawing the attention of most of the household servants.
Reaching the haystack, she hurled the burning torch inside without hesitation! The dry fodder ignited instantly, flames leaping up with a roar, blazing brightly against the night sky.
"Fire! Fire!" Emma screamed in a high-pitched voice, then turned and sprinted at full speed toward Su Che's courtyard.
Sure enough, within moments, the chaos erupted behind her—the clanging of gongs, shouts, and the clatter of hurried footsteps shattered the tranquility of the entire rear courtyard of the Su residence. Everyone's attention was drawn to the source of the fire.
Taking advantage of this precious chaos, Emma slipped silently like a weasel to the rear side of Su Che's courtyard. There was a small side gate here, used by the lowly maidservants, which usually drew little attention. She had observed long ago that the latch here was not secure.
She plucked a slender iron hairpin from her hair—prepared long ago for self-defense or emergencies—and carefully inserted it into the door crack. After a few deft flicks, a soft click sounded as the bolt slid open.
Holding her breath, she pushed the door open and slipped inside. The courtyard was indeed silent; most servants had been drawn to the front yard by the "water spill." Only Su Che's main chamber still glowed with light, from which drifted his drunken, impatient shouts: "What's all the noise outside?! Go see!"
Emma pressed herself against the shadows along the wall, swiftly approaching the main quarters. She heard another voice inside, slightly sleazy, seemingly that servant's ingratiating chuckle: "Young Master, I've brought the person... right inside... Heh heh, absolutely no one saw..."
Emma's heart sank to the bottom. Rage and icy murderous intent tangled within her. She circled to the window of the room, moistened her finger with saliva, and gently pierced the paper screen. Leaning close, she peered inside.
On the inner bed, Gu Liang lay unconscious, eyes tightly shut, his face flushed, clothes slightly disheveled. Su Che stood beside him, a lecherous grin spreading across his face as he reached out to tug at her sash...
There was no time to think!
Emma sprang upright, abandoning any pretense of stealth. With every ounce of strength, she kicked open the half-open door!
The thunderous crash made both Su Che and the servant inside jump in fright.
"Who?!" Su Che spun around, rage mingling with shock. His expression froze when he saw the usually silent, expressionless Emma standing in the doorway. "You, you brat?! What are you doing here? Get out!"
Emma paid him no mind, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Liang lying on the bed. Seeing that his clothes were still relatively intact, she felt a slight relief. But knowing the drug's effects hadn't worn off yet, she knew she had to get him out immediately.
"Young Master, the haystack by the stables caught fire. It's raging fiercely! The Lady ordered everyone to help extinguish it!" Emma suppressed her surging emotions, forcing her voice to remain steady, even laced with a hint of "panic." "The Lady couldn't find you and is terribly worried. She sent me to fetch you immediately!"
She deliberately invoked the mistress's name, hoping to temporarily intimidate Su Che.
Sure enough, Su Che froze, instinctively glancing out the window. He could indeed see faint red light and hear commotion in the distance. His drunkenness had largely worn off, and a flicker of hesitation and irritation crossed his face. If his mother truly sought him, he had no choice but to go. But the duck that was almost in his mouth...
In that split second of hesitation, Emma sprang into action! Like an arrow released from its string, she lunged toward the bed, shoving aside the servant still blocking the edge. Bending low, she hoisted the limp Gu Liang onto her back! Gu Liang was light, but Emma herself was barely more than a child. This effort drained nearly all her strength.
"Stop her!" Su Che snapped, his face turning ashen with rage.
The servant snapped out of his daze and lunged forward to grab Emma. Burdened with Gu Liang on her back, Emma's movements were restricted, and she was about to be seized. A cold gleam flashed in her eyes as she suddenly raised her foot and kicked violently at a half-meter-tall Jingdezhen vase beside her!
"Crash!" The precious vase shattered with a sharp crack, shards scattering everywhere.
The deafening crash and the chaotic scene caused Su Che and the servant to freeze in their tracks.
Seizing this opening, Emma, still carrying Gu Liang, dashed headlong out of the room, out of the courtyard, and vanished into the chaotic night beyond. The cold wind lashed her face with snowflakes. Gu Liang on her back felt as light as a feather, yet as heavy as if bearing all her fears and hopes.
She dared not pause, stumbling and scrambling toward the courtyard of Third Young Miss Su Wan. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, threatening to burst free. She knew this was only a temporary escape. Su Che would never let it rest.
A greater storm was yet to come.
For now, she had only one thought: to get Gu Liang away from there, to bring her to a relatively safe place.
The clamor and curses behind her gradually faded into the distance, replaced only by the howling wind and snow in her ears. Emma gritted her teeth, her slender spine straightening in the bitter cold as if determined to bear the weight of the heavy darkness surrounding her.