"Madam, look over here!"
The next morning, when Lu Youqing went out, Qin Ke was still asleep. He had drunk some wine the night before, so she hadn't woken him.
No sooner had she stepped outside than Han Qi hurriedly pulled her to the base of the wall. Following where he pointed, Lu Youqing saw a jumble of footprints scattered across the ground.
"Check and see if anything in the house is missing."
When they returned home the previous night, it had already been dark and visibility was poor. They hadn't noticed the footprints at all. On top of that, Qin Ke had been a bit drunk and troublesome, so all her attention had been on him.
As a result, it wasn't until daylight—when Han Qi was cleaning the courtyard—that the signs of intrusion were discovered.
Qin Ke was awakened by the clattering sounds inside the house. Rubbing his throbbing temples, he stepped outside and saw Lu Youqing directing Han Qi and Li Nanqiao to inspect each room and check things off one by one.
"What's going on, Madam?" Qin Ke asked as he put on his outer robe and walked over, confused.
Lu Youqing's expression was grim. When she saw him, she forced a small smile. "Someone broke into the house last night."
"Was anything stolen?" Qin Ke's face darkened. Li Nanqiao had gone home that night, and Lei Zhong had been staying at the melon field. They had only been out for a couple of hours.
"That's the strangest part," Lu Youqing replied. "So far, nothing seems to be missing. We checked the storeroom as well—not even a single watermelon is gone."
She wasn't overly worried about valuables like money or land deeds. Those important items were hidden in an extremely concealed place, known only to her and Qin Ke. An ordinary thief could never have found them.
After learning that someone had broken in, she had checked immediately—yet the study showed no signs of being rummaged through at all.
Qin Ke scanned the courtyard, unease growing in his chest. Nothing being stolen was more unsettling than losing something. If valuables had been taken, it could be dismissed as an ordinary thief seeking money.
But if someone broke in and took nothing—what were they after?
His gaze swept across the courtyard and suddenly landed on the clothes hanging out to dry.
"What's that?"
Following his line of sight, Li Nanqiao—who was closest to the bamboo drying pole—rushed over, took down a sky-blue garment, and brought it to them.
"Master, Madam, the sleeve here is torn. A piece was ripped off. It was fine when I hung it out yesterday."
It was the outer robe Qin Ke had worn two days ago and washed the day before. He took it and examined the tear—it had clearly been ripped by force.
But why? Sneaking into his courtyard just to damage his clothing made no sense at all.
Before he could say anything, loud noises suddenly erupted outside. Moments later, someone began pounding heavily on the gate.
"Open up! Official business!"
They exchanged looks. In the end, Lu Youqing steadied herself and instructed, "Han Qi, go open the door. See what's going on."
Han Qi and Li Nanqiao went to the front. Qin Ke suddenly felt a sense of foreboding, as if something bad was about to happen. Instinctively, he grabbed Lu Youqing's wrist and softly called, "Madam—"
He didn't even know what he wanted to say; it was pure instinct.
Lu Youqing turned to him and curled her lips into a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine."
Just as Han Qi was about to open the door, Qin Ke lowered his gaze to the torn robe in his hand. He didn't know what the person behind all this was plotting, but that damaged garment was clearly part of the plan.
His thoughts raced. In the next instant, the robe that had been clenched tightly in his hand vanished into thin air.
Lu Youqing's pupils contracted sharply. She stared at the scene in disbelief, but before she could ask anything, the officials outside had already rushed into the courtyard.
The leader, gripping the hilt of his saber with one hand, scanned everyone present with a fierce glare before fixing his eyes on Qin Ke, who stood under the corridor.
"We are constables of Yong'an Town, here on orders to arrest Qin Ke. Uninvolved parties are not to obstruct official business!"
"What crime has my husband committed?" Lu Youqing's face went pale as she forced herself to step in front of Qin Ke.
Looking at her slender yet resolute figure shielding him, Qin Ke felt a surge of emotion. From the constables' attitude, he knew this matter would not end peacefully.
"A murder has occurred at the City God Temple outside the city. Qin Ke is the prime suspect. Search thoroughly!" the constable barked, shoving Han Qi and the others aside.
At his command, the rest stormed into the house, ransacking everything. The once neat courtyard was quickly turned into chaos.
Qin Ke already knew what they were looking for. Lu Youqing understood as well. They exchanged a knowing glance.
"Sir, we didn't find anything!"
"Nothing here either!"
After turning the house upside down without finding what they wanted, the constable frowned and waved his hand. "Take Qin Ke into custody first."
"Madam, while I'm gone, I'll have to trouble you to manage everything at home," Qin Ke said, placing a hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with reluctance as he looked at her.
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling!"
The constables didn't allow him a proper farewell. Each grabbed one of his arms and clamped heavy shackles onto him.
The officials' aggressive arrival in Qinghe Village had already drawn attention. By the time Qin Ke was escorted out, a crowd of curious villagers had gathered outside.
"What's going on? Why are they arresting Qin Ke?"
"No idea, but I heard something about a murder. Could it be that Qin Ke killed someone?"
…
Lu Youqing watched anxiously as Qin Ke was taken away.
"Madam Lu, what should we do?" Li Nanqiao asked shakily, still reeling from how quickly everything had happened.
Lu Youqing stood there, facing the villagers' malicious suspicion and strange looks. Behind her was utter chaos—the once tidy courtyard now a complete mess from the search.
She took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.
At times like this, panic was the last thing she could afford. Qin Ke was trapped and awaiting her efforts, and the people behind her needed her to take charge.
"Go inside. Close the door," she said coldly, straightening her back and turning to enter the house.
Han Qi was the last to follow, shutting the courtyard gate tightly and cutting off the villagers' prying gazes.
Li Nanqiao carefully supported Lu Youqing as they walked to the stone bench in the courtyard. She could clearly feel how tightly Lu Youqing's gentle hand gripped her arm—her fingers unconsciously tightening, her normally rosy knuckles now pale.
The courtyard fell into an eerie silence. Leaves rustled softly in the breeze, the sound unusually clear in the stillness.
Han Qi and the others held their breath, watching the woman seated in the courtyard.
"Lei Zhong."
"I'm here!"
"Take some silver and go into town to find out exactly what happened—what case my husband is involved in. The more details, the better. If you can make contact with someone in the authorities, that would be best, so we can arrange a visit," Lu Youqing said after only a brief moment of thought. Her gaze was steady and sharp as she issued instructions swiftly. "Han Qi, Caiyue Pavilion's servant will come later to collect the watermelons. Say nothing extra—handle it as usual and settle the payment."
After both men left to carry out their tasks, Li Nanqiao pointed at herself hesitantly. "Madam… what should I do?"
"Help me clean up the house first, then wait. Someone will come by later."
Li Nanqiao was confused—she couldn't understand how Madam knew someone would come. Yet from Lu Youqing's tone, she felt a heavy sense of foreboding. Though full of questions, she didn't dare delay and immediately began tidying up the scattered mess.
She quickly picked up the clothes strewn on the ground and folded them neatly, returned books to the shelves one by one, and carefully gathered broken teacup shards to avoid cutting herself. Working together, they finally restored the courtyard to its former order.
---
Currently at chapter 166 for advance chapters
https:// ko-fi.com/rabi08