Chapter Two: Blood-Stained Begonias Chapter Eight: Driven by Greed for Merit, Resorting to Torture

“Me? My name is Jade Ice. My mother was once a renowned physician in this area, and under her influence, I picked up enough to treat minor ailments now and then. Unfortunately, those peaceful days didn’t last long. Perhaps she offended someone, for not long after, both my parents were murdered! I ended up being sold into a brothel. Today, when I was out gathering herbs, I found you—I couldn’t just walk away and let you die, could I?” She shrugged innocently, her expression so guileless that it made him laugh. Yet she knew that much of what he’d just told her was a fabrication. She’d already guessed his true identity from the jade pendant at his waist, but tactfully chose not to expose him. Instead, she spun her own tale, blending truth and fiction, just as he had.

Still, because of his unusual status, she was puzzled: how had someone like him ended up nearly killed, pursued to this remote place, and then saved by her? Was it premeditated? A test? Or simply coincidence?

Whatever the answer, she knew she had to be cautious. For now, she was in no position to oppose them. Of course, she couldn’t hide forever—one day, she would have to face them head-on.

“Jade Ice—what a beautiful name. As pure and pristine as its meaning,” Zhang Huai couldn’t help but praise, looking at the ethereal woman before him.

“Thank you for your kind words, sir. I dare say I am worthy of the name!” Jade Ice replied with a playful wink. “And you, with your heart set on the world, truly live up to your own reputation.”

He chuckled at her straightforward response, shifting his body carefully to find a more comfortable spot against the tree. “By the way, I’ve heard brothels are busiest at night. How do you have time to come out here? You seem quite at leisure.”

“Oh! The ladies are busy at night, but not me—I’m just a maid!” she replied frankly, knowing there was no need to hide something so obvious.

“A maid?” Zhang Huai looked in disbelief at the lovely young woman before him—she hardly seemed the type for menial work. If even the maids were this beautiful, one could only imagine her mistress.

“What, do I not look the part?” Jade Ice laughed at his astonished expression.

“You—you’re truly beautiful when you smile.” He couldn’t help but yawn; after so much conversation, even his strong inner energy couldn’t sustain him. He was tired.

If not for the blood-stained clothes he’d just removed, Jade Ice might have forgotten he was still a gravely wounded patient. Seeing his drowsiness, she chided gently, “Get some sleep. Have you forgotten you’re still injured?” She stoked the fire higher and, with a yawn of her own, leaned against a nearby tree and drifted off.

When they awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. Jade Ice suddenly remembered that today was her mistress’ wedding day. If she remained absent any longer, she’d surely break her mistress’ heart. Hurrying back to Zhang Huai, she confidently took his wrist to check his pulse.

“I must be completely recovered by now, right?” Zhang Huai asked with confidence, knowing his own extraordinary healing abilities.

“Mm, you’re mostly well, but you still need rest. Once your wounds have fully scabbed over, you can leave. But these next few days, you mustn’t go anywhere—I’ll bring you food.” Perhaps it was due to his powerful martial arts or the medicinal baths of his childhood, but after a single night’s rest, his wounds had nearly healed.

Still, to prevent them from reopening, she insisted he stay put. Having cured another patient, Jade Ice felt elated and skipped lightly down the mountain.

Little did she know that a far greater trouble awaited her at the county yamen, nor that, soon after she left, Zhang Huai also struggled to his feet and set off in the same direction.

“Hm? Has the young lady already left in her bridal sedan? Why is Clear Breeze Pavilion deserted?” Jade Ice wondered as she noticed the unusual silence and pushed open the tightly closed doors.

The brothel was empty—not only of people, but all the festive decorations from the day before had been taken down. If not for spotting a familiar figure, she would have thought she’d come to the wrong place.

Mute Auntie, who handled the cleaning, was deaf to words but not to the world—she saw more than most. Jade Ice approached her and patted her on the shoulder, confusion in her voice. “Auntie, what happened here?”

Startled by the touch, the woman turned. Seeing Jade Ice, whom everyone had been searching for, she grew excited but, unable to speak, could only grab Jade Ice and hurry her toward the third-floor Ruyi Chamber.

There, two long seals on the door made everything clear—trouble had struck Clear Breeze Pavilion, and the scene was in Ruyi Chamber. Most likely, Begonia was now at the county hall, and everyone else had gone there as well. No wonder the place was so quiet. Jade Ice knew she had to go to the yamen herself and get to the bottom of things. She nodded to Auntie and hurried downstairs, hoping she wasn’t too late.

Outside the county yamen, Jade Ice could already hear the magistrate questioning the case as she pushed through the crowd to listen.

“Begonia, do you have anything to say in your defense regarding Ma Yunlong’s account?” asked the magistrate.

“My lord, I have nothing to defend. I am Qiu Xin, daughter of Qiu Qianye—known here as Begonia. I was betrothed to the deceased, Ma Tian, and was to marry him today. Who could have foreseen such tragedy? My heart aches for his death! But why do you assume I am the killer? We truly loved each other! I loved him too much to harm him—even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. Can anyone tell me what truly happened?” Her voice was weak and hoarse, more from sorrow than fatigue, and her words clearly showed her innocence. Hearing this, Jade Ice frowned. How could they use torture with no evidence?

“You grieve? I think your heart is as hard as stone! If you can kill your own husband, what are you not capable of? Was there anyone else in that room? Do you know the pain of losing an only son at my age? How could you be so cruel? He was my only child—do you mean for me to die without an heir?” wept Ma Yunlong, the white-haired old man on his knees, accusing Begonia of heartlessness.

“Qiu Xin, what did my son ever do to you? I apologize to you for him—just give him back to me! Why were you so venomous? Why did you have to kill him? Without my son, how am I supposed to live?” sobbed the grief-stricken old woman beside him, tears streaming down her face.

“Please, wife, don’t say any more! My heart can’t take it—this is fate… fate!” Ma Yunlong, overwhelmed by sorrow, tried to comfort his wife.

“Begonia! Look at these two elders—does your conscience trouble you?” The magistrate slammed the gavel, unable to bear the sight any longer.

“Innocent, my lord! I did not commit murder! I truly loved Ma Tian—how could I kill him? I was unconscious at the time and know nothing!” Begonia’s heart was torn by their accusations. Seeing the couple so distraught, she felt only concern for their health. Ma Tian was gone; only these two lonely elders remained. She wished to comfort them, but no words would suffice—no one would believe her.

“How can you be so stubborn? You were alone in the house—if you didn’t do it, was it a ghost?” The magistrate rubbed his brow, sighing. “Don’t you know that if you confessed, all would be resolved?”

“My lord, I did not kill him. What am I to confess? I am innocent!” Begonia was desperate, the magistrate exasperated.

“My dear child, why do you persist?” Seeing her refusal, the magistrate gave up. “Enough. Where is Coroner Qian?”

“Here, my lord, awaiting your orders,” answered a middle-aged man in coarse clothing from behind the bailiffs.

“Was there any scent of incense or sedative at the scene?”

“No, my lord. I found none.”

“Begonia, you hear that? Have you anything further to say?”

“I have nothing to say, my lord. I only want to know the truth.”

“You! Very well—since you insist, I’ll see that you are satisfied!” The magistrate, who had hoped for a quick case, now saw he would have to proceed by the book. “Coroner Qian, what was the time of death?”

“My lord, I estimate the deceased died between the hours of the Boar and the Ox.” The coroner replied succinctly.

“That long?” The magistrate frowned at the three-hour span.

“My lord, time of death is usually determined by the degree of blood coagulation. However, the deceased had no blood left in his body—a most unusual circumstance. The blood vessels contained only black residue, making exact time of death impossible to fix.” The coroner’s face showed his puzzlement—this was the strangest case he had ever seen. It wasn’t a simple poisoning, though blood had flowed from every orifice. Even in poisoning, the body would not be left entirely bloodless. Furthermore, his skin was normal—none of the typical signs of poisoning.

“Then, have you determined the cause of death?” the magistrate asked hopefully.

“My lord, I believe poisoning is the most likely cause,” the coroner replied, glancing at Begonia, who knelt bloodied on the floor. “The shards of broken porcelain at the scene tested positive for poison, but the exact type remains to be determined.”