Chapter 131: A Narrow Escape from Disaster

Bai Wuming lowered his eyes, gazing at the teacup in his hand. His expression was conflicted, and he remained silent for a long time.

"I will take my men to apprehend him; I will not let Miss An or Fourth Brother Han be implicated in any way," Lin Xijin promised, hoping to persuade Bai Wuming to help.

Bai Wuming looked up at Lin Xijin, and after a long moment, gave a slight nod.

Lin Xijin’s lips curled into a smile. "Thank you."

Two days later, on the afternoon of the fourteenth day of the tenth lunar month, An Yi received a note delivered by one of Bai Wuming’s men. It read: "Mid-winter’s eve, the tenth month half-spent; fragrant glutinous offerings to the Three Officials. At the first quarter of the Dog hour, by the willow-lane’s lantern; waiting for the fair maiden beneath the carousel." It was signed anonymously.

*Fair maiden?*

*A charming, coquettish girl!*

An Yi curled her lip in disgust, casually tucked the note into a poetry collection, and returned to practicing her calligraphy.

"Miss, may I come in?" Fang Rong’s voice sounded from outside the door.

"Come in." An Yi did not pause her brush.

Fang Rong entered and whispered, "Miss, I have something to report."

An Yi finished the final stroke, set down her brush, and looked up at Fang Rong. "Has the Huang woman been causing trouble again?"

"Concubine Huang has been drugged with muscle-relaxant powder, so she’s been bedridden all day and lacks the strength to make a scene. However, Maidong, who serves the two nannies, Lu and Chang, discovered that they had been hiding their breakfast and lunch. When I hurried over, I caught them sneaking into Concubine Huang’s room to tell her that the food was tampered with and that she shouldn't eat it anymore."

An Yi gave a disdainful snort. "It took them this many days to notice? The Huang family went through all that trouble to send them in here for nothing."

"I beg to differ, Miss. I only used a very small amount at first, so it was only natural they didn't notice," Fang Rong replied.

An Yi smiled. "Fine. What did the Huang woman say after hearing this?"

"She said she had known the food was problematic for a long time, but since she’s trapped in the courtyard, she’d starve to death if she didn't eat it. Nanny Lu said they didn't know what kind of poison was mixed in or if it would have long-term effects. She feared that if it were a sterility drug, Concubine Huang would never have a chance to turn things around."

*A sterility drug!*

*Turning things around!*

An Yi’s eyes flashed. That reminded her—she hadn't prepared any sterility medicine yet, but it shouldn't be difficult to do.

Fang Rong continued, "Concubine Huang screamed when she heard that and insisted on having a physician called to check her pulse. Nanny Chang advised that since the Master is away from the estate, relying on you to call a physician would be unreliable, as the medicine prescribed might be poison. She suggested waiting until the Master returns in the evening and having him summon an Imperial Physician instead."

"Tell those guarding them not to stop them. Let them see the Master," An Yi said with a cold laugh.

In the evening, when An Qinghe returned home, Nanny Chang successfully reached him. She knelt before him and kowtowed, "Master, the Second Madam is ill. I beg you to summon Imperial Physician Li to attend to her."

Imperial Physician Li often frequented the Huang household, and Nanny Chang was certain he was reliable.

An Qinghe looked down at her. "Has the Miss been informed of the Second Madam’s illness?"

"She has."

"And what did she say?"

"The Miss says the Second Madam is merely feigning illness and refuses to call a physician for her. Master, the Second Madam has been bedridden for days. I pray you look into this yourself." Nanny Chang kowtowed three more times.

An Qinghe frowned. "Guan Er, take my calling card and invite Imperial Physician Li to the estate."

Guan Er accepted the order and left.

Nanny Chang was ecstatic; the Master clearly still cared for the Second Madam. "Master, if I may be so bold, I implore you to step over and see her yourself. She has been longing for you day and night."

An Qinghe hesitated for a moment, then set off toward Zhuijin Courtyard.

Nanny Chang scrambled to her feet. Watching An Qinghe head toward the courtyard, she wore a look of triumphant conspiracy. *Perfect, the opportunity has arrived.* She hurried off to intercept Guan Er and tell him there was no need to fetch the physician.

On the other side, Nanny Lu also wore a look of triumph when she saw An Qinghe approaching.

"Master!" Concubine Huang, half-reclining on her bed, called out in a sweet, affected voice as An Qinghe entered.

An Qinghe stood two steps away from the bed, looking at the rosy-cheeked woman who showed no signs of illness. He asked coldly, "You wished to see me—what is the matter?"

"I know I was too ignorant in the past, causing the Miss to misunderstand my intentions. I have reflected deeply and will henceforth keep to my place, serving you and the First Madam well," Concubine Huang said, adopting a submissive posture.

"It is good that you think so," An Qinghe replied, his expression remaining blank. "Rest well and recover."

"Master," Concubine Huang said, panicked at his departure. She sat up. "Master, could you sit for a moment and chat with me?"

"If you have something to say, speak plainly," An Qinghe turned back, looking at her with his arms crossed.

"Are you so unwilling to share a room with me, Master? In your eyes, what am I? A monster? Why do you despise me so? Though I have not been your wife for a decade like your First Madam, I am still your woman. Do you have no compassion for me at all?" Concubine Huang asked, weeping with feigned grievance.

An Qinghe looked at her with complex eyes, sighed, and sat down in a chair. "Say what you wish to say."

Just then, Lu Ti entered with lowered head, carrying tea. She looked slightly nervous. "Master, please have some tea."

An Qinghe, not noticing her odd behavior, took the cup and sipped the tea.

A faint smile appeared on Concubine Huang’s lips. "Master, do you know when I first saw you?"

An Qinghe thought for a moment. "At the palace banquet."

"No, it was the day you returned in triumph from the frontier. I watched from the balcony as you rode by in your armor, majestic and awe-inspiring. I fell for you at first sight and begged my father to propose to you," she said, kicking off her quilt and walking toward him. "But you rejected my father. I could not give up; I went to the Imperial Street every day to watch you return from court, weeping at home, wishing we had met before you were married. It was only after my desperate pleas that my father finally agreed..."

An Qinghe set the cup back on the table and raised a hand to block her approach. "Huang, there is no need to speak of these things. I already know why you entered this house. I also know that your grandfather and father bribed several of my advisors."

Concubine Huang’s face changed, and she said urgently, "Master, I..."

"Huang, I repeat: if you keep to your place, you may stay. Otherwise, I will send you back to the Huang family. I am not the type of man to hold onto appearances..." An Qinghe felt a sudden change in his body and grabbed the empty cup. "What was mixed into this tea?"

"Master, do you feel hot all over?" Concubine Huang asked with a seductive smile.

"You..." An Qinghe gritted his teeth and retreated. "You are a lady of good standing—how could you do something so base?"

"I had no choice. You never enter my room, and I have missed you so much it hurts." She lunged at him again.

An Qinghe tried to head for the door, but she grabbed him from behind, pressing her face against his back. "Master, I am right here. Why must you endure it? I will serve you well and make you feel wonderful, Master! My dear An!"

An Qinghe struggled and shoved her away.

"My dear An, don't leave! Look at me!" She untied her outer garment, revealing her pink bodice. "My dear An, I want you."

An Qinghe looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing. The drug clouded his mind, and a hazy look began to settle in his eyes.

Fang Rong, who had been hiding on the roof, was horrified. *Oh no, it’s a trap!* Without a second thought, she leaped down, rushed into the room, rudely pulled the half-naked Concubine Huang away, and tossed her aside. She struck An Qinghe to knock him unconscious, hoisted him onto her back, and ran.

Nanny Chang tried to intervene, but Fang Rong sent her flying with a kick. Lu Ti and the others, having witnessed Fang Rong’s ferocity before, shrank back, not daring to move.

Fang Rong sprinted toward Jingli Garden with An Qinghe on her back, running into An Kang on the way. "Fang Rong, what happened?"

Fang Rong had no time to answer. An Kang had no choice but to run after her.

An Yi was chatting with Madam Luo when Fang Rong burst in. Both were startled and asked in unison, "What happened?"

"Miss, Concubine Huang has drugged the Master," Fang Rong said, gasping for air as she placed An Qinghe on a chair.

An Yi was shocked. She lunged forward to check his pulse.

"Sister, what kind of drug was he given?" An Kang asked anxiously, looking at the unnatural flush on his father’s face.

"An aphrodisiac." An Yi felt a weight lift from her heart; low-quality aphrodisiacs were easy to neutralize.

"Ah? Aphro... aphrodisiac?" Madam Luo was so stunned she stuttered. "What do we do now?"

"Mother, there are two ways. Either we soak him in cold water, or you help him neutralize it," An Yi said.

"It’s mid-winter; he’ll fall ill if he sits in cold water," Madam Luo said, distressed.

"Mother, my brother and I will go now," An Kang said, taking An Yi’s hand as they hurried away.

Once outside, An Yi pulled away and raced toward the Pearl Pavilion.

"Sister! Sister!" An Kang chased after her, entering the pavilion. "Where is the Miss?"

"She went to the attic," Taoren said.

An Kang climbed three flights of stairs in one breath, entering the room to find An Yi rummaging through the medicine cabinet. "Sister, what are you doing?"

"Mixing medicine." An Yi was furious—not at Concubine Huang, but at herself. She had thought she was in control of everything, yet such an accident had occurred.

"What medicine? An antidote for Father?" An Kang asked nervously, fearing she might mix a lethal poison for Concubine Huang in her rage.

A cold glint flashed in An Yi’s eyes. "An aphrodisiac."

"Why mix an aphrodisiac?" An Kang asked, puzzled.

"To feed to Concubine Huang—to give her a taste of her own medicine," An Yi said with a chilling smile.

"Sister, don't..."

"Don't worry, I won't let her die easily," An Yi interrupted, taking out a mortar and pestle and grinding the herbs vigorously.

"Sister, listen to me," An Kang held her hand down. "She is Father’s concubine. If her reputation is ruined, it will implicate the An family. We cannot let her make a scene like that."

"You want me to just let her off?" An Yi asked coldly.

"Her only reliance is the Huang family. Only when they fall from power will she be easy to handle. Sister, I promise you, I will make the Huang family lose all face."

"What are you going to do?"

"Trust me, and don't ask too much," An Kang said with confidence.

An Yi looked at him skeptically. "You keep telling me to trust you. Last time you said you were looking into things, but you never told me what you found."

"Everything outside is in motion; there will be results soon," An Kang smiled. "Results that will restore peace to our home."

An Yi pursed her lips. "Fine, I will trust you once more."

"Good. Let’s go downstairs for dinner."

After they finished their meal and another half-hour had passed, Shanyao arrived. "Young Master, the Master wants to see you."

An Qinghe sending for An Kang meant his condition had stabilized. Both siblings breathed a sigh of relief. An Yi asked with concern, "How is Mother?"

"Don't worry, Miss, the Madam is well," Shanyao replied.

An Kang went to Jingli Garden, while An Yi remained at the Pearl Pavilion. She wasn't idle, though—she went back upstairs to continue mixing her medicines.

The next morning, the staff at Zhuijin Courtyard, who had just woken up, fell back into a deep sleep—a sleep that would last the entire day.

Fang Rong had personally forced the medicine into their mouths; there was no escaping it. Though it was a bit of trouble, it ensured no accidents. Still, An Yi was uneasy, fearing the drug might wear off, so she had Fang Rong stay at the courtyard to keep watch over Concubine Huang and the others.

On the day of the Xiaoyuan Festival, tradition dictated the worship of the Three Officials. The Emperor took his officials to the Water Official Temple on the outskirts to pray for peace.

After returning to the city in the afternoon, the men of the An family were busy with social engagements. It was late into the You hour when An Yi, having finished dinner with Madam Luo, returned to the Pearl Pavilion and retrieved the note from her poetry collection.

She stared at the characters in a daze. *Should I go or not?*

She couldn't decide until the very start of the Xu hour, when she finally chose to meet Bai Wuming. She changed her clothes and, at the first quarter of the Xu hour, left through the side gate with Xiangqin. They didn't bother with a carriage, hiring a sedan chair at the street corner to head to Willow-lane.

Taking a shortcut from the An estate to Willow-lane took nearly half an hour, meaning she couldn't possibly arrive on time. Sitting in the sedan chair, her emotions were complex. Would he wait for her?

Stepping out of the sedan, she saw the boy in white standing under the lantern at the end of the lane, holding a glass lantern. The orange candlelight cast a soft glow on his face, highlighting his handsome features. Without his usual chatter, he carried an air of calm and stability.

Bai Wuming spotted her. She wore a pink-blue satin jacket trimmed with white fox fur, her hair styled in a side-knot held by a red cord, adorned with agate tassels and a pearl-inlaid butterfly pin. Three small braids hung down each side of her face, each ending with a mung-bean-sized pearl. It was a simple, fresh look, yet she remained breathtakingly elegant. A complex look flashed in his eyes as he stepped forward. "Sister Nineteen, you came."

An Yi smiled faintly. "I apologize for keeping you waiting."

"As long as you are willing to come, I would wait as long as it takes." Bai Wuming handed her the exquisite glass lantern. "For you."

"Thank you." An Yi took it, lowering her eyes.

"Let’s go see the lanterns," he smiled.

"Alright." She followed him into the night.