Jinyi Spring

Ming Shanyue glanced at her grandfather and father, took a sip of tea, and then said:
"Xia Achan wrote an anonymous secret letter, which Xu Hu copied, wrapped in oiled paper, and put together with a stone. That day, when Lord Wang, the Left Censor of the Censorate, returned home from his office, Xu Hu threw the package in front of the mansion. The gatekeeper found it and handed it over."

"She chose the right time. Lord Wang had just become the Left Censor of the Censorate, in charge of impeachments, and was known for his integrity. An anonymous letter delivered to his door was more effective than one delivered to any other government office."

“If it is submitted to the yamen, it will be passed through layers of government, and it is inevitable that the news will leak out or be suppressed. If it is submitted to Censor Wang, given his personality and the fact that he is a new official who will make a big splash, he will definitely start processing it as quickly as possible.”

Duke Mingguo nodded and pondered, "Yes, I also remember this old matter. It was after receiving a reminder from an anonymous letter that Lord Wang began investigating the Kong family."

“Normally, anonymous letters are not taken too seriously, but that letter listed everything clearly—how many taels of silver, how many pieces of calligraphy and paintings and antiques, in which year the Liu family sent them to the Kong family, and who received them…every detail was detailed and specific, making it hard not to take it seriously.”

After listening, the old Duke remained silent for a long time.

The year Liu Changhe's house was raided, he and his mother privately discussed that the amount of silver confiscated was far less than the actual estimate, and that it was probably hidden in the homes of his lovers.

These words were most likely overheard by Xia Achan. After marrying into the Kong family, she kept a close eye on things, found concrete evidence, and then took drastic measures.

The old Duke cursed, "That poisonous woman, she's both wicked and cruel."

The Duke of Ming's voice was icy, "For her own selfish gain, she harmed hundreds of her husband's family members. She is truly, truly a vile creature, wherever she is, misfortune follows. It was only thanks to my father and mother's efforts, even pleading with the Empress Dowager, that she was allowed to divorce from the Kong family and return to her own residence."

"With such a vicious heart, it's no wonder she did those things to our family. I never imagined that someone so young could be so calculating and manipulative."

Ming Shanyue said in a deep voice, "No matter how well she calculated, she couldn't have foreseen the cyclical nature of fate. That anonymous letter has now become the noose around her own neck."

"How to say?"

"To get us to spare her daughter, Madam Tang confessed that she and Xu Hu hadn't burned Xia's handwritten letter, but had kept it. They also realized that Xia was ruthless and feared she would eventually come after them. I've already sent people to the Kong family's ancestral home..."

He then outlined his next steps.

A smile appeared on the old Duke's stern face as he looked at his eldest grandson with satisfaction. "This is even better than the previous plan."

Duke Mingguo nodded and said, "The time has come. Forbid Xia from leaving the manor and cut off all her contact with the outside world." He then asked, "Have they told Xia Achan about other things between her and the palace and the Xue family? I always suspect that the way the Emperor treated Xiao was probably because she did something."

Ming Shanyue shook her head. "Xu Hu and his wife mainly deal with a few servants and have helped the Xia family and the Xue family exchange messages a few times. They know nothing else. The Xia family is cautious and will not let them know anything that is not handled by them."

He took a sip of tea and said solemnly, "The arrangements have been made over there. Miss Feng will return to her hometown the day after tomorrow."

The three discussed the matter until the third watch of the night before finally going to rest.

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, the snow had not stopped.

In the evening, Aunt Zheng came to visit the Feng family.

Seeing her unusually serious face, Feng Chuchen knew something big was about to happen, and sent the others away.

Aunt Zheng said in a low voice, "My husband said that now is a critical moment. Starting tomorrow, the girl should pretend to be sick and go to the old house in the countryside to recuperate. She should only take peony, hibiscus, and bighead cartilage with her, as well as some emergency medicine."

The specific reminder to bring medication suggests that Feng Chuchen suspects it's not just about avoiding trouble; there might be other things going on.

She nodded readily, then asked ambiguously, "How's the situation over there?"

Aunt Zheng shook her head. "I don't know. I only saw my husband hardly sleeping at night, standing in the yard for most of the night."

After Aunt Zheng left, Feng Chuchen packed up Rongyang Pills, medicines for treating various external injuries and recuperating, and surgical instruments, making several bundles. Before going to bed, she mixed the small packet of powder given to her by Ming Shanyue into water and drank it.

The next day, Feng Chuchen fell ill—with a fever.

For an ordinary person, this heat would only be considered a low-grade fever, but for Feng Chuchen, whose body temperature had always been low, it was a high fever. She felt weak all over, and her usually fair and delicate face had a faint blush, like a pinkish glaze on porcelain.

This was the first time her family had ever seen her with such an expression.

The body was thin, but the constitution was very good; this was the first time she had been sick since she was five years old.

Feng Buji, Aunt Wang, Wang Shuping, and several maids were all frightened and cried.

Doctor Qin came over and took her pulse. His expression turned serious. "This cold of yours came on fiercely. The external pathogens have directly attacked the Taiyin meridian, and there are already signs that it has penetrated deeper and transformed into heat..."

He administered acupuncture and prescribed medicine, saying, "This illness requires the body to expel the pathogenic energy; young master, please stay away from the young lady."

Feng Buji refused to go to school and insisted on staying outside the bedroom to take care of the sick.

Aunt Wang advised, "Your health has just improved a bit. What if you get over your illness? Getting angry will only worsen your condition."

Feng Chuchen also said in a hoarse voice, "Little brother, you must be obedient. If anything happens to you, how can your sister face your aunt and parents?"

Having no other choice, Feng Buji went to the private school in tears.

Feng Chuchen said weakly to Aunt Wang, "I'm going to live in the countryside for a while, and I'll come back after I recover. If I pass on my illness to you and then to those women who have just given birth, they'll suffer."

Aunt Wang had no choice but to agree.

Peony and Hibiscus helped Feng Chuchen onto the mule cart, put away several packages, and then got on themselves.

Big Head jumped into the car by himself.

The wheels churned and rolled toward the city gate.

Upon arriving at the old house, Feng Chuchen was helped into the east courtyard.

That evening, with her tacit approval, five secret guards quietly moved into the outer courtyard.

According to Uncle Guo, a family from out of town bought the Hao family courtyard, which is the closest to the Feng residence.

The Feng family's house is located at the outermost edge of the village, more than 50 meters away from the Hao family's house, which is more than 40 meters away from the village. Some time ago, Uncle Guo found an excuse to cut down several large trees around the Feng family's house.

It's not easy for the village to find out what's going on with the Feng family.

Ten more people were lying in ambush in the distant Qingmiao Mountain.

Feng Chuchen looked at the snow-covered Qingmiao Mountain, where starlight shone down and the mountain ridges gleamed with a faint silver light.

Her heart clenched; it must be so cold.

Ming Shanyue and the others went to great lengths to protect her.

On the other side of Qingmiao Mountain, the starlight is cold and clear.

The Zixia Temple was bathed in the moonlight, a thin layer of ice covered the winding stream, and the bare branches on the bank were covered with frost, rustling in the wind.

Jing'an carried two fluffy quilts and walked quickly toward the Zen temple.

It was so late, and the Imperial Household Department suddenly summoned her to fetch a quilt from the temple gate; she felt uneasy about it. (End of Chapter)