Chapter 24: Individual Secrets

"When I saw her that day, I knew she was Yue'er. Her eyes are exactly like the young mistress'. But she doesn't seem to recognize me. What happened after that great fire?"

Ye Cang replied, "If a person suffers a severe trauma, they may lock themselves away for a period of time to protect their psyche. Besides, those eyes of hers are, in fact, the ones your young mistress left behind."

Nurse Tang's face was filled with astonishment, but more so with profound grief. Ye Cang continued, "Even after those people broke in, they found her hiding in the basement and destroyed her eyes. If I hadn't arrived in time, the last remaining hope of the Xia and Yang families would have been extinguished long ago. Acting on the dying wish of Miss Yang, I gave her eyes to Xuanyue."

"So, she can see those things too?"

"Yes."

"Those eyes brought the young mistress so much trouble back then. Yue'er must have had a difficult life these past years."

It was not entirely miserable, though. At the very least, she could use those eyes to accomplish things, which served as a form of protection for her.

"Sir, I am an old woman who has lived a dozen years longer than I should have. Will I truly live to see that day?"

"Soon."

"Then what is my task?"

"Nurse Tang, the moment your face appears, those people will be struck with fear. Let them grow wary first; there is nothing more entertaining than watching dogs bite each other."

"Very well, as long as I can avenge the young mistress."

Nurse Tang gazed at the old residence, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ministry of Justice—

Lu Chenzhou had been staring at Zhou Zheng's corpse for an hour. Aside from the fatal wound on his chest, he could not find any other recent injuries. Recalling that night in the old mansion, when Shen Hua showed no reaction, he began to doubt his own judgment.

"Could it really have nothing to do with her? But why does she hide herself? What secrets is she keeping?"

Lu Chenzhou paced back and forth in the morgue with his arms crossed. His subordinates knew that if he failed to solve the case on time, the entire Ministry of Justice might be implicated. Therefore, the Minister of Justice had provided him with extra manpower and full cooperation. Lu Chenzhou was not naive about the Minister's motives: if this case could be solved in time, the Ministry of Justice would gain the most influence among the Three Judicial Offices. For years, they had been overshadowed by the Dali Temple and the Censorate, and they were desperate to seize this opportunity to turn the tables.

Lu Chenzhou suddenly remembered what Zhou Zheng had told him at Tianyun Pavilion that day. He had revealed his true background—that he was not originally named Zhou Zheng, but a common soldier guarding the border named Gong Shisan. Later, during a battle against the enemy, he had saved a man named Zhou Zheng—the descendant of a hereditary commander in the Imperial Guard—at a site where everyone else had perished. The real Zhou Zheng did not survive, but before he died, he told Gong Shisan that he was from Yingtian Prefecture and his father was an Imperial Guard commander.

The real Zhou Zheng had shared his background hoping Gong Shisan would notify his family. Initially, Gong Shisan had no intention of assuming his identity, but when he arrived in Nanjing, he learned that Zhou Zheng's father had died in the line of duty. The position of commander was too tempting, and since the Imperial Guard was hereditary, he took advantage of the recruitment of guards for the Xiaoling Mausoleum. He had heard that they were selecting capable men from the Imperial Guard for this duty, a role that would allow him to avoid bloodshed and minimize social interaction, making it harder for his identity to be exposed. Thus, he assumed Zhou Zheng's identity, and from then on, Gong Shisan ceased to exist.

Beyond this, Zhou Zheng had revealed nothing else. Lu Chenzhou had assumed they were on the same side, but to his surprise, they had fought upon meeting. Furthermore, at the old mansion, when Lu Chenzhou had pretended to leave to give them time alone, Shen Hua had only bandaged Zhou Zheng's wounds, and the things they discussed were not what Lu Chenzhou had hoped to overhear.

"My Lord, should we keep the body here?"

Due to the weather, the corpse had begun to emit a foul odor; if not handled soon, the entire morgue would become unusable within two days.

Lu Chenzhou asked if any of the captured Xiaoling guards had broken their silence, but the response was as he expected: none had. However, he remained suspicious of the death of the mausoleum eunuch. Since he only possessed basic forensic skills, he considered asking Shen Hua for help regarding the poison. But his subordinate had gone to the clinic that morning and found no sign of her; no one knew where she had gone.

Minister's Residence—

"Is this really human skin?"

Jin Zhaonan still could not believe that the face spread out on the table was human skin. He asked Shen Hua to confirm once more.

Shen Hua replied, "Of course not."

Jin Zhaonan breathed a sigh of relief.

"These are all pig skins, used for you to practice on. When the time comes to use actual human skin, it will be far too precious to allow for any mistakes."

Shen Hua raised her eyebrows and replied unhurriedly.

"Ah?"

Jin Zhaonan's face dropped instantly; it was clear he needed time to adjust to the idea of human skin.

"Very well, I have taught you the first and most fundamental method of disguise today. Ponder it slowly. Do not underestimate the importance of makeup; if you master the characteristics of facial features, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

In truth, Shen Hua had no intention of teaching Jin Zhaonan the art of disguise; her true purpose was to visit Jin Zhong's study.

"I have enjoyed the fine tea at your residence today and perhaps had a few too many cups. I need to find a place to relieve myself."

Jin Zhaonan stood up to lead her, but Shen Hua gestured for him to just point the way. She would go herself, as she would need to wash her hands thoroughly before touching her tools again after using the facilities.

"Then I will have Ruyi take you there."

Seeing that Jin Zhaonan was being overly solicitous, Shen Hua had no choice but to agree.

Ruyi, realizing she would be alone with Shen Hua again, turned pale, her face flushed with anxiety. She didn't dare look up and hurried to lead the way, walking as fast as she could, wishing to reach the destination instantly.

...

"Ruyi, just point me in the right direction. I can go myself."

Ruyi, eager to be rid of her, pointed out the location as quickly as possible.

"Go back, fetch my medical kit, and wait for me at the back gate. I will come to find you shortly."

"The back gate?" Ruyi asked, puzzled.

"If I leave through the front gate and run into your master, how would I explain myself?"

Ruyi finally understood and nodded hurriedly.

"How does Dr. Shen know where the back gate is?"

By the time Ruyi turned around, Shen Hua was already gone.

"Where did she go?" Ruyi shuddered, a chill running down her spine.

Shen Hua quickly scaled the wall, intercepted a passing servant, and swapped into their clothes. She applied the piece of human skin she had hidden in her pocket to her face. Recalling the route Jin Zhaonan had taken earlier, she finally located Jin Zhong's study. The door was locked, and the windows were bolted from the inside. Shen Hua had no choice but to climb onto the roof, remove a few tiles, and squeeze inside.

Jin Zhong's study was small. In the center sat a desk covered with a scarlet felt cloth. A large Xuan-kiln vase held a bouquet of yellow and white chrysanthemums in full bloom, alongside incense burners and chess pieces. Behind the desk stood bookshelves filled with books and ornaments. On a side rack hung a suit of armor and a long spear.

Shen Hua searched the room but found nothing. She tried to see if there were any hidden mechanisms, but to no avail. Yet, she remained convinced something was amiss; if there was nothing to hide, why lock the study? Furthermore, she had observed earlier that the butler, Jin, was a man of martial arts—the callouses on his hands were proof of years of wielding a blade. For a man of such prowess to serve as a butler suggested that Jin Zhong was indeed a suspicious character, though she did not know who he was guarding against.

Although the Seven-Colored Glazed Bead was precious, this level of secrecy was like a sign saying "no treasure buried here." As she contemplated this, she rummaged through the shelves and nearly knocked over a vase. She caught it just before it hit the floor. By sheer coincidence, her arm brushed against a desk drawer, causing it to slide open a crack.

Shen Hua returned the vase to its place and opened the drawer. Inside lay a scroll. Just as she was about to dismiss it as useless and put it back, she noticed an extra piece protruding from the end of the scroll. She pressed it, and a key popped out.

"Why is a key hidden here?"

Shen Hua whispered to herself. Though she could not fathom the reason, she was certain she had found the right place.

A key implied a lock. Shen Hua continued her search, now certain that the study must contain a hidden compartment, otherwise, where could something be concealed in such a small space? She checked every corner of the desk and went through the books on the shelves, but she could find no place to use the key.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps approached the study. Shen Hua's heart tightened. She quickly returned the key to its spot, leaped onto the rafters, and used her body to block the gap where she had entered to prevent a draft from revealing her presence.

The door was opened with a key by two people; the butler, Jin, followed behind.

"Why are you back so early today?"

The man removed his official hat, which the butler took and placed on the table. He asked, "Where did Zhaonan go today?"

"He hasn't left the house; he stayed in the mansion all day."

Jin Zhong was surprised and asked with a smile, "He stayed in the mansion without causing any trouble?"

The butler chuckled, "Well, you are his father, after all!"

Shen Hua found it strange; the butler did not seem to use honorifics when addressing Jin Zhong, and their relationship did not appear to be that of master and servant.

"A distinguished guest came for Young Master Zhaonan today. After you left this morning, he got up and had Ruyi bring the person to the mansion. That young woman is from the Ghost Market."

"The Ghost Market!" Jin Zhong's brow furrowed slightly.

"She is a doctor. I made some inquiries; her name is Shen Hua."

"Is her background clean?"

Hidden in the rafters, Shen Hua felt a surge of tension as they discussed her.

The butler shook his head. "Anyone who can survive in the Ghost Market has some tricks up their sleeve."

"Then investigate her. Keep a closer watch on Zhaonan."

"Understood."

After the butler left, Jin Zhong sat at the desk for a while before departing. Shen Hua waited until they were gone, then seized the opportunity to slip out and replace the roof tiles.

"Dr. Shen, where did you go?"

When Shen Hua reached the back gate, Ruyi was already in a state of panic. Upon seeing her, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"I took a wrong turn on my way out. The Minister's residence is truly magnificent."

"As long as you're here. It's fortunate you left; my master returned suddenly and summoned the young master. He asked me to tell you to come at the same time tomorrow."

"Will you be the one to fetch me again tomorrow?" Shen Hua asked, playfully teasing the already nervous Ruyi.

"I... I will ask the young master."

Shen Hua picked up her medical kit and said, "No need. I am not sure when I will come tomorrow. I haven't had any business for several days, so I need to go earn some silver tonight."

"Ah?" Ruyi did not understand what she meant by earning silver, especially at night.

"You and your young master don't think that the 'Ghost' in 'Ghost Doctor' and the 'Ghost' in 'Ghost Market' are the same, do you?"

With that, Shen Hua left with an enigmatic smile, leaving Ruyi standing there, puzzling over her words for a long time.

"Could the 'Ghost' in 'Ghost Doctor' be written differently than the one in 'Ghost Market'?" Ruyi muttered to herself. As she turned around, she saw the butler standing behind her.

"Butler Jin." Ruyi lowered her head, afraid to look at him, as if she had done something wrong.

"Did you see her off?"

Ruyi nodded.

"Go."

Ruyi expected the butler to grill her, but he didn't ask another word. However, she failed to notice his probing gaze lingering in the direction Shen Hua had left.

"Father, I truly have no interest in being an official."

Jin Zhong picked up his teacup and took a sip. Then, the sound of porcelain shattering echoed through the room.

"If reading a few medical books were enough to make one a doctor, how many people would have been killed by quacks in this world? Your ideas are mere delusions. If you weren't my son, you wouldn't even be able to understand the medical texts."

Jin Zhaonan replied, "I was perfectly happy in Beijing. Why did you force me to come back?"

"War is coming again soon. I don't know if I will be able to return this time."

A hint of reluctance appeared on Jin Zhaonan's face. "War again?"

"Alutai and the Oirat have invaded the north repeatedly these past few years. The Emperor plans to lead a personal expedition. Who knows how long this will take."

"Every time you leave, you are gone for at least two years. But isn't the house well-managed by Uncle Jin? And there is Concubine Hua; she is better suited to managing the household than Mother."

"You brat! If your mother heard you say that, she would peel your skin off!"

Jin Zhong stood up from his chair in a rage, ready to strike Jin Zhaonan, but his hand stopped in mid-air and he pulled it back.

Jin Zhaonan had been beaten often since childhood, so this was nothing new to him. He didn't bother to dodge, but the fact that his father didn't actually hit him surprised him.

"Do you know the background of that doctor?"

Jin Zhaonan knew his father meant Shen Hua, but he didn't want to admit it. He played it off, saying, "She is just a doctor. We are merely exchanging medical knowledge."

"A female doctor, and from the Ghost Market at that. You don't understand that place, but do you think I don't?"

"Her medical skills are better than anyone's in the Imperial Palace. Father, you yourself often say that a hero's origin should not be questioned."

Jin Zhong slammed his fist onto the tea table. He wanted to laugh but couldn't. He, a dignified Minister of War, had a son who had absolutely no desire to become an official. He truly didn't know whether to feel sorrow or joy.