Yan Tongshu turned his gaze to Gao Shengmei. “Madam Wang, has Wang Yuyan been buying Yuyan Cream, the kind used for whitening, over a long period of time?”
Gao Shengmei nodded. One corner of her lips curled in scorn. “More than just often. Back then, I thought this little bitch was so desperate to catch Prince Ning’s eye that she would have plastered the stuff on her face three times a day if she could. Who would have thought she was using it to make poison and harm someone?”
Yan Tongshu elaborated, “Products such as Yuyan Cream and whitening pills were discovered long ago to contain toxins. The court has already expressly banned their production and sale. But their effects are too tempting. Many people are willing to risk their lives to buy them, so the black market has remained impossible to stamp out, with demand far exceeding supply. The mercury in such whitening powders is generally extracted from mercuric sulfide. To obtain the mercury, the powder must be heated and then condensed into liquid mercury—quicksilver.”
Wang Yuyan did not actually understand what Yan Tongshu was talking about—mercury, mercuric sulfide—but the method Yan Tongshu described for extracting mercury made her heart pound in terror.
It was exactly the method she had learned by secretly watching a reclusive alchemist in the village.
Yan Tongshu had deliberately used such technical terminology. The more technical it sounded, the less Wang Yuyan understood.
And the less she understood, the more uncertain and frightened she became.
Yan Tongshu continued, “You could not possibly have bought a large quantity of Yuyan Cream or similar whitening products all at once, so you must have purchased them in batches. Your position in the Wang household was precarious, and you were closely watched. You would have had to conduct the extraction in secret, which made it even more impossible to refine a large amount at one time. Therefore, you could only have slowly accumulated enough mercury to fill a bottle through repeated extraction over a long period of time. During that process, because you took no protective measures, trace amounts of toxin also built up in your body. That is why your skin became even paler—a sickly white beyond what is normal.”
“You killed Mingzhu’s child and mine?”
Ning Yuan’s face darkened like iron. He strode up to Wang Yuyan, seized her by the collar, and hauled her off the ground. The man who had always been gentle and refined now wore a terrifyingly sinister expression.
“Why?” he demanded. “Answer me!”
“N-No, it wasn’t me.” Tears and snot streamed down Wang Yuyan’s face as she trembled and tried to defend herself. “Even if my skin is paler, even if I’ve been poisoned too, that can only... only mean... that I used a lot of Yuyan Cream. Yes, that’s right. That’s all it means.”
Yan Tongshu coldly ordered, “Pearl, take off Wang Yuyan’s shoes.”
“Yes.” Pearl hurried over, grabbed one embroidered shoe in each hand, and yanked them off Wang Yuyan’s feet.
Murdering a pregnant woman was simply too vicious.
Pearl’s anger flared, and she glared fiercely at Wang Yuyan.
Yan Tongshu lowered his eyes for a glance and said evenly, “Just as I thought. The soles of your socks are dirty.”
At those words, Ning Yuan violently flung Wang Yuyan to the ground.
Yan Tongshu’s voice was clear and unwavering.
“At the time the murderer committed the crime, your personal maid, Jade, was dragging Wang Chuning to your room. To prevent any accidents, she stayed nearby to keep watch. And you had to keep a close eye on the activity around Concubine Dantai’s chamber at all times, ensuring that nothing went wrong. So you couldn’t possibly have entrusted this matter to your maid, who was already occupied and unable to get away. Therefore, while Jade was dragging Wang Chuning along, you remained hidden beneath Concubine Dantai’s window, waiting for the right moment.
“Afterward, the servants of the Earl of Yuguo’s residence began bringing fruit and hot tea into the room, washing the porcelain basin, and filling it with clean water. You knew the time had come. You then crept to the second window of the chamber where Tantai Mingzhu was staying, climbed through it, and poured the poison into the basin.
“There were no footprints on the window, nor any signs of climbing. But outside the window, there were traces showing that someone had pushed aside the greenery, as well as signs that someone had deliberately destroyed their footprints. That proves you were very cautious—more cautious than Jade.
“When you committed the crime, you noticed your own shoes. You had been to the plum garden and walked through the snow, so the soles of your shoes were filthy. You were afraid of leaving footprints—or any other evidence—so you proceeded carefully, stepping whenever possible on the Chinese junipers or on the snow. When you left, you destroyed your trail as you went, using a branch.
“But you couldn’t do that inside the room. If you walked across it in such dirty shoes, you would inevitably leave traces. The old wooden floor was full of cracks, and even if someone wiped it afterward, it would be impossible to clean it completely. You had only one way to enter the room without making a sound, administer the poison, and leave safely.
“That was to take off your shoes, climb through the window, and poison the water. The old wooden floor was filthy no matter how thoroughly it was cleaned, and the servants’ shoe soles weren’t clean either. There was no way your socks could have remained spotless.”
“It really was you.” Ning Yuan’s sinister gaze, sharp as a blade dipped in poison, slowly flayed Wang Yuyan as though he wanted to cut her into a thousand pieces.
Wang Yuyan was truly frightened now.
When she had harmed Wang Chuning, she could still claim that she had merely fought back in kind, that she had acted in self-defense. No matter what, that crime would not warrant the death penalty.
But poisoning someone— even if the attempt had failed—would mean spending the rest of her life in prison.
Wang Yuyan had completely panicked. Her words became incoherent. “I… I… My socks… That doesn’t prove anything…”
“Clinging to a hopeless struggle.” Yan Tongshu let out a contemptuous scoff.
She had imitated Qin Yi’s tone—lofty, disdainful, and arrogantly superior. At that moment, such an attitude dealt a fatal blow to Wang Yuyan’s already crumbling psychological defenses.
Yan Tongshu suddenly raised her voice and bluffed her. “Heating mercury accelerates its evaporation. At that speed, the moment you poured the mercury into the water in the brazier, the process had already begun. When you reached in to pour it, your sleeves would inevitably have been contaminated by water vapor containing mercury poison. Do you need me to tell you how to detect the mercury poisoning on your sleeves?”
Wang Yuyan’s entire body went rigid. Her psychological defenses collapsed completely, and she burst into anguished tears.
Ning Yuan could endure no more. He seized Wang Yuyan by the collar again, his eyes bulging with fury.
“Wang Yuyan, I’ve never treated you poorly. Why? Why did you have to kill my child?”
Tears streamed down Wang Yuyan’s face as she screamed, “Because she deserved to die!”
Wang Yuyan cried out, “Ning Yuan and I have been betrothed since childhood. I am your true fiancée—the woman you should have married properly and openly as your wife. But when I came back, you already had her, and she was even carrying your child. I never meant to harm her. But she provoked me again and again, relying on her pregnancy to humiliate me time after time. If I hadn’t gotten rid of her—if I’d let her give birth to your first child—would I ever have had a good life after marrying into the Earl of Yuguo’s household?”
Wang Yuyan raised a hand and clutched Ning Yuan’s wrist, pleading miserably. “My lord, I beg you—save me. I don’t want to die. That woman, Tantai Mingzhu, is utterly unworthy of you. She is merely a concubine: shallow, vain, spoiled by your favor, and reckless beyond measure because she relies on your indulgence. What is so good about a woman like that? I am the one worthy of you. Wake up. I am your legitimate fiancée.”
“Wang Yuyan...” Yan Tongshu opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She had wanted to say that Tantai Mingzhu was not the sort of person Wang Yuyan believed her to be. Tantai Mingzhu had repeatedly provoked Wang Yuyan only because she did not want her to fall into a pit of fire; she had hoped Wang Yuyan would see Ning Yuan for what he truly was.
But Tantai Mingzhu had only just suffered a miscarriage. The poison in her body had not yet been fully purged, and she still had not awakened.
If Yan Tongshu wanted to investigate how Tantai Mingzhu had been robbed of her family fortune and forced into becoming a concubine, she could not alert the enemy now and put Ning Yuan on guard.
Ning Yuan was burning with rage. “Mingzhu is innocent. Even if she treated you poorly, she never harmed you. And the child in her belly—that was my first child. My first! Do you know how much I looked forward to that child? Do you know what that child meant to me?”
Wang Yuyan shrieked in rebuttal, “She hurt my feelings and threatened my position.”
“Your position? Heh... Hahaha!”
Wang Chuning suddenly laughed softly from the side. She stepped forward, covering her lips with her sleeve, her voice sweet and cloying yet grating to the ear. “Sister, dear sister, do you really think Prince Ning sincerely intends to marry you?”
Her eyes shifted flirtatiously toward Ning Yuan before returning to Wang Yuyan’s face. “Prince Ning and I are the ones who truly love each other. Long before you came back, he and I had already become husband and wife in all but name. Do you think your return could change anything? Let me tell you plainly: last night, Prince Ning was still in my bed. He held me and told me that once you entered his household with the enormous dowry your grandfather left you, he would take me into the residence as a secondary consort. Then he would find an opportunity to have you killed and elevate me to become his principal wife.”
She gave a light laugh, full of mockery. “Hah. I haven’t even blamed Tantai Mingzhu for threatening my place, yet you—an outsider—have the nerve to complain.”
Wang Yuyan’s eyes widened in disbelief. She whirled toward Ning Yuan. “Ning Yuan, is that true? Didn’t you personally tell me that you only became entangled with Wang Chuning because you mistakenly believed she was your fiancée? Didn’t you say that I was the one you loved most in this life?”
Ning Yuan released Wang Yuyan, a muscle jumping in his cheek.
How utterly stupid.
And Wang Quan'an, too—how could he have doted on such a worthless creature as Wang Chuning?
If Prince Ming had not ordered him to win over Wang Quan'an and gain a foothold in the Ministry of Revenue, he would never have become entangled with Wang Chuning in the first place.
Seeing that Ning Yuan had admitted it, Wang Yuyan suddenly began to laugh. Her laughter rose from a low chuckle to something almost unhinged.
“How ridiculous. How utterly ridiculous. I actually fell in love with a despicable wretch like you. I really once saw you as my support. I really believed all that nonsense about you helping me take revenge. Hahaha... How ridiculous.”
“My heart is one with yours, following you like a shadow. When two hearts are united, when two hearts are united, even a hundred years would still seem too short.”
She had once taken his sweet words seriously. Now she abruptly turned toward Wang Chuning, her eyes filled with sorrowful mockery.
“Look at the man you love. There isn’t a single truthful word in his mouth. He told you he would help you get rid of me, then turned around and whispered sweet nothings in my ear, swearing that he would help me bring down the Wang family. Wang Chuning, oh, Wang Chuning. Look at what sort of thing we’ve been fighting over.”
Wang Chuning looked utterly bewildered and shook her head again and again.
“No, that’s not true. Brother Ning would never lie to me. He was only deceiving you.”
All the strength seemed to drain from Wang Yuyan’s body. She collapsed to the ground, raised her head, and cried out to the heavens.
“Mother, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have poisoned Tantai Mingzhu out of my own selfish motives. I should have put the poison in the Wang family’s dinner and poisoned every last one of them!”
Wang Chuning pursed her lips.
“You’re so vicious. You actually wanted to poison all of us. What a pity. Brother Ning told Father about all your plans long ago. You didn’t really think Brother Ning would help you, did you?”
Wang Yuyan’s hopes were utterly extinguished. She murmured, “Yes. I was so foolish. I truly was beyond saving. I hate it. I hate that the only path I knew to revenge was finding a man to rely on. I hate that, apart from poisoning and killing people, I had no other way. I hate that I had neither power nor influence, and couldn’t kill every one of you.”
She suddenly sprang to her feet and rushed toward Ning Yuan.
The members of the Wang family had all been guarding against her, but Ning Yuan had not.
He was confident that she could not hurt him.
With her bloodshot eyes fixed on him, Wang Yuyan spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Ning Yuan, help me kill Wang Quan’an and Gao Shengmei. I’ll give you every last coin my mother left behind.”
Ning Yuan narrowed his eyes. If it had been anyone else, he might have considered whether the deal was worth it. But Wang Quan’an had other uses to him.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Wang Yuyan pulled the specially crafted silver hairpin from her hair and viciously drove it into the vulnerable side of his neck.
Ning Yuan reacted with astonishing speed. He struck her hard in the chest with the back of his hand, sending blood spraying from her mouth as she staggered backward.
Ning Yuan clutched his neck, dark red blood seeping between his fingers. His eyes rolled shut, and he fainted.
Yan Tongshu hurried over and checked Ning Yuan’s pulse.
What a pity. Wang Yuyan was too weak, and the hairpin had not gone in very deeply. He had only fainted.
Yan Tongshu ordered someone to carry Ning Yuan away and find a physician for him.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Niu Er shook his head and smacked his lips. “That was terrifying. These wealthy families... They look so respectable on the outside, but inside, they’re all thieves and whores. Filthy. Truly filthy!”
Yan Tongshu swept him with a cold glance. Niu Er’s legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
“Lord Yan, I’ve confessed everything I was supposed to! None of this is my fault! I was only following orders!”
Following orders—what a convenient excuse.
It was time to give this legally illiterate fool a lesson in the law.
Yan Tongshu returned to the seat of judgment, frost gathering between her brows.
“The facts of both the assault case and the poisoning case are now clear. I will issue my verdict.
“Niu Er, you accepted payment and first attempted to drug and rape Wang Yuyan, then went through with the rape of Wang Chuning. You have shown no remorse and are guilty of heinous crimes. Under the laws of this dynasty, you are sentenced to castration and fifteen years in prison.”
Castration?
Niu Er was struck as though by a bolt of lightning. He collapsed onto the floor, then burst into hysterical sobs.
“No, no, no… That’s not right! Lord Yan, I’ve been wronged! I was only following orders—how can this be blamed on me? It was them! That poisonous woman, Gao Shengmei, forced me into it! I had no choice!”
It was nothing but the ignorant ravings of a criminal who still refused to repent. Yan Tongshu had no patience to listen.
“Guards, bind Niu Er and send him to the Kaifeng Prefecture prison. Have him castrated tomorrow without delay.”
For dealing with a man like Niu Er, castration was Yan Tongshu’s favorite punishment in this ancient era.
It was a pity that they were in this Buddhist sanctuary, where bloodshed would be improper. Otherwise, she would have had him castrated on the spot.
Of everyone involved in the case, Niu Er was both the most foolish and the most vicious.
But if the authorities had not intervened, and the Wang family had managed to suppress the crimes as a mere family matter, Niu Er really might have escaped punishment.
Of course, Wang Yuyan would have had a good chance of escaping as well.
Yan Tongshu shook her head and continued announcing the verdicts.
“Wang Chuning and Gao Shengmei conspired to bribe Niu Er and attempted to drug and rape Wang Yuyan. They are each sentenced to five years in prison.”
“The maid Jade assisted in plotting to drug and rape Wang Chuning. She is sentenced to three years in prison.”
“The maid Qiaoxin assisted in the attempted drugging and rape of Wang Yuyan. She is sentenced to two and a half years in prison.”
“Wang Yuyan plotted to drug and rape Wang Chuning, attempted to poison Tantai Mingzhu, nearly causing the deaths of two people, and attacked Ning Yuan with a weapon. For these three crimes combined, she is sentenced to twenty-five years in prison.”
“Wang Quan’an indulged his second wife and adopted daughter in bullying his biological daughter and obstructed the investigation. However, in consideration of his position as Vice Minister of Revenue, his punishment will be determined separately. Once the court reconvenes, I will submit a memorial to the emperor formally requesting his impeachment.”
When the verdicts were finished, everyone in the Wang family trembled as though their souls had left their bodies.
Wang Chuning was especially stunned. She had never imagined that Yan Tongshu would truly sentence her to prison. In particular, Yan Tongshu had been gone for so long that she had completely forgotten Gao Shengmei and Wang Quan’an’s instructions.
Now that she had heard she was going to prison, tears streamed down her face. Clutching Wang Quan’an’s arm, she wailed repeatedly, “Father, you’re the Vice Minister of Revenue! Think of something! Save me! Please save me—I don’t want to go to prison!”
Qiaoxin collapsed limply onto the floor. She had thought Lord Yan had forgotten about her and had even rejoiced at her good fortune. She had never expected him to miss a single person.
Yan Tongshu had no interest in listening to the Wang family continue their performance. She rose and walked away.
As she left, she cast Wang Quan’an a look filled with profound disgust.
It was Wang Quan’an’s indulgence that allowed Gao Shengmei and Wang Chuning to scheme against Wang Yuyan. It was Wang Quan’an who gave them the confidence to act with such reckless impunity, yet there was no way to punish him severely.
After all, Wang Quan’an had not known beforehand what Wang Chuning and Wang Yuyan had done. He was always pretending to be clueless, forever walking the fine line of the law while going with the flow and taking advantage of circumstances.
He was sinister, deceitful, and utterly despicable.
When Yan Tongshu came out, Yan Liangrong was waiting outside. She gave him a faint smile and asked, “Is the interrogation over?”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Since the case involved the Wang family’s private affairs, Yan Liangrong did not ask any questions. She simply said, “Let’s go back to Mother.”
The two of them hurried back to Lady Yan’s side.
By then, the second Buddhist service had already begun. Yan Tongshu and Yan Liangrong quietly made their way to the last two prayer cushions and sat down, pressing their palms together before their chests as they followed along in prayer.
Yan Tongshu prayed sincerely that Tantai Mingzhu would recover soon and expel the remaining poison from her body. She prayed that her elder sister, Yan Liangrong, would find her true self again, and that Liangyu would emerge from her confusion, find a marriage worthy of her, and also be able to live a rich and varied life.
She prayed that her mother would remain healthy, and that everything in the Yan family would be peaceful and well.
When the chanting ended, Yan Tongshu rose from her cushion.
Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu went together to help Lady Yan to her feet.
After the three of them tidied themselves up, Pearl and Bao went to summon the other servants in preparation for their departure.
The group had just reached the temple gate when Lu Xi approached.
“Lord Yan, His Majesty summons you.”
Yan Tongshu informed Lady Yan and then followed Lu Xi to a pavilion not far away.
Qin Yi was seated there, drinking tea. The warm fragrance of Qimen black tea curled upward with the steam.
Yan Tongshu was just about to bow when Qin Yi raised a hand and said in an unhurried voice, “There’s no need for formalities outside.”
“Yes.” Yan Tongshu lowered his hands and stood at attention.
Qin Yi idly toyed with the celadon lid of his teacup, his gaze still lowered. “Now that the case is settled, how do you intend to bring it to a close?”
Huh?
Yan Tongshu asked in confusion, “What does Your Majesty mean?”
The faintest curve touched Qin Yi’s lips. “Were you not planning to impeach Wang Quan’an and Ning Yuan? Lord Yan, getting up early to attend court leaves you without energy for the entire day. Rather than that, you may as well say it now and spare yourself the trouble of attending court tomorrow.”
Yan Tongshu secretly raised her eyes and glanced at Qin Yi.
She had the distinct feeling that this dog emperor had been acting strangely lately.
Yan Tongshu said cautiously, “Then I’ll speak.”
Qin Yi gave a faint hum of assent.
Yan Tongshu bowed slightly and said, “Your Majesty, although Wang Quan’an did not commit the crime himself or participate in it directly, he hinted at it, indulged it, and encouraged his stepmother and adopted daughter to abuse and scheme against his own biological daughter. He fanned the flames and pushed matters step by step until they became impossible to control. In law and in reason, he cannot escape responsibility.
“As an official of the imperial court, he handled his family affairs unjustly, indulged his stepmother in bullying his own daughter, and confused right and wrong through reckless negligence. I have serious doubts about his ability to perform his duties during his tenure in the Ministry of Revenue. I request that he be suspended and subjected to a thorough investigation. Even if no dereliction of duty is uncovered, he should still be demoted as a warning to others.”
Qin Yi said, “Granted.”
Yan Tongshu’s voice rang out clearly. “Before his marriage, Ning Yuan seduced his fiancée’s younger sister into spending the night with him. Though this does not violate the criminal code, it flagrantly offends public morality. I petition Your Majesty to issue a formal reprimand, order him to remain indoors and reflect on his conduct, and forbid him from leaving his residence. He is to copy the *Dao De Jing* once a day to calm his mind and examine his conscience, for a period of six months.”
Ning Yuan was the heir apparent of a marquis’s estate. “Heir apparent” was merely an honorific; Ning Yuan held no official post and could not be formally punished.
But the *Dao De Jing* was more than five thousand characters long. Copying it once every day was an enormous task—not only would it take up an entire day, it would leave Ning Yuan’s wrist practically broken, rendering him incapable of doing anything else.
With Ning Yuan tied down, Tantai Mingzhu would have far more room to maneuver if she wished to accuse her second uncle and Ning Yuan of coercing a respectable woman into becoming a concubine.
Qin Yi lightly stroked the lid of his teacup, his gaze lowering slightly. “Granted.”
Yan Tongshu bowed faintly. “Long live Your Majesty.”
Qin Yi set down the cup lid and rose to his feet. “You handled today’s case well. Your reward will be delivered to the Yan residence tomorrow.”
Overjoyed, Yan Tongshu immediately said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Qin Yi walked over to Yan Tongshu. “Raise your head.”
What was this about?
Yan Tongshu looked up. Qin Yi lowered his head and looked directly into her eyes. “Though it may be somewhat inappropriate to say so, thanks to today’s case, I have solved your riddle.”
Huh?
Yan Tongshu stared at him blankly.
Qin Yi smiled. “Push me.”
Huh? After a moment of stunned silence, Yan Tongshu asked hesitantly, “What?”
Qin Yi enunciated every word with perfect clarity. “Raise your hand. Push me.”
Yan Tongshu frowned, eyeing Qin Yi suspiciously.
Could the dog emperor be setting a trap for her?
Something like waiting for her to lay a hand on him, then shouting for the guards and accusing her of treason and attempted regicide—having her entire family arrested and executed.
Yan Tongshu did not dare move.
For an instant, Qin Yi’s expression turned cold. This brat actually suspected him?
Qin Yi bent forward slightly. “That is an order.”
The emperor had issued a command, so... perhaps just a little push?
Defying an imperial edict meant death anyway.
Yan Tongshu raised her hand, aimed it at Qin Yi, and gave him a gentle shove.
Qin Yi staggered back two steps.
Yan Tongshu watched him warily.
Don’t you dare fake an injury.
People who pull that kind of scam get struck by lightning.
Qin Yi steadied himself, then suddenly smiled.
That smile only left Yan Tongshu more confused. Had the dog emperor taken the wrong medicine lately and lost his mind?
Qin Yi smiled again, stepped forward, and said quietly, “Yan Tongshu.”
Yan Tongshu blinked. “Yes?”
Qin Yi leaned down until his eyes were level with hers. “See? You moved me.”
Yan Tongshu’s mouth fell slightly open.
Diagnosis confirmed.
The dog emperor really had taken the wrong medicine. He was having some kind of episode.
Just as Yan Tongshu was completely baffled and had no idea what Qin Yi was doing, he spoke again. “The annual examination will be held on the fifteenth day of the third month after spring begins. Since this was your proposal, you will serve as chief examiner for the first annual examination and work with the Ministry of Rites to prepare the questions. Once the holiday recess is over, you are to immediately discuss the specific arrangements for the examination with the Ministry of Rites.”
Yan Tongshu glared at Qin Yi in indignation.
She knew the dog emperor had an ulterior motive behind all this.
But...
On second thought, Yan Tongshu burst out laughing. Ha! She would be setting the exam questions—she would be writing them! Hahahaha! If she got to make the questions, those ministers would be in for quite a time.
No matter how many questions there were, the final one had to be a math problem.
Hahahaha.
Qin Yi raised a brow. “Not willing?”
Yan Tongshu raised a hand. “This minister is more than willing. Your Majesty, please be sure to entrust this weighty mission to me.”
The corner of Qin Yi’s lips curved upward as he turned and walked away.
Lu Xi cautiously approached Yan Tongshu and handed her a box. “Lord Yan, Master Yuanhui was moved by your sincerity. When he learned that His Majesty would be summoning you, he specially entrusted this item to me to pass on to you.”
Yan Tongshu accepted it. Lu Xi bowed slightly, then hurried after Qin Yi.
Yan Tongshu opened the box. It was a string of prayer beads blessed by Master Yuanhui—complete with a little round wooden authenticity tag!
Master Yuanhui truly deserved to be the abbot of Xiangguo Temple. He had actually seen through the yearning in her eyes and recognized how sincerely she wanted those prayer beads. His understanding of the Buddha’s teachings was indeed profound.
Yan Tongshu put away the prayer beads, took out every bit of money she had on her, and dropped it all into the donation box. After praying with utmost devotion, she returned to Lady Yan, and the two of them went back to the Yan residence together.
The next day, Yan Tongshu dug out her prettiest piece of cloth, wrapped up the box containing the prayer beads, and handed it to Jinbao to deliver to the Meng residence. Then she began waiting for news.
