Wen Kui smiled and said, “The Master said you may enter the Wen Shu Pavilion at any time, though I must still ask according to protocol, what is it you wish to borrow?”
He spoke lightly, yet this was already a special exception, otherwise the rules would not be so strict.
It was not a place anyone could enter as they pleased. Even for members of the Wen family, permission depended on the nature of their request. If one sought knowledge, there were plenty of similar books available outside, with no need to enter the Wen Shu Pavilion.
The key point was, if someone truly pursued learning, the Wen Shu Pavilion would certainly be open to them. However, although there were many in the Wen family, few genuinely cared for scholarship. Most were merely going through the motions, after all, most had never known want since childhood.
Thus, most Wen family members who wished to enter the Wen Shu Pavilion did so merely to see what it was like inside, what it contained, purely out of curiosity to browse.
Was the literary collection of two thousand years from generations of ancestors meant for unworthy descendants to casually flip through for amusement?
Wen Xin said, “I am not taking anything out, merely entering to examine certain items.”
“Very well, please wait a moment.” Wen Kui spoke quickly, entered the room, approached a desk, picked up a brush, and wrote a permit for entry.
The permit had to state the purpose for entering the Wen Shu Pavilion. If anything was to be borrowed, it had to be clearly written on the permit, otherwise the guards would not allow it to be taken out.
After writing, Wen Kui took out a seal and stamped it with red ink, then emerged with the permit and presented it.
Wen Xin thanked him, turned, and departed with Song Pingping and Xiao Hong.
Wen Kui, who had escorted them part of the way, stroked his beard and frowned, watching the departing figures…
Within the Wen residence, there was a particularly quiet garden, inside which stood a massive brick and stone pavilion occupying nearly two mu of land, giving an impression of age and weight. This was the Wen Shu Pavilion.
Outside the garden, Wen Xin knocked on the door knocker.
The door opened, and a young man appeared behind it. Wen Xin handed him the permit. After examining it, the young man returned the permit and allowed her to enter.
Song Pingping and Xiao Hong could only wait idly outside the door, as they were not permitted to enter.
The young man who had opened and closed the door turned back, picked up a broom from the ground, and continued sweeping.
At the entrance to the Wen Shu Pavilion, under the eaves, on the steps, a rocking chair held an elderly man of unrestrained demeanour, holding a scroll of book in his hands, reading at leisure, exuding a sense of freedom and ease.
Beside him, another young man was brewing tea, yet his face showed utter boredom.
“Elder Wen.” Wen Xin approached under the eaves and bowed in respect.
She did not know the name of this elderly man before her. Most people in the residence did not know either. Due to the Wen Shu Pavilion, others addressed him as Elder Wen, so she followed suit.
She had once asked her grandfather, but Wen Mao had said she would naturally know when the time was right, and had not told her.
The old man moved the book aside, glanced at her, and smiled. “You have come.”
“Yes.” Wen Xin replied, presenting the permit.
The young man beside them stood, took the permit, examined it, then gestured for Wen Xin to enter, and accompanied her from behind.
Reaching the foot of the stairs, Wen Xin asked, “Where was the painting that entered in March this year hung?”
“March…” The young man thought for a moment, then asked, “Is it the painting titled ‘Honouring the Virtuous with Reverence for Learning’?”
Wen Xin said, “Yes, that is the one.”
“Oh, it is hung on the first floor. Follow me.” The young man pointed behind the stairs and led her there.
Walking between rows upon rows of bookshelves, filled with the rich scent of books, though it was daytime, the light remained somewhat dim.
At the wall at the end of the bookshelves, on the outermost section of a row of paintings, the young man stopped and pointed.
Wen Xin approached for a closer look. Yes, it was indeed the one she sought. When this painting had first arrived, she had seen it before it even entered the Wen Shu Pavilion. This visit was merely to view it once more.
“Miss Xin, would you like a lamp?”
The young man asked, as the lighting was not ideal.
“I can see clearly.” Wen Xin shook her head slightly, her attention already fixed on the painting.
There were many figures in the painting, depicting the scene of new jinshi scholars parading through the capital streets. In the centre, a group of scholars on horseback, flanked by countless crowds, all serving as backdrop to embellish the entire composition. The main focus of the brushwork lay on the three first-class scholars who had dismounted. The primary perspective of the scene entered from the scholar on the right, who was the first-class tanhua, a young man, receiving a toast from an elderly gentleman.
The elderly man was the late Second Great Master, Wen Yuanchun, shown in profile.
She fixed her gaze on the young tanhua’s features, studying them closely, and murmured, “No beard…”
“What?” The young man beside her asked.
Wen Xin shook her head, indicating it was nothing. After studying it for a while longer, she sighed with a hint of melancholy.
This painting, in truth, captured precisely that essence. Even the Second Great Master could not discern any likeness, and others would be much the same.
One could imagine, the parade procession had merely paused briefly. For the painter to have completed it so hastily was already quite remarkable.
Having not found the answer she sought, Wen Xin wandered casually through the Wen Shu Pavilion, and eventually departed with regret.
Such a round trip had consumed nearly the entire morning.
At midday mealtime, Wen Xin again accompanied her grandfather for their daily meal.
The dishes on the table were half exquisite and abundant, half simple and vegetarian.
The exquisite and abundant portion was for Wen Xin to enjoy, while the simple and vegetarian portion belonged to Wen Mao.
This was not because Wen Mao lived a life of austerity, but because, at his advanced age, all fine things would gradually fade from reach, including food. Too rich a meal would be too much for an elderly person’s body to handle, so simplicity was necessary.
At the table, Wen Mao noticed his granddaughter once again seemed distracted. This time, he did not remind her, but observed silently.
Fortunately, before long, Wen Xin herself broke the silence. “Grandfather, have you not always hoped I would learn more about and participate in family affairs?”
Wen Mao smiled. “Tell me what ideas you have.”
“I would like to try participating.”
“Shall I make arrangements, or do you have your own plan?”
“I would like to begin with the Western Miscellaneous Courtyard.”
“Oh, why the Western Miscellaneous Courtyard?”
“Zilong is being kept there. After visiting twice, I discovered many things I do not understand and wish to learn more about.”
“Very well. You may discuss this with Kui Zi later.”
As he had said, after the meal, Wen Xin sought out the steward, Wen Kui, to discuss the matter.
There was little to discuss. He agreed directly, asked Wen Xin to wait, and said he would arrange for Steward Feng to approach her later.
After seeing Wen Xin off, Wen Kui returned to the dining table and reported to Wen Mao.
“This girl has been acting very strangely of late. What exactly does she intend?” Wen Mao was somewhat perplexed.
Wen Kui said, “It feels as if Miss San’s recent behaviour is connected to that household servant in the Western Miscellaneous Courtyard.”
Wen Mao asked, “How has the investigation into that person progressed?”
Wen Kui replied, “It is difficult to investigate. If we truly pursue it, we will inevitably alert the snake.”
Wen Mao found this strange. “There is such a situation?”
Wen Kui sighed. “There is a widowed woman in the southern part of the city, sharp-tongued and quarrelsome, a shrew who often curses in the streets, with a life of little value, fearless of heaven or earth, and almost no one wishes to associate with her. Niu Youqing is her son. According to her own account, he is an illegitimate child she had with another man in her youth. In any case, the neighbours know nothing for certain. This identity is simple and crude. Covert investigation will yield nothing, unless we directly detain the widow for interrogation.”
Wen Mao was startled for a moment, then said, “So, there may indeed be a problem?”
Wen Kui said, “Master, with Miss San suddenly involving herself in matters of the Western Miscellaneous Courtyard, should we first place that household servant under control, to prevent any unexpected developments?”
Wen Mao shook his head slightly. “There is no rush. A fox will always reveal its tail eventually. The issue is to ascertain what exactly he intends. Is this his personal conduct, or is some force behind him driving it? If we do not give him the opportunity, how can he expose himself?”
Wen Kui said, “Very well. We have already arranged for surveillance. By the way, Master, something has happened at the Yuchun Tower. The expert known as ‘the Rouge Guest’, who was deeply devoted to the proprietress, Yin Feng, has disappeared.”
Wen Mao laughed heartily. “Did he not claim he would guard Yin Feng for life? Could not endure it any longer, and finally departed?”
Wen Kui leaned close to his ear. “The person is in our tunnel, hanging in the ‘Dream Pool’, already nothing but skeletal remains.”
Wen Mao froze, frowning. “How did he end up in the tunnel?”
Wen Kui replied, “He likely discovered the entrance by accident. This old servant also considered that there was an entrance and exit at the Yuchun Tower, and worried the disappearance might be related, so I went down to investigate. Indeed, that was the case.”
Wen Mao fell silent for a moment. “The Rouge Guest was counted among the top experts in Ningzhou City, was he not?”
Wen Kui said, “Yes.”
“What a pity.”
That night, Yu Qing once again secretly entered the tunnel, meticulously mapping out the complete route.
Normally, Nanzhu and Mu Aotie, having mastered new surface conditions, would also quietly come to the Miscellaneous Courtyard to refine the map of the Wen residence.
After several days, the general layout of the Wen residence had become largely clear on the map. Each tunnel’s approximate destination within the Wen residence was indicated, though detailed specifics were difficult for them to ascertain given their status.
What the three did not know was that, even without exposing anything themselves, merely because of Yu Qing’s contact with Wen Xin, they had already triggered the Wen residence’s defences.
Because Yu Qing had been placed under surveillance, the contact between Nanzhu, Mu Aotie, and the Miscellaneous Courtyard was immediately detected as unusual, resulting in them also being placed under secret surveillance.
A cloudy day with light rain.
Under the eaves, Yu Qing looked up at the sky. Beside him, Liu Gui muttered, “It is raining. She probably will not come today, will she?”
Every morning, Wen Xin would routinely visit the Miscellaneous Courtyard to see Zilong, which meant Liu Gui also had to be present daily.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door, followed by Xiao Hong’s voice. “A Qing, open the door.”
Yu Qing was delighted and immediately went to open the door. He saw Wen Xin and the other two approaching under umbrellas.
Upon entering, Wen Xin’s gaze fell on Yu Qing’s face. She paused, then smiled. “Finally removed the head covering?”
Yu Qing gave a dry laugh. “The swelling has mostly gone down.”
In truth, there were still some bruises. His two senior brothers had been rather forceful.
Zilong was not sleeping today, confined to a cage under the eaves, as the rain made them fear it might wander off.
The three women looked, teased for a while, and then stopped. Wen Xin, who should have departed as usual, instead walked with her umbrella to the door of the opposite storeroom, glanced at the sundries inside, then suddenly asked, “Liu Gui, are there detailed records of items entering and leaving this place?”
Liu Gui, who was accompanying them, hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, yes, there are complete records.”
Everyone now knew she had begun involving herself in matters of the Western Miscellaneous Courtyard, so such attention was entirely normal.
Wen Xin looked at Yu Qing. “A Qing, please compile a summary report of this month’s detailed records for me.”
“Very well.” Yu Qing nodded in agreement and scurried off to work.
Liu Gui said, “Miss San, once it is written, this humble servant will deliver it to you.”
Wen Xin glanced towards the bedroom direction. “No need. Compiling a month’s worth of sundry entries and exits will not take long. I will wait here.”