The Dowry Jewelry Theft

Inside the private room, a group of young masters laughed and jested, surrounded by a bevy of women. One of them was Qi Xiaohan, the second son of the Qi family. Known throughout Chang'an as a notorious good-for-nothing, he spent his days stirring up trouble and idling about.

Perhaps she could use him...

Zhou Yao lowered her eyes, scanning the surroundings as she listened to the chatter inside. "Qingyun Terrace has a fresh batch of new goods today. Brother Qi, care to take a look?" someone said with a laugh.

She tried to peer through the paper window to see who was speaking, but suddenly someone shoved her from behind.

"Ah!" Before Zhou Yao could react, she was grabbed by the arm and thrown to the ground. The woman cursed at her, "You little brat, still daring to run around? I've been too kind to you! Do you think you belong outside the private rooms of nobles? Get back there now, or we'll settle this tonight!"

She kicked Zhou Yao hard in the stomach. Zhou Yao was too stunned with pain to move, and by the time she recovered, she had been dragged aside.

Looking up, she saw the old matron who had kicked her enter the private room, likely to curry favor with those inside.

Zhou Yao couldn't outright use her identity as the Ninth Princess to strong-arm the management into submission. Nobles always played the same tiresome games. After a moment's thought, she slipped into a nearby empty room and found a bamboo hat. She modified it to resemble the veiled hats worn by women in the Western Regions, then left the room with it on.

Her clothes had already been swapped, which saved her some trouble.

From the bridge on the second floor, used by the establishment's performers, she leaped down, her robes fluttering gracefully. Everyone present was stunned by her beauty. When she landed in the center of the stage, she drew the gazes of most of the patrons.

It didn't take long for her plan to unfold, just as she had expected. She was invited up to the second floor by a few servants.

Not familiar with Qi Xiaohan's servants, she picked one who seemed recognizable and followed him up to the second-floor private room. To her surprise, instead of Qi Xiaohan, she was met with Zhao Wenhua, the eldest son of the Chancellor Zhao's household.

"What are you standing there for? Get in here!" a man beside Zhao Wenhua barked. Zhou Yao guessed he was the son of Commandant Zhao; since both were of the Zhao clan, it was natural they knew each other.

"Yes." Zhou Yao replied with feigned timidity, taking a seat not far from Zhao Wenhua and pouring herself a drink from the wine jug.

"Cousin, I heard that brat from the Qi family is here too. His old man was attacking our uncle in court today, making him lose face before the emperor."

He watched Zhao Wenhua's expression cautiously, then added, "Does he think he's worth anything? If the emperor hadn't hastily arranged that marriage, they wouldn't have it so easy! That Qi brat is always lording it over us just because his father has real power."

"Exactly..." Zhao Wenhua slurred, his cheeks flushed from drink. He cast a drunken, wandering glance at the veiled Zhou Yao and gestured for her to sit closer.

Zhou Yao quietly observed the situation in the room, adding their words to her calculations.

"That Qi Yanhan married a princess, and the Crown Prince he's propped up all the way..." He picked up the wine cup Zhou Yao had just poured, but before he could finish, the door was kicked open with a loud bang, slamming against the wall.

"Oh, well, if it isn't the Zhao family skulking around here. I'll take this woman. Brother Zhao wouldn't refuse me, would he?" Qi Xiaohan sauntered in with a grin, reaching out to take Zhou Yao away. But before she could rise, Zhao Wenhua grabbed her other wrist.

"Since she's already in my room, barging in like this—are you even respecting the Zhao family, Young Master Qi?"

"Respect? Hahaha!" Qi Xiaohan pointed at Zhao Wenhua's nose, mocking him. "You? You think you're worthy of my respect? With your dead mother, or your coward of a father who can't even utter a peep in court? Hahaha!"

The tension between them was thick enough to cut. Zhao Wenhua's fists clenched so hard the veins stood out, and his ragged breathing echoed audibly through the room.

The next moment, the sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out.

Zhou Yao turned toward the noise. Zhao Wenhua had apparently lost control and thrown a punch at Qi Xiaohan. Half of Qi Xiaohan's face flushed red, and his men immediately joined the fray. In an instant, chaos erupted.

"Hah!" Qi Xiaohan spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground, glaring at Zhao Wenhua in shock. "You bastard! How dare you hit me! I'll tear you apart tonight!"

They lunged at each other again. Seizing the chaos, Zhou Yao grabbed a man's outer robe, hid it at her side, and slipped out of the private room. As she ran, she shouted, "Oh no, oh no! Young Master Zhao and Young Master Qi are fighting! Help! Someone, come quick!"

Once she was far enough, the chaos soon spread to the main hall. Taking advantage of the madams and servants scrambling to break up the fight, Zhou Yao slipped back to where she had first woken up.

————

The room was empty now. The woman who had been there had been taken somewhere by someone, no doubt.

But she had promised to handle this matter, and she would see it through. Changing back into her own clothes and pulling on the man's robe she had swiped, Zhou Yao covered her face and slipped out of Qingyun Terrace while the main hall was still in disarray.

All she needed to do was have someone fan the flames of the fight between Zhao Wenhua and Qi Xiaohan, and the rest... would take care of itself.

The night sky was gloomy, and soon after leaving Qingyun Terrace, a heavy rain began to pour.

By the time she reached Qi Manor, the gates were already shut tight. Zhou Yao was about to head to the Nine Kilns when the gates suddenly swung open.

It was Qi Yanhan, waiting for her.

"Your Highness hasn't returned for days. I was quite worried," Qi Yanhan said with a faint smile. "I was beginning to think you'd returned to the palace and no longer wished to see me."

"You jest, Chief Minister Qi," Zhou Yao said as she walked past him, casting a sidelong glance at the immaculate Qi Yanhan. "I'm just scraping by under others' mercy. There's no 'wish' to speak of. If you have free time, Qi, you might rather attend to your family affairs before the fire spreads and burns you."

"Your Highness." Qi Yanhan called out slowly, his fox-like eyes gazing at her with a haunting look, as if trying to steer the conversation away. "Why does Your Highness appear at a brothel?"

"Not much of your concern, is it?" Zhou Yao replied with a tight, humorless smile. "If there's nothing else, I'll retire to my quarters."

He lowered his gaze, then called out again, "Your Highness has been burning porcelain at the Nine Kilns all night; you must be kept awake. That place is so crude. Would Your Highness consider staying at Qi Manor for the time being?" Seeing that Zhou Yao did not want to engage, he continued with a smile, "Your little pet has been quite well-behaved at the manor lately. Perhaps Your Highness would like to see for yourself?"

"Some other time." Zhou Yao calculated for a moment. "I'll repay the money you lent me as soon as I can."

A flicker of brief emotion passed across Qi Yanhan's face before he recovered his usual composure. He sighed. "I never thought we'd end up so distant from each other. There's a banquet at the palace next month. Would Your Highness care to accompany me?"

The only answer was the sight of Zhou Yao's retreating back.

Back in the courtyard, the servants had already brought out the beagle and the border collie.

The two dogs were covered in wounds of varying sizes, clearly the result of their own scuffles.

"Princess, you're here!" Ling Long happily ran over to bow and greet her. "You've missed so much fun these days while you were away!"

"That little black dog may not look big, but he has the beagle wrapped around his paw! There's a pond in the back courtyard. Whenever the black dog drops a pebble into the water, the beagle dives right in. So every afternoon, when the beagle starts barking at him, he uses that trick. Isn't he clever?"

Ling Long chattered on, but Zhou Yao's mind was drifting elsewhere.

"Ling Long, where did you put the dowry jewelry the Empress gave me when I got married?" Zhou Yao asked suddenly, propping her chin on her hand at the stone table. She didn't miss the flash of panic that darted across Ling Long's face.

"Why does Your Highness ask about that all of a sudden?"

Ling Long busied herself with tea, casting a distracted glance at Zhou Yao. Her hand slipped, and hot water splashed onto her skin.

"Ah!" Ling Long snatched her hand back, looking guiltily toward Zhou Yao. "This servant will take her leave and tend to the burn."

As Ling Long turned away, Zhou Yao stared at her retreating figure for a long while.

When she had married Qi Yanhan, there had been no time to sort out the dowry. Ling Long had been the only one to handle it. If she couldn't produce the items on short notice... Zhou Yao had no choice but to suspect her.

Back in the palace, her jewelry had occasionally gone missing without explanation. She had brushed it off as some cleaning maid stealing it.

But if royal property had been sold off outside the palace, she would have no choice but to take action against Ling Long.

————

A few days later.

Since Zhou Yao had asked about the dowry, Ling Long had all but vanished. When she asked Duyun and the steward, they said they only ever saw Ling Long heading out of the manor.

After thinking it over, Zhou Yao summoned a guard from the Qi estate and ordered him to follow Ling Long.

Before long, a servant from the courtyard came to report, "Miss Ling Long always visits a small private pawnshop. From what we've gathered, she's been selling off various valuables bit by bit over the years."

Zhou Yao clutched the cup in her hand, anger burning in her eyes. She suppressed it and ordered the young servant, "Go. Bring Ling Long to me."

Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the servant hurried back, breathless. "Ling Long... Miss Ling Long is gone! It looks like she ran!"

"When I got there, her room was already empty!"

"What?!" Zhou Yao hurled the cup to the ground, her chest tightening with fury.

She should have seen it coming!

Ling Long's strange behavior when she'd first seen her again, and her discomfort when the jewelry was mentioned—it all made sense now. No doubt the moment Zhou Yao had left Chang'an, Ling Long had started selling off the jewelry and deeds!