The hidden room was silent except for the faint crackle of the brazier.
Shen Qingwan lifted her eyes and spoke, her voice calm, unhurried yet every word carried weight.
"My condition is simple," she said. "You will deliver a sealed report to the palace stating that Yudi died during the northern labor transfer eight years ago."
Yuwen's breath caught.
"The report must bear your name."
For a moment, Yuwen could not speak. Her fingers trembled slightly as they curled against the edge of the table. To falsify such a record was no small matter it was a blade aimed directly at her own throat. Yet she understood immediately what Qingwan was offering.
A clean death on paper.A brother erased from the palace's reach.
"…You're asking me to kill him in ink," Yuwen whispered.
Qingwan's gaze did not waver. "I am asking you to let him live."
Yuwen closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, resolve had replaced shock.
"I will do it," she said. "If this is the only way."
She hesitated, then asked the question she had been holding back, her voice low and fragile. "Do you… know where Yudi is now?"
Qingwan did not answer directly.
Instead, she said, "My second condition."
Yuwen straightened.
"Whatever secrets you uncover," Qingwan continued, "no matter how small, no matter who they involve you will share them with me."
There was no threat in her tone. No coercion. Only certainty.
Yuwen nodded without hesitation. "Agreed."
Qingwan rose from her seat, smoothing the sleeve of her robe. "After I return home," she added, "I will send something to you."
Something.Not reassurance.Not instructions.
Yet Yuwen felt her chest loosen all the same.
Qingwan turned and walked toward the concealed exit without another word.
Outside the shop, Maid Su and Shou an were already waiting. Su stepped forward at once. "Lady, are you all right?"
Qingwan nodded lightly and stepped into the carriage, Shou An lowering his gaze as he followed behind.
The carriage rolled away, disappearing into the afternoon streets.
Inside the hidden room, Yuwen remained seated.
The tea had gone cold but it actually tasted lighter than before.
Yuwen sighs.
AFTER THREE DAYS......
The night was quiet, the moon casting pale light over Yuwen's residence. She had just begun to settle under her blankets when a faint knock echoed at her door.
Frowning, she rose and moved cautiously toward the entrance. "Who's there?" she called softly. No answer came.
Yuwen's eyes scanned the empty courtyard. Then, her gaze fell downward. At her feet lay a small, neatly wrapped box, placed as though by invisible hands.
Heart racing, she bent to pick it up, tucking it carefully under her arm. Every sense alert, she glanced around no shadow, no figure. Whoever had left it had vanished without a trace.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of lacquer and aged paper. She stepped carefully back into her chambers, closed the door, and locked it, checking the windows and corners before lowering herself into her secret room. With trembling hands, she opened the box.
Inside lay a bronze tally shaped like a tiger, but the other half was missing, leaving the piece incomplete yet significant. Alongside it were two folded letters, each sealed with delicate care. One was clearly meant for her, the other its purpose unknown.
Her hands shook slightly as she broke the seal of the letter addressed to her.
The words inside were simple yet impossible to ignore:
"Recongnize [Ye Heng] without naming him openly."
Yuwen's chest tightened. Her breath caught, and tears pooled in her eyes. The weight of the message, the hidden truth, and the care behind it hit her all at once.
She sank onto the floor of her secret chamber, clutching the letter close, unable to stop the tears that streamed silently down her face.
The message was simple: It states Yudi was using the fake name Ye Heng. If she wants to find her brother don't mess with his real name which might be impossible to find in future.
THREE DAYS AGO...
The mansion was quiet, the lingering warmth of the day fading into the stillness of night. Shen Qingwan sat by the window, the pale moonlight casting a soft glow across her features.
"Maid Su," she called softly. "Bring some refreshments for me."
A moment later, Su appeared, bowing slightly. "Yes, Lady Shen. I'll prepare them at once." She left gracefully, the quiet click of the door marking her absence.
Qingwan leaned back, letting out a small sigh. From the drawer beside her, she took out a piece of paper and ink. Her brush moved swiftly, deliberately drawing the figure of a tiger, strong and precise. Once completed, she held it up for Shou An, who had been standing silently at the edge of the room.
"Look closely," she said. "This is what you need to find tonight." Her eyes were steady, commanding. "I need you to visit the Ministry of War Archive vault after the guard shift changes. Timing is everything"