At the third quarter of the Yin hour, the candlelight in the study of the Lu Mansion cast a crimson glow upon the window paper. Jiang Wan stared at the unrolled map of the Capital, her fingertips tracing a circle around the location of the East Market cloth shop. Scattered outside the circle lay seven broken hairpins carved with withered plums—the very ones Mr. Zhou had retrieved from the East Market lumber yard that very night. Lu Jingyuan added a piece of aloeswood to the charcoal brazier, and a stray spark landed near the edge of the map, nearly scorching the marker for the "Jingnan Marquis Mansion."
"Mr. Zhou says the owner of the lumber yard suddenly began selling off his family property yesterday." Jiang Wan clutched the anonymous note; the handwriting of the newly received slip, which read, "The withered plums gather at the third quarter of the Xu hour," still bore damp water marks. "The cloth shops and tea houses in the East Market are likely their targets."
Lu Jingyuan used a paperweight to pin down the corners of the map; the flying tiger pattern carved upon it was identical to the iron cavalry token held by Ren Yao: "The Jingnan Marquis Mansion has been frequently banqueting officials of the Three Judicial Offices lately. On the surface, it's just flower viewing, but in reality, they're probing into the progress of the trial regarding the old Yan Family case." He suddenly grasped her hand. "Wan Niang, do you know the dark underworld meaning of 'withered plum'?"
Chapter 261