The Marquis's Mansion was shrouded in a thin mist at the hour of the tiger. When the bronze doors of the council hall were pushed open, the sparrows nesting beneath the eaves were startled into flight. Jiang Wan’s hand, clutching the candlestick, was steady as a rock; wax dripped along the carvings onto her fingertips, burning painfully, yet it was nothing compared to the chill brought on by the secret letter on the desk. The wax seal on the top right corner of the paper clearly bore the auspicious beast motif of the Second Prince's Mansion.
"Father, you should see this." She pushed the secret letter across the desk. The candlelight cast fragmented flickers over the Marquis’s trembling knuckles. The characters "Jiang Rou" on the stationery stung the eyes; the ink, not yet fully dry, concealed evidence of her collusion with the Second Prince's aides.
*Bang!* The Marquis slammed his fist onto the sandalwood table, causing the candlestick to sway violently. Jiang Wan reached out to steady the lamp, her peripheral vision catching a glimpse of a lake-blue skirt fluttering behind the screen. The Twin Lotus embroidered upon it shimmered with an eerie luster in the morning light—identical to the attire worn by the Second Prince’s personal maid whom she had seen at a tea house in West City three days ago.
Chapter 85