Chapter Ten: Disguised as a Woman

With a resounding bang of the gavel, the magistrate declared the case closed: "Upon this official's examination, it is confirmed that Begonia Qiu is guilty of murdering her betrothed. She shall be imprisoned in the women's jail and, once the execution order arrives, will be beheaded on an appointed day!"

"Clear the court!" The bailiffs escorted Begonia Qiu away as she laughed in utter despair, her anguished, wild laughter echoing through the magistrate's hall.

"Well done! A woman as vicious as that deserves death long ago!"

"Indeed! The magistrate is wise and just!"

"She's ruthless—if she dares to kill her own fiancé, what else might she do?"

"This is the net of heaven—wide, but nothing escapes it!"

"Exactly! She truly deserves her punishment!"

"Calamities inflicted by heaven may be forgiven; those brought upon oneself cannot be survived!"

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Jade Ice clenched her fists in anger. The muddle-headed magistrate had closed the case without proper witnesses, and now the crowd slandered her lady so cruelly. She could no longer contain her indignation and, pushing through the people before her, moved to block the bailiffs escorting Begonia. Suddenly, a folding fan pressed down on her shoulder, and she turned, startled, meeting a pair of deep, anxious eyes. A low, magnetic voice whispered by her ear: "Jade Ice, don’t be rash! Let’s uncover the truth before we try to save anyone." Without letting her protest, the man took her by the arm and led her away from the courthouse.

"Brother Zhang! You? Why are you here?" Jade Ice looked at the elegant Zhang Huai before her, her tone tinged with reproach. "You haven’t even recovered from your injuries. Why aren’t you resting on the mountain? What are you doing here?"

"It was but a scratch—I'm long healed. I was going to buy a horse and head back, but when I happened to pass the courthouse and saw you, I intervened only because I feared you might act impulsively. Please don’t take it amiss." Zhang Huai glanced cautiously around, ensuring they were safe before explaining to the worried Jade Ice.

"So that’s how it is. Then go buy your horse. I can handle this myself," Jade Ice replied with a gentle smile, though she clearly did not believe a word he said.

"Though I did intend to return," Zhang Huai said, matching her forced smile with his own, "now I find myself deeply intrigued by this strange case. I don’t wish to leave just yet." His gaze lingered on her, and silently, in his heart, he added: Especially not when it means being with you.

"Are you sure this is wise? With all that’s happened in your family, shouldn’t you be heading home?" Jade Ice couldn’t help but laugh, seeing how he piled on excuses.

"It's nothing. I can always go home after we solve this case!" Zhang Huai waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Very well, then. You can come with me—to prison!" Jade Ice shrugged helplessly at his insistence.

"All right!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Huai snapped open his folding fan, delighted at her agreement. Only after a moment did he realize what she’d said. "Wait—why are we going to prison?"

"You’ll see," Jade Ice replied with a mysterious smile, offering no further explanation as she turned and headed toward a fabric shop on the bustling main street.

On this lively street, a stunning scene appeared: a beautiful woman in red, graceful and alluring, strolled along, playing with a lock of hair by her chest. A sweet smile adorned her face, her eyes soft as water, her every step elegant and unhurried.

Suddenly, a drunken man staggered toward her, weaving left and right, reeking of wine and muttering incoherently. Amid startled cries, he collided headlong with the lovely woman in red, and both tumbled to the ground.

"Brother Zhang, who would have thought you’d make such a convincing woman! Not a bad idea at all!" The drunkard, holding the "beauty" close, whispered his praise in a barely audible voice. To the onlookers, it seemed as though the drunken man was smitten with the woman in his arms.

"I think this idea is dreadful! What does this have to do with going to prison?" "She" muttered through clenched teeth, thoroughly exasperated. Had he known he’d have to dress as a woman in broad daylight, he’d never have agreed!

"Too late to question it now. Like it or not, you’re headed to prison—they’re here already!" The drunkard’s eyes flicked toward a group of bailiffs running over, and his smile grew even more exaggerated. "Beautiful lady… come, give me a hug… a kiss… heh heh…"

"Damnable woman!" The "beauty" flushed with rage and shame—he’d been kissed by her! Whether cursing her or himself, he could not say.

"Brother Zhang, don’t worry. Once I find the truth, I’ll get out on my own," the drunkard said with a soft smile, adding quietly, "Meanwhile, could you help me again from the outside?"

"Help again?" "She" was shocked. Did he expect him to dress as a woman again? Absolutely not!

"Relax! This time, you only need to run an errand—no more disguises." Seeing his companion’s snake-bitten wariness, the drunkard chuckled inwardly.

"Fine—tell me what you need." After a brief hesitation, the "beauty" relented.

"Tonight, go to the Pavilion of Clear Breezes…" The drunkard whispered instructions, then said aloud, "Ah, my dear, you smell so sweet… such soft hands…"

"Help! I’m being assaulted!" The "beauty" shrieked, scrambling to her feet and racing off—no way was he going to let himself be caught and exposed!

"Hey! Beautiful lady, don’t run!" the drunkard called out in a drunken slur, before being seized by the bailiffs and led away.

After the crowd dispersed, a head peeked from behind a corner, watching the drunkard being dragged off. Silently, "she" prayed, "Jade Ice, be careful." Then, after making sure no one was watching, the figure darted into the fabric shop. When he emerged, he was once again a young man, folding fan in hand, the very picture of a refined gentleman.

"Move it! Stop dawdling!" Inside the County Jail of Clear River, a few bailiffs shoved a drunken man into the cell block. They stopped in front of a cell already occupied by a male prisoner. One jailer, complaining all the while, fumbled for his keys: "Lusting but lacking bravery—don’t you know better than to cause trouble in broad daylight? This is what people do at night, not when everyone’s watching! At night, I wouldn’t care if you were flirting with a princess or an empress—I’d turn a blind eye!" With that, he kicked the cell door open, hauled the drunkard inside, and shoved him hard, cursing, "Get in!" Without a glance back, he locked the door and strode off.

The drunkard, shoved to the ground, still looked dazed. Then, a voice with a magnetic timbre called out, "Hey, brother, what did you do to get in here?" The drunkard looked up. Reclining on a straw mat in the corner was a handsome youth, sharp-browed, star-eyed, his face finely chiseled, eyes sparkling with curiosity. He wore white martial attire beneath a black robe, the whole look scholarly and refined. Yet the stalk of straw in his mouth entirely ruined his elegant air, lending him an irrepressible, carefree charm.

"Heh heh… just the usual, couldn’t help myself," the drunkard replied, flopping onto the ground and putting on a soft, ambiguous tone, adding a few suggestive gestures—learned, of course, from the courtesans of the Pavilion of Clear Breezes. He glanced aside and returned the question, "And you, brother? Why are you in here?"

The young man laughed, shaking his head. "Everyone has their compulsions! It seems you’re bold enough to be my brother-in-arms." He, too, had entered this place in a rather unconventional way, but he could leave by other means at any time. After all, he was the most wanted man in the land; many had tried to catch him, but none had succeeded.

"Care to share your story?" The drunkard raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by this fellow not dressed in prison garb.

"Me? Well… I was bored, so I borrowed the new magistrate’s official seal for a bit of amusement. I hadn’t had my fill before the magistrate showed up to reclaim it. As for me, the imposter? Well, you see the result—here I am! Misery loves company!" He shrugged, spreading his hands in mock innocence, as if this cell were no more confining than his own garden. Spitting out the stalk of straw, he stood up, brushing hay from his clothes. "Enough of that! When I’m in the mood, I’ll take you out for a stroll. I hear the Provincial Governor’s golden seal is even more fun to play with!" Clearly, he treated this jail as his own home—prison walls meant nothing to him.

"You’re certainly bold!"

"It’s nothing," he replied. For a man who could slip in and out of the imperial palace unscathed, this was hardly worth mentioning. "Since fate has brought us together, let me introduce myself: I am Yun Feiyang." With a clasped-fist salute, he smiled. "May I ask your name, brother?"

"Brother Yun," the drunkard replied, returning the salute with a peculiar orchid-hand gesture. "My surname is Ling, given name Xiao—taken from the soaring clouds and the pure notes of the flute."

"Brother Ling," Yun Feiyang said, drawing a jade flute as green as emerald from his belt and spinning it lightly in his palm. He tilted his head and asked, "Well, would you like to accompany your elder brother for a stroll outside?"