Evidence

There was the luxurious rustling sound of silk, and Mao Xiang turned from where she sat before the mirror sharply, heedless of Xiaojun's faithful hands as she combed her mistress' elaborate coiffure.

The ivory comb was knocked from Xiaojun's hand and the long black hair snagged on its teeth as it got caught. Dismayed, Xiaojun hurriedly untangled it, her careful handiwork ruined in that one moment.

"What did you say?" Mao Xiang demanded curtly.

Jiyue bowed her head, biting her lip. "I fear that it is true. I saw him with my own eyes. Zhao Jing stopped the messenger just outside the manor. He asked the boy what he was doing and when he heard it was a message from Madame to Lord Yang he said he would carry it himself, as he was on the way there. The idiot did not dare to refuse and handed the paper over."

She drew a long breath. "He thought no one was watching, but I happened to linger to watch the boy go, and I saw it all from behind the gate. Likely he counts on the fact that the boy would be too frightened to tell us what had happened, for fear of punishment. Madame, we have to do something. Zhao Jing may have already read the message and know that you are spying on Lord Yang, but that is not the real concern. If he shows the message to Lord Yang when my Lord returns--" Without finishing her sentence, she bit her lip and fell silent.

Mao Xiang pushed Xiaojun's hand aside, turning white. "What can we do, then?" she said frantically. "My Lord is coming back in two days' time."

"Madame, don't despair. We can still fix this," Jiyue said urgently.

"How?" Mao Xiang said wildly, her eyes wide and frightened. Her hand was unsteady as it reached out aimlessly, groping about blindly for she knew not what.

Jiyue came forward and lowered her voice. "There are several options. We could offer to buy Zhao Jing over to our side, and truthfully that would be the best if possible, because he could be of great use. But from my judgment of his character, he's not the sort to be bought over easily--more's the pity. He is loyal to Lord Yang and already has a grudge against Madame, so it is not likely we could win him over."

She paused for breath. "Then, the other option?" Mao Xiang said anxiously.

"We could, of course, get rid of him. But I am afraid that would be difficult, and would surely arouse Lord Yang's suspicions. Madame needs to strengthen and stabilize her power in the Yang Manor, get more of the servants on your side, as well as work closely with Sir Mao, to do so. But right now Zhao Jing would be on the alert for any communication of ours with Sir Mao. So I fear that, too, is out of the picture."

"Then?" Mao Xiang repeated nervously. Her fingers wrapped around one of the gold hairpins on the dressing table, and gripped it with a desperate energy. "Then what?" Her voice started to rise, slightly hysterical. "Don't tell me you're out of options, Jiyue?"

"Madame need not fear. We can steal the message from Zhao Jing before my Lord comes home from his travels. As long as the proof is gone, Zhao Jing cannot accuse Madame of anything."

"Steal it back--"

Mao Xiang drove the end of the hairpin into the smooth polished wood of the table. She watched with a despairing kind of satisfaction as it gouged into the expensive wood and the pale wood shavings came to the surface. "Well, it seems to be the only thing we can do, since he has forced us to this! Jiyue, you are sure you know what to do?"

"Madame can have faith in me. If you will work with me, we will rescue this yet. But I will need Xiaojun's help."

Xiaojun's head jerked spasmodically and once again she dropped the ivory comb. She turned a panic-filled face to them. "What do you mean?" she faltered, turning quite pale.

Mao Xiang's eyes darted rapidly from Jiyue to Xiaojun, anxiously.

Jiyue's voice was soothing. "It's nothing, Xiaojun. We just need you to help us take something from Zhao Jing's chamber."

Xiaojun's eyes widened. "What?"

"My letter asking Father to arrange for a man in the House of Falling Petals to watch my Lord's activity there. It's hidden inside a doctor's prescription paper, tied with a red thread," Mao Xiang said urgently. "You know it, Xiaojun, you've received messages like that for me plenty of times! You're sure to recognize it."

"Zhao Jing is sure to have hidden it inside that chest in his room," Jiyue said confidently. "He's not that clever."

Mao Xiang narrowed her eyes. "Well, he was clever enough to intercept the messenger boy before he left the manor!" She looked broody. "Looks like I've underestimated this Zhao Jing."

"He hasn't had time to hide it anywhere else," Jiyue added shrewdly. "And he wouldn't bother to carry it with him, because he doesn't know that we know he took it."

Xiaojun shook her head frantically, finding her tongue at last. "I would mess this up," she said wretchedly. "I would, for sure. Oh Madame, don't, please don't ask me to do this! You know I'm clumsy and bad at this kind of thing. Jiyue, why don't you do it instead, you're so much cleverer than me?"

Jiyue arrested her hand, taking the the ivory comb from it and forcing Xiaojun to look at her. "It's really so simple," she said coaxingly. "But I will need your help, because I need to distract Zhao Jing while you do it. Don't you see, Xiaojun? We have to work together. I'll make sure he doesn't come in while you're inside. You just have to find it as fast as possible and bring it back here."

"I can't," Xiaojun repeated in a panic. "I can't do it. I'd make a mistake. I'm frightened, I really am. You know I couldn't do it."

Folding her lips in a firm line that showed she was not about to give way, Jiyue tried again, undaunted. "You have to do this, Xiaojun. Do you want Madame to get into trouble when Zhao Jing shows it to Lord Yang?"

"Of course not," stammered Xiaojun miserably. "I--"

"Then you have to help," Jiyue insisted. "Don't be so nervous. It'll be over before you know it. Even if Zhao Jing knows that we took it, he won't have any evidence to pin it on us, and he can't report it to Lord Yang. There's nothing to worry about."

Mao Xiang made a sharp, exasperated sound and caught Xiaojun by the arm, so tightly that the maid winced. "Xiaojun, don't be a silly little ass," she said energetically. "You have to listen to what Jiyue says. You have to help me, Xiaojun! Do you want me to get into trouble?"

Xiaojun stared back at her, terrified, the tears welling in her eyes. She gave a tremendous gulp, and an overwhelming helplessness gripped her as she saw both Mao Xiang and Jiyue watching her intensely.