"Your servant will go and look." Cai Qing followed the gaze, picked up a nearby stick, and fished out a paper lantern from the pond.
"Young Madam, this seems to be a wishing lantern."
Cai Qing handed the retrieved paper lantern to Feng Jin.
"It really is..." Feng Jin examined the paper lantern as she held it, then noticed the anomaly. "Why is this wishing lantern white?"
White wishing lanterns were used to pray for the deceased. If there was a deceased person in the post station, only Cui'er and the other two could be considered.
Could it be that this wishing lantern was placed for Cui'er and the others? Feng Jin's interest was immediately piqued. She carefully examined the paper lantern, then unfolded it completely, only to see a line of small characters written on the inside.
'May you ascend to paradise soon and be free from hardship in the next life.'
Below the line of small characters were two words: 'Zhen Zhu'. This should be the name of the person who placed the paper lantern.
Feng Jin couldn't help but repeat the two words in her mouth. She wanted to see who this Zhen Zhu was.
If this wishing lantern was indeed placed for Cui'er and the others, then whoever risked placing it must have had a very deep affection for them. If that were the case, it would indeed be a point of entry.
"Young Madam, this wishing lantern is made so exquisitely. I've never seen this style before, have I?"
She had truly never seen a wishing lantern made in this way before; it was truly unique.
"You've really never seen this style of wishing lantern before?"
"Yes, never seen it before?" Cai Qing nodded with certainty. She was sure she had never seen such a wishing lantern and thought it might not be a practice from Dong Chu.
"If you haven't seen it either, then it's likely not a practice from Dong Chu."
Feng Jin was now about eighty percent sure, but she needed to confirm.
"Cai Qing, go gather everyone in the post station. Say that a wishing lantern for the deceased was found in the pond, which has offended me. We must find out who it belongs to and punish them severely."
"Ah?"
Cai Qing exclaimed in surprise and asked with some disbelief, "Young Madam, do you really... really want to do this?"
If this were done, wouldn't the young madam's reputation be ruined?
"Yes, hurry up!"
Feng Jin urged her again, busily shooing Cai Qing away.
"Yes, Young Madam." Cai Qing dared not delay any further and hurried away with quick steps.
In just a moment, Feng Jin's arrogance and high-handedness spread throughout every corner of the post station.
Therefore, when Feng Jin appeared before everyone, she was met with much pointing and whispering.
"Young Madam." Cai Qing rushed forward to greet Feng Jin upon seeing her and asked a servant to fetch a chair and place it beside Feng Jin.
Feng Jin sat upright, her slightly cold gaze sweeping across everyone. She slightly parted her red lips and said, "This inauspicious object found in the pond is a crime of grave disrespect. Tell me, whose belonging is this?"
Cai Qing placed the retrieved wishing lantern on the table. "Whoever placed this wishing lantern, be sensible and admit it quickly, lest you implicate others in punishment."
Having been by Feng Jin's side for a long time, and being influenced by her, Cai Qing's words now carried a hint of authority.
"Madam, this wishing lantern is also a way to express some sorrow. The deceased are gone, and the departed are respected. Please do not be too concerned."
Granny Sun stepped forward, saying with a fawning smile.
"Bang!" With a loud crash.
Feng Jin threw the jade she was playing with heavily onto the ground, making a loud noise that startled everyone.
"When I am speaking, when is it your turn, a mere servant, to point fingers? Granny Sun, I address you as Granny out of consideration for your age and because you are an elder from Xiliang, and I have always respected you. But this does not mean you can point fingers at what I do."
At this moment, Feng Jin's face was filled with fierceness, a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor towards Granny Sun. She retorted unceremoniously, "No matter how senior you are, you are ultimately still a servant. I am the master, and you are the servant – that is the difference. Granny Sun, do you know how you should respond to your master?"
"It is this old servant who has momentarily forgotten the hierarchy. I beg the Madam for forgiveness!"
Granny Sun immediately knelt before Feng Jin, hastily begging for mercy with her head bowed as low as possible.
"Considering your age and temporary confusion, I will not hold it against you for now. If there is a next time, the punishment will be compounded. Granny Sun, I hope you will conduct yourself wisely."
"This servant understands her duties." Granny Sun responded faintly, her dull eyes filled with malice.
Feng Jin had embarrassed her so much in front of everyone. She would hold this grudge for now. Once the Xiliang army attacked the capital, Feng Jin would be nothing more than a defeated nation's slave, ultimately falling into her hands. At that time, she would surely make Feng Jin wish she were dead.
For now, she had to endure, to swallow immense humiliation in order to achieve ultimate victory.
"Have you all thought it through? Whose hand did this inauspicious thing come from?"
Feng Jin continued to ask. Her response was still silence; no one dared to step forward and admit it.
Gradually, Feng Jin's patience ran out, and her suppressed temper ignited.
"You're asking for it. Since no one admits it, then you will all be punished together."
Feng Jin stood up and walked towards everyone, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping across them one by one.
"To have hands and yet to make such inauspicious things is truly a pity for such skillful hands. Since that is the case, these hands are now useless."
Feng Jin smiled, but her smile was chilling and terrifying. "Guards, bring them the splints. Under severe punishment, let's see if they will still be so stubborn."
"Madam, it... it was this servant who placed the wishing lantern."
A clear voice rang out from the crowd. After a moment, a slender woman with a decent appearance walked out from within the crowd.
"What is your name, and for whom did you place the wishing lantern?"
"Your servant's name is Zhen Zhu, and the wishing lantern is... is..."
Zhen Zhu stopped midway through her sentence, her slightly fearful gaze surveying Granny Sun. The words that had reached her lips were forced back.
"I am asking you, you only need to answer. Why do you look at others?"
Granny Sun's influence among these palace maids was truly not small. With just a glance, she had scared Zhen Zhu into silence.
It seemed Granny Sun would become her biggest obstacle. She needed to find a way to deal with Granny Sun.
"Yes, Madam..." Zhen Zhu quickly withdrew her gaze and, after a moment of silence, continued, "This wishing lantern is... is something this servant placed for my deceased father. Yesterday... yesterday was my father's memorial day. Our family has a custom of placing wishing lanterns to pray for blessings, so this servant dared to place a wishing lantern..."