The group hurried through the maple grove.

By the time they reached the vicinity of the big Mirror Lake, someone had already rushed over carrying cloaks and hand warmers.

This time, Qin Jiu accepted them without protest. She wrapped herself in the cloak and clasped the hand warmer, and her ice-cold body finally warmed up a little.

“Master, this servant has already sent people back to… back to summon a physician,” an elderly momo reported respectfully. “The abbot has some knowledge of medicine as well. This servant has also had someone invite him over to take a look at the young master.”

Empress Wei nodded and continued forward at a brisk pace.

Hot water had already been prepared in the side chamber. Empress Wei told Qin Jiu to wash up quickly and instructed Youbai to attend to her.

Youbai helped Qin Jiu remove her outer robe, then took off her inner garment. What came into view was Qin Jiu’s back, so thin it was nothing but skin and bones.

At the sight of it, Youbai sucked in a sharp breath.

The young girl was not merely thin. Her back was covered with streaks of bluish-purple bruises and slightly raised scars, crisscrossing one another. Some were fresh, others old. Against her pale skin, they were shockingly conspicuous.

These injuries were clearly the result of being beaten day after day, over many long years.

Youbai’s sudden silence made Qin Jiu freeze for a moment. Then she let out a small gasp, hurriedly grabbed the inner garment hanging on the screen, and covered herself as she said anxiously, “Miss Youbai, I can manage on my own. You should go out first.”

Youbai hesitated, looking at Qin Jiu. Seeing her unease and fearing that staying would only make her more uncomfortable, she bent her knees in acknowledgment. “Yes.”

After withdrawing, Youbai hurried to the side chamber on the right.

Inside, Empress Wei was feeding the Sixth Prince ginger soup. The abbot of Qingjing Temple had just examined him and said that help had arrived in time and the child was out of danger. Only then did Empress Wei finally feel about eighty percent of her worry lift.

Seeing Youbai enter, Empress Wei handed the bowl of ginger soup to a nearby matron and signaled for Youbai to follow her into the outer room. She asked impatiently, “How is it?” Her eyes were full of urgency.

Empress Wei had sent Youbai to assist Qin Jiu with bathing precisely so she could see whether Qin Jiu had that birthmark.

From the very first glance at Qin Jiu, Empress Wei had felt the girl looked familiar. Her brows and eyes resembled her younger sister’s by at least seventy or eighty percent.

The young women of the Wei family’s generation mostly took after their grandmother, all with almond-shaped eyes. Her sister’s eyes had been bright and clear, especially beautiful—and that young girl’s eyes were exactly the same as her sister’s.

Not only did the girl’s features resemble her sister’s and her grandmother’s, she also bore four or five parts resemblance to Empress Wei herself.

This caused an unbelievable suspicion to surge in Empress Wei’s heart.

“Your Majesty,” Youbai replied quickly, “there is no birthmark on the young lady’s back…”

“None?!” Empress Wei blurted out in disbelief. “The birthmark should be on her right lower back—”

“Your Majesty, there is only a scar there,” Youbai explained carefully, describing the mark on Qin Jiu’s lower back. “About the size of a copper coin. It looks like a burn, and it seems to be quite old.”

“A scar…”

Empress Wei slowly turned those two words over in her mind, a faint glimmer flashing in her eyes.

A scar the size of a copper coin would be more than enough to cover a birthmark.

She remembered that Qin Xin also had a scar of roughly the same size on her right lower back—precisely where the birthmark had been.

At the time, seeing it had only made her feel heartache. Now, however, the two matters seemed to be linked together.

Empress Wei also recalled that after her younger sister had chosen a wet nurse, she once mentioned during casual conversation that the wet nurse had a daughter who was only two months old. Her sister had even said that in the future, she could have the wet nurse bring the child into the household as well, so mother and daughter would not be separated.

Could it be that…

Empress Wei’s beautiful eyes widened slightly.

“Your Majesty, the young lady’s body is covered in injuries,” Youbai said carefully, choosing her words with caution. “This servant suspects that she may have been abused for many years.”

“What?!”

Empress Wei sprang to her feet and slammed her hand on the table.

Youbai was Empress Wei’s most trusted maid and understood her mistress’s thoughts better than anyone. She also knew exactly why Empress Wei had sent her to check the young lady’s birthmark. Thus, she recounted in full detail all the injuries on Qin Jiu’s body, sighing as she said: “…Aside from the wounds on her back, the young lady has injuries on her hands and feet as well. The newer ones seem to be from seven or eight days ago, while the older ones date back at least several years. Some are from beatings, others from burns and cuts.”

Empress Wei felt a tight ache in her chest. Her right hand clenched into a fist unconsciously.

From Youbai’s simple description, Empress Wei could almost imagine how bitter and painful the little girl’s life must have been over these past years. And yet, when Zhen’er had been in danger, she had leapt into the lake without the slightest hesitation to save him.

With such a nature, she must surely be a good child.

“Youbai,” Empress Wei took two deep breaths to steady herself and gave her instructions, “go back for now.”

“Your Majesty, the young lady seems unwilling to let others see the injuries on her body and told this servant she need not attend her.” Youbai said.

“Yes, yes,” Empress Wei replied hurriedly. “She’s still young—a little girl, thin-skinned and shy. You just wait outside. When she’s finished bathing, bring her over.”

Youbai acknowledged the order and withdrew.

After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Youbai led Qin Jiu back in. By then, the Sixth Prince Gu Zhen had finished his ginger soup and was sleeping heavily on the couch.

Qin Jiu had changed into a clean set of light-green robes. The clothes were slightly loose on her, making her appear even smaller and more delicate.

Empress Wei beckoned for Qin Jiu to sit beside her and examined her closely.

Her gaze was like a brush, carefully tracing the girl’s features. The more she looked, the more she felt the girl resembled her younger sister not only in appearance, but in spirit as well.

As for Qin Xin—the niece she had watched grow up from childhood—her looks resembled neither her mother nor her father.

In the past, Empress Wei had never thought much of it. Children not resembling their parents was nothing unusual. But now, comparing Qin Xin with Qin Jiu, the sense of something being amiss in Empress Wei’s heart could no longer be suppressed.

With a gentle expression, Empress Wei asked, “I don’t even know your name yet, young lady. What is it?”

“My surname is Qin,” Qin Jiu replied obediently. “My given name is Jiu.”

Qin?! Empress Wei’s heart skipped a beat.

This girl’s surname was also “Qin”…

But if things were really as she suspected, then this girl should not be bearing the surname “Qin” now.

Empress Wei took a deep breath, steadied herself, and asked again, “Miss Qin, then where are you from?”

“I’m from Jiangyu County in Yuzhou.”

Qin Jiu answered every question calmly. Her large almond-shaped eyes were distinct in black and white, clear and bright like a pool of spring water.

From Empress Wei’s demeanor alone, Qin Jiu knew that Empress Wei must have noticed something. At the very least, she was already suspicious.

Empress Wei and the original owner’s birth mother, Lady Wei, were full sisters and had been extremely close. Furthermore, the original owner had looked strikingly like Lady Wei; Empress Wei would surely recognize that resemblance.

Once this matter reached Empress Wei, it would no longer be something the Qin family could simply cover up if they wished.

Qin Jiu sat there meekly, answering whatever Empress Wei asked without concealment when Empress Wei suddenly changed the topic, “Then why did you come to Longzhou?”

A flash of obvious panic appeared on Qin Jiu’s face. She dodged the question and said instead, “Madam Gu, is the young master all right?”

Empress Wei gazed deeply at Qin Jiu. That question had just been a test. Seeing the girl’s guilty reaction, it was likely that she had left her home and come to Longzhou for some unspeakable reason.

Empress Wei did not press further. Following Qin Jiu’s lead, she smiled and said, “Zhen’er has fallen asleep. Thank you again for what you did today.”

Qin Jiu pressed her lips together in a shy smile, then her expression turned serious as she said, “Madam Gu, you’d best look into the matter of the young master falling into the water again. That Ding Momo not only failed to save him, but even tried to stop me from doing so.”

Empress Wei naturally had no intention of letting Ding Momo off lightly. However, since this was a sacred Buddhist site where punishment could not be carried out, she planned to conduct a thorough interrogation once they returned.

Empress Wei took note of what Qin Jiu had said and then casually chatted with her as if nothing were amiss.

A palace maid brought in the Qingjing Temple’s specially made mint cakes. Empress Wei picked one up through a handkerchief and handed it to Qin Jiu: “Here, try this pastry.”

Qin Jiu smiled as she reached out to take it. As she did, her loose sleeve slipped down, revealing several bruises on her elbow and a number of scars that looked as though they had been slashed by a blade.

“Your hand…” Empress Wei’s voice turned slightly hoarse.

Qin Jiu quickly drew her hand back and gave an embarrassed smile.

Empress Wei wanted to grab Qin Jiu’s wrist to examine it more closely, but she feared frightening the girl. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.