The Zongzi Thief

Bidding farewell to Xu Xing and the others, Xia Yunhe stepped out of Wuwai Restaurant and tidied her clothes before heading toward Wulü Lane.

Today was the Dragon Boat Festival; every household hung calamus and boiled rice dumplings, filling the streets and alleys with a sweet, fresh scent.

On the ancient street paved with bluestone slabs, a peddler rested his bamboo rack. It was adorned with exquisite, lovely sachets, each filled with spices such as cinnabar, realgar, and calamus, emitting a rich fragrance. The peddler wore a row of five-colored silk threads on his left wrist and held a handful of colorful cords in his palm, the ends tipped with tiny bells that jingled as he walked. He did not need to cry out his wares; he simply stood at the intersection, and within moments, a crowd gathered around him.

Since it was a festival, everyone naturally sought a bit of cheer. Xia Yunhe selected three sachets, hanging one from her waist and tucking the other two into her sleeve pocket to take home for Zhenniang and Sanniang.

Just as she reached the mouth of the alley, she ran into a patrol squad of the Constabulary. There were eight men in total, all tall and imposing, wearing dark crimson robes embroidered with gold and carrying goose-quill sabers at their waists, their expressions stern and murderous. The leader was an officer with distinct, heroic features.

The man recognized Xia Yunhe. He dismissed his subordinates first before walking up to her. His eyes swept across the sachet at her waist, and he cupped his hands in a salute. "Master Xia, were you out buying sachets?"

Xia Yunhe looked at him and felt he looked familiar. After returning the salute, she recalled that his name was Mu Xiunian. The Mu family had once been noble, but had since fallen into decline. Though young, this scion of a noble house was a true martial arts graduate; his archery, capable of piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces, had once been praised by the Emperor. He had originally served in the Imperial Guard, and his family had pinned all their hopes on him. Unfortunately, he had offended a favorite eunuch of Consort Wan and was framed during a palace crackdown on gambling, stripped of his position, and demoted to a minor platoon leader in the Constabulary.

She smiled and said, "So it is Platoon Leader Mu. Are you off duty?"

Mu Xiunian’s expression was as grave as water, his brow furrowed with worry. "Thieves have been appearing frequently lately, so we must patrol one place after another. We have just finished with the East Street, but there is still the West Street; I fear we shall be busy until deep into the night."

Saying "It must be hard work," Xia Yunhe recalled Zhenniang mentioning the appearance of thieves that morning; Mu Xiunian’s words confirmed this. She asked, "Whose house has lost something?"

Not wanting to touch upon the source of his frustration, she only saw the young man’s brows knit together as he sighed repeatedly. "There have been no reports of stolen goods, only orders to catch the thief. We have searched the people in the capital three times over in recent days, yet we have found nothing. If we cannot find him, it is not just my brothers who will suffer the consequences—my time as a platoon leader will also come to an end."

Mu Xiunian sighed and looked at her. "Let’s not speak of this. Master Xia, how is your health? It was truly frightening when you fainted on the street last time and we had to carry you back."

Hearing that it was Mu Xiunian who had brought her back to the Xia residence, Xia Yunhe could not help but feel a surge of gratitude. She thanked him and, observing how earnest and straightforward he was in his duties, offered a sincere suggestion. "Platoon Leader Mu, you know this area better than I. Since routine searches have yielded no traces of the thief, why not try contacting groups who might be familiar with the movements of such people? Perhaps you could learn something from them."

Mu Xiunian struck his left palm with his right fist, his eyes brightening. A smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands to thank her. "Master Xia, my thanks to you."

With a new direction, the young man walked with a lighter step. After a few paces, he turned back to salute Xia Yunhe once more, and she returned the gesture from a distance.

Watching the young man depart, she murmured to herself, "This thief is truly unusual. No stolen goods, no portrait, and searching in vain—I fear there is an ulterior motive."

It was merely a small interlude. Regaining her composure, Xia Yunhe set off toward the Xia residence. When she had first acquired the property, she had loved its seclusion, only to discover later that many surrounding houses were vacant. Since hers was the only occupied household, she could have found the gate to the Xia residence with her eyes closed, following the scent of the rice dumplings. The fresh bamboo leaves and marsh grass smelled truly fragrant after being boiled.

Once inside the courtyard and having changed her clothes and given the sachets to Zhenniang, she leaned against a large pillow, watching Zhenniang unwrap a rice dumpling, cut it into small pieces, and drizzle it with honey. Xia Yunhe held a small spoon, eating it bite by bite. The dumplings were filled with red dates and walnuts—sweet, sticky, and leaving a lingering fragrance in her mouth.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the gate. Zhenniang went to open it, and it turned out to be Sanniang returning.

A woman's voice drifted into Xia Yunhe’s ears. "It smells so good! I could smell it from the mouth of the alley."

Zhenniang called for her to have some dumplings, but Sanniang laughed, saying her clothes were too precious and she would eat after changing into casual wear. Before long, Sanniang lifted the grey curtain, exhaled a sigh, sat on the edge of the heated brick bed, kicked off her shoes, and squeezed in beside Xia Yunhe.

As time passed, Sanniang had grown familiar with Xia Yunhe and was no longer reserved. When Xia Yunhe’s expression grew dark, Sanniang would slip away to gossip with Zhenniang, and when Xia Yunhe was in a good mood, she would tease and joke with her.

Sanniang rested her chin in her hands, watching Xia Yunhe eat for a long time. She swallowed hard, and when Zhenniang brought her a bowl of sweet dumplings, she didn't wait for them to be cut into small pieces, eating them one after another as if she were starving.

Xia Yunhe smiled and handed her a sachet, asking, "Were you not full at the palace banquet?"

At the mention of the banquet, Sanniang fell silent, appearing somewhat unhappy. Xia Yunhe frowned; the people at the banquet were either wealthy or noble—they wouldn't have targeted Sanniang. Unable to fathom the reason, she asked, "Did Consort Wan give you a hard time?"

Sanniang shook her head. "The Consort was very kind and even praised my etiquette."

"Then did the other noblewomen trouble you?"

Sanniang sighed, her spirits low. "No, the ladies and noblewomen were all very polite. When they wanted to compose poetry, I said I didn't know how, and no one made it difficult for me."

As they spoke, Sanniang finished three dumplings and reached for more. Zhenniang, watching the girl, hurriedly stopped her. "Eating too many dumplings will bloat your stomach. Wait a moment, I will go cook some porridge. Be patient, you can have some porridge to warm your stomach shortly." With that, she went off to the kitchen.

Sanniang sat there, pouring herself tea. Xia Yunhe asked, "There should have been wine and food at the banquet. Why was it like this? Did those noblewomen give you a hard time? Did they deny you food?"

Sanniang shook her head gently and looked up at Xia Yunhe. In her mind, she recalled how, after Consort Wan suggested touring the lake, everyone had headed to the shore. She had followed, only for the Seventh Prince, Xie Yi, to intercept her by the rockery, draw his long sword, hold it to her throat, and threaten her in a low voice: "If you come to the palace banquet and cannot keep your head, daring to cause trouble for the Master, don't dream of leaving the palace alive."

He had then escorted her to a room and locked the door from the outside. The Seventh Prince had stood outside, his attitude arrogant. "You stay here, and when the banquet is over, I will naturally let you out. Dare to make a sound..." He had sheathed his sword with a sharp *clack* and ground his teeth. "I draw my sword faster than they can come to help."

Sanniang sighed. She had been locked in that room until the banquet ended, hungry and thirsty. Seeing that Xia Yunhe was completely unaware of the Seventh Prince’s temperament, Sanniang hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind. Biting her lip, she cautiously reminded Xia Yunhe, "Master, don't you find the Seventh Prince a bit strange?"

Xia Yunhe did not catch the subtext and smiled. "His Highness is humble, polite, and diligent in his studies. How is he strange?"

How was he strange? He was strange in every way!

Sanniang lowered her eyes and said nothing. She wasn't sure if the Seventh Prince was being unusual toward Xia Yunhe, or if he held a grudge because of her own rudeness back in Xiahe Village. She couldn't put her finger on it, only that the Seventh Prince’s eyes were so sinister that one look sent a chill down her spine. After thinking for a long time, she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

Noticing Sanniang’s hesitation, Xia Yunhe thought for a moment and comforted her, "The Seventh Prince left Chu at the age of seven and spent six years as a hostage in Northern Rong. The hardships he endured are beyond our knowledge. He has been back in the country for only half a year; it is inevitable that he hasn't fully adjusted yet. It is best to be more understanding."

Sanniang pondered this to herself—perhaps she was overthinking. She suppressed her inner anxiety and nodded. Suddenly feeling that Zhenniang had been away for a long time, she said, "I'll go check on Sister Zhen and help her."

...

Xia Yunhe slowly finished the last bite of her sweet dumpling and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. From the outer room came Sanniang’s gasp of surprise: "Who are you!" followed by someone covering her mouth to stifle the sound.

Xia Yunhe felt a jolt of alarm. She lifted the curtain and stepped out, but the courtyard was empty. She called out, "Sanniang?"

There was no response. She called again, "Zhenniang?"

A draft whistled through the hall, and everything was silent. Her heart pounded, but she tried her best to steady her thoughts and keep her voice level. "I do not know which hero this is; may I ask what brings you here?"

A faint sound came from the kitchen. Xia Yunhe suddenly recalled Zhenniang mentioning a rat problem in the kitchen recently. What kind of rat could carry off two people? She remembered the thief Mu Xiunian had spoken of, and linking the two, she sighed inwardly. She feared she had been targeted by this thief.

After a moment, a man’s voice came from the kitchen. "I only wanted something to eat. I haven't eaten for two days. I smelled the fragrance of the dumplings and followed it here."

The voice was clear and gentle, not like that of a vicious villain—though, of course, judging kindness by one's voice was not always accurate. To keep him calm, Xia Yunhe said, "That is no great matter. Everyone faces hardships when traveling; take whatever food you need."

There was a long silence before a voice replied, "My thanks." After a pause, he added, "They are both in the kitchen."

Then, there was a sound of rummaging through cabinets. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a young man with a face she did not recognize emerged from the kitchen. He wore a black archery robe and matching lantern trousers, the cuffs tightly bound into leather boots, exuding the aura of a wandering knight. Even though his face was covered in dust and his hair was disheveled, his bearing was extraordinary. He took two steps before clutching his chest, his face contorting in pain, as if he were wounded and lacked the strength to stand.

He held a string of five dumplings tied with a thin cord and cupped his hands toward Xia Yunhe. "If you have medicine for external wounds, I would be grateful if you could spare some."

Though the young man was polite, there was a murderous intent hidden in his eyes. Xia Yunhe did not dare to be negligent and returned to her room to retrieve the medicine, handing it to him. As she passed the packet, she caught the scent of blood emanating from him, confirming her suspicions.

The young man sniffed the packet to ensure it was indeed medicine, then tucked it into his robes and bowed in thanks. "I have troubled you for too long; pray, forgive me." With that, holding the five dumplings, he pushed off the ground with three steps, vaulted onto the wall, and vanished amidst the grey tiles and blue bricks of Wulü Lane with a few more leaps.

There were many vacant houses nearby, which provided the perfect cover for him to hide.

Xia Yunhe went to the kitchen and untied Zhenniang and Sanniang. The three of them helped each other back into the house, and it took a long time for their hearts to settle.

Zhenniang said, "Master, when I said there were rats earlier, I fear it was this man. I told you, the steamed buns we made one day would be half gone the next. Now that I think of it, it must have been him taking them."

Sanniang clutched her chest and asked, "Master, who is he?"

Xia Yunhe’s eyes flickered, and she pondered for a moment. "I do not know."

A wounded mysterious youth, a thief with no stolen goods... Xia Yunhe lowered her eyes, recalling Xu Xing mentioning that Chen Haizhou had been stabbed. The three events were too coincidental; when linked together, they were no coincidence at all. This young man was the assassin who had stabbed Chen Haizhou, and the very person the Constabulary was hunting under the pretext of catching thieves.

She stood up to pour them water and smiled, masking her thoughts. "If that man comes back for food, just let him take it. He is nothing more than a rice-dumpling thief who followed the scent."

On the Dragon Boat Festival of the forty-third year of Yuanhua, the Xia residence encountered a theft, losing one packet of wound medicine and five sweet date dumplings.