Chapter 4

I understood what she meant.

Madam Du dared not force her way into private homes, but the guards from Ruyi House were still watching Jixiang Alley.

By the next morning, portraits of me covered Baiyujing.

Madam Du had had the notices put up. A thousand taels of silver for anyone who caught me, dead or alive.

There was no way out of this alive.

Seeing Hongmian hesitate to speak, how could I fail to understand her predicament?

Orphaned young, she had been raised by Yulan.

For her sake, Yulan had never married.

I was serious trouble. It would be one thing if only Hongmian were implicated, but if she dragged her aunt into it, she might feel guilty for the rest of her life.

While we looked miserable, Yulan laughed.

She patted Hongmian’s shoulder. “What? Now that your blood’s cooled, you’ve finally realized what you’ve done?

“Hongmian, you take after me. Your heart runs too warm. I don’t blame you. But you must understand this: don’t take on a job unless you have the tools to see it through.

“I’ll teach you this once. Watch carefully.”

She mixed face powder, rouge, and charcoal ash with lard and smeared it all over my face.

“Done.”

I looked in the mirror. My face was so pitted and lumpy, like a toad’s, that my features were almost unrecognizable.

When we opened the door, the courtyard was full of embroiderers dressed exactly alike.

Yulan handed me an identity document. Her lover at the magistrate’s office had taken it from a dead person.

I turned and bowed deeply to her. “Aunt, I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life.”

Yulan waved a hand. “If you get through, count yourself lucky. If you don’t, I’ve done my best. Don’t come haunting Hongmian and me.”

The rising sun cast a reddish glow across my face. Peddlers began to call their wares, and Jixiang Alley stirred to life.

Yulan opened the courtyard gate. Dozens of identically dressed embroiderers filed out.

They started running the moment they were outside. Thinking I was among them, the guards gave chase.

Meanwhile, Yulan was leading me through a dog hole in the wall.

“Old viper,” she said smugly. “You couldn’t outwit me when we were young. What makes you think you can now we’re old?”

The neighbor had just got out of bed. Seeing her, he didn’t ask why she was there, only yawned and asked whether she had eaten.

Yulan ignored him. She opened his back door and told me, “Go, child!”

I drew a deep breath, put on my broad hat with its black veil, and stepped out.

I blended into the crowds. So far, so good.

But when I reached Zhuque Avenue, a furious shout rang out.

“Stop!”

My heart jolted. I was about to run when the guards from Ruyi House rushed past me, chasing an embroiderer.

She missed her footing and fell.

Without ceremony, a guard yanked off her white-veiled hat.

Of course, hers was not the face they wanted.

The embroiderer burst into tears, shouting that they were molesting an honest woman and that she would report them.

A crowd gathered around, pointing and commenting.

Humiliated, the guard snapped, “Why were you running?”

The embroiderer’s temper flared too. “Why were you chasing me? You chase me, and I’m not allowed to run?”

…

No one really had noticed me.

I gathered my veil closer and continued toward the gate.

As I stood in the line to leave the city, a soldier made his routine inspection and asked why I was going out.

I handed him the document. “I have a disease of the face. I’m going to Jiangnan for treatment.”

At that, he roughly snatched off my hat.

Beneath the black veil was a face too hideous to look at.

He recoiled. “You’ll make me bring up last night’s dinner. Get out!”

People in the queue turned to stare. I picked up my hat and hastily put it back on.

The moment I passed through the gate, my legs nearly gave way.

But I couldn’t afford to relax yet.

At the Five-Li Pavilion outside the city, I could turn off toward the mountain. Only there would I be safe.

I ran along the main road until my throat felt as if it were splitting. The upturned eaves of the pavilion grew clearer.

Someone inside was warming wine. Through the rising steam I saw broad sleeves embroidered with cranes, an image of lofty, immortal elegance.

“Miss Wushuang. It’s been a while.”

I stopped, staring in disbelief at the man before me.

Narrow eyes. A cold, thin face.

Yan Zixiu.

He raised his cup and inhaled deeply.

“While I was in prison, I thought day and night about how to get this cup of wine down your throat, Miss Wushuang.

“It seems my wish will be granted today.”