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CHAPTER 28: Old Scores and Rising Storms
"Big Brother!"
Xiang Yi hurried forward, looking up at the man before her. He was taller and more imposing than he had been years ago, and beneath the bridge of his high nose, his peach-blossom eyes brimmed with a deep, warm smile.
Gu Yansheng looked down at her in return.
After years of separation, her beauty had only become more striking. However, her temperament was no longer like the quiet magnolia in a sheltered courtyard; she now possessed the steady, dignified air of a white plum blossom standing resiliently in the snow.
Gu Yansheng stared at her for a long moment and couldn't help but sigh softly. "Yizhen, you are even more exceptional than before."
Xiang Yi quickly shook her head, lowering her eyes slightly. "I cannot compare to even a thousandth of Big Brother’s brilliance."
Gu Yansheng let out a low laugh, his eyes softening. "Between the two of us, what is the need for such polite formalities?"
Xiang Yi offered a small smile in return. She then recalled that Gu Yansheng's arrival was shrouded in secrecy, even using the alias "Sheng Gu." Her gaze shifted to his pale lips and somewhat weary spirit.
"The word was that you were injured while slaying a tiger. Are you truly hurt? Is it serious?"
Gu Yansheng coughed lightly, pressing a hand to his chest. "I am indeed injured, but not from any tiger. That was merely a pretense..."
He explained that there were no tigers on the mountain; the roars heard over the past two days were actually clever vocal imitations by his servant, Qiu Ying. "It was simply a way to gain entry into the Tan estate without drawing attention to the fact that I arrived heavily wounded."
Xiang Yi immediately caught the gravity of his last words. "Heavily wounded?"
Her eyes widened. Seeing her alarm, Gu Yansheng quickly waved a hand to reassure her. "Fear not, it is not life-threatening. I am already recovering; I simply wished to borrow your place to hide for a few days."
Despite his reassurance, Xiang Yi couldn't help but think of the calligraphy shop, their secret contact point, which had been shuttered and sealed by the authorities. Just as she was about to ask, he spoke first.
"I heard the Eldest Master of the Tan family has returned from the capital. I wonder if it is convenient for you?"
Xiang Yi’s heart tightened slightly. Since that man’s return, things were indeed less convenient than before. Furthermore, since the investigation into the accounts, he seemed to harbor a sense of guilt toward her, leading to them spending more time together lately...
She replied that it was no great hindrance. "The Master does not interfere with the household management. Big Brother, please rest assured and stay at the farm for now. We can arrange another hiding place later. A-Yu and Ning-ning also live nearby; they can help provide cover."
Gu Yansheng nodded, knowing she was always meticulous in her arrangements. However, he couldn't help but notice how she referred to Tan Ting.
The Eldest Master of the Tan family...
He glanced at her again as she asked the burning question: "Who was it that wounded you so gravely?"
Gu Yansheng gave a faint, cold smile. He didn't answer immediately but took a deep, slow breath before revealing his current situation.
"I am currently... by the side of the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace."
The mysterious "Taoist" in the Eastern Palace, whom the court officials had grown to fear and suspect, was none other than Gu Yansheng. No one knew his true identity except the Crown Prince, who clearly trusted him more than many of his ministers. After Gu Yansheng suggested that there were anomalies in the Jiangxi Wuming Imperial Examination fraud case, the Prince had ordered a reinvestigation.
Initially, a standard inquiry yielded nothing. It was only after Gu Yansheng repeatedly staked his reputation on the existence of a deeper conspiracy that the Prince was finally moved to act decisively. This time, the Prince dispatched officials from the Eastern Palace, and Gu Yansheng, fearing another fruitless effort, requested to go along.
Shortly after arriving in Jiangxi, they uncovered the rot. However, as soon as the truth began to surface, certain powerful figures found their positions precarious. To prevent the evidence from being destroyed, Gu Yansheng feigned possession of the crucial documents and led the enemies on a thousand-mile chase to lure them away.
Naturally, he faced countless assassination attempts along the way. Fortunately, he had escaped them all, but by the time he reached Qinglong, his battered body could no longer endure the journey. He decided to wait here for the Eastern Palace’s reinforcements to collect him.
He spoke of these life-and-death struggles as if they were mundane occurrences, but Xiang Yi’s palms were slick with cold sweat. When her brother had left the Xiang family years ago, he had nothing to his name, even leaving his only valuable jade pendant to the siblings. To think that in these intervening years, he had risen to become a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince. Despite lacking a formal degree from the examinations, he was already influencing the highest levels of state affairs.
Xiang Yi found it almost unbelievable. Under her gaze, Gu Yansheng’s expression grew increasingly tender.
She thought carefully about his words. Jiangxi Wuming? She didn't recall any major aristocratic clans residing there. Seeing her contemplation, Gu Yansheng read her thoughts.
"Wuming doesn't house the main branches of the great clans, but it is teeming with their collateral branches. Just among those with notable names, there are the Lees of Huaining, the Lees of Huaichuan, the Huangs of Denghe, and a branch of the Chens of Fengling."
He gave a short, chilling laugh. "Can you guess who is behind it?"
Xiang Yi’s expression turned solemn. It wasn't just one family. Given how the great clans were intricately intertwined, many would have played a hand in the shadows. She was reminded of her father’s case years ago: how, almost overnight, a mountain of incriminating evidence had appeared out of nowhere to crush him.
As she lowered her eyes, Gu Yansheng understood her thoughts. His voice dropped to a low, resolute tone.
"Yizhen, do not worry. The cases of my adoptive father and my uncle... I will eventually bring them back to light. For now, however, we need this old examination fraud case to muddy the waters and fully bring the Crown Prince to our side."
He described the Prince as a benevolent ruler, unlike the current Emperor who turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. "As long as the Crown Prince stands with us, the prestigious clans can no longer block out the sun with a single hand. Those of us from commoner backgrounds will finally have our day."
Outside, the cold wind rattled the window frames. Gu Yansheng’s gaze turned sharp and fierce.
"When that time comes... I will make them pay for their blood debts in kind!"
The room fell into a sudden, ringing silence. Xiang Yi felt her spine stiffen as tears began to shimmer in her eyes. The image of her father before his departure flickered in her mind.
She remembered him being dragged from prison, covered in wounds, with a heavy wooden collar locked around his neck. He was branded a corrupt official and sentenced to exile. Those in power had wanted him dead and the Xiang family sold into slavery, but many who still believed in him had petitioned the throne. In the end, the decree only exiled her father, leaving the rest of the family untainted by his "crimes."
Before he left, her father had looked at them with profound sadness. He called her to his side, wanting to pat her shoulder as he usually did, but the heavy collar prevented him from moving. He could only look at her with agonizing tenderness.
"Yizhen, my child... Father can no longer protect you. You must remember to protect yourself and your siblings. Father has done nothing to stain his honor. One day, the stain on the Xiang name will be washed away!"
After those words, he was shoved into the prisoner's cart. Xiang Yi, A-Yu, and Ning-ning had tried to follow the cart, but they were forcibly held back. They could only watch him vanish into the distance. A few days later, news arrived that their father had died suddenly on the road...
The icy wind seemed to seep into the very marrow of her bones. Xiang Yi remained silent, but tears began to splash down. For countless days and nights, she had wondered when the day her father spoke of would come, the day they would no longer be looked down upon or whispered about. She hadn't known... until today.
A handkerchief was offered to her.
Xiang Yi snapped back to the present. She shook her head, drawing her own handkerchief to wipe her eyes. The atmosphere in the room grew slightly strained. Gu Yansheng’s hand, still holding the rejected handkerchief, paused for a moment. He looked at her face for several beats before withdrawing it.
When he left, she was an unmarried girl. Now, she was the wife of the Tan clan's scion. He truly hadn't expected his departure to last so long, nor had he expected that Tan Ting would actually honor the old betrothal contract.
Gu Yansheng fell into silence. While in the capital, he had made inquiries about Tan Ting. The man had passed the imperial exams at a very young age: the youngest in the current dynasty. He was steady, insightful, and possessed the bearing of the Tan ancestors who had once served as Grand Secretaries during the clan's peak. Many believed the revival of the Qinglong Tan family would happen under Tan Ting’s leadership.
But the rise of the Tan family was the rise of the aristocracy. What Gu Yansheng and his allies sought was the rise of the commoners (Shuzu). Two tigers cannot share one mountain. When the storm between the two classes finally broke, Gu Yansheng didn't care what happened to Tan Ting, but he wondered what would become of Xiang Yi, caught between the two warring sides.
Gu Yansheng looked at her again, his mind drifting back to the first time he saw her. She had been a little girl in a simple ivory dress, standing quietly beneath a blooming magnolia tree. She had looked cleaner and purer than the white blossoms themselves...
If, in the future, she could leave the Tan family, then...
Gu Yansheng’s gaze locked onto hers. "Yizhen... how does the Tan Master treat you?"
Xiang Yi was still lost in thoughts of her family’s vindication. Taken aback by the sudden question, she hesitated. Just as she was about to answer, Qiu Ying’s voice came from outside, announcing that Tan Rong had arrived.
Since Tan Rong knew nothing of Gu Yansheng’s true identity, they both instinctively fell silent.
In the courtyard, Tan Rong saw her sister-in-law and "Master Sheng" step out of the hall. She blinked curiously. Did Sister-in-law actually have a serious conversation with Master Sheng?
Xiang Yi walked over. "I have inquired about Master Sheng’s plans. Since his injuries are not light, we shall let him stay at the farm for a while longer to recover."
Tan Rong’s eyes lit up with excitement. She looked at Master Sheng, who offered her a polite nod. Her heart filled with joy, but just as she was about to suggest staying a few more days herself, Xiang Yi spoke again.
"The roads have been chaotic lately, and Mother misses you. You shall return to the estate with me today."
Tan Rong’s brow furrowed. If she insisted on staying, it would look too deliberate, and her mother would surely scold her. She stole a glance at Master Sheng and decided she would find another excuse to visit later. She reluctantly agreed to leave.
Xiang Yi didn't notice anything unusual. She gave Gu Yansheng a subtle nod and led Tan Rong away. Her mind was already occupied with when she could return. Her brother was gravely injured, and in this freezing winter, one could not be too careful. Furthermore, since he was being hunted, his presence had to be kept strictly secret. If the Tan family ever refused to harbor him, she would need to prepare another safe house to ensure he survived until the Eastern Palace’s men arrived.
This was the only thing she could do for him, and for those of commoner birth like them.
Qinglong County Magistrate’s Office.
Magistrate Zhou Ren was busy receiving the Eldest Master of the Tan family. He hadn't expected Tan Ting to visit in person, and certainly not to discuss the issue of land hoarding by the prestigious clans.
While the imperial court didn't officially encourage such behavior, the great families, the princely houses, and even the imperial family themselves hoarded land. Local magistrates usually turned a blind eye.
To his surprise, Master Tan stated that the commoners around Qinglong were struggling and that there should be no more predatory land acquisitions at suppressed prices. Magistrate Zhou couldn't quite grasp Tan Ting's angle; if he didn't know better, he’d think Tan Ting was an official from a commoner background. However, not understanding didn't mean he wouldn't comply. He immediately agreed to dust off old imperial decrees to ban low-price land transactions.
Tan Ting nodded in approval. Seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to leave, only to see a bailiff rushing in, looking frantic.
Magistrate Zhou barked at the man, "What is the meaning of this commotion?"
The bailiff bowed hurriedly. "Forgive me, Excellency! But an urgent arrest warrant has arrived from the Prefectural Office. It must be copied and posted everywhere immediately!"
The bailiff produced the warrant. Tan Ting’s eyes fell upon it, focusing on the portrait of the man listed for arrest.
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