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Chapter 32: The Hidden Courtyard and the Flickering Flame
Tan Ting did not question further, merely asking if Chun Sun had noticed anything unusual at the farm. Chun Sun maintained that her visit was brief and she had seen nothing out of the ordinary.
After dismissing her, Tan Ting remarked to Xiang Yi, "This Master Sheng is no common man. It is a blessing he did not harm anyone in the Tan family. Since we were unaware of his status as a fugitive, we hold no suspicion of harboring him. We need only cooperate with Chen Fuyou to apprehend him."
It was a rare long sentence from him. Xiang Yi felt a surge of relief that he didn't suspect her, but his final words made her pause. He was going to help the Jinyiwei capture her brother. Did he truly understand what kind of man his "ally" was?
"A mere pirate from the seas," she began, testing the waters. "Why does he warrant such attention from the Jinyiwei?"
Tan Ting noted her keen intuition. He lowered his voice, hinting at the truth. "He has another identity—one involving the Eastern Palace (the Crown Prince)."
Xiang Yi pursed her lips. So, the Master of the Tan family knew her brother was the Crown Prince's man. He knew the Prince’s character and the danger her brother faced, yet he chose the "mutual protection" of the great clans over justice.
She fell silent, gave a shallow bow, and turned to leave. If the great clans were uniting against her brother, then only a "commoner" like her could help him escape their clutches.
The search for the "Daoist" intensified. Chen Fuyou locked down every road in Qinglong County, searching village by village.
However, Gu Yansheng was not in the countryside. Xiang Yi had secretly settled him in the county seat, not far from the Tan clan’s cluster in Guan District. She had rented a courtyard under a false name months ago. During the chaos of the search, she moved her brother and his attendant, Qiu Ying, into the space, disguised as a pair of laboring uncles and nephews who had been staying there previously.
But the sudden escape had reopened Gu Yansheng's wounds. On the afternoon of the following day, under the guise of visiting the Jixiang Seal Shop, Xiang Yi brought Qiao Xing to the secret hideout.
Inside the cold, sparsely heated room, she found Gu Yansheng pale and sweating. Despite his usual elegant smile, he was clearly in pain.
"Did Brother's wound open again?" she asked urgently.
Gu Yansheng chuckled weakly. "I suppose so. Qiu Ying is a master of mimicry but his fingers are clumsy. He nearly finished me off trying to apply the medicine."
Xiang Yi immediately produced several jars of ointment. Since Tan Ting's injuries had healed, she had taken two-thirds from each jar in their room, knowing no one would notice.
"The wound is on my shoulder," Gu Yansheng said softly as she prepared to help.
Xiang Yi realized his hesitation. She was a married woman, and he was not her blood brother. He was hesitating for the sake of her reputation.
"In our current situation," she said firmly, "rules and etiquette are of little importance."
He looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Very well."
As she carefully applied the medicine, the room was filled with a herbal scent. Gu Yansheng watched her. She had changed; her hair was now pinned in the style of a married woman, no longer flowing freely. He thought of the rumors, how Tan Ting had ignored her for three years. He wondered if Tan Ting’s recent change of heart was real, and more importantly, he wondered what Xiang Yi felt for her husband.
She was so close, her deft hands moving with utmost care. A stray lock of hair fell across her face, and Gu Yansheng instinctively reached out to brush it away.
Xiang Yi looked up just as his fingers reached her ear. The proximity was startling.
Gu Yansheng froze, then laughed softly. "There was a flying insect just now. It’s gone."
Back at the Tan estate, a young couple arrived to thank Xiang Yi for saving their child’s life. Tan Ting, who happened to be there, felt a sense of pride in his wife. However, he learned she was out "visiting the seal shop."
When Xiang Yi returned, Tan Ting noticed a cold chill about her. He didn't ask where she had been, but he noted one thing: "Did you go to a pharmacy?"
There was a faint scent of medicine on her.
Xiang Yi’s heart skipped a beat. "I went to inquire about medicine for Ning-ning," she lied, quickly turning her attention to the visiting child.
As she played with the healthy, energetic boy, Tan Ting watched her with a softened gaze. The child’s mother smiled. "The Madam loves children so much. Surely the Master and Madam will have one of their own soon."
Tan Ting’s eyes crinkled with warmth. He began to imagine what it would be like if Xiang Yi were pregnant. He even went to his study to practice writing auspicious names for a future child on red gold-flecked paper. Is only meeting on the fifth day too infrequent? he wondered.
A few days later, a heavy snow fell, followed by a bitter cold. The "emergency coal" Tan Ting had wisely stockpiled became a lifesaver for the clan. Xiang Yi set up porridge stalls to feed the hungry.
Chen Fuyou’s search continued to yield nothing. He suspected the fugitive was being sheltered locally.
One day, while inspecting the grain stores, Tan Ting encountered children playing with firecrackers. To protect a child from a flying bamboo shard, he suffered a minor cut on his hand.
He went to the main room to find the ointment Xiang Yi used. He noticed the jars were significantly emptier than before. Did I remember incorrectly? Were they always this low?
He then learned Xiang Yi had been at the Jixiang Seal Shop for an unusually long time. A dark thought struck him: What if the "Daoist" had kidnapped her to use as a hostage to escape the city?
Panicked, he took his guards to the shop, but she was nowhere to be found. He waited in a nearby teahouse, his face darkening with every passing minute. Finally, the last two guards returned.
"Is there news of the Madam?"
"We aren't sure, Master," one reported. "But someone saw two women resembling the Madam and Qiao Xing entering a remote alley."
Tan Ting’s brow shot up. A remote alley? Does she have a private residence I don't know about?
He followed the guards in silence. They reached a small, inconspicuous courtyard at the end of the alley. The guard whispered, "Master... Qiao Xing is standing guard right at that door!"
Not tied up. Not waiting inside. Guarding the door.
In the absolute silence of the alley, Tan Ting stood frozen, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind.
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"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." Today, we join together in remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross and the profound sacrifice that changed the world forever. Have a blessed and reflective Good Friday.
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