In the ninth month, the noble families of Yanjing City were bustling with preparations for the Double Ninth Festival.
The current emperor was fond of luxury and indulgence. Since his ascension to the throne, he had taken civil and military officials and nobles to climb mountains and gaze into the distance every Double Ninth Festival. In the early years, he even spoke of building a high platform on the mountain, but the plan was abandoned when the northwestern war broke out. Compared to the later warmongering monarch, who loved leading expeditions personally and was obsessed with chasing foreign tribes three thousand miles away, the officials now recalled the playful ruler who merely wanted to expend manpower and resources to build a mountain platform as if reminiscing about a sincere affection they failed to cherish in their youth. In the stillness of midnight, they tossed and turned, nearly sick with longing.
Yet, even if they now built countless platforms around the vast Yanjing City, they could no longer contain the Zhaode Emperor, who had tasted the blood of his enemies in the northwestern sands.
The scenery remains, but people change; all things come to an end, and tears flow before words can be spoken.
Perhaps driven by the hopeful vision of the emperor’s change of heart, the ways of celebrating the Double Ninth Festival in Yanjing City had grown increasingly elaborate in recent years. Nobles and high officials wore python robes with chrysanthemum-patterned Mandarin Squares, while titled women adorned their hair with various chrysanthemum hairpins. Not only were chrysanthemums of dazzling beauty displayed throughout the imperial palace, arranged into a magnificent “Chrysanthemum Mountain,” but the mansions of the nobility were also filled with prized chrysanthemum varieties. Invitations to chrysanthemum-viewing banquets piled up at every door, and at these feasts, chrysanthemum wine, chrysanthemum drinks, chrysanthemum cakes, chrysanthemum porridge, and fried yellow chrysanthemums were served. Even the most restrained scholars would attend these banquets during the festival and compose a few lines of poetry about the Double Ninth Festival and autumn chrysanthemums.
The liveliness elsewhere only accentuated the desolation of the Ning’an Lord Manor.
A young maid in plain blue cloth shoes hurried along the stone path beside the pond. The lotus flowers in the pond had withered, leaving behind mostly dried lotus leaves, which appeared even more desolate under the faint mist of autumn.
Since the master was arrested, the number of people in the manor had dwindled significantly. Among the servants, rumors swirled, suggesting that some evil presence haunted the estate.
Once such talk started, it seemed endless. In a mansion with decades of history, where had a few people not died?
The young maid thought of Hong Fu, who had drowned in this pond the year before last, and quickened her pace.
After circling the pond and arriving at a secluded courtyard, the maid breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said to the woman guarding the gate, “The chief steward from Princess Leqing’s residence has come again, asking when he can see the Second Young Madam. The heir is entertaining him now and sent me to seek Madam’s advice.”
The gatekeeper nodded, had her wait outside, entered the courtyard, and relayed the message to a second-rank maid wearing a green silk vest with bronze buttons. She then waited for the maid to return with a response.
After waiting outside for a full quarter of an hour, the courtyard gate suddenly opened. Madam Sun, wife of the Marquis of Ning’an, emerged slowly, dressed in a silver-brown Wide Sleeve Shirt and a cloud collar embroidered with the eight treasures. Her hair was styled in a two-inch-high chignon, and as she moved, the tortoiseshell pattern on her skirt hem faintly revealed itself.
Passing by the pond, Madam Sun glanced at it and said in a soft, measured tone, “These days, the household has been unsettled, and even the servants have grown lax. Who is in charge of this pond? Bring them to me for a thorough questioning.”
The maidservant following behind her wore an oil-green linghua-patterned jacket, with a golden hairpin in her bun and lantern-shaped earrings dangling from her ears. She looked even more affluent than an ordinary wealthy lady. Hearing Sun Shi’s words, she smiled and said:
“Now I must beg for mercy on someone’s behalf. The pond-watcher, Granny Cai, recently took leave because her daughter gave birth to a grandson. She should be returning in a day or two. Since you’ve always been benevolent, Madam, please forgive her this time!”
Sun Shi nodded, but her heart stirred.
The story about Granny Cai’s daughter having a child was all false. Half a month ago, she had sent her trusted subordinate with several maidservants to a Zhuangzi over twenty li outside Yanjing City, ordering them to force Shen Shi to voluntarily request a divorce. They had been gone for so long without any news.
Could something have gone wrong?
When the Chief Steward from Princess Leqing’s residence specially came to invite Shen Shi yesterday morning, Sun Shi had already felt uneasy.
She had left instructions when sending her trusted subordinate: as long as Shen Shi produced the divorce petition, she wouldn’t investigate even if some forceful means were used.
Tossing and turning half the night, it was rare for her not to worry about her son’s title, but rather fear that those matrons might be too heavy-handed and force Shen Shi to her death.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t matter – they could report Shen Shi as having died from sudden illness and spend some money to cover it up. But now was different. The Lord of the Manor was imprisoned without visitation rights, while Jinyiwei and Eastern Depot personnel frequently came and went from the residence. According to the steward, there were even people specifically watching the manor’s gates from outside. In such circumstances, they trembled with fear even when nothing happened, worried someone might find cause for accusation. If Shen Shi really died outside the manor… An autumn wind rose, making Sun Shi shiver and quicken her pace.
Putting other troubles aside, although Princess Leqing only cared about appreciating bronze and stone rubbings and never involved herself in mundane affairs, she was someone the Xie Family absolutely couldn’t afford to offend now.
With the madam walking swiftly ahead, the maidservants following behind almost had to jog. Glancing at the withered lotuses standing quietly in the pond, they became more convinced that the manor was haunted by evil spirits.
In the drawing room of Ning’an Lord Manor, Chief Steward Wen Xiaozhun from Princess Leqing’s residence leisurely set down his teacup:
“Lord Xie, the Princess has been so preoccupied with her newly acquired bronze and stone rubbings that she’s neglected both food and drink. Hearing that Lady Shen is profoundly learned in this field, she specially sent me to extend repeated invitations. Yesterday you said she had caught a chill. Worried your household might be troubled, the Princess specifically ordered me and Female Official Ye to bring a court physician today. Yet now you say she requires no treatment. May I then take Lady Shen back to the Princess’s residence immediately?”
Xie Lin-An, heir to Ning’an Lord, was thirty-two this year. Shortly after he turned twenty, his father Xie Wen Yuan was stripped of substantial positions. When Xie Lin-An entered officialdom, he only received a seventh-rank sinecure. Over ten years since, he had only risen to Assistant Commander of the Imperial Guard. Though nominally a fourth-rank official, the current Imperial Guard only handled palace assistance and Yanjing defense, with various commander and deputy positions having long become sinecures for idle nobles and imperial relatives.
To put it plainly, Xie Lin-An’s immediate superior was the Empress Dowager’s younger brother. In several years, Xie Lin-An had only seen him seven times – five of those meetings were at the Zhaoxiang Pavilion.
His official career remained stagnant partly because Ning’an Lord Manor had fallen from imperial favor and declining in influence, and partly… Xie Lin-An believed it was because of his own father, Xie Wen Yuan.
Xie Wen Yuan was forty-nine this year, with more grandchildren than he could count on both hands, yet he still dreamed of achieving great ambitions. All the family’s wealth and connections were spent on himself. Xie Lin-An at least had a title to rely on in the future, but his second brother Xie Feng’an was already twenty-six without an official position. Every year, he traveled south claiming to study at the academy, leaving with half a cart of books but returning with three carts of “red sleeves”—his father never bothered to rein him in.
Before his father was imprisoned, he even tried to leverage the Feng family by arranging a marriage between his second brother and Cousin Feng. The thought made Xie Lin-An laugh bitterly—his father was so desperate to trade everything, even his own sons, for personal advancement. He never considered that Xie Feng’an’s womanizing nature could only be tolerated by someone like Shen Shi. If Cousin Feng had to watch him bring home one woman after another, their alliance would turn to enmity within two years.
After mentally cursing his father and mocking his brother, Xie Lin-An put on a humble smile:
“Chief Secretary Wen, please remain calm. I’ve already sent someone to the inner quarters to inquire. To be frank, I only learned yesterday that my sister-in-law had fallen ill. I sent people to check on her last night, and the servants reported that she collapsed from exhaustion. It was my oversight—with my father recently reprimanded by His Majesty and my second brother away on his studies, household affairs have piled up. All responsibilities of the second branch fell entirely on my sister-in-law. I should have had my wife assist her sooner.”
Wen Xiao Zhun responded with only a faint smile.
Xie Lin-An grew uneasy, hoping the steward would quickly bring Shen Shi back.
In the rear hall’s small parlor, Madam Sun, wife of the Marquis of Ning’an, also met with the Female Official and physician from the princess’s estate, resorting to similar delays and excuses.
After they left, Xie Lin-An urgently ordered a horseman to check the Zhuangzi outside the city and hurry things along:
“You can slowly move Second Young Madam’s clothes and belongings later—just ensure she’s brought back first. Take plenty of people.”
The steward, thinking he understood, promptly said, “Rest assured, Young Master, I will definitely bring Second Young Madam back.”
“I didn’t tell you to bring people to force my sister-in-law back!” Xie Lin-An laughed in frustration. “I heard my mother sent some vile matrons to the Zhuangzi—they’ve likely been mistreating my sister-in-law all this time. Take more people to help her vent her anger! Those matrons, stewards, and maids who neglected her—whether she wants them beaten or killed, it’s entirely up to her. Your only task is to ensure she returns to the Marquis’s estate happily. Understood?”
Just as Madam Sun lifted the curtain to enter the Warm Pavilion, she overheard her son’s murderous tone and tightened her grip on her green jade prayer beads.
“Lin’er, even if the princess wishes to see Shen Shi, why go to such extremes?”
After seven years together, Madam Sun believed she knew Shen Shi’s nature—gentle, soft-hearted, almost like a clay figure without a will of her own. Why would she need to be coaxed into returning?
Dismissing the servants with a dark expression, Xie Lin-An turned to his mother:
“Mother, times have changed. All the petitions pleading for Father’s pardon have been suppressed by His Majesty. If Shen Shi can win the princess’s favor and persuade her to speak on our behalf, that alone would be worth more than ten thousand pleas from others.”
Princess Leqing was the biological younger sister of the late emperor and the biological aunt of the current emperor. Though she had lived in widowhood for many years and remained aloof from worldly affairs, two generations of emperors had treated her with exceptional favor. The day after the current emperor ascended the throne, he conferred upon her the title of Grand Princess, allocated thousands of hectares of fertile land in Shuntian Prefecture as her estate, and over the years, lavish rewards had flowed incessantly into her residence like a running stream. To claim Princess Leqing was the wealthiest woman in the realm would be absolutely accurate.
Xie Lin-An glanced at his mother and softened his tone: “Mother, send someone to fetch Second Brother from Jinyang. Let him properly appease Shen Shi. As for Cousin Feng…”
“Do you think your uncle Feng Youqi is someone to be trifled with?”
Twirling prayer beads in her hand, Sun Shi frowned deeply, her usually gentle face unusually vexed.
She understood what her son was thinking, but Shen Shi likely now harbored bitter hatred for the entire Xie family… Ah, if only Shen Shi had gained the princess’s favor earlier, she wouldn’t have resorted to such harsh measures.
A spark crackled in the charcoal brazier. On the wall of the Warm Pavilion hung a painting titled “Autumn Scenery of the Land,” its style elegant and ethereal, starkly contrasting with the pavilion’s opulent gold and jade adornments.
Mother and son sat facing each other, both ultimately sighing in resignation.
“When exactly did that Shen Shi come to the princess’s attention?”
Suddenly, a faint commotion arose outside the Warm Pavilion, followed by a servant from the inner gate rushing in breathlessly:
“Madam, Young Master! Second Young Master has sent a letter, delivered by a merchant from the north!”
Xie Lin-An hastily took the letter, opened it, and after merely a glance, looked at his mother with concern.
“Lin-An? What is it? Has Feng’er reached Jinyang? Or has he already persuaded your cousin to return?”
“Mother, Feng-An was intercepted by bandits on the road. They’re demanding five thousand taels of silver for his ransom.”
“This is—the Buddha is driving me into hell!” Wailing loudly, Sun Shi gasped halfway and collapsed backward.
The Warm Pavilion instantly descended into chaos. Maidservants scrambled to support her head and legs, attempting to carry her to the couch. Deeming them incompetent, Xie Lin-An scooped his mother into his arms and urgently called for a physician.
Before the physician arrived, another messenger arrived at the Xie residence with a letter.
This time, it was not a merchant but a burly man dressed as an armed escort, leading a fine horse.
Holding the second letter from his younger brother, Xie Lin-An’s hands trembled. He carefully opened it, read it once, then again. Clutching the letter, he rushed straight to his mother’s sickbed:
“Mother! Second Brother is safe! Second Brother has been rescued! It turns out, just two days after he wrote that first letter, he was saved by men from the Wanquan Regional Military Commission! He’s unharmed and is currently a guest at Lord Zhang’s residence! Fearing our worry, he specially arranged for someone to deliver this letter by fast horse!”
Hearing her eldest son’s joyful shouts in her dazed state, Sun Shi slowly regained consciousness and listened as Xie Lin-An read the letter to her in full.
The stifling pressure in her chest finally released with a sigh.
“Prepare some valuables and money for Feng’er. Send a reliable person to deliver them quickly. How can one be a guest in another’s house without… without funds for security?”
Xie Lin-An promptly assented and immediately dispatched someone to withdraw money from the accounts.
“Two thousand one hundred taels. The Xie family treats Xie Feng-An quite well indeed.”
The Xie family acted swiftly, but Tu Nan acted even faster. The money sent by the Xie family before lunch arrived before nightfall, placed directly before Zhao Su Rui.
Zhao Su Rui sat cross-legged on the chair, gleefully beginning to divide the spoils.
Placing ten hundred-tael silver notes back on the desk, he lifted his chin: “Pei Feng, take this money to acquire some swords and blades. Make sure they bear no markings. My men training all day with wooden sticks is hardly fitting.”
“Yes.” Pei Feng received the silver notes with both hands.
“This hundred taels in loose silver, A Chi, you keep it for our daily expenses like food and drink.”
A Chi picked up the bundle containing the silver, opening her mouth but unsure what to say.
Seeing her timid expression, Zhao Su Rui shook his head: “What? Don’t believe I could get the money?”
“No…” A Chi quickly shook her head.
She just felt her young mistress seemed more suited to being a highway robber than a noble young lady from a prestigious family. Of course, this shocking thought she kept tightly hidden in her heart, not daring to utter a single word of it.
Zhao Su Rui snorted impatiently and continued dividing the spoils:
“Finally, this thousand taels, Tu Nan, keep it safe for your young mistress. This is compensation money from the Xie Family.”
Tu Nan was momentarily stunned, then silently put the money away.
“This is just the beginning. There’s a bigger score coming later. From now on, following me means you’ll eat meat and spend money!” The illustrious Zhaode Emperor revealed a practiced smile that suggested remarkable proficiency in deception and swindling.