The visitors were Yu Sixian and his son, Yu Shaoyuan.
Now that Gu Tongfu was working at the Governor’s Office, he occasionally crossed paths with Yu Sixian. Since the two men had once been imprisoned together, they had become acquainted. Gu Tongfu had therefore sent him an invitation as well.
However, Yu Sixian was a high-ranking military commander with considerable authority. Gu Tongfu was not on the same level as him. He had sent the invitation merely as a courtesy and had never expected Yu Sixian to actually attend.
At once, Gu Tongfu sobered up. He hurried out to welcome his distinguished guest.
When the guests inside and outside the house heard that General Yu had personally come with his son, they were all astonished.
Had the Gu family really managed to establish a connection with someone powerful?
Song Wenxuan and Madam Cao were also attending the banquet that day.
Madam Cao was a shrewd woman. She could guess part of the reason behind Gu Tongfu’s decision to hold the banquet. She was very fond of Gu Yunrong and had originally thought that, after the trouble the Gu family had experienced, they would not be too particular when choosing a husband for their daughter.
But now, the Gu family seemed not only to have escaped the consequences of the incident but had also gained the favor of an influential person. Under these circumstances, Gu Tongfu and his wife might no longer consider her son a suitable match.
Madam Cao could not help sighing. She tugged at her son, who was still eating and drinking with his head lowered.
“All you do is eat! At this rate, you’ll never find yourself a wife!”
Song Wenxuan took a large gulp of wine.
“What else can I do? If I stop eating and drinking, does that mean I’ll suddenly be able to marry someone?”
As he spoke, he also began to feel discouraged.
Now even General Yu had become acquainted with the Gu family. It would be even harder for him to win Gu Yunrong’s hand.
Song Wenxuan usually became talkative after drinking. He would happily chat with anyone at the banquet. But that day, he was in no mood for conversation.
After eating until he was about seventy or eighty percent full, he greeted Gu Tongfu and left the Gu residence.
He did not feel like going home. He wanted to sit for a while at the small teahouse behind the Gu family’s lane and sober up. However, he did not want to run into anyone he knew, so he deliberately took the smaller streets.
He had barely walked out of the lane when he noticed several unfamiliar faces gathered together. Their movements were suspicious, and they seemed to be hiding something.
Song Wenxuan knew almost everyone living in the surrounding streets and alleys. Strangers rarely appeared in this neighborhood, so he initially thought he was seeing things because he had been drinking.
But even after rubbing his eyes several times, the figures were still there.
He was still staring at them in confusion when the group suddenly sprang into action. With a few quick movements, they disappeared from sight.
Given his position at the government office, he began wondering whether he should follow them and investigate.
Before he could decide, two tremendous explosions suddenly rang out.
The deafening blasts made his ears ring.
The thunderous explosions frightened the neighboring residents. People rushed out of their homes, asking one another what had happened.
Gu Yunrong was startled as well. She had even felt the ground shake beneath her feet.
She immediately sent Qiutang outside to investigate.
Qiutang hurried out and found the area crowded with people. She pushed through the crowd and looked around. But the scene before her left her speechless.
The section of the lane in front of the Gu residence had been completely destroyed by the explosion. Bricks, roof tiles, and dirt were piled up like a small mountain. Everything was covered in black scorch marks.
Yu Sixian stood nearby, his expression dark.
After saying goodbye to the Gu family earlier, he had already sensed that someone might be watching him from the shadows. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a faint, unusual noise.
Years of battlefield experience had immediately alerted him to danger. Without hesitation, he threw himself backward and rolled onto the ground.
The next moment, the explosion erupted.
Fortunately, his son had come out a little later than he had.
Yu Sixian ordered his men to search the surrounding area for suspicious individuals. He then approached the ruins and rummaged through the debris himself. Soon, he found several fragments of what appeared to be the casing of an explosive device.
His expression darkened further.
He turned back and gave Gu Tongfu a few instructions before leaving with Yu Shaoyuan.
He hurried straight to the Governor’s Office and handed the fragments to Huan Che.
Huan Che examined them carefully. Then he immediately stood up and headed out.
Yu Sixian was taken aback.
Where was His Highness going?
Nayun, who was following behind Huan Che, actually felt relieved.
His Highness had been distracted for the entire previous day and had hesitated for half the day today. Now he finally had a reason to visit the Gu family.
Because Yu Sixian had instructed them to stay, all the relatives invited to the Gu family’s banquet had remained there even after the feast ended.
The Gu family members had only just recovered from the shock when another group of soldiers arrived.
Madam Xu heard the commotion and came outside. When she saw the young man leading the group, she recognized him as the one who had invited her and Gu Yunrong into the teahouse to shelter from the rain that day.
She had a very favorable impression of him, so she immediately stepped forward to greet him.
They had barely exchanged greetings when Gu Tongfu came out of the house. The moment he saw the young man, he froze.
He quickly recovered and hurried forward to pay his respects.
“Your… Your Highness…”
He had barely uttered the first word when the young man gave him a subtle look.
The rest of his words immediately caught in his throat.
Madam Xu noticed his reaction and quietly asked what was wrong.
Gu Tongfu’s lips moved, but he did not dare answer carelessly. Instead, he cautiously looked toward Huan Che, waiting for his approval.
Huan Che said calmly, “My surname is Wang.”
Madam Xu was momentarily surprised, but then she understood. She smiled and said, “Young Master Wang, please come inside and sit down.”
Huan Che hesitated before slightly shaking his head.
“There’s no need. I’ll wait outside. Madam, if it is convenient, could you provide me with the guest list from today’s banquet? Also, please tell my men who left before the incident occurred.”
Madam Xu nodded and agreed.
She was about to go inside when she noticed Gu Tongfu still standing there in a daze. Thinking he might simply be drunk, she immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.
Madam Xu had noticed that her husband seemed to know Huan Che. Once they were inside, she quietly asked Gu Tongfu who the young man really was.
Gu Tongfu hesitated for quite some time. He did not know how to explain it.
Huan Che clearly did not want his identity revealed, and Gu Tongfu could not disobey His Highness’s wishes.
In the end, he made up an excuse.
“He’s the son of an official I became acquainted with while working at the Governor’s Office. Don’t ask too many questions, and don’t go out of your way to approach him.”
Madam Xu shook her head and sighed.
“I thought he was a member of the Shen family. So his surname is Wang.”
Huan Che ordered his men to seal off the entire lane in front of the Gu residence.
He was almost certain that the assassins who had attacked Yu Sixian were connected to the Japanese pirates. It was highly likely that they had entered the city when Ni Hongtu opened the gates to admit the refugees.
Huan Che had already punished Ni Hongtu for opening the city gates without authorization. Now, however, the consequences of that decision had begun to surface.
This was Yu Sixian’s first battle after being released from prison. The Japanese pirates had probably never expected him to return to the battlefield. When they encountered him during the fighting, they had clearly been caught off guard.
Yu Sixian had barely been released when he led his troops to inflict a heavy defeat on the Japanese pirates. They probably believed that he had to be eliminated at all costs. Thus, they had taken advantage of Ni Hongtu’s decision to open the city gates and sent assassins inside to kill him.
Huan Che had another suspicion.
The Japanese pirate leader might also have played a role in Yu Sixian’s case. From the very beginning, Qian Yongchang might not have been the only person who wanted Yu Sixian dead.
Nearby, Wuwu looked worried. He lowered his voice and urged Huan Che to leave.
“Your Highness, we shouldn’t stay here for long. What if those people are also targeting you?”
Huan Che continued directing Nayun and the others as they searched through the ruins.
“It’s fine. I don’t believe I am their target.”
Wuwu did not understand, but His Highness was busy, so he did not dare ask.
After the time it takes to burn one incense stick, Huan Che had carefully examined every fragment of the explosive device recovered from the debris.
His expression grew colder.
Not long afterward, Nayun came to report that a man named Song Wenxuan had left the banquet early.
Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Song Wenxuan was summoned to a small private room inside the Gu residence.
When the Gu family’s relatives heard that a young gentleman from an official family, surnamed Wang, had arrived, they all wanted to come and see him.
Unfortunately, several military guards were stationed outside. None of them dared approach.
When the people inside finally came out, everyone saw an exceptionally handsome young man with a striking presence. Song Wenxuan was walking beside him, chatting away without pause.
Noticing the relatives standing beneath the corridor roof and staring in their direction, Song Wenxuan understood what they were thinking.
He waved at them.
“If you want to come over, then come!”
Song Wenxuan noticed that Young Master Wang was looking toward the Gu family’s relatives. Smiling, he asked, “Young Master Wang, have you decided whether you’ll go watch the tide? I heard the Japanese pirates have retreated to an area north of Zhapu over the past few days. They probably won’t return anytime soon. When the time comes, several of the Gu family’s cousins and I will be going. We can show you around…”
Huan Che suddenly interrupted him.
“Several of the Gu family’s cousins?”
Song Wenxuan nodded.
“That’s right.”
He raised his chin and pointed toward a group of young men gathered nearby in small clusters.
“Those are the ones. Not everyone has arrived yet. Master Gu invited quite a lot of guests today, and I imagine some of the other cousins are still inside playing cards.”
Song Wenxuan considered himself someone who rarely failed when it came to socializing. Yet today, he had repeatedly hit a wall.
Earlier, Young Master Wang had questioned him thoroughly about where he had gone and what he had seen after leaving the Gu residence. Song Wenxuan had thought the young man was simply curious about the incident.
Still, since he was the son of an official, Song Wenxuan felt obliged to cooperate. After answering all his questions, he had tried to strike up a friendly conversation.
He still remembered the kite-flying competition from before. Young Master Wang had such a temper that he was clearly no ordinary person.
At first, the young man had barely responded to him. Then, after hearing something Song Wenxuan said, he had suddenly stared at him.
That look had made Song Wenxuan feel rather uncomfortable.
And now, Young Master Wang was giving him that same look again.
It was a cold, threatening gaze, much like that of a wild beast whose territory had been invaded.
Song Wenxuan was about to ask once more whether Young Master Wang planned to attend the tide-watching event when the young man suddenly turned around and strode away, his sleeves sweeping behind him.
Song Wenxuan was stunned.
So was he going or not?
After learning that the Japanese pirates had retreated from Zhejiang, Gu Yunrong decided to attend the tide-watching event.
If she really had to move to her maternal grandparents’ home, she did not know when she would have another chance to witness such a magnificent sight.
On the eighteenth day of the eighth month, Gu Yunrong traveled with her family, several relatives, and a few neighboring households to Yanguan Town in Haining County.
The best viewing platforms and towers had already been reserved by powerful officials and wealthy families. The Gu family could only find a place farther away where they could watch the tide from a distance.
During this season, private rooms in restaurants and teahouses were especially expensive. Fortunately, the neighboring families were on good terms with one another. They pooled their money in advance to reserve a private room for the women traveling together. The others rented another room next door.
Since the great tide had not yet arrived, Gu Yunrong sat down to drink tea and eat some pastries while waiting.
She was chatting with her cousin Lin Jiao, the daughter of her maternal aunt, when she overheard several young women sitting nearby whispering about the selection of a princess consort for a prince.
“I heard that Prince Heng, who recently came to Zhejiang, is as handsome as an immortal. He’s also reached the age when he should marry. Do you think ordinary girls like us have a chance to be considered?”
“Have you gone mad? Aren’t the young women selected for such things usually daughters of officials and noble families?”
“But I heard that the imperial decree for the previous selection of a prince’s consort said they should carefully choose candidates from the families of officials, regardless of rank, as well as ordinary commoner households. Doesn’t that mean families like ours are included?”
The speaker was Du Lan, the daughter of the Du family, who lived diagonally across from the Gu residence.
Du Lan was one year older than Gu Yunrong and had reached the age for marriage. However, her family was not in a hurry to find her a husband.
Later, Gu Yunrong learned that when the Du family had gone to a temple to offer incense, Du Lan had drawn an unusually auspicious fortune stick. The interpretation had also been extremely favorable, suggesting that she would have extraordinary good fortune in marriage.
Ever since receiving that fortune, Du Lan had become rather proud of herself.
Now, she had even set her sights on becoming a prince’s consort.
Although the Emperor’s decree had indeed contained those words, they were largely formalities. In reality, the candidates were still chosen from official families.
Moreover, the selection of a prince’s consort was usually limited to the capital and surrounding regions. It was extremely rare for the search to extend across such a wide area.
Gu Yunrong shook her head.
Superstition really could lead people astray.
Lin Jiao nudged her.
“Why didn’t Second Branch’s Yanyu come today? Isn’t she always fond of lively gatherings? I feel as though she has become much quieter since getting married.”
Gu Yunrong replied, “Perhaps Cousin Yanyu is trying to become a good wife and mother.”
She had heard from Madam Xu that after Gu Yanyu’s wedding banquet had been disrupted, the second branch had a serious argument with the Guo family.
Gu Yunrong knew the reason. The Guo family had deceived them.
The couple from the second branch had been eager to find an excellent son-in-law, hoping that their two sons could benefit from a powerful connection and avoid years of struggle.
In the end, however, they had believed the lies told by the matchmaker and the Guo family.
The wedding banquet had turned out so poorly because the Guo family simply did not have enough money to maintain the appearance of wealth they had promised.
While the women were chatting, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.
Du Lan seemed to have thought of something. She hurried to the window and looked down.
However, all she saw was an elaborately decorated sedan chair stopping beneath a tide-viewing tower some distance away.
Disappointed, she returned to her seat.
Outside the tide-viewing tower, Shen Biyin and Madam Zeng stepped out of their sedan chair and went straight up to the third floor.
Shen Biyin did not know whether Prince Heng would come that day, but she wanted to be prepared just in case.
The officials had reserved the best viewing platform along the river for His Highness. She had deliberately chosen a location directly facing it. If he came, he would easily be able to see her.
Madam Zeng sat down and took a sip of tea.
“I thought this matter would turn into something serious. In the end, it was nothing more than a loud thunderclap followed by a few raindrops.”
She was referring to the smuggling scandal involving a member of the Shen family’s collateral branch.
Shen Biyin sneered.
“Our family rose to prominence through genuine military achievements. We aren’t like those families whose titles came from marrying off their daughters. I heard that our grandfather distinguished himself in some battle back then, and that was how the Shen family gained its current wealth and status. Many of the men who enlisted alongside him couldn’t compare with his courage or good fortune.”
As mother and daughter were talking, a sudden commotion broke out outside.
Shen Biyin thought Prince Heng had arrived. She happily stood up, but something soon seemed wrong.
She could hear what sounded like the thunderous roar of firearms, followed by screams from the crowd.
Madam Zeng sprang to her feet in alarm.
“Could it be the Japanese pirates?”
Gu Yunrong thought the same thing.
The previous incident at the Guo family’s wedding had turned out to be a false alarm. But this time, they might actually be facing the Japanese pirates.
What she could not understand was why the pirates had returned so quickly after retreating north.
And why hadn’t the signal towers sent out any warning?
But there was no time to think about that now.
Gu Yunrong and the other women hurried outside, each trying to find their family members.
Most of these young women rarely left their homes. Some were even wearing high-soled shoes. Now, overwhelmed with panic, many could barely walk properly.
The situation quickly descended into chaos, and several people were nearly trampled underfoot.
Gu Yunrong was extremely relieved that her elder sister had not come because she had been too busy to attend.
She reacted quickly, pulling Madam Xu and Lin Jiao along as she ran.
After finally reuniting with her father and brother, Gu Yunrong joined the others in rushing downstairs.
Since so many people had come to watch the tide, the Gu family’s carriage had been parked in an open area some distance from the viewing tower.
Outside, the crowd was in complete disorder. People were pushing against one another, making it extremely difficult to get through.
Gu Yunrong seized a brief opportunity to glance toward the river.
She saw more than a dozen Japanese ships gathering along the shore, each flying a flag bearing the name of Hachiman Daibosatsu, the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman.
The ships must have been carrying cannons. If they fired toward the crowd, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The panicked crowd made it almost impossible for Gu Yunrong to move forward.
In the chaos, she became separated from her family. The rushing people pushed her farther and farther away from them.
She saw that the Japanese pirates had already begun coming ashore. Anxiety made sweat break out across her forehead.
Just then, she suddenly felt someone seize her right wrist.
A powerful force yanked her sideways.
Startled, she thought the Japanese pirates had come to abduct her. Furious and desperate, she swung her other hand and threw a hard punch behind her.
But before her fist could land, someone caught her wrist with astonishing accuracy.
At the same time, a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Her body was pulled completely off balance.
The world spun around her.
A moment later, she crashed into someone’s chest and found herself held firmly in a pair of strong arms.