Wish You All the Best - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Xiao Yintang’s father was the Prince of Yunzhong, Xiao Lie, who held his fiefdom in Yunnan.
As the heir to the Prince’s estate, by law, he was forbidden from leaving Yunnan without the Emperor’s imperial decree or explicit permission. To do so was treated as a sign of contempt for imperial law, or in more severe interpretations, an act of treason. Furthermore, this journey of his was a private matter, undertaken without his father’s consent.
Three years ago, after the Young Emperor supposedly died in a hunting accident, rumors had persisted that he had not actually died but had made prior arrangements to escape, living in the wilderness ever since. Because the matter was of grave importance, Xiao Yintang had been secretly investigating the Young Emperor’s whereabouts for years, yet he had found nothing. Just a few months ago, he received intelligence from his spies that the imperial Jinyiwei had been frequently appearing in the Quanzhou area of Fujian, suspected to be linked to the Young Emperor’s trail. At the time, the Prince of Yunzhong was accompanying the court-appointed envoy, Lord Ma, to Mengding Prefecture in Western Yunnan to summon various leaders of the southwestern tribes—such as the King of Mengmi and the King of Mubang—to civilize the four directions and proclaim the sovereign’s might. He was not at the estate. Fearing he would miss his chance, Xiao Yintang secretly sent word to his father, took a few trusted confidants, disguised himself, and fled Yunnan under the cover of night. After a circuitous and arduous journey, he finally tracked the trail to Quanzhou, only to realize he was a step too late. When he reached the seashore outside Tongjin Gate two nights ago, he found only the corpses of several Jinyiwei.
According to reports from the past two days, the events of that night seemed linked to the "Golden-Faced Dragon King," a figure who had risen to prominence on the seas in recent years.
Who was the Golden-Faced Dragon King? Why was he involved in the Young Emperor case? Was the Young Emperor truly alive? Did he fall into the hands of the Dragon King that night, or was he already long dead, and the conflict merely a clash between the Jinyiwei and the pirates? These were all questions Xiao Yintang could not resolve in such a short time.
However, one thing was clear: at this point, remaining in Quanzhou was of no further use, and he needed to return to Yunnan as quickly as possible.
That Lord Ma was nominally in Yunnan to "console and soothe," but anyone could see that the Emperor was clearly afraid of his father forming alliances with the tribal kings and had sent the man to monitor his father’s every word and action. His father was forced to be obsequious even before this minor envoy. If his own movements or the news of his unauthorized departure from Yunnan were to leak, it would provide the perfect pretext for the court to strike.
According to the scheduled itinerary, Lord Ma would return to Kunming at the end of this month. As the heir, he had to make an appearance at the estate by then. Time was running short; he had to leave Quanzhou for Yunnan immediately.
Yet, in the days following that night, Quanzhou had been under strict daylight searches and nightly curfews. Before Xiao Yintang could withdraw, the entire city had been locked down and the ports closed, cutting off all his escape routes.
Before leaving home, he had naturally carried a pre-prepared travel permit for a false identity, which had always allowed him passage before. This time, however, he had been careless.
Yesterday morning, as he prepared to leave the city with his permit, a merchant from Yunnan ahead of him was stopped and arrested. The merchant cried out in protest, but the city gate guards cited orders from above: anyone carrying a Yunnanese travel permit was to be arrested on sight, no questions asked.
Why were the authorities arresting Yunnanese travelers in Quanzhou?
Xiao Yintang deduced that the Jinyiwei must have linked this incident to the Prince of Yunzhong’s estate.
This was a dangerously ominous signal, which also demonstrated just how deep the Emperor’s distrust of his father had become.
Since his travel permit was useless, he retreated to think of another way.
He quickly recalled the owner of the ship that had clashed with his subordinate, Liu Yi, on Fuming Island.
He remembered clearly that the pampered youth who had rushed out identified himself as belonging to the Zhen family. Judging by the ship and the youth’s manner of speaking, this Zhen family must be one of the wealthiest in Quanzhou.
Though the status of merchants was low, those who achieved great wealth often had extraordinary relationships with local officials. Things others could not accomplish were often handled with ease by such powerful merchant families.
The intelligence Liu Yi gathered confirmed his suspicions: the Zhen family had frequent dealings with the prefecture, and that pampered youth was named Zhen Yaoting, the sole heir of the family whose father had died three years ago.
Like a god-sent opportunity, Xiao Yintang weighed the situation and decided to take a desperate risk: hold the Zhen family’s heir hostage to coerce the family, and use their connections in Quanzhou to exit the city and return to Yunnan as quickly as possible.
For the entire day yesterday, the youth did not leave the house, and Xiao Yintang could not afford to delay any longer. Thus, taking advantage of the deep night, he and Liu Yi snuck into the Zhen estate.
Xiao Yintang had originally held the Zhen family in low regard—they were merely Quanzhou merchants; no matter how large their fortune, the guards they hired would likely be for show. He had not expected that because the family consisted of the elderly and the young, Old Madam Hu placed great importance on security and had spent a fortune to hire a retired local constable surnamed Lin. The old constable organized the staff with dedication. Since the city was chaotic these past few days, he personally guarded the gates at night. Xiao Yintang had trouble finding an opening and was wary of alarming the authorities, so he had retreated to the back garden toward dawn, intending to withdraw. But heaven helped him; early in the morning, he saw the pampered youth come to the back garden alone, and he and Liu Yi followed.
Just moments ago, as he was about to strike, he saw a beautiful young girl come looking for the youth. He remained hidden in the corner, quietly listening to their conversation, and his plan became even more firmly fixed.
This daughter of the Zhen family was intelligent and organized, and the siblings clearly shared a deep bond. Capturing Zhen Yaoting and forcing her to act as his messenger was the perfect solution.
...
Seeing Xiao Yintang appear so unguardedly before her, Jiafu felt a sharp, piercing pain in her chest for a fleeting moment, as if pricked by needles. Her vision dimmed, and a sense of extreme despair and agony—the same feeling from her final moments in her previous life—descended upon her, wrapping itself tightly around her once more.
She gripped the doorframe beside her, her shoulder leaning weakly against it. She closed her eyes to wait for the wave of dizziness to pass, then stood straight and slowly opened her eyes.
"This is my home. Who are you? What do you want?"
She stared at him, asking the question, each word clear and exceptionally distinct.
Xiao Yintang paused slightly, his gaze lingering on the girl’s face once more. The strange feeling in his heart intensified.
This Zhen family daughter was incredibly beautiful.
The Prince’s estate was never short on beauties, but it could be said that this girl was the most stunning he had ever seen. Not only was her skin like jade, her features unparalleled, but there was also an air of vulnerability about her that made one want to hold her and cherish her. For any normal man, it was only natural to have thoughts when facing such a beauty.
Xiao Yintang naturally enjoyed beauty, but he knew how to distinguish priorities.
In such moments, even the most beautiful woman was merely a tool for his escape.
Yet, just a moment ago, this girl had caused a strange ripple in his heart.
When he emerged and she saw him, the blood had drained from her face, her eyes wide with shock. That initial look and expression could not be faked, nor could they escape Xiao Yintang’s sharp eyes.
She had given him the illusion that she knew him from before, and that she harbored great hatred and fear toward him. For a moment, she had looked so frail that she could barely stand.
But soon, she had steadied herself. When she opened her eyes, her gaze was clear and indifferent.
This was even more extraordinary.
A girl who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen had unexpectedly encountered a stranger in her back garden who had just struck down her brother, yet she had calmed down so quickly.
Xiao Yintang suddenly wanted to know if this was her true reaction or if she was merely feigning composure.
But at this moment, he no longer had the luxury of time to investigate.
He glanced at the youth on the ground, guarded by Liu Yi’s sword, and lifted his gaze, his eyes once again falling upon the girl’s face: "Go and tell the person in your family who makes the decisions that I need to leave the city as soon as possible. Once I have left safely, your brother will be safe. Otherwise, he will be buried with me."
...
A carriage was driven by a coachman as it departed the Zhen estate, followed by Zhang Da on horseback and a Zhen family servant. The wheels clattered as they headed toward the Yicheng Gate in the west of the city.
The commander on duty at Yicheng Gate today was General Shi Quanyou. He led a team of men standing on either side of the gate, inspecting everyone leaving the city one by one—lifting carriage curtains, poking baskets with sword tips, and demanding travelers open their bundles, all while acting with great authority. Suddenly, seeing a carriage approaching in the distance, he recognized Zhang Da riding alongside it. He grunted and went forward two steps to greet them. Zhang Da hurriedly dismounted and called for the carriage to stop, exchanging pleasantries. Before they could speak much, a man’s impatient voice came from inside the carriage: "Zhang Da, has someone died to block the path? Why isn't the carriage moving?"
Shi Quanyou knew instantly that inside the carriage sat Zhen Yaoting, the famous spoiled son of the Zhen family.
No one in Quanzhou was unaware of the Zhen family’s son. Shi Quanyou had seen him from afar several times. Hearing his voice now, he knew the man was exactly as rumored, so he smiled and said: "So it is Young Master Zhen? My apologies, but I’m sure you’ve heard that the city is not peaceful these past few days. I am just following orders from above. Where is Young Master Zhen heading?"
Zhang Da sighed: "It is because of this unrest. As you know, our Old Madam is getting old, and having to manage so many affairs is already taxing. With this city trouble on top of it, she’s worried the ship won’t be able to set sail at the end of the month, so she caught a cold from the stress yesterday and can't get out of bed. She insisted on having business at the Purple Hat Villa outside the west city today, so she asked our Young Master to go in her stead. Please, brother, inspect us quickly so I can accompany our Young Master there and back, and when you have time tomorrow, I will find you for a drink."
As Zhang Da spoke, he gave him a meaningful look, then leaned in to whisper: "Since we bumped into each other, let me mention this. Our boss brought back a ship at the end of last year with quite a lot of good goods. Our Old Madam mentioned a few days ago that you and your brothers work hard patrolling our docks and that we didn't have time to thank you properly at the end of last year. See when you are free these next two days and come by in the evening; I will take you to take a look."
Shi Quanyou was overjoyed, knowing he would gain a benefit. If it were a regular inspection, he might have let them through without looking, but with the strict orders from above, he dared not be slack. "Orders are orders; everyone leaving must be checked. Young Master Zhen, no offense meant." As he spoke, he walked to the carriage and pushed the door open. He peered inside and saw the Zhen family’s young master leaning lazily against the chair back, his hair unkempt and half hanging down, his colorful robes disheveled. He was embracing a woman in his arms, his head buried in her shoulder affectionately, showing only his forehead. The woman had her back to the door, her dark hair shining and lustrous. Her collar was slightly messy, revealing a patch of snow-white neck. Though he couldn't see her face, just the look of that neck and back was enough to appear delicate and pitiful, inviting endless imagination.
Shi Quanyou’s eyes widened, and he dared not look closely. Once he regained his senses, he hurriedly closed the carriage door, steadied himself, and thought: I’ve heard the Zhen family’s son is a hedonist, and seeing it today, it’s true. Even going out to handle business, he doesn't forget to flirt and have fun on the way. It was simply that he had been born into the right family to have such a fate. He thought of his own daily toil, struggling just to make a living, and sighed inwardly, signaling for his men to clear the path.
Zhang Da thanked him with a bow, shouted out a command, and the carriage continued forward, passing through the city gate.