Spring of the Blade - Chapter 23
Chapter 23
The departure was set for these next two days. The Master and the Old Madam had quietly made it clear: since the imperial court had already formed this intention, they would not allow for any delay. It was best to set out early and enter Youzhou sooner, rather than waiting for the Palace Command to arrive and escort them, which would be the difference between drinking the wine of hospitality and drinking the wine of punishment.
Baoxian and the others were busy packing. Qingyuan settled her mother’s spirit tablet away and stood idly under the eaves. She had no particular attachment to this household, but she felt a sense of reluctance toward this courtyard. She had learned about her mother in bits and pieces from others, and since her mother had left her nothing, the only connection they had was that they had both lived in Danyue Pavilion.
Now, she could not even stay in this courtyard; she was to be moved thousands of miles away to Youzhou. Because she was not close to the Xie family and was being uprooted from her home, she felt all the more helpless, as if she had fallen into the bottomless depths of the sea.
Chuntai, leading the elderly maids, was moving the potted plants that had been sitting in the open to a shaded area. When she passed by her, she stopped and asked, "Miss, what is wrong? Are you reluctant to leave this place?"
Qingyuan thought for a moment and slowly shook her head.
Chuntai smiled brightly. "Baoxian and I were sold into this manor as children. In the past, we weren't valued and were kept in the lower quarters doing chores, where everyone could order us around. Later, we gained your favor, Miss, and you brought us by your side. Wherever you go, Miss, we will be there. Although Youzhou is a bit further from Hengtang than here, they say a tree dies if moved, but a person thrives—it might be good to go out and see the world."
Qingyuan had initially felt the heavy sorrow of leaving her native soil, but after hearing her say this, she felt a sudden sense of clarity. If one were to compare their backgrounds, they were truly not so different; naturally, when the Mistress sent people, she had sent the ones left over after the other three misses had made their pick. Now, several "bitter souls" were clinging to each other for survival; upon careful reflection, life might not be as difficult as she had imagined.
Qingyuan steadied her heart. When she was nearly done packing, she went before the Old Madam to request permission to return to the Chen family to bid farewell to her grandfather and grandmother. Had it been in the past, the Old Madam would have been disgusted by the mere mention of the Chen family, but this time she unexpectedly agreed. She ordered people to prepare many items for her to bring to the two elders, sternly instructing her: "After all, they raised you; even if there is no great merit, there is the labor of upbringing. You ought to give them a proper explanation. But do not linger too long, and do not get so attached to that grandmother of yours that you don't want to come back. You are a descendant of the Xie family, remember that?"
The Old Madam had her own concerns; she was afraid Qingyuan would go and never return. But how could she do such a thing? Taking it to court would only result in a year of forced labor and fifty lashes. Her grandfather was old and could not withstand such things; Qingyuan knew the severity of the situation and would never let that side be put in a difficult position.
Since the Old Madam had given her approval, a carriage was hitched for her. The Chen house and the Xie house were on opposite ends of the city; if one did not make a special trip, one would not even have the chance to pass by and catch a glance.
When the carriage stopped, Baoxian climbed out first and turned back to help her down. She had always thought the Chen family was a small, humble household, but she was surprised to find it was quite a prosperous home. No wonder it was said that Elder Master Chen had served as an official in his youth; although he was not as illustrious as the Xie family, when it came to family wealth, they were in no want of food or drink.
The young servant guarding the gate had the sharpest eyes. Upon seeing Qingyuan, he was stunned for a moment, then leaped up and ran inside, shouting as he went: "The Eldest Miss is back! The Eldest Miss is back..."
A commotion broke out in the courtyard, and soon the entire manor was boiling with excitement. Her grandfather and grandmother hurried out, and upon seeing her, they called out "Yunya" and burst into tears.
Baoxian felt her own nose ache. That kind of meeting was a true reunion of flesh and blood—it was a genuine emotion without any hidden agendas. Elder Madam Chen looked Qingyuan over carefully and, through her tears, said, "Why have you grown so thin..." She turned and told the Elder Master to look. "Tell me, has Yunya not grown thin?"
The Elder Master studied her as if he were analyzing a scholarly text, and after a long moment of deliberation, he agreed: "She has indeed grown thin."
Once this conclusion was reached, it triggered an even greater wave of heartache. The Elder Madam kept wiping her tears. "What is wrong with the Xie family? They insisted on taking the girl back, only to treat her so poorly? If they cannot afford to feed her, they should just return her to us; why mistreat the child!"
Qingyuan forced a smile and, with endearing affection, supported Elder Madam Chen. "Grandmother, please do not worry. The Xie family treats me very well. I have my own small courtyard and several attentive maids; there is everything I could need there, and I have no worries at all."
Hearing this, they felt a bit more at ease. Everyone moved to the main hall, where they chatted of family matters again. When it came time to mention that she would soon be heading far away to Youzhou, Qingyuan found she could not bring herself to say it.
Elder Madam Chen, a woman of great intuition, saw at a glance that she had something on her mind, and her heart sank. "Are they giving you a hard time because of your mother's affairs?"
Qingyuan shook her head. "Grandmother once taught me that a gentleman hides his weapons within himself and waits for the right time to act; I have never forgotten that. I came back today... to bid you two farewell. The Xie family is to relocate to Youzhou, and your granddaughter must go along with them. Youzhou is such a long, long road from Hengtang; once I go... I do not know when I will be able to return."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly chilled, and looks of sorrow appeared on everyone's faces. Baoxian had expected another round of embracing and weeping, but it did not happen. The Chen elders remained dejected for a long time before sighing: "There is no feast under heaven that does not break up. Think of those girls who marry far away; what is the difference?"
Elder Master Chen was very pragmatic. He began to calculate, "If you take the waterway and travel slowly, you will arrive in half a month. We can come to visit you."
Elder Madam Chen stood up and took a red sandalwood cosmetic box from the inner room, placing it in her hands. "This was originally prepared for your dowry when you were to be married. Now that you are going on a long journey, I am simply giving it to you now. Keep it safe. Do not decline—when you move to a new place, there will be many places where you need to spend money; without money, you cannot take a single step. I know the Xie family will not treat you as their own flesh and blood, and as for that monthly allowance, it would be lucky if it arrived on time and in full amount. Good child, even if they do not cherish you, you were raised by me from a tender age, and we naturally cherish you. When you go to Youzhou, you must take care of yourself. If you encounter setbacks, do not take them to heart; as long as you do not let yourself be hurt, no one can truly harm you. If Youzhou is not a good place, write to us, and I will have Quange'er go to bring you back."
Baoxian, standing to the side, secretly marveled at this old lady's wisdom. Only now did she understand why the Fourth Miss, young as she was, possessed such a calm and long-term perspective; the root of it lay with Elder Madam Chen. With such a household and such family wealth, even though the Elder Master was advanced in age, one could still see the dashing spirit he must have had in his youth. In this manor, it was likely that things had not been peaceful in the early years either.
With her grandparents, Qingyuan never had to put on a facade. As her grandmother said, the road was long and distant, and no one knew what the situation in Youzhou was like these days. If she kept this money, it would be a fallback in the future. Money is a person’s courage; with courage, one does not need to be timid or hesitant.
"If I can gain a foothold in Youzhou, I will certainly bring you both there to be reunited." Qingyuan knelt on the ground and kowtowed deeply.
Elder Master Chen said, "Get up, get up. I know that day will surely come. Youzhou is very close to the capital, where high officials gather and noble clans are everywhere. As long as you marry into a good family, why worry about not flying high in the future?" He laughed heartily, and the traces of sorrow over the parting seemed to dissipate right there.
Qingyuan, however, knew her grandfather's temper. These words were not because he had truly let go, but because he was using them to comfort himself in his helplessness. Back when she was forced to return to the Xie family, her grandfather had been unable to stop them, and he had used the same words to comfort her grandmother, saying that the Xie family was a grand clan that dealt with high-ranking officials and nobles, and that Yunya was born beautiful; her future prospects would surely be great. Remaining in the Chen family, a small and humble household, would only delay her.
"The greatest fortune of my life was growing up in the Chen family," Qingyuan said on the way back. "The teachings I gathered as a child are enough to benefit me for a lifetime."
Indeed. To be more open-minded, to look further ahead, and not to quibble over gains and losses within a tiny space—this was something the children raised in the Xie household could not hope to match. The mistress and maid whispered to each other along the way. When they arrived before the main gate of the Xie manor, Baoxian lifted the curtain to exit the carriage, and immediately caught sight of a noble young master standing before the steps.
"Miss..." she turned and called to Qingyuan.
Qingyuan saw him too. She could not avoid him, so she stepped down from the carriage with composure and bowed, "Third Young Master."
She was still the same—no intense emotions, every movement and smile faint and distant. Facing her, Li Congxin could not help but feel some guilt. That day, when he went back and mentioned the matter to his mother, he later discovered that she had actually entrusted the Inspecting Censor’s wife to go to their home and clarify the situation. Such an action was a great hurt to a young lady. He had a massive quarrel with his mother over it, but the wrong was already done; it was too late for remedies.
Regarding Qingyuan, from the stunning beauty of their first meeting to his current desire to marry her, even though it had only been a month, it had undergone a complete process of maturation. This beauty with a scholarly aura was different from those affected, pretentious young ladies. Perhaps at first, he only harbored thoughts of "hunting for beauty," but the further he went, the more serious he became. The reason was unclear; perhaps it was because of her indifference. After all, he had never been treated with coldness since he was a child; those girls who had poured their hearts out to him, even when their hearts were broken, did not regret having had a romantic affair with him. Yet, this Fourth Miss was the exception. He had used every possible method to see her, sending food and letters; after layers of advancement, even a heart of stone should have understood, yet she acted foolishly and remained unmoved by his advances.
He could not peer into her thoughts—was she using high-level tactics, or was she truly uninterested in him? The young marquis, who had traveled through many a field of flowers, felt a sense of frustration, like a chess player meeting his match. He had no concept of social hierarchy; even if Xie Shu’s career was in jeopardy, it could not block his heart that was determined to conquer.
"Fourth Younger Sister," he said sincerely, "I did not expect things to turn out this way. If I had known, I would never have rashly mentioned it to my mother. I have been waiting for news from my mother; I thought she was inviting the Censor’s wife to propose a marriage, but who knew..."
This noble young master was truly a handsome man; even now, Qingyuan was in admiration of his looks. When he said these words, his pleading eyes contained a glimmer of sorrow. It was exactly this kind of gaze that must have made many girls fall for him wholeheartedly in the past!
Yet, this pampered son of a Marquis, who did not know the hardships of life, never stopped to think of others' positions. He did not know that his momentary whim would put her in such an awkward position. "Those on different paths do not seek common ground"—this was something Elder Madam Chen had taught her long ago. She did not want to say anything hurtful, so she simply smiled and said, "There are some things that one will never be at peace with until one tries. Now that I know the result, there are no regrets. I have nothing left to say. Thank you, Third Young Master, for your kindness. The Xie manor will be moving the whole family to Youzhou in a few days; we will not have the opportunity to meet again in the future. Third Young Master, please take care."
Having said this, she took Baoxian and stepped onto the stairs. Just as they were about to enter, Li Congxin chased after them two steps, calling out "Younger Sister" with urgency. "I have long known the reason why the Xie family is moving away from Hengtang. Listen to me, for your future career..." He suddenly realized this was a taboo topic and stopped, pausing to weigh his words before lowering his voice. "You are of the Xie family; you will surely share in their prosperity and their ruin. If... your Eldest Sister is safe; she is betrothed to Lanshan, so she is a Li family member. You... you..."
Qingyuan understood what he meant: if she were promised to someone else, then when the Xie family’s disaster involved the whole clan, she might be able to retreat unscathed. The intention was kind, and she was grateful to him, but even if the Marchioness were to come in person now, the matter could not be accomplished. This was because the Marquis of Danyang only held a title without real power; when the Xie family was in trouble, they would be unable to provide any help.
"It is such a pity that we cannot continue to live in Hengtang," Qingyuan said, not answering his words. She smiled, "My grandmother has instructed that we are to depart in these next two days. We still have many things to pack, so please excuse us."
She and Baoxian walked slowly through the main gate. She did not tell him that, in fact, five days later would be the day of her coming-of-age ceremony.