Spring of the Blade - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The children of the Xie family were well-versed in decorum when it came to grand occasions; they would never speak when it was not their place. However, whenever one did speak up, it was invariably for an urgent and vital proposal. Consequently, over a dozen pairs of eyes from the family turned in unison toward Qingyuan.

The Old Madam had her own calculations. Ever since they left Hengtang, she had paid special attention to Qingyuan. Hearing her interject at this moment, she immediately realized that the hope for breaking their deadlock was not far ahead.

"Whatever you have to say, you need not hold back in front of your grandmother," the Old Madam said warmly, gesturing for her to come closer, her gaze toward the girl significantly softer than before.

Qingyuan walked over, knelt to pay her respects, and said, "It is not my place to interrupt when Father and Grandmother are discussing serious matters, but seeing that both of you are at your wits' end, I cannot help but feel anxious. On the road, I heard the brothers mention that the Shen family had once been raided, that the Commander's brothers are difficult to approach, and that Father has been repeatedly turned away... I have a method, though I do not know if it can resolve Father's predicament."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shu straightened his back instantly. "What exactly is this method? Speak freely."

Qingyuan glanced at Madam Hu, then at Qingru, and clutching her handkerchief, said timidly, "The day we departed, the son of the Marquis of Danyang came to see me off. Before he left, he gave me a list of names, telling me that if I encountered any trouble, I could seek out these people to help navigate through." She then handed the list to Xie Shu. "My knowledge is shallow, and I do not know which official could resolve Father's urgent crisis. I only thought that perhaps this Chief Commandant of the Palace Command could pass a word for Father, or arrange something in private so that Father might have an audience with Commander Shen."

Xie Shu looked at the list, his ash-gray eyes suddenly lighting up. "This is truly providing charcoal in snowy weather!" he exclaimed. "Mother, this Chief Commandant Shen Che is the full brother of Shen Run! All those people we have been struggling to find are nowhere near as useful as this one!"

The Old Madam hurriedly took the gilded stationery to inspect it. She had long since forgotten to interrogate Qingyuan about her entanglement with Li Congxin, looking instead like a woman rescued from the brink. Clasping her hands together, she said, "The ancestors be praised; there is truly no better news than this. I have been walking on eggshells all day, forcing a smile to chat with people who only brush me off. But now, this is excellent. We have gone straight to the Commander's own brother; this matter is as good as settled, and there is no way it can fail." She pulled Qingyuan over to sit beside her, embracing her and saying, "Good child, it is fortunate that you were so thoughtful. This path truly can resolve your father's danger. I said before that only when the family is united can we prosper; it seems that Fourth Girl truly brings good fortune to our Xie family. Ah, the young Marquis is truly rare, being so sincere in looking out for you. However, even with the name, I fear it will be difficult to make the connection... Did the young Marquis tell you what excuse to use to strike up an acquaintance?"

Qingyuan thought for a moment and said, "He said that just by mentioning his name, they would understand."

The Old Madam nodded slowly, though she knew clearly in her heart that not just anyone could use Li Congxin’s name and expect to be shown respect. This young Marquis had spent years carousing in Youzhou and had friends everywhere; the other party would only be willing to lend a hand if they were certain that the young lady had a genuine friendship with him.

She looked at Qingyuan again. Regardless of whether the girl would eventually enter the Marquis of Danyang's household, it was crucial to first utilize the Marquis's son's reputation to get things done. "In that case, pick a date to visit the Shen residence and pay a call to this Chief Commandant."

Qingyuan hesitated. She glanced at Madam Hu and said cautiously, "I am a girl from the inner chambers; it is truly unbecoming for me to show my face in public like this."

Madam Hu bit her lip, knowing full well that this girl was intentionally using words to box her in. In the past, Jin Chunqing had been so soft-natured that she would let anyone knead her like dough without daring to utter a peep, yet the daughter she bore was now a formidable character with "three heads and six arms," a personality that filled the void left by her mother. It was a case of "washing noodles in clear water—everyone sees what you are doing." There were many old scores to settle between them, but now was not the right time. Madam Hu restrained herself repeatedly, forced a smile, and said, "Matters have their levels of urgency. The fire is burning at our eyebrows now; if you can do things for the family, who would dare speak ill of you? I certainly would not allow it. Besides, the Old Madam is here. You are accompanying her, so what is there to worry about?"

Qingyuan pressed her lips into a smile and bowed her head. "If only there were another way so that I wouldn't have to show my face. To go so rashly is truly damaging to one's reputation."

This was the truth; she and Li Congxin had no real relationship to speak of yet, and using his name to move about would inevitably lead to misunderstandings.

But the same situation was viewed differently by different people.

Qingru, hearing that Qingyuan and Li Congxin had such a clandestine exchange, felt deeply unhappy. Behind her back, she cursed Qingyuan: "She got the advantage and is still acting coy. Having grabbed a name list, she really thinks of herself as the great contributor. Setting aside whether she can actually get any benefit this time, even if she can, it will only be a fleeting moment of glory. Once this hurdle is passed, no one will take her seriously!"

Qingrong fanned the flames from the side: "It’s not just me saying it; this son of the Marquis of Danyang is someone who looks at what’s in his bowl while watching what’s in the pot. That time Second Sister spent half a day with him at the Great Buddha Temple, wasn't everything fine? Why, in the end, did he give the list to Qingyuan and have her play the lead? Clearly, that young master is a master of flirting, hooking one sister with one hand and the other with the other. He just finished seeing Second Sister, and turned around to ask for the Fourth Girl's hand. Could it be that he found the Fourth Girl hard to get, felt heartbroken, and decided to conquer her first, and then wrong Second Sister by making her a concubine..."

Before she could finish, Qingru spat fiercely, "You with the crippled tongue! You're the one who will be a concubine!"

Qingrong was left embarrassed and fell silent. Just then, a young maid arrived with a round fan, panting for breath. She knelt and presented it with both hands, saying, "Second Miss left this behind..."

Qingru snatched it away and whirled back to her own courtyard like a gust of wind.

The Old Madam, having secured this promising lead, began to look into Shen Che’s whereabouts. Shen Che was a Chief Commandant serving in the Palace Command; his rank was several levels lower than his brother's, and naturally, his official duties were not as burdensome. Moreover, Shen Che was already married and returned to Youzhou more often than Shen Run. Meeting him was far easier than meeting Shen Run.

Today was the fifth, which happened to be one of Shen Che’s rest days. The Old Madam had Qingyuan prepare, ordered the carriage to be hitched, and set off toward the Commander’s residence.

Qingyuan’s suggestion had been to find Shen Che’s wife and seek an introduction through her, which would be the safest route. However, the Old Madam did not think so. "A woman’s heart is only as big as a sesame seed. If you, a young lady, go and specifically ask to see her husband, I fear that little Madam Shen might harbor suspicions, which would only ruin our business. Let us just go and see. We do not know if he is even home right now. If we make too much noise, all of Youzhou will know we are acting in the shadows, and that would be detrimental to the Master’s reputation."

Since that was the case, there was nothing more to say. The carriage trotted toward the district where the Commander’s residence was located. Youzhou was vast, and the two residences were quite a distance apart. After traveling for about an hour, they heard the driver call out that they had arrived, and the carriage stopped in the alley opposite the Commander’s residence.

Qingyuan lifted the curtain to peek. It was indeed the home of a high official favored by the court; the traditional gate and the racks of halberds before it were enough to place a psychological burden on anyone, even if no one were standing guard there.

The Old Madam was very cautious with every step. She did not immediately knock on the door to present a calling card and request an audience. Instead, she dispatched a servant to give some silver to the doorkeeper and inquire if the Chief Commandant was home. Perhaps because Shen Che had gone out again while they were on their way, the servant returned to report that the Chief Commandant had temporarily gone out and it was unknown when he would return.

The Old Madam pondered for a long time. "As long as he hasn't left for the capital, he must return sooner or later. Since we are here, we cannot let the trip be in vain—we wait!"

They waited until near sunset before they saw a man riding a tall horse, accompanied by several guards, coming down the long street.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over, framing the courtyard walls and the high gate in a circle of gold. Because they were too far away, she could not see his face clearly, only that his posture was tall and straight, and there was a natural air of easy elegance in his every movement. The Old Madam said, "It must be the Chief Commandant, without a doubt."

They had been about to get out of the carriage, but for some reason, the Old Madam suddenly hesitated. Qingyuan sat back down. "Grandmother, what is it?"

The Old Madam was silent for a moment. She looked up at her, smoothed her hair, and adjusted the hairpin on her bun. "I have thought it over carefully. If you go alone and say you have a private friendship with the son of the Marquis of Danyang, it will be easier to round out the story. If I were to show my face in person, and they asked about the relationship between our two families, how would I answer?"

Though Qingyuan did not say it, her heart felt cold. She understood the Old Madam’s abacus perfectly: the Xie family was desperate to climb the Shen family tree. If Shen Che was a man of honor, he would help for the sake of Li Congxin, and Xie Shu would be saved; if Shen Che’s character was flawed, risking an insignificant daughter born of a concubine would cause no substantial damage to the Xie family, and they could even use the situation as leverage. It was far better than debasing themselves by begging from all sides.

To be born into such a family—no matter how great one's talents, there was truly no way out. Qingyuan laughed miserably. "Grandmother, if the one who came with you today were Second Sister, would you still do this?"

The Old Madam stiffened, unable to answer for a moment. It was true; if Qingru had been the one to come, she certainly would not have done this. The Xie family had only one legitimate daughter, and that legitimate daughter had to hold her head high and marry into prominence. This was not only for Qingru’s sake, but for the face of the entire Xie family.

As for Qingyuan, after saying this, she did not expect to hear a single word of comfort from the Old Madam. With no path for retreat once things had reached this stage, she turned and walked toward the Commander’s residence.

The Shen family had suffered a disaster years ago, and this gate had been rebuilt later; it looked tall and cold, with a "no strangers allowed" air. Like all residences of military generals, the court specifically assigned soldiers to guard the gate. The Shen family now controlled the Palace Command, and all the subordinates they used were transferred from the various guard units—clad in brocade and gold armor, standing guard with their hands on their blades. The sight was truly like the fearsome gate guardians in a New Year’s painting.

Perhaps because their family fortune had once withered and their kin had suffered heavy casualties, even after Shen Che married, he did not establish his own household, still living under the same roof as his brother. Qingyuan paused at the steps, steadied her spirit, and handed her calling card to Baoxian, telling her to present it. The guard on duty looked it over and asked in a loud voice, "I do not know what business the Miss of the Governor’s residence has in calling upon us?"

Qingyuan replied, "I must trouble you to report this: Xie Qingyuan of the Governor’s residence seeks an audience with Chief Commandant Shen."

To be honest, for a young and well-bred girl to run to a man’s residence with a maid at this hour and request an audience was truly an inconceivable affair. If her background were unknown, they could just chase her away, but this was the young lady of the Regional Governor of Jiannan, and she possessed such a striking appearance. The rough men began to let their imaginations run wild; perhaps this was a romantic debt the Chief Commandant had incurred outside, and the young lady had come to settle the score.

The two guards exchanged obscure, knowing glances, then looked down and said, "The Chief Commandant has not yet returned; Miss, please come back another day."

But she had seen with her own eyes that Shen Che had just returned. Perhaps this was just the most common excuse to turn away visitors. Qingyuan smiled. "I must see the Chief Commandant today; I ask that you be accommodating and relay my request."

Since the beautiful girl was so determined, it meant she surely had an urgent matter. Those military men could shout and roar at other men or the weak and elderly, but they couldn't be so crude to a beautiful young lady. With softened hearts, they said, "Miss, please wait a moment. I will go in and report for you."

Qingyuan nodded. Under the wide porch, her slender figure stood straight, possessing a natural, indomitable spirit.

Before long, the guard returned, stepped out, gestured with his hand, and invited her in. However, the accompanying Baoxian was blocked. "Does the Miss have a calling card?"

Baoxian was a maid; where would she get a calling card? She could only look at Qingyuan anxiously. Qingyuan felt helpless; since she was already here, there was no reason to retreat halfway, so she told her to wait outside. There were no other words to be said; she lightly squeezed her hand to reassure her, then lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold, following the leading maid.

The long, straight wooden corridor seemed to lead to nowhere; one could only see pomegranates and banana trees planted on both sides. After walking for a while, the building ahead was suddenly interrupted, connected only by a courtyard wall. The sunset shone over the top of the low wall, and for a moment, the people seemed to have fallen into a jar of honey-colored light. Qingyuan turned her head to look, unable to help but marvel that the last moment of the setting sun could have such glorious power.

The maid from the Commander’s residence was very humble and polite, bowing slightly as she said, "Miss, please follow me."

Qingyuan composed herself and followed her forward. A bit further on should be the reception area of the Commander’s residence—a vast, flowery hall with bamboo-woven curtains hanging at intervals. At a glance, it had much of the style of Hengtang architecture.

"Please wait a moment, Miss." The maid bowed, stepped back gently, and retreated behind the curtain.

Qingyuan stood alone in the vast hall. Every table and chair, every brick and pillar here was crafted with ingenuity; it was hard to imagine this was the residence of a military general. Yet, being left waiting was a bitter taste. She could not see a water clock and did not know how much time had passed, seeing only the setting sun slowly sinking, half of it obscured by the courtyard wall. The immense silence in this room was like solidified amber, making her feel suffocated and unable to stretch her limbs. If she did not start moving, she feared she might be swallowed whole.

She shifted her feet a few steps, and her circulation began to flow again; it was as if she could hear the sound of blood flowing through her body. The day grew late; lanterns were lit under the corridor on the other side of the bamboo curtains, and the tea the maid had served on the table had gone cold. She sighed quietly, suspecting that if things went on this way, she would neither see the person nor be able to leave, fearing she might have to spend the night in someone else’s reception room.

However, she had only let out half a sigh when the sound of footsteps approached from outside. Qingyuan’s heart leaped with joy. She hurriedly looked up, and a man with elegant features entered through the door. He was wearing a pine-smoke-colored round-collared robe with gold-embroidered python patterns on the sleeves. He had a pair of keen and clear eyes, like the first light of dawn hidden behind a mountain peak, shimmering slightly, shining directly into one’s heart.