Spring of the Blade - Chapter 39

Chapter 39

As the carriage headed toward the Commander's mansion, the wind from the window blew in, lifting the hair by Qingyuan’s temple and tickling her cheek. She tilted her head and rubbed against it—a childish movement that still held a sense of childlike innocence.

Baoxian reached over and gave her sleeve a gentle tug, clearly startled by the decision she had made earlier. "Miss, if the Commander asks about it later..."

Qingyuan gave her a reassuring look, telling her to set her heart at ease. When a person is oppressed for too long, they develop an extreme desire for destruction; she knew exactly what she was doing.

Qingru had been too well protected by the Xie family. Regardless of whether it was the Old Madam or Madame Hu, no matter how savage and cunning Qingru was, they would eventually overlook her behavior without asking for the reason. Qingyuan would never forget that slap; although she was an inconspicuous concubine-born daughter in the Xie family, she had been her grandparents' treasure in the Chen family, and no one had ever dared lay a finger on her. Yet, upon returning to the Xie family, being treated with such disdain—and when the Old Madam wouldn't even say a fair word, Qingru would refuse to apologize, and the matter would simply be dropped.

A gentleman takes revenge ten years later; Qingyuan had always been very patient. What is the most painful thing in the world? It is when a long-awaited dream is destroyed—you cannot argue, you cannot recover it. It is like water splashed on the ground; you cannot scoop it up or gather it back, you can only watch helplessly as it seeps into the dust. A person has no weaknesses only when they have no desires, but Qingru was full of desires and full of weaknesses; Li Congxin was her greatest ambition. What if this hope were crushed? Perhaps she would cry bitterly and become a laughingstock. She didn't want anything else to happen to Qingru; it was enough for her to be taught a harsh lesson just once.

"Guess how the Second Miss will wear that jade pendant?" Qingyuan smiled, pure and harmless. Someone who seeks quick success and instant benefits will inevitably use what they have obtained to the extreme. She was almost looking forward to Qingru's performance.

However, Baoxian remained worried. "I’m afraid this will offend the Commander..."

Indeed, this course of action was not necessarily without self-inflicted harm, but she wanted to gamble. Recent events had been like a layer of fog, always leaving her unable to see clearly. Perhaps this was an opportunity to break the deadlock; once she could straighten out those trivial threads, she would know which path to take in the future.

The distance between the Xie mansion and the Shen mansion was significant. In normal weather, the journey would have been fine, but it was becoming increasingly sultry, and being cooped up in that small space for so long was stifling. When the carriage finally stopped and the bells on the driver’s whip rattled, Baoxian pushed the door open and stepped out before turning back to assist her.

Fangchun emerged from the gate. This time, she didn't call her "little sister," but addressed her politely as "Fourth Miss." Of course, they were still familiar; she winked at her secretly and whispered, "You’ve had a tiring journey. I’ve prepared iced tea; hurry inside."

After being married, even if one dislikes socializing, one must learn to maneuver. Fangchun went to greet the other young ladies of the Xie family, acknowledging their seniority one by one, and smiled, "I have heard from the Fourth Miss that you are all close in age. How wonderful that is—with the four of you standing together, you all look about the same age. Sisters of similar age always have things to talk about."

Qingru had heard people discussing the life of this Deputy Commander’s wife at various banquets. Although she had leaped through the dragon gate by marrying into a prominent family, that didn't change the fact that her maternal family’s status was low. In this day and age, most noblewomen cared deeply about social standing; someone like the Deputy Commander’s wife, who came from humble beginnings, truly couldn't catch her eye.

Of course, these thoughts remained private; on her face, she still wore a proper smile, and every move she made met the standards of a lady from a prominent house.

Qinghe was the eldest of the sisters and it was appropriate for her to return the courtesy to the Deputy Commander’s wife on behalf of her younger sisters. She gave a proper curtsy and smiled, "Thank you for the hospitality. With so many of us here, we must be troubling you, Madame."

"Not at all," Fangchun laughed. "The men have busy official duties and are rarely at home. I am delighted to have an opportunity as lively as this. The male guests have their own hosts; we don't need to worry about them. Are you girls hot from the journey? I’ve sent people to place ice chests in the rooms; it will be cool once you go inside." She took the Eldest Miss by the hand, then the Second Miss, while her gaze also welcomed the Third Miss, cordially inviting them all into the mansion.

Sure enough, upon entering, they saw a giant bronze ice chest sitting in the center of the room—even larger than the one brought to the Protectorate Temple that day. Qingyuan couldn't help but chuckle. Fangchun’s summer could not be separated from this treasure; she was so afraid of the heat. The bronze chest was easy to find, but supplying the ice inside it was no easy task.

With both the ice chest and the seven-wheeled fans—where two maids knelt to the side, slowly rotating the shafts—the cool air from the ice chest was carried by the breeze, and the room felt cool in an instant. Fangchun, fulfilling her duty as the hostess, ordered people to prepare herbal tea and iced fruits and pastries. After finishing these tasks, she still had to manage the male guests, and being one person, she found herself lacking the time to attend to everything. Finally, she smiled and consulted with everyone, "Since there are no elders at today’s banquet, and there is only Chunzhi there besides your brothers, and everyone has already met the Commander and the Deputy Commander... why don't we move everyone to one place? It would be livelier with more people. Just like the Spring Banquet in Hengtang—there weren't that many taboos to begin with, and our insistence on maintaining such a strict separation between men and women only makes us look like we are putting on airs."

Since the hostess had said as much, no one had any reason to object. They rose one after another and moved to the grand flower hall. Qingyuan had never been here before; seeing the spacious and grand hall, she couldn't help but sigh at how expansive it was! The north and south floor-to-ceiling windows were open, with bamboo curtains hanging neatly. Sunlight pierced through the texture of the bamboo, casting a dappled tiger-stripe pattern on the lotus-green tiles. This was the world of men—cold, resolute, and imposing. The people in the flower hall, who had been chatting freely, all stood up to welcome them as they moved over, and the heroic, vast spirit of the "Knight-Errant" was suddenly infused with the gentle, winding melodies of "Parting at the Yang Pass"—the rigidity could no longer remain rigid.

Among so many people, except for the Zhengze brothers who had come to the banquet with genuine intentions, everyone else had their own little schemes. Li Congxin was delighted to see Qingyuan stepping out from behind the flower-patterned gate; Qingru was delighted that her heart would finally have a place to land. She had carefully considered it in the carriage earlier: from beginning to end, she seemed to have never expressed her thoughts to Chunzhi. If things went on like this, she feared she would miss a good opportunity. Qingyuan had always lived her life keeping her tail tucked; since she dared not climb up to the Danyang Marquis’s residence, it would be fine if this young Marquis lost hope. Look, the jade pendant he gifted her had been passed on to someone else, and the roster he had kindly provided to help her out of her plight had allowed her to find a more glorious benefactor—what was the Third Young Master thinking? Last time at the Great Buddha Temple, she had stood in for Qingyuan to meet him, and hadn't they conversed happily? He was clearly a gentle and affectionate man; perhaps he didn't lack feelings for her entirely. If she were more proactive, if she pressed him a little, it was not impossible to force a good outcome.

Therefore, that jade pendant appeared in a conspicuous position on her bodice, where everyone opposite could see it, including Li Congxin. For a young lady to go to such lengths, wearing a man’s accessory on herself, showed how determined she was—to a degree that moved even herself.

Li Congxin naturally saw it, and he was secretly astonished by the decisiveness of the Xie family’s Second Miss. Coincidentally, Zhengze was sitting right next to him; he leaned his head over and, smiling, raised his chin slightly, "It turns out your younger sister is already spoken for. Why have I never heard you mention it before?"

Zhengze was stunned for a long while, almost doubting if he had missed something. When had Qingru promised herself to someone? Why hadn't he known? Therefore, when Li Congxin asked, he couldn't answer. Looking at his younger sister sitting primly opposite, he felt deeply embarrassed; he wished his sigh could travel to her ears so she would quickly hide that man’s item and stop embarrassing herself.

Qingyuan was still sitting with Qinghe, mindlessly putting a pastry on Qinghe’s plate and whispering, "Does food taste better from another person’s kitchen? Why do I feel like the cherry cakes in the Shen mansion taste better than ours?"

Two days ago, Qinghe had received a letter from Li Guanling. The letter was filled with deep affection, promising that the marriage would remain unchanged. Her family was already looking for an auspicious date; once one was selected, they would prepare the official betrothal documents and send them to Youzhou by swift horse to set the date. Having received such a promise, Qinghe’s heart was finally settled, and she ignored the affairs of the world, putting all her energy into small trifles. Hearing Qingyuan say this, she lifted her sleeve and raised her chopsticks, "Really? Let me try."

The banquet could not be without elegant music and song and dance. The Kucha girls, dancing the Hu Teng (Sogdian dance), danced in. Their skirts, cut into strips, were puffed up like lanterns. Their snowy-white lotus feet spun on brocade cushions the size of plates, each step landing with such precision that it seemed as if they would take root the moment their toes touched the ground. Everyone’s emotions were stirred, and the sound of clapping erupted one after another. Qingyuan, who had been busy eating pastries, finally raised her eyes, her face wearing a smile, as she tapped along to the intense melody.

This Hu Teng dance possessed a nimble, winding charm, as well as a wild, rugged intensity. The Kucha girls wore animal bone ornaments hanging from their waists, while their wrists were bound with exquisite bells. Four people, four pairs of hands, shaking together, gathering to form the shape of a lotus flower, and then bursting apart in an instant; wherever those petals lingered, a pair of eyes and two lines of sight remained. Qingyuan couldn't dodge in time and bumped straight into them; they were Shen Run’s eyes, looking toward her with indifference.

The Palace Guard was always meticulous in handling matters; it was impossible that he hadn't seen the large "signboard" Qingru was wearing on her chest, yet he didn't seem to have even the slightest fluctuation of emotion. The more this was the case, the more uneasy Qingyuan felt.

"When will this banquet end?" Qingyuan smiled, turning her gaze away to say to Qinghe, "I want to go home."

Qinghe was also bored to death, though she had to pretend on the surface that she was interested. She whispered, "My face feels like it has been nailed in place; I honestly don't know what I am smiling at."

Speaking of this, she actually wanted to laugh. It turned out everyone was barely coping; the Commander’s banquet was truly not something easy to stomach.

However, the most difficult part had passed, and everything became lively again. After the meal, Qingyuan had been anxious for a while, but discovered that Shen Run had not come to give her trouble, and her long-suspended heart was finally let go.

The previous flat-out denial had resulted in an unspeakable predicament this time; indeed, there was a destined outcome in the dark. Commander Shen should have noticed Qingru by now, right? Coaxing Qingru into wearing that jade pendant could both cut off her hopes of marrying into the Danyang Marquis’s residence and also divert Shen Run’s attention toward her—achieving two ends at once, which was consistent with Qingyuan’s original plan.

Fangchun was also a bit confused. "That Second Miss of yours... why is she wearing a man’s pendant?"

Qingyuan smiled and shook her head.

Fangchun felt a bit helpless; when someone is too headstrong, it is truly difficult to steer them. She didn't intend to manage it further and turned to call for the maids to bring in a large fruit table, piled with various fruits and cold snacks, for anyone to take what they wanted.

On the other side of the flower hall, after the Hu Teng dance, two men replaced them to perform the Kangju sword dance. That foreign performance was flashy; the back of the sword seemed to grow on their bodies, from the back of their necks all the way down to their waists and abdomens, pressing against their skin, able to be swung into flowers.

Qingyuan didn't like to watch that; she always felt it was too bloody. She didn't know when a slip would lead to a bloody disaster. Therefore, she walked out of the flower hall, preferring to go to the corridor to look at the scenery. Inside was too noisy, with bursts of bili (reed pipe) playing that made one’s head ache; the outside was quieter. The courtyards in Youzhou were built very deep—unlike Hengtang, where buildings were constructed in tube shapes, making people in the atrium feel as if they had sunk to the bottom of a pond. The depth here was a depth of scenery, with one view after another extending into the distance. They say Jiangnan gardens possess unique ingenuity, but in terms of layout, Youzhou is much more refined than Hengtang.

If it could rain, the garden after the rain would surely be more beautiful than under the bright sun... Qingyuan was just pondering this when a small door at the side suddenly opened without warning. Someone reached out and dragged her in.

It was the arm strength of a man, the momentum of the pull being astonishing. Qingyuan’s heart felt like it would jump out of her throat; she stumbled, unable to steady herself, and threw herself headlong into the man’s arms.

As for who that person was, there was no need to verify! She was both shocked and annoyed, not knowing why private meetings were always like this—last time in the alley, this time she was dragged in again. After barely standing firm, she panicked and pushed him away, retreating a few steps until she hit a long table, leaning her back against it. Unable to put on a stern face, she stammered, "Commander, let’s speak properly, shall we? You are always like this—it is highly improper."

"Improper?" Shen Run laughed. "I have never been a person who pays attention to propriety." Seeing her look toward the wall shared with the neighboring flower hall, he pressed even closer. "I advise you to think thrice, Miss. If you draw people here, I’m afraid it won't matter if you don't want to follow me—you won't have a choice."

Qingyuan was not a foolish person; for a fleeting moment, she did think of calling for help, but she dismissed the idea just as quickly. Young ladies always lose out on this point; the more one cares about one’s reputation, the easier it is for others to manipulate you.

Shen Run had frequented the world of romance and pleasure; his methods of manipulation were naturally numerous. He lowered his head, one hand propped on the table beside her, the corners of his lips curled into a smile. That posture and expression were like an exquisite and elegant beast, clutching her tightly so she had nowhere to escape.

He liked the way she lost her composure; from the first time she entered his mansion, speaking eloquently and without being overbearing or servile, he had a desire to see just how brave this young child was. Having seen it now, her courage was indeed great. Although he had seen through the hidden meaning behind it at a glance, having his own personal jade pendant worn on another woman was enough to make him feel humiliated.

Qingyuan felt uncomfortable and couldn't understand why this Commander, who was so dignified in front of others, acted so frivolously behind their backs. The martial officer’s physique was tall and robust, and dealing with a young girl was as easy as turning over his hand. He was standing too close; once the distance between people was breached, it inevitably made her feel unsafe.

His warm breath fell faintly against her ear; she instinctively flinched. "Commander, please respect yourself. Although I am insignificant, I am a girl from a decent family."

"A decent family?" He gave a soft laugh. "Does the Xie family count as a decent family to you?"

Qingyuan was left speechless by his question. The Xie family indeed did not count as a decent family; everyone was selfish and greedy. There was nothing she could do about being born into such a family, but one could not deny that she was a pure young lady.

"I will only ask you one thing." His low, suppressed-anger voice echoed in her ear. "My gift to you—why is it on someone else?"

Qingyuan shrank back, as if she could feel the cold, hard sensation of fangs against her neck. She retreated an inch, and he pressed forward an inch, until she was bent into an awkward arc; only then did he pause, satisfied, waiting for her to give him an answer.

"Commander, have you forgotten about the events of that day at the Protectorate Temple? I wanted to return the item to you time and again, but you insisted that it wasn't your item. Since it isn't..." She smiled innocently. "Naturally, I am free to dispose of it as I please."

"Hmm?" His tone was peculiar. Seeing her still smiling, he realized this young lady was somewhat troublesome. However, this calmness in the face of danger truly exceeded his expectations. He became even more interested, saying lazily, "The Fourth Miss isn't planning to adorn me with flowery language about 'a promise being worth nine tripods,' is she? Shen Run’s reputation is notorious—hasn't the Fourth Miss heard? Since you are keeping my things, you should have kept them well. You cannot discard them, nor can you gift them to others. You have done this today, and it disappoints me deeply. Shen Run is a person who reports every grievance; if you have angered me, have you thought about what will happen next?"

At this point, playing dumb was useless. Qingyuan took a breath, attempting to negotiate with him: "Commander, can we stand up straight and speak? Actually, observing the intentions of the elders in my family recently, they do indeed have the intention of forming a marriage alliance with you. In my humble opinion, given your family status, it would be more fitting to marry a legitimate daughter. Since I have passed on your jade pendant, why doesn't the Commander consider my Second Sister? She was born to the Madam, is deeply loved by the Old Madam, and if the Commander is willing, I can act as the matchmaker for you both. What does the Commander think of that?”