Spring of the Blade - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Those who had originally prepared to wail in grief froze. It was like a cluster of air bubbles rolling up from the bottom of a river, only to lose its shape midway and shatter into countless tiny fragments. By the time they reached the surface, they possessed no force; they were nothing more than a faint, rustling sound that vanished into nothingness.

Lady Hu stood up abruptly, her temples throbbing violently. Thinking she had misheard, she hurriedly asked again, "She returned? How did she return?"

In truth, what she really wanted to ask was how the girl had entered the house—was she carried in horizontal or vertical?

Qingru was in a panic, unable to understand why something so certain had suddenly gone awry. Yet she could not ask. The servant said: "It was Commander Shen of the Palace Guard Headquarters and the Third Young Master of the Danyang Marquis family who brought her back. They are already at the gate and are heading into the garden now." She saw the expression on her mother’s face transition from hesitation to confusion, from horror to joy. Every shift in expression was like a giant millstone pushing forward; as she watched, she detected a hair-raising sense of malice beneath the mask of a forced smile.

"Amitabha," Lady Hu’s eyes filled with tears. "Truly, the heavens have eyes..."

Everyone in the room went out to welcome them. On the other side of the moon gate, people were already entering.

As dusk deepened, a lingering, furious cloud still clung to the southwest corner of the garden. A hint of red, mingled with the black shadows beneath the grass at the base of the wall, formed a strange world. Someone walked across that chaos, his ornate clothes beneath his armor glowing like blood. Removing his helmet, he revealed an impeccable face and performed a salute to Old Madam Xie with clasped hands: "Old Matriarch."

Old Madam Xie had yet to regain her composure, nodding hurriedly: "Commander... Commander, for you to grace us with your presence..."

Everything had happened too suddenly. Just when everyone believed the Fourth Miss was doomed, no one had expected her to return to the mansion with such an entourage. Lady Hu had not been unprepared; she had assumed that even if Qingyuan survived, a young lady who had gone missing for a day and a night could never hold her head high in the Xie family again. She had a hundred ways to dispose of this concubine-born daughter who had brought shame upon the family—marrying her off to a farmer or sending her to a convent as a nun; the Fourth Miss would never have a chance to turn her life around. Yet, she had returned, and she had done so alongside Shen Run and Li Congxin. Lady Hu suddenly felt a genuine sense of terror. Shen Run was in charge of investigations and criminal law; did his appearance mean that the people who had carried out the attack had all fallen into the hands of the Palace Guard?

The Old Madam was the world's foremost expert at reading the situation. The faint, lingering desire to keep things under wraps was now completely replaced by joy. Seeing Qingyuan following behind Shen Run, she hurried forward a few steps, reaching out her hands and crying: "My flesh and blood, you nearly scared your grandmother to death! Where have you been this whole day and night! I sent your brothers to search all over Youzhou, why could they not find you?"

Qingyuan was also quite skilled at putting on a performance. She threw herself into the Old Madam’s arms accordingly, sobbing: "Grandmother, I was on my way back from Bihai Temple when I encountered thugs. They killed the driver, and if the Commander hadn't happened to pass by, I wouldn't be here today." While crying, she glanced at Shen Run. As the only person who knew the truth, he surely admired her ability to shed tears so readily. After his initial astonishment, he seemed to digest the situation, quickly adopting a look of mutual understanding.

The Old Madam naturally had to thank Shen Run. "What can I even say? The Commander is our family's savior. Last time you helped our Master out of a bind, and this time you saved the Fourth Miss's life. This kindness, even if we were ground to powder, the Xie family could never fully repay."

Having spent a long time in officialdom, Shen Run had his own experience. He maintained his humble demeanor, saying he did not deserve such praise. "It was merely a small effort. I happened to be passing by on official business. Even if it hadn't been the young lady of your esteemed house, I would have had to rescue them. Finding out it was the Fourth Miss afterward can be counted as fate."

The word "fate" made Qingyuan’s heart leap with terror, making her forget to even cry. The Old Madam naturally noticed this and, sensing the underlying meaning, brushed it off with a stream of polite formalities to gloss over it. Turning her attention to Li Congxin, she quickly called out, "Young Marquis," and added anxiously, "I did not expect to trouble you once again. I was truly at my wit's end; when Brother Lun said he wanted to entrust this to Chunzhi, I let him go."

Li Congxin smiled. "I didn't help much. I just inquired and found out that Fourth Sister was at the Palace Guard Headquarters, so I rushed over to pick her up."

Since there was no harm done, it was a cause for celebration. Madam Jiang greeted them from the side: "The Commander and the Young Marquis specially escorted the Fourth Miss back; you must be exhausted from the journey. Please, go inside and rest." She lowered her voice to instruct Yuejian, "At this hour, we must surely offer them a meal; get things prepared quickly."

Yuejian acknowledged the order and turned to issue instructions. Those serving tea and those on duty in the kitchen became busy. Madam Jiang’s overstepping of authority made Lady Hu appear lost and dejected.

This could not go on. Lady Hu steadied herself and called out to Yuejian, "There won't be enough time; no need to prepare anything here. It will be faster to order a ready-made banquet from Hongxi Mansion."

Yuejian agreed and hurriedly sent a servant out.

Turning back to enter the main room, even though she felt a deep-seated hatred, she had to act out the scene of a kind mother and respectful daughter. Lady Hu took hold of Qingyuan and said tearfully, "My child, last night you frightened the Old Madam, and you frightened us all. I thought you would be back by a certain time, but by the time the garden gates were locked, the servant came to report that you had not reached home. I was anxious and sent men out to ask, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea—there was no news at all. The Old Madam was worried for you and cried until her eyes were swollen. I was torn between worrying about you and comforting the Old Madam; I felt as if I were being roasted on a fire. Fortunately, you have finally returned. Before your father went to war, he gave me repeated instructions to take good care of the household; if you were to suffer any misfortune, how would I answer to your father!"

Lady Hu spoke with great emotion, shedding tears as she did so. To an outsider, she might truly have seemed like a saintly legal mother.

Since she was willing to put on a great performance, Qingyuan naturally had to play along, offering gentle comfort: "Madam, please do not cry. Am I not perfectly fine? Look, I haven't even scraped a patch of skin. I don't know if it's my mother’s spirit in heaven protecting me, or if those bandits were just too incompetent. Regardless, the gang of thieves has been captured by the Palace Guard Headquarters and are currently being strictly interrogated. Sooner or later, we will find out who bought them off and who ordered them. At that time, they will surely give us an explanation." While speaking, she gently pulled herself away from Lady Hu’s grasp, looking at her with eyes that seemed to hold a profound smile. "I suspect that before the bandits acted, they must have inquired and known that I am the daughter of a Regional Envoy. Madam, think about it: if they knew I was a member of the Envoy’s household and still dared to act, either they had nothing to fear, or they knew my status was lowly and I was easy to bully. If this had happened to the Second Sister, what would have happened? I fear they would have mobilized the city garrison long ago and wiped out their nest in one fell swoop."

Lady Hu was no fool; how could she not understand the hidden barbs in her words? They were all clever people; they had known the truth all along, and this was merely a surface-level pretense. To use Qingru for comparison was truly meaningless. If the King of Hell wanted someone to die, could it be passed on to someone else? Lady Hu wiped her teary eyes and said, "Except for Qingru, none of you sisters were born to me, but my heart toward all of you is the same. You are young and do not know the ways of the world. The city garrison is under public command, and we cannot mobilize them privately. Even if it were really your Second Sister who encountered this, there would be nothing we could do. Fortunately, you have returned safely; this is the greatest of fortunes within a misfortune. Go and recuperate for two days to calm your nerves. I know you have worked hard for your concubine-mother’s affairs, and with yesterday’s incident on top of that, even a person made of iron would likely not be able to handle it."

This is the world of women: hidden arrows and open blades, give-and-take. Many things, if you do not listen carefully, are difficult to decipher. It is the same in most great families; where there are women, there is conflict. It is just that ordinary families might at most stop communicating when they lose their temper, but in the Xie family, a moment of carelessness could mean the loss of a life. Fortunately, Qingyuan could handle it herself, while Shen Run directed all his attention toward Old Madam Xie.

In the flower hall, the four corners were lit with lamps. The lamp shades were made of white-glazed glass, casting a pale, sky-blue light that did not feel overly oppressive or hot. The Old Madam politely invited the Commander to the seat of honor. Shen Run could not refuse, so he sat down generously.

The initial waves of joy and sorrow had mostly been vented by now. Shen Run gestured for the Old Madam to sit and said in a deep voice: "I happen to be handling this case, so I must report the details and progress to the Old Matriarch. Looking at this case now, it does not seem like a typical robbery. The perpetrators knew the Fourth Miss’s background. If it were for money, they wouldn't have chosen to act when the Fourth Miss was at the temple performing memorial services. If it were for lust... for a gang of thugs to mobilize so much force to snatch one girl seems unwise. Moreover, the Fourth Miss is still young; one cannot yet tell if she is a beauty. There are plenty of women in Youzhou city more beautiful than her. If the bandits had taken a fancy to the Fourth Miss's beauty..." He flicked a light glance at Qingyuan and shook his head slowly, "...they would not have been so short-sighted. If it was neither robbery for wealth nor lust, then the Old Matriarch should consider if the Xie family has any feuds with anyone—if someone is intent on revenge against the Xie family and used the Fourth Miss as the first target."

Old Madam Xie pondered for a long time. "Our Xie family has always been benevolent and has never had any grudges with anyone..." As she spoke, she looked at him, thinking to herself that this Commander Shen was an old fox. If one were to speak of the greatest enemy, who else could it be but Fu Chunshan, whom he had ordered to be brought down last time? However, the Fu family had been thoroughly dealt with by the Palace Guard from top to bottom. Even if there were stragglers, they were struggling to save their own lives at this moment; would they have the heart to retaliate against the Xie family? She thought over and over again but still shook her head. "We have not been back to Youzhou for decades. If we speak of enemies, we certainly have none."

Shen Run said "oh" and looked again at the girl who was clearly indignant at his deliberate belittling. Her angry expression was indescribably cute. He was suddenly in a great mood and said calmly, "Since it is not targeted at the Xie family, could it be that someone is deliberately targeting the Fourth Miss? I presume that would not be the case; a girl in the boudoir, how could she offend anyone? I have dealt with the Fourth Miss twice and have found her to be very well-behaved; she does not seem the type to invite hatred."

These words were quite scholarly—progressive, building up to something, and minimizing the rest. With just a few lighthearted remarks, he drew that dark fire toward Lady Hu.

Who in the household did not know that ever since the Fourth Miss returned, Lady Hu had never given her a break? The heart of this matriarch was smaller than the eye of a needle; she could tolerate the slaves and servants who lived for free in the house, but she could not tolerate a concubine-born daughter recognizing her ancestors. Coupled with the fact that Qingru had suffered a setback due to the jade pendant a few days ago, who was to say that Lady Hu had not decided to take drastic action and secretly sent people to eliminate Qingyuan?

Consequently, the gazes of those present were intentionally or unintentionally fixed upon Lady Hu. But the matriarch remained composed, and that immovable aura suggested that even if someone brought the witnesses before her, she would not lower her head to admit guilt.

Shen Run lightly curled the corners of his lips. Seeing a speck of white fluff land on his robe, he flicked it away with his finger, lowered his eyes, and said languidly: "Old Matriarch, please rest assured. As long as that gang of thugs is still in my Palace Guard Headquarters, I have ways to dig deep into them and unearth the mastermind. I have a habit: any case I cannot solve weighs on my mind constantly. As long as the true culprit is not captured, the Palace Guard Headquarters will pay attention to the Fourth Miss’s safety every day. The Fourth Miss is a witness in this case; if needed, I will summon her to the office for questioning at any time. I also ask the Old Matriarch to do me a favor and ensure the Fourth Miss remains intact until the case is solved. If there is any further mishap, then I have reason to suspect that there is a mole within the Xie household. By then, any other crimes committed by those bandits will also be counted against the Xie family. In that case, the prestige of the century-old Xie clan will no longer be preserved." After a solid threat, he changed into a smiling expression. "The Old Matriarch should have heard of the methods of the Palace Guard Headquarters!"

The darkness of the Palace Guard Headquarters—who in this world did not know of it? There were many cases they had vindicated, but naturally, there were also many wrongful and false cases. They were a group of villains in splendid robes; take any one of them and they were sons of high ministers. A group of people who used their power to commit crimes could think of thousands of ways to torture people—for instance, the water chair or the stone bath. It didn't sound like much, but a detailed description was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

Old Madam Xie naturally weighed the gravity of Shen Run’s words. Although every word was about official business, the underlying tone was entirely about the protection of Qingyuan. Though she could not yet see the intricacies of the situation and felt there was something suspicious, she could not say much else. She could only agree wholeheartedly, smiling: "Before she provides her testimony, the Fourth Miss is first a daughter of the Xie family. This does not require the Commander’s reminder; I will naturally do my utmost."

Shen Run nodded, stood up, and bowed. "I have returned her safely to your esteemed residence; one important task is concluded. The office still has much official business pending, so I will take my leave."

As soon as he made a move, the guards who had marched directly in and stood outside the door took a step forward. The heavy sound of their feet hitting the floor made everyone’s heart jump.

Lady Hu felt as if she had been deep at the bottom of a pool, and only now did she struggle out of the suffocating undertow, forcing herself to say: "We have already prepared a light banquet; won't the Commander have a meal before leaving?"

Shen Run said there was no need. "If there is an opportunity in the future, I will come to trouble your residence again."

The people from the Palace Guard Headquarters moved like the wind—coming with flying sand and rolling stones, and departing like a whirlwind sweeping away the remnants. For a moment, the people in the main room were bewildered. After a short, stunned moment, they remembered Li Congxin was still there and put on smiling faces once more to entertain him.

"Since the Commander has official business to attend to, let us be seated for the meal!" The Old Madam offered the young marquis a tired smile. "This matter has disturbed so many people; we truly feel embarrassed. Now that the Fourth Miss has returned unscathed, the heavy stone in my heart has finally fallen. Young Marquis, please; let us move to the flower hall for the banquet. In any case, we are all our own people, so there is no need for the formality of separate tables."

Li Congxin, however, did not follow the Old Madam’s suggestion. Turning to look at Qingyuan, he said: "It is extremely fortunate that Fourth Sister encountered the Palace Guard Headquarters on official duty yesterday. Had it not been for the Commander’s rescue, the consequences would have been unthinkable. I brought her back today, firstly to give the Old Matriarch and Brother Zhengren an explanation, and secondly, because I have something to report to the Old Matriarch in person."

The Young Marquis’s grave expression put everyone on high alert. A dozen pairs of eyes fixed upon him. Today, they had already received too many shocks; the hearts that had just been set at ease were suspended once more. The Old Matriarch nodded with discouragement and resignation. "Young Marquis, whatever you have to say, speak freely."

He stepped back two paces, standing on the huge floor tiles in the center of the main room. He bowed respectfully to Old Madam Xie and then to Lady Hu, saying loudly: "I, Li Congxin, though untalented, wish to formally propose marriage to the Fourth Miss of the Xie family today. I had discussed this with my mother earlier, but due to various misunderstandings, Fourth Sister suffered unmerited humiliation. It was truly my fault. Today, I present this petition to the Old Matriarch personally; it is my own decision. As long as you and the Fourth Sister agree, I will ride with all speed back to Hengtang tomorrow to inform my parents and prepare the three letters and six rites to present the betrothal gifts to the Fourth Miss.”