Spring of the Blade - Chapter 72

Chapter 72

The moment these words were spoken, not only were the mistress and maid, Qingyuan and Baoxian, stunned, but even Fangchun herself was frozen in shock.

Baoxian hurriedly seized the opening to pursue the matter: "Mistress, what you just said... it's a bit confusing. Isn't the Commander planning to betroth himself to the second young lady of Magistrate Mu's family? Why are you..." She glanced at Qingyuan and laughed, "Why are you calling our young lady 'Sister-in-law'? Did you misspeak, or is there some misunderstanding?"

Fangchun could have kicked herself for her loose tongue. She had been strictly warned time and again not to reveal a single word to Qingyuan. Her brother-in-law had been secretly preparing for a long time, just to enjoy the moment of personally revealing the truth. She had even reminded herself to keep the secret before leaving the house, yet she let it slip in the very next sentence. If Qingyuan and her maid had been a bit more dim-witted, she might have been able to hoodwink them, but they had clearly noticed the slip and were pressing her. Her face fell, and she stammered, looking left and right, trying to change the subject, "What... no misunderstanding, it was just a slip of the tongue... a mistake... just a mistake."

Baoxian looked at Qingyuan, who remained quite calm. Qingyuan pondered for a moment and asked, "When are the Commander and the second young lady of the Mu family getting engaged?"

Fangchun couldn't quite answer that and spoke vaguely, "At any rate... it should be within these few days!"

For such a major event, with even the betrothal gifts supposedly prepared, the fact that she couldn't name a precise date was truly preposterous. Qingyuan smiled, "Then, has the wedding date been set?"

Fangchun’s face went blank again, "It seems to be... next month, I think."

"Has Sister met the second young lady of the Mu family?" Qingyuan asked. "In this mansion, only you are the mistress of the house. You must be worrying yourself sick over the Commander's wedding. What does the second young lady of the Mu family look like? Is she pretty?"

Fangchun’s head was spinning. The engagement was a fabrication—where on earth could she have met this Mu young lady? If she said she hadn't met her, it would be even harder to explain; as future sisters-in-law, how could she not be curious and have interacted with her at least once?

"I've met her," Fangchun said, biting the bullet. "Naturally, she is extremely beautiful. She has a face like the bright moon, and when she smiles, she has two dimples. Her temper is also very good; she talked to me quite a bit. Living under the same roof in the future, we will surely get along well."

Qingyuan nodded slowly, "I have heard of this young lady. She went to the palace for selection with my third sister earlier. They say she is perfect in every way, but her stature is a bit petite—I fear she only reaches our shoulders."

Fangchun thought to herself that being so short didn't sound right at all—she had to embellish it a little. She replied, "That's not the case. She’s just delicate, not exactly short." As she spoke, she gestured toward her ear, "Around here."

After hearing her response, Qingyuan suddenly let out a long, heavy sigh.

Yes, why hadn't she realized it earlier? Everything—absolutely everything—was clearly manufactured by Shen Run’s own hands. He spread the news of the engagement, yet even he couldn't name a specific date because the day depended on her progress here. When the Old Madam arrived, he painted a rosy picture of the prospects of acquiring titles and honors; once the Old Madam realized there was no hope for her fourth granddaughter and she could no longer hold out for a better offer, she had no choice but to settle, so as to exchange Qingyuan for Shen Run's help in saving her husband's life. The Xie family's carriage had arrived in the glow of the setting sun and delivered their granddaughter into the man's home just as the lamps were being lit in the Shen mansion. They left immediately, without staying for even a moment. What face would they have to claim her as kin in the future?

He was doing this to completely sever her ties with the Xie family. Such painstaking effort and comprehensive planning—if she wasn't mistaken, the Chen grandparents were likely already on their way to Youzhou.

Qingyuan's nose turned sour. This "villain"—even in moments of lingering affection, he didn't forget to display his tactics, fearing she might become too proud and deny him the chance to bully her. She had spent the whole night wallowing in resentment; fortunately, she hadn't blurted out her true feelings. Otherwise, wouldn't she have let him off too easily? It would have given him another talking point: "It was you who cried and begged to marry me; for your sake, I had no choice but to break off the engagement with the Mu family."

Seeing her eyes brim with tears, Fangchun actually felt quite uncomfortable. She didn't quite understand her brother-in-law's penchant for such things; what was the point of deceiving a girl like this? She gently tugged at Qingyuan's sleeve, "Don't cry. Just stay in our mansion; I guarantee you it will be alright."

Little did she know, Qingyuan said dejectedly, "What I am sad about is not that the Xie family abandoned me, nor is it that I am being asked to be the Commander’s concubine."

Fangchun was bewildered, "Then what are you sad about?"

Those clean, bright eyes gazed intensely at her, "What I am sad about is that I trusted you so much, yet you helped him deceive me."

Fangchun was dumbfounded, "I... when did I deceive you!"

"That second young lady of the Mu family—you have never met her at all. It is true that she is beautiful, but she is not talkative, and she doesn't seem easy to approach. Moreover, she is very tall—half a head taller than both of us. How could you say she is shorter than us? It is clear you were bluffing. Given your personality, if we were truly to become family, there is no way you wouldn't have met her first. Your calmness in this matter proves there was no need to meet her. Am I right or not?"

Now, Fangchun had nothing to say for herself. She muttered to herself, "Like family, like kin. The older brother is in charge of espionage and criminal law, and the sister-in-law is no less sharp—setting traps for me in the middle of a conversation... This isn't something I wanted to spill; she figured it out all on her own. Big Brother, you can't blame me."

Seeing that Fangchun had no response, the heavy stone in Qingyuan's heart finally settled. At last, she no longer felt as if she were hanging by a thread, like a duckweed drifting with nowhere to go.

The whole world might betray her, but there was still Shen Run—he would not betray her. This man, seasoned by experience, having seen all the sights of the world, once he set his sights on someone, he was as resolute as a stone and would stop at nothing. She used to look down on someone with such a scandalous reputation, and like all sheltered girls, she had kept her distance from such people. However, she had overlooked one advantage: what she didn't love, others didn't love either, which saved her from all those people trying to cling to or entangle him—it actually saved her a great deal of trouble.

"Sister," she pulled Fangchun's hand, "I want to hear one truth from you. For whom did the Commander make such a big display this time?"

Fangchun was crestfallen, "I don't know anything, and I won't say anything."

Qingyuan laughed, "Don't worry, tell me quietly; I will never betray you. I was just planning to find a way to leave the Shen mansion, but if you tell me, I won't go, and that will save me all that trouble."

Fangchun sighed. Thinking that her brother-in-law was currently rushing to the capital and wasn't around, she figured she could spill the beans and then escape back to her own courtyard, brushing herself clean of the matter. In truth, carrying such a secret was incredibly painful, so she smiled awkwardly, "Well... just for the sake of our bond, I'll tell you in secret. All this talk of Mu second young lady or third young lady is just a transaction between the Commander and the Mu family. The Mu family didn't want their daughter to enter the palace and made every excuse to refuse. Finally, they begged the Commander to help them resolve it. The Commander agreed to handle it for them, but on the condition that the Mu family allow him to broadcast the news of his engagement to their second daughter. The Mu family naturally had no objections; it was all just empty words. As long as there was no formal exchange of betrothal gifts, it wouldn't affect the second young lady's reputation. The Commander used this as a facade to make such a grand display of things in the mansion." She paused and added, "However, I have heard whispers that the Mu family does genuinely intend to marry into the family. Think about it: the Commander is a high official of the second rank. The honor and favor bestowed by the Emperor on the Three Yamen is enough to make many people drool. If one really married the Commander, the title of 'Lady' would be guaranteed. The Mu family is itching to turn this fake engagement into a real one."

Hearing this, a sense of urgency took root in Qingyuan's heart. After all, there were always people trying to fish money out of a boiling pot, let alone a man who, aside from his reputation, was flawless in every way.

"Has the Mu family sent people over?"

Since Qingyuan was interested in finding out, Fangchun didn't hold back, "The Magistrate entrusted the Defense Commissioner of Junzhou to speak of it at a banquet a few days ago, taking advantage of the moment to say that the Mu family's Old Madam often praised the Commander to the skies, and that although the second young lady was quiet, she was capable of managing a household. They said the Commander and she were a perfect match."

Qingyuan was silent for a moment before asking, "And how did the Commander respond?"

Fangchun waved her hand, "The Commander naturally refused. He said, without covering or hiding, that his heart was already pledged to someone else. Our Second Master came back and told me that it happened right in front of so many people—it was so embarrassing. Big Brother is really such a shameless man."

This remark pleased not just Qingyuan, but even Baoxian, who tugged at her young lady’s sleeve, her eyes filled with joyful smiles.

Whether it was true or not—perhaps Fangchun said it intentionally just to contrast Shen Run with Li Congxin—Qingyuan believed it. That Commander indeed cared little for "face." Besides, he didn't have many friends and didn't need to put on a show in front of them; otherwise, how could he have such a reputation? Every time Commander Shen was mentioned, the first thing people said was that he was impossible to deal with.

Fangchun had spilled all the secrets she had. Only then did she feel afraid, repeating again and again, "Just forget you heard this. Please, whatever you do, don't say it leaked from my lips. Although Big Brother is very good to his family, I am still a bit afraid of him."

Qingyuan smiled, "Don't worry, I will never tell anyone. And so..." She looked outside, "If I am to walk out of this house eventually, it should be done with decorum and propriety. The Xie family shoved me into your mansion like this; they may not care about dignity, but I still value mine..."

Fangchun said, "The Xie family has no manners or propriety. In the future, you won't be leaving from the Xie house; let's see what they have to say for themselves! This Youzhou is full of high-ranking officials and nobles; who doesn't know who? You have the grandparents who raised you; you aren't some girl without backing. You are worth more than anyone in the Xie family. Just rest easy; no one in our household dares to look down on you. Before you even arrived, the Commander issued a warning: whoever dares to be disrespectful to you will be kicked to death by him..."

After Fangchun finished speaking, she realized she had caused another disaster. In despair, she covered her mouth and wailed, "What is wrong with me? Why can't I control my own mouth? If Big Brother finds out, I fear he will kick me to death first."

Baoxian hurriedly smiled to comfort her, "Mistress, this just shows that your heart is truly with our young lady. Now that our young lady has a plan, she knows how to walk her path in the future. She is grateful to you in her heart and will certainly not tell the Commander the inside story."

Fangchun rubbed her belly, "That's good. I don't care about myself; I only care about this little one. Our Second Master doesn't even dare to speak loudly to me now, for fear of scaring the child or affecting the pregnancy."

A woman about to become a mother has her heart and eyes entirely on her husband and child. Fangchun chatted endlessly with her about household matters. In the end, it all came down to one point: the men of the Shen family were one in a hundred, and Qingyuan must cherish him well.

How could she not cherish such fortune? Just as he had said, fortunately, the person she met was him. A girl, no matter how capable, could not resist this world. Fortunately, it was him; fortunately, he wasn't some fat-headed, muddled corrupt official. If she had fallen into the hands of someone like that, it truly would have been a dead end.

She had originally been racking her brains to find a way to leave, but now she gave up. Baoxian smiled and said to her, "The Commander is sincere toward you, but his playful nature is a bit too much—did he frighten you? Just now, Mistress Dong said that the Mu family really wants to marry the Commander; you must be careful. After all, the whole of Youzhou knows that the Commander is supposedly exchanging betrothal gifts with the Magistrate's residence. If you don't secure the Commander now, and he ends up taking a crooked path, that won't be a joke."

Qingyuan sat before the window, raised her eyes to look toward his quarters, and bit her lip, whispering, "He has teased me enough; I must pay him back in kind. Just wait and see!"

In the Guande Hall, Shen Run, who was reporting on official business, felt his eyelid twitch violently.

The Emperor was still furious over Xie Shu’s incompetence, "Sixty thousand men, fighting for nearly two months, suffering heavy casualties, and now only half the force remains! What does he expect me to say? Who was it that boasted back then, claiming to have the Shibao City area at his fingertips? The Tibetans, the Yaoshui River—as long as Xie Shu took the field, it would be taken in one blow. And now? It's not that I didn't give him the chance; it's that he has been resting on his laurels for too long and forgotten who he is."

A thunderous rage always needed an outlet. The officials discussing matters in the hall were as silent as cicadas in winter, merely holding their tablets and bowing, not even daring to breathe loudly.

The Grand Tutor’s idea was simply to change the commanding general, "Since the Wusheng Army is not far off, it would be better to execute Xie Shu in front of the entire army to serve as a warning to others, and let Jiang Zhaotang take over and launch a fierce attack."

When Shen Run heard this, he laughed, "Executing Xie Shu is highly inappropriate. After all, Xie Shu has also performed meritorious service in driving back the Tibetans. The Emperor rules the world with benevolence and filial piety; if one were to execute past heroes lightly, it would inevitably chill the hearts of all the old generals. Furthermore, the soldiers who followed him into battle are those who risked their lives with him. With the enemy now at our gates, a group without a leader will inevitably fall into disarray. At that point, let alone one Wusheng Army, even if you added the Tianping Army, I fear it wouldn't be enough."

In the court, disagreements on political views often started from minute details, with people throwing shade and bringing up personal matters at every opportunity. The benefit of Shen Run’s approach was that by grandly promoting his engagement with the Magistrate Mu family, he had completely detached himself from any connection to the Xie family, so no one could use that personal matter as a means to refute him.

Because the Emperor had already heard his proposal earlier and knew what he was planning, he didn't say anything more. He addressed the officials in the hall, "I have my own decision regarding this matter. I have also read the memorials submitted by the various officials over the past two days. The Imperial Guards stationed in Jiannan will be under the command of the Palace Command. Numbers are not what matters; it is quality. To dispatch a force for a surprise attack—a clever strike is better than a brute-force assault; it won't strain our foundations. We have discussed for a long time today; since there are no better proposals, let the Palace Command dispatch the Imperial Guards for the campaign."

The ministers bowed and retreated from the Guande Hall.

Only the monarch and his subject remained in the hall. The Emperor glanced at Shen Run, "How is your matter proceeding?"

Shen Run replied, "Thanks to your majesty's blessing, it is almost prepared. The person is already in my residence; as soon as the people from Hengtang arrive, the wedding can be held."

The Emperor sighed, "There are so many good girls in the world; why spend such effort for just this one? Your mind should be on official business. The capital’s defense, criminal cases—is there anything that doesn't require your attention?"

He only laughed, "No matter how many good girls are in the world, I only desire this one. I ask the Emperor to fulfill my heart's obsession. Finally, I will ask for an imperial decree to grant the marriage, and then this wedding of mine will be complete."

The Emperor nodded, "Xie Shu cost me thirty thousand soldiers; taking one daughter as compensation is letting him off easy. As long as you can help him take Shibao City this time, don't talk to me about just one Fourth Young Lady—even if you took all the girls in their family, it wouldn't be excessive."

Shen Run hurriedly said, "This one is enough for me, precisely because she wasn't raised by the Xie family; that is why she is so pleasing to me. As for the rest..." He shook his head vigorously, "I don't have the fortune to enjoy them. At that time, I ask the Emperor to rectify her status and place her under the Chen family. That dirty nest that is the Xie family—I don't want her to ever return there."

The Emperor looked at him and sighed from the heart. At his age, marrying a wife really wasn't easy; acting as both husband and father, he had truly exhausted himself for this young lady.

Yet Shen Run was tireless; he didn't even feel exhausted traveling between Youzhou and the capital in a single day. He was only worried on the road, fearing that his servants at home couldn't keep an eye on her. With her strong-willed nature, what would happen if he arrived home to find her gone?

Consequently, he cracked the whip even more urgently. When he arrived home, the sun had not yet set. Upon entering the gate, he immediately asked the gatekeeper, "Has the Fourth Young Lady been out?"

The boy bowed his head and said, "Reporting to the Master, I have been watching with wide eyes all day; the Fourth Young Lady has not stepped out of the second gate."

His heart felt a little more at ease. He threw the whip in his hand to the attendant behind him and hurried toward the East Garden. Arriving at the courtyard gate, he saw Nanny Zhou and asked how the Fourth Young Lady was doing today.

Nanny Zhou said, "The Second Madam came earlier this morning. I suspect she convinced the Fourth Young Lady, because the young lady hasn't stirred all day and hasn't mentioned leaving."

That was a bit strange. Shen Run hesitated and glanced toward the side chamber. Seeing a figure gracefully walk past behind the lattice door, he was convinced that she was truly still in the mansion.

He wanted to see her immediately, but after taking two steps, he lifted his sleeve and sniffed. He was afraid the smell of sweat on his body would offend her. That wouldn't do; he had to wash clean first—wash himself until he was fragrant—only then would he be fit to be close to her.