Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

The window lattice was half-open, the sun hanging in the sky as nothing more than a pale, cold shadow, casting faint golden rays.

Xie Zheng's face was half-lit by the sunlight, the other half hidden in shadow, his eyes calm and unreadable.

Fan Changyu wanted to deny it, but meeting his gaze, she couldn't bring herself to speak. She hugged her knees and sat on a nearby low stool, her voice muffled: "The misfortunes of my family have indeed dragged you in twice now. You owe me nothing. Cutting ties with my family might keep you safer."

Xie Zheng asked her, "Do you believe the nonsense that ignorant old woman spouted?"

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Of course, she didn’t believe it. But with her parents gone, Fan Da killed, Changning and Yan Zheng nearly harmed, and if the soldiers hadn’t arrived in time last night, who knew if Aunt Zhao and Zhao Mu Jiang would have been implicated too?

Perhaps… just as Mother Song and Kang Popo said, she truly was fated to be the Star of Doom and Isolation, bringing misfortune to those close to her.

Seeing her silence, Xie Zheng understood perfectly. His finely arched brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "You think cutting ties with me is for my own good. What about your sister? Will you cut ties with her too?"

Fan Changyu’s hands, clasped over her knees, tightened, her heart a tangled mess.

Yes, she could distance herself from the elderly Zhao couple and Yan Zheng to avoid implicating them. But what about Changning?

Changning was only five years old—she was the only family the girl had left in this world.

As she remained silent, Xie Zheng spoke slowly, "What’s more terrifying in this world than superstitions about fate and ghosts… is the human heart."

Fan Changyu lifted her almond-shaped eyes, looking somewhat confused.

Xie Zheng’s lips curled slightly, his tone laced with mockery: "There aren’t so many supernatural phenomena in this world. Even talk of national fortune is just a way to deceive the masses, let alone fate and destiny."

Fan Changyu still didn’t understand: "What do you mean?"

Xie Zheng raised his gaze: "Some people, after committing evil, like to hide behind superstitions. Just as you frightened that old woman earlier, saying she fell because she was cursed. She didn’t know the truth, so she half-believed it out of fear. But you and I know she fell because she was hit by a pine nut candy."

Fan Changyu lowered her eyes and after a long pause said, "Of course I know the Song family’s talk of fate was just an excuse to break off the engagement. But the misfortunes that keep befalling my family are real, and that’s what unsettles me."

Xie Zheng said, "Your parents made enemies early on—they didn’t offend ghosts or gods. What’s there to be unsettled about?"

Fan Changyu stared at him blankly, thinking how sharp-tongued this man was. Yet, the suffocating weight in her chest did ease somewhat.

She sighed, resigning herself: "I understand everything you’re saying. I was just upset by those words for a moment. Once this feeling passes, I’ll be fine."

Xie Zheng showed no mercy: "If someone makes you upset, teach them a lesson. Venting to me is one thing, but if you distance yourself from this old couple, see if they’ll be sad or happy about it."

Fan Changyu hung her head, murmuring, "I’m sorry. I acted impulsively earlier."

Xie Zheng’s long lashes cast a graceful arc at the corners of his eyes, his expression finally brightening slightly. "You’re not the type to endure insults meekly. Coming back this morning after being splashed with water, instead of retaliating on the spot, you came back to sulk. How impressive."Fan Changyu was silent for a moment before saying, "I've heard a saying: 'The law does not punish the masses.' It means when many people break the law, the authorities won't punish everyone. Now the entire town fears my 'Star of Doom and Isolation' fate, and gossips about me behind my back. I can teach one person a lesson, but can I teach the whole town?"

Xie Zheng was momentarily stunned. Her words touched a hidden corner of his heart, stirring up some long-buried memories.

Having lost both parents in childhood and living under the Wei Mansion's roof, his path to the present hadn't been smooth either.

He still remembered the taste of having his ribs broken by that man's son, his face pressed into bloody mud by brocade boots.

Through battlefield campaigns, surviving life-and-death situations, exchanging scars and axe wounds for military merits—only to be secretly scorned for tarnishing the Xie family's reputation by serving as Wei Yan's lackey.

He lifted his eyes slightly, thin lips parting with a few words: "Then have you heard another phrase—'Kill the chicken to scare the monkey'?"

"Human nature is inherently evil. If you're weak and easily bullied, no matter how kind you are, few will lend a hand. If you rise to power, even if you commit heinous acts, crowds will flock to flatter you. Isn't that what your former fiancé did?"

Listening to this, Fan Changyu fell silent again, hugging her knees as she stared at the burning coals in the iron basin without a word.

Xie Zheng's fingers, lightly tapping the bamboo chair armrest, paused. His eyes narrowed slightly, his tone carrying an unconscious sharpness: "Still not over your ex-fiancé? Does mentioning him upset you?"

Changyu looked up and glared at him, momentarily baffled before remembering how she'd previously claimed—to avoid his misunderstanding about her intentions—that she hadn't gotten over Song Yan.

Lies indeed come with consequences.

She opened her mouth, finally sighing: "I am a bit upset. He earned an official rank—the only provincial graduate from Qingping County this year. Even the magistrate fawns over him. Can't blame others for currying favor. He truly has risen in the world—what can I compare with him?"

Xie Zheng scoffed lightly: "Just a provincial graduate. In Great Yin's capital and seventeen prefectures, how many graduate yearly? What's so remarkable about your ex?"

Changyu couldn't help glancing at him: "You can say such things before me, but don't speak like this to others—you'll be laughed at."

Xie Zheng frowned: "Laughed at for what?"

Changyu found his lack of self-awareness exasperating: "You don't even have a licentiate's degree, yet you talk like this about someone who passed the provincial exams..."

She paused, then added: "I know you're saying this to cheer me up."

Feeling this sounded overly sentimental, she scratched her head: "Actually, I was just speaking casually—it doesn't truly upset me. Life is what we make it. His success is his business—what's it to me? Those who fawn over power and kick me down gain nothing from the Song family by gossiping—they're just idle chatterboxes."

Xie Zheng looked strangely at her: "Why would I cheer you up? A provincial graduate truly means nothing."

Changyu choked: "What, are you some high official yourself?"

Xie Zheng shut his mouth and said no more.Fan Changyu found it amusing and, recalling his ability to read and write, even compose Eight-legged essays, began planning for him: "I think you're quite clever, and your handwriting is beautiful. With your injuries recurring like this, the doctor said if they don’t heal properly, there’s an eighty percent chance of lasting complications. Escorting goods is so dangerous—why don’t you study for the Imperial exam instead? You might even pass as a provincial graduate and land an official position someday!"

Xie Zheng: "...My ambitions don’t lie in the officialdom."

Fan Changyu sighed: "What a shame."

She joked half-heartedly: "If you ever get the chance to become an official, and your rank surpasses that Song fellow’s, I’ll be counting on you to make life difficult for him!"

Xie Zheng’s brows lifted almost imperceptibly as he replied, "Alright."

With this banter, the earlier tension dissipated completely.

Remembering the chicken soup she had simmering, Fan Changyu said, "I’ve got a pot of chicken soup on the stove—it should be ready by now. I’ll go fetch you a bowl."

As she stood up, she noticed the candy packets by his bed had flattened. Wincing, she added, "I’ll find you some pebbles instead. Don’t use candy to hit people anymore—it’s expensive! What a waste!"

After she went downstairs, Xie Zheng stared at the empty candy wrappers, frowning.

He disliked sweets, and his daily needs had always been managed by his personal guards. He truly hadn’t known how costly these treats were.

Given how tight her finances were, yet she still bought them for him—was it simply because she’d misunderstood that day, thinking he feared the bitterness of medicine?

Closing his eyes, Xie Zheng felt a complicated mix of emotions.

Two days later, Zheng Wenchang arrived in the small town of Lin’an with government troops once more.

Upon hearing the news, Fan Changyu went to her doorstep to greet them.

Zheng Wenchang, seated high on his horse, announced, "The recent violent incidents in town have been investigated—they were indeed the work of mountain bandits."

Fan Changyu’s heart skipped a beat at this answer. She said, "But my home was invaded twice..."

Zheng Wenchang cut her off: "The attacks on your home were linked to a security escort your father handled years ago. Rumor has it he was transporting a Treasure Map from the former imperial family. Over a decade ago, everyone in the security company was slaughtered by those seeking the map. Your father barely escaped and lived quietly after returning home. Recently, with the unrest in Chongzhou, talk of the Treasure Map resurfaced. Bandits traced your father’s whereabouts and came searching for it."

This explanation did account for the strange events in Lin’an. Fan Changyu asked, "Were my parents also killed by those bandits?"

Zheng Wenchang frowned slightly, avoiding her gaze as he replied, "Naturally."

Learning the true cause of her parents’ deaths weighed heavily on her. She realized now why her father had taught her martial arts yet forbade her from displaying it—he must have feared attracting these very criminals.

She said, "I’ve never heard my parents mention anything about a Treasure Map. Could there be some misunderstanding?"

Zheng Wenchang answered, "The claim that the map was in your father’s possession was false. Days ago, rebels in Chongzhou announced they’d obtained it. The bandits won’t return to this town—you can rest assured."With that, he made a gesture, and a subordinate stepped forward holding a tray with silver ingots. His gaze toward Fan Changyu carried a hint of something imperceptibly unusual: "Lord He, the Governor of Jizhou, sympathizes with the people's plight and has specially ordered this official to deliver fifty taels of consolation silver."

Fan Changyu expressed her sincere gratitude.

The neighbors also praised, "Lord He is truly the just official of Jizhou Prefecture! Those families who suffered at the hands of the mountain bandits and lost loved ones have all received consolation silver from the authorities."

Someone asked, "Why did I hear that other families only received twenty-five taels, while Fan Er's family got fifty?"

Immediately, someone replied, "Those families only lost one person. Both Fan Er and his wife were killed, so naturally, they received more silver."

...

With the case now closed, the official seals on the Fan Family's gate were removed.

Fan Changyu thoroughly cleaned every corner of the house, especially the courtyard and rooms where blood had been spilled. She not only washed them several times with water but also sprinkled them with water boiled with pomelo leaves, believing it could ward off evil spirits and misfortune.

Only after putting everything in order did Fan Changyu bring Changning and Xie Zheng back from the neighbor's house.

She lit a stick of incense and placed it before her parents' memorial tablets, her eyes slightly reddened: "Father, Mother, may you rest in peace."

Only Xie Zheng remained frowning.

He already knew those men were Wei Family's Martial Assassins—they couldn't possibly be the mountain bandits Zheng Wenchang had spoken of, and what they were searching for was certainly not some damned Treasure Map.

Yet the authorities had gone to great lengths to fabricate a plausible lie to close the case and even distributed silver to the affected families. They had indeed put considerable effort into this.

Xie Zheng couldn't make sense of it.

If He Jingyuan also wanted to obtain that letter for Wei Yan, he should have sent troops to seal off the Fan Family's residence and conduct a thorough search.

Instead, he returned the house to Fan Changyu and went through all this trouble to settle the murder cases, almost as if he didn't want to disrupt her family's original life and wished for her to remain in this town.

What was He Jingyuan's intention?

Or was it because the letter the Wei Family's Martial Assassins were searching for was no longer in the Fan Family's possession?

Xie Zheng looked at the two memorial tablets on the altar. He Jingyuan must know the true identities of this couple—perhaps he also knew the secret of that letter?