Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

Fan Changyu hadn't expected Xie Zheng to say such words. It was impossible not to be moved deep down, yet she clearly realized that once she nodded in agreement, her future life might no longer be hers to decide.

Just as he, as the Wu'an Marquis, had to shoulder those responsibilities and bear those missions, becoming his Marchioness would mean carrying the burdens behind the title of First-rank titled woman.

What he needed was a wife who could walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him, not someone who required constant accommodation to move forward together.

A sparrow adorned with Phoenix feathers still wouldn't become a Phoenix. Only by undergoing Nirvana oneself could one grow genuine Phoenix plumes.

The sound of rain outside the tent seemed to lessen. Water accumulated on the tent roof dripped into puddles at the edges with audible "plinks," unusually distinct in the silence.

Changyu clenched her hands resting on her knees and finally looked up at Xie Zheng.

With just one glance, Xie Zheng understood the answer she meant to give. Whether it was his innate pride acting up or his unwillingness to hear her rejection spoken aloud, he suddenly said, "No need to give me your answer."

At that moment, Xie Qi's voice came from outside: "Marquis, Gongsun is urging you to come."

Xie Zheng bid farewell and left by lifting the tent flap.

After his departure, Changyu stared blankly at the gently swaying tent entrance for a long while.

Xie Qi had kept his distance after Xie Zheng entered the tent. When he came to deliver the message and found the lights inside extinguished, his heart skipped a beat, fearing he might have interrupted something important.

But Xie Zheng emerged almost immediately, his expression unreadable yet clearly displeased. Realizing his assumption might be wrong, Xie Qi dared not ask questions, following silently behind with bated breath.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zheng suddenly stopped and asked, "I recall you have a younger sister?"

Xie Qi didn't understand why his lord would ask this. His expression darkened as he answered, "Yes."

Orphaned young, he and his sister had been sold to human traffickers. To maximize profits, traffickers typically sold pretty girls to brothels and boys to the palace.

Some noble families training Martial Assassins also selected children from traffickers. He had been bought by Wei Yan. Among ten children of similar age, only one would become a Martial Assassin—the unlucky ones died, while survivors became household slaves.

During the final chaotic fight, he had been stabbed multiple times, beyond saving. He should have been wrapped in a straw mat and left for wild wolves, but he desperately wanted to live. Despite his untreated wounds, he clung to life until the next day.

At that time, the Marquis was still a youth, already working for Wei Yan but only getting what Wei Xuan rejected—from objects to servants.

Wei Xuan chose the victorious Martial Assassin as his personal attendant. The Marquis walked through the dark dungeon, passing over those with minor injuries who could become Wei Mansion slaves, and instead selected him.

The steward warned he might not survive—enduring such severe injuries overnight was rare.

The Marquis said, "He's fought so hard to live. What a waste if he died."

So he was taken out, treated by physicians, and upon recovery became the Marquis's personal attendant, given the name Xie Qi.

From that moment, his loyalty belonged solely to Xie Zheng. Later, he even killed Wei Xuan's Martial Assassin-turned-attendant for Xie Zheng.As for his sister, by the time he found her, she had already become a well-known courtesan in a small-town brothel.

Given his current status, he didn't dare openly acknowledge her, fearing she might be endangered—he'd seen too many cases where family members were kidnapped as leverage.

He secretly provided her with money and pressured the madam to let her buy her freedom. Now she runs an embroidery shop.

Xie Zheng asked, "When your sister got married, there was a wealthy admirer. Why did she still marry a blacksmith?"

This happened after Xie Qi's sister gained her freedom. When Xie Qi learned of her marriage, he couldn't openly attend the wedding, only requesting leave from Xie Zheng to secretly observe the ceremony.

The wealthy admirer was present that day. Xie Qi and several close comrades like Xie Wu kept watch from the shadows, ready to drag him into an alley for a beating if he caused trouble.

Unexpectedly, the man simply drank himself into a stupor at the banquet.

They'd discussed this incident upon returning, and Xie Zheng must have heard about it. His sudden mention of it now puzzled Xie Qi, who simply replied, "As her brother, I see no issue with her marrying a blacksmith."

Xie Zheng paused and glanced sideways. "Why?"

Xie Qi answered, "My sister doesn't know I'm alive or that I've found her. If the blacksmith mistreats her, she can support herself with the embroidery shop and divorce him easily. The neighbors would help if needed. Had she married that wealthy man, she'd be alone against his entire clan. With their power, seeking justice would be impossible."

This was another Tofu girl story—except this Tofu girl didn't choose the noble suitor.

Xie Zheng looked thoughtful but said nothing more, proceeding toward the central military tent.

The personal guards at the entrance spotted him and called out, "Marquis!"

As Xie Zheng approached, they lifted the tent flap. Inside, the brightly lit space revealed an elderly man seated below the head position. Xie Zheng's expression shifted slightly in surprise as he greeted, "Teacher."

Grand Tutor Tao observed his prized student, stroking his beard. "I heard you pursued the enemy. Any success?"

He noticed the bruise near Xie Zheng's eye, assuming it was a battlefield injury, though the angle seemed unusually precise.

If a fist could reach his face, a blade might have cost him the eye. In that light, it was fortunate.

Gongsun Yin also spotted the bruise—the first time he'd seen Xie Zheng return from battle with such an injury. Strangely, it reminded him of the bruise he'd seen on Xie Zheng's face back in Lucheng.

The resemblance grew more striking the longer he looked, leaving Gongsun Yin with an odd expression.

Could Fan Changyu have struck him again?

But he'd just returned from battle—that shouldn't be possible...

Ignoring their scrutiny, Xie Zheng took his seat at the head of the tent with composed dignity. "Shi Yue's head has been taken."

Grand Tutor Tao nodded approvingly, then asked with satisfaction, "Shi Yue had a formidable general under him—reportedly his brother, Shi Hu. Exceptionally large and inhumanly strong. I witnessed him fighting Jizhou troops below the mountains—a tough opponent. Did you kill them both single-handedly?"Xie Zheng immediately frowned. "I led five hundred cavalrymen, taking a shortcut over the mountains to pursue them. We only intercepted and killed Shi Yue, but didn't encounter his brother."

Gongsun Yin expressed surprise: "Vanguard Ge Daqing is one of the Marquis's top fierce generals. Even he was severely wounded by Shi Hu. Since the Marquis didn't engage Shi Hu personally, who else in our army could have subdued that bandit?"

The vanguard and Left Guard Battalion suffered heavy casualties in this battle. Nearly all the officers were too severely wounded to leave their beds, and the Army Doctor had to go from one to another to dress their wounds.

Xie Zheng asked: "Didn't the battle report mention how many enemies the Left Guard Battalion killed? How many enemy officers were slain?"

Gongsun Yin picked up the battle report beside him and handed it over, saying: "Neither the vanguard nor the Left Guard Battalion mentioned killing Shi Hu. But Shi Hu is indeed dead, so the Grand Tutor and I assumed it was you who killed him."

Xie Zheng said: "Shi Hu did not die by my hand."

Xie Wu, who had just entered with tea, hesitated before speaking up: "Shi Hu was killed by Madam."

At these words, all three men in the tent turned to look at Xie Wu.

Gongsun Yin, unaware that Fan Changyu had secretly joined the battle, was both shocked and puzzled: "She was on the mountain. How did she kill Shi Hu?"

Xie Wu stole a glance at Xie Zheng and chose his words carefully: "Madam didn't know the Marquis's identity at first. Fearing something might happen to him in battle, she drugged the Marquis and infiltrated the Left Guard Battalion. I couldn't stop her, and fearing for her safety, I followed. The officers of the Left Guard Battalion fought Shi Hu but were all defeated, and morale collapsed. When Madam confronted Shi Hu, she had no suitable weapon. After several fierce exchanges, she wrested the spiked hammer from Shi Hu's hands and killed him with three blows."

Xie Wu had wanted to tell Xie Zheng about this feat on the road, fearing his anger at Changyu for going to battle without permission, but hadn't found the right moment.

Gongsun Yin was so astonished by Fan Changyu's achievement that he was speechless for a long time, even forgetting to laugh at the rare embarrassment of Xie Zheng being drugged.

After a long pause, he murmured: "Hunting a black bear could be attributed to the bear's lack of intelligence despite its brute strength. But Shi Hu... he had more than just brute strength. Vanguard Ge Daqing had the courage to hunt tigers and bears, with years of battlefield experience, yet still couldn't defeat him. And Miss Fan managed to take his weapon and kill him with three hammer blows?"

Gongsun Yin drew a sharp breath and looked at Xie Zheng: "In all the world, I thought only the Marquis possessed such valor."

Xie Zheng leaned back in his chair, frowning in silence, lost in thought.

When Grand Tutor Tao heard Xie Wu say that Madam had killed Shi Hu, he began to wonder, thinking to himself that this rascal really didn't remember his teacher at all—getting married was such a big event, yet he hadn't been informed.

Then hearing Xie Wu mention that Madam didn't know Xie Zheng's identity and went to battle in his stead only confused him further. Now, hearing Gongsun Yin refer to the woman as "Miss Fan," he thought: Could it really be such a coincidence? Is it Fan Changyu?

He raised his aged eyes to Xie Zheng: "When did you get married? You didn't even send word to this old man."

Gongsun Yin, who had deliberately kept Grand Tutor Tao in the dark about Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng's relationship, watched the two with amusement despite his surprise, waiting for Xie Zheng to explain the whole story himself.

But Xie Zheng said: "It's a long story. I was in dire straits at the time, and the wedding was very simple. When we hold a proper ceremony later, I'll definitely invite you to be our witness."Grand Tutor Tao was well aware that Xie Zheng's marriage could potentially lead to a reshuffling of the major factions in court. Recalling Xie Wu's mention of the woman who had killed Shi Hu, he narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Is she from a military family?"

Xie Zheng paused briefly before replying, "No."

Grand Tutor Tao then said, "She must be a good girl regardless. Treat her well."

Xie Zheng thought of Fan Changyu's words rejecting him, his heart heavy, and simply responded with an affirmative.

Grand Tutor Tao shifted the conversation to the current situation: "With Shi Yue dead, Changxin Wang has lost a right arm. The Chongzhou army at the foot of the mountain has either perished, fled, or been captured and reorganized into our ranks. You can now march south directly to besiege Chongzhou and join forces with He Jingyuan's troops to attack the city together. But will the court allow you to end this war so quickly?"

The stalemate in Chongzhou had persisted precisely because of the infighting in the court.

Initially, Wei Yan had schemed to have Xie Zheng die on the Chongzhou battlefield. Now, the delayed military pay and provisions from the court for several months clearly indicated that someone didn’t want the war to end quickly.

Weapons, provisions, and military pay—all required silver. As long as the war dragged on at the frontlines, those in the court had the perfect excuse to demand funds from the Ministry of Revenue.

As for how much of those allocated funds actually reached their intended purpose, that depended on whether the corrupt officials skimming off each layer still had any conscience left.

Both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue were under Wei Yan's control. Even if the emperor ordered an audit, the records would only show that the funds, provisions, and weapons had all been delivered to Xie Zheng's hands. If the rebels still weren’t quashed despite sufficient supplies, it would be Xie Zheng’s incompetence to blame.

Xie Zheng mocked, "Wei Yan is trying to cover up the mess Wei Xuan caused in the northwest. Right now, he probably wants me to hand over the military merits of crushing the Chongzhou rebels."

Grand Tutor Tao lowered his eyelids slightly. "In my opinion, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing."

Gongsun Yin asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that, Grand Tutor?"

Grand Tutor Tao countered, "Who else in Great Yin has been enfeoffed as a marquis before the age of twenty? The moon wanes when full; water overflows when brimming. With your Marquis's achievements in suppressing the rebels, what else could the emperor reward him with upon his return to the capital? Right now, the Wei Faction is at its zenith. The emperor naturally hopes for him and Wei Yan to fight to the death. Once Wei Yan falls, who’s next?"

Gongsun Yin said, "I understand what you’re saying, Grand Tutor. But even if the Marquis wishes to retreat now, he’s already entangled in the capital’s power struggles—there’s no stepping back."

Grand Tutor Tao chuckled. "Ah, youth—"

Gongsun Yin sensed there was more to his words. "I’d like to hear your insight, Grand Tutor."

Grand Tutor Tao said, "Retreat to what extent? Just enough so that after Wei Yan’s downfall, the emperor’s next target isn’t your Marquis."

Gongsun Yin immediately grasped his meaning. "You mean, let the Li family and Wei Yan fight first?"

He thought of Li Huaian, grandson of Grand Tutor Li, who was currently temporarily replacing He Jingyuan in Jizhou, and was struck by the realization. He looked up at Grand Tutor Tao.

Grand Tutor Tao knew what he was thinking. "Even without your Marquis, Wei Yan still controls the Ministry of War and He Jingyuan. Grand Tutor Li has no military power, which is why he hasn’t dared to confront Wei Yan head-on all these years."

The Li family’s presence in the northwest clearly signaled their intent to seize military authority.

All Xie Zheng needed to do was toss out the fat prize of the military merits for suppressing the rebels, and both the Li and Wei factions would pounce on it like hyenas fighting over carrion.Wei Yan was forced to fight because he had been pushed to the brink. If he didn't fight, these powers would fall into others' hands and become weapons against him.

Xie Zheng could withhold the military merits, but winning this battle while Wei Yan cut off all military supplies would surely leave him severely weakened. Exchanging this for a meager official reward from the emperor and putting himself in the spotlight was hardly worth it.

The Li family wanted military power, yet after arriving in the northwest, they remained inactive—as if they had calculated that Xie Zheng, after weighing the pros and cons, would relinquish the military merits.

For Wei Yan to seize these merits, he could only rely on He Jingyuan. But now, Li Huaian was managing Jizhou on He Jingyuan's behalf, with full access to all accounts and records. If he found even a minor fault, given the young emperor's current reliance on the Li family, wresting power from He Jingyuan wouldn't be difficult.

Xie Zheng, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke: "If that's the case, Changxin Wang's rebellion seems tailor-made to deliver military power to the Li family."

At these words, both Gongsun Yin and Grand Tutor Tao were startled.

Grand Tutor Tao said, "The Li family couldn't have schemed to manipulate Changxin Wang to such an extent."

Gongsun Yin added, "I heard Changxin Wang's consort also perished in the fire at the Eastern Palace back then, and his eldest son was burned beyond recognition. After years of biding his time, his hatred for the court is undoubtedly genuine."

But Xie Zheng's eyes darkened slightly. The Crown Prince's heir had ties to Changxin Prince Manor, Yu Qianqian's son bore some resemblance to the late emperor, and Chengde Crown Prince had also resembled the late emperor in his time. Moreover, when Changning was captured by Sui Yuanqing, she had seen Yu Bao'er at Changxin Prince Manor.

Something was becoming clear. He turned to Gongsun Yin: "After we descend the mountain, send word back to the capital to secretly investigate the Eastern Palace fire from back then."

Gongsun Yin was puzzled. "Why suddenly investigate the Eastern Palace fire now?"

Xie Zheng gave a faint smile. "I suspect the Crown Prince's heir is at Changxin Prince Manor."

This statement shocked Gongsun Yin and Grand Tutor Tao even more. But for now, it was merely speculation—evidence was needed to confirm it.

Outside the tent, the night watch sounded, marking the passing of midnight. Xie Zheng dismissed Grand Tutor Tao and Gongsun Yin to rest.

But Grand Tutor Tao lingered. Gongsun Yin assumed the teacher and student had private matters to discuss and yawned his way back to his quarters.

The bond between Xie Zheng and Grand Tutor Tao ran deep—a single glance conveyed unspoken understanding. Xie Zheng asked, "Did you have something to ask me, Teacher?"

Grand Tutor Tao said, "With Gongsun present earlier, I couldn't pry into personal matters. This marriage of yours—is it a proper wife or a concubine?"

Xie Zheng replied, "A wife."

Grand Tutor Tao was momentarily taken aback, then said, "You're already twenty-one. Most men your age have children old enough to run around, yet you've remained alone. It's good you can marry as you wish now, but you seem troubled. Why is that?"

Xie Zheng's long delay in marrying stemmed from his identity as a Xie—yet raised by Wei Yan.

Though the Xie family was a centuries-old clan, the larger the family, the more idle hands it bred. By his father's generation, the Xie family had already declined. Their branch alone had his father upholding the family's legacy, while the collateral branches had no capable successors.

Great families feared nothing more than having no heir. Thus, when his father died in battle and his mother followed in death, he was taken away by Wei Yan—and none of the collateral relatives dared speak up.In a way, Xie Zheng being taken away by Wei Yan was a good thing. Had he stayed with the Xie family, he would likely have been raised into mediocrity.

Though Wei Yan treated him harshly, for the sake of his father’s prestige and old subordinates in the military, he spared no effort in grooming Xie Zheng, turning him into the sharpest blade in all of Great Yin.

When ordinary young men reached marriageable age, female elders in their families would typically arrange matches with suitable young ladies. But Xie Zheng was raised in the Wei household. Since Wei Yan did not take the initiative to arrange a marriage for him, the Xie family dared not overstep Wei Yan and directly propose matches for him.

They did, however, entertain foolish schemes—attempting to push some cousin or distant relative’s daughter toward him. This self-degrading behavior not only earned Xie Zheng prolonged mockery from Wei Xuan but also Wei Yan’s disdain for the Xie clan.

Later, when Xie Zheng joined the military, the matter of marriage was further delayed.

By the time he had achieved merit and distinction, his marriage had become a matter of alliance between two families, rather than simply taking a wife.

The Qingliu faction dared not marry their daughters to him, while those aligned with Wei Yan were wary of him gaining influence through his wife’s family, making him harder to control. Naturally, subordinates dared not offend Wei Yan, and neutral officials were even less willing to wade into such muddy waters.

The higher his status rose, the more complicated his marital prospects became.

Xie Zheng confided in Grand Tutor Tao about his relationship with Fan Changyu: “She saved me when I was in dire straits. I had no choice but to conceal my identity from her. Now that she knows everything, she is wary of my status and has no desire to marry into a noble family.”

Grand Tutor Tao listened and praised, “She sounds like a sensible woman.”

Xie Zheng knelt before Grand Tutor Tao, bowing deeply. “I have a request to make of my teacher.”

Grand Tutor Tao narrowed his eyes. “Does it concern that woman?”

Xie Zheng replied, “Yes.”

Grand Tutor Tao said, “If she refuses to marry you, what can an old man like me do?”

Xie Zheng raised his head. “I implore you, Teacher, to take her as your adopted daughter.”

Grand Tutor Tao instantly grasped his meaning. “You want to give her a respectable family background? To silence the gossips?”

Xie Zheng remained silent, tacitly acknowledging it.

Grand Tutor Tao shifted the topic. “And what if the girl still refuses and only wishes to live an ordinary life?”

The young man kneeling on the ground pressed his lips tightly together before finally answering, “I will pave every path for her. If she is willing to walk it with me, I will not let her stumble. If she still refuses… then let fate end here.”

Grand Tutor Tao sighed. “Rise. It just so happens this old man has no children of his own. Taking in an adopted daughter would give me something to look forward to in my later years. But you must also do me a favor.”

Xie Zheng said, “Please speak, Teacher.”

Grand Tutor Tao, still thinking of Fan Changyu, said, “Do you have any promising young men under your command? On my journey, I met a divorced young woman and promised an elder of hers to find her a good husband.”

He paused before adding, “He must be honest and broad-minded—the girl has been divorced, so the young man must not mind that. She is sincere at heart; if she ends up with someone cunning, she’ll be taken advantage of. His military rank need not be too high—she isn’t versed in the ways of noblewomen.”

Xie Zheng found these traits somewhat familiar, but since Grand Tutor Tao mentioned the woman was divorced and that he had promised her elder to find her a husband—Fan Changyu had no elders who knew Grand Tutor Tao—he dismissed the thought and agreed without further suspicion.