Chapter 114: The New Residence
In the Marquis Changxing's residence at Yu Liu Alley, the night was deep, and glass lanterns shaped like goat horns hung beneath the eaves. Autumn had already arrived, and the stone steps outside the main hall were covered with yellow leaves from the locust trees. A middle-aged man, standing about seven feet tall and dressed in a Chengzi uniform, approached with four guards clad in padded jackets.
He gestured, and the guards took positions on either side of the steps. The man coughed a few times before ascending the steps. Outside the door stood a scholar who whispered to him, "The Marquis is inside speaking with Mr. Xiao..."
The man also lowered his voice. "...The news comes from Prince Rui's side. It's urgent—I must inform the Marquis! Mr. Wei, could you relay the message for me?"
The scholar hesitated briefly before knocking on the door and entering. When he emerged, he nodded at the man. The man's face lit up with gratitude. "...Tomorrow morning, I’ll treat you to salty soy milk at the alley entrance!" Mr. Wei whispered back, "Forget the soy milk! I doubt we’ll even be able to leave the Marquis’s residence."
From inside, Marquis Changxing's voice called out, "Liu Zhou, come in first."
Liu Zhou hastily bowed to Mr. Wei and hurried into the main hall. To his surprise, not only were Marquis Changxing and Mr. Xiao present, but even the old Marquis was seated in the Grand Preceptor's Chair. They seemed to be discussing something grave—something major must be brewing!
Marquis Changxing was tall and imposing, with slender eyebrows and strikingly handsome features. He wore an official robe embroidered with a qilin. Liu Zhou’s heart sank at the sight—normally, the Marquis would have changed into casual attire at home. If he was still in his court robes, he must have just returned from the palace without even time to change!
The old Marquis set down his teacup and spoke slowly, "You mentioned news from Prince Rui. What exactly is it?"
Liu Zhou quickly paid his respects and clasped his hands in reply. "Mr. Xiao instructed me to keep watch on Prince Rui. There was nothing unusual at first, but yesterday a shipment of silk arrived from Baodi and was secretly delivered to Prince Rui’s residence. The old Marquis may not know, but Prince Rui regularly purchases silk from Baodi every month. He owns two silk shops in Yanjing Alley in the western part of the city, and the silk is usually sent directly there."
Marquis Changxing frowned. "Enough with the trivial details—what was really in that shipment?"
Liu Zhou replied, "My apologies for rambling! I had our informant in Prince Rui’s residence take a discreet look. It was two full carts of sharpened broadswords and spears. Judging by the craftsmanship, they were no ordinary weapons!"
At this, both Xiao Qishan and Marquis Changxing paled.
Marquis Changxing lowered his voice and said to the old Marquis, "It seems Mr. Xiao’s analysis was correct... Yesterday, Prince Rui met with the North City Military Command and the Left Golden Crow Guard. When I entered the palace today, I noticed unfamiliar faces among the guards stationed in front of the hall. Now he’s transporting such a large quantity of weapons... He must be planning something!"
The old Marquis snorted. "He’s forgotten how the late Emperor dealt with him back then. Now, with His Majesty gravely ill, he dares to entertain such ambitions!"
The old Marquis stood and paced the hall twice, deep in thought. Marquis Changxing dared not speak. When the old Marquis finally stopped, he turned to Xiao Qishan and asked, "...What does Mr. Xiao think?"Xiao Qishan was examining a purple bamboo brush holder on the antique shelf when he turned his gaze back and smiled faintly. "As you are aware, Old Marquis, although Prince Rui currently holds some military authority, he is no match for the Marquis Changxing's household. He may have persuaded the commander of the Northern City Garrison, but the other four city commanders remain beyond his reach. Moreover, most of the Golden Crow Guard are the Emperor's trusted confidants. If Prince Rui intends to rebel, I fear he still faces considerable difficulties! It would be better for you to remain covert and wait until he makes his move... then strike decisively and eradicate him completely!"
Marquis Changxing nodded in deep agreement. Prince Rui's foundation was still shallow, utterly incapable of shaking the Marquis Changxing's household. Moreover, the Marquis harbored strong objections to the military power Prince Rui held... A prince who had never set foot on the battlefield, securing command over troops with mere smooth talk—for a man who had spent his entire life in warfare, this was simply intolerable!
The old marquis pondered for a moment. He had originally intended to consult with the other four city garrison commanders to apprehend all those involved in the rebellion. But doing so would inevitably alert their enemies. With insufficient evidence in hand, arresting Prince Rui now would likely fail to pin anything on him. Besides, relations with Prince Yanping remained strained.
As Xiao Qishan had said, if they didn’t seize him during his rebellion, how could they eradicate him completely?
The old marquis instructed Marquis Changxing, "Even so, we cannot simply sit idle. Make covert preparations to guard against Prince Rui’s sudden attack."
Marquis Changxing nodded. "I understand... But Father, Xian'er is also involved in this matter now..."
The old marquis frowned. "His health hasn’t fully recovered. Helping with other matters is one thing, but he must not meddle in affairs like this! And that Li Xianhuai who follows him—I brought him out from Sichuan myself, but I fear he might lead Xian'er astray. I’ll speak to him personally."
Xiao Qishan sighed. "It’s also my failure—after all these years, I still haven’t managed to cure him completely."
The old marquis shook his head. "What kind of talk is that, Master Xiao? If not for you, Xian'er might not have lived past five. How well you’ve treated him all these years—do you think I haven’t noticed?"
Xiao Qishan smiled faintly at this but remained silent for a long while.
After their discussion, the old marquis personally went to speak with Ye Xian.
After listening, Ye Xian was silent for a moment before saying, "Grandfather, you usually encourage me to take on more responsibilities in the marquisate. Yet now, when such a critical matter arises, you forbid me from involvement. I truly don’t understand."
The old marquis replied, "Your father is too straightforward, while you are the opposite—too calculating..." His mind was too sharp, his thoughts too numerous. So much so that his ambitions soared higher than the heavens, yet his fate was as fragile as paper—such a temperament was prone to shortening one’s lifespan. It was only after hearing Xiao Qishan’s words that the old marquis had come to realize this.
Involving Ye Xian in these matters was also a reluctant decision for the old marquis. The Marquis Changxing household had only one male heir—who else but Ye Xian could shoulder this burden?
The old marquis’s voice grew firm. "Other matters may be overlooked, but when it comes to affairs involving swords and spears, you absolutely must not participate."
Ye Xian said nothing.
Seeing his grandson’s expression, the old marquis knew that unless he made things clear, Ye Xian would not relent. He sighed—this stubborn temperament of his, who did he inherit it from? "...Very well, I’ll explain it plainly to you. This concerns Prince Rui’s collusion with the Golden Crow Guard in rebellion, with even the Northern City Garrison implicated. This is no trivial matter—you must not act recklessly!"
"Rebellion... How do you know?" Ye Xian couldn’t help but think of the weapons Gu Jinzhao had mentioned.The old marquis naturally wouldn’t continue answering him. “Stay in the study and practice your calligraphy these days. You are not allowed to leave the estate!”
After saying this, the old marquis left, instructing Ye Xian’s guards to keep a close eye on the young master.
Ye Xian had no intention of obediently staying in the Changxing Marquis’s residence. He felt that Gu Jinzhao must have something left unsaid to him and wanted to go ask her.
Meanwhile, Jinchao and the others had just moved from Shi’an to the ancestral home in Daxing.
Jinchao resided in the Beautiful Embroidery Hall in the western courtyard. Passing through the hall led to the Fragrant Courtyard where Gu Lan and Gu Yi lived, while Gu Xi shared the Misty Dawn Courtyard with another daughter of the second uncle, Gu Xin. The Beautiful Embroidery Hall had eastern and western side rooms, with the easternmost serving as the inner chamber and the western side room as the study. There were no side wings on either side, but three rear rooms and a southern-facing reception room. Though not as spacious as the former Paulownia Courtyard, it was elegantly arranged.
“The courtyard features a rockery made of Taihu stones and a small pond. The winding corridor passes over the pond, offering a view of the lotus flowers. If you plant ivy beside the Taihu stones, it will be even more serene and refreshing in summer…” The attendant Mama Chang said with a smile, “Please let us know if there’s anything you’d like to add or remove, so I can report back to Tai Furen.”
Jinchao examined the place carefully. The window lattices were newly painted black, and freshly installed pendant ornaments adorned the space. The courtyard was planted with two ornamental pines, a ginkgo tree, and clusters of orchids. Opening the window in the western side room revealed a Chinese flowering crabapple outside. Inside, her belongings had been mostly arranged without any issues.
Jinchao smiled and said, “I naturally like whatever Grandmother has arranged.” She instructed Mama Tong to give Mama Chang two high-grade red envelopes.
Mama Xu, standing nearby, remarked, “Though the ancestral home is large, accommodating so many people is still hasty. Look, even Second Miss is sharing a courtyard with Third Miss. This courtyard is quite nice, and the layout is elegant.”
After inspecting the courtyard, Jinchao prepared to pay her respects to Madam Feng.
She told Mama Xu, “Gu Lan and Gu Yi are still sharing a courtyard, so I’m already fortunate to live here. Please set up the reception room as a greenhouse for plants, clear another room for storage, and let Qingpu and the others stay in the rear rooms. You and Mama Tong can reside in the westernmost room.”
Mama Xu acknowledged the instructions. Jinchao thought for a moment and added, “Later, Grandmother will likely send someone to take you and Mama Tong around the ancestral home. Prepare some silver bullion for the guiding maids and gather as much information as you can about the household.”
Mama Xu smiled. “Don’t worry, I understand.”
Jinchao felt at ease. Mama Xu had served her grandmother and mother for a long time, so such matters were no trouble for her.
Qingpu helped her arrange her hair, adorning it only with a pair of silver twin-lotus hairpins. She wore a pale blue bajixiang-patterned jacket and an ivory-threaded skirt—simple yet dignified—before heading to Madam Feng’s eastern courtyard.
Madam Feng had first summoned Concubine Luo for a talk. When Jinchao arrived, Concubine Luo was just leaving Madam Feng’s room. Seeing Jinchao, she curtsied in greeting. Noticing the faint blush on her face, Jinchao guessed Madam Feng must have spoken to her about matters of heirs. After all, apart from two bedroom servant girls, her father only had Luo Su as a concubine, and the servant girls were required to take contraceptive medicine, preventing them from bearing children.
After a moment of contemplation, Jinchao stepped into the western side room.
Madam Feng sat on the Arhat bed, dressed in a dark brown bajixiang-patterned jacket, a string of Bodhi beads coiled around her left wrist. Her expression was kind and benevolent."Chaojie is here," she said with a smile, beckoning Jinchao over and instructing her maid Song Xiang to bring a stool. "It's been nearly a year since Grandmother last saw you, and you've grown even more beautiful. Do you like the Beautiful Embroidery Hall? If there's anything you need, just tell your grandmother."
Naturally, Jinchao lacked nothing. She replied cheerfully, "I find everything delightful. Now that I'm back in Daxing, I'll come every morning and evening to pay my respects and attend to you, Grandmother, to fulfill my filial duties."
Madam Feng said approvingly, "You are a dutiful child. Your eldest cousin is married, and Lianjie'er is still too immature. The other concubine-born daughters don't count for much. Having you here to care for me brings me great joy."
At that moment, Gu Lan and Gu Yi also finished preparing and came to pay their respects to Madam Feng.
P.S.:
Double update at noon, mwah! ~~
OpenNovel