Liang Chen Mei Jin

Chapter 164: Falling into Water

The man bowed with an ingratiating smile. "I'm just a coachman. My master has instructed me to invite the lord for a bowl of mutton soup at Old Xi's Mutton Soup Shop nearby. It won't take long."

Hu Rong frowned. "What status does our lord hold that he can be summoned at your whim? Get out of the way!" He raised his horsewhip threateningly.

The man chuckled again. "No need for anger, sir. Our master is an old acquaintance of your lord. Here, take a look—I even have a token!" He stepped forward and slipped a note into Hu Rong's sleeve.

Hu Rong hesitated, glancing back at Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan studied the short man—dressed in a plain yellow-brown padded jacket and black trousers, utterly unremarkable in appearance. Yet his boldness in stopping the carriage was unusual. He took the note from Hu Rong and turned to enter the carriage.

"Third Master, this man seems unusual. Take a look at this..." Jiang Yan handed the note to Third Master Chen.

Third Master Chen slowly unfolded the note.

His expression remained unreadable, making Jiang Yan tense. Had he misjudged the situation? If this note turned out to be irrelevant, he would be held accountable. Steeling himself, Jiang Yan said, "Shall I drive the man away immediately...?"

Third Master Chen crumpled the note, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Since they've extended a sincere invitation... let's go. We'll have some mutton soup."

Jiang Yan was taken aback, but Third Master Chen had already stepped out of the carriage. He hurried after him, still puzzled about the note's contents.

The door of the mutton soup shop swung open, steam and dust mingling in the sunlight that streamed inside. Jinchao rose to her feet as she saw Third Master Chen enter. He was dressed in a crimson round-collared robe with a right lapel, fastened with a Rhino Leather Belt—the official attire of a second-rank official. Clearly, he had just come from the Ministry of Revenue. Over his robe, he wore a black Overcoat. Behind him followed a man in a russet Chengzi uniform, who was now studying her, while Hu Rong spoke quietly with the shop owner outside, asking him to leave.

The man in the Chengzi uniform was likely Jiang Yan, one of Third Master Chen's most trusted advisors.

Third Master Chen looked at her, his smile as refined as ever, yet his gaze seemed to pierce through her thoughts.

Gu Jinzhao felt a momentary daze. She had never scrutinized Third Master Chen so closely before. Compared to her past life, he looked at least a decade younger. In her previous life, when she had glimpsed him before his departure for Sichuan, though only in his thirties, streaks of white had already touched his temples. He had never smiled at her like this...

Gu Jinzhao stepped forward and curtsied. "Forgive the disturbance, my lord. We once met in Tongzhou—do you remember?"

Chen Yanyun did not respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Jiang Yan and said, "...Ask the shopkeeper to bring hot water and a plate of mutton."

The weather was bitterly cold, and mutton would help ward off the chill.

Only then did he address Jinchao gently. "No rush. Have some hot tea to warm yourself first."

She had been outside for so long, and without a stove in the room, her cheeks were flushed from the cold.

Gu Jinzhao was momentarily at a loss for words.

This was her first taste of how difficult it was to converse with Third Master Chen. He neither asked who she was nor why she had sought him out. Instead, he treated her as if they were already acquainted, inviting her to drink tea. Unhurried and composed, it truly felt like a meeting between old friends.She invited Third Master Chen to take a seat while she remained standing to the side. "My mother has passed away, so I seldom partake of meat dishes. I beg your lordship's forgiveness."

Third Master Chen gave a noncommittal hum and fell silent. After a while, the shopkeeper brought out mutton and hot tea, his hands trembling as he served them.

Third Master Chen began eating the mutton slowly.

Only when the plate was empty did he set down his chopsticks.

"...You guessed that I wrote the note?"

Jinchao acknowledged that she had.

Third Master Chen nodded. "Daring to seek me out like this means you're not entirely foolish." He lifted his gaze to Gu Jinzhao, his tone deliberately measured. "Then you should also know I have no intention of helping you."

Chen Yanyun's initial warning to Gu Jinzhao had been given knowing their situation was beyond remedy. If her father discovered the grain depot issue and submitted a memorial confessing his crimes, he might at least keep his life. He hadn't expected Gu Jinzhao to deduce he'd written the note or to brazenly intercept him like this.

...Her audacity never failed to amuse him.

Jinchao bowed slightly. "Had your lordship truly meant to refuse help, you wouldn't have written the note in the first place. At the very least, I came to express my gratitude. I only beg to know why you wished to aid the Gu family."

Chen Yanyun sighed. "...This proves I've truly made a mistake."

Gu Jinzhao's heart sank at his words. Had she miscalculated? Perhaps Third Master Chen's assistance stemmed not from some connection to her father or political maneuvering, but mere pity... But this was Third Master Chen. When had he ever been moved by pity?

The memory of Liu Xin Yun's corruption case still chilled her. In the third year of Wanli, Zhou Husheng, Salt Commissioner and Zhang Ju Lian's nephew, had forcibly taken Liu's second daughter as a concubine, beating to death the young lady's wet nurse and maidservant. When Liu submitted an appeal, it was intercepted before reaching the Grand Secretariat. The Censorate fabricated corruption charges against him instead. Liu pleaded innocence, kowtowing until his forehead bled in court—to no avail.

Third Master Chen suppressed all memorials supporting Liu and demoted several deeply involved officials. No one dared speak for Liu again. His family was exiled to Ningguta, while Zhou received only a month's house arrest from Zhang Ju Lian.

"Only dire circumstances drove me to seek your lordship. I venture to guess that despite your high position, you face opposition within the Grand Secretariat. The Grand Secretary of the Hall of Prudent Actions, Lord Wang, has consistently obstructed disaster relief efforts, using them to constrain your authority..." This theory had taken shape from Cao Ziheng's reports—delayed relief funds while the Ministry of Works dredged rivers, earning Wang Xuanfan Zhang Ju Lian's favor. Their rivalry became public knowledge when Wang was demoted to Yangzhou prefect in her past life, though she remained uncertain.

Chen Yanyun continued smiling, but his left hand began rolling prayer beads.

His calm gaze turned razor-sharp.

Jinchao's palms grew clammy with sweat. Regret prickled—she shouldn't have spoken so plainly. How would an inner chamber woman know such court secrets?

What suspicions must Chen Yanyun harbor now?

But to save her father, such concerns no longer mattered.She wore a white winter coat with faint purple bamboo leaf patterns and a deep indigo Xiang skirt, standing tall and graceful. Her dark hair was styled into a simple Tiaoxin bun. She lowered her head in silence, her lips pressed so tightly they turned pale. Her jade-like face appeared slightly hazy in the sunlight, with long lashes veiling her clear, autumn-water eyes—radiant and captivating, like the delicate bloom of a Haitang flower.

She dressed too plainly, making it almost a pity.

Third Master Chen recalled the time she had picked lotus seedpods by the lakeside pavilion, wearing a light pink jacket embroidered with red cherry blossoms and a deep red crepe Xiang skirt. On her wrists were a pair of gold bracelets inlaid with white jade, each as wide as a finger. She had sat casually at the edge of the pavilion, her crimson Xiang skirt trailing on the ground, even dipping slightly into the water. Yet she paid no mind, stretching her arms playfully to reach the lotus seedpods while turning to chat with her maid.

The maid had been so frightened her voice trembled.

Back then, he had just entered the Office of the Directorate of Instruction, his career stagnant, having only recently completed the mourning period for his father.

He paused to watch for a while. The young girl said to her maid, "Hold onto me—there are some farther away that I can’t reach."

The maid whispered, "Young Mistress, let’s just forget about those..."

She wouldn’t listen, lifting the hem of her skirt to wring out the water. The maid had no choice but to grip her hand nervously as she shifted further out of the pavilion. Her black satin shoes, embroidered with floral motifs, stepped onto the rocks by the lake. She laughed and said, "You’d better not tell Grandmother, or I’ll have her sell you off to some poor mountain village as a child bride, starving you every meal—"

Before she could finish, her foot slipped, and with a splash, she stumbled into the water. The lake wasn’t deep, so she quickly regained her footing, but her Xiang skirt was completely soaked. Stunned, she glared speechlessly before finally scolding the maid, "Why didn’t you hold me tighter? Now everything’s wet..." The maid’s voice was tearful, "Miss, this servant doesn’t want to be sold as a child bride."

The maid was even younger than her.

Gu Jinzhao huffed angrily, "Well, aren’t you going to pull me up? If I go back like this, you really will be sold off as a child bride!"

The two were in complete disarray as the maid hurriedly reached out to help her up.

Chen Yanyun couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Seeing that it was about time, he turned to leave along the small path. But then came the sound of another splash, followed by the maid’s loud wails, "Young Mistress, hold onto me! How could you fall into the pond... I’ll go call the guards!"

He turned back, but Gu Jinzhao was nowhere to be seen on the lake’s surface—only a corner of red crepe fabric floating atop the water.

His heart clenched, and he hurried back. The maid was too petrified to move, sobbing uncontrollably. When she saw a man approaching the lakeside pavilion from the path, she looked startled before dropping to her knees and kowtowing desperately. "Please save our Young Mistress! She fell into the lake!"

He reassured the maid, "Don’t panic. Your Young Mistress will be fine. Go find Tai Furen immediately and tell her what happened. Bring more guards with you."

The maid wiped her tears and nodded frantically before running off.

Stepping onto the lakeside rocks, he waded into the water. The shallows were indeed not deep, but further down lay a pit of unfathomable depth. Without hesitation, he took a deep breath and plunged into the pit. Soon, he found Gu Jinzhao sinking deeper. He carried her back to the pavilion.Gu Jinzhao was in a truly sorry state. Her clothes were completely drenched, her satin-like black hair tangled into knots, her pale face as white as snow, yet her delicate features remained exquisitely painted.

Saving her life took precedence, so he couldn't afford to worry about propriety between men and women. Fortunately, Gu Jinzhao soon regained consciousness, coughing up several mouthfuls of lake water. Unconsciously clutching his sleeve, she whispered weakly, "Don't tell Grandmother... or I'll be sold as a Child Bride..."

He found himself both amused and exasperated, but could only comfort her, "Alright, I won't tell."

Gu Jinzhao continued weakly, "I feel awful... my head hurts, I want to throw up..."

Chen Yanyun soothed her, "You'll feel better soon." He tried to pull his sleeve free, intending to leave. Though he had saved the girl, his actions might still be considered improper. If this incident were investigated, it could damage her reputation. By slipping away quietly, no one would ever know.

But Gu Jinzhao stubbornly clung to his sleeve, insisting, "Don't go... don't tell Grandmother..." Her voice gradually faded.

Chen Yanyun sighed helplessly and carefully pried her fingers loose one by one before quietly leaving the lakeside pavilion via the small path.

Chen Yi was waiting outside and was startled to see him completely drenched.

"Prepare the carriage. We're returning to Wanping immediately," he said calmly.