Chapter 297: Xiao You
Jiang Yan and the others waited outside the study, having brought a charcoal brazier to warm themselves.
Before long, snow began to fall heavily. The group moved the brazier onto the veranda and spoke in hushed tones.
Feng Jun, seeing Gu Jinzhao for the first time, was quite surprised. "Is that our Third Madam?"
In recent years, Third Master Chen had taken to Buddhist practices and abstained from indulging in women. The only woman who could get close to him must be Third Madam. However, Third Master Chen was usually gentle and courteous to everyone—why was he so cold toward his wife?
Jiang Yan nodded in confirmation. Another young man wearing a sandalwood-colored silk turban remarked, "Master Feng was recently in Guizhou, so it's no surprise you haven't met Third Madam... Speaking of which, Third Master sent you to Guizhou to investigate Xiao You's hideout. Did you find where he was staying? That old fox must have left plenty of valuable things behind."
Feng Jun rubbed his hands over the brazier to warm them and chuckled. "You already know he's a cunning old fox—it wasn't easy to find! I had to enlist the help of elders from the local Miao villages to search the mountains with me. We scoured everything from the Miao Ridge to the strategic pass at Lou Mountain between Sichuan and Guizhou, only managing to catch a few rare golden pheasants. In the end, I had to lead a troop of soldiers into the Wuling Mountains to finally locate his hideout. There wasn’t even a shack—the old man lived in a cave."
Shuyan brought some taro from the main kitchen for everyone to roast and eat to ward off the cold.
Jiang Yan buried the taro in the charcoal and said, "Someone like Xiao You is meticulous in his actions. Since he was preparing to rebel against Marquis Changxing, there must have been nothing left in that cave. You came back disappointed, didn’t you?"
Feng Jun shook his head. "It was indeed clean inside, except for some children's toys. But he left in a hurry and didn’t have time to destroy everything, so he buried some items under a pine tree. If it weren’t for the Miao elder bringing a dog to sniff it out, we wouldn’t have found them... What about your side?"
"Zhao Yinchi is about to retire—a major event. Last night, Third Master Chen and Lord Zhang discussed all night who would be the best candidate to recommend." Jiang Yan continued, "Although the Minister of War is a civil position, it requires experience in military strategy. An ordinary scholar can’t take the post. Lord Zhang does have a few capable men under him, but they lack sufficient military experience and aren’t fit for such a major role."
The taro in the brazier was soon roasted. Everyone took some, peeled them, and ate. Just as they were enjoying the taro, Third Master Chen emerged from the study, dressed in a straight robe.
Jiang Yan and Feng Jun set down what they were holding and followed him into the side chamber.
After sitting down and taking a sip of hot tea, Third Master Chen first called Feng Jun forward to report. "What did you find in the Wuling Mountains?"
Feng Jun bowed respectfully. "...Poems, calligraphy, paintings, contemporary eight-legged essays, and some correspondence with others. There were few letters from Prince Rui and the old Marquis Changxing, but more from Lord Zhang and the heir of Marquis Changxing." He had someone bring up a chest.
"I’ve selected the more important items, but the letters he left behind had already been processed. If you suspect something unusual about Prince Rui’s palace coup, the letters don’t reveal anything. Most of them discuss weapons or crossbows with the heir of Marquis Changxing. The letters with Lord Zhang are stranger—they talk about poetry and paintings..." Feng Jun paused, lowering his voice. "Your poetry and paintings. The ones he didn’t destroy were your early works."
Chen Yanyun’s expression darkened. "Bring them here for me to see."Xiao You would never have nothing better to do than read his essays. Even if he discussed poetry and Eight-legged essays with Zhang Julian, it shouldn’t have involved him.
Back then, Xiao You had colluded with Prince Rui to secretly harm Marquis Changxing, acting as their hidden chess piece. Zhang Julian had expended great effort in plotting the Marquis Changxing’s rebellion. At the time, Third Master Chen had just been appointed Minister of Revenue and was too preoccupied to focus on this matter, only occasionally offering advice. Yet, this palace coup not only failed inexplicably, but Xiao You’s death was also baffling. How had Ye Xian discovered Xiao You’s betrayal? No matter how clever he was, he was still just a youth.
Third Master Chen had always wanted to uncover the key to this mystery.
When Prince Rui died, Zhang Julian was greatly alarmed. He summoned Third Master Chen overnight to discuss the matter, and Wang Xuanfan was also present at the time. They first suspected that Xiao You might have been the problem. After all, Xiao You had been Ye Xian’s mentor for so many years—could he really have had no compassion left? If he had a last-minute change of heart, it was entirely possible he had confessed everything to Ye Xian.
But Xiao You had ended up dead, which didn’t make sense. If he had indeed come clean, Ye Xian shouldn’t have killed him. However, no one had ever seen his corpse, so no one could confirm whether he was truly dead.
If Xiao You wasn’t the issue, then there was only one possibility: Ye Xian had someone exceptionally capable behind him, advising and strategizing. This person would have to be supremely intelligent, with an intimate understanding of court affairs and the ability to maneuver expertly. Such a person would pose an immense threat to them. But who could it be?
For this reason, Third Master Chen sent Feng Jun to investigate Xiao You’s former residence, hoping to find some clues.
He meticulously reviewed all of Xiao You’s correspondence with others.
Xiao You’s letters to the old Marquis Changxing and Ye Xian were mostly about trivial matters. His exchanges with Prince Rui were few, mostly concerning weapon transfers or troop deployment strategies. His letters with Zhang Julian analyzed poetry and occasionally touched on military tactics.
After finishing the letters, Third Master Chen leaned back in his chair, his expression calm.
"This Xiao You—he was a prodigy in his time. If not for Marquis Changxing’s military prowess, Prince Cheng might have succeeded in usurping the throne with his help. Do you know just how extraordinary he was? He could glance at a pile of coins and instantly know the exact count. When marching troops, if he calculated they would arrive by the fifth watch, they would never be a moment late. Just by observing the brushstrokes of a painting, he could identify the artist."
The study was silent. When Third Master Chen spoke, they naturally listened without interruption.
Xiao You had been a remarkable figure, but his legend had long faded. Who would have guessed he had once been so formidable?
The two men exchanged glances, unsure what Third Master Chen was getting at.
"Zhang Julian had him review my poetry and calligraphy. What do you think he was looking for?" Third Master Chen asked.
Surely not to critique his writing...
Feng Jun seemed to grasp something, his heart tightening.
Third Master Chen, however, smiled. "Though I was wary of him, I never suspected... No wonder he used Wang Xuanfan to restrain me." In Xiao You’s letters to Zhang Julian, he had described Chen Yanyun’s ambition as "ascending the highest peak to gaze down upon all below." Zhang Julian had wanted Xiao You to assess his ambition and resolve, and Xiao You had deemed him a formidable threat. Zhang Julian hadn’t merely been wary of him—he had long been harboring suspicions.
Instead of uncovering the mastermind behind Marquis Changxing’s coup, they had stumbled upon this revelation.
The study fell into silence until Jiang Yan finally asked, "What do you intend to do now?"Third Master Chen stood up and walked to the window, gazing silently at the lanterns beneath the corridor outside for a moment.
He disliked having threats looming over his head. However, Zhang Ju Lian was, after all, his mentor and had helped him greatly in the past. Moreover, Zhang Ju Lian merely harbored suspicions toward him and had yet to take any real action. Even the way he conducted himself as an official now was something Zhang Ju Lian had taught him...
"Destroy these things first. Don’t let Zhang Ju Lian know I’ve been investigating," Third Master Chen said softly.
...The conversation lasted until late at night.
When Third Master Chen returned to the study, Gu Jinzhao was already asleep.
He stood there watching her for a while before reaching out to touch her face, the auspicious knot on his Buddhist beads brushing against her cheek. She must have felt a slight tickle, for she turned over to face the other side. Third Master Chen couldn’t help but smile as he sat on the edge of the bed, though he felt no trace of sleepiness.
Gu Jinzhao, feeling the bedding too cold, woke up groggily and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, still awake. The candles in the room had long since burned out, and the sudden sight of a dark figure sitting there startled her so much she nearly screamed.
Third Master Chen swiftly pinned her down and reassured her, "Don’t be afraid. It’s me."
Only then did Jinchao catch the scent of sandalwood on him. She couldn’t help but say, "Why aren’t you asleep yet? I thought you were some ghost or demon."
Instead of answering, he asked her, "Why did you wake up? Did I disturb you?"
He hadn’t made a single sound—how could he have disturbed her? Gu Jinzhao shook her head. "I just felt a little cold..." The room lacked an underfloor heating system, and once the brazier had gone out, the chill had set in.
Had he stayed awake because he couldn’t sleep? Was he still thinking about her and Chen Xuanqing?
Gu Jinzhao couldn’t help but wonder. Even if Third Master Chen knew she harbored no improper feelings for Chen Xuanqing and believed her, Chen Xuanqing was still his legitimate eldest son. He couldn’t possibly be indifferent to his heir acting so outrageously.
Third Master Chen slipped his hand under the covers and found them colder than his own palm. With a sigh, he removed his outer robe and climbed into bed.
Gu Jinzhao had woken from the cold—she had always been sensitive to it. She stared blankly at Third Master Chen... Had he come to a realization?
"Aren’t you cold?" Chen Yanyun asked her.
Gu Jinzhao usually seemed quite clever, but she was a little slow when just waking up. Her reactions were always delayed at times like this.
Only then did Gu Jinzhao understand his meaning and let out an "Oh." He was trying to warm her up!
Her hands and feet quickly tangled around him—Chen Yanyun was indeed very warm.
Gu Jinzhao obediently nestled into his embrace, and Chen Yanyun wrapped his arms around her. She really was freezing. He should have sent her back to her own room earlier. He had matters to attend to and had forgotten the study lacked an underfloor heating system. Chen Yanyun lowered his head to speak to her. "Jinchao, if you make me angry again, you should stay far away. Understand?" He didn’t often lose his temper, but when he truly did, it could be quite terrifying.
It seemed that those who usually suppressed their emotions erupted all the more fiercely when pushed to the limit.
Gu Jinzhao buried her face in his chest and smiled, though her heart ached. Even when angry with her, he feared hurting her... So what was he to do?
What if she hadn’t come to find him today?
Gu Jinzhao was deeply grateful she had sought him out. She lifted her head and kissed his chin. "You should sleep now."Chen Yanyun didn't speak anymore. Feeling her cold hands, he took them and placed them against his waist. This way she wouldn't feel too hot or cold, and Gu Jinzhao slept very comfortably, thinking that perhaps an underfloor heating system wasn't necessary after all - she could just use Third Master Chen as her personal heater.
Despite all the matters weighing on his mind, Third Master Chen gradually fell asleep while holding Gu Jinzhao.
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