Chapter 321: The Shock
The wheels of the carriage began turning once more.
Gu Jinzhao could still hear the piercing screams of those two women.
The flash of blades rising and falling—their eyes had widened larger than bronze bells...
She clenched her trembling hands. These men killed without blinking—they were certainly no kind-hearted folk! She couldn't afford hesitation...
When they had left the post station, the horse stables were drenched in blood. Aside from the corpses of the guards, there were also those post station workers. Blood had seeped across the courtyard's bluestone tiles in great swathes, mingling with rainwater. The yard reeked of damp fodder from the stables, laced with the stench of blood. Under the newly emerged sun, the stench was nauseating.
Caifu, her face pale, gripped Gu Jinzhao's hand and murmured softly, "Madam, it's alright now..."
At least Yuzhu and the young master had escaped unharmed—the men hadn't searched the rooms. The child hadn't made a sound either...
A small mercy amidst misfortune.
Gu Jinzhao gave a faint hum in response. Leaning against the carriage wall, she listened to the men outside conversing in what sounded like a local dialect—one she couldn't quite understand.
This carriage was no longer the Chen Family's. It was one used for transporting people at the post station. There were no windows, and a driver guarded the door, making it impossible for them to see outside... The carriage moved steadily, likely still following the main road.
After last night's rain, today's sun burned with the ferocity of an autumn tiger, scorching and relentless. By noon, the heat inside the carriage had become unbearable.
Granny Sun asked for water, and the carriage came to a stop. The same bearded man from earlier lifted the curtain and handed Gu Jinzhao a bowl of water, grinning. "From the river by the road. If Madam finds it unworthy, I can have it boiled."
Gu Jinzhao took it and studied him.
She was indeed parched—she hadn't had a drop of water or bite of food since leaving the post station that morning. But as she looked at the earthen bowl held steadily in his large hand, she hesitated... What if he had tampered with the water?
The man chuckled again. "Madam has remarkable courage. If you don't fear death, why fear a bowl of water?"
If he truly intended to do something, he would have found a way regardless.
Gu Jinzhao silently accepted the bowl, drank a few sips to quench her thirst, then passed it to Caifu and Granny Sun beside her.
Perhaps the river water really did have an odd taste—it left a bitter, astringent aftertaste in her mouth.
The man took back the bowl and jumped out of the carriage. A short while later, he returned with a bundle of cold, dry buns. "Nothing but rough fare in the wilderness—Madam will have to make do." His eyes narrowed slightly. "We slaughtered a horse before leaving and stewed some meat. If Madam doesn't mind the gamey taste, I can bring some over."
That horse had been butchered right before their eyes. The memory of the cooking meat's stench made Gu Jinzhao's stomach churn...
Suppressing her nausea, she replied coolly, "You may keep it for yourself, sir."
The man seemed amused by her disgust. He laughed twice before hopping back down.
Caifu took one of the buns, broke off the softest part, and offered it to Gu Jinzhao. But she had little appetite.
Holding the bun for a long while, Gu Jinzhao finally forced herself to swallow it...
About a quarter of an hour later, the bearded man stood by the dusty main road, gazing at the distant city walls. Someone approached to report:
"...Those women have all been drugged unconscious!"He nodded. "Then let's enter the city!" His gaze was profound as he looked at the distant city walls. "The woman from the all-powerful Chen Family is as beautiful as flowers and the moon. I've presented such a grand pledge of allegiance—surely the heir apparent will accept it gladly."
Chen Yanyun was reviewing a memorial from the Fujian Provincial Administration Commissioner regarding tax reductions for coastal areas of Fujian.
After reading a few lines, he closed it and summoned Jiang Yan. Handing him the memorial, he said, "Deliver this to Lord Zhang's residence. Since this was caused by Japanese pirates, the Ministry of Revenue shouldn't be involved."
Jiang Yan took it and acknowledged the order.
Chen Yanyun sipped his tea, his gaze drifting beyond the lattice window where the parrot he kept outside began flapping its wings and squawking again.
This parrot had been a third-day celebration gift from Ye Xian for Changsuo, but Third Master Chen had never given it to Gu Jinzhao.
Most of the time, the parrot either slept or babbled nonsense. Now, well-fed and perched on a bamboo pole, it shook its wings and started chattering again. It seemed quite pleased with itself, though no one could understand a word.
Today, the parrot was in a poetic mood, reciting doggerel.
It usually repeated the same few lines. Third Master Chen listened silently for a while, his fingers lightly tapping the desk.
"The finest brocade cut, yet none cherish it; pity instead the cinnabar stains on fingertips."
He had heard the parrot recite poetry for a long time. There was nothing unusual about it—except this one line appeared in every poem. What did it mean?
Jinchao had been at the Ji family for two days now. He wondered when she would return.
As Chen Yanyun pondered this, Fourth Master Chen and Sixth Master Chen came to see him.
Sixth Master Chen had just returned from Bao Xiang Temple the day before yesterday, noticeably thinner, much to Madam Ge's distress. He, however, was delighted to finally be free of that wretched place. Dressed in a brand-new straight robe, he dragged Fourth Master Chen along to visit Third Master Chen.
"Third Brother, that Master Jianming of yours is insufferable! He forced me to chant scriptures all day—my ears are still ringing," he complained, taking a sip of tea. "Life in the temple was unbearably dull. No meat at all! I finally caught a pangolin, but the monks set it free..."
Fourth Master Chen laughed. "Even after a year in the temple, Sixth Brother, your temper hasn't changed a bit. Since you've just returned and must be idle, why not help me with my business if you're bored?"
Chen Yanjiang quickly shook his head. "I'd rather enjoy myself than bother with your affairs!"
Third Master Chen said slowly, "I won't interfere with your amusements, but if you engage in any more unsavory activities, I won't let you off lightly." Just then, a servant brought in tea.
Chen Yanjiang, recalling his past misdeeds, could only chuckle nervously and hastily gulped down his tea.
At that moment, Chen Yi arrived. He didn't enter but stood outside the study and said, "Third Master, I have something to report..."
Noticing his troubled expression, Third Master Chen stood and stepped outside.
In a low voice, he asked, "You look so grim—what's happened?" His first thought was of the floods in Fengyang. Days ago, the Ministry of Revenue had dispatched officials to work with the Ministry of Works on rebuilding the riverbanks. "Has something gone wrong with the flood inspectors?"Chen Yi opened his mouth, speaking with great difficulty, "It's the madam... Yuzhu came back alone, carrying the young master." He paused, trying to keep his voice steady and not tremble, "She said... on their way back, they encountered a group of people from Sichuan. The madam was taken by them... her current whereabouts are unknown."
When Third Master Chen went to see Yuzhu, Changsuo was wailing loudly.
Inside the room, the wet nurse was holding the child, trying to soothe him and feed him milk. But Changsuo kept twisting his head away, his teary eyes darting around.
Upon seeing Third Master Chen, he whimpered and reached out to be held.
Chen Yanyun took the child into his arms, his grip tightening.
Yuzhu sat blankly on a stool, her eyes red, continuously sobbing.
When she had hidden in the cabinet, she was terrified of being discovered, trembling with fear. She was also afraid Changsuo's crying would attract attention, so when he woke up, she covered his mouth tightly. Overwhelmed with fear, she didn’t dare even to cry aloud. With the young master in her care, she couldn’t afford any mishap!
Chen Yanyun’s expression softened slightly as he comforted the child, but when the boy buried his face in his shoulder, still hiccuping with sobs, his face darkened again. His eyes felt unbearably dry, and he closed them briefly to steady himself. The initial shock and heartache had passed, replaced by rising anger.
He asked Yuzhu, "What exactly happened? Tell me everything clearly."
Yuzhu recounted the events at the overnight stop: "...Only after they left did I dare come out of the cabinet. There were still carriages at the stop, so I found a villager to help drive us back with the young master. The guards and the two maids the madam had brought... they were all dead. The madam was gone. I... I thought since it had just rained, I followed their wheel tracks. They seemed to be heading toward the capital! But after Baodi, the tracks became too numerous to distinguish... so I hurried back..."
Third Master Chen’s voice was hoarse: "She told you... to bring the child back...?"
Yuzhu nodded.
She watched as Third Master Chen closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. Changsuo, held in his arms, gradually quieted down, exhausted from crying, and fell asleep against his father’s broad shoulder. Yuzhu suddenly remembered Gu Jinzhao’s instructions and quickly added, "The madam also said—" she lowered her voice, "to be wary of Fourth Master Chen and Lord Zhang... I don’t know why!"
Third Master Chen nodded and handed the child to the wet nurse. He immediately strode out, coldly ordering Chen Yi, "Gather all the guards from Crane Extension Tower! You personally lead a team to Baodi to track those people!"
Chen Yi clasped his fists in acknowledgment and hurried off to assemble the men.
As he walked, Third Master Chen instructed Feng Jun, "Fetch my official seal from the study."
Feng Jun was taken aback. "Third Master, are you planning to—"
"Seal the city," he said calmly. "I’m going to see the Commander of the Five City Garrison. The capital is to be locked down immediately—no one enters or leaves."
Feng Jun’s heart skipped a beat. He knew this was not a wise move for Third Master Chen, as it would appear overly authoritarian. But he didn’t dare say anything and quickly went to retrieve the seal.
Third Master Chen changed into his official robes, and the carriage was already waiting outside Osmanthus Hall.Fourth Master Chen and Sixth Master Chen followed out, still unclear about what had happened. But the entire Chen Family's guards were alarmed, and they knew something earth-shattering must have occurred. Seeing Third Master Chen emerge in his official robes, Fourth Master Chen hurried forward to ask, "Third Brother, what exactly is going on... what's happened?"
Third Master Chen recalled Gu Jinzhao's earlier words.
He glanced at Fourth Master Chen but offered no explanation—his mind was too preoccupied. He simply said, "Keep an eye on the household. Don't say a word to Mother!"
A servant fastened his cloak, and he immediately bent to board the carriage, leaving without a backward glance.
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