Chapter 24: "My surname is Wen."
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the streets were adorned with lanterns and decorations, and every household had fresh New Year's charms pasted on their doors.
The morning market street was as bustling as ever, steaming with vendors selling buns, steamed buns, and wontons. Occasional idlers and those visiting relatives and friends could be seen buying breakfast along the street.
A young man in a black robe and a bamboo hat stopped in front of a bun stall and said hoarsely, "Uncle, two steamers of buns."
"Right away!" The bun vendor turned his head at the sound and noticed the man not only had his hat brim pulled extremely low but also had half his face covered with a cloth to shield against the cold wind.
But in the harsh winter, bundling up tightly was hardly unusual, so the vendor paid it no mind. Lifting the steamer lid, a burst of white steam billowed out. With his calloused hands, he deftly picked up the scalding buns and swiftly packed them into an oil-paper bag.
Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from the far end of the street. Four or five government soldiers galloped through, forcing pedestrians on both sides to scatter hastily. The man also turned slightly, pulling his hat even lower.
After the soldiers had raced past, the street was left splattered with mud kicked up by the horses, drawing complaints from the disgruntled crowd.
The bun vendor grumbled, "It's the New Year—why can't the authorities give it a rest?"
A familiar breakfast vendor chimed in, "I heard someone was killed last night. The murderer is a Rogue from South Third Alley who killed for money. The authorities are hunting him down everywhere!"
The bun vendor spat in disgust, "Taking a life during the New Year—that Rogue has no conscience!"
As he spoke, he handed the packed buns to the man beside him, wiping his hands with a cloth and saying, "Twenty coins."
The man seemed utterly uninterested in their conversation. Taking the buns, he set a string of coins on the table and turned to leave.
The bun vendor counted the money—exactly twenty copper coins, no more, no less.
He craned his neck to look in the direction the man had gone, but the street was crowded with people, and the man had already vanished from sight.
The man appeared familiar with the city's layout, deliberately choosing secluded and deserted alleys. Whenever he encountered loitering ruffians who found him suspicious and tried to follow him, a few quick turns through the labyrinthine yet interconnected lanes were enough to lose them.
Arriving at a long-abandoned residence, he glanced around to ensure no one was tailing him before pushing the door open and entering.
Hou Xiao'an, hearing the noise, peeked out through a broken window and hurried out to greet him. "Second Brother!"
Xiao Li removed his hat, revealing a face that, though pale, retained its handsome features. He handed the buns to Hou Xiao'an and said, "Share these with my mother and the others."
The house was in severe disrepair. One of the roof beams had snapped, and the thatched roof, long uninhabited, had several large holes, allowing a clear view of the sky and letting icy winds whistle through. The interior was scarcely warmer than outside.
This was the abandoned residence of Hou Xiao'an's family.
Located in a remote area and long neglected, the house had been left as a memento after his family passed away, as it would fetch little money if sold.
Without anyone living in it to maintain its vitality, several walls in the side rooms had collapsed over the years, and the yard and roof were overgrown with weeds. Even beggars avoided using it as a hideout.
From the outside, it was clear the house couldn't possibly conceal anyone.Since being awakened last night, Hou Xiao'an's heart had remained unsettled. Taking the steamed bun, he asked, "What about you, Second Brother?"
Xiao Li readjusted his bamboo hat and said, "I have matters to attend to."
Suddenly, the cellar door covered with dry straw in the room was pushed open from below. Xiao Huiniang emerged halfway from the cellar entrance, her eyes red as she called out, "Huan'er!"
Xiao Li felt a pang in his heart. Lifting his head, he forced a smile and feigned normalcy as he addressed her, "Mother."
Xiao Huiniang asked with a choked voice, "Where are you going? Where is A Yu? What trouble have you gotten into? If it's about the money from before, we can mortgage the house. Combined with the savings I've put aside for you over the years, we can repay as much as we can first."
Several of his godmothers also peeked out from the side, chiming in, "That's right, A Huan. We've saved some private funds too. Though it's not enough to match what you spent to redeem us, it should help in an emergency. Whatever trouble you're facing, we'll face it together. There's no hurdle we can't overcome!"
Hearing this, the emotions bottled up in Hou Xiao'an's chest surged forth. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he declared, "Exactly! I've saved money too. My money is yours, Second Brother. I'll go fetch it right now if you need it."
Xiao Li lowered his head slightly, grateful for the wide brim of his hat that concealed his expression in that moment. After a pause, he grinned with his usual roguish charm and said, "It's not about money. A Yu is fine too. Don't worry. Everything will be settled after tonight."
He took one last look at Xiao Huiniang and added, "Mother, the buns are filled with your favorite braised meat. Eat them while they're hot."
With that, he adjusted his hat and stepped out.
Xiao Huiniang's unease intensified, tears streaming down her face as she called after his retreating figure, "Huan'er!"
This time, Xiao Li did not look back.
Hou Xiao'an accompanied him to the courtyard gate, his eyes glistening with tears as he murmured, "Second Brother..."
Xiao Li paused, raising his hand as if to pat his head as usual, but hesitated mid-motion and instead clasped his shoulder. "Take care of Mother for me," he said.
Hou Xiao'an vaguely suspected this was related to the private job he'd taken for the Proprietor. Wiping his eyes awkwardly, he promised, "You and Sister A Yu must both return safely."
Xiao Li was silent for a breath before patting his shoulder again. "Naturally."
He closed the gate and strode away, lifting his gaze to the sky shrouded in gray clouds. The howling cold wind seemed to tear ferocious streaks through the darkness in his eyes.
Wen Yu's words from their parting echoed in his ears:
"Huo Kun has the Governor's residence under tight surveillance. Ordinary people won't be able to get close. With the Han and He families feuding, the Xu family won't pass up this chance to profit from their conflict. I'll use half of the account book as bait to lure the Xu family into bringing me to the Governor's residence to report this matter, bypassing Huo Kun's watch."
"But before the Governor deploys troops, you must stall Huo Kun. Make him believe the account book and letters are still in your possession. Otherwise, all our efforts will be for nothing."
Both the path behind and the road ahead were swallowed by the ravenous wind and snow.
Slanted snowflakes left wet trails on Xiao Li's face. He tugged his scarf higher, covering half his face, retrieved a hidden hatchet from a woodpile, and stepped alone into the chaotic blizzard.
"Goddamn it! That bastard Xiao, with his sickly old mother—where the hell could they be hiding?"Several gambling house thugs had been following the officers on the citywide search since last night, utterly exhausted by now. They huddled in a circle at a street corner in the western city's morning market, gnawing on freshly bought flatbread.
One thug shot a glance at the group of officers standing nearby eating breakfast and grumbled, "What cursed New Year is this? On the first day, we're ordered around by these officials, running all over the place, and still have to pay for our own breakfast!"
Another thug looked over as well, equally resentful. "The gambling house is sealed shut. What else can we do?"
They'd been assigned to help the officers identify suspects, while their other comrades were ordered to stake out the four main city gates. Anyone leaving the city had to be checked - only those who didn't resemble Xiao Li or his mother were allowed through.
A younger thug bit into his bread and muttered, "So what if Brother Xiao killed Hu Xianbai? The Proprietor probably ordered it anyway. Why are we helping the authorities catch him now?"
The man beside him quickly glanced back at the officers before cuffing his head and hissing, "Still calling him 'Brother Xiao'? Want to lose your head? Don't think just because you're close with Hou Xiao'an that he's your brother too!"
The younger thug covered his head and fell silent.
The one who'd spoken earlier looked back again before gesturing for the group to gather closer. "I overheard the officers talking about some account book. Probably the Proprietor's records are still with Xiao Li. The authorities want to use this chance to pin something on the Proprietor, so he's sacrificing Xiao Li to protect himself."
This sent chills down the thugs' spines.
Across the way, the officers finished their meal and shouted at the huddled group, "Stop lazing about! Get back to searching!"
The informant quickly finished his bread and stood. "Well, at least we only have these old alleys in the western city's beggar district left to search. With all gates heavily guarded today, the Xiao mother and son must be hiding here. It's not like they can fly or tunnel underground."
No sooner had he spoken than hoofbeats sounded in the distance.
The thugs looked up to see an officer on horseback rein in his mount and shout, "The fugitives are at the south gate! Surround them immediately!"
The searching officers immediately grabbed their blades and rushed toward the south gate.
The thugs stood frozen, one of them glancing back at the old alleys ahead and muttering, "How did the Xios show up just as we were about to search here?"
The alley was narrow, melted snow mixing with accumulated filth to create instant mud underfoot.
Icicles hanging from the eaves dripped precarious beads of water, refracting faint halos of morning light.
Below, chaotic shadows of fighting figures clashed in the confined space.
Officers seemed to pour endlessly into the dead-end alley, where bodies already littered the ground.
Xiao Li dodged a long blade swinging toward his head, seized the attacker's wrist and twisted it. As the man screamed, Xiao Li struck his neck with the chopper's handle, sending him stumbling forward to collide with others charging into the alley.
Gripping his bloodied chopper, Xiao Li caught his breath, tightening the cloth binding the handle to his hand.
The officers had reached the old alleys in the western city where Xiao Huiniang was hiding. Xiao Li couldn't risk their discovery, so he'd shown himself at the south gate to draw all pursuers away.His fierce eyes glared at the advancing soldiers ahead as he sneered, "Han Tangzong ordered me to kill those people and take the ledger. I merely demanded hush money from him. Every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. Officers, shouldn’t you be arresting Han Tangzong instead?"
No one responded.
The soldiers blocking the alley entrance, having witnessed his ferocity, no longer rushed forward recklessly. Instead, they encircled him like hunters cornering a wild beast, attempting to exhaust his strength.
Just as the droplet on the icicle finally fell, the soldiers inside the alley seized the moment, raising their blades to charge at Xiao Li once more.
The thin, sharp blade sliced through the droplet, its cold edge instantly closing in on his face. Xiao Li raised his firewood axe to block it, the clash of metal emitting a piercing screech.
His arm strength was astonishing—even at this point of exhaustion, he managed to press the blade’s spine with his other arm, roaring as he forced the attacking officer back several steps. With a kick, he sent the man tumbling into the sewage-filled ditch. Lifting his blood-soaked forehead, he snarled wildly at the soldiers blocking his path, "Come on!"
He truly resembled a savage wolf.
Outside the alley.
A Huo family guard waiting for news watched as another soldier was carried out of the alley and heard the furious roars. He asked, "Has he not been captured yet?"
The officer in charge, equally frustrated, sheathed his blade against the saddle and said, "That bastard is cunning. He only brought half of the ledger with him, using it as a bargaining chip. The other half and the item the general wants are hidden. He insists on a carriage to escort him out of the city before revealing the hiding spot."
He added bitterly, "We haven’t recovered what the general wants yet, so we have to keep him alive."
The Huo family guard, surprised, remarked, "He’s quite clever."
The officer glanced at the sky and flexed his elbow impatiently. "If I were skilled with a bow, or if we could mobilize archers without alerting the governor, he wouldn’t have lasted this long."
The Huo family guard said, "Just fetch a bow."
The officer looked at him and suddenly laughed, slapping his shoulder armor heartily. "I almost forgot—you all trained under the general, skilled in both riding and archery!"
At the governor’s residence.
The cold wind carried the sound of firecrackers and rustled the fine bamboo blinds hanging along the corridor.
Wen Yu glanced at the distant sky, her palms slightly tightening.
It was already a quarter to eight.
Last night, she had calculated that even after informing the governor and mobilizing troops, it would be at least half past nine.
She wondered how Xiao Li was faring. She could only hope Huo Kun would be restrained by the half-ledger, allowing Xiao Li to stall until the governor could strike first.
Though she thought this, her heart grew heavy, knowing it was a slim hope.
"What is your real name?"
His question before he left echoed in her mind, and Wen Yu suddenly felt a suffocating tightness in her chest, a pang of regret.
What had she said then?
She had replied, "You’ll know when you return."
But would he ever return?
Wen Yu did not know.
Yet, as long as his corpse did not lie before her and Yongzhou remained unconquered, it was worth risking everything until the dust settled.
Madam Xu, holding a hand warmer, waited outside for an audience with the governor’s wife. She shivered in the cold wind, pulling her mink cloak tighter around her shoulders.
She glanced sideways at the young woman beside her, now dressed in her maid’s attire. Despite the simple coiled hairstyle, she bore no resemblance to a servant.
Her calm, deep eyes, when they met others, unconsciously made one feel inferior.Though lost in thought at the moment, her shoulders remained naturally poised without a hint of stiffness, her posture even more graceful than the ladies depicted in classical paintings.
Madam Xu pondered the woman’s background—someone who could obtain the Han family’s account books and use them as leverage to gain entry to the Prefect’s residence for an audience with the Prefect’s wife.
She speculated silently: Could this woman have some private grievance against the Han family, seeking the Prefect’s wife to uphold justice on her behalf?
While Madam Xu would gladly witness the Han family’s downfall, she worried that if this woman recklessly requested something taboo from the Prefect’s wife, she herself, as the intermediary, would inevitably face displeasure.
With this concern, Madam Xu lowered her voice and said, "I have cooperated with you in good faith and brought you here. I hope you will not bring disaster upon my household."
Wen Yu snapped out of her reverie, collected her thoughts, and gazed through the bamboo curtain at the servants sweeping the courtyard. Her voice was gentle as she replied, "Rest assured, Madam. After today, the merchants of Yongcheng may very well look to the Xu family as their leader."
These words sent a thrill through Madam Xu’s heart, but before she could inquire further, a maid in a golden-orange half-sleeved jacket lifted the curtain and called out, "The Madam has just risen. Please come in, Madam Xu."
Suppressing her curiosity, Madam Xu led Wen Yu inside. As they passed the maid, she discreetly slipped an exquisitely embroidered pouch into the maid’s hand. Her plump, fair face framed by delicately arched brows, she smiled warmly and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
The maid accepted the gift with a faint smile, simply holding the curtain aside for them to enter.
The room was warmed by underfloor heating, and as soon as they stepped inside, a wave of heat enveloped them. Madam Xu removed her cloak, and a maid from the inner chamber promptly took it to dry.
With another cheerful "Thank you for your trouble," Madam Xu seemed to have transformed into an amiable, dough-like figure since entering the Prefect’s residence, greeting everyone with a three-parts smile and utmost courtesy.
Behind the beaded curtain, they could now see an elegant figure seated behind a red sandalwood table. She held a wooden stick with a tiny flame, personally lighting incense in the Boshan censer, and spoke gently, "I heard you came early to pay New Year’s respects. That was thoughtful of you."
Madam Xu quickly replied with a smile, "I came early to bask in your auspicious aura for the New Year."
The Prefect’s wife, well-acquainted with Madam Xu’s silver tongue, responded with a light chuckle and instructed a maid to offer her a seat.
After sitting down, Madam Xu signaled Wen Yu to step forward with the brocade gift box containing the fan. Using this as an opportunity to introduce her, she said cheerfully, "It so happened that I recently encountered an embroiderer skilled in Suzhou embroidery at the market. Knowing of your fondness for Xu Xi’s 'Jade Hall Peonies Painting,' I specially commissioned her to embroider a fan with the same design. I’ve brought it as a humble gift for you."
Though she called it "humble," the peonies in the painting by the former dynasty artist Xu Xi were so challenging to capture that even skilled copyists struggled to replicate their essence, let alone render them in embroidery.
However, Suzhou embroidery was renowned for its vibrant colors, dynamic needlework, and lifelike depictions.
This piqued the Prefect’s wife’s interest. She let out a surprised "Oh," gently shaking the wooden stick to extinguish the flame, and said, "Let me see it."
Wen Yu slightly opened the flat gift box and handed it to the approaching maid.
Noticing the light veil covering Wen Yu’s face, the maid’s eyes flickered with surprise. But since she was Madam Xu’s attendant and Madam Xu had not commented, it was not her place as a servant to question it. She simply took the box, parted the beaded curtain, and knelt to present it to the Prefect’s wife.The prefect's wife glanced down casually, but when her gaze fell upon the peony embroidery on the fan surface, her eyes froze there.
The flow of the petals and leaves, their texture and ethereal charm, resembled the authentic "Jade Hall Peonies Painting"!
She had been holding a cup of tea to drink, but now hastily set it down. Her well-maintained jade-like fingers traced the slightly raised embroidery on the fan, utterly astonished: "This is truly embroidered?"
Seeing her delight in the fan, Madam Xu felt more assured and spoke up at the right moment: "I thought since it's meant for a fan, it would be prettier with embroidery on both sides. Fortunately, the embroiderer is skilled in double-sided Suzhou embroidery, so I had her embroider both sides."
Hearing this, the prefect's wife picked up the peony-embroidered fan. But before she could examine the reverse side closely, she noticed a letter tucked beneath it.
Frowning slightly, she looked toward Madam Xu and her maid beyond the bead curtain. Madam Xu still wore a warm smile, but the veiled maid's ink-black, ice-pool-like eyes were fixed on her.
The prefect's wife felt this maid's bearing surpassed that of many noble ladies. Realizing something, she knowingly unfolded the letter from the box.
After reading it, she couldn't even steady the brocade box resting on her knees, letting it fall to the floor.
"Madam!" The maids below panicked, rushing forward, but Wen Yu lifted the curtain and entered first, using her sleeve to conceal the letter as she supported the prefect's wife.
The prefect's wife's personal maid had never seen such an impudent servant and was about to scold her when Wen Yu said: "Quickly summon the prefect. Tell him Madam has suddenly fainted, and send for the residence physician."
As she spoke, her gaze remained steadily fixed on the prefect's wife, her hand firmly gripping one of Madam's suddenly ice-cold, delicate hands.
"How dare you! Your gift has frightened Madam, and you dare touch her?" The personal maid, protective of her mistress, moved to push Wen Yu away.
But the prefect's wife stopped her. Leaning against the pillow, barely able to breathe, her lovely face pale as death, she stared blankly at Wen Yu, as if drawing some strength from her composure. Weakly, she instructed her servants: "Do as she says. Keep it quiet. Summon the prefect and tell him I've fallen ill."
The maids stood bewildered: "Madam!"
Madam Xu was also startled by the sudden turn of events. In mere moments, cold sweat had soaked through her back. She didn't know whether to quickly distance herself from Wen Yu or say something to calm the prefect's wife.
Seeing the maids frozen in place, the prefect's wife grew frantic and shouted: "Go now!"
Her personal maid had no choice but to promptly send someone for the prefect and dispatch another for the residence physician.
Noticing the prefect's wife showed no intention of blaming Wen Yu, Madam Xu hurriedly smoothed things over: "Madam, perhaps you haven't eaten since morning and fainted from low energy? Should we have the kitchen warm some sweet soup?"
The personal maid thought this possible and instructed a servant to fetch the soup, though she remained puzzled by her mistress's attitude toward the maid.Before she could ponder further, the governor's wife spoke again: "I am utterly exhausted and cannot entertain you any longer, Madam Xu. Please proceed to the side hall for some refreshments. I've taken a liking to your maid and wish to have a word with her."
Naturally, Madam Xu dared not refuse. After urging the governor's wife to rest properly and following the guiding maid out, she still felt uneasy.
She had also examined the fan cover and found nothing amiss. Why then had the governor's wife been so frightened upon seeing it, yet showed no intention of blaming the young woman at all?
Moreover, that woman just now... was clearly instructing the Governor's wife on how to proceed.
Feigning illness to summon the Governor of Yongzhou while keeping it quiet—this was obviously an attempt to conceal their actions and prevent any information from leaking...
Even her own invitation to the side hall for refreshments was likely a form of detention in disguise.
Madam Xu's heart jolted in alarm, her meticulously maintained nails digging into the hand warmer.
—This unmistakably indicated something major was afoot.
Inside the room, the Governor's wife's personal maid cast another uneasy glance at Wen Yu before withdrawing. "My lady, I shall wait right outside the door. Please call if you need anything."
The Governor's wife gave a slight nod, and only then did the maid softly close the door behind her.
When they were completely alone, the Governor's wife gazed at the veiled woman before her, tears welling in her eyes as she asked, "Where did this letter come from, miss?"
Wen Yu replied, "From the He family in charge of water transport."
At this answer, the Governor's wife grew even paler, tears soaking the hair at her temples. "My husband is but a civil official. How could he possibly contend with that military brute?"
Wen Yu tightened her grip on the woman's hand, stating calmly, "This is a contest of military strategy, not a brawl between brutes. So long as we deploy troops and set defenses before Huo Kun makes his move, the outcome remains uncertain."
Hearing this, the Governor's wife stared blankly at Wen Yu, her expression growing more bewildered. "Might I ask who you are, miss?"
Wen Yu fell silent for a breath. Behind her, the faint smoke rising from the Boshan censer coiled upward—a thread as slender as a lute string that could scatter with a breeze, yet seemed to possess the momentum to pierce the heavens.
She said, "My surname is Wen."
Author's Note: Tried writing a bit more today, hence the delayed update QAQ
My heartfelt thanks to the little angels who supported me with special tickets or nourished me with nutrient solutions between 2023-12-07 15:18:15~2023-12-08 19:16:34~
Special thanks to these angels for their rocket launchers: Feng Ge Qie Xing, Jiu Yue Jiu Ri Zui Jiu Shang Jiu Cheng Lou (1 each);
Gratitude for the landmine donations: Bai Hua Lin 82 (2); Ming Yue Wu Li Zhao Ren, jenniferCA, Yi Yi Bu She (1 each);
Appreciation for the nutrient solution contributors: Zai Lai Yi Kou (52 bottles); Nao Dai Kong Kong, Bai Hua Lin 82 (50 bottles); 41103409 (17 bottles); Wo Xin Fei Yang xy, Zhi Zhi Bu Zhi Zhi, Ni Ni (10 bottles); Lu Lu Lu (6 bottles); Chun Chen Xi Jun (5 bottles); Ku Ji Ji (2 bottles); Yun Zhao zhao, kfpy_L, 27428371, 67029664, Gan Lan Ye Zi island, Sui Sui Tao Yan Sui Sui, 65140677, Lin Lang, Gu Gu Gu Gu Gu, Pang Hu Li, Yun Dong Ya, Bo He Xiang Qi, Luo Jia Shan Man Bu Zhe (1 bottle each);
Thank you all for your tremendous support—I will continue striving!
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