Xie Zheng didn’t directly answer her. After finishing the last annotation on the book’s flyleaf, he set down his brush and said, “I’ve made annotations for all the difficult parts of these books. You should be able to understand them on your own now.”
Fan Changyu understood his meaning immediately. He had promised to teach her to read, but it seemed he couldn’t fulfill that promise. Instead, he had annotated all the books and left them for her.
For a moment, she felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart. However, they weren’t related by blood or marriage. Their fake marriage was a mutual agreement, and they owed each other nothing. Besides, during this time, he had helped her considerably.
Fan Changyu suppressed the unusual feeling in her heart and said, “I don’t need anything else. I have everything I need now. The pork shop is thriving, the braised meat has made a name for itself, providing a stable income. Come spring, I can even raise pigs in the countryside…”
As she spoke of her plans, she remembered that Yan Zheng was about to leave, and he probably couldn’t be involved in pig farming anymore. She couldn’t help but look at him and found that he seemed to be listening attentively to her, his expression calm and gentle. Suddenly, an indescribable sadness welled up in her heart.
She thought that perhaps it was because they had supported each other through the most difficult times, so hearing him say he was leaving made her feel unaccustomed all at once.
She said, “I’ll go to the money house tomorrow to exchange the silver you left with me for banknotes. It’ll be more convenient for you to carry when you leave.”
Xie Zheng’s handsome brows furrowed as he said, “What I’ve given you is yours.”
Fan Changyu replied, “You’ll have many expenses while traveling, especially since you’re planning to rebuild the escort agency. How do you expect to manage without money? Besides, I can’t accept such a large sum without having done anything to earn it. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
Forty taels of silver was no small amount. It was one thing for him to leave it with her temporarily, but to leave it behind when he was gone was too much for Fan Changyu to accept in good conscience.
Adding the six taels they had split after selling braised meat at Yixiang Tower yesterday to the forty taels he had left with her, it totaled forty-six taels of silver. Fan Changyu planned to add four more taels to make it an even fifty, exchange it all for banknotes, and give it to him. She would also give him some copper coins for carriage rides or meals on the road.
This way, she wouldn’t feel indebted to him.
Xie Zheng’s lips tightened slightly as he looked at her and said, “Wasn’t it candy money?”
Fan Changyu met his gaze, her eyes clear and without a trace of impurity. “When you come back, if you still want to eat candy, I’ll buy it for you then.”
She smiled, half-teasing, half-earnest, “Otherwise, what if you meet a girl out there and want her to buy you candy, but you have no money?”
Xie Zheng’s lips tightened even more, and the gentleness in his demeanor disappeared completely.
Fan Changyu seemed oblivious and yawned, saying, “It’s late. We should rest early.”
Even after Fan Changyu had returned to her room, Xie Zheng remained seated at the table. After a long while, he closed his eyes.
Except for her, no one else would buy him candy anymore.
He wasn’t sure if he would have the chance to return from this journey, and some words couldn’t be spoken.
He Jing Yuan had traced the twenty thousand stones of grain to Zhao Xun, who had handed the grain over to his old subordinates. He Jing Yuan hadn’t found concrete evidence, but following the clues, he could guess something.
Given Wei Xuan’s reckless actions and He Jing Yuan’s capabilities in Jizhou Prefecture, it wouldn’t have been difficult for He to restrain Wei Xuan. But he hadn’t, presumably because he wanted to use the suffering of the common people to force him to reveal himself with the twenty thousand stones of grain.
The suffering of the people and the public’s condemnation meant nothing to the Wei faction compared to his life.
After all, when the Wei faction wanted to eliminate him before, they had their spy planted by his side to falsely report military intelligence. The eight thousand soldiers who followed him to the battlefield all became sacrificial pawns on the Chongzhou battlefield…
Until this blood debt was repaid and the Wei Yan father and son saw his corpse, how could they sleep soundly?
He couldn’t give her a promise that he would return. She seemed carefree, but she was a person of strong principles. She wouldn’t have any unclear entanglements with him, which was why she insisted on not accepting his money.
Owing nothing to each other meant they wouldn’t think of each other.
He thought, if that’s how it is, so be it. What’s so special about a butcher’s daughter anyway?
As he walked towards his room, passing under the eaves, snowflakes fell on his brow. The chill of the melting snow seeped into his bones, eroding the last bit of pride in his heart.
His hand lightly pressed against the wooden door, but he couldn’t bring himself to push it open. He lowered his head and closed his eyes tightly, hiding his vulnerability at that moment.
How could she not be special?
She was good in every way-
The courtyard was deep, with snow covering the bamboo branches.
Zhao Xun walked quickly across the snow-covered courtyard and entered the warm pavilion. The room was brightly lit with candles. Behind the crescent-shaped carved and hollowed-out moon gate stood a pair of gilded xiezhi incense burners. Wisps of smoke were slowly rising from the hollowed-out tops of the burners.
Further inside, in front of a soft couch, hung a golden gauze curtain, obscuring the appearance of the man on the couch. However, the hem of his robe that fell to the floor was intricately woven with gold thread and embroidery, extremely luxurious.
Zhao Xun didn’t dare to look too closely. He bowed his head respectfully and said, “Master, as you instructed, Wei Xuan’s forced grain requisition has been widely publicized in the capital. Now all the scholars are denouncing the Wei faction, and Grand Tutor Li has openly challenged Wei Yan in court.”
On the couch was placed a low table with teacups. The man picked up a cup, his fingers long but excessively pale, thin as if they were just bones. He laughed, “Well done.”
He then asked, “How about the Marquis of Wu’an?”
Zhao Xun thought of his recent meeting with Xie Zheng, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his temples. He steeled himself and said, “The Marquis of Wu’an instructed this subordinate to inform He Jing Yuan about Wei Xuan’s cross-border grain requisition. It seems he wants He Jing Yuan to stop Wei Xuan from requisitioning grain.”
The person behind the gauze curtain chuckled softly, unclear whether it was in mockery or genuine amusement. “To think that such a treacherous villain as Wei Yan would raise a nephew who cares about the people’s suffering?”
He took a sip of tea and set down the cup. “No wonder Wei Yan is so wary of him. Using the grain purchase as a cover, he discovered more than ten of your contact points in Tai and Ji Prefectures and deliberately left clues for He Jing Yuan during the delivery. It’s quite a grand gift in return to the Marquis of Wu’an. After all… if Jizhou Prefecture fails to continue causing a scandal with grain requisition, the stage we’ve set up in the capital will have no one to perform on it.”
Zhao Xun expressed some concern: “If the Marquis of Wu’an discovers that we left a trail for He Jing Yuan…”
The person behind the gauze curtain dismissed the concern: “What is there to fear? It’s not as if we forced Wei Xuan to requisition grain at swordpoint. We can watch Wei Yan’s two former blades perform on the same stage, making the Wei faction lose more public support. What’s not to enjoy? Besides, I’m helping the Marquis of Wu’an in a way. The more the common people resent the Wei faction, the more public support he’ll gain when he steps forward to reclaim the Northwest later, won’t he?”
Zhao Xun praised, “Master is wise.”
Then, after some consideration, he continued, “The Marquis of Wu’an wishes to meet with you in person. What are your thoughts on this?”
He didn’t dare repeat a word of Xie Zheng’s arrogant statements from that day to the person before him.
The man behind the gauze curtain pondered for a moment before saying, “It’s not the right time yet. Let him and Wei Yan fight like a snipe and a clam. It would be best if they both end up severely wounded.”
Zhao Xun sensed that he only intended to use Xie Zheng and hesitantly said, “The Marquis of Wu’an is, after all, General Xie’s orphaned son…”
The man’s eyes suddenly turned cold. “A wolf cub raised by Wei Yan himself is unlikely to be a pure and kind-hearted creature. It’s more secure to hold military power in one’s own hands than to place it in the hands of others.”
Despite the freezing weather, cold sweat broke out on Zhao Xun’s back. He bowed and said, “This subordinate understands.”
The lights that remained burning late into the night were not only in this place but also in the He mansion.
Outside the He mansion, dozens of soldiers under Wei Xuan’s command surrounded the gates, preventing the household members from leaving easily.
Even the side gates and courtyard walls were patrolled by soldiers.
In the darkness of night, arrows whistled through the air like a sudden rain, shooting towards the soldiers at the front gate. The troops at the gate instantly fell into chaos, scrambling for cover. “We’re under attack!”
“Quickly report to the general!”
“Charge!”
A squad of Jizhou garrison troops, armed with swords and halberds, emerged from the darkness, catching the panicked Wei mansion soldiers off guard. They quickly gained the upper hand.
The leader of the Jizhou garrison troops was none other than Zheng Wen Chang. He raised his broadsword high and shouted, “Follow me in to rescue the lord!”
As one of He Jing Yuan’s chief commanders, he was very familiar with the layout of the He mansion and quickly led his men to the study.
He Jing Yuan was seated behind his desk with a bamboo scroll spread out before him as if he had been reading by candlelight. Seeing Zheng Wen Chang and his men burst in with drawn swords, his expression changed slightly. “Why have you come?”
Zheng Wen Chang knelt on one knee and clasped his fist in salute. “This subordinate has brought men to help my lord escape. Wei Xuan’s actions are truly outrageous! My lord should write a letter to the capital informing the Prime Minister. Let’s see how long Wei Xuan can continue to be so arrogant!”
Hearing his purpose, He Jing Yuan furrowed his brow and let out a long sigh. “How foolish!”
Zheng Wen Chang looked confused. “What does my lord mean by this?”
But He Jing Yuan said no more. After pacing back and forth in the study for a while, he ordered, “Take your men and leave first.”
Zheng Wen Chang was stunned. “But what about you, my lord?”
He Jing Yuan said, “Wei Xuan dares not do anything to me. I have my reasons for acting this way. You all go back and await orders.”
Zheng Wen Chang and the other military officers looked at each other in bewilderment, but out of respect and obedience to He Jing Yuan, they still clasped their fists and said, “We obey your command.”
As they were about to leave, He Jing Yuan hesitated for a moment before adding, “If you see Wei Xuan’s soldiers oppressing innocent civilians while requisitioning grain, intervene a little, but don’t cause any deaths.”
Hearing this, the military officers were puzzled but still clasped their fists and accepted the order.
Only Zheng Wen Chang, the last to leave, couldn’t help but ask at the door, “My lord, why do you fear Wei Xuan?”
He Jing Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the plaque above his desk that read “Virtue is Fragrant,” and sighed, “It’s not fear of him. Don’t ask more, just do as I say.”
Zheng Wen Chang could only withdraw with a fist salute, his mind full of questions.
He Jing Yuan, however, kept staring at that plaque for a long time.
It didn’t matter if he was covered in sin. What mattered most was whether the people of Da Yin would have to struggle for survival amidst the flames of war in the future.
When the emperor’s anger is aroused, corpses number in the millions.
In the end, it’s always the common people who suffer most from the disputes of those in power.
If the twenty thousand stones of grain bought by that merchant surnamed Zhao were truly in that person’s hands, this test would reveal whether he had inherited Wei Yan’s ruthlessness and uncompromising pursuit of goals, or if he still cared for the common people.
If it was the latter, perhaps it was time to tell him what he knew about the battle of Jinzhou sixteen years ago when he returned.
If it was the former, he would take that secret with him to his grave.
With only hatred and no compassion for the common people, knowing everything would only ignite more wars, bringing suffering to countless people.