Ye Xian wore a wide-sleeved robe with black edges, a jade belt hanging at his waist, and a gray squirrel fur cloak draped over his shoulders. His face was delicately handsome, like polished jade, with a cool expression as he looked at her.
Jin Chao bent in a curtsy and addressed him as “Young Master Heir.”
Ye Xian remained silent, sizing up the brocade box containing the gold ankle bracelets in her hand. After a moment, he asked, “I only learned yesterday that there was an incident at the Daxing granary your father oversees.” He hadn’t returned to the Marquis of Changxing’s mansion for several days and only hurried back from the Court of Judicial Review to visit because of his sister’s premature delivery. He had heard his father mention this matter by chance. The Marquis of Changxing found the resolution of this affair rather puzzling. How had the Gu family managed to fill a shortage of 200,000 shi of grain, and accomplish it so quietly?
If they could have done this from the beginning, why seek help from the Marquis of Changxing’s household? Whom had they secretly approached?
After hearing about it, Ye Xian remained silent for a moment, then ordered Li Xianhuai to investigate the granary affair in Tongzhou. Two hundred thousand shi of grain wasn’t something merchants could gather, and the Gu family’s grain source must have been either the Tong Granary or the Guard Granary. But the Guard Granary was guarded by stationed troops, making it a fantasy to transport grain out from there.
As a result, they couldn’t uncover any information from Tongzhou, and the Tong Granary hadn’t even been opened in the past few months.
The more this was the case, the more suspicious Ye Xian found it. Who could have managed things so tightly? Gu Deyuan and Gu Dezhao certainly couldn’t have done it themselves; they didn’t have the power or background to transport grain from the Tong Granary to cover the shortage.
The old Marquis of Changxing had not intended to let him know about this, and by the time he found out, everything had already calmed down. The Marquis said that a strategist named Cao Ziheng had alerted the Gu family about the matter, but when Ye Xian investigated this person, he discovered that he was Gu Jin Chao’s accountant and had no prior connection with Sun Shitao. He immediately thought of Gu Jin Chao.
Others might see her as an ordinary young lady, but he was well aware of Gu Jin Chao’s capabilities.
When Prince Rui had set a trap of treason for the Marquis of Changxing to fall into, it was due to Gu Jin Chao’s warning that the Marquis’s household had been spared from disaster.
Jin Chao showed a puzzled expression: “What is Young Master Heir saying? I don’t understand.”
Ye Xian snorted, “If you won’t admit it, so be it… I’ve told you before, that if you need any help, you can come to me. Why didn’t you say anything to me when your father faced such a serious situation?”
Jin Chao didn’t hide it from him anymore and said with a smile, “What good would tell you have done? The Marquis of Changxing’s household would have been in a difficult position too.”
He was due to be promoted to Deputy Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review next year and should be very busy.
Ye Xian didn’t speak further, and Jin Chao bent in a curtsy to take her leave.
He called after her: “…About your cousin’s matter.” He paused, “I want to find a better match for you. But those young scholars serving probationary terms in the Six Ministries either come from humble origins or have complicated family backgrounds.” None were suitable.
Jin Chao was caught between laughter and exasperation: “Young Master Heir worries too much. Although you are my maternal uncle… you need not concern yourself with my marriage!” Those young, newly ranked scholars were mostly talented but arrogant; how could they look favorably upon her?
It was predictable that if he found someone he deemed suitable, he would likely coerce or entice that person to agree.
Ye Xian saw how gently she smiled, and couldn’t help but soften inside.
He said languidly, “Don’t worry if in the end no one marries you… I’ll marry you myself.” The last sentence was barely audible.
Gu Jin Chao was startled to hear these words. How could he speak so carelessly… even in jest, this was inappropriate! She swallowed her indignation: “Uncle, please don’t joke at my expense.”
There she was, calling him uncle again.
Ye Xian had an enigmatic smile, his emotions unreadable: “It was just a joke, don’t be angry.”
Gu Jin Chao still smiled, suppressing her feelings: “Your niece understands.”
Only he would dare joke about such a thing!
Ye Xian tucked his hands into his sleeves, watching Gu Jin Chao walk away, his gaze unwavering.
The Fifth Madam received the pair of gold ankle bracelets that Gu Jin Chao brought for the child, invited her for a cup of tea, and served some freshly made sesame crisps. After Jin Chao left, she called an old servant woman over and casually instructed her to store the gold ankle bracelets in the storehouse.
A young maid with double buns in her hair quietly entered and whispered a few words in her ear.
The Fifth Madam’s expression changed dramatically, and she asked, “Did anyone else see?”
The young maid whispered, “It was on the small polished stone path from the west wing to Yanxiu Hall. No one saw.”
She forcibly suppressed her anger and said in a low voice, “The Young Master Heir is talking with the Marchioness in the east side room. Go call the Young Master Heir in for me!”
She could no longer ignore this matter. With Ye Xian’s willful nature, he might do something that would bring shame to both families! By then, it would be beyond her control!
When Ye Xian stepped into the west side room, he was still distracted.
The Fifth Madam was furious: “You said earlier you were going out for a walk. What exactly did you do? Tell me!”
Ye Xian looked at his elder sister’s pale face, still not recovered from the premature birth, and hesitated without speaking.
The Fifth Madam’s voice trembled with anger: “From childhood… you’ve always been like this! When have we ever blamed you or restricted you? When you didn’t like studying, your grandfather didn’t force you to read the Four Books. Despite your poor health, you liked to wander about, and did grandfather ever say anything? But this isn’t just about you, it concerns the households of both the Marquis of Changxing and the Gu family… Even if you are fond of that Gu Jin Chao, it simply won’t do. Her poor reputation is one thing, but meeting with you in secret shows she’s not a virtuous woman. With her status and conduct, how could she be worthy of the heir to the Marquis of Changxing!”
His elder sister had never been so forceful with him, and Ye Xian felt a surge of anger rising within.
His mother, Lady Gao, had also said the same to him. She had said: that Gu Jin Chao wasn’t even good enough to be his concubine!
They looked down on her so much, valuing the prosperity of the Marquis of Changxing’s house above all else.
Yet they had no idea that if not for Gu Jin Chao, the Marquis of Changxing’s household might have already been reduced to ashes by now.
Ye Xian said coolly, “Elder Sister, I am now a Fifth-Rank Official of the Court of Judicial Review.”
The Fifth Madam couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “You’re a Court Official, so I can’t manage you anymore, is that it? Even if you entered the Cabinet as a minister, you would still be my brother!”
She harbored considerable criticism of Gu Jin Chao. Last time, when Madam Feng said Gu Jin Chao would take the blame for Gu Lian, she found it unacceptable due to her character, but she didn’t say anything. Even if Ye Xian was at fault, for a young lady, Gu Jin Chao was far too improper!
Ye Xian shook his head and said to the Fifth Madam: “Elder Sister, I know what I’m doing. And there are some matters where you all have no say.” The glory of the Marquis of Changxing’s household came from his father’s and grandfather’s valor in battle. But for himself, he disliked fighting and killing; he preferred killing invisibly. His nature was cold, and he was better at mastering others’ thoughts.
He was naturally suited for schemes and stratagems.
Ye Xian said coolly, “And what I want, others cannot prevent. If I truly wanted to marry her, what difficulty would there be with my status as her maternal uncle? Believe it or not, if I were to propose it, Old Madam Gu would eagerly present her to me. I would only need to fabricate a suitable identity for her, and she could marry me with full honor. I haven’t done these things, not because I’m concerned about anything… but simply because I don’t want to yet!”
The Fifth Madam was so angry she couldn’t speak.
She knew exactly what kind of person Madam Feng was. For the sake of Gu Lian’s marriage, she couldn’t even distinguish right from wrong. The woman was shallow-minded, caring only for the Gu family’s prosperity. She really could do such a thing!
“…Don’t you care about the Marquis of Changxing’s household? Even if you won’t listen to your elder sister, what about your mother and father? Where do you place them? Do you want the hundred-year foundation of the Marquis of Changxing’s household to be destroyed in your hands?”
Ye Xian instead gave a cold laugh: “If I had truly followed what you all said, the Marquis of Changxing’s household would have been ruined by now.” He picked up a glass vase from the kang table and played with it, saying casually, “Elder Sister, you are weak now and should rest well. I will come to see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll pretend I never heard these words…”
The glass vase was carelessly placed on the high table, and Ye Xian had already walked out the door.
The Fifth Madam thought about what he had just said, feeling both alarmed and helpless.
Nursemaid Fan entered with a bowl of turtle-dove soup with gastrodia and saw the Fifth Madam sitting on the large kang with tears streaming down her face. Frightened, she quickly stepped forward: “What’s wrong with the Fifth Madam… you mustn’t cry during the postpartum period!” She took a brocade handkerchief to wipe the Fifth Madam’s face.
The Fifth Madam murmured, “With his temperament, he will surely cause great trouble in the future… he’s completely lawless!”
She felt that the Marquis of Changxing’s household had been too indulgent with Ye Xian all these years.
Now, even before his wings were fully grown, he dared to ignore her admonitions. When the day came that he fully controlled the Marquis of Changxing’s household, who would dare say a word against him?
Li Xianhuai, who had been waiting outside, put the cloak around him. Ye Xian remained silent. Why did Gu Jin Chao have to endure such insults for no reason? Whenever they met, it was at his invitation. She was such a good person; why did everyone have to criticize her? If even his sister thought this way, what about others?
Thinking of Gu Jin Chao’s faint smile, seemingly undisturbed by these matters, he felt a vague discomfort in his heart.
If she wasn’t completely used to it, completely indifferent, how could she not care?
Initially, the Gu family had wanted to marry her to the likes of Wang Zan… She was also a legitimate daughter of the Gu family. Look at how Gu Lian was raised, and then look at her. These people were excessively biased.
Even if he truly wanted to marry Gu Jin Chao, what of it? Why should others have a say in what he wanted to do?
Would the Marquis of Changxing’s household decline just because he didn’t marry some noble lady?
Li Xianhuai spoke softly beside him: “Young Master Heir, the case of Deputy Commissioner Zhang Ling of the Court of Judicial Review has been clarified. The more than thirty people on the canal merchant ship back then weren’t killed by bandits but rather by the ship merchant who was transporting contraband salt. When they discovered this, he silenced the entire ship. Master Zhang accepted one hundred taels of gold from the salt merchant and fabricated evidence to cover up the matter…”
Ye Xian said coldly, “He is under Wang Xuanfan’s command; for a wrongful case, the most he’ll suffer is a demotion. …This alone is not enough. Since he has colluded with salt merchants, he must be involved in the transport and trade of contraband salt. Investigate thoroughly, and if you can find evidence of his collusion with salt merchants in selling contraband salt, only then can we ensure he has no chance of recovery.”
No one would dare to cover up the crime of trafficking contraband salt.
Chen Xianhuai acknowledged this and lifted the carriage curtain, inviting Ye Xian to enter.