HomeA Cup of LoveYi Ou Chun - Chapter 25

Yi Ou Chun – Chapter 25

The Xie family members exchanged glances, now fully understanding that once they entered Youzhou territory, they would be completely under imperial court supervision. The master’s situation remained unresolved – even if he was content with being a Regional Inspector, it wouldn’t be possible. In these turbulent times, not advancing meant retreating, and he wouldn’t be allowed to hold even this nominal position for long.

The Old Madame had made preparations before coming, but she hadn’t expected the Palace Command personnel to be openly waiting outside. What did they mean by “settling in the noble family members”? They had hands and feet of their own, and this was their old residence – what needed settling? Looking at their current circumstances and thinking back to their days of glory, it truly was a case of a tiger fallen to the plains – the difference was like heaven and earth.

The Second Master was indecisive. By rights, at such a time, being the eldest among the family’s men, he should have been the one dealing with these imperial court lackeys. But he was as useless as mud that wouldn’t stick to a wall. If you let him boast in brothels and smoking houses, he’d take the lead, but seeing these armor-clad, sword-bearing military officers, he was so frightened his teeth chattered, completely losing any semblance of a dignified man.

Therefore, everything still fell to the Old Madame to handle. She smiled and said, “Many thanks for the Commander’s concern. Please, Captain, convey to the Commander on my behalf that our family has just arrived in Youzhou and hasn’t had the chance to clean off the road dust. Once everything is properly settled, we shall certainly host a grand feast to thank the Commander, and we hope both the Commander and Captain will honor us with their presence.”

The Palace Command was well-versed in grand occasions – they were even responsible for the Emperor’s ceremonial processions. To them, talk of hosting feasts was mere social courtesy, barely worth listening to. However, the Xie family matriarch was after all an imperial-conferred noble lady, so they had to give her some face. The protocol officer’s expression softened slightly as he cupped his hands and said, “Many thanks, Old Noble Lady. When I see the Commander, I will certainly convey your words.”

Truth be told, the Old Madame was eager to meet the new Commander. Youzhou officials were not permitted to be summoned to court or enter the capital to report for duty. If there was no one to mediate, the master would likely be permanently stuck in Youzhou. Although he had gone ahead, his arrival in Youzhou might not have been without some maneuvering, but regardless of whom he had asked to pull strings through back channels, all information would ultimately be consolidated at the Palace Command. From the current situation, it seemed the Commander’s connection had not yet been secured – if it had been, they wouldn’t have sent so many officers to count heads.

The Old Madame collected herself and casually inquired, “Is the Commander currently in Youzhou?”

The protocol officer turned his head to watch his subordinates registering and recording the Xie family members while answering offhandedly, “The Commander usually awaits orders in the capital, only returning to Youzhou during holidays. If the Old Noble Lady wishes to host a feast, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a while – the Commander is busy with official duties and cannot spare the time at present.”

The Old Madame made a sound of acknowledgment, secretly weighing matters in her mind while extending her hand to beckon Qingyuan, “Fourth Miss, come, let’s go inside.”

Qingyuan had been shrinking behind others, but when the Old Madame called her name, she had no choice but to steel herself and respond with an affirmative.

In truth, if even the Second Master was intimidated by such occasions, she was naturally nervous as well. These stern military officers were different from the refined young nobles of Hengtang – they held power and were fierce. If things went poorly, blades could flash, which was truly frightening.

When the Old Madame beckoned her, all the officers’ gazes shifted to her at once. She forced herself to remain calm as she went forward to support the Old Madame. Originally keeping her head down without a word, she heard the protocol officer ask inquisitively, “To our knowledge, the Regional Inspector’s household only had three young ladies – who might this be?”

The Old Madame replied, “This is our Fourth Miss. She was previously fostered by relatives, and now that she’s grown, we’ve brought her back. Since the whole family is moving to Youzhou, she came along.”

Qingyuan was beautiful, hers was a clean and clear beauty, unlike her sisters who always seemed somewhat ambiguous, as if afraid to offend anyone. The Old Madame, having seen countless people, knew what kind of appearance won hearts. Some girls, though pretty, had moments of awkwardness, of being unreasonable. But not Qingyuan – her beauty was steady, neither petty nor prone to missteps. Even at sixty, when wrinkles would climb her face, she would still be a beautiful old lady.

Generally, men favored such looks, especially military officers. After years of dealing with weapons and warfare, suddenly having a gentle maiden to brighten their martial days made them willing to return home more often. Not to mention Commander Shen Run – even the protocol officer before them looked at Qingyuan differently than he did others. The Old Madame was satisfied and breathed a sigh of relief, gently placing her hand on Qingyuan’s as she led her inside, carefully introducing each room and building: “This is where your grandfather and I lived when we were newly married… That was the courtyard for the elder aunties…”

Seeing how much the Old Madame valued Qingyuan, Qingru felt very uncomfortable. She stuck close to her mother and said, “What’s wrong with Grandmother? Moving to a new place has changed her personality. What is Qingyuan anyway? Now she’s treating her like she’s found a phoenix, elevating her so much – isn’t she afraid it’ll go to her head?”

Lady Hu’s lips curved into a slight smile – children indeed, unable to see the deeper meaning. While Qingru continued complaining, she pressed her hand and said, “Now is not the time for you to stand out. The Old Madame has her deep reasons for elevating her. This is Youzhou, not Hengtang. With your temperament, you can’t flatter those thorny people. Better to stay low-key and honestly keep your sharp edges hidden.”

Qingru hesitated, then linked arms with her mother and asked in a lowered voice, “What exactly is Grandmother planning? Using Qingyuan as a stepping stone?”

Lady Hu gave Qingru a smiling glance, “Didn’t she say it herself? Without salt, brine will do. If she can match with a high official, naturally that’s best, but if not…” She tilted her chin slightly toward the protocol officer, “Even for an official position like this, if they truly came asking, the Old Madame might not refuse.”

Qingru gasped, finding it almost unbelievable. But thinking again, within the inner chambers she might still count as the Regional Inspector’s young lady, but once that facade was stripped away, who didn’t know her true worth? What was wrong with a protocol officer? He was still Palace Command personnel. These people weren’t of low birth to begin with, and having an official position in the department was more than enough for a concubine-born daughter.

Soon everyone was assigned their rooms, arranged as before with the mansion divided into east and west, with the First Master and his family residing in the center. Since the younger generation had all grown up in Hengtang and had never been to the old residence, to prevent them from losing their way to their courtyards, they kept the Hengtang courtyard names, removing the old plaques and hanging new ones – Qingyuan’s remained as Danyue Pavilion.

Though the names were the same, the courtyard’s layout and arrangement were quite different. Jiangnan architecture was elegant, with small bridges and flowing water brought to the doorstep, while Youzhou architecture was more magnificent and profound. In the cold, large room, an eight-immortals table stood at its heart, covered with blue and green brocade – this was decoration they had never used in Hengtang, creating a kind of worldly and crowded clamor. Qingyuan and the servants exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh, simply removing it and replacing it with a complete set of fine porcelain tea implements, setting up a slender-necked plum vase.

A room ultimately depends on people to make it livable. Previously, due to the long vacancy, opening the door released a musty smell, but after opening the window frames and burning incense to perfume the room, it became much better.

“Tomorrow we’ll change the window screens and hang two curtains under the eaves. When the light filters through, the room will be much brighter.” Chuntai sipped her tea while keeping an eye on the work of the maids and servants outside. Seeing a young maid place a pot of Buddhist pine in a sunny spot, she hurried out to direct, “What kind of tree is this, putting it in direct sunlight? Quick, move it to the shaded side…”

Qingyuan held her octagonal tea cup, squinting at the scenery outside when Baoxian softly said beside her, “Youzhou isn’t like Shengzhou. Miss will need to be more careful from now on.”

Qingyuan understood her meaning. Youzhou had many more nobles, and given the master’s current situation, there were many people they needed to flatter and curry favor with. The Old Madame would have kept her suppressed in peaceful times, yet now she was pushing her to the forefront – naturally, she had her intentions.

She sighed. A young lady feared nothing more than having her marriage arranged by others. If the Old Madame and the Madame were to make moves in this regard, she would inevitably become someone to fill a hole. Previously, she could use her young age as an excuse, but now that she had come of age, if she truly let them arrange things, being a principal wife would be considered fortunate – if she ended up as someone’s second wife or concubine, her life would be effectively over.

Steeling her resolve, she stood and walked to the dressing table, opened the plum blossom cosmetics box, and took out that gold-flecked letter paper.

Baoxian hesitated, “Miss plans to contact someone from above?”

Qingyuan slowly nodded, “The Old Madame making me take the lead today doesn’t sit well with me. Since ancient times, marriages have been about matching status. While the master still holds the position of Regional Inspector, I would be a high official’s daughter – even if the Old Madame looked down on me, she wouldn’t easily lower herself and ruin prospects. But if the master falls from here, among all the young ladies of the family, I would be the easiest to dispose of. Forget the Palace Command officials – anyone who could speak to the Commander would likely use me to curry favor.”

Baoxian’s scalp tingled hearing this, “Isn’t Miss of Xie family blood? Her grandmother, showing such disregard for Miss!” After a moment of indignation followed by melancholy, she could only sigh helplessly, “Miss is indeed perceptive, seeing things early on helps keep things in perspective. Only if the master is safe can Miss escape this predicament. The register from the Danyang Marquis’s young master has come in handy.”

Qingyuan lowered her head to look, her gaze falling on the small characters showing Palace Command Captain Shen Che.

Though she didn’t understand the official system or the complex relationships among the capital’s nobility, throughout their journey she had heard Zhengze and others analyzing the situation in the capital and Youzhou, especially regarding the Palace Command. This Captain Shen Che was Commander Shen Run’s brother.

Earlier when the Old Madame asked the protocol officer about Shen Run’s whereabouts, his answer was vague and non-committal. The Xie family now bore the stigma of punishment – even if they held a feast, no one would come. Beyond their duty of surveillance, which Palace Command official would risk private association? Therefore, to see Shen Run, the only shortcut was through Shen Che. In the capital’s current situation, even with gold and silver, you couldn’t find anyone willing to accept bribes. After the major court reforms, connections were worth far more than money. Originally, as someone from the inner chambers, she would never have been able to associate with official circles. She had to thank Li Congxin – if not for his thorough planning, she would now be helplessly at others’ mercy.

With no one to rely on, asking her heart, she had no desire to involve herself in the master’s affairs, but fate had constrained her. If she merely watched, who knew when a marriage proposal might arrive, and before she could react, she would be given away as a favor.

Looking at the sky outside, the sunlight slanted in inch by inch – soon the master would return. Hiding in her courtyard wasn’t a long-term solution; she needed to take the initiative and go out to hear what they were discussing. So she changed clothes, redid her makeup, and while the evening light remained, hurried to the Old Madame’s courtyard.

Inside the courtyard gate, Yuejian was busy directing servants moving a large fish tank. Seeing Qingyuan arrive, she smiled and called out “Fourth Miss.”

Qingyuan nodded, “Has the master returned?”

Yuejian turned to look inside, “Almost the same time as Miss. The Madame, both concubines and all the masters and young ladies are there. Fourth Miss, please go in.”

Qingyuan gave a slight smile. Truly, they were a family – whatever they discussed, they discussed as a family, yet no one called for her. Perhaps they were even discussing her, who knew? At this moment she felt like meat on a chopping block, and the tragic part was that those preparing to wield the knife were her closest kin – even without any feelings, they were still her closest relations!

Baoxian knew she was upset and softly called, “Miss, don’t forget Old Madame Chen’s words – don’t take things to heart. Let’s go in and listen first to see how things are.”

After all, she wasn’t without resources – she still held an escape route in her hands. Qingyuan’s courage grew somewhat. Lifting her skirts to climb the steps, she vaguely heard Concubine Lian’s anxious voice saying: “Everything else is fine, I’m just worried about Qinghe’s marriage. Moving the whole family to Youzhou, and in such a hurry – who knows what the Founding Earl’s family is thinking? If only we could have delayed two or three months, after Qinghe was married, my heart would be at ease. Now we’re too far to have any influence. If the engagement is broken off one day, it would damage Qinghe’s reputation.”

Though Qinghe said nothing, she silently wiped tears with her handkerchief. Lady Hu looked on with disapproval, frowning as she said, “Earlier when we arrived home, everyone saw the situation outside the gate. Let’s not speak anymore of ‘if only we could delay two or three months’ – if we could delay, why would Palace Command be counting heads? Since Qinghe’s marriage has been arranged, the Founding Earl’s family isn’t unreasonable. If they truly wish to form this alliance, what’s a thousand li? Even princesses travel ten thousand li beyond the frontier! When the date is set, we’ll send people from our side to escort the bride – it’s not a difficult matter. Now the family has reached a crisis point, the master’s official career is troubled, yet instead of the whole family uniting to overcome this difficulty together, you’re still thinking about marrying out.” She ended with a cold laugh, leaving the rest unsaid – figure it out yourself!

As the family matriarch, she was no ordinary person. A few sentences left Concubine Lian speechless. Qinghe’s face flushed red, her tears falling more heavily.

Qingyuan edged in through the doorway, entering to pay respects to the Old Madame and the master’s wife seated above. Everyone gave her a blank look as if she were semi-transparent – unless necessary, no one saw her.

Xie Shu leaned on his knees, only sighing, “These past two weeks I’ve tried every method, yet not one former colleague can help. After Prince Yi’s rebellion, how many noble families were implicated? Palace Command officers knock on doors house by house, causing crying and wailing in the middle of the night – everyone changes color at the mention of it. My memorial must be submitted, but ultimately it has to pass through Palace Command. Without the Commander’s word, who dares touch this hot potato?”

The Old Madame was also worried, “This Palace Command is truly impenetrable. I asked your uncle to mediate, but nothing came of it. We’ve been away from Youzhou too long – we don’t even have anyone brave enough to make connections. This can’t go on. A Youzhou Regional Inspector cannot enter the capital without being summoned. Today we can still sit together as a family and talk, but what about tomorrow?”

Xie Shu remained silent for a long while, finally gritting his teeth to say, “Mother, don’t worry. This time I’ll swallow my pride – I must meet Shen Run face to face, whether he wants gold or silver, it’s all up to him.”

The Old Madame said, “Think carefully again – did you perhaps offend him somewhere regarding his father’s matter back then?”

“Absolutely not,” said Xie Shu. “At that time I had just become Regional Inspector of Jiannan Circuit, training troops and horses without a moment’s rest – how could I have gotten involved in capital affairs?”

The whole family began to worry again – if there was no past grievance, why was it so difficult to make connections?

The Old Madame’s gaze fell on the nearly burnt-out incense stick, its thin flame flickering like the Xie family’s uncertain future.

“We still need to make connections somehow. Now we’re isolated and weak – all the great families of Youzhou have hidden ties, only we have no one behind us. I fear we’ll suffer greatly in the future…”

Qingyuan listened for a while, and as things seemed to develop more and more toward what she feared, she had no choice but to speak up.

“Grandmother,” she called softly, “Your granddaughter has something to report to Grandmother.”

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