HomeA Cup of LoveYi Ou Chun - Chapter 26

Yi Ou Chun – Chapter 26

The Xie family children were very observant of proper etiquette in formal settings, never speaking when they shouldn’t. Whenever someone did speak up, it must be an extremely important suggestion, and so more than ten pairs of eyes in the family all turned toward Qingyuan at once.

The Old Madame had her calculations. From the day they left Hengtang, she had shown particular regard for Qingyuan. Hearing her speak up at this moment, she immediately understood that hope for resolving their predicament was not far ahead.

“Whatever you wish to say, there’s no need to hold back before your grandmother,” the Old Madame said gently, gesturing for her to come closer, her gaze becoming notably warmer.

Qingyuan went over and dropped into a curtsey, saying, “When Father and Grandmother are discussing important matters, I shouldn’t interrupt, but seeing Father and Grandmother at their wits’ end, I’m also very anxious. On the road, I heard my brothers say that the Shen family’s property was once confiscated, making it difficult to establish connections with the Commander and his brother. Moreover, Father has been constantly turned away lately… I have a solution here, though I’m not sure if it can resolve Father’s difficulties.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Shu immediately sat up straight, “Whatever method it is, just tell us.”

Qingyuan glanced at Lady Hu, then at Qingru, timidly clutching her handkerchief as she said, “The day we departed, the Danyang Marquis’s young master came to see me off. Before leaving, he gave me a list of names, telling me I could seek help from these people if needed.” She then handed the list to Xie Shu, “Daughter’s knowledge is shallow, and I don’t know which official might help resolve Father’s urgent situation, but I thought perhaps this Palace Command Captain might be able to convey a message for Father, or privately arrange for Father to meet Commander Shen.”

Looking at the list, Xie Shu’s deadened eyes suddenly brightened. He exclaimed, “This truly is aid in our hour of need! Mother, this Captain Shen Che is Shen Run’s full brother – all those people we’ve been trying so hard to reach aren’t half as useful as this one connection!”

The Old Madame hurriedly took the gold-flecked paper to look. By now she had forgotten about investigating the entanglement between Qingyuan and Li Congxin, showing an expression of profound gratitude as she clasped her hands saying, “The ancestors have blessed us – there couldn’t be better news than this. I’ve been on tenterhooks all day, wearing a false smile while trying to make connections, but people just brush us off. Now this is perfect – we’ve found the Commander’s brother. This matter is now as good as settled.” She pulled Qingyuan to sit down, embracing her as she said, “Good child, thank you for your thoughtfulness. This path can truly save your father from his predicament. I said before that only when the family is united can we prosper, and now it seems the Fourth Miss truly brings fortune to our Xie family. Ah, and the young Marquis is also quite considerate, thinking so thoroughly on your behalf. But though we have the register, making the connection might still be difficult… Did the young Marquis tell you what approach to take in establishing relations with them?”

Qingyuan thought for a moment and said, “He said just mentioning his name would be enough for them to understand.”

The Old Madame slowly nodded, though in her heart she was clear as a mirror – this wasn’t something where anyone could just use Li Congxin’s name and expect people to give face. The young Marquis had previously mixed in Youzhou circles, with friends throughout the region. People would only be willing to lend a helping hand if they were certain the young lady had a real connection with him.

Looking at Qingyuan again, she thought that whether or not she could eventually enter the Danyang Marquis’s household, it was crucial to first act under the young Marquis’s influence. So she said, “In that case, we’ll pick a day to visit the Shen residence and pay our respects to the Captain.”

Qingyuan showed some hesitation, glancing again at Lady Hu before carefully saying, “I am a maiden from the inner chambers – it would be improper for me to appear in public.”

Lady Hu silently ground her teeth, knowing this girl was deliberately using words to block her. Previously, Jin Chunqing had such a soft nature, letting people push her around without daring to make a sound, yet now her daughter had turned out to be such a formidable character, making up for her mother’s deficiencies. Like seeing someone put noodles in clear water – you eat while I watch – there were many old accounts to settle between them, but now wasn’t the right time. Lady Hu suppressed her feelings repeatedly, forcing a smile as she said, “There are matters of varying urgency – right now we’re in a desperate situation. If you can help the family, who would dare say anything against you? I wouldn’t allow it. Besides, you’ll be with the Old Madame – what is there to worry about?”

Qingyuan gave a small smile, lowering her head as she said, “If we could think of another way that doesn’t require my appearance, that would be better. Going so rashly would be quite damaging to my reputation.”

This was also true – she and Li Congxin currently had no formal relationship, and using his name to move about would inevitably invite misunderstandings.

But the same situation could be viewed differently through different eyes.

Qingru, upon hearing about this secret arrangement between Li Congxin and Qingyuan, was extremely unhappy. Behind Qingyuan’s back, she cursed vehemently, “Getting an advantage and still playing coy – just because she got a register, she thinks she’s some great contributor. Never mind whether she can gain any benefit this time – even if she does, it’s just temporary glory. Once we’re past this hurdle, who will care about her!”

Qingrong stirred up trouble from the side, “Not to mention, this Danyang Marquis’s young master seems to be someone who wants to have it both ways. That time when Second Sister spent half a day with him at the Great Buddha Temple, wasn’t everything fine? How is it that in the end, he gave the register to Qingyuan, letting her do the work? Clearly that young master is skilled at playing with emotions, hooking the elder sister while enticing the younger one. Right after meeting with Second Sister, he goes home to propose to Fourth Miss. Could it be that he saw Fourth Miss would be hard to obtain and grew anxious, intending to win over Fourth Miss first, then make Second Sister settle for being a concubine…”

Before she could finish, Qingru spat viciously, “Twisted tongue! You’re the one who’ll be a concubine!”

Qingrong fell silent awkwardly. At that moment, a little maid came running breathlessly with a fan, presenting it with both hands, saying, “Second Miss left this behind…”

Qingru snatched it away and whirled back to her courtyard like a gust of wind.

Meanwhile, having found this good connection, the Old Madame began inquiring about Shen Che’s whereabouts. As a Captain in the Palace Command, his rank was several levels below his brother’s, and his official duties naturally weren’t as demanding as his brother’s. Moreover, Shen Che was already married and returned to Youzhou more often than Shen Run – meeting him would be far easier than meeting Shen Run.

Today was the fifth day of the month, coinciding with Shen Che’s day off. The Old Madame ordered Qingyuan to prepare and had the carriage readied to go to the Commander’s residence.

Qingyuan thought it would be most prudent to seek out Shen Che’s wife and have her make the introduction, but the Old Madame didn’t see it that way, “A woman’s thoughts are only as big as a sesame seed. You, a young lady, specifically asking to see her husband – I fear the young Madame Shen might harbor suspicions and instead ruin our plans. We’ll go first and see – we don’t even know if he’s actually at home right now. If we make too much commotion, all of Youzhou will know we’re making private moves, and if word gets out, it would be detrimental to the master’s reputation.”

With nothing more to be said, the carriage set off with a steady clip-clop toward the ward where the Commander’s residence was located. Youzhou was vast, with quite a distance between the two residences. After about half an hour’s journey, they heard the driver say “We’re here,” and the carriage stopped in an alley opposite the Commander’s mansion.

Qingyuan lifted the window curtain to look – it was indeed the residence of a powerful court official. The ancestral gates and weapon racks at the entrance could create psychological pressure even without standing beneath them.

The Old Madame was extremely cautious with each step. She didn’t immediately go to the door to present her calling card and request an audience but sent a servant to slip some silver to the gatekeeper to inquire if the Captain was home. Perhaps during their journey here, Shen Che had gone out again – the servant returned to report that the Captain was temporarily away, with no word on when he would return.

The Old Madame pondered for a while, “As long as he hasn’t gone to Youzhou, he’ll have to return eventually. Since we’ve come, we can’t leave empty-handed – we’ll wait!”

This wait lasted until near sunset, when they finally saw a man on a tall horse, accompanied by several attendants, coming down the main street.

The last rays of sunset spread everywhere, gilding the courtyard walls and high gates with golden edges. The distance was too great to make out his features clearly, but his figure was tall and straight, with a naturally magnificent bearing in his movements. The Old Madame said, “That must be the Captain, without doubt.”

They were about to get out of the carriage when the Old Madame suddenly hesitated. Qingyuan sat back down, “Grandmother, what’s wrong?”

The Old Madame fell silent for a moment, then looked up at her, adjusted her hair, and straightened the hairpin in her bun, “After careful consideration, if you go alone and speak of your private connection with the Danyang Marquis’s young master, the story can be smoothed over. But if I appear, how should we answer when they ask about the relationship between our families?”

Though Qingyuan didn’t speak, her heart grew cold. She understood the Old Madame’s calculations well. The Xie family was desperate to connect with the Shen family – if Shen Che was an honorable man, he would help for Li Congxin’s sake, and Xie Shu would be saved. If Shen Che was unscrupulous, sacrificing an insignificant concubine’s daughter would cause no real damage to the Xie family, and could even be used as leverage – far better than groveling and begging through various channels.

Born into such a family, even heaven-reaching abilities would be useless. Qingyuan smiled bitterly, “Grandmother if Second Sister had come with you today instead, would you still do this?”

The Old Madame was stunned, momentarily unsure how to answer. Indeed, if Qingru had come today, she certainly wouldn’t have done this. The Xie family had only one legitimate daughter in Qingru – she must hold her head high and marry gloriously, not just for herself but for the entire Xie family’s face.

As for Qingyuan, having said these words, she naturally didn’t expect any words of comfort from the Old Madame. With no way to retreat at this critical moment, she turned and headed toward the Commander’s residence.

The Shen family had suffered misfortune years ago, and this entrance was rebuilt later, appearing tall and cold, with an unwelcoming air. Like all military officials’ residences, the court specially assigned soldiers to guard the gates. The Shen family now controlled the Palace Command, and all their subordinates were selected from various guard units, wearing brocaded clothes and golden armor, standing with their hands on their swords – the sight was like the temple door guardians from New Year prints.

Perhaps because their family fortunes had once declined and many relatives had died or been injured in their family’s troubles, Shen Che, even after marriage, hadn’t established his household but still lived under the same roof as his brother. Qingyuan paused at the steps, collected herself, and handed her calling card to Baoxian to present. The guard captain looked it over and called out, “What business brings the Regional Inspector’s young lady to our door?”

Qingyuan said, “Please inform the Captain that Xie Qingyuan from the Regional Inspector’s residence requests to see him.”

For a young lady of status to come to a man’s residence with just a maid at this hour was truly an extraordinary matter. If her background was unknown, they might have simply driven her away, but this was the daughter of the Jiannan Circuit Regional Inspector, and with such beautiful features – those rough men began to let their imaginations run wild, wondering if this might be some romantic debt the Captain had incurred outside, with someone now coming to demand an explanation.

Two guards exchanged glances, their looks subtle but understanding, as they said, “The Captain hasn’t returned yet – please come another day, young lady.”

But she had just seen Shen Che enter – perhaps this was just the most common excuse used at the gate to turn away visitors. Qingyuan smiled slightly, “I must see the Captain today – please be accommodating and convey my message.”

Since the beautiful young lady was so determined, it must truly be an urgent matter. Though these military men could raise their voices to shout at men or the elderly and weak, they couldn’t be so crude to a young and beautiful lady. So, with softened hearts, they said, “Please wait a moment, miss. I’ll go announce you.”

Qingyuan nodded. Under the broad entrance corridor, her slender figure stood perfectly straight, naturally carrying an air of unwavering determination.

Before long, the guard captain returned, gesturing for her to enter. However, Baoxian was stopped at the door. “Does the young lady have a calling card?”

A mere maid like Baoxian, where would she have a calling card? She could only look anxiously toward Qingyuan. Qingyuan had no choice – having come this far, there was no reason to retreat halfway. She instructed Baoxian to wait outside. Unable to say much more, she pressed her hand reassuringly, then lifted her skirts and followed the serving maid across the threshold.

The long, straight wooden gallery seemed to lead endlessly, with pomegranate and banana trees planted on both sides. After walking some distance, the buildings opposite suddenly broke off, connected by a courtyard wall. The sunset shone over the low wall top, and for a moment it was as if one had fallen into a jar of honey. Qingyuan turned her head to look, marveling that even the last moment of sunset could possess such magnificent power.

The maids at the Commander’s residence were courteous. One bowed slightly and said, “Please follow me, miss.”

Qingyuan composed herself again and followed along. Another stretch should lead to the Commander’s reception hall – a huge flowered hall with staggered hanging bamboo curtains, reminiscent of Hengtang architecture at first glance.

“Please wait here, miss.” The maid curtseyed and quietly retreated beyond the curtain.

Qingyuan stood alone in the vast hall. Every table and chair, every brick and pillar here showed ingenious design – it was hard to imagine this was a military official’s residence. But being kept waiting wasn’t a pleasant feeling. She couldn’t see the water clock and didn’t know how much time had passed, only that the sunset was slowly sinking, half hidden by the courtyard wall. The enormous silence in this room was like solidified amber, making her feel suffocated and unable to move freely. If she didn’t start moving, she feared she might be swallowed up entirely.

She took a few steps, and her muscles began to flow again as if she could hear the sound of blood coursing through her body. The sky was gradually darkening, lanterns were being lit under the gallery beyond the bamboo curtains, and the tea served by the maid on the table had grown cold. She quietly sighed, suspecting that at this rate she might neither see anyone nor be able to leave, perhaps having to spend the night in someone else’s reception hall.

But before she could finish sighing, footsteps could be heard approaching from outside, and Qingyuan’s heart suddenly lifted. She quickly looked up to see a man with refined features enter through the door. He wore a round-collared robe in pine-smoke gray with gold-woven dragon patterns on the sleeves. He had keen yet clear eyes, like dawn light hidden behind a mountain peak – with just a slight ripple, they shone into one’s heart.

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