HomeA Cup of LoveYi Ou Chun - Chapter 45

Yi Ou Chun – Chapter 45

What should have been a well-laid plan had ended up like this – Qingyuan could not make sense of it no matter how much she pondered.

The carriage continued forward, with Palace Guards before and behind. The torches outside blazed brightly, illuminating the small space within the carriage. Baoxian finally broke free from her panic and shook Qingyuan, whispering, “Young Lady, did something go wrong somewhere?”

Qingyuan shook her head. That brush with death still left her somewhat frightened in retrospect. She had thought everything was under control, but who knew things would change midway? If Shen Run hadn’t arrived in time, they would probably all be ghosts under the blade by now.

Mistress and servant exchanged glances, their faces deathly pale, hair disheveled, looking both pitiful and laughable. After tidying their clothes and fixing their hair, Qingyuan finally felt a chill creeping up her spine. Her energy suddenly drained, and she leaned against Baoxian saying, “Those men in black – were they the ones Grandfather sent? I remember Grandfather saying before that they all had deep ties to the Chen family and were trustworthy. They shouldn’t have turned coat at the crucial moment. Did we miscalculate the timing, or were they no match for those bandits just now and were outmaneuvered halfway?”

Baoxian couldn’t make sense of it either and simply held her, saying, “Young Lady, don’t think too much about it. Fortunately, heaven protects the virtuous – we’ve snatched our lives back from the edge of the blade.”

Hearing this, Qingyuan felt even more miserable. She buried her face in Baoxian’s neck, saying in a trembling voice, “But that poor carriage driver…” When she closed her eyes, she saw the flash of the silver blade, and the red blood flowing in rivulets.

People alive today know not tomorrow’s fate – everything had been fine when they set out in the morning, who knew that by nightfall, life would be lost in that reed marsh? Thinking about it was truly terrifying. A thread of anxiety suspended in her heart, leaving all her internal organs hanging in midair. If those men in black were truly sent by Madam Hu, then under the Palace Guards’ interrogation, perhaps the mastermind could be discovered. But if those men were Grandfather’s trusted followers who had betrayed him, continuing to dig deeper – wouldn’t the truth be embarrassing?

She sat up abruptly and pushed open the window to look outside. The Guards in armor held torches, forming a winding dragon stretching forward and back, with no sign of Shen Run. The night wind on the wasteland was cool, dispelling the day’s heat. All around was pitch black, with waves of insect calls surging like waves. Qingyuan suddenly felt afraid, withdrew inside, and closed the window.

There were too many things she couldn’t understand. How had the Commander happened to be in the reed marsh at this time? Was it a coincidence, or had he been lying in wait? Her mind was unsettled; she just wanted to return to Danyue Pavilion, but after traveling for so long – far exceeding the time needed to return to the Xie residence – the carriage showed no signs of stopping.

Qingyuan and Baoxian looked at each other in confusion, looking ahead to see that the carved carriage door was now guarded by Golden Guards. Qingyuan hesitated, then moved forward to knock on the carriage door, carefully asking, “Excuse me, sir, where are we going?”

The Guard driving the carriage, whip in hand, casually replied, “To the Palace Guard headquarters.”

This was truly shocking. Qingyuan exclaimed in surprise, “Not to the Xie residence in the city?”

The Guard made a sound of acknowledgment and said slowly, “The Palace Guard must thoroughly investigate this case. All relevant persons must go to the office for questioning. Please bear with us, Young Lady – in about another hour, we should arrive.”

The Palace Guard headquarters was in the capital. Therefore, they weren’t entering Youzhou – even if it meant traveling dozens of li, they had to escort the suspects to the Palace Guard office. Actually, following normal procedures, Qingyuan and the maids and servants were victims and should have been allowed to return home first, to be summoned later when testimony was needed. But whether because the inner palace offices operated differently from local ones, or because of Shen Run’s intentional arrangement, they were thus taking both suspects and witnesses to the capital together. For someone like her who could normally only move around near her residence, this became an unexpected opportunity to enter the capital.

Youzhou wasn’t particularly far from the capital, but it wasn’t exactly close either. A fast horse could make it in an hour, but a carriage would take several times as long. Setting out at the xu hour, they didn’t reach the city gates until nearly the zi hour. The Palace Guard office was at the edge of the imperial city, and they had to pass through multiple checkpoints along the way. By the time they got out of the carriage, the night had become as thick as ink.

Loud shouts could be heard. Qingyuan looked back to see those men in black, who had put up some resistance when first captured, now bound like pigs and dogs. The prison guards passed carrying poles between their hands and feet, carrying them into the cells like livestock. This was a place of iron-blooded authority, responsible day and night for maintaining order in the imperial city, so even at this hour, it remained brightly lit with people coming and going.

It was like entering another world. The women from the inner quarters, who had never seen such a scene in their lives, stood helplessly huddled together. Finally, an official appeared from the end of the long street – it was Shen Che. Seeing Qingyuan, he broke into a smile and said loudly, “Fourth Young Lady, I didn’t expect to meet again so soon.”

There seemed nothing to be happy about meeting again in this situation. Qingyuan curtsied and looked around, saying, “Why have we been brought here? When can we return to Youzhou?”

The small young lady, looking lost and helpless after her fright, was truly endearing. Shen Che’s smile grew even gentler as he reassured her, “Don’t worry, Fourth Young Lady. We have procedures to follow in handling cases. I will first settle your people, then question everyone one by one in detail.” As he spoke, he turned to instruct the Guards behind him, “Take the Young Lady’s attendants to the back shelter to rest temporarily. After we finish questioning the Young Lady, we’ll summon them for examination.”

The Guards acknowledged and gestured, their cold eyes sweeping over the maids and servants. Matron Tao and Baoxian hesitated, looking troubled as they glanced between Shen Che and their mistress. Baoxian stammered, “Young Lady… this servant should stay by Young Lady’s side to attend to her.”

Shen Che’s gaze turned toward them, his smile instantly vanishing as he frowned, saying, “This is the Palace Guard headquarters, not a den of thieves. Just follow the Guards – your Young Lady will be fine.”

But Baoxian knew that for Fourth Young Lady, this Palace Guard headquarters was not much better than a den of thieves. Though Commander Shen was a dignified second-rank official, he didn’t seem to show proper respect when dealing with the Young Lady. At such a late hour, and in their territory, it was like a fish placed on a chopping block – if they chose to sharpen their knives and commit some dishonorable act without restraint, wouldn’t it ruin the Young Lady’s entire life!

Baoxian was so anxious she was crying, hesitating to move, but what place was the Palace Guard headquarters? How could it allow for any bargaining?

Qingyuan gave her a reassuring smile, “Go on. This is an office that administers justice under the Son of Heaven – there’s nothing to worry about.” She said this intentionally, mainly to give herself courage.

When circumstances overpower people, there’s ultimately no choice. Baoxian cast one lingering look at her mistress before finally following the Guards to the back.

Now alone on this broad street, Qingyuan could calm down. She turned to Shen Che and said, “Tonight’s events were sudden – I leave everything to the General’s judgment.”

Shen Che rubbed his nose, thinking to himself that he dared not make such judgments – if he acted rashly, the coming days would not be pleasant. He merely responded vaguely, “Now that the case has come to the Palace Guard, Young Lady can rest assured. We’ll need to conduct night questioning, which will trouble the Young Lady, but someone will take charge of matters for you afterward. Please follow me.”

Qingyuan understood in her heart what he meant by “someone who will take charge.” In her previous few encounters with Shen Run, she had always been wary of him, but because the Xie family was in Youzhou, she could still manage to cope. This time, being brought to the capital like this and thrown into this cold Palace Guard office, looking around, she had not a single person to rely on. She was still young after all, and at such a late hour, her usual maturity seemed to have vanished. With each step forward, her heart pounded in her chest; the closer they got to the main hall, the tighter her palms clenched until they were drenched with cold sweat as she climbed the steps.

Shen Che led her to the hall entrance and gestured inside, saying, “Please wait a moment, Young Lady. Once the Commander finishes handling the current matter, he will come to question you about what happened.”

Qingyuan bowed slightly in acknowledgment. Shen Che, who also had night patrol duties, departed with the inner palace guards toward the palace gate after delivering her. Watching him walk away, amid the clanking of armor came the timekeeping clappers, their desolate, short knocking sounds dragging from outside the office, sinking into the vast night.

She let out a long breath, steadied herself, lifted her skirts, and stepped over the threshold.

Walking slowly deeper inside, the hall was extremely grand and deep. The smooth wooden floor, the square pillars thick enough to require two people’s arms to encircle them, and the enormous chandelier hanging overhead – each element filled her with wonder and awe. By now, her earlier anxiety had gradually subsided, replaced by a desire to explore. Her fingers secretly touched the railings along both sides of the straight path as she silently marveled – truly this was an office that handled affairs of the realm within the imperial city. Such overwhelming majesty would be impossible to imagine in an entire lifetime if not seen with one’s own eyes.

This was a world completely different from the inner chambers – no delicate sentiments, nor the painted halls and towers of wealthy households. Here was cold, stern, and permeated with gunpowder smoke. The deeper one went, the more one felt the magnificence of dealing with worldly affairs. At the end was a long desk with a gilded round-backed chair. She could even imagine how the Commander would sit behind it, deciding matters of life and death.

Yet strangely, why did such a formidable figure keep becoming entangled with her? It seemed coincidental, yet not entirely. Thinking carefully now, everything stemmed from that private audience. He must have retained some curiosity, some amusement – after all, no young lady from a prestigious family would appear in public so brazenly, disregarding propriety as she did.

She lowered her hands and carefully smoothed her clothes. Her plain dress was like a clear spring in this deep, heavy environment, having a calming effect in the sixth month’s weather. Not far behind her, someone was watching her every movement with interest. The young lady’s every gesture held a gentle beauty – even adjusting her clothes and composing herself revealed a girl’s shyness, evoking a masculine confidence in him. He was very satisfied and walked over casually with his hands behind his back, asking as he passed beside her, “Does Fourth Young Lady have my jade pendant with her?”

His sudden voice startled Qingyuan. She quickly turned to look – he had removed his armor and wore only a white round-collared robe. The previous lofty dignity was gone, replaced now by a casual, languid manner. Even in this solemn Palace Guard office, to him, it was just an ordinary place to rest. By changing his attire, he had transformed this hall into a study.

Qingyuan felt somewhat awkward. At his question, she instinctively touched the small pouch at her waist. That beast-faced pendant had truly become inseparable from her now – not because she feared he might suddenly check, but because she worried that if she weren’t home and someone used an excuse to search Danyue Pavilion, it would be disastrous if this item caught someone’s eye.

Shen Run had a pair of shrewd eyes, but this shrewdness was steeped in smiles, suddenly becoming warm and affectionate. His gaze at this moment was particularly enchanting and soul-catching. He watched as she removed the small pouch, opened it, and poured out the pendant into her delicate, soft palm, then carefully presented it before him. Like a teacher checking homework, pleased with a student’s obedience, he looked it over and praised, “Fourth Young Lady hasn’t taken my words lightly – I am very gratified.”

Gratification was better than explosive anger. Qingyuan didn’t respond to him, returning the jade pendant to its pouch and tucking it back at her waist. She was more concerned about today’s events and eager to understand the truth behind them, so she curtsied to him and asked, “Would the Commander tell me about this case?”

Shen Run strolled into the open space before the desk as if he hadn’t heard her words. As he walked, he mused, “I haven’t rushed about like this for private matters in many years – traveling between the capital and Youzhou in a single day, yet not feeling tired at all.” After speaking, he glanced back at her.

Qingyuan’s heart jumped, not knowing what private matters he was referring to. She certainly didn’t have a habit of presumption, nor did she like to pry into others’ thoughts. She only wanted to return to the main topic, “Does the Commander know the background of these men?”

One was deliberately showing favoritism, the other intentionally ignoring – this created an awkward situation of talking past each other. Shen Run turned around, frowning as he studied her, “Fourth Young Lady, we haven’t seen each other for several days – don’t you have anything else to say to me?”

Qingyuan thought for a moment, then shook her head saying no, “The banquet at the Commander’s residence was only six or seven days ago. What I wanted to say was said that day, so now I really can’t think of what else to say. However, I haven’t yet thanked the Commander for saving my life from that danger – if you hadn’t arrived in time, I fear the consequences would have been unthinkable. I’m not concerned about other things, only about the servant who went out with me – a living life lost just like that, it truly makes me feel guilty.”

After hearing her words, Shen Run suddenly smiled slightly, clasping his hands, “What Fourth Young Lady feels guilty about, I understand perfectly. That servant’s death has nothing to do with you, and those who killed him weren’t your people – you can rest assured.”

These words came so suddenly. Qingyuan had been planning how to indirectly learn the identity of those men in black from him, but unexpectedly he cut straight to the point, exposing her hidden worries, exposing them in broad daylight.

Qingyuan looked at him in shock, trying to gauge exactly how much he knew. Shen Run’s smile deepened as he turned sideways and brought his lips to her ear, saying word by word: “Fourth Young Lady forgets what I do for a living. In this world, whether obvious or hidden, if I want to know something, nothing escapes my eyes. You wanted to play the victim this time to bring down Madam Hu – the plan wasn’t bad, but you underestimated your opponent. Madam Hu also comes from a military family; there’s only a fine line between soldiers and bandits. With your current foundation, it would be very difficult to shake her position.”

The more he spoke, the more disheartened Qingyuan became. Since he had seen through everything anyway, there was nothing to argue about, so she lowered her head and sighed: “I thought too simply… May I ask, Commander, what happened to the people I arranged beforehand?”

Shen Run said: “Since they couldn’t be of use, I had them return first. Once they learned the Palace Guard was getting involved, even the boldest wouldn’t dare join in this commotion.”

Qingyuan nodded wearily, “It’s just as well they didn’t come. Then, can the truth be tortured out of those men in black tonight?”

Shen Run shook his head, “People were hired through multiple intermediaries to eventually bribe these bandits. Even under torture, they might not be able to reveal their employer.”

How could Qingyuan not know the difficulty of digging deeper? It was precisely because of this that she had planned to stage her drama. She just hadn’t expected to encounter her nemesis – if she had known, it would have been better to act a day earlier. But there was something else she didn’t understand, and after much thought, she asked: “If the Commander knows the truth can’t be extracted through interrogation, why bring us all to the capital? Isn’t it a waste of effort for such a long journey?”

But he slowly shook his head, his slightly raised eyebrows carrying three parts lingering affection and seven parts teasing, “I never waste effort. Bringing you to the Palace Guard with such a show of force will certainly alarm the entire Xie family. Though we can’t eliminate Madam Hu for you in one stroke, we can use this to warn her, at least making her dare not act rashly again. There’s another matter, a most important matter – can Fourth Young Lady guess what it is?”

It must be some other world-shocking insight, but how would Qingyuan dare to guess? She just smiled and said she didn’t know.

So indeed, dealing with a young lady who excels at playing naive requires thick skin. Shen Run considered himself usually reserved, but meeting this person somehow activated all his capacity for ambiguity. He gazed at her dreamily, as if gazing at a dream, “I wanted to show you where I work, to let you know what I busy myself with daily. This vast Palace Guard has Guards from all routes under my sole command. I bear great responsibility, but while on duty, I can still steal time for private matters – Fourth Young Lady is my private matter. I rushed from the capital to Youzhou, not for anything else, but because I missed you.”

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