With Commander Stone’s name card and their years of reputation in Yizhou Prefecture, the Yang family’s carriage wasn’t stopped by night patrol soldiers, and they brought Imperial Physician Gu back to the estate.
After lifting the curtain and the blanket to examine First Master Yang’s body carefully, the elderly physician sighed.
After washing his hands, Yang Jingshan accompanied him to the main hall.
Madam Yang watched him quietly.
The elderly physician spoke softly: “Due to wine’s stimulation. Stroke, sudden death.”
Those five words made the Yang brothers lower their heads in shame and anger.
Although she had guessed it, Madam Yang still felt those five words like a slap to her face. Her sixty-one-year-old husband dying suddenly while intimate with a concubine after drinking—such disgrace!
She struggled to maintain composure as she rose, supporting herself on Xueting’s hand to bow to the physician, her voice trembling: “Please keep this secret for the Yang family.”
“Please rise, Madam. I understand.” The elderly physician also felt First Master Yang’s behavior was outrageous. Past sixty yet showing no restraint. He clasped his hands and left with a sigh.
Madam Yang slowly stood: “Bring the burial clothes.”
Yang Jingshan couldn’t help saying: “Mother has had a trying day, let your son attend to Father…”
Supporting herself on Xueting’s hand, Madam Yang walked slowly toward the east wing, her voice filled with desolation: “I haven’t attended to your father for twenty years. Let me serve him one last time. First Son, Second Son, you brothers handle the funeral arrangements. Your father was advanced in years, he died of natural causes.”
The brothers tearfully agreed. At this moment, no one remembered Yang Jingyuan.
Xueting ordered hot water brought. Madam Yang insisted on personally wringing out the cloth to wash First Master Yang’s body. Looking at his skin that had lost its elasticity, she murmured: “I haven’t seen you in twenty years, I can barely recognize you anymore.”
Twenty years ago, First Master Yang had been in his prime. Vigorous, elegant in bearing. That’s when he happened to meet Lady Liu.
Time flowed like water, and Madam Yang’s initial heartache had turned to numbness. She had never discussed it with First Master Yang. They had reached an unspoken agreement. The position of family head and the brocade business affairs were handed to their twenty-year-old eldest son Yang Jingshan and second son Yang Jingyan, while Madam Yang controlled the inner household. He only wanted Concubine Liu.
At that time, Madam Yang was still middle-aged. How could she not be lonely?
“Endurance is a knife in the heart. One endures for twenty years, and with enough endurance, it becomes a habit.”
“Now, I must become accustomed to your absence.”
“Master, you’re gone. In the end, it’s still your wife attending to you.”
Madam Yang dressed First Master Yang in his burial clothes piece by piece. She undid his topknot, combed through it repeatedly with a fine comb, skillfully arranging it back into a knot. She tied the jade-inlaid headband, then bent down to gently embrace First Master Yang. A crystal tear seeped from her tightly closed eyes: “Thank you, Master, for not staying in the main courtyard all these years. I had grown used to your absence. Now that you’re gone—I’ve considered you gone for twenty years already.”
First Master Yang was gone. But their sons remained, their grandsons remained, and the family business remained. Madam Yang stood, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and said wearily: “Go to the west wing.”
The group carried lanterns out of the main house. Madam Yang stood in the corridor for a moment. The west wing’s lights were still on. Madam Yang sighed and descended the steps.
A maid pushed open the door, and Madam Yang said: “All of you leave.” She entered slowly with only Xueting.
Concubine Liu had calmed down and was quietly sobbing. Seeing Madam Yang sit down, she knelt: “Madam, the Master…”
“I called Imperial Physician Gu. He said the Master died from wine’s stimulation. Stroke, sudden death. Liu, you’re only thirty-eight this year, the Master was sixty-one. How could you do this to him?” Madam Yang said flatly.
Concubine Liu closed her eyes in shame.
Madam Yang stood: “The Master favored you for twenty years, so I thought you should know the physician’s diagnosis. I took you into the household twenty years ago, and I won’t make things difficult for you today.”
She turned to leave with Xueting. Concubine Liu raised her face: “Madam, this servant wishes to see the Master one more time.”
Just then Matron Chen entered: “Madam, the Master’s coffin has been brought in. We’re moving him to Bailu Hall now. The mourning clothes have been distributed. These are the Concubine’s mourning clothes.”
She placed the mourning clothes on the table.
Madam Yang didn’t break stride: “Change into them and come.”
Concubine Liu kowtowed heavily: “Thank you for your grace, Madam.”
……
Yang Jingyuan ran through the night, the wind howling past. He truly regretted not killing Sheng Fengze that night. Though he knew Sheng Fengze was dangerous, he had been careless enough not to warn his father at the banquet. He had to kill Sheng Fengze. Yang Jingyuan had only this thought in mind. Finally reaching the guest house, he unhesitatingly scaled the wall, landing in Sheng Fengze’s courtyard.
His moon-white brocade robe was conspicuous in the night, and the Nanzhao guards spotted him as soon as he entered the courtyard.
“Who goes there?” Chihu drew his sword and pointed it at Yang Jingyuan. “Don’t you know this is White King of Nanzhao’s residence?”
“Sheng Fengze! Get out here!” Yang Jingyuan ignored them, shouting at the main house.
Chihu raged: “How dare you speak our master’s name?”
At the sword point, the Nanzhao guards raised their weapons against Yang Jingyuan.
“Stop!” Sheng Fengze pulled open the main house door. Looking at Yang Jingyuan standing in the courtyard, he said, “You’re no match for him. Stand down.”
“Sheng Fengze.” Yang Jingyuan looked at him, suddenly rushed toward a retreating guard, seized his sword, leaped up, and slashed fiercely at Sheng Fengze.
“Protect the master!” Chihu shouted, and the Nanzhao guards quickly retreated to shield Sheng Fengze.
Yang Jingyuan instantly engaged in combat with the guards.
Through the crowd and flashing blades, Sheng Fengze said leisurely: “Yang Jingyuan, you didn’t even cover your face before running to the guest house. Stealing a guard’s sword, planning to assassinate this prince. Do you know what crime this is? Without this prince lifting a finger, in less than a quarter hour, the soldiers stationed here to protect this prince will arrive and recognize you. Tomorrow you’ll be sitting in the prefecture jail.”
Yang Jingyuan charged forward like a crazed leopard, undeterred by obstacles, his eyes blood-red as he stared at Sheng Fengze: “You killed my father, I’ll kill you!”
“First Master Yang has passed? This prince saw First Master Yang perfectly fine this evening. Ah, what a pity. This prince will certainly pay condolences tomorrow.” Though Sheng Fengze spoke of regret, his face wore a smile.
It was him, it must have been him! Yang Jingyuan shouted, his swordplay changing to slash at the Nanzhao guards like a fierce storm.
Seeing a guard about to be engulfed by the blade’s light, Sheng Fengze’s pupils contracted. He grabbed the guard’s collar and pulled him back, seizing his sword to block upward. The clashing blade made Sheng Fengze’s palm go numb as Yang Jingyuan pressed down hard against their crossed swords.
Chihu hadn’t expected Sheng Fengze to jump out from behind the guards. He pulled a paper packet from his sleeve and threw it forcefully at Yang Jingyuan. The packet struck him, exploding in a cloud of powder.
The force on the sword suddenly weakened. Sheng Fengze pushed hard, kicking Yang Jingyuan down the steps.
He handed the sword to a nearby guard and watched Yang Jingyuan stagger to his feet, smiling as he said: “Don’t worry, Young Master Yang, I won’t kill you like this. Chihu, report this to the authorities… hand him over to Commander Stone.”
“Sheng Fengze, I will kill you.” As Yang Jingyuan spoke, his sword clattered to the ground and he fell backward unconscious.